Watch Games In Progress?

[Tomisama]

How difficult would it be to make it possible to watch games in progress? Just a one way feed available to those persons in the foyer, authorized by the game host.

It would be a great way for new folks to get familiar with the game, and an excellent means to encourage tournaments of all types. Both help to build a strong, stable, and ever growing player community.

Another thing that would be helpful in strengthening the community would be the return of chat rooms. They were an invaluable tool in getting to know each other, building and developing clans, and organizing and managing competitions.

Somethings to think about http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[longjohn2]

Supporting spectators is something to think about for the future. A host with broadband and a fast machine could probably support a few spectators.
Can't stop spectators calling up their mate and giving them some helpful mid game info though.

[Tomisama]

Hi LongJohn,

Was thinking that if the host computer could be reporting to the server with little or no overhead, and the server disseminate to the spectators, that it might work. It would 'not' have to be in real time, I think a minute or two offset would be perfectly acceptable. After the players reviewed their scores, saved the replay, and re-logged, all would end up in the foyer about the same time for congrats all around http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Kocmoc]

what is with online replays?
just after the battles other can watch it online....

koc

[Tempiic]

Having played in multiplayer games where observers could join and watch a game in progress.... I can say that the data transfers from an observer will roughly be the same as from someone who plays... After all the host will send the same information to the observers as the other players... its just that the observer does not send back the same amount of data.... This is not hard to implement... Does not matter much whether its a 4v4 or a 3v3 with 2 observers... however the lag will be roughly the same in both cases.... A situation with a time delay would be best option, but I do not see the point of that... You can just watch it offline instead... same difference

[Knight_Yellow]

lets concentrate on the main feature of MP we all whant witch can be readily identified by looking at my sig.



PLEASE CA I WANT CMP

[Kocmoc]

lol yellow,

its just a dream and it will be a dream. u wont see this....
u belong to a max of 5% and ur wish is a great effort.

koc

[Louis de la Ferte Ste Colombe]

I got this option implemented in nearly all my MP games.

With a judicious choice of ally (ies), I usually just have to sit down, have a glass of wine, relax and enjoy the show. I hardly fight at all.

My only prob is sending units everywhere to be sure not to miss any part of the action. I shall be allowed to have unlimited view, whereas the real players don't.

Louis,

[Tomisama]

About three years ago (give or take some months) I ask for replays, and almost every body laughed and had their fun. I remember one post that said it was impossible, and several said it would never happen

The first shot at it was a little rough to use, but now it’s standard equipment.

Imagine for a moment that you could pop into the foyer, click on a game in progress, and watch that game. I don’t think observers need to, or should be communicating with folks in the game. But you could watch and talk to other watchers. This game is not only great to play, it’s great entertainment Especially in real-time (or very near).

This is hot stuff folks. Believe me, and it will happen. It’s only a matter of time. If not CA then someone else will be the first. Maybe are right now (I don’t get out much http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif ).

I would be happy at this point, if I just had an expanded radar map to watch. Then when four of my mates are locking horns with another clan in a 4v4, the rest of us could cheer them on (even if they could not hear), and be there when the piled back into the foyer, having been part of the action too, just from a distance.

[Skomatth]

If it was implemented there should definetely be an option to turn it off. I wouldnt want people spying on secret training games. However it would be a good way to pass time in a slow foyer or watch a game to see how your clan is doing so you can critique them afterwards.

[Dionysus9]

tomi-- what longjohn was saying was that there would be no way to stop spectators from calling a player on the phone (or instant message, or roger wilco) and offering advice. Just no way to stop that.

EXCEPT-- if you delay the transmission by a minute or two (as you suggested) then there wouldnt be time to give advice.

The lag problem could be totally fixed by what farming out the replay information to the main gamespy server, as you suggested.

The server is already routing info from the host to the other players. That info is already passing through the server. It would not take much effort (although it might take some hardware) for the server to simply record the replay info and play it back to spectators.The host could turn the spectator option on and off and could specify the lag time.


I really dont see any reason why this would be too much trouble. If you think about the possibilities for bringing the game to a wider audience. CA could have a free demo-style "replay viewer" which could be used by people who might be interested in the game...they could watch and ask questions before they bought the game.

Of course, CA is still convinced that the money is in SP, and until they realize that MP has a vast untapped potential I dont think we will see much progress in MP.

This certainly would be progress.

[baz]

this would be a good feature, and im sure it would be possible without too much work involved.

[Tomisama]

I find it hard to believe that anyone who has played multiplayer could ever go back to single player. The exceptions of course would be, wanting to enjoy the campaign or historical challenges (not available to MP), or to practice in customs (for MP). To me, it would be like making your first solo flight and then deciding to stick with the simulator. No way man Would you rather play 'any' game with the AI, or with another human being?

I would like to submit that if we multiplayers truly represent only the above mentioned 5%, that it is the lack of aggressive pursuit of the online market that is at fault. I believe, as Bachus said, that “MP has a vast untapped potential”. That if anything, that 5% should be considered ‘in addition’ to the number of games that would have been sold without multiplayer (and only the begining).

*puts away soapbox again*

[Nikodil]

Well said Tomi Or put another way: Playing SP is masturbation, you have to go MP to get the real thing.

Actually, as a true game is based on competition, any solo game without human opponents is more accurately called a "puzzle".

While we're talking feature request:
-Being able to Save replays even after the host quits
-Replay of the chat log, the dialog is sometimes as interesting as the fighting.

(And I would love to do Shakespears Henry V in the Theater of Total War).

[theKyl]

Zitat[/b] (Dionysus9 @ Mai 13 2003,23:49)]tomi-- what longjohn was saying was that there would be no way to stop spectators from calling a player on the phone (or instant message, or roger wilco) and offering advice. Just no way to stop that.

EXCEPT-- if you delay the transmission by a minute or two (as you suggested) then there wouldnt be time to give advice.

The lag problem could be totally fixed by what farming out the replay information to the main gamespy server, as you suggested.

The server is already routing info from the host to the other players. That info is already passing through the server. It would not take much effort (although it might take some hardware) for the server to simply record the replay info and play it back to spectators.The host could turn the spectator option on and off and could specify the lag time.


I really dont see any reason why this would be too much trouble. If you think about the possibilities for bringing the game to a wider audience. CA could have a free demo-style "replay viewer" which could be used by people who might be interested in the game...they could watch and ask questions before they bought the game.

Of course, CA is still convinced that the money is in SP, and until they realize that MP has a vast untapped potential I dont think we will see much progress in MP.

This certainly would be progress.
hear hear

I like this idea very much and MP really has a vast potential. I never buy SP-only games, they gotta have a good MP modus.

As for now, host a 4v4, play 1v1 and you have 6 spectators.


http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif