As you've probably noticed by now, I'm trying something a little different with this week's article layout, please let me know if you love it or hate it in the comments. Essentially, the article was getting unwieldy in a straight shot, also, I couldn't really hide spoiler information the way I wanted to. Now, it will have it's own 'tab' and you can look at it or not depending on what you're interested in seeing. Use the selections above to change the text in this area.
Also of interest is a change to the Price Charts, namely to the movers and shakers. In response to some very well thought out comments and requests from last week, the movers and shakers list now only lists cards that moved around if they wound up above .5 tickets. That seemed to be a decent threshold to handle most of the riff-raff and static. Again, let me know what you think in the comments!
Wowzers! The new community.wizards.com site is a hugely different animal than our previous hum-drum boards. While the previous forums were pretty good at what they did, they were also getting really long in the tooth. The new community site has a lot of new features that are surprisingly nice. The main one I'll be focusing on is 'groups', or as we MTGO players are likely to call them: Clan Pages. That may not be what they're intending them to be, but by golly, that's what I'm going to be using them for!
I mean, seriously, look at what you get: A wiki, A private (if you choose it) forum, a central blog and a central calendar. That's essentially everything that a new or existing clan could need. One of the few improvements I would want would be a tournament bracket creator. Other than that, there is a TON of great features for the MTGO players on these boards.
Searching for a group:
You should first check to see if the group you want to create already exists by using the find a group feature:
You generally want to search for groups that *should* exist. Existing clans, existing products, etc. If it doesn't (or you just want to create your own!) then you'll want to move to the next step of creating your group. nbsp;Then, if it doesn't exist, you'll want to create a group:
Creating a Group:
I've already extolled some of the virtues of the new group features, but really, I can't say enough good things about them for the MTGO user base. The Official MTGO group, which can be found here: MTGO Group is a very important group to join as that's how you'll get to see the MTGO announcements and MTGO calendar. Another group that readers of this column may be interested in is the Team PureMTGO forums, located here! where I'll be setting up clan challenges, etc for our small niche community!
Creating a Calendar Entry:
Calendars are one of the new features that I absolutely love. I can't express how nice it is to be able to schedule things in one place, with one interface and invite people to it. I suspect PRE's, Clans and so on will use these calendar features soon. Also, I've been informed that Mike "The Man" Gills will be utilizing the MTGO Group's calendar for the OP events just as soon as it can handle his full unfiltered awesomeness. Hopefully soon!
Creating a Group Forum
If you've create a group, you'll probably want to start a forum for your group's threaded discussions. Some things are better discussed like this, and some things are better in a blog format.
New Forums
The one thing you'll probably notice quickly is that the forums are a step back in functionality and layout. I don't think anyone can or should contest that. I certainly can't deny this. The good news is that they're largely replaced (for us at least) by the MTGO Group, which has it's own wiki, own forums, blogs and calendar. I suspect that a lot of the old forums are just going to die out over time... and with the replacement options, I'm not that distressed by this turn of events. This is going to be a bit of a shock to some people of course, but really, the previous forums weren't exactly the best fit for our community as it was. We made due with a lot of things. Like announcement forums. There are now much better options to use.
Blog with a Poll
Lastly for this week, I'm busting out something that was always a hot topic on the MTGO boards.... why can't we have polls? Well NOW YOU CAN!!!!
They're not too difficult, but there are a few 'gotchas' to worry about... namely how to plug the HTML IFrame into the editor and not have it stripped out. Check out the video for more!
So many options... what's a player to do?
In case you missed the myriad of announcements recently (which is completely possible with no Message Boards), there were some huge announcements for MTGO. Most of which revolve around buying something or giving WotC money in some form or another.
The official MTGO statement for From the Vault: Exiled and the previously mysterious Commander Theme Decks. Also announced is a new mysterious product: Planeswalker Decks and the Planeswalker Format. Add into this the upcoming Master's Edition III set, and the Zendikar set... well. The options just keep increasing which generally leads to a feeling of being overwhelmed. Which is certainly better than being underwhelmed I suppose, but I'm a big fan of just being whelmed.
So what's a player to do in these uncertain times? Simple! Set goals and prioritize, same as always. Yet, for some reason, people forget to do this, or perhaps they've never learned to do this. Regardless of the reasons, there always seems to be a decent amount of people who approach a situation like this without first planning out what they want. For those of you in this boat, I will hopefully be able to add some insight into the madness!
