UI: Progress bars: an absolute scale?

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   I'm uncertain whether this is a good idea or not, so would welcome opinions on this.
Currently, progress bars start at 0%, and end at 100%. How about we change that, so that the right-hand side of the bar is filled and the left side is empty, emphasizing the time remaining rather than the elapsed time.

Further, the scale is pseudo-logarithmic, with an absolute time scale. Although it looks simple for players, it's a bit difficult to explain. Here's how it would work:

Such progress bars will always complete when the mark reaches the right-hand side, but their start position depends on the total time taken to complete the job, and a job might start part-way through the scale.

This means that on every progress bar, 70% (for example) means the same amount of time until completion. A L4 building (12 minutes) might start at 59%, and an occupying army (15 days) might start at around 1.65%. When that occupying army has 12 minutes left, the progress bar will be at 59%, just like the L4 building was. The bar will move faster as the job nears completion, which will be more eye-catching in the last 30 seconds or so.

Positions could be as follows:

100%    0s remaining
 90%   10s (linear from 90% to 100%)
 80%   38s (~3.82 times previous line)
  :     :     :
 10%  5.2d
  0% 20.0d 

I've chosen [90%, 10s] and [0%, 20d] as variables for the scale (the rest can be inferred).

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Albatross Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Postmaster General Joined: 11 May 2011 Status: Offline Points: 1118	Topic: UI: Progress bars: an absolute scale? Posted: 07 Jun 2012 at 01:30
	I'm uncertain whether this is a good idea or not, so would welcome opinions on this. Currently, progress bars start at 0%, and end at 100%. How about we change that, so that the right-hand side of the bar is filled and the left side is empty, emphasizing the time remaining rather than the elapsed time. Further, the scale is pseudo-logarithmic, with an absolute time scale. Although it looks simple for players, it's a bit difficult to explain. Here's how it would work: Such progress bars will always complete when the mark reaches the right-hand side, but their start position depends on the total time taken to complete the job, and a job might start part-way through the scale. This means that on every progress bar, 70% (for example) means the same amount of time until completion. A L4 building (12 minutes) might start at 59%, and an occupying army (15 days) might start at around 1.65%. When that occupying army has 12 minutes left, the progress bar will be at 59%, just like the L4 building was. The bar will move faster as the job nears completion, which will be more eye-catching in the last 30 seconds or so. Positions could be as follows: 100% 0s remaining 90% 10s (linear from 90% to 100%) 80% 38s (~3.82 times previous line) : : : 10% 5.2d 0% 20.0d I've chosen [90%, 10s] and [0%, 20d] as variables for the scale (the rest can be inferred).

HonoredMule Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Postmaster General Joined: 05 Mar 2010 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 1650	Posted: 08 Jun 2012 at 12:51
	I like it, tentatively. The concept could prove confusing or less informative than intended--most stuff just always appearing near the middle. And I'm not familiar with this method used elsewhere, the lack of which leads to intuitive divergence. In other words, people will be constantly complaining that the progress bar doesn't make sense because they're expecting linear relation to actual progress. A special exception would need to be made for queued events. Something that isn't started yet should never show any progress completed no matter how soon it will be done.
	"Apparently, quoting me is a 'thing' now." - HonoredMule