Requests for Enhanced Spectation FunctionalityI greatly enjoy spectation, both watching and being watched. I also know others share in this sentiment. However, as this thread has pointed out, we could use some development in the department of Spectation functionality.
Here's a list of current thoughts on the ideas presented by myself and others in this thread.
Indicate Spectatable PlayersThose of us who enjoy spectating on a regular basis would find a method for distinction between those who are playing beatmaps we have (and thus can spectate) and those playing beatmaps we don't have (and thus cannot spectate) beneficial.
Add a check box option to the extended chat for "Indicate Players I Can Spectate" (up at the top with the "Display Friends Only" check box). While this is turned on, the
border of the status panel of those who are playing a beatmap you possess changes to, flashes, or better yet, glows, blue (the same color as the "spectating" status background color so it can be associated with spectation, or maybe slightly lighter or darker) as a call-out indication that jumps in your face and says "hey, you can spectate this!!"
That way we don't need to add an eleventh (or twelfth) background color and we can still call out spectatability.
This poorly-altered screenshot shows how a checkbox could be placed on the Extended Chat console for this and Auto-Spectation. (I didn't bother with showing a blue border around a player's panel; I figure you know what blue glow would look like.)
Auto-SpectateThose of us who spend a significant time chatting may eventually tire of sitting on the main menu and watching the Osu logo pulsate all day long. For those of us who would like a "running demo" of the game, an Auto-Spectation function would be both entertaining and useful.
For this is suggested a check box at the top of the Extended Chat console (along with the "Show Friends Only" button, as shown in the screenshot above) for "Auto-Spectate."
When you check this box, Osu automatically selects a player who possesses a beatmap you do to spectate. To turn Auto-Spectation off, one can simply uncheck the box.
On the Online tab in the Options screen should be a drop-down box for Auto-Spectation options (because this will not fit on the Extended Chat console with all the boxes and stuff we already have up there). Another more-or-less poorly-altered screenshot shows what I mean. (Yes, I know you can see my highlight words: I don't care. Otherwise, I'd scramble them or something.)
Shown in the screenshot are three options:
---"Never" (Sticks with that user until you manually decide otherwise)
---"Successful Pass" (Sticks with that user until they pass whatever they're playing, even through multiple retries, but will switch if they give up on that song)
---"End of Current Attempt" (wherupon it will switch users the moment that person's current attempt ends for any reason, including a pass, a fail, or even pausing to consider a retry).
Also, players will want a way to switch to the next spectatable player if they dislike or grow bored of the song their current target is playing. For this I suggest a "Next User" button between the buttons for "Speed Playback" and "End Replay" on the spectation gameplay screen (which button, by the way, should, when pressed,
also end Auto-Spectate).
Below is another altered screenshot to illlustrate this.
Spectation Notification DisplaysThose of us who enjoy having others watch us play derive joy from knowing when someone is watching. Currently, the spectator notification only displays
while playing a song, and we believe this is lacking.
The solution is to add display of the Spectator notification to the Song Select screen and the Main Menu as well, as seen below, so one can tell at
all times when one is being spectated. The screenshots below were altered in MS Paint; I know it looks crappy, but I don't care, because it gets the point across.
Song SelectThe Spectator list could easily be placed directly under the player's individual best online score entry (above the "Back" button), as seen here.
Main MenuThe Spectator list would probably look nicest directly under the music player, as seen here.
This will also help encourage befriending one's spectators, as it's generally difficult to bother oneself to glance over specifically to see and memorize the name of the person spectating so you can talk to them after the song's over (which, under current circumstances, is what one must do); being able to see their name on the Song Select or Main Menu screens would help one with being able to PM one's spectators, and thus getting to know them better if one desires to do so.
Song Filter: "Shared with Spectator(s)"Those of us who wish to cater to our spectators would like some manner of displaying only songs that all our current spectators also possess, as many spectators do not make requests and we would still like to be able to assure ourselves we are about to play something they have.
The solution is an option on the Song Select screen in the Selection Options for a new filter by "Shared with Spectator(s)." This filter will do nothing if (and would preferably be grayed out and/or unselectable while) you currently have no spectators.
This would solve us the trouble of trying to play a song for a spectator, realizing they don't have it, and quitting to play a different song over and over until we finally find something we share with our spectators. It would also, for this very reason, prevent loss of bored spectators who have given up on the person they're spectating.
New Chat Channel: #SpectationHara has provided (in
this thread) an excellent idea which will work well with our newfound ability as of next public release to open/close tabs as we please: a channel specifically for those who enjoy spectation! In such a channel one could easily find those who wish to watch someone or want to be watched for any number of reasons.
With all the people on #Osu lately asking for specs (which has frankly surprised me), I think this would be an excellent idea. And with more channels on the way anyhow, why not?
Disabling Spectation?I understand that some players do worse when they know they're being watched (despite not being one of them).
There is no need to disable spectation altogether, as there is already a workable solution: There is an option in the Online tab (Main Menu -> Options -> Online tab) for "Show List of Current Spectators." Turn it off.
This works fine, as spectation (even by multiple spectators) does not cause lag, as the game is always recording your runs for potential replay save anyway. In most cases, not knowing you have spectators, mentally speaking, = no spectators: out of sight, out of mind.
However, for those of us who are paranoid who insist that even the knowledge that someone
could be watching (despite not knowing exactly when) is distracting, an option could be added under "Show List of Current Spectators" for "Disable Spectation" anyway if found necessary.
