Questions on Spectating

[Ben]

Pizza's new map really got me thinking about this. How is spectating going to be enabled? Is there just going to be a spectating spot in a lobby where spectators have to join at the beginning of the game and stay all the way through, or will they be able to come and leave? Also, what abilities will spectators have (e.g., will they be able to use chat?).

[Lewin]

Basically it's not decided, we haven't planned it yet.

We don't want them to consume player slots so you can have them in 8 player games too (and probably have more than one)

I don't think spectators will be allowed to join in the middle of a game, unless the host clicks the planned "back to lobby" button to let them join then resumes the game. Firstly it's technically challenging to start speculating in the middle of a game while the game is running live, and secondly it could allow cheating if you get your friend to join and they tell you what the enemy is doing.

Spectators might as well be able to chat because if you wanted to cheat you could talk to them in Skype or something. Letting someone spectate your game probably won't be something you do lightly, since a random person could actually be a friend of one of the other players. I see the main use being for stuff like tournaments, games between friends where the spectator is a trusted friend, or live streaming games (e.g. somebody like To could live stream and commentate KaM on a service like Twitch.tv)

So everyone will see the spectators in the player list in the lobby, and accept the fact that they will be watching. The host can ask them to leave or kick them if they are unwanted.

Please note, none of this is decided, it's just my thoughts on the matter at the moment.

[Ben]

I thought that maybe there could be a optional password that a host could set for spectating. Then someone could send their trusted friends passwords via skype or teamspeak. Of course, that would only be needed if users could start spectating at any time.

Personally, I think the most useful way of having spectating would be to allow players to start at any time. I often join TS or cruse through lobbies and see that there is a game with many good players in it. I've often wanted to see what was going on. However, your points are valid, and this would be a very difficult and complicated thing to organize/ make work.

I'm just brainstorming