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New Map Display Feedback


Alex
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I'm looking for some feedback here, I'll explain the context:

I've realized too late that implementing the new Google Maps interface throughout the live version of the game would be prohibitively expensive (estimated ~$2,000/mo) which is completely un-affordable. So, I've been looking at alternative map interfaces the game can use to maintain functionality without the excessively high costs.

What I've found is that OpenLayers (a free map interface) appears to get the job done. It is lower quality, and arguably has a greater chance of random downtime / potentially slow load time than I imagine Google Maps does. However, it maintains the same level of customization as the existing Google Maps interface does.

Right now I'm thinking that it would be relatively straightforward to keep Google Maps on for nation creation / location changes, while using the OpenLayers interface for display everywhere else. This should be free or at least very low cost for the site / mo.

Here's a comparison of what the maps look like rendered on an example nation page:

Google Maps

unknown.png

Open Layers

unknown.png

Some preliminary feedback on Discord suggests that the difference isn't a huge deal. However, I'd like to get a better idea of how acceptable this switch to OpenLayers is. Using Google Maps is effectively not an option, and if everyone hates OpenLayers then I'll have to either go back to the drawing board or to some other map interface software.

Here is an example nation page using OpenLayers: http://alex.politicsandwar.com/nation/id=6

One other note; I know that the OpenLayers screenshot is missing the Flag that Google Maps has. 1) Do you guys like that Flag being there? 2) I think it will be trivial to add it in with OpenLayers, I just hadn't gotten around to testing that yet.

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If Google Maps is not going to be fully implemented, you shouldn't use it. I know it's expensive but it wouldn't make sense to just have Google Maps for nation creation / location change then the entire game with another interface. Open Layer  looks perfect if you can implement the flag thingy. 

 

TL;DR As Google Maps is expensive, just use Open Layer, don't waste money on implementing Google Maps in a few parts.

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Just now, Biel said:

If Google Maps is not going to be fully implemented, you shouldn't use it. I know it's expensive but it wouldn't make sense to just have Google Maps for nation creation / location change then the entire game with another interface. Open Layer  looks perfect if you can implement the flag thingy. 

 

TL;DR As Google Maps is expensive, just use Open Layer, don't waste money on implementing Google Maps in a few parts.

Google Maps is expensive, but the excessive cost stems from all the page loads (i.e. nation page loads.) Google Maps does give you your first $200/mo free, so it's likely I'd pay low/no cost leaving it be for polygon creation/editing.

While I agree it would be better to use the same interface everywhere in the game, it would probably take a considerable amount of effort to refactor the existing Google Maps drawing interface to using OpenLayers. That's development time that could (potentially, depending on your opinion of what should be a development priority) be better spent on adding other content to the game.

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I'm fine with OpenLayers. 

I like the idea of the flag being there, and would like to see that be a feature. However, some people might just want to see the borders without the flag. Could you make it an option that the flags don't appear? Make a toggle for it like there is for anthem autoplays, I mean.

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23 minutes ago, Alex said:

Google Maps is expensive, but the excessive cost stems from all the page loads (i.e. nation page loads.) Google Maps does give you your first $200/mo free, so it's likely I'd pay low/no cost leaving it be for polygon creation/editing.

While I agree it would be better to use the same interface everywhere in the game, it would probably take a considerable amount of effort to refactor the existing Google Maps drawing interface to using OpenLayers. That's development time that could (potentially, depending on your opinion of what should be a development priority) be better spent on adding other content to the game.

Well, think of it this way: What if you have to fix something that's wrong with the map system? If you've got everything in OpenLayers, then you only need to fix one interface... if you've got Google Maps on top of that, then wouldn't that be even more of a headache and dev time to fix the compounding issues? We can wait for a while in order to have faster maintenance and improvements down the line. The time is already going to have to be spent, so I vote that you do yourself a favor and deal with it before everything goes full spaghetti.

