Board Game Arena

I understand that many people have wished for an UNDO function on many of these games... I also understand that such a function would be programatically complex, particularly since it would seem to have to be unique code for each game.

I propose a CONFIRM function, instead, for select games only... i.e. those games that require ROLE selection from a defined set of choices and all other players are waiting for your choice, as opposed to undoing game MOVES themselves.

I'll illustrate by discussing a few games I play regularly:

Puerto Rico SCREAMS for a CONFIRM function, particularly because the various defined roles constitute almost the entirety of the game and because it's presently SO EASY to make an unintended physical error when selecting one. I have played Puerto Rico hundreds of times using small tablets and/or touchscreens and have frequently misclicked on a role I didn't want or need... bad finger placement on the screen, the dog hit my arm, the tablet slipped in my lap, etc, etc.... and other players have done the same. And then the game then proceeds with your devastating choice (if you've ever played Puerto Rico you know that one misclick means you're doomed).

If instead the game tells you "You have selected MAYOR as your role. CONFIRM or CHANGE" the physical misclick problem is eliminated, and it doesn't seem all that complex to accomplish with code.... loop until the player hits the CONFIRM button.

Contrast that to something else I play a lot: 6 Nimmt! Everybody has the same role on every turn, and the highlight box around your selected card serves as your confirmation already. No program changes are warranted. Same goes for Jaipur, Coloretto, Lost Cities, and so forth.

Thank you for your attention... and, once again, thanks for the absolute best site on the entire internet.

Then, for example, UNDOing moves seems to me contrary to the spirit of most games. UNDO a chess move? You wish! You saw the consequences of your bad move and now you want to change it? I DON'T THINK SO! And the previous state of the game would have to be saved and then restored for all attached devices. Not worth the effort or the spirit sacrifice.

The longer I am here the less need undo. While you are young and fresh, mistaken move is a tragedy and pleeeeaaaaaseeee undo function asap, ELO dropped, Doomsday, life has lost meaning etc.

Later mistake becomes s*t happens and"I really should be more careful" and - after all opponent has deserved some luck, we all love luck.

In my country if you accidentally by any reason put/drop a wrong card on a table there is a saying - table is not a pig, no take-back, fullstop

RexGoodheart wrote: I propose a CONFIRM function, instead, for select games only... i.e. those games that require ROLE selection from a defined set of choices and all other players are waiting for your choice, as opposed to undoing game MOVES themselves.

That's actually what we are leaning towards in the latest games (for example Terra Mystica).

For older games like Puerto Rico, adding a confirmation for a major action like selecting the role is possible, but as for any published game, we need to know that it's a priority for the community, so the best would be to create a suggestion on the "Bugs & suggestions" page and have a lot of players vote for it to get it to the top of the list

RexGoodheart wrote:Thank you for your attention... and, once again, thanks for the absolute best site on the entire internet.

Thanks for that!

It's essentially the same thing if you don't confirm something then it has to be undone.

If if you undo something then it's the same as not confirming it.

RicardoRix wrote:It's essentially the same thing if you don't confirm something then it has to be undone.

If if you undo something then it's the same as not confirming it.

But the Undo should not be allowed in some games. For example 7 Wonders. When everyone has decided the card they play, they play all at once. An Undo once you've seen the others' cards should not be allowed.



On the other hand maybe having to confirm all the movements in some games could turn the game into something tedious. Cant stop or Lost cities are perfectly seen on computer or mobile. How many mistakes can be made in these games? I imagine they are very few. Also I think of some games that, in turn-based games, are already stopped unnecessarily (when you can not play in Russian railroads or when you do not have any element to show in Lords of xidit but the game does not advance until you click on the Pass button) .

I would request, as in most ideas that I give or read, that it was something optional that each player could choose in each game and according to the platform in which he plays (because when I play on the laptop I do not make mistakes by pressing where I did not want but on a mobile, yes).

Although I guess that's crazy for developers ...

Although adding an UNDO to a game makes the programming vastly more complex, suppose the internal BGA programming didn't record the move until the next guy did there's. Then you wouldn't have to reverse it. This would have new programming problems and might only be feasible for new games.

Hi,
I'm not in favour of an UNDO function because i fear that some games will become to much slow.
I prefer the CONFIRM function, just before the end of the turn but il will also slow down games.
I think the better way is to debate this topic for each game specifically like EEN said because each have different community of players who know better the game play. And it will appear that's this topic concerns only the much complexe games and a few part of them.
Few example :
Time Masters : most people here don't know it but the undo function is already in the game because it s a part of the official rules ! so it was coded at the start !
Les batisseurs (builders ?) : same than in time masters + a confirmation of the end of the turn
Chess : confirm or undo are opposit of the spirit of the game but most online site use a confirm function.
7 wonders : you can change your move until everybody has choose his move. It's useless to add a confirm function and an Undo is impossible .
Most card and abstract games : choices are very few so a confirm function will slow too much the game
Seasons or Race for the galaxy : ok it's a bit complexe games but i don't see in the game play a place for an Undo function and for a confirm function, it might be at each move so one game will take 2 days !
Lord of xidit : confirm function is part of the game. Undo is impossible.
Etc.
So please make suggestion in forum of each game and post the link here ?

I'd like a confirm box as well. Maybe it could be together with a "skip confirm" option.
My fingers missed the selected role more than once!

in many games I think both a confirm button and a restart turn button would be beneficial and would actually speed up the game (allowing the player to make decisions quicker knowing a careless click or decision is not final until hitting 'confirm').