Status bar & timer

[johnsillings]

As a player, I should know whose turn it is, what action is currently being taken, and how much time is left to take that action.

• This is especially relevant when it is my turn, so I can be sure to manage my time effectively.
• It is also very important to know what actions other players are taking (e.g. placing the robber, discarding cards) so I can be aware of the changing state of the game.
• It's also nice to know how long other players have to take their actions so I can remain engaged and interested in the game, and prepare for my own turn and actions.

Steps

• [ ] Look at other turn-based multiplayer strategy games and collect examples in both video & screenshot forms
• [ ] Brainstorm and list multiple designs that meet the acceptance criteria of the task to a satisfactory level.
• [ ] For each design rate values below from 0 to 5
  • Clarity: How clear is it: https://www.liamcharlton.com/post/signs-feedback-and-the-ux
  • Ease of use: Number of needed interactions with the UI, complexity of interactions, number of hands needed to complete the actions, thumb zone etc.
  • Acceptance criteria met:
• [ ] Implement changes to update the rating values of the above designs
• [ ] Identify any new player issues that may arise from each of your rough designs and the potential for them to be mitigated.
• [ ] Decide on 1-2 designs that have the greatest potential to work by analyzing the results from previous steps.
• [ ] Share all your results from the previous steps with the team in a table containing concise information; It’s important to also show your thought process for the design decisions you have made.
• [ ] Get the greenlight from project owners to start work on a detailed Figma prototype for one of the high potential rough designs.

Acceptance criteria:

• [ ] Status bar and timer should be clearly visible – probably at all times.
• [ ] Players should know when they need to take an action, and how long they have to do it.
• [ ] Players should know when opponents are taking an action, and how long they have to do it.
• [ ] Players should know when their time is about to run out to take an action.
• [ ] Players should know when other players complete an action.
• [ ] Not everyone plays mobile games with audio on (e.g. you're in a crowded place with no headphones); visual cues need to be clear and obvious for the status bar and timer, perhaps moreso than in the browser.

[johnsillings]

Logging something that @samgawaran noticed and liked about BGA's Catan – they have an hourglass animation that shows whose turn it is. Apologies for the low res, but dropping an image here for reference. This was screenshot on a potato.

[johnsillings]

Design example from Monopoly: https://imgur.com/b8U4yty and https://imgur.com/yg3C8wN

• Very easy to tell who is currently taking an action
• Visually appealing status bar with a nice visual flow (avatar is the "who", text is the "what")