Hi All,
In ongoing conversations with Team-Mate Mat747, the following idea has emerged:
The amount of designs submitted to the Lab has become so great - that many designs cannot even be preliminarily viewed, much less adequately analyzed - even by the most dedicated veteran players.
Because we now have SO many new players, and because the sheer number of Lab Design Submissions is very quickly approaching an amount that is SO completely un-manageable, we think it has now become critical to add the following Design Evaluation Aid to the Lab List page:
We propose that a minimal size field (only big enough for a single 1-digit integer) be added to each line in the Lab List Window - one for each design - to allow players to enter a single integer (0-9), upon which values, the list could then be sorted.
Players could then use these numbers as they go through the list for a preliminary look at each design, to give it a “first-impression” ranking number. A design with any number at all would denote that the player has already taken at least one look, enabling as yet un-marked designs to clearly stand out as new and not yet viewed - no matter what sort the player’s list is currently in. This alone would be a very helpful aid to spot as yet un-reviewed designs in any sort no matter how mundane the design title, or how similar the name may be to dozens of others.
But further, designs which have been marked with a digit denoting a preliminary rank evaluation could then be sorted by the player to order the list of designs by which ones were perceived to hold the highest potential… Designs that had been looked at and rejected for any reason could also then be marked accordingly (say with a “0” for example) so that the player will know that this design has already seen and discounted, even after several days, when it othewise would have been impossible to remember. This will save a lot of re-opening of designs already viewed and judged, and help focus player efforts where they belong - on new, as yet un-viewed designs, or on prime candidates for further review.
Alternately, Players could use the numbers as codes to help quickly classify designs, according to whatever scheme they may devise,i.e., “8” may denote “AnotherChristmas Tree,” or “6” may signify “Very Low Energy.”
If something is not done to help this situation, and very soon, the sheer numbers of lab submissions will cause many players to never even have their designs even be looked at, and many very good submissions may never even get a chance. Over time, less and less submissions by new and unknown players will even be considered by players overwhelmed with the sheer enormity of the task of design analysis.
Please submit alternate solutions to this problem, if you do not like this one for any reason, Something is desperately needed - and soon!
Thanks, and Best Regards,
-d9 (with mat747)
