[Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

Badoosh · 2015-09-25 19:58:36

What is an action item? How do they look?

Action items influence players greatly, so it is very important to be able to distinguish them quickly from decorations. This is why action items are very symbolic, and decorations are realistic.

The keys here are flat, minimal shading, and have dark outlines.

The umbrella has more shading, is grounded, and has no outline.

This is the general rule, but it's never actually been followed closely.

Good news is there's another rule: Action items are animated. This allows them to attract the user's attention as well as look awesome.

Along came the climbable ladders...

Bad news: they aren't symbolic like the keys.
Good news: They have a black outline! So here are the rules now:
Action items have black outlines or are animated.

Let's see how the decorations are doing...

What? No. You're not supposed to have black outlines.
Okay... action items are animated, or... outlined like some decorations. Got it.

Back to action items.

This action item... wait... no. You're a decoration. Why are you animated? You guys are ruining this topic. Stop.
To recap: Action items are animated and outlined, like some decorations are.

This is getting complicated...

Wait where's your outline? You aren't even symbolic. In fact, you look just like a decoration!
New rule: Action items look like decorations.

Could this get any worse?

Great. Swamp water. You've done it. I give up.

So here's the official way to distinguish action items:

Action items look like decorations. They can also look like backgrounds.

SirJosh3917, TSF14, KingFudge, Napakeun, Jedpogi, tak4n, Anch, Onjit, Xfrogman43, Bobithan, Hexagon, Krosis, Kikikan, Swarth100, mrjawapa, Akatsuk1, Pingohits, Kentiya

RavaTroll · 2015-09-25 20:01:47

My TV is broken, I can't turn it on anymore, what should I do ?

Falk, Badoosh

Schlog · 2015-09-25 20:06:52

RavaTroll wrote:

My TV is broken, I can't turn it on anymore, what should I do ?

try turning it off first

Slabdrill, Swarth100, Krosis, TSF14, SirJosh3917, Jedpogi, skullz17, Onjit, Bobithan, Pingohits, Badoosh, Sensei1, Akatsuk1

RavaTroll · 2015-09-25 20:09:39

Thanks

Bobithan

some woman · 2015-09-25 20:36:30

Badoosh wrote:

This action item... wait... no. You're a decoration. Why are you animated? You guys are ruining this topic. Stop.
To recap: Action items are animated and outlined, like some decorations are.

did you seriously just expect it to stay in place? they're supposed to be waves.

Creature · 2015-09-25 20:38:57

What about giving new users free BC for one week so they learn about each block?

Swarth100

Anak · 2015-09-25 20:40:12

Creature wrote:

What about giving new users free BC for one week so they learn about each block?

That would be interesting.
I suppose an alternative would be just an ingame guide to each block.
That would certainly be interesting though.

Pingohits · 2015-09-25 20:47:27

Anak wrote:

Creature wrote:
What about giving new users free BC for one week so they learn about each block?
That would be interesting.
I suppose an alternative would be just an ingame guide to each block.
That would certainly be interesting though.

ya but here's the problem

-new player loses unlimited blocks privilege and thinks the game is freemium
-older players complain it is unfair for new players to have this privilege, when they had to struggle to get each block

Krosis, skullz17, Xfrogman43, Akatsuk1

Schlog · 2015-09-25 20:59:24

Pingohits wrote:

Anak wrote:
Creature wrote:
What about giving new users free BC for one week so they learn about each block?
That would be interesting.
I suppose an alternative would be just an ingame guide to each block.
That would certainly be interesting though.
ya but here's the problem
-new player loses unlimited blocks privilege and thinks the game is freemium
-older players complain it is unfair for new players to have this privilege, when they had to struggle to get each block

Not to mention you could also register new accounts for free BC, making you have every block forever.

Krosis, skullz17

Badoosh · 2015-09-25 21:39:43

some man wrote:

Badoosh wrote:
did you seriously just expect it to stay in place? they're supposed to be waves.

Nope, but it's showing how decorations take on the features of action items, making them indistinguishable. Animated decorations alone do not cause this, but it is the combination of everything I wrote in my post that has caused the problem. So if all of it were to be fixed except some decorations were still animated, it'd be perfectly fine.

Creature wrote:

What about giving new users free BC for one week so they learn about each block?

Well, this is less about learning about the blocks' functions. Rather, it is about consistency in the game's graphics, which the lack thereof currently makes the game confusing. I was going to make another topic about blocks, backgrounds, and smileys, but this one is the most important issue.

Evilbunny · 2015-09-25 23:58:54

Is this actually a problem people have?
It's not that difficult

iPwner, Pingohits, Krosis, Tamashiimizu, Akatsuk1

2015-09-26 00:04:44

I don't see any problem with this. You won't pay much attention to the actual artystyle of the ingame stuff once you've played the game for a bit.

Different55 · 2015-09-26 00:11:04

Evilbunny wrote:

Is this actually a problem people have?
It's not that difficult

It's not a problem it's just a recipe for confusion in new users. There's no intuitive easy way to tell the difference between blocks that actually do something and things that are nothing but eye-candy. It adds a kind of unnecessary learning curve to EE and we have a hard enough time picking up new users.

Krosis, Badoosh

Hexagon · 2015-09-26 00:26:38

How about this: if an item changes your player physics or makes a sound, then it's an action item. Signs are an exception.

some woman, Akatsuk1

some woman · 2015-09-26 00:50:33

also the op basically implies that the players are morons who forget everything after 5 minutes, never play the tutorial, and aren't able to identify different blocks or remember their purpose. meaning that if there isn't a way to instantly tell the difference between certain blocks, they will eventually ragequit the game after struggling for half an hour to find the goto lobby button

Krosis, Pingohits, iPwner, Akatsuk1

Badoosh · 2015-09-26 01:09:55

Hexagon wrote:

How about this: if an item changes your player physics or makes a sound, then it's an action item. Signs are an exception.