The first, and biggest, and probably most crucial hurdle you'll need to figure out is what you want to do on MTGO in the long term. Meaning that if you want to play Standard/Block/Draft/etc for the next five years the upcoming products will have a vastly different impact than they do if you're wanting to get into Classic or the eventual Legacy. To further add complexity you'll need to think about if you're going to go casual or competitive in these formats. You could be a Competitive Standard player but a casual Commander or 100 Card Singleton player. Each facet of your goals changes how you'll approach these products.
I'll start from the more abstract items we have to work with and move towards the more mundane.
Purchase Decision #1: Planeswalker Decks
Like I said, kind of abstract. These are going to be given out with new accounts, and purchasable for 4.99 if you really want one. I suspect that these will be very popular with the new players and possibly even popular with the ultra-budget player as well. I mean, having access to all those cards like Wrath of God for a $4.99 one time fee is a really good deal. Of course, most players will probably get bored of the decks over time, and will probably get sick of facing off against the same sets of cards over and over again. None the less, it's still a good play->pay ratio for the super budget crowd. Random thought: these represent the first non-tradeable cards to be purchased from the store. Lots of interesting possibilities open up from this point forward.
Hammy's Plans: Skip unless there's a need to teach some new players.
Purchase Decision #2: From the Vault: Exiled
Next up is a pretty important tipping point for an MTGO player, namely, where do I want to be in five years? Extended, Legacy, Classic, Standard/Block? If your answer is "Extended", Standard/Block, you can skip this completely. If you're interested in Legacy, you can also skip this. Namely because most of the cards in this deck that aren't banned in Legacy are available already, or will be availalbe from regular sets in the future. If you do want to get into Classic, now is the time. I can't stress this enough. If you see yourself being a Classic player down the road now is the time to get in on the Classic cards. The duals have dropped, dramatically. Force of Will continues to edge downward as well. This item will be crucial to your Classic decks in the years to come as well.
Hammy's Plans: Buy. At least one, maybe a second to hold, depending on finances.
Purchase Decision #3: Commander Decks
These little beauties are quite impressive. Lots of rares, some unique to MTGO cards, and some decently built decks, all things considered. I love these two decks. They are well built and focused, and retail for a decent price considering what you get in them. The decks are linked above. But the question becomes... who are marketed for and who should buy them? There are some new to MTGO 'commons' in there, which may appeal to the Pauper crowd. Although fortunately none of them are near the power level of Daze and Gush. There are some new to MTGO cards for Classic though, namely Massacre. I'm not sure if Black Control in Classic or 100CS is in need of that card, but it's entirely possible that they could find a use for it. If so, look for that to be a hot ticket item until it's reprinted. Er, pre-printed... eh, you know what I mean!
Hammy's Plans: Pass, maybe buy some of the singles on the secondary market as I need them.
<picture of the duals that you've seen 100000 times now....>
Purchase Decision #4: Master's Edition III
This decision is similar to the previous one in that Standard/Block can ignore it completely. Future Legacy players, however, will need to take notice of this set for at least the dual lands, and pretty much a lot of the non-banned items that are in this set. Getting in now will likely be much much less costly than trying to get in in the future. There are a lot of cards that both Classic and Future Legacy players will be using out of this set. Even players of 100 Card Singleton and Prismatic will find a lot of value in this set. Keep an eye on the prices as the release events start firing and as the cards fall, grab the ones you want.
Hammy's Plans: Draft, Sealed and Singles. Pretty much spend my heart out getting the duals and other power cards.
<picture of a giant question mark...>
Purchase Decision #5: Zendikar vs. M2010
Essentially this is where the Standard/Block players have to figure out where they want to go. If you think you can keep up with Standard, picking up some of the M10 stuff now (like the ultra-low duals) might not be a bad idea. If, however, you want to stick to Block Constructed then you can completely skip M10 and prepare for Zendikar in the next few months. If you have old cards from Lorwyn, Shadowmoor you could likely sell those off. I'd probably recommend waiting to sell your Alara stuff until Lorwyn rotates since that will be the time when all the money of the previous buyers will be focused on a lot less cards, and there will also be new decks coming out that use the old cards, which means that you'll have the best likelihood of getting some good tickets for your ACR cards. In theory.
