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[dougz]

After the next server restart (in ~90 minutes), the way you select an Inspire action will be different.  Instead of buttons appearing in the left-hand column, you'll click on the card (just like for a Dogma action) and get a popup menu with "dogma" and "inspire" options.  The menu only appears if the color is Inspire-able; if there are no visible inspire effects in the stack (or if you've already Inspired this turn) then clicking it will just do a Dogma action as it does now.

I can revert this change if it's widely hated, but I'm forever clicking on the cards when I intend to Inspire.

[Kirian]

Thank you thank you thank you...

[Darthcaboose]

This is a good change, but I certainly though Isotropic was borked when I couldn't see a way to Inspire.

Perhaps a main menu notification about the change may be helpful?

[ksasaki]

can you put a little notification on the main screen (maybe in red near the bottom where "server restart" usually appears)?  maybe for 2-3 days, I think that would be useful.

[ksasaki]

I'm kinda mixed on the new UI change.  I just don't like clicking and moving, it kind of slows down the flow of the game.  Although the old solution was ugly, at least each action was atomic.  I'm trying to think of a better solution where maybe one half of the card you can click on for the inspiration, but that gets kind of messy and not so great for smaller resolutions.

[dougz]

Well, I was kind of ambivalent about it.  I think it's an improvement on the whole, but not a huge one, and there are certainly tradeoffs.  Pros and cons I can think of:

inspire buttons on the side
+ easily discoverable
+ visual reminder of the Inspire option
- takes up space in the left-hand column
- somewhat unnatural; too easy to click the card you're intending to be inspired by and dogma it instead

the pop-up menu
+ fixes accidental dogma'ing
+ saves left column space
- no indication when clicking will instantly dogma vs. bring up the menu (apart from reading the cards in the stack)
- poor discoverability
- need to click-move-click

Other possibilities I considered:

"click the inspire icon/effect on the card"
+ saves left column space
+ fixes accidental dogma'ing, mostly
- replaces it with accidental inspire'ing
- poor discoverability
- small click target

"an inspire button above each stack"
+ easily discoverable
+ visual reminder of the Inspire option
+ saves left column space
- takes up vertical space on the board
- kinda ugly?

Suggestions are welcome...

[timchen]

One downside of the new UI I think is that it is now possible trying to inspire twice then realize too late that you can't.

[teasel]

Well, I was kind of ambivalent about it.  I think it's an improvement on the whole, but not a huge one, and there are certainly tradeoffs.  Pros and cons I can think of:

inspire buttons on the side
+ easily discoverable
+ visual reminder of the Inspire option
- takes up space in the left-hand column
- somewhat unnatural; too easy to click the card you're intending to be inspired by and dogma it instead

the pop-up menu
+ fixes accidental dogma'ing
+ saves left column space
- no indication when clicking will instantly dogma vs. bring up the menu (apart from reading the cards in the stack)
- poor discoverability
- need to click-move-click

Other possibilities I considered:

"click the inspire icon/effect on the card"
+ saves left column space
+ fixes accidental dogma'ing, mostly
- replaces it with accidental inspire'ing
- poor discoverability
- small click target

"an inspire button above each stack"
+ easily discoverable
+ visual reminder of the Inspire option
+ saves left column space
- takes up vertical space on the board
- kinda ugly?

Suggestions are welcome...

why not make a selection appear above your hand like when you have to select a value for a card? it would make the game slower but it's easy to implement and eliminate any chance of mistake

[Ref]

Simple would be with the buttons, but instead of the big buttons, use text ones: So you might see: Draw, Achieve 2, Inspire Green. Maybe adding a second symbol on mouseover (like the exclamation point if opponent has more symbols than you) that shows that that color is inspirable.

[popsofctown]

The UI real estate didn't seem that bad, and I like having a one-click method.

[ksasaki]

I like the icons above each stack method, I agree that having them on the left clutters it up a bit.  I guess it would make it even more unusable on portable / mobile devices on the ipad, but I already found it pretty annoying, so I don't think this extra annoyance would make much difference.  One click for me is definitely preferable, and at least having it above the stack will remind you looking at the card that the inspire is available.  Maybe instead of the symbol have a grey "Inspire" button above the appropriate stack similar to the draw button you have on the left hand side.  However, the icons do look nicer and having them centered above each stack would be pretty obvious as well I think. 

[ipofanes]

Left column vertical real estate is less precious than main board. So I'd be in favour of both old and new solution, even if the new solution makes dogmaing the top card a bit less sleek.

[Kirian]

The UI real estate didn't seem that bad, and I like having a one-click method.

You are presumably playing on a large monitor--as do I, at 1920x1080.  Someone at much lower resolution (like if I try to play on my laptop) has major squeezing of the UI, or scrolling at times.

[popsofctown]

I play on a laptop.  1280 x 800.

[NoMoreFun]

Can you add an exclamation mark to a figure with no dogma (echo) effect if an inspire action has already been taken that turn?

[Drab Emordnilap]

Can you add an exclamation mark to a figure with no dogma (echo) effect if an inspire action has already been taken that turn?

Or make the popup appear when you click, with "Inspire" unselectable?

[dougz]

The popup menu is going away, to be replaced by an "inspire" button above the stack.  This turns out to be more compatible with some UI changes needed by the next expansion set...
 

[Kirian]

The popup menu is going away, to be replaced by an "inspire" button above the stack.  This turns out to be more compatible with some UI changes needed by the next expansion set...
 

Dougz has spoilers!

[ksasaki]

next expansion!!!!  woo!!! 

[Drab Emordnilap]

That makes sense. I saw the next expansion at GenCon.

[ksasaki]

what are your thoughts on the new expansion?  I took a look at the cards from the beta, looked pretty neat and straightforward compared to figures.  The number of achievements is getting ridiculous though...

[dougz]

I have not played an actual game of it against another person, so I can't really speak to how it plays.  (Playing against myself in two browser windows doesn't count.)  I wonder how often I will forget to draw a City card when I'm supposed to IRL, isotropic of course does it automatically but it seems easy to forget.  Maybe it will become natural once I've actually played it a couple of times.

Implementing it was, like, 2% of the effort needed for Figures, so that was nice.

Chris (of Asmadi) wants to do an "open beta"-type thing on isotropic and get data on how it plays, so it's likely you'll be seeing it soon. 

[ConMan]

Trying to remember what card to draw when you've got multiple expansions going is probably one of the trickiest things to keep track of - I've only actually played one Base + beta test of expansion game, but I think there'll need to be a cheat sheet to check what card to draw if there's Echoes in there too (and Figures, of course).

[ipofanes]

The UI real estate didn't seem that bad, and I like having a one-click method.

You are presumably playing on a large monitor--as do I, at 1920x1080.  Someone at much lower resolution (like if I try to play on my laptop) has major squeezing of the UI, or scrolling at times.

I once played 3p on my netbook with a drawing strategy and one of the players called me out for my atrocious play.