Forge Android App: 11-13-2016 Alpha 1.5.58.002

[drdev]

Hi guys,

I installed the app fresh today (no previous installs). And I have some comments on the installation process.

Each step of installation that concerns data usage should indicate the download size, and give an opt out option or a wait until I am on wifi kind of option.

Are all themes installed from the start, or do they download as they are set to?

Why is font loading such a long process? Loading the cards has a progress bar (ETA) but takes about the same time as the font loading.

All themes are installed with the resource files downloaded when you run the app the first time after installing or updating. All other times you run the app, nothing gets downloaded, so you don't even need to have an internet connection. I can look into adding a prompt to opt out of the "downloading resource files" step for those first runs after taking updates and installing, though if you haven't downloaded the files previously, the app won't be able to run.

As for fonts, they should load much faster when you start the app other times besides right after an update, as font files are cached to make the process faster. The reason it takes longer the first time is that the app needs to generate bitmap files for every font size the app needs in advance to avoid lag when the app is running.

Does that clear things up?

[kestell]

Having said that, Reenen has a good point, not everybody has unlimited data, and an open ended downloading resource files could be daunting to some people - so just a heads up on the first run - "this is a 20 MB download, do you wish to continue?" prompt can't hurt.

Or how many MB it is.

[Reenen]

All themes are installed with the resource files downloaded when you run the app the first time after installing or updating. All other times you run the app, nothing gets downloaded, so you don't even need to have an internet connection. I can look into adding a prompt to opt out of the "downloading resource files" step for those first runs after taking updates and installing, though if you haven't downloaded the files previously, the app won't be able to run.

Looking at the skins folder it's 37mb vs 8mb of the "default" skin. Going for 29mb optional downloads is probably the way to go.

As for fonts, they should load much faster when you start the app other times besides right after an update, as font files are cached to make the process faster. The reason it takes longer the first time is that the app needs to generate bitmap files for every font size the app needs in advance to avoid lag when the app is running.

It would seem that you are not using the device's GPUs (all is done via the CPU?). I say/ask this because in Love2d's android port you can load and resize fonts on the fly (literally per frame - loading per frame not recommended). The AndEngine should have similar optimized codes I'm guessing?

I understand that this is alpha, so these types of optimizations are not the focus of the app at all, but it's good to keep in mind.

[Agetian]

This is true for both the mobile Android version and for the desktop version: when yielding until end of turn (E on the desktop version, "End Turn" on the Android version), I'm given almost no time to cancel in case I want to respond to something an opponent does (it delays only for half a second or so when something goes on the stack - hardly enough to hit the Cancel button if you would like to respond). Is it possible to make the delay when yielding till end of turn configurable? Maybe options like 0.5 sec, 1.0 sec, 1.5 sec and 2.0 sec will make it versatile enough and also configurable enough for different tastes and purposes?...

- Agetian

[friarsol]

This is true for both the mobile Android version and for the desktop version:

At drdev's request "
Bug Reports
Please post bug reports and questions to this thread only if they apply to the UI in some way. Cards not working correctly or the AI not behaving properly are issues that would be shared by both the desktop and mobile versions of the game and should thus be posted in the appropriate thread (likely the Forge Beta thread)."

[drdev]

This is true for both the mobile Android version and for the desktop version:

At drdev's request "
Bug Reports
Please post bug reports and questions to this thread only if they apply to the UI in some way. Cards not working correctly or the AI not behaving properly are issues that would be shared by both the desktop and mobile versions of the game and should thus be posted in the appropriate thread (likely the Forge Beta thread)."

In this case, since it's something I implemented, I'm fine with it being posted here.

At any rate, it sounds like I need to add configuration for the delays, and perhaps increase the default for spells/abilities resolving on the stack to make it easier to press Cancel. Currently it's set for 400ms. How does 800ms sound?

[friarsol]

I noticed another issue today after I added a Mana Vault to my deck. The "auto-accept"/"auto-decline" is missing the third option in Android, which is "Always Ask". I thought I should just be able to long click the stack item, and just click again on "auto-decline" to turn that checkbox off, but that didn't seem to actually work (as the checkbox didn't have standard checkbox behavior, it was behaving more like a radio button you couldn't undo). I actually had to fiddle with it a few turns in a row, as it was slowly bleeding me dry, (since a few times it auto-yielded before I got to change it).

In this case, since it's something I implemented, I'm fine with it being posted here.

Well too bad, I put myself in charge of consistency of bug reports, and you better damn well like it ;p

[drdev]

In this case, since it's something I implemented, I'm fine with it being posted here.

Well too bad, I put myself in charge of consistency of bug reports, and you better damn well like it ;p

Fair enough.

I'll copy my response to the Bug Reports thread since it seems that's where the discussion has moved to.

[drdev]

I noticed another issue today after I added a Mana Vault to my deck. The "auto-accept"/"auto-decline" is missing the third option in Android, which is "Always Ask". I thought I should just be able to long click the stack item, and just click again on "auto-decline" to turn that checkbox off, but that didn't seem to actually work (as the checkbox didn't have standard checkbox behavior, it was behaving more like a radio button you couldn't undo). I actually had to fiddle with it a few turns in a row, as it was slowly bleeding me dry, (since a few times it auto-yielded before I got to change it).

It's not missing. I took it away since the items are checkboxes, so you just click Always Ask again to uncheck it and turn it off. I was trying to avoid bloating this menu.

Note that I made this change to the desktop version too.

EDIT: Wait, you're not able to turn it off by clicking it to uncheck? I think you must be on an older version, as I'm pretty sure I fixed that particular bug.

[friarsol]

It's not missing. I took it away since the items are checkboxes, so you just click Always Ask again to uncheck it and turn it off. I was trying to avoid bloating this menu.

Note that I made this change to the desktop version too.

EDIT: Wait, you're not able to turn it off by clicking it to uncheck? I think you must be on an older version, as I'm pretty sure I fixed that particular bug.

I'm on 25.001, I upgraded just yesterday or could have been on Monday. I'll try it again when I have time and see, but I'm absolutely sure the one apparent way to get this to work for me was to switch to Auto Accept, and then back to Auto Decline. Maybe it was fixed after the most recent release?

[Reenen]

Do you have sources somewhere? Git SVN etc?

[KrazyTheFox]

Do you have sources somewhere? Git SVN etc?

It can all be found here: http://svn.slightlymagic.net/websvn/listing.php?repname=forge&
There's a guide on the wiki linked in the Developer's Corner that details getting started.

[bevryde]

As for auto yielding/ 800ms waiting time etc... On the other hand, when its the opponents turn, I don't want to click on delayed OK button if I cannot do something meaningful...
Please make Forge skip/(auto process without delay) as many steps automatically as possible (i.e. player does not have to manually progress through the phases), if I can't do anything. I.e., if I cannot play an enchantment, have not enough lands...

I'm under the impression, I have to press OK often, but cannot play anything.
And sometimes it happens I press OK quickly and miss M1 or M2, but could have played a Land. I wish Forge could detect this. Maybe an option for another necessary click on M1/M2 would be nice:

OK -> M1 -> OK -> [M1+Mark possible cards -> OK ->] BC

[kestell]

ai attacked with a creature and I double blocked. The AI didn't declare the order damage would be assigned, and since I had a combat trick to save one, I couldn't know which one to play it on.

[friarsol]

I'm under the impression, I have to press OK often, but cannot play anything.
And sometimes it happens I press OK quickly and miss M1 or M2, but could have played a Land. I wish Forge could detect this. Maybe an option for another necessary click on M1/M2 would be nice:

Not sure if you realize or not, but the phase labels (the ones next to the player panel) are all clickable, so you can auto-yield entire phases so you don't have to be pressing OK a thousand times. Personally I only have about 6 phases marked as non-autoyield unless I need to do something during a particular phase, then I'll turn it on while I'm using it.