Usability

(Jonas) #1

Hey,

I’m always noticing the usability in software I use, it’s a field that fascinates me - and let me just say - you guys SUCK at it. At startup, it changes all my screen settings and duplicates it self on all my screens. When started, I have to create a new profile - each time. Trying to join a server, I apparently need to download files, but it doesn’t state how many files or how much data total. It does not give me a download speed or even an estimate of how long it’ll take and after ten minutes, when I eventually get bored out of my mind, I press escape - in hope of comming back to the screen where I join server - but that kills the entire application! That’s when I notice that it does not change my screen setting back to what it used to be. I have to do that myself each time I try to play your game. And I have yet to succeed. Am I just missing something here?

(stealth6) #2

lol, would help if we knew what you are talking about? as in which game / software?

(Jonas) #3

Isn’t this the forum for Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory?

(stealth6) #4

Yes, well wouldn’t be the first time that somebody posted in the wrong section, or refered to software that wasn’t even developped by SD hehe.

Anyway in that case I can give some counter arguements hehe:

  • Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is a free game which was never finished. They just released the game as it was with all the bugs instead of just burying it.
  • it’s already 8 years old, I doubt back in those days many people had multiple high resolution screens.
  • As for the total download / amount of files - this could be a nice feature for a mod cause it’s a good point.
  • You download speed is shown (normally), but it’s everytime per file.

The profiles constantly having to be recreated is something wrong, normally that should work, same with the escape key. Normally that just disconnects you from the server.
Same thing with it not returning your settings to what they were.

Maybe ET doesn’t have enough priviledges so it can’t make the profile files it needs? So you need tto do it again every time?
No idea on the escape key.
As for the settings not returning to what they were, I used to have that on my old pc. Was caused by my graphics card drivers I believe since when I opened up the graphics card options panel it suddenly all jumped back to how it was meant to be. I was using the Saphire x1950pro (ati card)

But yer I guess it doesn’t have the best usability and it still has bugs, but after 8 years this game is still alive, which should tell you something :smiley:
New games just don’t have that level of playability.

(darthmob) #5

Somewhat related.
(Just Pub #79)

(Bonghead) #6

lol
It’s the guy from the comic-strip!

(dressup24h) #7

This is something I’m searching for ^^

(Jonas) #8

Heahea, that comic pretty much summarizes my situation.

(Jonas) #9

Stealth6, you were right about the permissions. And it just so happened to solve nearly every problem. I even got sound!

(dutchmeat) #10

Jonas,

SD doesn’t suck at usability because of the other following points;

  • Windows Vista and 7 was not yet released at the time of ET’s release.(asuming you have one of these)
  • Usability wasn’t that a big deal when they developed ET as compared to now.
  • SD isn’t responsable for the hundreds of packs you need to download these days, the admins have become over-enthusiastic with custom packs.

And to be honest, making these statements just makes you look like an idiot. I’m even surprised you haven’t bitched about the fact that there are still cheaters in punkbuster servers.

(Jonas) #11

How would I know there’s cheaters on cheat protected servers when at the time of writing the original post, I hadn’t even played the game yet. Surprising would be me knowing it beforehand. But now that you mention it - cheaters? OMGWTFBBC!11

(Oh, and you’re wrong assuming I use microsoft products)

(stealth6) #12

Indeed most fanatics about usability are apple fanbois, since apple is pretty much idiot proof.

(Slade05) #13

No, this smells of linux cancer.

(Jonas) #14

You’re not a fanatic when you complain about Enemy Territory’s usability - it does actually suck. I mean, I wasn’t able to play the game and the application didn’t give me any feedback as to why. I literally wasn’t able to play the game, I couldn’t use it, so obiously it’s not very usable. Eh?

And linux ftw, suckers!

(dutchmeat) #15

Then still point one applies, you’re proberly using a newer version of the linux that was there 7 years ago.
Library mismatches are inevitable.
Regardless, I don’t see linux as a gaming platform anyway, same goes for Mac.

(Nail) #16

[QUOTE=Jonas;245902]You’re not a fanatic when you complain about Enemy Territory’s usability - it does actually suck. I mean, I wasn’t able to play the game and the application didn’t give me any feedback as to why. I literally wasn’t able to play the game, I couldn’t use it, so obiously it’s not very usable. Eh?

And linux ftw, suckers![/QUOTE]

your inabilities don’t reflect the game’s usability. The game installed and ran flawlessly first time on my Win 64 bit system

(Jonas) #17

But the game trying to write to disk and failing silently does.

(Nail) #18

What can I say, it’s not the games fault it doesn’t install well on your custom linux rig, gaming on linux will usually entail more steps than on windows, but that’s your choice. I’m lazy, I use windows, I found most of it’s problems get solved with 8 gigs of RAM and a quad-core

(Jonas) #19

I’ve never blamed the game for that - I’m just saying that if it’s missing some necessary permissions, it could just mention it, instead of just failing silently. That would be usable!

(Nail) #20

once again, I fear it’s a linux problem, you get indicators on Windows