Mobile app 5.0 feedback thread

[fred]

To charge a setting just tap on the switch at the very right of the setting in question - there is no need to try to "slide" to over.

 

If you think you are doing this already and it is still not working, please let us know - thanks.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[sjcro]

Tapping works fine. Thanks very much.

[42krunner]

Just tried an instant tourney for the first time with the new app. It’s even more terrible for ITs.

I tried to get the other tables results for B1, could not get ro them easily and ended up hitting PASS while reviewing B1.

You should never have the review screen on the same screen as live bidding buttons. That’s just simple UX.

[barmar]

Just tried an instant tourney for the first time with the new app. It’s even more terrible for ITs.

I tried to get the other tables results for B1, could not get ro them easily and ended up hitting PASS while reviewing B1.

To see the other table results you have to go to the History screen. The only thing you can do in the little popup window is review your own play.

I've been using this version of the mobile app to play ITs and robodupes for months, and I don't think I've ever accidentally hit the bidding box while using the review window. It covers most of the window.

You should never have the review screen on the same screen as live bidding buttons. That’s just simple UX.

Since we don't display history constantly like the previous version, we wanted a more convenient way than making you switch screens.

 

We could make it a modal window, but I think that would interfere with using the tabs at the bottom to switch screens while using it. But maybe we could just disable buttons in the playing window while showing it.

[barmar]

Also very disturbing is that listening to music or the radio while playing bridge has been made impossible because at every new board there is a crack and the player is halted by the BBO software.

To state this new app has been tested thoroughly is a joke imo.

iOS has a restriction that only one app can play sound at a time. So if you have BBO sound effects enabled, then when it needs to make a sound the OS stops the radio app's playback.

 

The simple solution is to turn off sound effects in the BBO settings.

[olegru]

I had some strange bug on my IPAD, not sure if it was new version related or my connectivity.

 

I bid, clicked on my bid, type in explanation.

It shows me that explanations are there, but opponents cannot see them.

 

When I typed in explanations before bid - everything was ok.

[Borisssss]

Did you read the post I linked to above? It explains why we updated the app.

 

We've been testing it internally for months.

 

Fix landscape mode urgently, please

[bethny]

Totally agree about problems with the colors causing dizziness. Thought it was just me!

[sakuragi]

Like the new app 😎😁

Only 1 thing, the result page showing our & their result font is too small

Running on Android 😀😁

[ezwal]

I hate the new app. Using it on my Samsung Galaxy S6, when I switch to other apps (browser, messages etc), the BridgeBase app disconnects me and I have to re-log/re-start. Cumbersome and unpleasant.

 

Immediately after being disconnected, I receive several messages that I am not connected to Internet, when I try to re-log.

 

Trying to see History when playing anon? Good luck with that, what was easy and intuitive, one click and then "Other tables" (2 clicks in total), so that you could compare results, now gained another click, the app moving during all this at at turtle-like speed. Then countless other clicks to check plays at other tables.

 

Did I mention that the back button minimizes the app? Re-log time...

 

Speed of the cards? Designed to make you lose time and start exercising patience.

 

Easy to click the cards in the new version, too? Forget it!

 

Sorry, it is just awful.

[42krunner]

Fred replied to this thread.

 

I sincerely hope that Fred and Uday are noting the many people that never posted on the forums before, that have come to this thread to voice their displeasure with the app. I'm very sorry to be so critical, but the experience is just not improving and is only getting worse.

 

Dan

[Isle]

iOS has a restriction that only one app can play sound at a time. So if you have BBO sound effects enabled, then when it needs to make a sound the OS stops the radio app's playback.

 

The simple solution is to turn off sound effects in the BBO settings.

 

Ty this helped. Still this new release is a batched job imo.

[fred]

Fred replied to this thread.

 

I sincerely hope that Fred and Uday are noting the many people that never posted on the forums before, that have come to this thread to voice their displeasure with the app. I'm very sorry to be so critical, but the experience is just not improving and is only getting worse.

 

Dan

No need to apologize - constructive criticism is always welcome and this sort of thing (ie a zillion complaints) happens whenever we make major user interface changes. We are reading the comments (and e-mails and...).

 

We are now testing a new version that will support landscape orientation (and perhaps include some bugs fixes and other small improvements). The complaints about no-landscape were more numerous and louder than we expected so it is likely we will do another release soon after we finish testing landscape (as opposed to waiting until we have made other additional substantial changes).

 

Thanks for your patience.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[bothyhead]

Update I have sorted some of my issues.

 

a) Unable to rent a robot

My app data must have become corrupted during the initial upgrade. I tried resetting the apps' data using Android's Clear Data and Clear Cache (Apps > App info) buttons, but this didn't work. A complete uninstall and reinstall fixed the problem.