8 minutes ago, The Mad Titan said:

Will this negatively impact current load times? I have already had notable issues with P&Ws speed as is. It's a cool concept but just worried about P&W getting even slower.


Idea: A "basic HTML" version of P&W, just like there's a "basic HTML" version of gmail. That way we can choose to go to a far simpler page for when we need rapid warfare or when our internet is just slow as crap (like mine), but still go back to the full version for peacetime when the difference between a half of a second and a tenth of a second aren't as critically relevant.

Edited by Sir Scarfalot
Idea for titan
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8 minutes ago, The Mad Titan said:

Will this negatively impact current load times? I have already had notable issues with P&Ws speed as is. It's a cool concept but just worried about P&W getting even slower.

No. It will not make the site run any slower.

It is possible that you could load your nation page, for example, and it might take a few extra seconds to load the map, but the rest of the page and it's functionality will not have a slower load time as a result, as the map is loaded independently.

1 minute ago, Sir Scarfalot said:

Well, think of it this way: What if you have to fix something that's wrong with the map system? If you've got everything in OpenLayers, then you only need to fix one interface... if you've got Google Maps on top of that, then wouldn't that be even more of a headache and dev time to fix the compounding issues? We can wait for a while in order to have faster maintenance and improvements down the line. The time is already going to have to be spent, so I vote that you do yourself a favor and deal with it before everything goes full spaghetti.

Possibly; the Google Maps interface is basically just used to generate a series of points that are then plotted independently onto the OpenLayers map. While future issues could arise with either or both interfaces, it's unlikely that they would happen simultaneously. This might actually result in less work down the road, if for example one stops working but the other doesn't, then I'll only have to fix something in one spot instead of multiple.

Though in general I do agree with you that it would be better to have everything running on the same interface, I think it would be better to leave it as-is so that I can move things to production sooner rather than later, and plan on re-factoring the drawing aspect in OpenLayers sometime down the road.

17 minutes ago, Thalmor said:

I'm fine with OpenLayers. 

I like the idea of the flag being there, and would like to see that be a feature. However, some people might just want to see the borders without the flag. Could you make it an option that the flags don't appear? Make a toggle for it like there is for anthem autoplays, I mean.

I'm working on figuring the flag image part out; in the mean-time I was able to get a text-label set up that fits to the polygon, which was much easier than Google Maps.

Example:

image.png

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I'll be honest, I like the Open Layers one better. The satellite imagery-based map Google uses looks way too complicated and just doesn't match with the colored land mass design. Plus, it gives another element RP as users could pretend their territories has a different climate than in real life.

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2016/04/26 –

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Unreleased Bad Company advert, circa 2018

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Here's a better demo of the differences now:

Google Maps

image.png

Open Layers

image.png

 

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I agree with Fulcrum, I think the OpenLayers map is actually an improvement over Google Maps. Also I like the example given with the nation name over the territory (without the flag).

I also agree that your map use should be consistent across the site; use one or the other.

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Basically what you're telling us Alex is its our 18th birthday, your stocks did bad, so instead of a brand new 2018 Mercedes, we get a new 2018 Camry, as opposed the old 2004 Civic we actually have now.

I don't see why anybody in full inventory of their senses would be upset. :P

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Open Layers looks fine to me as well but please do not call Peloponnesus as Mountania ? We have enough problems with others trying to change names of our Regions or claiming them as theirs ...

Edited by Alexandros o Megas

Alexandros o Megas of Makedonia

DEFCON 1 Leader

 

gr.gif.e9bf5106159fe8862dd997a7d28829fb.gif

 

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On 10/29/2018 at 11:32 PM, Akuryo said:

Basically what you're telling us Alex is its our 18th birthday, your stocks did bad, so instead of a brand new 2018 Mercedes, we get a new 2018 Camry, as opposed the old 2004 Civic we actually have now.

I don't see why anybody in full inventory of their senses would be upset. :P

>2018

>not buying American

REEEEEEEEE

As long as we get Antarctica

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