The Spectator Mode - could be more organized if...

ChrisStarkChrisStark Germany Join Date: 2016-02-11 Member: 212895Members, NS2 Playtester
1. Play the Voice-Talks for Marines on the left ear and the Alien ones on the right ear... If 2-3 people are talking in both teams you can't understand anything.
In this way a spectator can even choose (if he uses a Headset) to put one earshell (dunno whats the right word) from his headset away to listen to one team.
2. Display who is talking centered at top of the screen below the res counters and not behind the alien team names.
3. Move the minimap on the bottom left more into the screen so it is not partially behind the marine team names.
4. Shrink down the player buttons on each side so more names can be displayed correctly on NS2Large servers. As spectator you have plenty of time clicking on a name.
The buttons don't need to be that large.
5. Another cool option would if you click on the commander in each team to actually see his view and what he is building and so on. Like this a new player who wants to
command can learn from watching what to do before getting in the command station themselves. By clicking the logout button they could get back to normal spectator
mode.

If I have more ideas I will edit them in the OP.

So now the question to the PDT and the community what do you think of my ideas and have you more? :smiley:

Comments

  • ChrisStarkChrisStark Germany Join Date: 2016-02-11 Member: 212895Members, NS2 Playtester
    edited April 2016
    Since the edit button for the OP is broken I have to double post.

    6. The techpoint chart could be centered between the evoutions and upgrades for aliens and marines and could be a litte bit smaller, too.
    Yes it would steal some sight on the screen but its the spectator mode. You can't be killed or miss anything important by not seeing this
    part of the screen.
  • BeigeAlertBeigeAlert Texas Join Date: 2013-08-08 Member: 186657Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, Pistachionauts
    Ooh definitely liking #5, that'd be really interesting to see what the commander sees.

    #1 sounds like a disaster though... not sure it would help distiguish teams at all by having voices in different ears. :(

    These all sound like awesome ideas... not sure when we'll be able to commit time to doing them though. :( Me personally, I've been spending all my time and then some working on the new tutorials.
  • NordicNordic Long term camping in Kodiak Join Date: 2012-05-13 Member: 151995Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
    Good suggestions. #5 already exists, although you would not know it unless you tried it.

    So there are the teams on the left and right. If you click on a player the camera will follow that player. It is the same for the commander. If you click on the commander, your camera will follow the commander's view. You will see what he sees. You won't get his GUI, but you will get his POV.
  • ChrisStarkChrisStark Germany Join Date: 2016-02-11 Member: 212895Members, NS2 Playtester
    edited April 2016
    BeigeAlert wrote: »
    Ooh definitely liking #5, that'd be really interesting to see what the commander sees.

    #1 sounds like a disaster though... not sure it would help distiguish teams at all by having voices in different ears. :(

    These all sound like awesome ideas... not sure when we'll be able to commit time to doing them though. :( Me personally, I've been spending all my time and then some working on the new tutorials.

    Hearing the teams on different ears can only help if you can hear stereo. Since most people can I think this could be helpful. It's like 3D in the cinema. Some people can see right to see the effects properly and some don't.
    Nordic wrote: »
    Good suggestions. #5 already exists, although you would not know it unless you tried it.

    So there are the teams on the left and right. If you click on a player the camera will follow that player. It is the same for the commander. If you click on the commander, your camera will follow the commander's view. You will see what he sees. You won't get his GUI, but you will get his POV.

    I know this function. This is how I got the idea. But I mean with the GUI, pointer and everything. Sorry if this wasn't clear at the beginning.
    Since you only have his POV you only see the cam moving around quickly and see him meds and ammo dropping. But that does not help learning something.

    Edit: @BeigeAlert: The hearing thing could also be achieved came to my mind right now by implementing a button showing who you hear. Like: Marines Only - All - Aliens Only and changing description and channels by clicking on it :smiley:
  • AeglosAeglos Join Date: 2010-04-06 Member: 71189Members
    edited April 2016
    ChrisStark wrote: »
    Nordic wrote: »
    Good suggestions. #5 already exists, although you would not know it unless you tried it.

