Lobby Redesign - What do you want?

Hey everyone. As stated in the Interface changes thread, I have a few pages I want to improve on. The new "create game" page is now in beta and is still being improved on, but I am looking forward to the next project already: the lobby pages.

I really like the look of the live game lobby, but it misses some clarity and information. On the same note, the long term game lobby is boring.

I have been thinking about it for a while and I can't come up with cool designs, so that's why I would like to ask you guys to inspire me a bit. What do you like about the current pages, what do you want to be changed? Based on that, I might be able to create a cool design that we can work on after the "create game" page is finished (or maybe I will work on it myself, if Matty is still busy with other stuff).

i'll see if i can whip somthing up

I want it to show all game options that the LTG page shows, everything.

However, alot of these can go into an icon, so you might not spend as much space at them as we do now in the LTG page.


So what I like about the current LTG page is that it gives me everything I want to know (except the turn time, but for LTG's thats not nescessary)
What I also like about the LTG page is that I can see alot of maps without scrolling too much.

I like the part of the map image in the live lobby alot btw.

Things I like about the LTG page:
I can see a mini map and who's playing in the game without having to go to the game's page.

Things I don't like:
This page is so bland compared to the rest of the site.

And I'm not sure that page needs a chat box, players do not seem to spend a lot of time there, unlike the live game lobby.

here are some ideas i came up with:

#1: http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x2/123william123_2007/SampleLobby1_zps62ce0757.png

#2: http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x2/123william123_2007/SampleLobby2_zps48a7aade.png

I think your first design has some interesting ideas that could be used in the live lobby, but at least for the long term game lobby it takes up too much space. I would like both lobbies to look the same, but I don't think that will work out in the end.

They look good, but take alot of space.
With this design I could only see 6 games in one page, thats very little.

@Cireon i did not know you were looking for a lobby for both live and long term games. but i probably would go with something similar for it, it prob would not be the same.

@Matty i have one more idea as far as the arrangement goes, i'll show you it in a bit.

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x2/123william123_2007/SampleLobby3_zps612e6252.png

this one could be used for both LTG lobby and Live game lobby:
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x2/123william123_2007/SampleLobby4_zps15d7a6c1.png

Hmm, interesting. Do you think this will work for every map as background, because for some maps the text might become unreadable...

I am also not sure if there is any importance in showing the game number (especially this big).

I guess it's important how the lobby looks, but what I would like to have it's a place where to meet people for a game.

I know there is a chat there but, haven't you seen games created in Caps with few players setting for a big map (too many reinforcements in the first turn), a game interesting with the reinforcement you don't like (in my case Unlimited), a 8 players game that never reaches that quantity but there were many times 6 players,etc?

If the interface will be changed I guess it should be to make easier find an agreement to create a game faster and in the conditions we like. Finally, we chat in the different games that are already created, but shouldn't be done in the lobby (where more people can follow the debate)? I don't know, something like small forums where people who want to play capitals talk about the settings, where newbies want play with the same handicap, where Westeros' fans try to create a game... These small places, obviously, wouldn't be permanent; they would just exist during someone is trying to play that kind of game.

I have been thinking a couple of days about this but I still don't have anything interesting, so I decided to open a new path for ideas. Let's see if somebody can get what I couldn't.

@Cireon, thats what drop shadows are for. i could but it on a white background and it would still be easy to read. as far as the game number goes it is important when referring to that game, such as when people are chatting in the lobby to get people to join, or when people report something to an admin/moderator about a problem.

@MuzauneAskari, i don't see anything here that has not already been solved. if you don't want the rules applied to s certain game don't join it. however, i think it would be nice to have a sorting option in the lobbies. maybe have something like what map/turn/fog/fortify/cards you want, it shows you the closest matches, and if there is not an exact match, it shows you the closest results and asks you i you want to create your own game with these settings?

I actually wanted to make a filter indeed and alsy try to have some kind of "recommended games" option, that looks for games with people within your own skill level range.

yes the recommended option sounds nice. any i need to change as far as the design aspect?