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        Arimaa >> Site Discussion >> Postal email notification features
        
(Message started by: knarl on Jul 8^th, 2010, 5:58pm)

Title: Postal email notification features
Post by knarl on Jul 8^th, 2010, 5:58pm

Gday All,

At the moment, I'm enjoying playing a bunch of postal games. The best thing about playing postal speed is that I can play lots of arimaa, and I don't even need to have time for a game. It's even better now that I have a phone with email and internet, because I get notifications when my opponent moves, and I can even make a move when I have a spare moment out and about.

I was thinking the email notifications could be even better by including the move that your opponent just made.

Eg:

"It is now your move in the game against:
Some_dude

Some_dude made the move 13w cd6s Ee6w Hf6x Ra4e Rb4n on:
Fri 9:58 am YLT

Click here to enter the gameroom and see the move.
http://arimaa.com/arimaa/gameroom/opengamewin.cgi?gameid=xxxxxx&side=b&plid=xxxxx&auth=xxxxxxxxxxxx

Or look under "My Games" in the gameroom:
http://arimaa.com/arimaa/gameroom/

If this message went to your Bulk or Spam folder
we suggest creating a filter to move emails containing
it's your move
in the subject to your Inbox."

Then I'd be able to ponder the move without even opening the game. Admittedly, it would take a good memory to remember the last position and visualise the new move. Maybe therefore a small jpeg with the new position could be included as well. I believe Leo's notation converter generates such a jpeg?

Being mindful, some people wouldn't want their email clogged with jpegs of arimaa positions, a setting in the gameroom to turn on this feature might be good.

I know Omar is a busy man, and wish list items like this would be on the bottom of his to-do list, but I thought I'd just put my idea out there to see what others think.

Cheers,
Knarl.

Title: Re: Postal email notification features
Post by omar on Jul 11^th, 2010, 4:34am

I could add the move to the email, but I don't think it would help most people. Adding an image would be better, but it would not be as easy to do. But if one wants to ponder the next move there is no substitute for opening the game window with expert mode turned on.

Title: Re: Postal email notification features
Post by Fritzlein on Jul 11^th, 2010, 10:22am

There definitely have been times when I could remember the position well enough that knowing the text move notation would have been enough without an image. Four years ago I really wanted this feature, but now I have gotten used to opening the game every time. If it is not too hard to add the text of the move, I might still make use of the feature even now, in my old age.

Title: Re: Postal email notification features
Post by lightvector on Jul 11^th, 2010, 10:55am

If this would be implemented, and including an image is too much, maybe one could include the board position in text, with the pieces being the letters EMHDCRemhdcr.

Edit: I guess one would have to pay attention to monospace fonts then, but maybe doable.