    So there are the teams on the left and right. If you click on a player the camera will follow that player. It is the same for the commander. If you click on the commander, your camera will follow the commander's view. You will see what he sees. You won't get his GUI, but you will get his POV.

    I know this function. This is how I got the idea. But I mean with the GUI, pointer and everything. Sorry if this wasn't clear at the beginning.
    Since you only have his POV you only see the cam moving around quickly and see him meds and ammo dropping. But that does not help learning something.

    You'd need highlights on key presses too. Otherwise there is no point when the commander just hotkeys. The only thing you'd see is selection menu change if they don't select with their mouse. If you don't pay attention you might not notice them upgrading stuff, especially when you don't know what to look for.
  • ChrisStarkChrisStark Germany Join Date: 2016-02-11 Member: 212895Members, NS2 Playtester
    Good idea @Aeglos ! I think this shouldn't be too hard to implement. And if you don't pay attention you can't learn ^^
  • AeglosAeglos Join Date: 2010-04-06 Member: 71189Members
    The thing is that the action is more attention grabbing than whatever is going on and/or people (I) tend to follow the mouse. The commander pressing a hotkeyed arms lab then a/z and back to e for meds and ammo would easily go unnoticed if whatever is going on is more interesting.

    Looking at a first person stream/recording of a commander should highlight any potential problems or improvements to be made for spectating them.
  • ChrisStarkChrisStark Germany Join Date: 2016-02-11 Member: 212895Members, NS2 Playtester
    Of course you can't learn to be a good commander in one spectating session. And of course some actions will be missed, but you didn't learn to play on the field in one day either did you? ^^
    I personnally tend to follow specific players or just click here and there.
    It practically the same problem what you say like when people don't read the chat. I always read the chat because not everyone has a mic to give status updates and I don't want to miss something that's going on. Others never read whats in there. That causes tunnels or Phasegates not being used or rushes on the own base or outposts go unnoticed...

    I like the idea to look at a recording of a commander for a search of problems :smiley:
  • FoxyFoxy United Kingdom Join Date: 2014-08-19 Member: 198032Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow
    Nordic wrote: »
    Good suggestions. #5 already exists, although you would not know it unless you tried it.

    So there are the teams on the left and right. If you click on a player the camera will follow that player. It is the same for the commander. If you click on the commander, your camera will follow the commander's view. You will see what he sees. You won't get his GUI, but you will get his POV.

    AFAIK. it will only centre on his view, so you have to keep clicking on his name or hold down spacebar to continually centre on his view.
  • NordicNordic Long term camping in Kodiak Join Date: 2012-05-13 Member: 151995Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
    Foxy wrote: »
    Nordic wrote: »
    Good suggestions. #5 already exists, although you would not know it unless you tried it.

    So there are the teams on the left and right. If you click on a player the camera will follow that player. It is the same for the commander. If you click on the commander, your camera will follow the commander's view. You will see what he sees. You won't get his GUI, but you will get his POV.

    AFAIK. it will only centre on his view, so you have to keep clicking on his name or hold down spacebar to continually centre on his view.
    No, it follows them. I do it on occasion. Wyzcrak is a curious commander.

    Also @ChrisStark, because you are in Germany you probably have not had the pleasure to play on the tactical gamer server in the US. They have a mod there that allows you to select: Marine voice comms, alien voice comms, both comms, only spectator comms, and no comms at all. It is done as a shine plug in so theoretically, someone could pull it out of the tgns mod and use it elsewhere.

  • ChrisStarkChrisStark Germany Join Date: 2016-02-11 Member: 212895Members, NS2 Playtester
    @Nordic You are right. Never played there. But sounds good. So this problem is already fixed in some way.
Sign In or Register to comment.