We the KGeography developers are in a disagreement of what looks better, centered questions or top left aligned ones, so we are opening this poll for you the users to decide.

Centered looks less empty but the problem on the other hand is that the texts shift horizontally as the answers length is different for each question.

And obviously top left aligned has the problem of looking empty but keeps a stable layout.

So which of the two you prefer?

Some screenshots:
Top Left 1: http://static.inky.ws/image/364/image.jpg
Top Left 2: http://static.inky.ws/image/365/image.jpg
Centered 1: http://static.inky.ws/image/366/image.jpg
Centered 2: http://static.inky.ws/image/367/image.jpg

From my POV, the button in the bottom is not really needed - the choices could be /choose actions/

Hum, I wish we could offer both ways and a config to choose among. But until this I see the two phase play as less stressful, as it offer a chance to correct a bad movement.
On my local branch I added number at left side of each radio button and the selection via numerical keys. So one can play more quickly at least on a full keyboard, with the numerical keypad and the return key.

lauranger wrote:On my local branch I added number at left side of each radio button and the selection via numerical keys. So one can play more quickly at least on a full keyboard, with the numerical keypad and the return key.

Yay, that's the sort of thing I'm looking for! I agree with ivan though, I don't think it's that bad if you press wrong once; this can happen when you need to click on the map as well. Also see my comment on the blog post.

I also have an off topic question regarding KGeography, hope you don't mind that I ask it here . Would it be possible to use Marble to draw the maps? (A short answer is enough since this is, after all, off topic.)

Hans wrote:... though, I don't think it's that bad if you press wrong once; this can happen when you need to click on the map as well.

I agree. Consistency is a good point.

Hans wrote:I also have an off topic question regarding KGeography, hope you don't mind that I ask it here . Would it be possible to use Marble to draw the maps? (A short answer is enough since this is, after all, off topic.)

I wish I knew (and had the time to learn) how to do that. We use indexed images and calculate on the pixels. Don't know if it could mix well.

While we are at it, someone tested QtQuick ?

I voted for top-left, assuming there are multiple questions: centered would not matter if there were only one question, but if there are severals, going from one to the other will create weird movements.

To mitigate the feeling of emptiness, I suggest a few things:
- Put the whole thing (question + answers + Accept button) into one StyledPanel, sunken frame

- Set a white (or QPalette::Base) background for this frame: this will frame the question part from the rest of the interface. An alternative would be a very subtle and light image background, kind of the circles you can see in this forum. The drawback is that this won't match very well with dark themes.

- Move the Correct answers count in the frame, maybe in the top-right corner

- Use some heavy padding to fill the space

Here is a mockup:
http://wstaw.org/m/2011/05/27/plasma-windowedb13181.jpg

agateau wrote:Here is a mockup:
http://wstaw.org/m/2011/05/27/plasma-windowedb13181.jpg

Nice mockup! I figured that I should do the same, so here it is:
http://hanswchen.files.wordpress.com/20 ... graphy.png

Note that this is just quick copy-and-paste between Qt Designer and GIMP, the placement and size of things is not very exact etc. I also omitted the "Correct answers" label, but it can of course be put back (I like the position in your mockup agateau) if the devs want it.

The question label should be in the same location regardless of test - currently it is in the sidebar for "Location of ...", which is very easy to miss.

I also made a fancy version (Marble!) for fun:
http://hanswchen.files.wordpress.com/20 ... yfancy.png

Here some of the placements are even weirder (e.g. progress bar), but try to ignore it. The idea is that when you test yourself, the buttons etc. appear on top of the map. For "Location of ..." it would be the same, except that there would be no buttons - you click on the map instead.

Edit: Um yeah, the current map is USA... right.

Using the current map as a background is a nice idea. Ideally it should be desaturated to ensure the question remain readable.

The progress bar for the question count is nice as well. It may require a separate way to show the number of correct answers, though.

As has been pointed out before the problem is the button at the bottom of the page. If one is answering many questions in rapid succession (the goal of the game is to be able to do that), travelling from top left to bottom can be a PITA. The button should be much closer to the questions. Maybe at the top, or left or right, so that no matter how many questions there are, the button will not move.

No matter where you put the questions, top-left or centered, just don't put the very far from the button!

Hans wrote:I also made a fancy version (Marble!) for fun:
http://hanswchen.files.wordpress.com/20 ... yfancy.png

I love this mockup. But ...

• Chile would give less space to big buttons /o\
• Albert dislikes (/ would like to avoid) custom widgets.

One day we'll have to precalculate sizes of all potential question and answers in the selected (game x map).

flavs wrote:As has been pointed out before the problem is the button at the bottom of the page. If one is answering many questions in rapid succession (the goal of the game is to be able to do that), travelling from top left to bottom can be a PITA. The button should be much closer to the questions. Maybe at the top, or left or right, so that no matter how many questions there are, the button will not move.

No matter where you put the questions, top-left or centered, just don't put the very far from the button!

I searched inspiration in KWordquiz this afternoon. It turns that it has quite the same flaw : wasted space is just horizontal instead of vertical. The verification step seems more natural in KWordquiz as it is more bound to learning, I think, than KGeography that can be looked as a bit more game-like.
And the valid button has full sens in the type-all mode of KWordquiz. All that makes me favor to that 'valid' button deletion.

My preferences:
Keep the way between checkboxes and Accept button as short as possible
Avoid "jumping" layout due to difeferent name lenght in a series of questions

So with Accept button centered, but left aligned like in http://static.inky.ws/image/366/image.jpg

But why an Accept button, that is one additional click. Changing the checkboxes to buttons would avoid that.

Having the current map as a background sound like a good idea, as long the questions are properly readable.

But why not use the empty space at the bottom left which is already used in modes "Location of Province" and "Place Provinces in the Map"
I've quickly checked all modes in kgeography with locale x-test (long names).
In all modes it is possible to have the question and the choices in the empty space at the bottom left whithout increasing the application window.
Only in the mode "States by Flags" the flag does not fit together with question + choices into this area.
Would of course only work without accept button.

Top Left !!!!

top left!!!!!

My 2 cents - I'd vote top left. Layout is preferable.