Simplified Mobile Client?

[loftar]

Haven on mobile sounds awful and I would not use it.

While I agree, the real question that is being asked here is whether there might be a way to make it less bad.

[Clemins]

I suppose in that case it would be to address how the game functions on desktop right now. I mean we know how haven plays, but for the sake of conversation, haven requires quite a bit of input. Like, I cannot imagine playing without a keyboard, for instance.

Like for example,, Runescape does good with a mobile app because its always been point and click, a keyboard has never been nessisary.

[loftar]

Not sure exactly what it is that you're referring to making the game unplayable without a keyboard, but certainly not having the modifier keys available would be another point on the list of difficult problems to solve for a mobile UI.

There's also the question of exactly what problem a mobile version would try to solve. If, like what OP suggests, it's more of a backup/casual-check-in kind of intention, the loss of modifier keys would probably be acceptable. If it's intended as a main client, then clearly less so.

[Clemins]

... but certainly not having the modifier keys available would be another point on the list of difficult problems to solve for a mobile UI.

Yeah that's what I mean, and don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it would be impossible by any means. I'm just trying to image what the experience would be like, assuming I'm okay with it being a "simplified" version of haven. And perhaps I'm overthinking it; something I can use to log in while I'm away to toss some curious onto my study table would be nice. But I can't really think of anything else I'd feel comfortable doing while using what im imagining a haven mobile client to be like.

[gravesmerch]

guess I'd set all ui elements to auto-minimize to closest border: user tap it to show, or click somehwere to minimize again

then some kind of transparent radar-like minimap around the player gob - so no matter how zoomed in you are, you'll always know where icons are pointing, leaving minimap window mostly for terrain and other stuff

i'm curious how haven would play in dwarf fortress style, with some goofy top-down 2d icons, but that would require so many icons, users would need to make their own tilesets too, probably with those crazy notepad config files DF also uses

[jacob232]

Haven on mobile sounds awful and I would not use it.

While I agree, the real question that is being asked here is whether there might be a way to make it less bad.

Hrm, the UI question is one that I'd have to think on for a bit. I definitely understand what alot of the detractors fears are and at least on my side (cant speak for OP) My desired uses have always been things like:
-Curio Management
-Claim Protection
-Livestock Management (Feeding while on vacation)
-Leveling land and basic infrastructure tasks (Those things would be great to just mindlessly do while spending time with family)
-STEEL REFUELING
-Maybe some simple farming(nothing too fancy, maybe like the 'carrot bot' ive seen pop up in alot of worlds. Select harvest/planting area, select seed/stockpile and Go!)
-Mining

As someone who started playing this game in Jr. High my lifestyle has drastically changed over the years and I enjoy being able to partially detach from the computer and interact with the people and things beyond the confines of my computer. Working 10 hours a day with a 45 minute commute, a dog and disabled grandfather sometimes makes it hard to refuel steel as a hermit. Which is maddening because its a task that literally can take seconds if it were on my phone. Its ironic that the real-time aspect of the game is both my biggest weakness and yet one of the main features that draws me to this game.

First Thoughts:
'-Alot of phone apps/game have the ability to differentiate between: Single-click, Double-click and Long Press. (a Good point of reference for inventory and item-management might be Runescape)
-We already use point-and-click movement. tap movement is pretty much the same
-maybe even have a modifier key in one of the corners for doing some of the ctrl,shift or alt functions
-Could make the UI more modular and customizable. Let them resize their inventories or add scrolling capabilities for smaller screens.
-I Think alot of the issues would have to be chalked down to a more 'a la carte' way of design.....again similar to Runescape's method of doing it. Let the players decide what toolbars, menus and other types of features via a customization

-Reguardless of current mobile capability, alot of the main issues would be slowly resolved by simply adding a little more automation to tasks like....harvesting (See any farming bot thats popped up since i started playing back in W3) You already integrated half of it with the Mass Plant and Mass Harvest features added a good while back. Main thing missing is moving items into designated stockpiles. I think the more additions like that that allow us to 'detach' a bit will reduce the demand for botting......it wont eliminate it, but i can tell you that its been a few worlds since i used any client other than Enders, and the farming and stockpile changes have been a major reason.

I'll have to think on it a bit harder and come back to this. Reguardless of whether its implemented or not its a brainteaser i've had in my head for at least half a decade now. My original question was more of 'why didnt anyone make a mobile client considering all the bots n such' if it were 'easy' i imagine someone wouldve done it already. i wanna say someone explained it to me once.....something about the way Java runs on android not being the same and alot of 'translating' would be required.

[Clemins]

Hrm, the UI question is one that I'd have to think on for a bit. I definitely understand what alot of the detractors fears are and at least on my side (cant speak for OP) My desired uses have always been things like:
-Curio Management
-Claim Protection
-Livestock Management (Feeding while on vacation)
-Leveling land and basic infrastructure tasks (Those things would be great to just mindlessly do while spending time with family)
-STEEL REFUELING
-Maybe some simple farming(nothing too fancy, maybe like the 'carrot bot' ive seen pop up in alot of worlds. Select harvest/planting area, select seed/stockpile and Go!)
-Mining

See the thing is, you're pointing out parts of the game that are purposefully designed to be forcefully "engaging". That's not necessarily a bad thing in regards to how the game is designed, but in these cases the above "activities" are designed in a way that INTENDS you to forget/give-up. It's an old game design choice of haven's founding era; difficulty being directly tied to time and dedication rather than skill. Again, not always a bad thing, but things like claim management, animal feeding, and steel babysitting are very unforgiving.

Sure, making a mobile client would allow you to maintain these things while not home, but so does having a remote desktop app on your phone. So honestly, these are all things you can do now. Personally, if anything, some of these things need to be adjusted and be more lenient to the casual player.

Like come on, if fuel running out of the steel crucible didn't reset the progress THAT ALONE would be big... These things can be solved without building a mobile client,I will die on this hill.

[jacob232]

you're not WRONG in the sense that there are other solutions to the basic problems. However using a remote desktop shouldn't have to be the solution. It WORKS don't get me wrong, and thats what i've resorted to in the past.

Side Note: Ever try to navigate a PC using a phone? its awkward as heck, had to buy a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard.

Keep in mind, i dont actually care about having the mobile client or not, but I find it interesting to contemplate and understand what it would entail. You are completely right in the fact that adjusting some of it to be more lenient to casual play would most definitely reduce any thought of a mobile client since like i said. work gets in my way.

[Angelklaine]

Nothing wrong with having more options. A simplified version of the client could be a smaller, scaled screen with fixed menu locations, say inventory opens in the same window as the skills and quests window, attached to the bottom left. Left click to move, click and hold for right click, and clicking quickslots instead of using number keys. There is a whole lot you can do with your mouse at it is. I play mostly with the mouse myself.

You won't be raping and pillaging sprucehats anytime soon on your phone, but for light playing and claim management it would be great.

[LtTurtleshot]

I played some of W13 and W14 using a mouse and a controller with keyboard inputs instead of buttons and can say that anything is possible in terms of controls if you can figure something out.

Having a mobile client just to be able to left click and right click on things. You can always have separate functions with a little icon (shift on/off, ctrl on/off) and even have that to choose between left and right click.

The whole interface would have to be redone and you wouldn't be able to be 'swift' in your movement/clicking, but you could, let's say, add branches to a steel crucible, swap dried skins, add more items to your study desk. That's really what most people want, mostly a companion app to optimize their timings on drying/tanning/cheese/study, etc.