Hammy's Plans: Finish off the few singles I need from M10, and hope that I'm good enough at Med3 limited to fund my draft/sealed so I can keep some reserves ready for Zendikar.
So essentially, if you're into Block, save your money and sell your Lorwyn cards. Standard? Pick up the M10 duals whilst they're cheap and prepare for Zendikar. Extended, ignore pretty much everything right now, including your format. Future Legacy; duals and non-banned cards from MED3, ignore pretty much everything else. Classic: FTV: Exiled, MED3, ignore pretty much everything else.
Just call Baneslayer Angel the new comeback kid, she launched back up to 25 tickets from 14 this week! Yeah, she's still worth it. This mighty feat of resurection brought to you by the numerous pro's touting U/W Baneslayer as one of the top decks in Standard. In said deck, we have the #2 mover-upper this week: Glen Elandra Archmage. Countering not one, but two Cruel Ultimatum's is a pretty awesome ability. Moving down, as usual, is Force of Will. Sorry bro. The M10 price tank is having splash damage on the previous versions of the cards as well (which are all now linked correctly in the table below!) 8th/9th Wrath of God, Ravnica Birds, etc. All falling down too, thanks to the huge supply of now available M10 versions. Yowzers!
Some pretty interesting outcomes of the last week of Standard events and the announcements of the new MED3 cards. Namely that Lion's Eye Diamond just went up more (and, for the record, it was as low as 8ish for a while). Also going up, already, is Baneslayer. I still expect huge things from this defender of Justice!
Doran has dropped a bit, and will probably continue to drop thanks to the huge, huge, huge problems of the first attempt at MOCS Season 5 Champs. The event crashed, badly, and everyone got a foil and a regular promo doran.
As I mentioned above, the MOCS Season 5 tournament imploded which in turn granted a ton of new Doran's into the system.
Aside from that unpleasantness, we have Champion's of Kamigawa Sealed III this weekend! (aka TOMORROW!) for those with some tix burning a hole in your pocket.
And as usual, bubba0077 provides us with an amazing peak into the world of the top level Magic Online players!
I hope you've all enjoyed the new layout, the new chart metrics, and the webcasts on how to use the new site to supplement your clan. I spent a lot of time this week on each of the sub-projects that went into creating this article. Hopefully it was time well spent!
A great week for MTG Spoilers! It's only the weekend and there's already lots of neat tidbits out for the next Standard set. Biggest news? Easily the new 'Wrath' that's way closer to Wrath than any other derivative thus far.
The text:
Notice the lack of the 'no regen' clause. I expect that regeneration is going to be something they use more and more as they start to make it matter again.
Green is reportedly getting a nasty, nasty creature soon with the ability to pump out ridiculous amounts of tokens as the game goes on!
Rampaging Baloths 4gg (or 5gg?) - Speculated
- Creature - Beast Mythic
Trample
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may put a 4/4 green Beast creature token (onto the battlefield (with trample)).
(6/6)
Next up is an awesome new land for Warp World decks, and Mid-Range Red decks everywhere!
Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
Land
Rare
Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle enters the battlefield tapped. Whenever a Mountain enters the battlefield under your control, if you control five other Mountains, Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle deals 3 damage to target creature or player.
{T}: Add {R} to your mana pool.
"The M10 price tank is having splash damage on the previous versions of the cards as well (which are all now linked correctly in the table below!) 8th/9th Wrath of God, Ravnica Birds, etc. All falling down too, thanks to the huge supply of now available M10 versions. Yowzers!"
Hammy, I personally didn't like the new look. Didn't look like an article to me. There's a lot of effort in this week's SotP and a lot of useful information but there's something that doesn't feels right which I think is the look of the article.
Personally I prefer the old traditional style (Maybe it's because I'm a bit conservative).
I personally like the new interface. Perhaps you can figure out a way to also put the menu tabs at the bottom too, with a reset to the top of the page so it makes it easy to start the next section as well.
I look forward to your article every week. The information is valuable and your unbiased view is really a breath of fresh air. This article was no different in content, however I must agree with LE that the layout doesn't work. Worth a shot, but I'd suggest going back to the old format.
i don't mind the new layout, but it'd be nice if the links were at the bottom of each section as well from a navigation standpoint so people don't have to scroll all the way back up.
