Gemp-LotR release schedule change

[MarcinS]

Well, seems the Gemp-LotR did not generate as much traction (fancy marketing word for interest) as I was anticipating. Therefore I've decided to change release schedule.

1. At the moment I don't see a reason to introduce Leagues, as having 5 active players will not make the league any interesting. Facing the same opponents on a daily basis will be just boring. This feature will be introduced when the number of active players reaches at least 10.
2. For the same reason I can't see myself putting the server on Amazon EC2 (~$20 per month), rather then hosting from home. I'll move to Amazon once there will be a good player base.
3. To increase the interest among the player base, I will be adding new sets as soon as possible. In the next few days I will get the whole Fellowship block online (FotR, MoM, RotEL). The code is already finished, I just need to do a bit more internal testing, to ensure there is no major bugs in the code that might destabilize the server.

Hope to see you online, and as always - if you have any suggestions on how to increase the player base, send me a message. Every suggestion is at least considered and if deemed to be a good idea, scheduled.

[Ringbearer]

More sets. Just fellowship doesnt really interest the people cause it puts a limit on deckbuilding. If you release cards, release them one block at a time.

[hsiale]

Most people currently play on GCCG. So, to get them to move, you need two things:
- have all features GCCG has,
- have additional features that will outweigh the effort people need to take to change their habits.

When it comes to additional features, it looks really well. Using web browser instead of additional software is good, implementing cards so that their effects are done automatically is good, league/tournament environment that you plan to introduce is really a great thing lack of which is IMO the weakest points of GCCG.

Now, to things where GCCG is currently better (which should IMO go on to-do list)
1. Collectible aspect of the game. From what I've read I thing you plan to implement it and this is very good idea. It would be perfect if migrating your account from GCCG was possible, so that you can take the cards with you when leaving GCCG for Gemp-LotR.
2. Deck builder. A text list view should be available together with the graphical one we have currently. Also more sorting/filtering options will make putting your deck together much easier.
3. When it comes to gameplay, the only problem I see is viewing cards that you do not know. MouseOver+Shift from GCCG is way more comfortable than Shift+LeftClick. Events are a big problem - if they are resolved quickly, they go to discard pile before you can read what and how they do.
4. More cards. I think whole Movie block is needed to make people go to Gemp from GCCG in bigger numbers.

Generally I like the software and I feel that after enough development this will be best and most popular LotR online platform. As long as it will be developed, it will succeed.

[MarcinS]

1. Collectible aspect of the game. From what I've read I thing you plan to implement it and this is very good idea. It would be perfect if migrating your account from GCCG was possible, so that you can take the cards with you when leaving GCCG for Gemp-LotR.
2. Deck builder. A text list view should be available together with the graphical one we have currently. Also more sorting/filtering options will make putting your deck together much easier.
3. When it comes to gameplay, the only problem I see is viewing cards that you do not know. MouseOver+Shift from GCCG is way more comfortable than Shift+LeftClick. Events are a big problem - if they are resolved quickly, they go to discard pile before you can read what and how they do.
4. More cards. I think whole Movie block is needed to make people go to Gemp from GCCG in bigger numbers.

Just to quickly address the points:
1. As you said, the collectible aspect is planned. Also I will be expanding on the collectible aspect, as I'll be introducing foils. I'm not really sure migration from GCCG will be an option, as that would require to treat the GCCG as "obsolete" and will require me to have an access to GCCG collection, which probably will prove difficult.
2. I'm not really sure why you'd like to have a text list view, so please explain. If the explanation will be reasonable, I will for sure add it. As for sorting/filtering it will be added later on. At the moment with just one set, it wasn't really a problem.
3. Well, when it comes to browser, I can't do anything I want. I'm limited with what is provided to me, so I'm afraid due to how focus works in a browser, a click in one form or another is required to initiate any action.
4, Well, cards will be added if that's what is stopping people from playing Gemp-LotR. My only concern is, that due to limited player base, until I add more cards, by the time I get to set 10 there will be a lot of untested cards there. It's much easier for me to find and fix problems with cards as soon as possible, and with a large card base, finding problem will be more difficult.

[hsiale]

I'll be introducing foils. I'm not really sure migration from GCCG will be an option, as that would require to treat the GCCG as "obsolete" and will require me to have an access to GCCG collection, which probably will prove difficult.

Yes, I noticed that the deck you played yesterday was 100% foiled Nice idea

I think the final aim of your software should be exactly making GCCG obsolete, inferior to Gemp-LotR with respect to anything, so that everyone playing on GCCG now switches to Gemp. I feel there's no use in dividing already small player base between a new and an old platform, new platform is worth developing only when it's so much better that everyone leaves the old. And being able to take your collection with you will make switch decision much easier for many people. I don't know how hard this will be from coding point of view, I guess you need to talk to people that prepared LotR GCCG platform.

I'm not really sure why you'd like to have a text list view, so please explain. If the explanation will be reasonable, I will for sure add it.

I don't think I can give you clear reasons. It's a matter of taste. I prefer text and tables to images. Reading is quick, sorting is possible. Back in the days when I played with physical cards I always built decks with pen and paper, only taking cards into hand when first version was ready and deck needed finetuning and playtesting. I guess other people may prefer images. Making a poll could be a good idea, to find out how big share of people prefer text-&-table based deckbuilders over image based ones, so that you know if there are enough of them to justify making a version for them.

Well, when it comes to browser, I can't do anything I want. I'm limited with what is provided to me, so I'm afraid due to how focus works in a browser, a click in one form or another is required to initiate any action.

