New Guide Pages and Videos!
Feb 21, 2015
Hey Clashers! I've spent some time getting a number of new pages set up. I have added all those sections you see above, as well as uploaded videos to Youtube that can help your newer players quickly understand how ClashCaller works. So all you have to do is point them to the video, or tell them to go to the Guides section on ClashCaller.
So if I put any additions or updates out, or I'm looking to add features and want feedback, I will add a post here to the news section.
How the Archive Works & Some Notes
Feb 20, 2015
Hey guys, I've been getting a number of questions on how the archive system works so I would like to clarify a few things here and see if I can solicit some more feedback.
First off, don't worry about including or not including the hashtag in the clan ID. Either is fine, and both will work perfectly.
The way the current system works is when you decide to have your war archived the server will wait until the war ends. This is actually different in wars with timers versus wars without timers. In wars without timers the server doesn't actually know when the war ends, so what it does is it waits a minimum of 50 hours from when the war is first created. In wars with timers the server waits until the war ends, according to the timer.
It doesn't directly archive the war however, as some people like to make updates. So it actually waits until 4 hours have passed since any updates were made to the war. Once that time passes, the war is archived. So if you're just patient things will archive naturally.
I don't really like this system though, and let me explain why. Some people have contacted me saying the war archived before they could add everything they wanted. Others have said the opposite: that it hadn't archived and they wanted to know how long it would take. So it doesn't work for people either way.
At least right now the system works and is reliable, although imperfect. I've been thinking of better ways, such as a button that pops up that allows the user to archive the war. The only problem with some of this is I would like to keep it from being accidentally clicked, and to keep potential trolls from getting an extra ability in their arsenal. So perhaps enforcing a required wait time until archiving, or time since war creation.
If you have a good solution, or would like to send your input, drop me a line. Cheers folks!
Big Update & a New Server!!
Feb 15, 2015
Hey fellow Clashers, Red here! I've put in a ton of work over the past weeks to bring you this ClashCaller update! I'm sure many of you have noticed the new, shiny search button on the front page, and I'm here to explain that to you, along with all the other cool stuff I've been cooking up in secret.
One of the first things you may notice when you create a war is there is a new option called "Archive" at the very bottom. What does that do?
Well, when you archive your war we can now keep everything instead of throwing it away like we used to. It all becomes read-only, and you will be able to track your wars, win/losses, and players over time. So you can click on a player, and see how they have been doing over all the wars they've been in. You can also search for clans, and see things like how many wars they have won.
Another cool thing that blends into this is that now you can add "attack reviews" for any attack. One of the problems with Clash of Clans is when someone does an attack and you see where they could improve, it's hard (or kinda rude) to communicate with them on things they could have done better. Now, if you see something you can just click on that attack and click "add attack review"! A little icon will pop up next to the attack, and people can view it.
What this really does is facilitate player improvement. No longer do you have to see the same mistakes made over and over. It's also an efficient way of getting feedback on your own attacks. Additionally, what is really cool is this feeds into the archive system. You can easily view these notes on each player's page long after wars are over. So you can see if Frank seems to have problems with GoWiWi, or that Amy does great with Loonion attacks. Because it's in their history.
I have tried to do this in a way that is simple and easy to use. The only thing you have to do is select the option if you want to use it. The rest is done automagically.
I've also done some other cool things like add the ability to put up a clan message on the war page. I have also put in the time, effort, and money to transfer everything over to a shiny new server that should be able to swiftly handle the traffic load. You guys were killing my poor little old one. Lots of improvements have been made to the back end, most of the code has been rewritten and made more efficient, and now there is the structure in place for other potential additions on the horizon. Maybe.
Anyways, I hope you guys like all the new stuff. If there are any minor things that pop up over the next few days, or you just wanna say hi, drop me an email. Have a great day guys and Clash On!
New Addition of Flexible Timers!!
Jan 14, 2015
So what's going on? We like the timers!
Call timers are great for making calls because you can ensure your clanmates make their attacks in a reasonable time. They help keep everything organized, and allow you to easily spot that one guy who always forgets to set the stars after his attack.
But I don't think they're perfect. Sometimes a set length timer just isn't ideal. Normally the pace is a bit slower in the beginning of war and picks up at the end. And it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to have 10 hour timers when there are 8 hours left in war. With that in mind...
We're introducing Flex Timers!!
Flex timers are just that: flexible timers! They start off longer and then get progressively shorter as the war continues. It's actually really simple. Here's how they work: there are two flex timers available. The (1/2) timer, and the (1/4) timer.
The (1/2) flex timer will last for 1/2 the amount of time left in war. If you make a call in the beginning of war, there are 24 hours left, so your call lasts 12 hours. If you make a call with 6 hours left in war, your call lasts 3 hours.
The (1/4) flex timer works the same way. Just multiply the time left in war by 1/4 instead of 1/2. So if you make a call in the beginning of war, it lasts 6 hours. If you make a call with 4 hours left in war, your call lasts one hour.
The standard timers will still be there if you want them! But try these out and let me know what you think!