I don't think you got the message of my post. This has nothing to do with individual noise/function, but on look alone. This is about seeing differences at a glance. Why should a game this complex not have any standard for how an action item looks? There is no unity, only chaos. And being afraid that monster teeth or other cosmetic decorations are going to cause your smiley to explode is a big problem.

some man wrote:

also the op basically implies that the players are morons who forget everything after 5 minutes, never play the tutorial, and aren't able to identify different blocks or remember their purpose. meaning that if there isn't a way to instantly tell the difference between certain blocks, they will eventually ragequit the game after struggling for half an hour to find the goto lobby button

I never implied that. "There is no easy way to distinguish action items from sight in this game" =/= players are idiots. It's not about remembering action items. I could tell someone to memorize 20 unrelated objects and they could do it. But it's not as easy to learn if they aren't unified.

The best way to make sure something isn't confusing is to make it consistent and foolproof, not chaotic and contradictory.

badoosh wrote:

Action items look like decorations. They can also look like backgrounds.

How is this not a problem? It's only going to get worse the longer it is put off.

Nou

Anak · 2015-09-26 01:13:13

Badoosh wrote:

Hexagon wrote:
How about this: if an item changes your player physics or makes a sound, then it's an action item. Signs are an exception.
I don't think you got the message of my post. This has nothing to do with individual noise/function, but on look alone. This is about seeing differences at a glance. Why should a game this complex not have any standard for how an action item looks? There is no unity, only chaos. And being afraid that monster teeth or other cosmetic decorations are going to cause your smiley to explode is a big problem.
some man wrote:
also the op basically implies that the players are morons who forget everything after 5 minutes, never play the tutorial, and aren't able to identify different blocks or remember their purpose. meaning that if there isn't a way to instantly tell the difference between certain blocks, they will eventually ragequit the game after struggling for half an hour to find the goto lobby button
I never implied that. "There is no easy way to distinguish action items from sight in this game" =/= players are idiots. It's not about remembering action items. I could tell someone to memorize 20 unrelated objects and they could do it. But it's not as easy to learn if they aren't unified.
The best way to make sure something isn't confusing is to make it consistent and foolproof, not chaotic and contradictory.

There doesn't need to be a standard for every single block in the way that it acts. I think it's fine. Plus, it's just a game. If it's too confusing then players can check the wiki or ask for help

some woman · 2015-09-26 01:33:23

Badoosh wrote:

some man wrote:
also the op basically implies that the players are morons who forget everything after 5 minutes, never play the tutorial, and aren't able to identify different blocks or remember their purpose. meaning that if there isn't a way to instantly tell the difference between certain blocks, they will eventually ragequit the game after struggling for half an hour to find the goto lobby button
I never implied that. "There is no easy way to distinguish action items from sight in this game" =/= players are idiots. It's not about remembering action items. I could tell someone to memorize 20 unrelated objects and they could do it. But it's not as easy to learn if they aren't unified.

it's easier if you go through a fun little flash game describing what they are, what they're used for, and requiring for you to use them in order to process through said game
which is basically the 3 tutorial worlds

iPwner · 2015-09-26 02:15:53

some man wrote:

also the op basically implies that the players are morons who forget everything after 5 minutes, never play the tutorial, and aren't able to identify different blocks or remember their purpose. meaning that if there isn't a way to instantly tell the difference between certain blocks, they will eventually ragequit the game after struggling for half an hour to find the goto lobby button

Yeah sorry but i have to agree with Byll on this... honestly if the individual can't distinguish blocks by 1-time trial and error I would be surprised as to how they even got to the point of operating a computer o-o, let alone getting out of their mother's birth canal !

Akatsuk1

shadowda · 2015-09-26 02:51:16

i thought this was more of a joke thread. but all the comments are serious. except for the tv ones.

Krosis

!nb4 · 2015-09-26 05:09:51

shadowda wrote:

i thought this was more of a joke thread. but all the comments are serious. except for the tv ones.

I totally agree. Otherwise you do make a point BADOOSH

Tamashiimizu · 2015-09-26 13:57:33

From the moment when Invisible Blocks were created, the difference between solid block and background collapsed. So, I don't think it's a problem if there's no visual difference from Action blocks to Decorations.
Actually, I think that the similarity its quite good, since this blend can create good aesthetic in the same way Secret and Special blocks, along with invisible portal have created good aesthetic and gameplay in discrete ways.

some woman

Official Everybody Edits Forums

#1 2015-09-25 19:58:36

[Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#2 2015-09-25 20:01:47

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#3 2015-09-25 20:06:52

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#4 2015-09-25 20:09:39

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#5 2015-09-25 20:36:30

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#6 2015-09-25 20:38:57

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#7 2015-09-25 20:40:12

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#8 2015-09-25 20:47:27

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#9 2015-09-25 20:59:24

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#10 2015-09-25 21:39:43, last edited by Badoosh (2015-09-26 00:23:01)

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#11 2015-09-25 23:58:54

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#12 2015-09-26 00:04:44

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#13 2015-09-26 00:11:04

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#14 2015-09-26 00:26:38

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#15 2015-09-26 00:50:33

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#16 2015-09-26 01:09:55, last edited by Badoosh (2015-09-26 01:14:16)

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#17 2015-09-26 01:13:13

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#18 2015-09-26 01:33:23

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#19 2015-09-26 02:15:53

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#20 2015-09-26 02:51:16

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#21 2015-09-26 05:09:51

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

#22 2015-09-26 13:57:33

Re: [Guide] An Easy Way to Distinguish Action Items From Decorations

Board footer