This is the mail archive of the xconq7@sources.redhat.com mailing list for the Xconq project.


Index Nav: [Date Index] [Subject Index] [Author Index] [Thread Index]
Message Nav: [Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]
Other format: [Raw text]

Problems, suggestions, etc.


Hello everybody!

I downloaded a recent cvs version (Jul 1st) for the first time in a couple of
months, and everything looks very good to me. I did have a couple of problems,
which I will list below. This also seems like a good time to make a couple of
suggestions that I hope are very small changes.

I am running Debian Linux 3.0r0 on a K6/2 400, Riva TNT on Xfree4.something,
75dpi fonts before 100dpi, tcl/tk8.3.

Problems:

 o In the current version, the map fonts are very large. I am running in
   800x600, but I always have been, and I haven't noticed this before. I did
   change my X setup a while ago, but I don't know if that could be the cause.
   At the moment I just have feature/unit names displays turned off. Other
   fonts seem quite large, but they are not _too_ large.

   Probably as a result of this problem, the `do you want to save', and `do
   you want to resign' screens that appear when I quit do not fit entirely
   into their windows. (only half of the yes/no buttons fit)

Suggestions:

 o Some of the games that appear in the default list (without `List All Games'
   toggled) seem to be incomplete. Perhaps this list should only have the
   Standard game, LotR, and the WW2 ones? I haven't played all the variations,
   but I remember that when I played Ancient Rome / Roman Civil War, it was
   very unbalanced and perhaps not finished.

   Along the same lines, the README ( Welcome to xconq 7.4!) file has a long
   list of games that are available, which includes some that are unplayable.
   Perhaps this list should be shortened? Perhaps the emphasis should be on
   the Standard Game, or LotR which are playable and fun.

 o In the `Game Setup' screen, is it possible to not display the `Unused'
   slots? Failing that, would it be possible to list them all at the end?

 o When I first started playing xconq, I found the help dialog quite
   because I didn't realize what was generic help, what was game description,
   unit/terrain lists etc. Would it be possible to put a separator (--- or
   something) in between each different type, to make this clearer?

 o I was also confused at first by the fact that when you are playing against
   more than one opponent, and you say you want to quit, it doesn't actually
   quit, but asks you (in the message area!) who you want to surrender to. I
   also didn't realize for a while that `nobody' was an acceptable response.
   Perhaps `all' should be the default?

 o In the Standard game, `Large Countries' doesn't actually seem to grow large
   countries, but long thin ones. The game seems to generate larger countries
   without this option (or All Land/Mostly Land) checked.

 o Are standing orders (as far as they work now) documented anywhere? What
   already exists might be useful to some players.

Longer Term Suggestions(?):

 o The image at the top of the `World Size' dialog doesn't seem to do
   anything.

 o Instead of the `Large Countries', 'Mostly Land', 'All land', would it be
   possible to add an option so that games can specify generation options that
   could be altered by the player? (eg. via scrollbars in the world options
   dialog. A bit like in Civ:CTP)

        I used to be dubious about the tcl/tk interface (it was a shock the first
time I loaded the game), but I think it looks very nice in the post 7.4.1
versions. Are you still planning to switch to sdlconq? If you are, then asc
and lgeneral both have very nice interfaces... The current sdlconq interface
seems quite clunky.

        I am sorry that this email is so long (and that I made so many petty
criticisms when I can't do anything to fix it), but I hope that it is useful.
Thankyou to all the people who have been working on xconq recently (looking at
the mailing list, there seems to be a team now) to improve the presentation,
network code, and whatever else has been going on.

Richard Hunt

(Sorry if the formatting is messed up. I wrote it with word wrap on, then pasted it into my webmail.)
Richard Hunt, 0102806h@student.gla.ac.uk


Index Nav: [Date Index] [Subject Index] [Author Index] [Thread Index]
Message Nav: [Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]