All in all, if it's a hassle to maintain this new formatting, I'd say it's not really worth it.
I really liked the attempt at a new structure to better organize the article, but I agree that the scrolling up and down to get to new sections is a bit tiresome.
Is there any reason we can't get a Show/Hide "Spoiler" button option, sort of like the ones that are used on the MTGSalvation forums? I think that would be a much better solution to the problems you are trying to address with the tabs.
New layout
by rfeltrin (not verified)
at Fri, 08/28/2009 - 12:23
I loved the new layout.
Its the easier way to you organize it and to us, readers, go through topics that interest us
but it'd be nice if the links were at the bottom of each section as well from a navigation standpoint so people don't have to scroll all the way back up. [2]
Well its an interesting idea for an article layout. Very simple javascript/css and very doable. Not sure the actual execution is great but that's the web guy in me. Im no designer but it seems to lack something. I do like the idea and perhaps a sidebar menu would make more sense. For one thing it would allow for more topics without a scroll to the right. Smaller browsers can handle down better than across.
As usual the content itself is great. Destroy all creatures...but no stops regen...sadly not a Wrath reprint. But yay for the 4cmc. I wonder how hot it will be. I guess that will depend on how hot the demand is in standard since we still have Wrath in the other formats.
I too am inclined to say even if I had the money I wouldn't buy the From the Vaults set. Individual cards sure but what use do I have for something restricted/banned in many formats? Collector's item? well maybe for some...not for me.
I did briefly take a look at the new forum and I am not thrilled with it but perhaps it will grow on me.
I wonder why Knights gained .2 this week. Did someone find another deck to break them in?
One of the recurring ideas in any document design class is that (except for special cases) you should prioritize usability above visual appeal.
When someone reads an article, it's easiest to scroll from top to bottom once, not back and forth six times. Since there's no functional benefit to the new format, and in fact quite a hindrance to it, I'd have to encourage against it for the future. Sorry :\ I admit it does look cool though.
... if they add the same buttons along the bottom and have it automatically scroll back to the top, I think this *is* an improvement. By doing it in javascript, this already has the advantage of not requiring a reload to get to the next section (which is usually my biggest complaint against paginated articles). If the buttons are along the bottom, they are in a good location to choose after reading a section, and if doing so often scrolls back to the top, you're not adding tedious user actions. And there is a functional benefit, since it makes it easier to skip sections you don't care about (and allows hammy to pack more information in if he wants without making the article seem ridiculously huge).
lol click allergy?
by xXWarIsPeaceXx (not verified)
at Sat, 08/29/2009 - 04:59
is a great idea, easier to read, no reloading is awesome (good point bubba)
this interface feels more like what we are using on the web, and less like a "book" or newspaper... /me applauds, and is ammused at those who have a daily click limit
I'm leaning against the new layout. It's cumbersome and just doesn't feel like an article bit, like some of the other guys who posted, maybe I'm just used to the traditional layout.
Also, is anyone else having problems with the new WOTC forums? I can't get it to take my personal info and even get to look at the rest of the content. IT won't take my user name and password at all.
The new layout is a good idea, though I too must admit that it's not executed the best way.
It's great because you can easily skip the topics you're not interested in. It's a bit frustrating because I have to switch on JavaScript every time (I usually browse with JavaScript deactivated, because it's the safest way regarding web site exploits - and waaaay faster on many major sites). OK, I can handle that.
And for the scrolling up again: it's indeed the only thing preventing my opinion from being "all fine", because the usability is indeed quite bad. On the other hand, there's no need to "scroll up" if you're familiar with your keyboard's functions within your browser: Pressing "Home" brings you back to the top of the page!
I'll give you 5 stars for effort with the new layout.
I'm not sure if I like it but perhaps that's just because it's new and I'm old! lol.
I'd like to see it stay for an article or two so that I can really get used to it. If anything I would suggest less headings. Having the spoiler like that is fine and also the totally descrete parts but to have, for example, the card prices and graphs in two different tabs felt like using them just for the sake of it.
