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Xythus

Ability to filter or choose what's in Action Log

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I'd like to just be able to choose what actions to track. My VITAL ones are someone else's meh ! Or to be able to go on and delete a slew of entries before I then start doing whatever I am about to do, so that it's clear for now, and I can clear it out again afterwards ! F'rinstance, I would say hide/unhide were totally unnecessary - but now I recall someone saying they had hidden an egg and it didn't stay hidden - so that could have been useful to them, then !

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Hello, I have real all the posts in this thread and would like to give my opinion on it. It's quite long because I try to go through my entire thought process here, so please bear with me.

 

From the posts here it seems like the problem most people have isn't the usefulness of a specific action being recorded - as missy_ pointed out, naming is very useful to some users, and fogging can also be helpful as pointed out by Pokemonfan13. The action log simply records (almost) all actions that the user takes, irregardless of what it is.

 

The problem that many people have (based only on this thread) is that when one action is used a lot, and isn't of a particular interest, other actions get pushed down and off the list (this can be either by habit of playing or occasional "sprees" for using one action). After all, even if you're not particularly interested in seeing naming or fogging in your action log, but don't use it very much, or in large "sprees", then things getting pushed down by these actions aren't really a problem.

 

I like the idea proposed at the start of the thread by Xythus and a lot of users here pointed out many benefits for it, however I can also see the following things that could pose a problem:

1 - There are a lot of possible actions for us to use:

  • Name
  • Breed
  • Fog/Unfog
  • Abandon
  • Release
  • Freeze
  • Kill
  • Influence
  • Incubate
  • Earthquake
  • Fertility
  • Summon
  • Splash
  • Teleport/Cancel Teleport
  • Bite
  • Expunge (not sure if this one gets recorded or not)
And these aren't even all possible actions we can take (for example there are more actions in teleport). This means that in order to implement this idea there has to be a toggle for each of the actions and each of these toggles have to be checked before something gets recorded in the action log. And that is every time you use an action which (currently) gets recorded to the action log.

 

2 - Implementing new actions/BSA's becomes harder. To implement a new action, apart from just making sure that it actually does what it's supposed to, the time for cooldown has to be kept track of, it may need password confirmation (an extra toggle must be made to match users' account settings), it will need to have a way to be recorded in the action log.

This idea would mean that adding a new user action or BSA will have an extra step to be performed every time a new action/BSA is added. The action log part will also need to have a toggle and, more troublesome, another option will have to be added in the user settings. This will make it harder to implement new actions and BSA's that would get recorded in the action log.

 

3 - Kind of related to the second point, this would make the account settings page more clustered. The current page is quite neat: sure there's lots of text and you have to read carefully to make sure you choose the option you want, but there is no more than one line for the options to one setting. As it is, the page is quite condensed and you don't have to scroll up and down to find what you're looking for. Adding the check-boxes for all the options will basically add a setting that looks like in the "Change Sort Order" page but more than twice as long (even if you group similar actions like abandon/release together). This will also make it somewhat harder for users (especially new players) to find the options they are looking for.

 

 

I don't think that a drop-down menu will work well, because even though it will keep the account settings as clean as it is (thus "fixing" point 3), a drop-down menu is to exclusive. Basically, you get to choose only one action that gets recorded (or omitted), while the rest are discarded (or remain). From what people have been posting, this isn't particularly useful as pretty much everyone wants to keep at least a handful of the actions in their action log (and TJ already pointed out that making "combinations" to cater to different play styles requires way too many options to be considered). A drop-down to simply pick out the relevant entries in the action log is also of little help as this does not solve the "flooding out" issue.

 

Having a separate list for each of the actions, with a fixed number of entries for each is also of little help since if we want to keep the same amount of total action log entries (and we probably do!), this will mean that each individual list can only have 7 entries. I'm sure a lot of people use more influences and incubates than that in the time it takes for a dragon to grow up. Especially those AP hunters who lovingly pick up low-time eggs to influence and incubate them to hatch the egg within an hour of it being on their scroll (for the sake of keeping, trading or gifting), and going back to the AP again to get a new batch of pretty dragons.

 

 

I believe that Dragon Cave is as fun as it is because it has many possibilities but remains very simple regardless of your play style. I would like to propose an idea that is similar to what Xythus suggested, but making it as simple as possible (at least from a coding perspective, I hope):

Instead of having a toggle for each action the for the user check the group he/she wants, simply have a general toggle for the entire action log.

