I’m really liking the EPIC WIN application for my iPhone. The whole “XP as a motivator to finish off tasks” concept is quite ingenious and I’ve found a lot more joy in checking off items in my to-do list than I ever have in the past (invariably with Cultured Code’s Things on both my desktop and mobile devices). I actually wanted to make an application very similar to this, but I just don’t have the time.

While EPIC WIN is much more enjoyable to use than Things, it is still a new app and accordingly not without its flaws. So after using it for nearly a week, I have compiled a list of things which I think need improvement…

USABILITY ADJUSTMENTS

* Treat repeat options like the iPhone clock alarm repeat settings. Instead of a scrolling list with one option per quest, allow people to tick options as a checklist such that more than one option will be possible. EVERY WEEK is nice, but EVERY MONDAY, WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY is nicer.

* Allow for completed quests to be be moved to the bottom of the day’s list, or an option for them to be deleted / hidden from view once completed. It kind of sucks to have to scroll down past completed quests which likely need no further interaction in order to get to the remaining active quests for the day - which do require both future interaction and to be seen. Adding a tab to see completed quests would allow users to see what they’ve accomplished - or to reactivate an accidentally completed quest.

* Move repeat tasks which have been completed today automatically out of today’s list and into the next appropriate day’s list. If “Take out the trash” is a daily task which I completed today, I’d rather see it move to tomorrow’s list now rather than have it take up space for the remainder of today. This would also allows anyone to better judge when not to place potentially conflicting tasks in future days. 

* Allow for newly added quests to appear at the top of the list, instead of just the bottom - where they probably sit underneath a pile of already completed quests as is the case now.  If you’ve put today at the top of the list because users need to tackle today’s quests first, then let users tackle those quests first - not contend with ones they’ve already completed constantly. Besides, my guess is shuffling completed tasks manually isn’t something people would need to do often, were they already out of the way of tasks still in the active queue.

FEATURE REQUESTS

* Priority tags. I understand that one could attribute the priority to the number of XP something is worth, but I think there are far too many instances where something which needs to be done ASAP isn’t necessarily worth as many XP as something which can be done later in the day. 

* Allow a sort option - whether it be by number of XP, feat type, or priority. I almost want to put this in the usability section, but I guess it isn’t that crucial. Especially since it would require priority to be added. 

* Loot can optionally adorn your character. What’s the point in earning that cool helmet if you never see your character wearing it? I realize this will require some serious work, but if you’re going to implement a system, then implement it. Don’t just hint at it.

* Level up much more quickly. I’ve been adding and checking off tasks for nearly one week, “travelling” over 600 miles and getting 6 pieces of loot, and I am still not even halfway to Level 2. If every RPG in existence gets you to Level 2 by killing rats, then my current rate of just over 2 weeks of “non-cheating” quests really dampens the potential sense of accomplishment. And isn’t that what this app is all about? Don’t treat all your customers as if they are 14 year old kids who will just add and complete 300XP quests (the maximum XP allowed for any single quest) for 10 minutes ad nauseam just to make it to to Level 20 as quickly as possible. The customers who aren’t cheating (like me and the friends I know who purchased the app) have to suffer for it. Considering that loot does nothing but sit in your inventory, earning a new piece or two every day doesn’t really satisfy after the first few pieces as much as a new level might. Then again, I wouldn’t know yet…

* Sound effects would be nice. The graphical effects for finishing tasks are vibrant and active enough that they beg for accompanying sounds. From what I gather, this is something which will come in a future update.

* Add “feat type” icons to the quest list, so you can easily see what sorts of “strength” or “stamina” or whatever tasks you have ahead of you. If it’s a stat worthy of having inclusion on the quest details page and the primary content of the character profile page, then it should be important enough to see in the quest listing page.

* Let users add quests which do not have have a target date. Not everything I need to do has a date associated with it. And needing to assign a date which would very likely change quite often - requiring manual editing each time - is an annoyance waiting to happen. I realize that it might be difficult to figure out where to put them, as putting it at the end of the list - after all dated items - could put it very far down the list. So perhaps adding a tab where date oriented tasks are in one list and non-date oriented tasks are place in the other might be the safest bet. Priority could be a winner in this “other” section. 

For now, I think this is a good enough list. I hope the developer stays active and manages to address these issues at some point. It will only help to guarantee that it stays in use on my iPhone every day for the foreseeable future.