If you can duplicate the tabs at the bottom then great but I guess I'm just used to reading big analysis documents on screen so I have no problem with using the 'home', 'end' navigation style buttons rather than using the mouse to scroll.
Keep the format for a week or two, or an article or two and use it where is benefits and not just because you can and I think you have a winner.
The new Channel and Strip Mine arts are gorgeous; I wonder why Wizards didn't feature them in the article over some of the...less well done ones. Too bad they're not available unfoiled. I like the new article format; makes it easy to skip over some of the parts which I don't typically read but others value and improves the overall organization. Links at the bottom of each section would be a plus, though.
Without a printable link on puremtgo.com the articles are tough to print out. This one is so difficult to print that I won't even bother. But that won't stop me from reading and enjoying it later, keep up the great content!
Hate the new layout. I'm probably not the target audience though. I always read all the article and like only having to hit the down arrow to read the entire thing. When I click on a card that doesn't open in a new tab and click back it brings me back to the intro page which is rather annoying, but I could right click or alt click and avoid that. Ultimately, I like the idea of trying something new, but personally (even when implemented better as others have suggested) the new layout will never be as good as the previous style for my own purposes.
layout
by Anonymous (not verified)
at Fri, 08/28/2009 - 16:31
I don't really like the new layout, because I just like to scroll and read everything. But if you have to keep the new format, then can you have next buttons at the end of each section?
I hate having to scroll back up to read the next section. Also, highlight what current section I am on, so I don't have to remember which section I was at.
I don't know if its possible, but would it be worth having the full article in one of the boxes and the sub sections split out for those that want it?.
Neat layout, probably beyond my abilities to replicate. Still, it's more flash than substance. You have too many tabs for what's inside them. I'd rather not have to click five or ten times to read an entire article, so be fancy all you want, but still put 'the whole thing' under one tab somewhere. Also if your conclusion is a couple short sentences, it hardly rates a tab of it's own.
You could make this two articles, rather than eight. One for the news, editorial, and discussion items. And the other article would be marketplace + spoilers.
I'll check out that new forum tonight.
Thank you thankyou thankyou for the .5 ticket threshold on the movers and shakers. :)
I have yet to actually see the new layout on my computer but from my phone (Sidekick LX) I cannot view any of your article other than the comments. This is sad, sad, sad because I look forward to reading your article every week. I hope you decide to go back to your old layout.
I also prefer the traditional layout. If you need a way to hide those spoiler there's always the possibility to use a script that's very similar to the one Wizards uses on DailyMTG (the one that "blanks" the page unless you click on a link).
I really enjoyed how this state of the program looks ! Great effort, much easier to read and always pretty interesting. Congrat Hamtastic !
About the 2 commander decks, i totaly agree with you. they are really good ! WotC did a lots of effort to propose a nice panel of cards and this is nuts for any player wanting the join the eternal formats. This is clearly one of the best precon decks release since JvC, even maybe better because it provides really good cards to players.
I like this style a bit more, there are a couple of sections that I like to look first, so this way is easier instead of scrolling up and down. I don't know if the work is worth it, it's almost the same.
Love the article coverage, as always, but hate the new format. I prefer the way you have formatted it in the past. Please don't make this new format the norm. Thanks for listening.
Persomally, I like the new layout (except the need for buttons at the bottom).
What about this? Leave the article the way it was, but use the buttons to jump in the text to the other sections? Sort of a compromise....and leave the spoilers hidden under the last tab like you have it now.
People write informally the way they speak. Spoken idiom is not confined to the strictest rules of grammar in normal society. Some people may break rules that make you wince but just be glad you do not do the same thing. :) I mean we aren't writing great literature on these posts. (No offense to anyone who thinks otherwise :p)
I find it somehow fitting that the same week that WOTC reveals the downgraded forums hammy reveals the downgraded SotP. Yes, the tabs seem like cool features at first (just as the MTGO groups/wiki/etc. seem cool), but the reality is that this requires more work by the user with not much gain. Tabs at the bottom would help, but the only way I would be really happy would be a default to the original format - the navigation tabs could be left as a bonus option for those who want to use them. Bet if you do this you will find the tabs used by only a small percentage of readers.
Now a tab that links back to the previous SotP, for when I've missed a week or just want to look back for whatever reason, that would be truly added functionality that I could get behind.