 

Basically, there will be an extra option in the account settings like "Record actions to action log" which will only have the options "On" and "Off". By default it will be checked ("On") and the action log will work just as it does now. However if the user unchecks the box ("Off"), the action log will not record anything at all. This way, if you are going to perform an action many time but aren't interested in recording it, like going to scour the AP or starting a naming spree (heck, even a breeding spree where you don't really care which dragons you bred), you can just go to your settings and un-check the box, go to the AP/naming spree/etc. and when you're done change it back to "On". You action log will not contain that wave of abandon/name/breed/hide/etc. actions and don't push earlier important actions off the list.

 

The pros of this are

- (hopefully) Easier to code/implement

- Easy to use are there are only 2 options

- Can be catered to many play styles (specifically it is very useful for people who perform one action a lot or in large sprees and don't want it in their log)

- Keeps things neat in the account settings

- Transition of current players to this options quite easy as by default everything stays the same

 

The issues (just the ones I can think of) are

- Users might forget to change the setting and might either still get the wave of actions or missing actions they need

- If a user performs an action they're not interested in seeing a lot, but with many things in between, it may be too much of a hassle to change the setting back and forth. Essentially this becomes a useless update for them.

- Any actions performed in between the spree of abandons/naming/etc. (such as immediately influencing an egg) will be lost

- Unlike the original suggestion, this is not a "permanent" change you can set up once and play as you like - you have to keep modifying it to use it.

- probably more I can't think of at the moment.

 

 

Basically, this idea should be easy to implement, but as a result is only really helpful for a specific type of play style. This is the same play style of the original poster and most of the people who posted in this thread, but for many other players this might not be of any use.

 

What do you guys think of this?

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Yes, this. This please.

 

My action log is almost entirely useless for tracking breeding and BSA use due to massive overflows resulting from AP hunting.

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Questions belong in the Help section. I have PM'd you. ^^ Edited by SockPuppet Strangler

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I believe that Dragon Cave is as fun as it is because it has many possibilities but remains very simple regardless of your play style. I would like to propose an idea that is similar to what Xythus suggested, but making it as simple as possible (at least from a coding perspective, I hope):

Instead of having a toggle for each action the for the user check the group he/she wants, simply have a general toggle for the entire action log.

 

Basically, there will be an extra option in the account settings like "Record actions to action log" which will only have the options "On" and "Off". By default it will be checked ("On") and the action log will work just as it does now. However if the user unchecks the box ("Off"), the action log will not record anything at all. This way, if you are going to perform an action many time but aren't interested in recording it, like going to scour the AP or starting a naming spree (heck, even a breeding spree where you don't really care which dragons you bred), you can just go to your settings and un-check the box, go to the AP/naming spree/etc. and when you're done change it back to "On". You action log will not contain that wave of abandon/name/breed/hide/etc. actions and don't push earlier important actions off the list.

 

The pros of this are

- (hopefully) Easier to code/implement

- Easy to use are there are only 2 options

- Can be catered to many play styles (specifically it is very useful for people who perform one action a lot or in large sprees and don't want it in their log)

- Keeps things neat in the account settings

- Transition of current players to this options quite easy as by default everything stays the same

 

The issues (just the ones I can think of) are

- Users might forget to change the setting and might either still get the wave of actions or missing actions they need

- If a user performs an action they're not interested in seeing a lot, but with many things in between, it may be too much of a hassle to change the setting back and forth. Essentially this becomes a useless update for them.

- Any actions performed in between the spree of abandons/naming/etc. (such as immediately influencing an egg) will be lost

- Unlike the original suggestion, this is not a "permanent" change you can set up once and play as you like - you have to keep modifying it to use it.

- probably more I can't think of at the moment.

 

 

Basically, this idea should be easy to implement, but as a result is only really helpful for a specific type of play style. This is the same play style of the original poster and most of the people who posted in this thread, but for many other players this might not be of any use.

 

What do you guys think of this?

I like it smile.gif It's really easy to personalize. Of course some information will be lost, but still it seems to me way better than what we have atm. Now, when someone uses their scroll actively information about actions taken few days before are not seen in the log too.

Personally the only action I need in my log is breeding as I want to know exactly when my pairs are going to be off cooldown. Atm due to ap hunting, naming, fogging and other stuff recorded in the log the information I need is not even seen on the site, so I support this smile.gif

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I'd MUCH rather just be able to choose what actions I want recorded. And why does ANYONE need name or hide ?

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I support this; check boxes/filters/separate pages for each action/all of it. Anything that means my influences don't get buried under my abandoned blockers.

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Choose what you want to show up in your Actions Log:

O Everything

O Breeding

O Abandoning

O BSAs

O Fogging

O Naming

O Freezing

O Killing

O Etc.

Only responding to the OP, probably repeating stuff other people have already said.

 

I don't see it happening that abandoning, freezing, killing, earthquaking, biting or teleporting will ever be optional. It happens every now and then that people post in help, asking why their egg/hatchie has vanished or died. Before we had action logs, people had to wait for TJ to check his secret logs and tell them what happened, now mods or other users can ask for a screenshot of the action log and questions can be answered quicker.

