Game 5684

[RELLGAR]

Your standing orders are on the review of your current turn. Listed in the text box below in the order of the lowest numbered order first.

[Maximus Dominus]

Your standing orders are on the review of your current turn. Listed in the text box below in the order of the lowest numbered order first.

The "review of the current turn" being where? On the Sumry tab?

Listed in the text box below - Below what?

Where does it say Standing Order(s)?

Maybe I'm just looking past it, inadvertently, but I still don't see it.

On the UN5684R1.html file, I see where it says


We also executed the following Standing Orders:

Order A B C D E F G H I J Gold

------ ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------

But I am referring to on the Alamaze Online Order System, the thing where a player issues orders for the next turn. Is there a visual reminder on there, so that a player issuing turn orders doesn't inadvertently issue an order for a character that he/she previously issued a Standing Order for?

[Strongwill]

Look, any screen you can verify orders and read what orders are standing or not as it list everything being done on the turn. If you just want a quick reference go to the "other" tab, pan down to cancel standing order, act like you are cancelling one and it will ask which by displaying any and all you have open.

[Brekk]

QUESTION: When logged into a game of Alamaze, how do I tell where my standing orders issued in a previous turn are displayed?

So far, I don't see it on any tab that I click on for this game.

You can look at your orders summary from the last turn and you will see all of the Standing Orders you have issued.

So, the information in question isn't listed on the current turn's orders screen, as a reminder to the player?

How does a new player intuitively know that it's only available, if they load the last turn's orders?

Reload the last turn, look at and write down/make a mental note (provided that they don't forget, while going between turns), and then load the new turn again?

Since the system tracks the standing orders, anyway, wouldn't it make more sense for it to visually alert/display, somehow, that particular information for the player, while on the screen to issue orders for the new turn? It seems to me that that would be the more intuitive approach of the two.

If you have issued a standing order, you will get an error message that an order has been executed already.

[Maximus Dominus]

If you have issued a standing order, you will get an error message that an order has been executed already.

That's not what I'm asking.

I am trying to figure out how players, especially new players, will know, when issuing orders for the next turn while in the Alamaze Online Order System, that they've already issued standing orders a previous turn. Is there a visual cue to them in the Alamaze Online Order System, or do they have to refer back to their turn results html page?

If they receive an error message, when trying to issue an order for a character that has a standing order already issued for them, then that means they don't/can't see a visual cue, without actually issuing a new order - which defeats the purpose of them being able to visually understand that a standing order for that character was already issued previously.

[Maximus Dominus]

Look, any screen you can verify orders and read what orders are standing or not as it list everything being done on the turn. If you just want a quick reference go to the "other" tab, pan down to cancel standing order, act like you are cancelling one and it will ask which by displaying any and all you have open.

I understand that there is a verify orders option. I even mentioned that I remembered to verify my turn orders before clicking the ready button for Turn #1 back  on 08-01-2023 in this posting here.

Turn #2 has now been processed, so when I load the Alamaze Online Order System and click on the Verify Orders tab, it does NOT mention anything, at all, about Standing Orders.

OK, so I went to the Other tab, and clicked on one of the No Action options/boxes, chose the 50 - Cancel Standing Order, which then listed the Standing Orders that I previously issued. So, the visual cue is there, it's just buried, and not immediately visible to players, confirming what I already suspected.

New players could easily overlook this. This particular thing is not intuitive, from an interface design perspective. Experienced players will know how to view their previously issued standing orders, this way, but new players will suffer from a lack of familiarity that inherently goes with being new. Visual cues that are obvious, rather than buried, are one way to help level the playing field for new players.

[Strongwill]

Look, any screen you can verify orders and read what orders are standing or not as it list everything being done on the turn. If you just want a quick reference go to the "other" tab, pan down to cancel standing order, act like you are cancelling one and it will ask which by displaying any and all you have open.

I understand that there is a verify orders option. I even mentioned that I remembered to verify my turn orders before clicking the ready button for Turn #1 back  on 08-01-2023 in this posting here.

Turn #2 has now been processed, so when I load the Alamaze Online Order System and click on the Verify Orders tab, it does NOT mention anything, at all, about Standing Orders.

OK, so I went to the Other tab, and clicked on one of the No Action options/boxes, chose the 50 - Cancel Standing Order, which then listed the Standing Orders that I previously issued. So, the visual cue is there, it's just buried, and not immediately visible to players, confirming what I already suspected.

New players could easily overlook this. This particular thing is not intuitive, from an interface design perspective. Experienced players will know how to view their previously issued standing orders, this way, but new players will suffer from a lack of familiarity that inherently goes with being new. Visual cues that are obvious, rather than buried, are one way to help level the playing field for new players.

If you verify without actually doing an order it pretty much just shows feed/paid and food/gold amounts. when you first load add an order (regardless if your going to keep it) and then you can see your standing orders that will run on the present turn. that probably needs to be fixed.

[Maximus Dominus]

The option to make an order a standing order for characters is in abbreviated (yet another abbreviation), but visually obvious, form.

The player just clicks the S.O. box (visually obvious, though new players may not just automatically make the connection that S.O. stands for Standing Order.

   


Why is it important to make this aspect of the Standing Orders equation visually obvious, but not have a similar visually obvious visual cue right out in the open of the Alamaze Online Order System for players to automatically know which Standing orders that they have already issued on previous turns?

For experienced players, it's a non-issue. Their first-hand experience is their guide, so they don't need a visual cue. New players lack past first-hand experience, and the lack of visual cue for Standing Orders previously issued places them at a disadvantage.

The more intuitive that a game's interface is, the better your chances are of winning over new players in greater numbers. Each little item or area of confusion/uncertainty collectively adds up. The more intuitive the game interface is, the less that has to be explained to new players. And the grand objective is to GAIN and RETAIN a lot more new players for Alamaze. Increased intuitiveness in the game's interface can help to offset part of the complexity of the overall game design.

[Maximus Dominus]

If you verify without actually doing an order it pretty much just shows feed/paid and food/gold amounts. when you first load add an order (regardless if your going to keep it) and then you can see your standing orders that will run on the present turn. that probably needs to be fixed.

OK, I see that now, after issuing an order.

I can tell you, though, placing it here (under the Verify Orders tab), but only after a player issues an order, is very easy to overlook.

I appreciate the patience and clarification.

[Strongwill]

It easy to overlook. Standing Orders are on page 33/34 of rule book for clarification. And that last part is NOT noted on the pages. would have added an attachment showing Uncle Mikes pages and diagram but I couldn't figure how.