Game Finder Parameters

[koontz1973]

Concise description:

• Change the game finder parameters

Specifics/Details:

[*]When I search for a game with my settings, I get a pink banner.

This should not happen. I should get redirected to the waiting game page

even if there is no matching results. After the the matching games, a list of games with settings close to mine should come up. Every setting apart from map and style of game should be allowed.

How this will benefit the site and/or other comments:

• Games should fill faster. I may want to play a 5 person World 2.1 game with trench and flat rate spoils, but if we have a game that is the same but with no spoils, it should come up in the list so I can think if I want it or not.

[BigBallinStalin]

Insert something like:

0 matches found

____________________________


12 similar games found:

flat rate blah blah

trench blah blah

_______________________________


Why? Dividing it would avoid frustration. E.g. "oh gee, similar games found. <click>, then realize: Oh, this isn't what I wanted yet the search feature said it was similar/the same."


Regarding the Similar category, you'd need to be specific. E.g. should only similarity in map be considered--while any range of options is fine?

[koontz1973]

I would keep the map and style of game (everything above the map in the search page) the same but all settings below can be different. The closer the result, the higher up the list it goes. But BBS, you have hit the nail on the head, let me see what is out there. I may or may not like the games, but it should mean I always get games coming up in search results.

[chapcrap]

I actually prefer it to stay on the game finder screen if there are no games.

[koontz1973]

I actually prefer it to stay on the game finder screen if there are no games.

Would you then agree to the sign saying no matching game but click here to see xxx games close to your settings?

[chapcrap]

I actually prefer it to stay on the game finder screen if there are no games.

Would you then agree to the sign saying no matching game but click here to see xxx games close to your settings?

What do you consider close? One setting off?

So, that would mean if there were no games, it would run like 10 different searches for you?

[koontz1973]

I actually prefer it to stay on the game finder screen if there are no games.

Would you then agree to the sign saying no matching game but click here to see xxx games close to your settings?

What do you consider close? One setting off?

So, that would mean if there were no games, it would run like 10 different searches for you?

Correct. If you wanted a:

5 Players
Classic Map
Automatic
Sequential
Nuclear
Adjacent
Trench

game, it would give you results for that but also allow results that where one only is out to be included. So change any one of those settings to get the close games.

I mentioned that game type and map would not be included in this. Map as it would give a lot of map results and game type is the type of game you wanted to play any way. But the normal settings should give you a few results.

[chapcrap]

In general, if I wanted something close and there weren't those games I searched for, I would just include a few more options when the search screen came back up. However, I don't think I have a problem with the idea of this.

[koontz1973]

In general, if I wanted something close and there weren't those games I searched for, I would just include a few more options when the search screen came back up. However, I don't think I have a problem with the idea of this.

You would think most people would do this, but when players like me who like certain things, we tend to be narrow minded in the search. But allowing this style of search, you might find players coming out of their comfort zone more often. It might get some of the games filled faster.

[agentcom]

I actually prefer it to stay on the game finder screen if there are no games.

Would you then agree to the sign saying no matching game but click here to see xxx games close to your settings?

What do you consider close? One setting off?

So, that would mean if there were no games, it would run like 10 different searches for you?

Correct. If you wanted a:

5 Players
Classic Map
Automatic
Sequential
Nuclear
Adjacent
Trench

game, it would give you results for that but also allow results that where one only is out to be included. So change any one of those settings to get the close games.

I mentioned that game type and map would not be included in this. Map as it would give a lot of map results and game type is the type of game you wanted to play any way. But the normal settings should give you a few results.

So not quite 10 searches, but as many searches as you have specified "normal settings." For your example, it would do 5 searches. One with same settings except allowing Manual, one with same setting except allowing freestyle, one with same settings except allowing any spoils, same with any forts, same with trench/no trench. Am I getting that right?

Just for fun, I ran these searches. The results indicate how many games show up in the expanded search when you remove a restriction:

As is: no results
Deploy: no results
Order: no results
Spoils: no results
Forts: no results
Trench: no results

So, we've just had the server run 5 more searches to no avail.

When you consider that after you've chosen # of players, map and game type, you still have 400 other combinations, this isn't all that surprising. But it does make one wonder how effective this suggestion would be.

On the flip side, running those 5 searches took me a couple of minutes and it would've been nice had it been automated. Furthermore, had I been looking for that type of game, I probably would've joined one of the off-by-one games. Or ... would it be better instead to identify when someone searches for a game, and it popped up with an option to create a game of this type? Clicking on a link would bring you to a pre-populated Start A Game screen. Idk that either method is great.

[agentcom]

Rather than the off-by-one methodology, it might be better to just have someone more tech savvy figure out a way of presenting a number of 'close' results. Basically the Game Finder screen would become something more like a search engine than a parameter search. This would obviously be useful in the case that a search returned no results but these additional entries could also be put below the game finder results in any search. Maybe with searches that return less than 10 games, the actual games are displayed and otherwise there's a link at the end of the results that says "show similar" or something like that. (Think about when you search Google for an obscure phrase, and it makes suggestions.)

[koontz1973]

Basically the Game Finder screen would become something more like a search engine than a parameter search.

This would be good, but I ave no real way of knowing if it can be done by our duo at the top. Hence what I thought of was the easier method. Only Blake or bigwham could answer that for me.

Maybe with searches that return less than 10 games, the actual games are displayed and otherwise there's a link at the end of the results that says "show similar" or something like that.

Not a bad idea at all. Give a page of results with a link to others similar to it.