I would like to respectfully request the addition of an option to play a sound when a game starts.

IIANM,  no such option currently exists.  (please correct if mistaken.)  There is only the option of playing a sound when it is your turn.

I play many real-time, 2-player games, usually on a fogged map with many territories.  I update the page during my opponent's turn to see from where my opponent launches offensives, and view the possession and strength of territories before they become fogged.  This tactical information is quite valuable, but it is unavailable if the game is first viewed at the end of their turn.

Sometimes games are not joined immediately, so I am not watching the page when the floating dialog box mentions the game has started, for the 15 seconds or so it is up.  Too often I have heard a sound only to find the game is joined and the first player moved.  Many times I have wished I had known the game had begun.

The (simple, I hope) addition of an option to play a sound at game start could be set to off by default and hence not affect any player not desiring it.

I would be most appreciative.  Thank You.

+1

>This tactical information is quite valuable, but it is unavailable if the game is first viewed at the end of their turn.

Not saying a sound alert is not a good idea, but can't you see this info in the history?

i thought there was a sound option to the GROWLs that you could upload (if premium, IIRC).

EDIT: yup, under "Notifications/Instant Notification Sounds"

Ozyman wrote:

>This tactical information is quite valuable, but it is unavailable if the game is first viewed at the end of their turn.

Not saying a sound alert is not a good idea, but can't you see this info in the history?

 

The issue is mainly for those who play with Fisher clock. Sometimes you are losing too much time watching the history. A few games don't allow watching the history.

weathertop wrote:

i thought there was a sound option to the GROWLs that you could upload (if premium, IIRC).

EDIT: yup, under "Notifications/Instant Notification Sounds"

But it's only when it's your turn, not when the game has fillled up.

oh. didn't look close enough, thought it was for all RT/RegT notices, not just my turn 

Ozyman wrote:

>This tactical information is quite valuable, but it is unavailable if the game is first viewed at the end of their turn.

Not saying a sound alert is not a good idea, but can't you see this info in the history?

 

Many maps played with any fog setting (including Colossal Crusade, which I play most often) will not let you view the history at all while the game is in play.  The History button is greyed out and unclickable.

That's a designer setting.  The map creator can specify if the History is availible or not.

ratsy wrote:

That's a designer setting.  The map creator can specify if the History is availible or not.

Whether or not some maps have available histories is immaterial to this request.   Other maps don't and the request stands.

HangTen wrote:

 I update the page during my opponent's turn to see from where my opponent launches offensives, and view the possession and strength of territories before they become fogged.  This tactical information is quite valuable, but it is unavailable if the game is first viewed at the end of their turn.

If you consider the status of available histories to be immaterial, then why did you mention the above in your original post?  I'm not saying that it's not a valid suggestion.  But that's what we do here.  We scrutinize all angles and implications before we wholeheartedly back a request.

M57 wrote:

HangTen wrote:

 I update the page during my opponent's turn to see from where my opponent launches offensives, and view the possession and strength of territories before they become fogged.  This tactical information is quite valuable, but it is unavailable if the game is first viewed at the end of their turn.

If you consider the status of available histories to be immaterial, then why did you mention the above in your original post?  I'm not saying that it's not a valid suggestion.  But that's what we do here.  We scrutinize all angles and implications before we wholeheartedly back a request.

Two reasons:

1) Just because SOME maps have available fogged histories doesn't mean the map(s) I play on do, and I am basing my request on the games that *I* play.  And others as well, as evidenced by at least one +1.  Not all options were implemented at the request of, or benefit or usefulness to, all players.  Approving or denying my request just because of maps I never play on, makes about as much sense as deciding whether or not to put a stoplight on my block because they don't need stoplights on Mars.

2) More importantly, read my post again.  I never said a word about game histories on fogged maps in the first place.  What I said was that information gleaned by watching a play in progress is unavailable after the turn is over, which is the case in ALL fogged games.  You misconstrued that to mean having no access to a game history.  I MEANT losing the opportunity to watch the play.  There's a difference.  If you can't see the difference on your own, explaining it would be a waste of time.

HangTen wrote:

I would like to respectfully request ...

HangTen wrote:

 If you can't see the difference on your own, explaining it would be a waste of time.

Seems like a valid request and makes sense how Hang has laid it out, hopefully Tom will take a look, usually he's pretty good at popping the notification things in there quickly.

"Quickly" is a subjective term.  Just so I know what to expect, what kind of time frame does "quickly" mean to you?