While I appreciate the effort to try something new, I think the main thing this format does for me is make it take more time and effort to read the articles (which I look forward to each friday, btw!)
Try this. Go to Price Tables, or anything else that has card links you might want to click on. Click on a card you aren't familiar with, or want to see if its price on MTGOTraders has gone up/down even more since the article was posted, etc. etc. Look at the card. Now click the Back button in your browser. Surprise surprise, you're on Introduction again and have to click the tab of whatever you were in the middle of to get back to where you were, and maybe scroll down as well!
Having the tab you're currently on clickable, but doing absolutely nothing when you clicked on it, is bad interface design. I clicked "Introduction" 5 times and thought "the tabs don't work for my browser" and tried another browser before I figured I had to start with the SECOND blue tempt-you-to-click-me-to-see-stuff link at the top, not the first.
And of course, every time you finish a section in the old version, you would just - scroll down some more. Now it's scroll all the way to the top, click something, and start heading down again. More work, more time consuming, and what did I gain out of it as a reader? Nothing that I can perceive as mattering to me at all.
48 Comments
"The M10 price tank is having splash damage on the previous versions of the cards as well (which are all now linked correctly in the table below!) 8th/9th Wrath of God, Ravnica Birds, etc. All falling down too, thanks to the huge supply of now available M10 versions. Yowzers!"
Wrath of God isn't in M10?
Great point! It's still related to M10 + demand changes... just not due to being IN M10. :D
Going to Extended Only has tanked Wrath across the board.
Good catch though!
Hammy, I personally didn't like the new look. Didn't look like an article to me. There's a lot of effort in this week's SotP and a lot of useful information but there's something that doesn't feels right which I think is the look of the article.
Personally I prefer the old traditional style (Maybe it's because I'm a bit conservative).
LE
I personally like the new interface. Perhaps you can figure out a way to also put the menu tabs at the bottom too, with a reset to the top of the page so it makes it easy to start the next section as well.
I look forward to your article every week. The information is valuable and your unbiased view is really a breath of fresh air. This article was no different in content, however I must agree with LE that the layout doesn't work. Worth a shot, but I'd suggest going back to the old format.
i don't mind the new layout, but it'd be nice if the links were at the bottom of each section as well from a navigation standpoint so people don't have to scroll all the way back up.
All in all, if it's a hassle to maintain this new formatting, I'd say it's not really worth it.
i didnt' like the new format because it was hard to follow.
I really liked the attempt at a new structure to better organize the article, but I agree that the scrolling up and down to get to new sections is a bit tiresome.
Is there any reason we can't get a Show/Hide "Spoiler" button option, sort of like the ones that are used on the MTGSalvation forums? I think that would be a much better solution to the problems you are trying to address with the tabs.
I loved the new layout.
Its the easier way to you organize it and to us, readers, go through topics that interest us
but it'd be nice if the links were at the bottom of each section as well from a navigation standpoint so people don't have to scroll all the way back up. [2]
I concur
I think the new layouts awesome and definately something i would like to see explored in future articles (by more than just hammy).
hate the new layout
wtf
if we get a vote Im for disabling them. There have been NO* positive comments by Anon posters lately.
* can't believe I typod that and didn't even catch it on a reread.
Great article hammy.. love it. love the new layout too...
im never getting from the vaults, !!!!!!dam you wotc
Well its an interesting idea for an article layout. Very simple javascript/css and very doable. Not sure the actual execution is great but that's the web guy in me. Im no designer but it seems to lack something. I do like the idea and perhaps a sidebar menu would make more sense. For one thing it would allow for more topics without a scroll to the right. Smaller browsers can handle down better than across.
As usual the content itself is great. Destroy all creatures...but no stops regen...sadly not a Wrath reprint. But yay for the 4cmc. I wonder how hot it will be. I guess that will depend on how hot the demand is in standard since we still have Wrath in the other formats.
I too am inclined to say even if I had the money I wouldn't buy the From the Vaults set. Individual cards sure but what use do I have for something restricted/banned in many formats? Collector's item? well maybe for some...not for me.
I did briefly take a look at the new forum and I am not thrilled with it but perhaps it will grow on me.
I wonder why Knights gained .2 this week. Did someone find another deck to break them in?
