Valid Record & Replay feature (NOT video)

[SwiftSmoky 8,445]

A record & replay system could help the game in many ways. I'm not talking about recording a video of the game, there are other programs to do that already. The system I suggest will have many applications beyond recording videos for youtube, as well as solve the trust problems with spectators. I'm talking about recording what actually happens in the battle, every single event (key presses of players, location updates, boxes dropping and getting picked up, etc). The result should be a code that looks somewhat like what's in the spoiler: (simplified)

 

 

 

[00:00:00:00] Join: SwiftSmoky Blue (Viking, Thunder...)

[00:00:00:00] Join: Nives Red (equipment...)

[00:00:05:00] Spawn: SwiftSmoky (x:10.0, y:12.0125, z:-40.0, r:3.14159265359)

[00:00:05:00] Spawn: Nives (x:23.5, y:12.0125, z:20.0, r:1.57079632679)

[00:00:05:42] Move: SwiftSmoky (Hold:Down,Hold:Left,Hold:Z)

[00:00:05:58] Leave: Nives

[00:00:07:21] Move: SwiftSmoky (Release:Down,Release:Left,Release:Z)

[00:00:09:33] Chat: SwiftSmoky TeamChat " :("

[00:00:09:40] Join: Nives Spectator

[00:00:10:02] Drop: RepairKit (x,y,z)

[00:00:14:14] Leave: SwiftSmoky

 

Of course this is just a simplified human readable version of the code just to demonstrate the concept. Basically a log of a bunch of the info the server receives from the clients and sends to them.

I don't know how big these logs will get though, so the server might have to regularly delete old logs, maybe with an option to save battles and prevent them from deletion (with a limit of how many battles one player can save, and a delete option)

 

 

 

To avoid fake codes, the recorded battle codes should be saved only on the tanki server (not visible to the client at all) and should only be possible to load in the game using the battle ID (which is a part of the battle link). This is vital to prevent players from editing codes and making fake evidence to report players for cheating, fake chat announcements that look like the CM wrote them, etc...

There can be a button for loading recorded battles somewhere at the small buttons in the top bar. Then simply enter a battle ID / link, and the game will load the battle with the observer being in spectator mode.

There should be some video-like user interface so players are able to navigate to specific time in the battle without waiting and be able to replay it as many times as they want. Pressing P should freeze the battle. Or if no navigation interface, then at least chat commands.

 

Possible applications of this feature:

• Spectator mode is impossible to abuse since there's no advantage to be gained after the battle is already over. This means it's ok to make this feature publicly available and allow everyone to use spectator mode through it.
• The amount of special spectator accounts can be reduced to a minimum required for special helper positions such as streamers and mods which really need the ability to watch battles in real time. The rest will be doing great with the replay battle feature, spectator applications for youtubers won't be needed ever again. Spectator mode will become widely available while spectator violations will be completely eliminated.
• Players will be able to report cheaters without having to record a video of their battle, a link to the battle will be all the evidence they need. That makes reporting cheaters much more effortless (comparing to the way it's done now) which will encourage more players to report cheaters and will lead to much more effective elimination of cheaters from the game. Also, this way of reporting will be more reliable than a video which can be VERY EASILY faked (I won't explain here how since everyone will be able to see it and use this method. Sergei or mr.stiffler - you can contact me privately if you want to hear it).
• People will have the option to watch battles, events, parkour sessions, etc after they are over, from their preferred view (can focus on certain players or areas).
• Contest organizers can use this feature to check if someone used cheats in his contest entry. From the server's view cheaters will always be noticeable, as opposed to the way it looks in a video recorded from the cheater's view. (I could use this in the Parkour Survival contest, already caught one cheater without it but this feature would make my life much easier)
• Everyone will be able to record videos (and take screenshots) from spectator mode, and without worrying about finding a good time for a spectator to join their battle. People can have a clan battle and keep the battle link, and later replay the battle and record a video of it from spectator mode, that way they don't have to bring spectators to record the battle in real time and won't risk the possibility of the spectator helping one of the clans with useful information that he can see. Parkourists will be able to spend hours working on a trick without having to make their spectator spend so much time on recording their trick, they will only need to replay the battle and go to the time when they completed the trick successfully, and spend just a few minutes on recording it from spectator mode instead of watching hours of fails before it's finally done successfully.
• It will improve people's ability to get better recording since they will have an unlimited number of attempts to experiment with different ways to record their video and succeed in getting perfect timing and smooth motion with the spec camera.
• The ability to freeze the battle will be useful in videos and might have some other applications too.

