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Comment by yakkomajuri | Hacker News Reader

This is super cool. My main feedback at this point is about the dictionary. I'd have it be open on the side so I can see the board and use it at the same time. Or, as a half-step, have a shortcut to open it and have ESC close it. Although personally I'd prefer the former.

But congrats on this, it's awesome!

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Maybe putting down a tile should open the dictionary and look up the words formed, instead of the player having to type them in, and then there should be buttons for "make this move" and "make a different move instead".

I think this might take away a bit from the "strategy" of the game. Or not so much strategy but the mental fog that plays a role in blunders and the like - the same as how it's harder to get a grasp on your opponent's words at a glance because they're flipped. Just my 2c

You think it might make life too easy? But it's similar in some Sid Meier games where you can see the outcome of a battle (or the odds) before committing. Besides which, the dictionary is patchy and unpredictable, so I use it on most moves anyway, to strategize around its arbitrary subset of English.

Good notes on both fronts, so thanks!

We have been on the fence about this (and still are!). One option is to add this kind of UI in a "tutor" mode that starts on, and can be opt-out at some point. Not sold on it yet, but mulling it over.

You're probably reading this whole thread, but in case you didn't see an idea I had elsewhere: I like the "tutor mode" idea, and think it would be nice for it to highlight all the currently-valid words (maybe toggle-able).

You can't evaluate who will win a battle unless you know which words are in their dictionary, which you can't know without tediously (at least right now) looking up every word you might play, plus every word the opponent plays in their dictionary. This tedium bogs down play. Better to have the board indicate which words are valid or not, and warn before I play an invalid word.

Definitely a shortcut to open it, with focus on the search field and escape to close it. Ideally above or below the board so it doesn't block the screen.

Ah yeah sorry I wrote "be open" but I meant "open" as in it isn't constantly open but opens without hiding the board

Thanks! Great notes

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