Author: Mike Byrne
Date: 16:59:05 06/23/04
Go up one level in this thread
On June 23, 2004 at 19:56:19, John Merlino wrote:
>To respond to Geoff's request that I give my thoughts regarding the Chessmaster
>10th Edition demo, I have put together the following:
>
>I have played with the demo now for several hours, and here are my
>slightly-better-than-gut reactions (some of which are based on conjecture
>regarding features that are not in the demo but that I either know very well or
>am making assumptions about).
>
>Pros:
>-- The interface is much prettier, no doubt. It also LOOKS slicker.
>-- Additionally, the interface appears to be less scary and more fun. I think
>this will help it to sell well.
>-- The automatic post-game analysis feature is pretty cool, especially the chart
>that shows the progress of the game.
>-- The improved player statistics are nice as well, although it is very easy to
>get a nice winning streak. Checkmate your opponent, take back a few moves, then
>checkmate your opponent again. Instant winning streak (i.e. BUG)!
>-- I like the highlighting of the square that the mouse is over. Too many people
>have complained over the years about knowing which piece they are selecting when
>they click the mouse. This solves that problem nicely. (I also hope it can be
>turned off.... :-)
>-- I can't wait to see what tutorials GM Larry Christiansen wrote. Even if it is
>only a word-for-word porting of his well-known books from the "Attacking Chess"
>series ("Storming the Barricades" and "Rocking the Ramparts"), I think it will
>be a valuable addition to the already terrific tutorials available in CM. The
>feature does have the name "Attacking Chess", so it is probably safe to
>assume....
>-- "Josh Waitzkin's Academy" also sounds new and interesting, although I
>question the effectiveness of his unique speech style in teaching people how to
>set up the board and move the pieces, which are the only portions included in
>the demo. :-/
>-- Online looks seamlessly connected, but you will have to create a Ubi.com
>account (like with CM9000). It looks like great strides have been made here.
>
>Cons:
>-- The interface is really nothing more than a new skin on top of the same
>features (and, in most cases, the exact same dialog or menu). So, anybody who
>was expecting a "completely redesigned" interface will probably be disappointed.
>-- The "room" metaphor has been lost, or so it appears at first glance. However,
>IMHO, they have made the less-related features harder to jump between. To get
>from the "Single Player" area to the Database feature, you now have to leave the
>"Single Player" area entirely, go back to the top-level dialog, click on the
>"Learn" button, then click on the "Database" button. In CM9000 all you had to do
>was click on the Database button. So it seems like, in some cases, what you used
>to be able to do in one click now takes three or more (plus extra load time).
>-- Right-clicking on the board brings up a massive and confusing context menu. I
>don't understand why it was implemented this way.
>-- As somebody else pointed out, I also don't understand why users are forced
>into using specific board/piece combinations. I think this is a VERY bad idea.
>Only FIVE 2D sets?
>-- I'm also surprised that the pieces don't look better than they did in CM9000.
>Honestly, we thought the 3D feature looked pretty good compared to the "Fixed
>View" sets, but we didn't have time to put in REALLY nice features like dynamic
>lighting or anti-aliasing. (Note: I did attempt to turn on 1X anti-aliasing and
>saw no discernible difference). I would have thought that the new team would
>have spent some time on improving the quality of the 3D sets.
>-- Additionally, the chess sets that are provided with the demo are not good
>choices at all. The "Expert" 2D is the only set that I think is playable
>(although the pawns are way too big). The "Paint" 2D set is actually painful to
>look at. "Classic Glass" 3D is also tough on the eyes. "Classic Wood" is ok, but
>"Staunton Marble" is tough. The animated "Rubber" set is cute, but I would have
>thought they could have picked a better set to show off the new feature.
>
>Unknowns:
>-- I wonder what the "Current Situation Report Window" will have? Sounds
>intriguing....
>-- Simuls sound cool, but who will use them?
>-- One feature that sounds very good is the ability for any user to give an
>online tutorial. If this is true, and it is well-done, this will be a VERY big
>feature, I think.
>
>There it is. Comments and dissenting opinions are welcome....
>
>jm
John,
Any thoughts on the e-mail I sent you last night?
Best,
Michael
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