What so hard about adding a spectator mode in arenas ?

[Lucetia]

Could someone with game design experience tell me what is so hard about adding a spectator mode in arenas ? They even did it for tournaments and blizzcon so why arent able to make it live ? So many times when my friends are doing arenas I want to watch them play... Now they added spectate mode for pet battle ? Are you kidding me ? Useless add IMO.

Moba games has it. Pretty sure fps game has it. Why isnt mmo able to do it ?

For the upteenth time, if you read the posts they are not adding Spectator Mode to pet battles like you think. Instead of seeing the person just standing there now, you can see the pet they are battling and what they have out.

Spectator mode when mean you see the action as it happens, but you don't. You just merely see two things going at it and it's always been like that just that it was "phased".

Stop using the pet battle spectator as a reason why it should be added to Arena and stop using it as an excuse of why it hasn't been added.

They said spectator mode for arena would require a lot of work. It would require a lot of code, figuring out how to do it, etc. Also, exactly what is the point of spectator mode when you can just watch them stream?

Also, while you may want it, the percentage of the player base that would actually use this time consuming project would be very minimal and resources are better used elsewhere.

[hiragana]

I never really thought id be the type to watch arena matches, but after getting into Dota recently i realised you can learn a lot from watching other people play. I do think spectating arena and raids (if the guild wants) could be a great addition to the game. I dont play anymore and probably wont come back, but if i did thats one of the main things id like to be added. They would need to add info telling the viewer what abilities people are using though, which might be tricky.

Also to prevent cheating just put it on a 2 minute delay or so.

[Volitar]

People keep saying "Money" but people have already figured out how to do it on private servers.

[alucardtnuoc]

People keep saying "Money" but people have already figured out how to do it on private servers.

1 server vs multiple/crossfaction/crossrealm

Just a slight difference.

On some games that i have Beta tested, when they added spectator mode, you were able to actually able to respawn inside the match and attack people. (kinda breaks 1v1) or you were able to cause the game to never end due to "3rd player" not dying, the match would go on until someone left.

Just because some people have it working, doesn't mean it will work for what blizzard currently has going. Lots of code would need to be written, and just look at what happened on D3 when they changed things that didn't affect the AH... mass duping of gold.

[Senathor]

most of the high end arena players ( ie people that are are actually worth watching that you might actually learn things from) either fraps or stream.

why do we need spectator modes again?

1. People don't use Fraps anymore.
2. It's an entirely different experience when you're the camera man because you can focus on precisely what you want to watch.

---------- Post added 2013-05-09 at 11:25 AM ----------

People keep saying "Money" but people have already figured out how to do it on private servers.

Exactly, Blizzard is just being lazy money sucking douchebags sometimes.

---------- Post added 2013-05-09 at 11:26 AM ----------

to prevent cheating. only effects probably 10% of the actual player base...

Obviously you'd be able to turn off this feature or only invite a few people.

[Arcanimus]

I think the simplest way to implement spectating is with a separate client, with the delay of around 20 seconds hardcoded.
Yeah. Sounds about right.

[Lordpete]

I got your point. But could you tell me how Blizzcon arena tournament had caster and spectator mode ? Why didnt they make that live ?
If you give me the choice between checking reckfull's stream of my friends playing arena, I'd choose my friend. Not because they are better ( obv they are worst than reckfull) because I care about them and I can help them.

I can give up on the spectator mode IF and only IF blizzard brings a replay mode for arena and raids.

[kosechi]

1. People don't use Fraps anymore.
2. It's an entirely different experience when you're the camera man because you can focus on precisely what you want to watch.[COLOR="red"]

1. i do. but i'm really using the term 'fraps' as an overarching term to imply recording play for later viewing, rather than streaming it live.
2. the vast majority of the people who play this game are not worth watching. i'm certainly not under the illusion that anyone wants to watch me fail at healing shadowcleave and cursing at people in german. you can record your own play to analyze it later without a spectator mode. and the only people who ARE worth watching you can watch play via streams.

[Deleted]

spectator mode will be filled with people saying lol u suck noob etc which is why it wont be added it was why horde and alliance had there language changed so factions cant understand each other cos back in classic they could and it was more of a spam hatefest than wow is now

[Lordpete]

spectator mode will be filled with people saying lol u suck noob etc which is why it wont be added it was why horde and alliance had there language changed so factions cant understand each other cos back in classic they could and it was more of a spam hatefest than wow is now

No, you would need to accept something in order to get spectated..

[TheDeceived]

This might slightly off topic but consider all the WoW players out there who make a living off their arena/RBG games through recording them and then uploading them to youTube. I'm subbed to a few because I enjoy watching high end arena games (such as Hotted, Bajheera, Swifty etc). Now I'm not saying Blizzard are or would use this as a reason not to do it but there is an entire community outside of the game that are currently marketing the game through social networking sites, potentially bringing new users to the game. This costs Blizzard nothing and helps a community thrive outside of the game.

If you implement a system that allows players to watch these matches from within the game, only your existing customer base can view these matches and so you lose the potential of gaining new customers through viral marketing.

Also, a video a long time ago from one of the producers on the Warhammer MMO summed up immersion for me by saying that immersion isn't losing yourself in the game world for a few hours. Immersion is when you spend large amounts of time away from the game thinking about it, talking about it, producing fan made media for it and generally letting it take up most of your time. Those users who spend hours/days making and editing YouTube videos are the most immersed customers within WoW and they are the best ambassadors to sell the game to new customers. Why kill off that community?