Knights are rumored to be getting a HUGE boost from a new mechanic in Zendikar, so probably some speculation demand.
One of the recurring ideas in any document design class is that (except for special cases) you should prioritize usability above visual appeal.
When someone reads an article, it's easiest to scroll from top to bottom once, not back and forth six times. Since there's no functional benefit to the new format, and in fact quite a hindrance to it, I'd have to encourage against it for the future. Sorry :\ I admit it does look cool though.
... if they add the same buttons along the bottom and have it automatically scroll back to the top, I think this *is* an improvement. By doing it in javascript, this already has the advantage of not requiring a reload to get to the next section (which is usually my biggest complaint against paginated articles). If the buttons are along the bottom, they are in a good location to choose after reading a section, and if doing so often scrolls back to the top, you're not adding tedious user actions. And there is a functional benefit, since it makes it easier to skip sections you don't care about (and allows hammy to pack more information in if he wants without making the article seem ridiculously huge).
Let's see. One version involves clicks and one version doesn't. I'm actually going to disagree that option A is an improvement.
is a great idea, easier to read, no reloading is awesome (good point bubba)
this interface feels more like what we are using on the web, and less like a "book" or newspaper... /me applauds, and is ammused at those who have a daily click limit
I'm leaning against the new layout. It's cumbersome and just doesn't feel like an article bit, like some of the other guys who posted, maybe I'm just used to the traditional layout.
Also, is anyone else having problems with the new WOTC forums? I can't get it to take my personal info and even get to look at the rest of the content. IT won't take my user name and password at all.
The new layout is a good idea, though I too must admit that it's not executed the best way.
It's great because you can easily skip the topics you're not interested in. It's a bit frustrating because I have to switch on JavaScript every time (I usually browse with JavaScript deactivated, because it's the safest way regarding web site exploits - and waaaay faster on many major sites). OK, I can handle that.
And for the scrolling up again: it's indeed the only thing preventing my opinion from being "all fine", because the usability is indeed quite bad. On the other hand, there's no need to "scroll up" if you're familiar with your keyboard's functions within your browser: Pressing "Home" brings you back to the top of the page!
I'll give you 5 stars for effort with the new layout.
I'm not sure if I like it but perhaps that's just because it's new and I'm old! lol.
I'd like to see it stay for an article or two so that I can really get used to it. If anything I would suggest less headings. Having the spoiler like that is fine and also the totally descrete parts but to have, for example, the card prices and graphs in two different tabs felt like using them just for the sake of it.
If you can duplicate the tabs at the bottom then great but I guess I'm just used to reading big analysis documents on screen so I have no problem with using the 'home', 'end' navigation style buttons rather than using the mouse to scroll.
Keep the format for a week or two, or an article or two and use it where is benefits and not just because you can and I think you have a winner.
The new Channel and Strip Mine arts are gorgeous; I wonder why Wizards didn't feature them in the article over some of the...less well done ones. Too bad they're not available unfoiled. I like the new article format; makes it easy to skip over some of the parts which I don't typically read but others value and improves the overall organization. Links at the bottom of each section would be a plus, though.
Without a printable link on puremtgo.com the articles are tough to print out. This one is so difficult to print that I won't even bother. But that won't stop me from reading and enjoying it later, keep up the great content!
-Paul
I like the tabs. Is it really so difficult to click 'page up'?
Good info as always.
Hate the new layout. I'm probably not the target audience though. I always read all the article and like only having to hit the down arrow to read the entire thing. When I click on a card that doesn't open in a new tab and click back it brings me back to the intro page which is rather annoying, but I could right click or alt click and avoid that. Ultimately, I like the idea of trying something new, but personally (even when implemented better as others have suggested) the new layout will never be as good as the previous style for my own purposes.
I don't really like the new layout, because I just like to scroll and read everything. But if you have to keep the new format, then can you have next buttons at the end of each section?
I hate having to scroll back up to read the next section. Also, highlight what current section I am on, so I don't have to remember which section I was at.
Thanks everyone for the comments! They've been very constructive and very well thought out (well, almost all of them, anyway!)
I'm mostly just getting a feel for the pro's and con's so far so please keep the comments coming.
And I admit that I've learned more about my reader's habits this week than any other article, which totally rocks! :)
I don't know if its possible, but would it be worth having the full article in one of the boxes and the sub sections split out for those that want it?.
