Online-go.com: Byo-yomi extra periods presentation is confusing

Created on 25 Feb 2017 · 8Comments · Source: online-go/online-go.com

Summary

Byo-yomi presentation is confusing

Consider a game with time settings of 2 mins base time and 1 extra byo yomi period of 30s, how much time left in game does this player have?
0:05+1x30s

It can mean that either:

There are 5 more seconds of base time and extra byo-yomi period
Player has entered overtime and his last byo yomi ends in 5 seconds

Even both situations are presented in the same way, breaching that 5 seconds limit in the second option means losing a game on time.

Environment

Operating system: any
Browser: any
Browser Version: any

Steps To Reproduce:

Start a game with time settings 2 mins base time + 1 x 30s byo-yomi
Observe time presentation in base-time and in over-time

Additional Information:

screen shot 2017-02-25 at 12 17 40

discussion needed

Source

lemurek

Most helpful comment

I don't think there's anything wrong with OGS's clock per se, although it could be improved. In the current implementation, using the above image as an example, it's impossible to know if the user is on their first overtime period or on the last seconds of main time. There's absolutely no difference. Let's consider other servers:

tygem timing

On tygem, the main time converts into a visual countdown. There is also a voice cue for "overtime countdown has begun" and "the last overtime" period. It is fundamentally clear what the situation is at all times.

foxgo timing

On Fox Go, the main time is displayed in minute:second format while overtime is displayed as seconds only (and in bigger numbers). There is also a voice cue for "byo yomi now starts" and "last byo yomi."

kgs timing

On KGS, overtime periods aren't displayed at all until the player enters overtime, then the remaining overtime periods are displayed in parentheses next to the timer. This has the disadvantage of hiding information during the game, but the advantage of making clear when the player enters overtime.

wbaduk timing

World Baduk has a similar implementation to OGS. There is nothing visual to notify the player they have entered overtime. However, there is a voice cue for entering overtime and for the last overtime period.

igs timing

On IGS/PandaNet, the words "Main time" are written beneath the timer. This switches to overtime periods when the player enters overtime.

netmarble timing

Netmarble is identical to OGS implementation. When the main time expires, overtime starts without fanfare, although like OGS there is a countdown for last seconds, but only on the overtime periods and not for main time.

cyberoro timing

Cyberoro is also OGS implementation. Main time switches to overtime periods without notice and nothing changes on the screen.

My takeaway from this exercise is there's nothing inconsistent about OGS's implementation compared to other servers, especially Netmarble and Cyberoro. However, I feel some notice (whether auditory or visual) that the player has entered overtime would be an improvement on the current implementation.

mark5000 on 25 Feb 2017

❤4

All 8 comments

Changes to the clock display are a bit of a sensitive topic amongst players, I'd like some additional weigh in from folks about this proposed change before merging any code.

anoek on 25 Feb 2017

I'm pretty sure, for better or worse, this is how the code has worked since the Nova days. We've had lots of folks comment on it over the years... I'm not sure we can change it without major backlash at this point.

matburt on 25 Feb 2017