Thoughts on the new client:
First off, this is a much better client than the old one. Navigation is better, needless items have been removed, and the new windows for games is a welcome improvement.
Items that need further improvement:
1) General GUI:
- There is a bar for "MTGO" and a welcome message. Another bar for menu options. Yet another bar for time, client version, and trademark. And yet ANOTHER bar for search. These can easily be combined into one-two bars.
- Overly large buttons.
- Change checkboxes/radio buttons to auto-sizing dropdown lists - or give us an option to do so.
- Empty space around buttons, between windows, and within lists. Half the space around buttons and list items is blank space, making them larger than they need be. The window sizers are quite big as well - are they even needed? Wouldn't a pointer change to a sizer accomplish the same thing? Eliminating empty space would make things like dropdowns show many more items without need to scroll. As few scrollbars as possible is a good thing. But main thing is to get rid of all the useless empty space in the client.
- As few scrollbars as possible.
- Marketplace is obsolete and a barrier to trade. Collections and binders should hold trade information, with buy/sell prices and checkbox for card-for-card trade only. Import/Export with CSV needed. (Autotrade and botting are NOT needed.)
- Replace the tourney list with a calendar layout, with options for monthly-weekly-daily views, indicators for saved/entered tourneys, and ability to add my own reminders.
All told, I want more useful information showing in the client, and less empty space and "fancy-looking" option displays. This was a problem in the old client and I'm not happy to see it in the new. I remember the Leaping Lizards client did this much better.
2) Card presentation:
- A universal card-sizer is needed, card size options need to go smaller than is currently allowed, and all card "zones" EVERYWHERE need a sizing option.
- The default card placement in games is OK, but I would like the ability to define where I want my lands/creatures/permanents to show up, and how. Consider a layout GUI, with sizeable placement rectangles for permanent types, and with the ability to define alignments and stacking options.
- Save my views and sorting.
- Foil animations need improvement.
3) Game Play
- Transparent windows for stack, effect, and end-of-game are confusing - make these solid. And smart-size these windows to the cards/effects.
- Bring back effect arrows.
- Add an indicator to the turn phase bar telling me what my yield status is
- Shrink/Move/Eliminate the phase priority "OK" window. Use this space to expand the players pane down.
- Combine the Exiled/Shields/Reveald with graveyard, move to the left, and permanently showeach as dropdowns
- Make Life Total more prominent
- Move "Basic Land" section to the left side - or just make it a button and remove the pane altogether. Move draft table to the right side.
- Assuming empty space and card size issues are fixed, default chat within the gameplay window, at the bottom, with option to "detach" it to its own window.
4) Miscellaneous
- Add option to show/hide my ratings.
- Save as many payment options as possible (all but card security code would be perfect)
- Break out 4Rnd and Premium tourneys in tourney game types (assumes Calendar not implemented)
- Add instant search and basic search logic
- Better display at different resolutions
And finally, the forums for posting improvements are too numerous. We (the players) shouldn't have to make so many posts to so many categories to list out our thoughts. Forums for Collection, Play, Store, Trade, Tourneys, Drafting, and Misc, with subcategories for Layouts and Actions, are all that's needed.
Apologies if some of these items can already be done. I do believe this client is a vast improvement over the old. I am especially pleased to see that it will be much easier to implement new/requested features. Hopefully those above will be among those implemented!
