storylets redesign

to where can we send feedback on storylets redesign?

it was easier when I could see “unlocked with (level)” without having to mouse over the icons so I could know if it’s going to be “almost impossible” or “straightforward” – it’s hard to remember the levels for me even after playing the same card 10 times

I will say it looks a great deal more modern. The tea stained icons have been replaced by pure white buttons readable text(the crux of the game) has been replaced by different buttons. The heavy borders also give a more modern envelope look.

The redesign may be more streamlined but it makes me feel less like I’m in Victorian London and more like I’m playing a video game.

I liked the old style better. I miss the big red GO! button already…

[quote=quartz]to where can we send feedback on storylets redesign?

it was easier when I could see “unlocked with (level)” without having to mouse over the icons so I could know if it’s going to be “almost impossible” or “straightforward” – it’s hard to remember the levels for me even after playing the same card 10 times[/quote]

I have never found much, if any, correlation between when an action or card was unlocked, and the level required for a given chance of success. Sometimes it would be unlocked at low-risk (though I can’t recall ever seeing one that was unlocked at straightforward). Sometimes it would be unlocked at almost impossible, and then remain almost impossible for the next ten levels before finally dropping down to high-risk. Or really any level of difficulty between.

[quote=Abraham Bounty][quote=quartz]to where can we send feedback on storylets redesign?

it was easier when I could see “unlocked with (level)” without having to mouse over the icons so I could know if it’s going to be “almost impossible” or “straightforward” – it’s hard to remember the levels for me even after playing the same card 10 times[/quote]

I have never found much, if any, correlation between when an action or card was unlocked, and the level required for a given chance of success. Sometimes it would be unlocked at low-risk (though I can’t recall ever seeing one that was unlocked at straightforward). Sometimes it would be unlocked at almost impossible, and then remain almost impossible for the next ten levels before finally dropping down to high-risk. Or really any level of difficulty between.[/quote]

So far for me, in general, if it’s unlocked at 35 and I’m 35, it’s going to be impossible. But I’m pretty low – around 40 for my top qualities. So far the new design and the mouse over thing is totally turning me off. =( I agree it doesn’t look as esoteric as it used to be… too modern!

I also preferred the old design. It was actually EASIER to tell what I needed for a storylet then (Or, rather, get a feel for the difficulty from the qualities needed to unlock it). Also, with the white background now it’s actually difficult to read the “Modest” quality, whereas before I had no problem reading anything.

I’ll agree with the ‘too modern’ look (this is a Victorian era setting. ‘Modern’ is not a compliment) and the breaking of immersion. With how tiny the icons are, and how some storylets unlock with a number of them, that’s a lot of mousing over that you have to do. Anyone with difficulty in using a touchpad with precision on, say, a laptop, is going to find it very difficult to read now. How thoroughly was player usability considered when planning this redesign?

Er, I’m afraid I don’t actually see some of the complaints others have as far as reading the storylets or opportunity cards go. I will say that it does look a touch too modern. Perhaps somehow softening the edges of the little squares of information?

I much prefer the change away from the gradients, they were certainly distracting and difficult to read (at least on Chrome).

It took me some hunting to find a story who’s requirements I didn’t meet, the grayed out icon is a nice touch.

Overall, thanks much!

~MF
A Lady far from the top

I agree that I preferred the old version. Everything just looks so bright and blocky. I really liked the gradients too, the monochrome does make it look too modern.

I have to admit that I do like the little “unlocked with” images. They used to take over a lot of storylet text, so it’s nice to have them relegated to one corner.

[quote=Maurna Frost]Er, I’m afraid I don’t actually see some of the complaints others have as far as reading the storylets or opportunity cards go. I will say that it does look a touch too modern. Perhaps somehow softening the edges of the little squares of information?

I much prefer the change away from the gradients, they were certainly distracting and difficult to read (at least on Chrome).

It took me some hunting to find a story who’s requirements I didn’t meet, the grayed out icon is a nice touch.

Overall, thanks much!

~MF
A Lady far from the top[/quote]
I find myself quite in agreement (save that it was quite easy for me to find a storylet I did not have the requirements for). While I would like a more appropriate aesthetic, readability trumps that concern. Though it was mentioned elsewhere that the moderate difficulty level was quite difficulty to read, and after finessing my equipment to actually see it, I am in agreement with them as well.

It’s now a lot trickier to spot which storylets are locked, and the level of difficulty of each one - in fact, it’s impossible to find out without mousing over. I think I’m going to find that VERY irritating.

Otherwise, I don’t mind the redesign - it’s quite clean and easy to read.

I’m still not entirely sure why the redesign was nessecary.
Is it a Chrome thing. Was the color on the difficulty too hard to make out on Chrome?
I found the earlier version much easier to read on Firefox. This new one seems to put more barriers between the information and myself, not less.
Graphically I feel it looks more like a place holder than a finished design; as if these bright white blocks are something you’d but in pre-beta before you had a graphic designer look at them and change up the aesthetic.
More text can fit on the screen, and I guess that’s nice but it’s honestly not something I noticed or considered a detriment to play.

Of all the complaints I’ve heard about EB from new players, old players and non-players, the design was the least ojectionable. A good deal of folks I know who don’t play EB actually liked the old design. Were there internal numbers suggesting the design of the game was turning people off from playing or was a barrier to new players?
If so then I’ll yield to consensus if it gets more people playing EB, but if this was just a change for the sake of change, to demonstrate that the game is moving forward, then I fail to see why the manpower was put into this. It wasn’t really broken so I fail to see why it was fixed.
edited by Nigel Overstreet on 1/23/2012
edited by Nigel Overstreet on 1/23/2012

I love it. It’s so much more satisfying to unlock stories now. And I can finally read the Bazaar Sidestreets requirements lists without getting a headache.

Agreeing with the “too modern” crowd. It reminds me a lot of the recent Gmail change, actually. Sorry, FBG :/

I use Chrome, and I have to say I preferred the old look. I dislike needing to mouse over the icons to see the unlocks, I find it less visually appealing, and I really miss storylets being differently-colored; it made it much easier to locate, say, Larks With Chuffy when it was in gold.

I like the added info but dislike the color scheme.

As far as the level difficulty goes, I think it’s based on a parabolic equation. It starts off impossible, gets easier, then tapers off at straightforward.
edited by Endy on 1/23/2012

Unfortunately I must admit I don’t like this change. We used to be able to see the prerequisites for a storylet listed plainly and clearly, and the prerequisites of every storylet visible on the page could be viewed at once. Now we can only see one prerequisite at a time and have to mouse over the icon to do it.

Aligning the Go button on the top of the box looks a bit crap, but on the whole I’m enjoying the change. Of course, this just makes it more imperative to make Connected: Society and Connected: the Duchess use different icons, to avoid confusion at the Palace. Mr. Huffman would make a much better Society representative anyway.

Now that I think of, the same can be said of Connected: Benthic and Connected: Summerset. The Provost is an obvious choice to represent Summerset, but I don’t remember if Benthic’s Principal has her own icon.

EDIT: She does. Convenient!
edited by Patrick Reding on 1/24/2012

Well, I’m amazing myself as usually I’m quite conservative as to graphic layouts, but I actually like the new format, though I don’t know how comfortable it can be for people with touchpads. It’s clear, and I like having slightly smaller storylets to be able to visulalize more. The only thing - as many have remarked - it could really use some artificial “aging”, as it does look too modern. Maybe it would be possible to implement the old colors and shading with the new layout?