 

b) Small bidding box / cards

I was originally running with cards shown as Hand Diagrams. Changing it to 'Pictures of cards' improved the size of both the cards and the bidding box.

 

c) Chat area taking up valuable space

It took me ages to figure out how to remove the chat area (see below), but once I did both the size of the bidding box and the cards increased even further.

 

d) Small history window

There are two different ways to view history: one is pressing on the score on the top left hand side and the other is by the history tab on the bottom of the screen. My previous screenshot showed the 'score' method. You get a much larger view using the history tab.

 

A combination of b) and c) has helped make the application perfectly usable on a mobile phone.

 

----

 

Potential bug

I found it hard to disable the chat window. If you are in the main menu (and not at a table), pressing Account > Settings only gives you one entry under Chat viz. 'Show Lobby chat'. However, a second entry appears if you are at a table, 'Show chat'.

[bothyhead]

Question: is there no undo feature?

[bothyhead]

Question: is there no undo feature?

 

Ok, this is another oddity. The undo feature is not visible if you are in 'Just Play Bridge' mode. However, it is available when you rent a robot (and presumably while playing against real people).

[barmar]

Ok, this is another oddity. The undo feature is not visible if you are in 'Just Play Bridge' mode. However, it is available when you rent a robot (and presumably while playing against real people).

Whether undoes are allowed shouldn't depend on which client you're using. They're available when playing against humans in the MBC, and in tourneys where the host has allowed them (they're not allowed in any of the tourneys that BBO hosts, like robot tourneys or ACBL speedballs).

 

The difference is that in the web client the Undo button is visible but greyed out when it's not available, in v5 it's just hidden completely.

[anovas]

After I have updated to the latest version, the app is freezed and I cant login. What's going on?

 

I am using Android version 5.1.1

 

Can anyone help? Thanks

[bothyhead]

After I have updated to the latest version, the app is freezed and I cant login. What's going on?

 

Try what I did and completely remove the software before reinstalling it again from the play store. You will need to know your BBO password though.

[daniel1123]

Because of the lack of landscape mode, the app is useless now. Well done rushing it ! Can one go back to the previous one ?

[42krunner]

And now the Baze has started and we can’t listen to voice commentary on vugraph. :(

[wmb1956]

There are 2 ways to see results:

 

1) Tap History at the bottom. The History area now includes history of deals played at your table.

 

2) Tap the box where the score is displayed. A scoreboard will appear without you having to go to a new screen. From there you can tap boards in the list and you will get another popup that will allow you to review the board you clicked.

 

Once you get the hang of it, I am confident you will find the new version to be significantly better than the old version in this regard (among many others).

 

About lack of landscape: the one and only reason we made this decision was because we were under time pressure to do a complete rewrite of the software (because the technology we had been using for old versions had become obsolete). We needed to make a couple of compromises in the interest of speed. Landscape was one of those compromises.

 

That was a difficult decision to make, but despite the reaction from people I still think this was the right decision. Sorry if you disagree and sorry for the inconvenience.

 

Given the reaction, I am guessing that implementing landscape mode will be a fairly high priority for us moving forward (though certainly not as high as bug fixes which is where I expect we will spend most of our energy during the next couple of weeks). That being had, I am not currently in a position to make any promises let alone guess at a time frame.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

 

 

Fred

 

You guys have done a great job. Thank you for everything that you do for the betterment of bridge. Yes, landscape would be a good feature, particularly since that is how most iPod stands are designed, but I agree that the new version is a solid upgrade.

[helene_t]

Using Android (samsung galaxy 7)

 

When I chose "log off" in the menu, I get a prompt to confirm. That's fine.

 

When I just exit by using the "back" button (lower right corner, outside the app window) it exits without a prompt. I have the impression that (at least sometimes) it's a crash rather than an exit since sometimes it's not possible to restart BBO immediately (I will get an entirely cream-coloured window instead of the usual BBO login screen) and I have to force-quit it before I can start it again.

[devingen]

New software new code system exc.. not interested in functionality very bad playing with phone: 5 inc now 3 inc bridge hide chat only in settings ,when u host anyway players profile looking whom try to sit or in team match howmany board match where we know anyway? On top 2 menu same place we use our fingers we arent brain surgeon and we cant hide top place again,why u open yellow windows on screen when anyone write table ( in hide chat mode) window on cards bridge concentration game or u do chat proggramme?when programme ask any question whole screen but we play half screen bridge ?

[MatCauthon]

Great job on the update! I know how hard it is to completely rewrite something and keep it looking almost exactly the same.

 

Two minor issues are bugging me:

 

1. When I tap a card to play it, the app is too sensitive to dragging. If my finger moves by a pixel or two while tapping, then the card isn't played.

 

2. In the history screen, when I'm playing through the history of the hand, I can't go fast - each card is played slowly, one at a time. If I've turned off animation for cards in the settings, it would be nice if that eliminated this delay too.