Feature Enhance numberology output

As someone who recently got this skill, the current numberology output is confusing. Using an example:

[15] Calculate the Universe with 49 to get: 15 Meat
[69] Calculate the Universe with 15 to get: 3 Adventures

What to do is unclear -- what happens if I enter '15'? I would have thought i'd get 3 adventures, but I got 15 meat.



Could this function be cleaned up? It seems like there are 2 ways to improve this:

#1)
1) Make it clear what number to enter. It sure looks like the [X] number is just an array reference, not a number to enter. Since that isn't the case, I'm not sure what the 2nd number is supposed to be. Awesomely-advanced players might understand these 2 numbers, but mere mortals won't.

#2)
Thoroughness is great, but could the top few entries be moved to the top or otherwise highlighted? There are probably something like 5 entries for 90% of the time and 15 entries that cover 99.9999% of all requests ever. These results shouldn't be mixed in with numerous 'magicalness-in-a-can's.

First, just because you don't like something doesn't make this a Bug. (Changed to a Feature request instead.)

QVamp said:

1) Make it clear what number to enter. It sure looks like the [X] number is just an array reference, not a number to enter. Since that isn't the case, I'm not sure what the 2nd number is supposed to be. Awesomely-advanced players might understand these 2 numbers, but mere mortals won't.

Click to expand...

The formula is

(<input> + <number of past ascensions> + <Moon sign>) * (<current spleen fullness> + <level>) + <adventures remaining>

Click to expand...

The first number is the output of that, which is the same every time for a given result. In your above example, "numberology 69" in the CLI will give you 3 adventures every time, if you can currently get that result, so you can use that without looking at the table.

The second number is the input value, which matters if you want to use the skill in the relay browser after looking at that list. I find that useful for a Frat Warrior, so I can manually handle the resulting fight.

I don't know if Veracity is interested in that output being changed, but do you even have any suggestions for how the output could be made clearer to you?

2) Thoroughness is great, but could the top few entries be moved to the top or otherwise highlighted? There are probably something like 5 entries for 90% of the time and 15 entries that cover 99.9999% of all requests ever. These results shouldn't be mixed in with numerous 'magicalness-in-a-can's.

Click to expand...

I think the expected use case is that people will memorize the output value for the 5 entries they care about quickly, and then they won't look at the table any more, so I don't think it's worth bothering with this.

numberology? X will tell you the results of executing numberology X without executing. I agree that it's unclear on first glance, but I don't know what you'd prefer -- a table (e.g. "KoLmafia input", "KoL input", "result")?

Sorry for the miscategorization, I had been looking for something like 'enhancement', but since it wasn't there, I went for 'bug' because it felt like the closest to what I was asking. I think of 'feature' as meaning something totally new, not a minor modification to something existing.

Now that I understand those 2 numbers, the format makes more sense, and I get why it is ordered the way it is.

Maybe the easiest solution would be to post an entry at the top of the list (in another color) saying something like:
Entries are in the form "[<number to input>] Calculate the Universe with <resultant number> to get: <output>"

This way those that are unfamiliar with it have a mini-tutorial built in, while it wouldn't get in the way of people who *are* used to it.


Alternately maybe the format could read:
[69] Will result in Calculate the Universe 15, which provides: 3 Adventures (this is a little longer though) or
[69] Will result in 15, which gives: 3 Adventures (much shorter, since 'Calculate the Universe' is a known)

Re-reading everything, I'm now not sure if I got the 2 numbers in the wrong order.

QVamp said:

I think of 'feature' as meaning something totally new, not a minor modification to something existing.

Click to expand...

Ideally the term "BUG" is never used at Kolmafia.us unless KolMafia is doing something wrong. Code doing what the programmer intended is (almost by definition) never wrong and "FEATURE" means "There's nothing wrong, but could it do something different, please?". Kolmafia not doing the right thing because of a change to KoL is a grey area, but what other communities call enhancements or improvements tend to be features, or feature requests here.

Let me finish that for you.

fronobulax said:

Kolmafia not doing the right thing because of a change to KoL is

Click to expand...

New Content, which was an addition to the original two entries a few years ago to reduce the former grey area that caused headaches as people reported that code which was not broken due to mafia code changes, was no longer working successfully due to changes on KoL itself. It's also used for content added to KoL which has never been supported by mafia, due to it being new.

Anytime a feature enhancement or bug request is based on a KoL change, it should get the New Content tag.
Anytime mafia doesn't work as the developer intended which is not caused by a KoL change, it should get the Bug tag.
Anytime mafia doesn't work like a user intends that is not covered by the upper two cases, it should get the Feature tag.

lostcalpolydude said:

I don't know if Veracity is interested in that output being changed, but do you even have any suggestions for how the output could be made clearer to you?

Click to expand...

I'm not sure I am interested in it being changed.

You "Calculate the Universe" with X (in the Relay Browser, say) to get Y, an index in a table of results.
You can use "numberology Y" in the gCLI.

Perhaps "numberology 69 or Calculate the Universe 15: 3 Adventures".

Except, personally, I like the conciseness of the current format.

"Calculate the universe with X to get numberology Y: [result]" ?

I like it find the way it is.

I say we reject this. If it's worth caring about then someone will make a relay script to put a proper UI on the skill.

I can see what QVamp means, for the first two weeks after I learned Calculate the Universe, it confused me greatly.
That said, changing it would probably confuse everyone who is used to it by now, but a little clarification to new time users could go a long way. Especially because it is such a helpful feature, scaring new time users into not using it (and as a result feeling bad about getting the skill, etc) would be sad. Which leads me to the next point: I doubt someone will make a relay script for it, precisely because the current functionality works great, ONCE you get used to it. Its that initial hurdle that's the problem here.
Therefore, I would like to echo:

QVamp said:

Maybe the easiest solution would be to post an entry at the top of the list (in another color) saying something like:
Entries are in the form "[<number to input>] Calculate the Universe with <resultant number> to get: <output>"

Click to expand...

This seems like the perfect compromise, clarifying the format used for new users, while leaving everything the same for all the people that have been using it without problems.

Or just putting that into the wiki, if it isn't already? So that there isn't an extra wasted line every time you run the command?

I'm not so stubborn as to assume users are willing to look stuff up regardless of how sensible that would be. Still we could have a better entry.