Re: [Enigma-devel] Easy/Normal-Mode-Icon

[Tacvek]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ronald Lamprecht" <address@hidden>
To: "Tacvek" <address@hidden>; "Andreas Lochmann" 
<address@hidden>
Cc: <address@hidden>
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006 2:06 PM
Subject: Re: [Enigma-devel] Easy/Normal-Mode-Icon


> Hi,
>
> Tacvek wrote:
> > > The has-easy-mode-but-not-yet-solved icon for attachment on the level
> > > preview would not occupy additional space. It would be displayed at the
> > > same position as the honored medalls if the user did not yet solve the 
> > > level at all.
> >
> > We currently have:
> > None: Level not beaten (easy mode might exist)
> > Silver: Level beaten in easy mode (Easy mode exists)
> > Gold: Level beaten in normal mode, but not easy mode. (Easy mode exists)
> > Gold over silver: Level beaten in all modes, currently in normal mode. 
> > (Easy mode might exist.)
> > Silver over gold: Level beaten in all modes, currently in easy mode. 
> > (Easy mode might exist.)
>
> The "None" case is the worst, but the 2-medals cases are also bad as you 
> have to call the levelinspector to know if an easy mode exists.
>
> > What are we proposing for this new change?
> > Clearly you are suggesting an icon that could appear when there are no 
> > medals.
> > What about when both are visible? I assume we want to be able to indicate 
> > that
> > there is an actual easy mode.  If we do this by simply adding a feather 
> > below the silver medal
> > (or where the silver medal would be if it is not present) then that 
> > should work fine. It would add
> > only three new permutations, and result in a small change to one other.
>
> I would prefer to display the feather at the positions of the medals as I 
> would like to show the preview completly as possible.

Very true. I hate to think of too much of the level preview being hidden.
Even the current icons can cover a fair amount of the preview. Thankfully,
the level inspector allows users to view the complete unobstructed thumbnail 
if they have
the desire. (Helps in the case that an icon appears to be hiding something 
interesting.)

> What about the following reinterpretation:
> None: Level not beaten - no easy mode available (!)
> Feather: Level not beaten - easy mode available
> Feather + Gold: Level beaten in normal mode - easy available
> Silver: Level beaten in easy mode (normal mode available)
> Gold: Level beaten in normal mode - easy not availabe (!!)
> Silver + Gold: Level beaten in all modes - easy available (!)

That does make sense.
So basicly, if you see a silver metal, or a feather, there is an easy mode. 
Otherwise there is no easy mode.
Similarly if you see a feather, or there is no gold metal, you have not 
finished the level in all available difficulties.

That should work. I would assume the feather would be in a vertical position 
(or perhaps a very slight diagonal) and would
take up approximately the same amount of space as the silver metal currently 
does.




Also when on the topic of easy modes: I'm not so sure about Martin_91 (part 
of tutorial, and Enigma III). It seems to me that Easy mode on that level is 
actually harder.
The "world records" for that level seem to agree with me on that.

(I will admit though that on certain type of levels it may be legitimate 
for the record for hard to be shorter than easy, but not in the case of that 
level.)