Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!apple!amdahl!key!jsp
From: jsp@key.COM (James Preston)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: pararena (was Re: PD/SW Games list)
Message-ID: <2515@key.COM>
Date: 1 Apr 91 19:12:27 GMT
References: <1991Mar31.194518.1957@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>
Reply-To: jsp@penguin.key.COM (James Preston)
Organization: Key Computer Laboratories, Fremont
Lines: 51

In article <1991Mar31.194518.1957@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> gaynor@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Jim Gaynor) writes:
> . . .
>That means
>that all of Soft Dorothy's stuff made it, in one way or another - and
>the other three (Glider, Glypha, and Pararena) fairly dominate the top
>five.  You must be doing something right, John...

Speaking of Pararena, does your comment there mean that the author is on
the net?  If so, he gets three large "boo"s for the user-interface to this
game.

I ran it, decided to go right into a game to see what the heck it was like,
and then got really pissed when the damned thing wouldn't let me quit!  I
then sat there and let the timer run out assuming that, surely it would
put me back in a quittable mode at the end of the game.  Surprise, surprise,
it just restarted the timer (yes, I found out later about the series of
periods).  I tried hitting lots of command-keys, but nothing did anything.
Finally, in desperation, I hit the restart button.

Later, when I'd cooled off, I decided to experiment a little, and finally
discovered that command-E sent me back to the menu.  It was only then, after
looking very carefully, that I noticed that the game did indeed tell me about
command-E.  IN A DAMNED *DIMMED* MENU ITEM!

My complaints to the author are these:

1) There is no excuse for not enabling command-Q to quit the entire game at
all times.  No excuse at all.  This is part of the user-interface guidelines,
and there is no reason that games should be excluded.  I mean, what was your
thinking in NOT allowing it?  Obviously, you are listening for command keys,
since you catch command-E.  What purpose is possibly served by ignoring
command-Q?  I mean, other than to frustrate your users?  If you want to
protect users from accidently qutting a game in progress, that is what
dialogs are for.

2) Putting an important instruction in a menu item has got to be the stupidest
thing I have ever heard of on the Mac.  Menu items are for things that you
can select, things that cause an action.  Not for instructions!!

3) I take back what I said in number 2.  The stupidest thing I have ever
heard of is putting an important instruction in a *DIMMED* menu item!!!!
I am sure that I'm not the only Mac user who is sort of subconsciously
trained to not pay much attention (if any at all) to dimmed menu items.
I mean, if it's dimmed, I can't use it, so it can't be relevant right now,
right?!?  So who the hell would think to look to a dimmed menu item to
find out how to get out of the game?

Your game ideas and general implementation skills are very good.  That is
why it is all the more glaring when you commit blunders such as the above.

--James Preston