User Interface new icon for the spire

[Bor de Wolf 1965]

To make my idea clear I first need to talk about an other icon.
The globe that lets you switch to the world map has 3 versions of it

1. just the normal globe = your scouts are scouting and there is no tournament going on.
2. a globe with a tent on it = a tournament is going on.
3. 3 a globe with a looking glass on it = your scouts are back and there is no tournament on.

What I purpose is the following

1. the Spire door as it is now = the spire is open and you are waiting in front of a door with a timer on it.
2. the Spire door with a small door on it in the open position = the spire is open and you can go on to the next ghost.
3. the spire door as it is when it is off-line = between friday 22:00 and sunday 16:00

 

[Karvest]

Or just add next gate open timer to spire icon tooltip (like scouting timer is shown on map icon tooltip)

 

[Bor de Wolf 1965]

With the gate open timer on the Spire icon you still don't see it straight away when you are on the town map.
It might help a little but an icon switch will help more.

 

[Karvest]

For me timer will help more than icon, as I won't need to waste time on entering spire to check how long I need to wait, but adding a timer doesn't prevent devs from adding an icon.=)

 

[SoggyShorts]

A clear indication that you have reached the top of the spire on that account would be the most important feature for me.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Ever since the Spire was added, people have asked for some sort of visible timer on the Spire icon beyond it just showing the time until it opens up on Sunday. Maybe their programming knowledge does not include how to have two different timers show. After all, that can't solve how to have two different enchantments be active on the same building, so we can't both feed and EE our pets.

 

[SoggyShorts]

Maybe their programming knowledge does not include how to have two different timers show.

Id be happy with a tooltip for spire all the time

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

View attachment 9770
Id be happy with a tooltip for spire all the time

True, but I meant two different timers associated with the same icon. It is like because we have the one timer already for the Spire icon, we can't have a second one that shows time until next gate opens.

 

[Karvest]

Nah, that's not the same level of effort. Having 2 types of buffs active require multiple separate placeholders for buffs in server logic, while additional timer for next gate in UI require just one additional request to get the time left or including that time in startup info same way as they've done with remaining scouting time.

 

[Bor de Wolf 1965]

Why do you think there have to be 2 timers?
It can be just 1 timer.
the next opening of the spire door is after 2520 minutes after the closing at friday evening.
So everything with the right symbols can be done with just 1 timer.

 

[Karvest]

It can be shown at the same place, but under the hood that would be a different timer anyway. "Spire reappears in x sec" is replaced by "Spire ends in x sec" at the moment of spire open in the data received from server (or even with "next week Spire will reappear in x sec", not sure how to treat ended/running/coming states of events in that regard=) . "Next gate open in x sec" can't be sent in the same placeholder and require additional request or placeholder in existing request.

 

[Bor de Wolf 1965]

Let me see if I could solve this problem.
I would start of with a table on the opening time of the spire and all the locked door timers, this does not have to be in the player database records.
A player has only 1 timer in their record for the next door opens in x seconds and 1 status field of the spire
Lets start with the time at Sunday 0:00 so the player record shows spire_timer = 16:00:00 | Spire_Status = 0 (spire not ready/greyed out)
Sunday 16:00:00 , player record shows spire_timer = 00:00:00 | Spire_Status = 1 (door is unlocked/open)
You do up to 3 ghosts, player record shows spire_timer = 00:00:00 | Spire_Status = 1 (door is unlocked/open)
You do the final 1st door ghost, player record shows spire_timer = 00:00:10 | Spire_Status = 2 (door is locked)
After 10 seconds , player record shows spire_timer = 00:00:00 | Spire_Status = 1 (door is unlocked/open)
you can keep using this system for every door in the spire and a time reduction spell will only reduce the out standing timer.
Final boss is done, player record shows spire_timer = 00:00:00 | Spire_Status = 3 (Spire completed)

And now for the big fun part.
There is only 1 universal spire timer that looks for friday 22:00:00 -> 2 possibilities.
No, don't run the spire reset routine.
Yes, run the spire reset routine.
{Spire reset routine}
Calculate what the player gets for his/her efforts in the spire.
player record shows spire_timer = 42:00:00 | Spire_Status = 0 (spire not ready/greyed out)
{/end Spire reset routine}
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I know how to create a program but I can't program due to having a reading and writing problem (dyslectic)
I learned it the hard way with a program that didn't function at all and after a British person just corrected only my spelling of certain routine names I used the program did exactly what it was supposed to do.
I am happy having an instant spelling corrector in my browser.

 

[Bor de Wolf 1965]

I almost forgot.
Status 0 = greyed out symbol will be shown
Status 1 = The current blue spire door can be shown
Status 2 = The current blue spire door with a key hole can be shown or the door can be red
Status 3 = The current blue spire door can be shown as a green door

 

[edeba]

A clear indication that you have reached the top of the spire on that account would be the most important feature for me.

So true. If I get interrupted when going to do or doing anything these days, I think I've finished it. So what happens in the spire? If catering maybe run out of coin or supplies, go to get more, there's a message, read it , needs a response, reply and zing, returning to spire gone...

I like grey out with a scroll over timer when spire not active.
Regular icon when spire not done.
And then something that show it is finished, maybe a little green check mark added.

Because I know I have the attention span of a 5-year-old, I do check often to see whether I've finished or not.

 

[Bor de Wolf 1965]

So I assume @edeba the icon changes Would help you a lot as well?
Gray = you have to wait till Sunday 16:00 CET
Blue door (as it is now) = enter and you can try to get past the ghosts
Red door = an internal door is still locked (timers on the doors can be shown as well)
Green door = you are done for this week with the spire for you are at the top.

And I know I check the spire as well on the life servers, even when I am at the top.

 

[edeba]

So I assume @edeba the icon changes Would help you a lot as well?
Gray = you have to wait till Sunday 16:00 CET
Blue door (as it is now) = enter and you can try to get past the ghosts
Red door = an internal door is still locked (timers on the doors can be shown as well)
Green door = you are done for this week with the spire for you are at the top.

And I know I check the spire as well on the life servers, even when I am at the top.

Red is annoying. Would be ok to say a door unlocked as long as it goes away as soon as you check, like the red mark for message goes away as soon as you check.

 

[Bor de Wolf 1965]

If red would be a problem any change of the original icon would be help full.
The standard spire door but now with a black keyhole on it will do the trick. for it is different to the standard blue spire door.
I know they do the same with the globe icon with a looking glass for when your scouts are back or a tent for when the tournament is on.
Similar problem so a similar solution could be used.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

While we are at it, I am so tired of this game never having a notification for when your scout has finished. Why we can't have that little red exclamation mark on the world map link when a scout finishes, I don't understand. Give me that and the exclamation mark over the Spire link when a gate is ready to open, and things will be a lot less stressful.

 

[Bor de Wolf 1965]

maybe you didn't noticed but when your scouts are back there is a looking glass or spy glass on the globe/world icon.
As soon as my scouts are back I will take a screenshot of it and put it here so you know what it is.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

maybe you didn't noticed but when your scouts are back there is a looking glass or spy glass on the globe/world icon.
As soon as my scouts are back I will take a screenshot of it and put it here so you know what it is.

I am talking about not having to remember to put the mouse pointer over it. I want the same little red exclamation mark that we get on our AW button and inventory button when there is something new there, for both the World Map button and the Spire button.