New NMJL Mah Jongg System - DRAFT

The current system has it's problems. This is a draft document to outline what could be a new system.
Although the current system does have a lot of nice features, there are problems that need to be addressed.
Here are some ideas to help with these problems. NOTE: Old system will still be there if you choose to use it and will not be changed.

1. Installation is too complicated. (download, install, firewall)
   Make the NMJL Maj Online Firefox based. Once Firefox is installed, automate the rest to be as simple as possible
   Firefox is FREE and only needs to be installed!
   Since this is based on standard web design, there should be little need to configure your firewall.
2. Not resolution independent. (requires 800x600 screen or window)
   By making it based on Firefox, it will be in a popup window and so not dependent on screen resolution.
   Best to use a minimum of 1024x768 to have enough room, will also handle 1280x1024 as this is common
   With the zoom feature of Firefox one can play using 800x600 screen resolution
   With the zoom feature of Firefox one can play using very large screen resolution
3. Not platform independent (Windows only)
Firefox will work on Windows, Mac and Linux. So will the new Mah Jongg
4. Does not handle the Internet well enough. (Network problems, exiting)
New system will act much more like a web site
If a player does not provide a response in a reasonable amount of time, the system will timeout (see paced below) and not hold up the other players.
If a player exits or leaves and comes back it will be at about the same place.
5. Does not do auto validation of Maj (was not allowed access to card)
Will auto validate hand and score; solves agreeing or not to Maj
Better presentation of Maj so that player knows for sure they got maj and is valid
6. Does not handle dead hands as well as it should
Player can be declared dead by clicking on the players name.
The system then validates if hand is dead or not.
Either hand goes dead or penalty to player that declared it dead.
No more asking a player to declare a hand dead
7. Too much complaining about Timed games (should be paced games instead)
The Official rules don't have a time limit on games for a reason.
Players DON'T want to wait for others to make decisions.
The system will timeout and make dead, if a player takes too long (see below)
8. Rank, although correct, is too complicated (needs to be replaced)
How about the idea of top 10?
Score will be sum of last 100 games (see below)
9. Rooms are not used as they should be.
Although there are 3 rooms almost all players play in one room.
The current system can have many more rooms, but if only 1 is used, there is no point.
design new system to use only 1 room and have East select type of game to start.
10. New features that are needed if possible.
Better auto sort of tiles in order that player would like.
Play back of a given game. To review or check a game. Replay.
Custom message on login for the day. Allows a message to a given player.

For now use the Support page and email comments about this document.
THANKS Sigma Software, Inc.