Content download - check for updates when OpenTTD starts
Posted: 01 Aug 2009 18:46
I've searched but could not find this being discussed on tt-forums (OpenTTD Suggestions forum) before. I'm sure other people have though about the same thing before though.
The idea is that when you start OpenTTD it finds out if any of the content you have downloaded already have updates available, and it presents a list of those updates along with a button to perform the update. The whole thing have to be an option that you turn on because it will mean that OpenTTD connects to Internet each time you start it, and some people may not like that. An important factor is then the discoverability of the option.
Discoverability
Only having an advanced setting that users need to turn on will mean that many users will miss the feature. So I have came up a few ideas, some better than the other, but I'll post them all:
When OpenTTD have found out which content that can be updated/upgraded it will have to show that list. For that I think the existing content download window can be used by filtering out only those items that have an update available. Another option would be to create a new window that previews what will be downloaded with confirm/cancel buttons. This window could be displayed when you hit download in normal operation of the content download window, but that would add an additional click to download and that may not be really nice.
What do you think about the options described?
The idea is that when you start OpenTTD it finds out if any of the content you have downloaded already have updates available, and it presents a list of those updates along with a button to perform the update. The whole thing have to be an option that you turn on because it will mean that OpenTTD connects to Internet each time you start it, and some people may not like that. An important factor is then the discoverability of the option.
Discoverability
Only having an advanced setting that users need to turn on will mean that many users will miss the feature. So I have came up a few ideas, some better than the other, but I'll post them all:
- Introduce a window that shows when users start OpenTTD for the first time where selected settings/notes are displayed. On this window there could be an option to turn on checking for updates to downloaded content.
- Since updating of downloaded content can only occur if you have downloaded content yourself, I though that the option could be placed on the download content window instead of disturbing all new users about it. This also means that our existing users easier find the setting.
- Have a checkbox somewhere to enable/disable checking for updates of downloaded content when OpenTTD starts.
A problem with this option is that it will be hard to fit this option in on the content download window. And also what happens when more settings want to be added? - Add a settings button left of the cancel/close button which opens a window where download content related settings can be changed. Maybe it is possible to have all these settings under a category in advanced settings and make this button open advanced settings with that category unfolded.
- openttd content download window.png (28.67 KiB) Viewed 2045 times
- Have a checkbox somewhere to enable/disable checking for updates of downloaded content when OpenTTD starts.
When OpenTTD have found out which content that can be updated/upgraded it will have to show that list. For that I think the existing content download window can be used by filtering out only those items that have an update available. Another option would be to create a new window that previews what will be downloaded with confirm/cancel buttons. This window could be displayed when you hit download in normal operation of the content download window, but that would add an additional click to download and that may not be really nice.
What do you think about the options described?
