This has been talked about previously but I thought I'd raise this for discussion again since to me it seems like a very favourable idea.


The advantages of such a feature would be obvious. New (and not so new) players can observe veteran players battle it out and learn accordingly. While battle tournament organisers would be able to observe final matches, take screenshots and so on. Overall this feature, if implemented in a correct way, would enhance the battle experience that WoL offers and maybe even alleviate the boredom of some campaigners waiting for the next tick.

The major disadvantage I guess would be the time involved in coding such a feature. Another disadvantage would be that spying would be possible. A friend of someone who is battling another player could observe the game and communicate the other player's moves and position, basically removing the fog of war. Sadly I can only offer a remedy to this second disadvantage, leaving more code-minded people (and Requiem ofcourse) to deal with the first disadvantage.

This is how I see it were this feature implemented. When you go to the battles page as you go normally, with viewing of occupied games allowed, you click on one of the games that are currently running. Once the page for that particular battle loads, somewhere near the "Enter Game" button you see "Spectate" and another two buttons "Watch Player_X" and "Watch Player_Y". Once you click on one of those buttons the particular player is notified through private message that there is a request to observe his game.

Now as for the two battlers, in the their game window somewhere under "Status" there would be a link "Spectators". On that page there would be a table of people requesting to observe the battle with "Allow/Disallow" buttons to the side of each request. Once allowed a spectator can only see that player's troops(since they only have that player's permission). So basically if you trust someone, you allow them to watch as you see your troops, if you don't know the person requesting to observe, you don't click the allow button. Another thing that would be a good thing to add is a "Block requests" option just incase the player doesn't want to allow any spectators and receive any notices through pms.

I believe if implemented in such a way the disadvantage of spying is diminished significantly, and only leaves the problem of coding...

Last Edited : Monday, 29 November 2004 - 23:59

the scary thing is boe, at the very same time you posted this i was thinking about posting htis exact same idea, but discounted my own thought seeing the disadvantage to spying....

...scary that our minds work alike....


damn... now i wanna go drink.

Me too...

There might have to be a limit to the updates due to server time. I would suggest that each time the player refreshes his or her map is when others would get an update.

If it helps get the coding done faster, I would be willing to "beta test" the spectator mode in a battle against Boevoipes.

I dont like the idea... But i dont play battles anyway

I like it, but why not allow them to see both sides if they have permission from both?

Or another thing that may be possible would be to make it so the spectator cannot send messages to either of the players during the battle. But that would be a whole lotta coding... I love Boe's idea! I would love to see a couple of really high ranked people go at it so I can learn from them. If they'd let me.

You’re all a bunch of voyeurs, peeping toms, and exhibitionists.



…and knowing Pimp, he’ll find a way to make money out of it!

it sounds like a great idea, specially with the authorization controls.. say you're a pro with a newbie or two under your wing... what a better way to teach than through example? or what a better way to show off to your friends the carnage?

just sounding off in support..

i'm against it.

everybody can see my supreme tactics this way and i will not be a suprise for them if i am going to fight them .

at least i think some day i will get a superb tactic

well spankityhankity, if you read boe's post, he suggested that only people you invite may spectate.
Your ultimately awesome tactics would be safe.

How about when the game is over. Submiting it for review.

Thats not a bad idea. With the invite required of course. In order to see both sides of teh battle both battlers would have to invite though.

i think the spectator option is great, for a couple of reasons:
1) It would be enjoyable just to sit back, relax...and yell "WHAT KIND OF STUPID MOVE WAS THAT!" at the computer
2) Less stress, i mean admit it, battles put some grays on your head no matter how old you are
3) Last of all it would teach the newer players a few strategies on the game and such, leading to more battlers and more competition over time

What about having a "record battle" option, where once the battle is done, a record of the battle is stored somewhere,
and people can watch it at their own speed?

That would be really cool, but probably cost a good deal of bandwidth. I'm no tech geek or web expert, but my guess is that the conversion may not be easy (though there may be some easy way Req has already) but more importantly that the viewing file would be large and take up a lot of space on the site.

Don't get me wrong, I really like the idea, I just don't know if it's feasible.

Disabling communications within the game won't stop cheating, there's aim and email and irc and a zillion other ways to communicate. Now a WOL swat team, which breaks into your house the second you click on "spectate" and ties you up, keeps several M-16s pointed at you and your family and eats the contents of your refrigerator while you "spectate" and then spectorates as they leave, now that WOULD work.

Last Edited : Friday, 17 December 2004 - 23:27