 

EDIT:

 

Some good points people made in this topic:

1. Recording every single battle can cause a lot of lag. So better make it off by default and make it possible to enable it for a battle upon creation or turn it on using a chat command inside the battle. And when reporting violators, using the /vote command will also turn on the recording. That way only very few battles will be recorded, the ones that really need to be recorded.
2. People will be able to see private conversations from the opposite team if they use this feature, which means people should have some indication or warning before they join a recorded battle, like an icon in the battle settings row (though that one isn't very visible) or a warning message like before joining a parkour battle.

Edited June 22, 2019 by Hate

[Maf 32,300]

Valid.

[Musa 5,352]

Nice idea.

[govenier 1,202]

Would rly help alot

[EgYpTiAn.SOLDiER 25]

I totally agree with you.Nevertheless, I think that this will NOT be implemented in accordance to the incredible lines of codes that will be needed to be written to achieve the implementation of the feature.Besides, this "update" will NOT be used by a vast majority of players, since they will NOT find it that comfortable to use.Furthermore, I do not think that the "update" will be easy to use in parkour mode and parkour montages, as it will NOT record something like "SwiftSmoky jumped onto a building" or something similar to that. (Sorry if I mentioned something that I might have understood in a wrong because of my humble fluency in English understanding capabilities) <--- idek what that was XD

[4RCH4NG3L 296]

 

I guess, Swiftie's concept CAN completely replace the current spectator account system. And yes, it can record that Swiftie jumped onto a house. The server receives exactly the same inputs as Swiftie mentioned, the game itself is what does the simulation. (e.g. when you shoot with twins, your input is direction and holding the space, but the server then calculates flightpath and impact)

Edited October 2, 2017 by 4RCH4NG3L

[r_Issimo2 1,495]

The system could be recording lets say the last 3 minutes of every battle, and when people click the report button the system will save that recording for analysis, otherwise newer recording will be erasing older recordings.

 

The original idea talks about recordings that are accessible to players, I think that will be too much for many reason, including opponents reading your team chat.

[Magenta 5,165]

Great idea, the advantages definitely make this idea worth the attention of the developers.

[Yisroel.Rabin 16,224]

Record and Replay VS Repeal and Replace

[Rohrmeister 1,535]

Having the data stored on the servers, will lag them to death - the writing of the logs take a lot of ressources.

But you can do it locally on your PC.

 

There you go:

 

How it works:

When you attend a game, your local computer has all the informations about the battle: which tank, which position at which time, speed, direction of movement... all there.

 

So If

- the flash Tanki program on my computer would save this data in a temporary file

- then it could replay the whole battle after the battle is over

- I could look the battle from other peoples eyes (the up/down/camera would still be under mine control)

- pause/forw/back controls would be a usefull and easy thing

 

Usecases / Benefit:

- I can watch the battle from other tanks perspectives (after a battle is over / or I quit the battle early)

- I can improove myself by seeing my acting from other views

- I can learn how other players solve tactical issues

- It is nice to replay a battle I won, It is usefull to replay a battle other team won

- ass it uses only data already available on he client and only for my battles.. it has absolutely zero impact on lag

 

Difference to todays spectator mode:

Camera options (slightly limited maybe), tanki advertisement banners. things like that set the mode apart from today's spectatormode. So the talented youtubers have still somethng to go for..

 

pls comment if you have improvements on this.

[Magenta 5,165]

Having the data stored on the servers, will lag them to death - the writing of the logs take a lot of ressources.

Not the least bit. It's duck soup.

[r_Issimo2 1,495]

After the battle is over, does it really matter what was being said?

What if you're sharing personal info with a friend? Privacy.

[Rohrmeister 1,535]

Not the least bit. It's duck soup.

are you thinking of the network based storage only? That's only a fraction of the job,

 

 

Feel free to download a network sniffer and trace the traffic while you play a hard game, It's not the absolute amount in MB/s, but the amount of single events. There is the software that simulates the battles on the servers all the time, and it has to transpose each incoming bit of movement data into a useful format and store it.