If you plan on keeping with the new format I'm strongly voting for this implementation.
Personally I prefer the traditional version by a wide margin.
Neat layout, probably beyond my abilities to replicate. Still, it's more flash than substance. You have too many tabs for what's inside them. I'd rather not have to click five or ten times to read an entire article, so be fancy all you want, but still put 'the whole thing' under one tab somewhere. Also if your conclusion is a couple short sentences, it hardly rates a tab of it's own.
This is a lot of content that's hard to organize.
You could make this two articles, rather than eight. One for the news, editorial, and discussion items. And the other article would be marketplace + spoilers.
I'll check out that new forum tonight.
Thank you thankyou thankyou for the .5 ticket threshold on the movers and shakers. :)
I have yet to actually see the new layout on my computer but from my phone (Sidekick LX) I cannot view any of your article other than the comments. This is sad, sad, sad because I look forward to reading your article every week. I hope you decide to go back to your old layout.
I also prefer the traditional layout. If you need a way to hide those spoiler there's always the possibility to use a script that's very similar to the one Wizards uses on DailyMTG (the one that "blanks" the page unless you click on a link).
Anyway, great reading as usual. :)
I really enjoyed how this state of the program looks ! Great effort, much easier to read and always pretty interesting. Congrat Hamtastic !
About the 2 commander decks, i totaly agree with you. they are really good ! WotC did a lots of effort to propose a nice panel of cards and this is nuts for any player wanting the join the eternal formats. This is clearly one of the best precon decks release since JvC, even maybe better because it provides really good cards to players.
I like this style a bit more, there are a couple of sections that I like to look first, so this way is easier instead of scrolling up and down. I don't know if the work is worth it, it's almost the same.
In any case, I always enjoy your articles :)
Love the article coverage, as always, but hate the new format. I prefer the way you have formatted it in the past. Please don't make this new format the norm. Thanks for listening.
- Jacobs
Persomally, I like the new layout (except the need for buttons at the bottom).
What about this? Leave the article the way it was, but use the buttons to jump in the text to the other sections? Sort of a compromise....and leave the spoilers hidden under the last tab like you have it now.
Maybe I paid attention in middle school English, but everytime I see someone type "personally, I feel" a little part of me dies inside.
People write informally the way they speak. Spoken idiom is not confined to the strictest rules of grammar in normal society. Some people may break rules that make you wince but just be glad you do not do the same thing. :) I mean we aren't writing great literature on these posts. (No offense to anyone who thinks otherwise :p)
I find it somehow fitting that the same week that WOTC reveals the downgraded forums hammy reveals the downgraded SotP. Yes, the tabs seem like cool features at first (just as the MTGO groups/wiki/etc. seem cool), but the reality is that this requires more work by the user with not much gain. Tabs at the bottom would help, but the only way I would be really happy would be a default to the original format - the navigation tabs could be left as a bonus option for those who want to use them. Bet if you do this you will find the tabs used by only a small percentage of readers.
Now a tab that links back to the previous SotP, for when I've missed a week or just want to look back for whatever reason, that would be truly added functionality that I could get behind.
I like the new format.
While I appreciate the effort to try something new, I think the main thing this format does for me is make it take more time and effort to read the articles (which I look forward to each friday, btw!)
Try this. Go to Price Tables, or anything else that has card links you might want to click on. Click on a card you aren't familiar with, or want to see if its price on MTGOTraders has gone up/down even more since the article was posted, etc. etc. Look at the card. Now click the Back button in your browser. Surprise surprise, you're on Introduction again and have to click the tab of whatever you were in the middle of to get back to where you were, and maybe scroll down as well!
Having the tab you're currently on clickable, but doing absolutely nothing when you clicked on it, is bad interface design. I clicked "Introduction" 5 times and thought "the tabs don't work for my browser" and tried another browser before I figured I had to start with the SECOND blue tempt-you-to-click-me-to-see-stuff link at the top, not the first.
And of course, every time you finish a section in the old version, you would just - scroll down some more. Now it's scroll all the way to the top, click something, and start heading down again. More work, more time consuming, and what did I gain out of it as a reader? Nothing that I can perceive as mattering to me at all.
ty and hf + gl