Hi,
I have noticed that the meter jumps and the game can load slow between shots when in a multiplayer game due to the friends list; invite functions, and player credit balance.
Move the friends list, invite and credit balance off the game page and only have it on a players profile page. There is no practical reason for these to be displayed and even worse updated constantly. This has caused many disconnects and several slowdowns.
In order to help the game load faster, restrict the access to the game window to game play and chat only.
Anytime the friends list gets updated, there is a stoppage of the game stream, if you are already in a game, what do you need the friends list for? If a player wants to send an invite or check to see which of their friends are online they can check the non-game window.
I’m pretty sure (not a programmer, but not a newbie to computer programming) that the game client window should only be displaying game information and not the social aspects of the game. There are personal messages and forum for social interaction beyond the current game.
If a player wants to send a friend invite during a game, they can click on the players name, click on full profile and this will open a non-game window for that persons profile, an invitation can be sent from there and not interrupt the game in progress.
To me these changes are a no brainer. Flash is limited and should not be required to run like a "normal" game and be constantly updated. These changes will speed the game up more that removing half the avatar movements and forcing 100's if not 1000's of players to have to change the way they play the game.
Of course this is just a players point of view. Instead of reducing the precision of the clubs (don't go there, different post for that), look for non-game activities that slow down the program and move them to the profile page.