Proposed Change to Playing Page - Feedback Please

We're looking at changing the main play page for turn-based games (to include a bit more information, surface some of the key features, and make it easier to replay moves). One common request is to show the moves tab first. But then you miss the messages. It's a no-win situation on which to show first. So we thought about breaking it out like this.

Note that the board is just a placeholder. Also, the MESSAGES tab will be selected first, but I wanted to show the details tab. It's just a mockup, so that part is broken. :)

http://files.chesscomfiles.com/images_users/tiny_mce/erik/echesslayout.png

Thoughts?

I don't see the place for messages.  Where is the chatbox?

down below - it's currently on the DETAILS tab.

I like it!

The 2 main tabs I use are the messages and moves, so this would be an improvement. What is "skip-->" for?

I thought that you had removed the "get PGN" and FEN in games ongoing...

Apart from that, I like the new layout...however I would keep first the messages window...otherwise you won't see them and no one will discuss during the games.

I think it looks like the wrong tab is selected is all.  It's just a mock-up.

Great reorganization for better use of real-estate and a few extra goodies as well.  Love it. 

Great re-org on the UI! 

I'm curious..  What are the choices on that drop-down list below "Skip"?  The relationship between those controls might be the only thing that's a bit mysterious.

same as what the dropdown does now :)

I know it's probably a lot of work, but I'd floated an idea that would allow the main board, the analysis board and the conditional moves interface all work off of the main board -- this would reduce the need for some of the additional links and perhaps make enough room for the contents of the details tab on the main page.

Also, the ability to add annotation to games while they are in progress has been suggested, but even better would be the ability to save (but not commit as  conditional) lines on your analysis board along with annotations as well -- I think this would eliminate the need for the notes tab altogether.

These two things might allow you to eliminate the need for tabs altogether and to simply have everything available on the main page in one static view.

D'oh...  Ok, I thought...  never mind.

In that case, my one small concern would be that it's not really clear what that drop-down does - esp. for newbies. 

In the current UI, its position relative to the Submit Move button is a little more suggestive of the function of the menu.

it looks good to me

I think the proposed version is fine.  Still waiting on analysis save.

seems fine

Looks good, a few ideas:

1)  I would like to see a mockup with the moves window and buttons BELOW the messages etc. window.  I just feel like the submit button should be on the bottom.

2)  It's not necessarily the same project, but in line with what TheGrobe said above, I would like the notes and messages to automatically include the move number when you submit them.  So, I would type in my message or my note, and when it appears in the window it would have the move number before it.  In this way, I could tell when my opponent said something that I may have missed, I could more easily review those messages and their relevance after the game, and I could use the notes function for annotation.

3)  Definitely not the same project, but Draw Requests should automatically generate a message such as "29. stevez requests a draw" in the message window.

looks good

combining all windows isn't easy at all. and it introduces some crazy issues with knowing which board you are on :) i'm not sure about you, but i have accidentally done some "analysis" on a live board :(

this page is nice, wiil be nice if shows somewhere how many matchs the playeres are winning/losing i'm talking about "winning/losing streak"

uhh ok i hope u understand my english i try, i'm learning

thanks u!!

Right now the "draw" box changes between "offer draw" and "claim draw".  Since it looks like it's just a flag now, is that going to change now (you have to be responsible for knowing when you can claim a draw), or will the display still somehow tell you when you can claim a draw (3-fold, 50 move, etc)?

I don't play touch move, so the idea of having a "Commit Line" button in place of the "Submit" that would potentially commit an entire line from my analysis board to my conditional moves board (all of which i played out on the main board) really appeals to me -- I can certainly see where it becomes very challenging in touch-move mode.