Spectator mode - Whats the use...?

[OpenSource]

So, devs gave us a great future, spectator mode.

But whats the use?

Daily i play on public server where someone "just need to go get a smoke", or "just need to use bathroom" - this is no problem in itself, but when not going into spectator mode first it becomes a problem.

Being in a server where its 7 vs 7 and 2 of your teammaters are doing there own shit without going to spectator first is pissing me off.

A close and fun game can and has been destroyed by this "i dont care about team" mentality.
So, why cant devs take it one step further.

Anyone not spawning after the 5 sec countdown + 5 new seconds will get auto-forced to spectator mode.
If server is almost full it should be auto-kick.

[C4rma]

ehm... Clan matches?

[CaptainAhab]

I like the idea of monitoring people who are AFK, but I think maybe 10 seconds would be better after the 5-second countdown.

Also, I would imagine spectator mode has a lot of use for spectating clan matches, pickups, scrimmages, and tournaments.

[LySioS]

+1
It's very annoying in tosok when you have to wait for the afk player to be killed/kicked.

Spectator mode, by its name, doesnt define itself as a pause mode. Maybe that's why few people use it.

But whats the use?

clan matches, checking if someone cheats, learning from a good player ...

[OpenSource]

ehm... Clan matches?

/mastermode 2

Im talking public games.
Of course changing mastermode to match need to remove this kick/force.

Also, I would imagine spectator mode has a lot of use for spectating clan matches, pickups, scrimmages, and tournaments.

Then you are in spectator mode already and problem is solved.

The problem i address is when people are NOT using it.

---

Im not saying we should remove spectator mode.
Im saying idle/AFKs need to be forced into that mode or kicked from server.

We do have a AFK kick serverside, but this is on some servers set real high and by that not doing its job - which is to remove ppl not playing.

But whats the use?

clan matches, checking if someone cheats, learning from a good player ...

If you quote my topic you are misreading it. ;)

Im saying "whats the use of having it when people arent using it"...

[D1551D3N7]

IMO there should be a way to vote someone to spectator like how you can vote someone to the other team.

[paulmuaddibKA]

Well thought!
Make it a vote and leave to the server owner (or through vote) to decide turning that feature on or not. If on, auto-spec, lets say, 10 secs after spawn. But if the player moves an inch then it shouldnt function, IMO, to avoid "campers" or alike to get mad.
No problem with auto-kick. First spec, then kick.

[CaptainAhab]

Now that I have had my coffee, I see what you're talking about. ;)

What paul posted is something I am thinking about as well. What if, on the off chance, someone is strategically camping a certain position. The auto-kick function would definitely backfire if it booted this person for not moving, which would make him or her relatively angry. Granted, if even moving 0.00005 inches "stopped the auto-kick timer," so to speak, I suppose this problem doesn't really exist, and indeed does get rid of people who just chill in spawn and/or camp one position endlessly.

So what you are describing is an auto-spectate function for those who are AFK. And not just typing for 5-8 seconds -- actually AFK. After the 5-second spawn timer is up, and the player does not respond for 10 more seconds or so, they get automatically put into spectator mode. In modes like TOSOK or TSURV, if the player simply does not move after the round has started for 10-15 seconds or so, they automatically get put into spectator for being supposedly AFK.

Those are just my random thoughts, but I like the idea.

[OpenSource]

Yes, Cap Ahab, something like that.

The camping problem is not the issue i like to address in this topic.

Im just wanna get some attention to the AwayFromKeyboard problem without having the manners and decency to enter spectator mode first.

Im also talking about in public game, where you have no control of how many players there is.

See the problem when you are playing 3 vs 2.
Team A is 2.
Team B is 3.

Player on A goes AFK.
This leaves 1 vs 3.

Fun?
Can be, but likely not.

This is where i would like to see spectator mode getting used - by a server force if needed.

[D1551D3N7]

I have been posting this idea for ages but no one ever listened :O

[paulmuaddibKA]

Well, what Cpt. Ahab and I said applies when, in the situation you described, the player who went AFK gets killed. Not before, as the server wouldnt know if the player is camping or not. I cant think of a better way to implement it.
But you are so right, its mind blowing and utterly annoying. I also hate when , not only in public matches, but also in ladder ones, one player spawns mindlessly without first studying the rooster. Imagine how many ways a fun tied 4 vs 4 game can be ruined when a ninth player connects. (I also fail, notice im a n00b XD).
I love to anticipate to the server decisions when auto-team is on and teams are unbalanced. Pity I dont have admin in most servers, I would do great, XD!

[X-Ray_Dog]

A close and fun game can and has been destroyed by this "i dont care about team" mentality.
So, why cant devs take it one step further.

Anyone not spawning after the 5 sec countdown + 5 new seconds will get auto-forced to spectator mode.

/kick cn "reason"

[D1551D3N7]

You mightn't notice....

[OpenSource]

/kick cn "reason"

The problem with that is a lot of ppl vote no.
Dont know if its because stupidity, its a friend or what ever.
The point being, vote kick dont always work, even if the kick is for a good reason.