I think if a click is required, it should not be combined with holding a key. Key+Click shortcuts are rarely used and this has a reason. They are unnatural, they require using both hands at the same time (but in different places and in different ways) which means it's easier to make a mistake (especially if you are not a good typist and finding keys perfectly without looking on them isn't easy). Choosing some part of the card to trigger bigger view with a simple click would be much more usable. I think the upper left corner (part containing card's twilight cost) would be good, it's big enough to avoid misclicks and it never is hidden.

Also, I see no reason for bigger view not to open in a big enough window so that scrolling is unnecessary (unless on some really small screen). You won't play the game anyway while viewing a card, so even if it hides the whole table it's not a problem, and scrolling makes you lose additional time. Probably the bigger view should close after click anywhere on the window, not only X sign in upper right corner.

Still, the problem with events remain. To solve it, maybe 2-3 latest events your opponent played should stay somewhere at the end of support area, so that you can read them freely. During our game yesterday I had to look up the event you used in database here on TLHH, which I luckily had open in another tab. With only 11 events in FotR and me knowing half of them well I could do it not losing a lot of time, but when the card pool gets bigger, one needs to be able to read all cards his opponent plays internally.

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Three more suggestions:

1. There should be (I can't find it) a possibility of saving a few decks. So that you can change them freely and once you built a deck, it stays even if you want to use another one for some time.

2. (low priority) When you introduce tournament playing, autopass should be more customizable. Yesterday I could tell if you have a pump in hand already after the first skirmish. Depending on the deck, you may want to autopass in some phases and not in others (and I definitely wouldn't like to autopass in shadow phase no matter what deck I play - this tells too much to opponent). Also a random delay option would be good, so that you choose a time interval and when you autopass, it doesn't happen instantly but after a random time from this interval.

3. Player markers should somehow indicate who at the moment is FP player and who Shadow player.

[MarcinS]

Choosing some part of the card to trigger bigger view with a simple click would be much more usable. I think the upper left corner (part containing card's twilight cost) would be good, it's big enough to avoid misclicks and it never is hidden.

That is a good idea, the only problem is, that this zoom has to be available also when the card is selectable. I could make it on some card corner, it's just that it will not be possible to select (activate) the card when clicking on that corner. If that's acceptable - then fine.

Also, I see no reason for bigger view not to open in a big enough window so that scrolling is unnecessary (unless on some really small screen).

Will do that.

Probably the bigger view should close after click anywhere on the window, not only X sign in upper right corner.

It also closes on pressing "Esc" button. Though I guess the counter-argument will be to not use keyboard, even though both "Esc" buttons and Shift are easy to locate on keyboard.

Still, the problem with events remain. To solve it, maybe 2-3 latest events your opponent played should stay somewhere at the end of support area, so that you can read them freely. During our game yesterday I had to look up the event you used in database here on TLHH, which I luckily had open in another tab.

The text in chat window showing up what was played will be clickable at some point, showing the zoom of the card. Also the animations will be configurable, to increase/decrease the speed, and also to make them not disappear until you click on them, or something. Not now though. I need to get the rules working fine first.

1. There should be (I can't find it) a possibility of saving a few decks. So that you can change them freely and once you built a deck, it stays even if you want to use another one for some time.

I was planning to add it, when I introduce league, since you needed to have league and normal deck, but due to the fact that leagues are rescheduled, I will have to introduce it soon I guess anyway.

2. (low priority) When you introduce tournament playing, autopass should be more customizable. Yesterday I could tell if you have a pump in hand already after the first skirmish. Depending on the deck, you may want to autopass in some phases and not in others (and I definitely wouldn't like to autopass in shadow phase no matter what deck I play - this tells too much to opponent).

I should probably do that, just not now. For the "tournament" play you might just turn the autopass off.

3. Player markers should somehow indicate who at the moment is FP player and who Shadow player.

That's a good idea.

[hsiale]

That is a good idea, the only problem is, that this zoom has to be available also when the card is selectable. I could make it on some card corner, it's just that it will not be possible to select (activate) the card when clicking on that corner. If that's acceptable - then fine.

That's perfect. One corner for zoom (top left or bottom left, definitely one that's visible when a card is attached to another), rest of the card to activate it, perhaps a bit of "neutral zone" in between them which activates neither zoom nor card's ability to avoid small misclicks affecting gameplay.

Though I guess the counter-argument will be to not use keyboard, even though both "Esc" buttons and Shift are easy to locate on screen.

Yes. I think the game should use only mouse, with keyboard needed only for chat. This way it would be easiest to use.

[MarcinS]

Sets 01-03 are already up and working on the site. Few other issues were addressed:
- card information now opens in a much larger window and on most screens should not require scrolling anymore,
- card names in game chat (when produced by the game itself rather than chatting) are clickable now, when you click them, you'll see the zoom of the card, so the problem with not knowing what was played disappears, if you notice any effect not linking the card, please let me know with a "copy/paste" of the line that does not link, that's the best way for me to locate the problem.

[MarcinS]

I have a power  failure  at home at the moment, so the server will be down till late night today.
My apologies.

On the good news side - 25% of The Two Towers expansion is already finished.

[Shapeshifter]

I like the idea of not having to install anything to be able to play. Unfortunately my connection is slow, so the loading of the images takes so long. I was just wondering, aren´t four ways(SdA, GCCG, Lackey & Gemp) of playing LoTR TCG online a bit too much? I get the impression that the amount of people playing online is pretty small to start with, but on the other hand I´ve only tested GCCG.

Edit: I´m trying to make a deck in Gemp with the deckbuilder, but nothing happens when I click the cards. Am I missing something here?

Edit 2: Nevermind. I just installed Chrome and it seems to be working now.