 

I lost two hatchies in teleport once while the site was lagging, and while teleport would be one of the first things I'd stop recording if I could, the action log screenshot was incredibly helpful in that situation.

 

But: I don't see why fogging/unfogging and naming needs to be logged, and we could easily get rid of breeding as well if the "last bred" date on the view page also showed the time. That would make our action logs at least a little less clogged up.

 

How about adding a filter option to the action log (edit: just for viewing, not for recording)? So if you wondered how you had influenced that hatchie, you could filter all influences.

We'd need a much longer action log then, unless the older entries are still in the system anyway and just become invisible for us.

 

Edit to clarify: I mean a filter option for viewing the action log, not for recording it.

I see filters have been mentioned at least in the post above mine, guess I still have to read the whole thread.

Edited by Ha-Ki

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But: I don't see why fogging/unfogging and naming needs to be logged, and we could easily get rid of breeding as well if the "last bred" date on the view page also showed the time. That would make our action logs at least a little less clogged up.

While I agree with your other points, I would prefer if breeding stays. Rationale? I still didn't lose hope that sooner or later we could earn rare sprites (i.e. the ones that used to be HM or even prizes) with daily activity. And, even if I'm not a breeder, I think breeding is quite significant and that the history of it should be kept.

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Which is exactly why I want the CHOICE of what shows up in the log. (And the inclusion of autoabandons, as there are so many people who say where did my egg go; I wasn't locked... and if it was in their log, they can't say someone stole it...)

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*bump*

 

I need something like this >_< There are logged actions* with the potential to be very useful to me, except that currently they are shoved off the end of the list within two or three days by actions I couldn't care less about. If I have to fog and unfog a pesky Shimmer a few times while it gets sick instead of hatching that's 1/10 to 1/5 of my action log dropped off the bottom for a bunch of actions I gain nothing by being reminded they occurred. Same applies to AP hunting, naming a few hatchlings or breeding some nice things to the AP.

 

I don't mind not having absolute control over everything, but please at least let me toggle off hide/unhide, abandon and name logs :/

 

*influencing, certain breeding events, teleports

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Only responding to the OP, probably repeating stuff other people have already said.

 

I don't see it happening that abandoning, freezing, killing, earthquaking, biting or teleporting will ever be optional. It happens every now and then that people post in help, asking why their egg/hatchie has vanished or died. Before we had action logs, people had to wait for TJ to check his secret logs and tell them what happened, now mods or other users can ask for a screenshot of the action log and questions can be answered quicker.

 

I lost two hatchies in teleport once while the site was lagging, and while teleport would be one of the first things I'd stop recording if I could, the action log screenshot was incredibly helpful in that situation.

 

But: I don't see why fogging/unfogging and naming needs to be logged, and we could easily get rid of breeding as well if the "last bred" date on the view page also showed the time. That would make our action logs at least a little less clogged up.

 

How about adding a filter option to the action log (edit: just for viewing, not for recording)? So if you wondered how you had influenced that hatchie, you could filter all influences.

We'd need a much longer action log then, unless the older entries are still in the system anyway and just become invisible for us.

 

Edit to clarify: I mean a filter option for viewing the action log, not for recording it.

I see filters have been mentioned at least in the post above mine, guess I still have to read the whole thread.

I'm going to assume that all new users will have the "Show all" option checked on their action log meaning if they make a dumb mistake or do an action and something poofs, they can check there and know why. As for users who are more advanced and know what they are doing, having the option to remove the uselessness of action logs such as abandon, naming, BSA, Freezing, Killing, would be a bloddy heavent sent.

 

I like the action log recording what time I bred x dragon as well as when I fogged an egg. Its useful for lineage breeders as well as neglected creators. Those who AP hunt pick up and abandon so much that recording each and every single abandon is absolutely pointless. Those who Breed for the heck of it and not for lineages breed so much that recording each and every single bred dragon is pointless. Just like someone who uses a ton of BSA's for whatever reason would find it pointless for the action log to record every single BSA they used and when.

 

let the newbs figure out the action log and what they do and dont want recorded as they develop their play style. Just because it may be necessary for a new at the start doesnt mean its gonna be necessary forever.

 

So TJ please make this a thing pretty please x.x

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I DO think autoabandoning needs to be in there though. SO many people ask what happened to their egg, and if it showed up right there... Done it myself (though I now to check) - when I bite and kill, I hide the dead egg form myself and sometimes forget about it when breeding oops... I know to check my own scroll - but for those who don't...

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I DO think autoabandoning needs to be in there though. SO many people ask what happened to their egg, and if it showed up right there... Done it myself (though I now to check) - when I bite and kill, I hide the dead egg form myself and sometimes forget about it when breeding oops... I know to check my own scroll - but for those who don't...

