[P] Allow users to save their progress locally

[Meph]

At the moment, users are able to save their trials by clicking on the "save" button. This changes the URI of the page so that they can bookmark the URI to continue where they left off. This is unintuitive, because users don't expect this. They don't realise that the page's URI has changed, and -- even if they do -- they don't know that they are meant to bookmark the page. They expect to be able to leave to the page and return to it where they left off, which is much easier to understand.

Saving progress locally can be implemented using one of the following:

• Web Storage API - Widely supported; synchronous; slow; the user must grant access, as with the geolocation API
• IndexedDB API - Only supported in IE10, Firefox and Chrome with vendor prefixes; asynchronous; fast; the user does not need to grant access
  (see this article)

This is how it would be implemented on the front-end: We would remove the "Start" button. Instead, we would show "New Game" and "Continue" buttons.

[Bad Player]

One thing I like about the current save system is that if somebody glitches or loses their save or whatever, then you can go through the case up to that point, save, and then give them that URL... Would that still be possible with stuff like this?

[Meph]

I don't see why not.

[Unas]

For V6.0, I was going to do something much simpler : change the URL and prompt the user to bookmark the page.
If there are a few words explaining to the user that he has to do it (and I could even do it automatically using window.sidebar in Firefox), it'll be clear enough for now.

[Meph]

This would be just as simple, except that you'd save the string in local storage as well as the URI. Then, when the Player is loaded, you'd check if the string is stored and load it in the same way you'd load the string from the fragment identifier. This way, the least amount of action is required from the user.

I don't mind if this can't be included in AAO6, please consider it for a later version.

[enigma]

Plus, it would make the game feel more...official, no?

[Broocevelt]

It wouldn't really, there's no such thing in the official games.
But I think saves are fine as they are, saves are supposed to be stored online anyway if we are going to use the whole "My AAO" setup with the save list or something similar. If not, a bookmark is enough, I don't see what's the difference from having a file except that you can carry your saves in an USB.

[Meph]

If not, a bookmark is enough, I don't see what's the difference from having a file except that you can carry your saves in an USB.

It wouldn't be stored in a file that you can access. The point is this: you won't need to do anything to load your saves. All you have to do is open the trial.

[Dypo deLina]

What if you accidentally saved your game just before you got a game over? Wouldn't you just be stuck in an eternal loop?

[Meph]

Yes, but we have that problem now, as well.

[Dypo deLina]

Yes, but we have that problem now, as well.

...oh wait, you're right. xD

[AABattery]

Save often. That way you can just keep pressing the back button until you get to a spot where you're not in hot water. That's what I like about this system... DON'T CHANGE IT! D:<

[Broocevelt]

Yes, but we have that problem now, as well.

We don't, since we can have multiple bookmarks and multiple saves.
With your system, from what I've gathered, there can be only one save at a time that will be loaded automatically leaving the user absolutely no choice whether to start the trial from the beginning or load his game.

[Kroki]

Maybe there could be a "My saves" system for registered members only, with one's saves stored on a page and ordered by trial. You could delete saves (= choose not to display them anymore) and keep track of your progress in the game. With multiple saves in case you're stuck in an endless loop.

[Broocevelt]

That's exactly what I sugested in My AAO
It's the best system there could be, there's no debating it. Now technically is something different...