Pause on start and load

[Esoteric Rogue]

from http://www.capitalismlab.com/forum/view ... =14&t=1092

I would prefer that all new games and all loaded games begin paused. (I can't be the only one that starts a new game, checks out the cities, particularly industrial imports, and then realize it's already March or April so I curse and restart another new game, while pounding the zero key so I don't let time slip by again)

If I load a game after a few days have passed by, I practically have to pause it to re-familiarize myself with all the goings-on. Ya know, over 90% of the time I load, I'm going to manually pause it, so it's logical to load it paused.

I try to remember to pause the game before saving, so that when I load the game sometime next week, it's not cruising along for 3 months at speed 5 before I pause it. Yeah, bad move to save it at speed 5.

What do you think?

[WilliamMGary]

+1

[ezzeqiel]

I like this...

[Hyronymus]

Also agreed and I can't imagine it's hard to realise.

[finnigan]

Yup yup. I always have my finger hovering over the zero key, tapping like a madman. It would be nice.

[David]

I think this should only be implemented if the [Paused] indicator suggested at http://www.capitalismlab.com/forum/view ... =14&t=1111 is also implemented. Otherwise, new users may be confused as to why the game is not functioning.

Also, should we make this a default setting for 1) all new games 2) all new games and loaded games? Or let the player change the settings for enabling or disabling this?

The option menu is right now pretty crowded and we would not prefer adding a new option to it.

So it seems that the choices are:

1) Implement it as a default option for all games. But it will have the shortcoming described above, so it is not preferred.
2) Will not implement this.
3) Will not implement this. But implement the Auto Save new game suggestion (http://www.capitalismlab.com/forum/view ... =14&t=1114) It will function if Auto Save is enabled in the option menu.

It seems that we will go for option 3. But any feedback is welcome before we actually implement it. (It will have to be added to the long task queue.)

We do not see any downside with implementing the [Paused] indicator suggested at http://www.capitalismlab.com/forum/view ... =14&t=1111 . It is easy to implement. So we will add it to the improvement task queue.

[Esoteric Rogue]

David, your post was hard for me to follow because of too many pronouns ('it' and 'this') rather than specifics I have to remind myself to keep an eye on my details, too! Technical writing is exhausting.

My opinion as stated in the O.P. has not changed and for the benefit of all, I will quote myself:

"I would prefer that all new games and all loaded games begin paused."

I think this should only be implemented if the [Paused] indicator suggested at viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1111 is also implemented. Otherwise, new users may be confused as to why the game is not functioning.
...
1) Implement it as a default option for all games. But it will have the shortcoming described above, so it is not preferred.
..
We do not see any downside with implementing the [Paused] indicator suggested at http://www.capitalismlab.com/forum/view ... =14&t=1111 . It is easy to implement. So we will add it to the improvement task queue.

Although "implementing pause on start and load" seems to be the subject of your counter-point #1, the shortcoming of confusing new users is eliminated by the fact that your post ends by saying the pause indicator will eventually be implemented, thus it seems there is no other stated reason why this implementation is not preferred.

Loaded games are also included, or else we tend to punishing ourselves whenever we save the game at speed 5. That is too fast to not lose several days when we reload. We have to remember to slow the game before we save, and beside that, if autosave occurs at speed 5, there's nothing we can do but pound zero when we remember. Implementing "Pause on start and load" will eliminate this grief.

My exact proposal here does not incorporate any options, but I'd like to offer feedback on the subject of options: Yes, The "O" Option menu is crowded, and I'd like to say the current layout of the option screen is not very efficient as there is much wasted space. Everything is double-spaced for starters. Also, sub option menus could be set up by a similar method to the start game goal options. Irregardless of all that, I would like point out that I'm still following the assumption that scripting will be implement at some time (As suggested by "Choosing Starting Cities" I think) and that external script/config file gives us a place to set the less frequently changed options, so that they don't have to be in the actual game interface.

Thanks.