Think of the experiments they use to do.. and how laggy the servers get, even under low player load. It's because they meassure and store much more statistic data then usual. This solution here produces way more data (10, 100x?) which has to be transcoded and stored (it's not useful to store the complete TCP/UDP packages in raw).

[SwiftSmoky 8,445]

You guys made some good points, I edited the main post to address the problems you mentioned.

[Mjro7 2,837]

This Huge System and Great Idea ;)

[r_Issimo2 1,495]

I guess that info is so personal you are willing to share it with the rest of the team . . .

2 versus 2.

[TO_King 818]

Sometimes 2 things coming in mind because i know that will not happen but to keep myself claim i am posting topic on it. It might happen if topic goes under review and TO members give positive replies.

 

How?

 

Step 1:

Tanki Online Developers will work on a Special Client Feature or Special System that you have to connect with Tanki Client. After updating your Client you need to go to Settings >>> Game >>> Enable Record and Screenshot and select the output Folder. If special system, Connect it with your game Client and select output folder.

 

Step 2:

Play the game like you always do. When battle will ends Special Client Feature or the Special Software made by Аlternativa Platform will automatically take screenshot of battle result & when Gold box will Drop it will automatically start recording. FPS and Ping will not drop because it's special. It will record From ''Gold Box will dropped soon'' or '' ''Nickname'' has dropped Gold box'' to '' ''Nickname'' has taken the Gold box''.

 

And if possible to TO Programmers they might add the feature to automatically upload to Youtube with limited Internet speed.

 

Is it possible?

Yes and No.

Yes, but you need to work hard.

No, It's hard to Programming.

Better to Partnership with some pc recording Company.

 

I Have PC recorder why we need this feature?

I am writing this topic on 2:30 AM because i'm bored. I know it will be Rejected but Just for fun ;)

[Maf 32,300]

 

Topic merged

[ToiletPaperRoll 1,318]

everything has to go and travel in server. so its awkwardly easily possible. just give 1 day access to all battle raw data recorded and after restart everything deletes to free up storage of server

[SwiftSmoky 8,445]

everything has to go and travel in server. so its awkwardly easily possible. just give 1 day access to all battle raw data recorded and after restart everything deletes to free up storage of server

Recording the data would take extra processing power and memory which will result in increased lag. Best thing would be recording it on the client side and saving it offline.

[Best_of_thunder_2015 1,354]

Nice idea we can report violators and also record my parkour or watch the replay :(

[Big-Nate 120]

This is pretty good idea for parkour video recording

[Never_Gona_Catch_Me 0]

Please guys please make some arrangement so that we can save our last battles recording just in the game. How can someone just play with one hand and record with another hand while catching a goldbox or doing any parkour . I do know that we can start the screen recorder of pc .But what if we forget to do that or our space on disk got full of these videos . Youtubers do start the recording but what for the common people if someones pc hangs . And my PC do hangs when i start the recorder. Please guys please its a request to do it i have catched 5 goldbox and i dont have any of these GB videos.

[Hate 5,582]

And how are you proposing it to be recorded and to where? Some tanki online official site? That won't work unless you mean like a quick gif that gets recorded every time the Gold Box drops and once it is over, tells you to either save it in your PC or discard it, that might work but I doubt it will happen. 

[u812ic 1,629]

I don't know how that other tank game (whose name will remain unnamed) does it, but every battle you are in is automatically recorded and kept in a folder. The folder is made when you download the game. When you want to view any battles, you open the game's folder and then click on the file. 

 

May I ask why it's so important to record you catching Gold Boxes? In order to do that, you would have to record every battle, just in case you catch one. If you have to prove it to someone, just go into your profile and it shows how many you have caught. You said you just wanted the last battle you were in recorded. That means after every battle you'll have to delete it so the next one can be recorded. After deleting many videos, you finally catch a Gold Box. Then what? Sounds like you need to load a few things from your hard drive to a disk or flash drive. 

 

Are you asking Tanki to create a memory bank so that you and how many thousand other players can view their last battle?