Add Time to Scores Page

[Capn Trey]

Yes I know "Score is Time and Time is Score"

But for me its easier to set a time goal when trying to beat a high score (I end up bouncing back and forth from the front page to see what the best and average times are.)

Could we add a column to scores page with the equivilant time?

[Sniper]

I wanted to propose that myself. Score number do not have for me "meaning" (I can compare them but the number have no meaning itself).

[C10B]

times on the scores page gets my vote too

[The smoking revolver]

thirded

[UpperKEES]

I'm in.

[Karsten75]

Asked for this a long time back, can't find the thread right now.

Edit: Here.

[Katra]

I also have been wishing the high score lists included the time.

[IkeaPimp]

I'm adding my name to the mix.  Time on the score page would be REALLY awesome.

A bit of a critique: the score is rather meaningless.  As I understand, it's calculated as a logarithm (or is that in exponent?) on some arbitrary scale.  I think I understand why it's done this way: better resolution in competition when trying to shave fractions of a second off short maps.  Unfortunately, the casual player neither understands or cares about that.

Time is something we all can understand.  It's something we're all familiar with and can easily quantify.

So, once again - UPVOTE!  BUMP!

BTW: good job on the game.  I'm totally addicted :)

[Karsten75]

I'm adding my name to the mix.  Time on the score page would be REALLY awesome.

A bit of a critique: the score is rather meaningless.  As I understand, it's calculated as a logarithm (or is that in exponent?) on some arbitrary scale.  I think I understand why it's done this way: better resolution in competition when trying to shave fractions of a second off short maps.  Unfortunately, the casual player neither understands or cares about that.

Time is something we all can understand.  It's something we're all familiar with and can easily quantify.

So, once again - UPVOTE!  BUMP!

BTW: good job on the game.  I'm totally addicted :)

Not sure I understand. You think people don't recognize a high score?  The score serves merely to invert the time. So long time, low score; short time, high score.

[IkeaPimp]

Not sure I understand. You think people don't recognize a high score?  The score serves merely to invert the time. So long time, low score; short time, high score.

Of course they recognize that one score is higher than another, but by how much?  The numeric score is on an arbitrary scale that most players can't relate to.  Time they can relate to.  I want to know how many seconds faster I finished than the other guy, not how many points ahead of him I am.  I'm confident that if you poll around most will share that view.

I wouldn't (and don't) suggest abolishing the score in favor of using time but rather adding time to the high scores page beside the score.

I can't imagine it would be that hard.  The whole site is in PHP (ie. easy to change) and the calculation is already being done on the viewmaps.php page.

[UpperKEES]

I agree that the time tells you more than the score. When I want to beat someone I have to 'guess' how much to gain, or use my calculator (as the formula is simple). For very high scores 1 second equals 3 points, then it becomes 2 and so on.

It would be nice to see on the site, but just bear in mind that Virgil is very busy (with maintaining the site, modding the forums, approving maps, fixing issues, answering questions, helping out people, administration, working on the new game, etc.). He just has to set some priorities, as he runs a one man company. I find it amazing to see how many request actually got implemented. I might have gotten crazy myself....

All those tiny (and 'easy' to implement) suggestions add up to a huge total. Besides that it's likely that you'll introduce some new problems, so I guess we'll just have to be patient and enjoy the current game in the meanwhile.

[IkeaPimp]

I totally sympathize.  Many small tasks do add up.  Perhaps we can help take this on.  I'm a Perl guy, not a PHP coder so here's my attempt to contribute a code snippet:

Code Select Expand

<% use Date::Format; %>
<table class="scoretable" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" width="250"><tbody>
 <tr>
   <th>Rank</th>
   <th width="100%">Player</th>
   <th>Score</th>
   <th>Time</th>
   <th>Total Missions</th>
 </tr>
 <% $index = 0; foreach $player (sort { $a{$score} <=> $b{score} } @scores) { %>
 <tr class="scorerow<%= int($index % 2) %>">
   <td><%= $index %></td>
   <td nowrap="nowrap"><%= $player{name} %></td>
   <td><%= $player{score} %></td>
   <td><%= time2str("%R", (10000 * 3600) / $player{score} - 3600) %></td>
   <td><%= $player{missions} %></td>  
 </tr>
 <% $index++; } %>
</tbody></table>

If someone could PHPify this we may be a step closer.

[knucracker]

Ok, so I just slapped a time column on the custom maps score tables.  See what you think.

Here is map with more than 10 scores (and a pretty big range)
http://knucklecracker.com/creeperworld/mapcomments.php?id=1621

The gap between "Miss Melissa" and "thern" is made pretty obvious in the times.

[UpperKEES]

Virgil is the best!

And now I have a map to play.... ;)

[IkeaPimp]

Virgil - you rock!

Need I say more?