Beside, i use [cubescript]alias mkick [
if (> (listlen $arg1) 0) [
tmp = $arg1
if (= (currole) 0) [
claimadmin
sleep 150 [ kick $tmp "idle/afk/not playing" ]
sleep 1500 [ setadmin 0 ]
][
kick $tmp "idle/afk/not playing"
]
]
][/cubescript]

[kleinkariert]

good idea there.

[RealViking]

Just lower the treshold for the afk-kick to kick in from 30 seconds to 5 seconds.
Problem?
Solved, I believe.
Where's my cookie

[OpenSource]

cookie?
Go ask Google.
Google Busted With Hand in Safari-Browser Cookie Jar | Threat Level | Wired.com

[C4rma]

Yeh, a great idea! Lets kick everybody that look away from the game for 5 seconds..-

[kleinkariert]

...

[OpenSource]

There is just the example of "I give a f**k about team" mentality im talking about.

Maybe i ask to much of people in a game, but at least i have the manner and decency to go to spec mode before i go take a shit.

[CaptainAhab]

Yeh, a great idea! Lets kick everybody that look away from the game for 5 seconds..-

5 seconds is a bit of overkill, but in a team-based online multiplayer game, one is expected to be actively engaged in the outcome of the match. If the player does not want to do so (read: not participate accordingly), he or she should be put into spectator mode or simply not bother connecting. This may have sounded a bit harsh, but that's how I see it, especially in games that demand teamwork to succeed. It's always a pain in games like Team Fortress to see numerous people just sitting AFK for 5-10 minutes and contributing absolutely nothing to the match. Why not drop them in spectator after 15-20 seconds if they are doing nothing (read: away from their keyboard) and allow people who want to connect and participate to do so in their place.

Just my two cents.

[RealViking]

Yeh, a great idea! Lets kick everybody that look away from the game for 5 seconds..-

Server owners could change it to 10 or 15..-

[LySioS]

Just lower the treshold for the afk-kick to kick in from 30 seconds to 5 seconds.

R U MAD ?
Sometimes, I hide and take some time to read what's being said. I would be kicked often.
30 seconds is good, but it's not the default, is it?
15 would be great before being forced spectator. If still afk after another 45secs, auto-kick.

Devs could also bind the PAUSE key to spectate by default.
You can do it while in game, just type:

[SELECT ALL] Code:

/bind PAUSE [spectate]

Server owners could change it to 10 or 15..-

How? Can't find it in the servercmdline.txt ...

[#M|A#Wolf]

I wouldn't mind making spectator mode only available in mastermode 1/2, don't think it would affect anyone.

[RealViking]

R U MAD ?

No.

Sometimes, I hide and take some time to read what's being said. I would be kicked often.

People don' talk that much on ladder servers that you need to stop to read what they type. The treshold would most likely be higher on non-ladder servers, no? Yes.

30 seconds is good, but it's not the default, is it?

Server owners could change it to 10 or 15..-

How? Can't find it in the servercmdline.txt ...

http://assault.cubers.net/docs/commandline.html
Like I said, the treshold would need to be lowered.

[OpenSource]

-kAN

Sets the threshold (in seconds) for the "AFK" auto-kick to N. The server won't auto-kick if:

The servers mastermode is PRIVATE or MATCH.
If there are 4 or less players.
If the mode isn't team-based AND the server isn't full.

The server will assume inactive players, even if chatting or in spectate mode, as AFK. If the value is set lower than 30 seconds, then AFK auto-kick is disabled. The default setting is 45 seconds.
http://assault.cubers.net/docs/commandline.html

---

Not kicking if server isnt full?
Thats great.
Then we are back to start. 2vs3 can easy become 1vs3.

[LySioS]

http://assault.cubers.net/docs/commandline.html
Like I said, the treshold would need to be lowered.

Just found it, thanx anyway.

-kAN

Sets the kick threshold (in seconds) for the "Away From Keyboard" autokick. This autokick happens only if the server is OPEN (not PRIVATE and not MATCH), there are more than 4 players in the game, and affects mainly the teammode games. The server assumes chatting people and spectators as AFK. If the value is set less than 30, the AFK autokick is disabled. (default: 45).

I'll put it to 31 then.

[MykeGregory]

Perhaps a 45 second timer, after that time is up you get auto-spectated?

[XFA]

Perhaps a 45 second timer, after that time is up you get auto-spectated?

and maybe when the server becomes full while spectating you get warning and then kicked after 15sec of a full server

[Mitixx]

I wouldn't mind making spectator mode only available in mastermode 1/2, don't think it would affect anyone.

I think spectator mode can be used also in public: for example when you are checking if someone is cheating, before banning it's better to be sure.
But, in my opinion, if a player have to go away for some time it would be better if he could just disconnect, without "wasting" a server slot. Only if this should require a few sec, less than a min, it can be ok if he decides to spectate.

A possibile solution for afk players that "forget" to spectate can be just set a lower timer for auto-kicks, as many already proposed.