Time Signature Replays and Chat Logs

[Dionysus9]

Wouldnt it be nice if replays were more of a "VCR" format?With a time signature, fast-forward, rewind, pause, etc.

So if you wanted to show someone something that occured 22 minutes and 31 seconds into the game, you could just zip right to it That would be nice. That would aid instruction of new players immensely.

Also, it would be nice if the replay also captured ALL chat in the game--public and ally chat, and also noted the time the chat was made.

That way you could prove to troublesome allies that you did in fact warn them they were in danger, or warn them you were going to charge, or ask for help, etc. It would also settle a lot of disputes like "who started it".

Gamespy keeps a log of the foyer chat so they can punish threatening jerks...well, as it stands now, a threatnening jerk with a little brains can wait to be "in game" before becoming abusive.

Without any time-line on our replays, its hard to tell people what you want them to look at. "Bach's fourth Alan charge was good" is about as exact as it gets. I'd prefer, "Bachus, 34 Alan Cav v. pavs--0:32:02.34".

What do y'all think?

(My guess is, you will think its a great idea that will never get implemented.)

[Magyar Khan]

your guess is right, but u know how it works. spend energy on advertising it, lobbying it, convincing devs and keep this doing till u get frustrated, than, perhaps than it might be implemented.

[tootee]

I wonder what effect these additional cpu activities will have on MP performance, esp on slower systems.. otherwise they are neat features to have.

[Shahed]

Very good idea. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

How about a Replay software so when you are on main menu, click watch replays and the replay is shown in a player like WM or Real. This way pause, rewind, slow etc.. everything is in. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

More work for you guys at CA http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif but this is a feature that will be used and well appreciated by the community. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Crandaeolon]

I asked about this some time ago, and IIRC it's impossible to implement with the current system MTW uses for replays. The replays only store the commands that players give to different units, meaning that the computer has to "re-calculate" the battle with the aid of a pseudo-random "seed" number every time you play the replay. The speed slider simply speeds up the rate at which calculations occur. With the current format, it would be very very difficult to implement any sort of rewind ability, and fast-forwarding to a specific moment would still require the computer to make all the calculations necessary to reach that point in the battle. (Storing chat and putting a simple time signature _shouldn't_ be that hard, though...)

Perhaps we'll get a better replay system in RTW. Don't give up hope. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Alrowan]

ive always wanted this.... pleeeeaaaasee

[GilJaysmith]

Rewind impossible; fast-forward only possible by not redrawing the action until you hit a particular point, and even then likely to be very little faster than hitting Ctrl-T.
Logging & replaying the chat - mmmm, tempting... very tempting. Not backward-compatible, though, so replays saved with chat wouldn't play on earlier versions. Existing replays are probably going to play back incorrectly on Vikings anyway, but that's better than them crashing the game. But still very tempting.

[baz]

i not so sure showing chat is the best idea ..

[AMPage]

It already allows someone to study each move you make, so might as well add the chat too. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

Also a replay room would be nice for a few people all at once view the same replay and talk about it. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[tootee]

Gil,

can we take tempting as an unofficial 'yes'? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif

*bait Gil with a carrot http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif*

[FearofNC]

to record the battle while playing it would understandably require way to many pc reasources... the solution of re-generating the battle in order to view a "replay" was an excellent idea. however...there might be a way to have your cake, and eat it too http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/idea.gif

during the playback of the battle...you could make a record feature that would copy the battle into a 3d movie with camera controls. this would take a nice pc and a bit of time to do...but would create an actual movie of the battle that could be placed on the internet or shared with friends who dont own a tw game.

because of the different pc requirments...something of this nature would have to be offered as an optional download or install..but imagine the benifits of being able to show the genral game player the beauty and intracacy of total war.

[GilJaysmith]

Quote[/b] (FearofNC @ Feb. 02 2003,20:39)]during the playback of the battle...you could make a record feature that would copy the battle into a 3d movie with camera controls. this would take a nice pc and a bit of time to do...but would create an actual movie of the battle that could be placed on the internet or shared with friends who dont own a tw game.
That was considered, but it got a fairly low priority and it never moved higher. Chrome features like that tend to be added only if there's plenty of time at the end of the project or if someone is really interested in the feature, but neither happened.

Adding chat text to the replay seems like only an hour's work, so it may get done. But I suspect that the replay format is sadly intolerant of new content, so if it causes any problems with non-MP replays, or if a VI replay with chat makes non-VI EXEs crash, it'll come out again... we'll know next week.

[Nobunaga0611]

I don't know if thats such a good idea. Yes it has its good points, but will it show all chat? That is, from both sides, simultaneously? And what if two people from opposite sides say something at the EXACT same time, will it cause some sort of conflict making the replay crash? (I know, highly unlikely). And not to mention, when I'm in game and people are constantly talking, the chat kind of gets annoying, and in the way.

So....the best of both worlds would be an *option* to turn battle chat on or off in replays. I don't usually say no to options, its that yes or no thing that gets me. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Dionysus9]

Hmmm, I may have opened a can of worms...

now that I think about it, in a clan v. clan game there is a lot of private discussion that goes on in ally chat. Ally chat is one of the few places in the game you can be assured your chat wont be heard by others.

Come to think of it, I could see recorded ally chat causing a lot more problems. "He called me a what?" An Option would be the best way. You could enable the chat-recorder for tournament games w/ a referee, or w/ spectators (see related thread) or you could turn it off when you are playing a clan game.

Recording public chat makes perfect sense and would be a nice addition.


And btw, nice to see you Gil

wooohoo

[GilJaysmith]

Quote[/b] (Dionysus9 @ Feb. 03 2003,05:51)]Recording public chat makes perfect sense and would be a nice addition.
I'm reminded of Bob Shaw's novel "Light Of Other Days", in which the invention of "slow glass" eventually leads to the impossibility of secrecy and the progression of mankind towards a more open, honest society...

... in other words, if a replay might expose the fact that people are abusive about opponents in team chat, it might be an inspiration for cleaner team chat :)

However, for now I'll look at saving just the public chat, and only if it doesn't break stuff.

[Swoosh So]

Ye leave the team chat alone http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif I think public chat is fine http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Dionysus9]

My concerns are not just about avoiding the disclosure of private abusive chat, I'm primarily concerned with disclosure of private team tactical discussions.

Clans will often develope advanced team strategies that--if known to opposing clans-- would become useless. No point in handing out private communiques to the enemy.

Thanks for your efforts, sir

[Kongamato]

An option could be made for the host to turn private chat during the replay on or off.