Again, thats why for those still unfamiliar with egg locking, and auto abandoning, things like that would be checked. Once the player starts getting more experience then they can start choosing whether or not they want said action to be shown. For example, I personally say I am OCD and thats because I check more than 3-4 times what pair I'm breeding, whether I'm locked, and whether I need to breed that pair at this time. If I don't check multiple times I feel off on top of the fact that I will probably miss something. So I check enough and know when I am locked and do not breed.

 

You as an experienced player know to check and would have the option to keep abandon logs checked and as such recordable by your log in case you mess up. So it would all be up to the user. If they feel they need that action logged, they'll mark it as an action to be logged, if not, they will unmark it and it will not be logged. Simple and easy :3

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Choice of recorded actions would be marvelous!

 

Fogging and UnFogging alone, which I do at least once a day, generally knocks off anything I might happen to need later that day in order to check on Influences for pairings I haven't made note of or whatever, never mind Abandoning, where one AP session of going through Commons looking for pretty lineages or specific CBs can do that in very short order.

 

Having everything on there renders the system often virtually useless for keeping track of daily activities...

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What I especially like about this suggestion is that nothing is written in stone. You plan to hunt the AP for special lineages? Turn of "abandon" so you can abandone 100+ eggs without clogging your action log. When you're done, turn "abandon" on again.

 

Also, I absolutely don't need Incubates and Bites displayed. I usually know why something died, and I can look up whether something was incubated or not by trying the BSA again. I also don't need Fertility displayed. The only BSA displays I have a use for are Summon (well, not any more since I have had my fill) and Influence, just in case I derped with that.

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I support this suggestion i really need to know how i influcenced my eggs and of course did i really influence them?

 

I like to choose for every BSA and action to be part of action log or not.

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This would help, but I'd *much* rather have more entries, total, in the action log. I have over 200 lineaged Holiday dragons. Going on a breeding spree.... Yep, all gone.

 

Cheers!

C4.

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More entries - good. But PLEASE a choice. Pages and pages of "hide" "unhide" "name" "hide" etc are - franky - useless !

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Why not just remove "Hide" and "unhide" and "name" from the list completely?

 

I mean, those kind of things are self evident! Its either hidden (or not) or named.... Why would you need to know when you did it?

 

Cheers!

C4.

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Why not just remove "Hide" and "unhide" and "name" from the list completely?

 

I mean, those kind of things are self evident! Its either hidden (or not) or named.... Why would you need to know when you did it?

 

Cheers!

C4.

Yes indeed. That would suit me just fine.

 

But some people actually WANT them, so that could be mean of me !

 

I WOULD like to see autoabandoning added, as SO many people are SURE they weren't locked and the egg has vanished and the rest. BUT when one mass breeds to the AP it would be a nuisance - so that would need a toggle. I could also live without freeze, but I can see where it could be useful to show it.

 

I'd like it to show - when it says breed - whether you got an egg, too.

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I was searching for a different action related suggestion to revive, but this one needs some love. I just fertilitied my way out of being able to verify (for my personal paranoia rather than a clincher for the trade, thankfully) that I had indeed influenced a dragon that I was now trading. I have no need whatsoever to have a giant list of fertilities, but influence, heck ya do I need it.

 

Off hand the list of actions that I personally would not show.

Fertility, incubate (since it's easier just to grab a free red dragon and look at the list than to search the action log), name/rename, hide/unhide.

 

Fertility is the big one for me, since I tend to do it in binges since it's such a pain in the rear with the new view, plus I tend to breed my rares in binges since so few keepers are produced, and they then all require re-fertilitying. I'm personally not sure if anyone would feel it to be a required action in the log at all. It's like incubate for unused fertilities, in that it's essentially as easy to check if a dragon has been dosed in the fertility screen as the action log (especially since the action log would probably need a "ctrl F" equivalent to fertility's filter to find the dragon in question) and if it wasn't under a fertility you could just go and do it rather than then needing to access the purple and do the dragon finding thing before using the action on it. Figuring out if the dragon was under fertility after the breeding was over seems a bit purposeless to me, mostly just seeing if you messed up or not with nothing that can be done about it.

Edited by Pokemonfan13

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I saw this mentioned in another suggestion thread once. The original suggestion was to make the action log house more entries, but angelicdragonpuppy, myself, and a few others preferred this idea. Uber support!

*support*

I would like to see a combination of sorting what actions are visible AND having more logs visible overall. There have been several times I've tried to check the action log to see if I did/n't do something, only to see that the action I'm searching for is just outside of the window of logs visible/available, and it's ridiculously frustrating dry.gif

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