Author Topic: [Suggestion] Less repetition when craft pilots missing  (Read 751 times)

Offline Delian

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[Suggestion] Less repetition when craft pilots missing
« on: September 23, 2024, 04:18:13 pm »
1. In geoscape click on a UFO
2. Select the option to launch craft
3. Select a craft
4. Click Ok
5. Get an error message that the craft is missing pilots. Select the option to add pilots to the craft
6. Add crew (pilots) and click OK
7. Repeat step 1
8. Repeat step 2
9. Repeat step 3
10. Repeat step 4

Currently, if the user adds missing pilots, they have to repeat steps 1-4 before they're able to launch a craft.
I'd like to suggest that this be changed so that, after the player returns from the craft window, the window state remains, and they only need to click Ok (step 4), to finish launching a craft.

Edit: Removed the auto-launch craft requirement
« Last Edit: September 25, 2024, 01:09:07 pm by Delian »

Offline Meridian

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Re: [Suggestion] Auto launch craft after missing pilots added
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2024, 04:47:20 pm »
Sorry, but this is developer abuse and some next-level nitpicking.

My expected behavior is that after the error message, the would-be operation is cancelled... like with every other error message everywhere.
Then you go fix the issue and try again.

Suggestion rejected.

PS: if you want, I can check if there are not enough pilots already when selecting a craft, and not even allow you to select a craft

Offline Delian

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Re: [Suggestion] Auto launch craft after missing pilots added
« Reply #2 on: September 23, 2024, 05:23:56 pm »
Sorry, I don't know what I did to offend you. I'm only suggesting this small QoL improvement because it's something that often happens to me (and to other people, based on the streams I've seen), because I often shift pilots from one craft to the other, so I'm never sure which craft has pilots on them.

Umm, can I try to fix this myself then, and submit a PR?

Edit: Seems like a simple fix:
https://github.com/MeridianOXC/OpenXcom/compare/oxce-plus...Delian0:OpenXcom:patch-2
« Last Edit: September 23, 2024, 06:32:29 pm by Delian »

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: [Suggestion] Auto launch craft after missing pilots added
« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2024, 09:20:31 am »
Sorry, but this idea is outlandish as heck. What's next, a combo button to autoplay the first 3 turns of combat?

Offline Meridian

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Re: [Suggestion] Auto launch craft after missing pilots added
« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2024, 11:33:20 am »
Sorry, I don't know what I did to offend you.

I apologize.
I shouldn't have let my frustration out so unfiltered as I did.

The suggestion will be moved to Archive in 60 days.


PS: before you ask, the difference between moving to Rejected and moving to Archive is:
- "Rejected" means there is 100% certainty that a suggestion will never be implemented in OXCE, not even as optional
- "Archive" means there is 99% chance that a suggestion will not be implemented... 1% is for a case that the suggestion gets upvoted by a significant number of players (and even then it will be implemented as optional and turned off by default)

Offline Delian

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Re: [Suggestion] Auto launch craft after missing pilots added
« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2024, 12:15:44 pm »
Sorry, but this idea is outlandish as heck.

Har har. Here's the video demonstrating the change.

The main problem was losing the ufo and craft selection state, requiring the user to repeat those actions.

Then you go fix the issue and try again.

These are my thought as well. When, for instance, you're filling out an online form, and one text field has an error, you fix that text field, the error is gone, and you continue. While it would be pretty hilarious if that error caused the whole form to explode, causing you to have to restart from scratch, it wouldn't make for a very user-friendly experience.

The suggestion will be moved to Archive in 60 days.

I'd also like to apologize again, my opening post didn't do a good job explaining what the problem, or the reasoning behind the issue was. If, after watching the video demonstrating the change, you still think the change is unreasonable, could I trouble you with asking for an explanation why it's important for the select/confirm destination states to get reset at that point?

Offline Meridian

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Re: [Suggestion] Auto launch craft after missing pilots added
« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2024, 12:38:01 pm »
I'd also like to apologize again, my opening post didn't do a good job explaining what the problem, or the reasoning behind the issue was. If, after watching the video demonstrating the change, you still think the change is unreasonable, could I trouble you with asking for an explanation why it's important for the select/confirm destination states to get reset at that point?

First, it looks ugly.
If I click on "OK" instead of "Go to Pilots", then I have to cancel two more windows just to be able to continue.
Two more clicks... imagine the player reaction.

And in your PR, you can't predict whether the user will click "OK" or "Go to Pilots".

Second, "Go to Pilots" is often not the solution... e.g. you have pilots in a different base or you simply don't have pilots at all.

And no, I can't give you access to more than just the pilots GUI... if I give you the whole basescape, somebody will have a great idea to sell the craft and crash the game... or do something equally stupid and crash the game.

These are my thought as well. When, for instance, you're filling out an online form, and one text field has an error, you fix that text field, the error is gone, and you continue. While it would be pretty hilarious if that error caused the whole form to explode, causing you to have to restart from scratch, it wouldn't make for a very user-friendly experience.

When you have an online form and you put Delian into "Name" field and XYZ into the "Age" field, then click Next to go to the next page of the questionnaire, the online form stops you and asks you to correct the problem(s).
It does not click on Next for you automatically as soon as you enter age 42, you need to do that yourself.

Offline Delian

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Re: [Suggestion] Auto launch craft after missing pilots added
« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2024, 05:41:26 pm »
It does not click on Next for you automatically as soon as you enter age 42, you need to do that yourself.

Ah, sorry about this misunderstanding. I should've updated the OP earlier to remove the whole "auto launch" requirement from the suggestion, because it's really not important. Obviously it shouldn't automatically proceed on its own when we're not certain of user intention.

"Go to Pilots" is often not the solution...

I have carefully considered this. I think that, based on the fact that player chose the "Go to pilots" option, the player himself is relatively confident that he'll be able to successfully add pilots to the craft. In other words, after the player returns from the craft window, there's a very high chance that the player successfully added pilots to the craft (otherwise they wouldn't have selected that option in the first place).

If I click on "OK" instead of "Go to Pilots", then I have to cancel two more windows just to be able to continue.
Two more clicks... imagine the player reaction.

And in your PR, you can't predict whether the user will click "OK" or "Go to Pilots".

Yeah, that makes sense. If the player clicks "OK" on that specific window, it's relatively likely that the player wants to cancel the craft launch process because of the missing pilots.
Ok. I've attached a new demo video (also, patch). What about now?
If the user clicks on Ok, then the behavior remains the same. But if they Go to pilots, then the window stack remains (the previous user actions are not lost).