Wow needs a spectator mode

[ztkraptor]

I think it would be really fantastic to have a spectator mode for the game.

What I mean is the ability to spectate friends or other players.

Weather that is a mode where you follow their camera, or perhaps even a free floating camera that you can move around within the confines of a particularly designed area.

I believe there is something like that for Arena now? It would be great to have this for raids/m+/BGs as well.

[Ryzeth]

Why does it need one?

[chubbybunny]

isn't that like watching a twitch stream or something.... if you want to watch your friends, get them to start streaming

[Lochton]

I think it would be really fantastic to have a spectator mode for the game.

What I mean is the ability to spectate friends or other players.

Weather that is a mode where you follow their camera, or perhaps even a free floating camera that you can move around within the confines of a particularly designed area.

I believe there is something like that for Arena now? It would be great to have this for raids/m+/BGs as well.

So, what you are saying is that the game needs an incorporated streaming function so that people can follow other people's streams to view their gameplay? If so, I believe many services can already offer that outside the game, and if people are interested in permitting people to spectate, they can use these services already in place. It doesn't "NEED" it because there are already SO MANY streaming services giving the possibility to permit people to allow others to spectate them.

[Mysterymask]

Yeah big issue with that is with discord or even a phone your essentially an extra set of eyes and calls for the team with that. High end raiders would literally have a raid leader like person who doesnt have to play the game AND raid lead...sounds pretty good even then youd have an extra set of eyes in an arena match who can call out and calculate shit for you...

That would be a HUGE Advantage over twitch due to no delay and the ability to look everywhere

[Ninix]

I think it would be really fantastic to have a spectator mode for the game.

What I mean is the ability to spectate friends or other players.

Weather that is a mode where you follow their camera, or perhaps even a free floating camera that you can move around within the confines of a particularly designed area.

I believe there is something like that for Arena now? It would be great to have this for raids/m+/BGs as well.

If I want to watch great Arena-fight stuff, I launch Gladiator on my TV.

Not some dudes keyboarding.

[mojusk]

Yeah big issue with that is with discord or even a phone your essentially an extra set of eyes and calls for the team with that. High end raiders would literally have a raid leader like person who doesnt have to play the game AND raid lead...sounds pretty good even then youd have an extra set of eyes in an arena match who can call out and calculate shit for you...

That would be a HUGE Advantage over twitch due to no delay and the ability to look everywhere

you mean like limit does? heck even my guild often have a benched officer who raid leads, he watches another officers pov via discord stream.

[Dazlartist]

Pet battles and mission tables are spectator mode!!

[ztkraptor]

you mean like limit does? heck even my guild often have a benched officer who raid leads, he watches another officers pov via discord stream.

Yes, this is kind of what I was getting the idea from.
I mean I had this same idea back in TBC.

I just think it would be cool to be able to jump into someones raid and watch them raid, like fly around the room disconnected and watch.

They could private their raid so people can't view it, or they can public it and let people watch.

People in this thread saying 'just watch a stream' or 'tell people to stream'

This same functionality exists in Hearthstone, and other games, I don't see what the big deal is to allow this and allow others without the ability to stream to partake.

This could also be ported to mobile though the battle.net app and you could still have an entity that you could move to view the raid or M+ or other such things.

It would almost be a type of Cinamatic experience for some to be able to be their own director when viewing a raid or something.

[Subrias]

I've been saying this since bc also. Back before flex raids when guilds had people sitting on the sidelines who had to be ready like the top guilds do for world first. Would have been nice to watch what my guild was doing instead of being bored outside the raid while twiddling my thumb.

- - - Updated - - -

So, what you are saying is that the game needs an incorporated streaming function so that people can follow other people's streams to view their gameplay? If so, I believe many services can already offer that outside the game, and if people are interested in permitting people to spectate, they can use these services already in place. It doesn't "NEED" it because there are already SO MANY streaming services giving the possibility to permit people to allow others to spectate them.

No, a stream isn't the same. Think of it more as a gm mode where you can actually hover above the fight or whatever and you aren't stuck to one person's pov.

[Kokolums]

i have been saying this since before wow. starcraft had observer mode with chat and full interaction back in 1998. its not new. its just something that should be in all blizz games.

most people dont know that twitch got the idea from bliz.

- - - Updated - - -

I also have made observer mode a priority in my list of agenda items for WoW since it was released but they've never even commented on it. Good to see people finally coming around though.

[Twdft]

Isn't everyone using discord now anyway? Just click stream and all your friends can watch while talking with you.

[Loveliest]

Sure, sounds like a good feature to have. We can already use discord and such for it so i don't see a reason against it. I sometimes have my friends share their screen to choose xmog together, to explain a route, to guide them to a quest item without actually going there or just watch them play while talking (since pandemic and stuff).

[Kokolums]

Isn't everyone using discord now anyway? Just click stream and all your friends can watch while talking with you.

Its not good for the health of WoW though. What Blizzard NEEDS is everyone using Blizzard's observer mode. The reason is that is a captured audience that they can market to with ads or services and boost sales and MAUs. So Blizzard should create an observer mode and offer things in it that Twitch cannot like:

1. Fully functional observer chat and friends list access.
2. Being able to pan the camera and interact with objects (but not change the game world).
3. God mode where an observer creates a dungeon and CAN change the game world, assume the avatar of a boss and fight the players.

These are all things I have advocated for since the late 1990s. But I'm not in charge and they ignore these things lol.

[erifwodahs]

Yeah big issue with that is with discord or even a phone your essentially an extra set of eyes and calls for the team with that. High end raiders would literally have a raid leader like person who doesnt have to play the game AND raid lead...sounds pretty good even then youd have an extra set of eyes in an arena match who can call out and calculate shit for you...

That would be a HUGE Advantage over twitch due to no delay and the ability to look everywhere

There are streaming ways which are better than twich and that is already happening anyway. Only benefit of "spectate" would be free camera and that is it. Not too bad I guess, but most of the info people can get from it is available on twich anyway, so unless it's very non costly in resources, I don't see a need for it to happen.

[Lurker1]

Just sounds to me like the op wants to stalk on people creepy.

[Lochton]

No, a stream isn't the same. Think of it more as a gm mode where you can actually hover above the fight or whatever and you aren't stuck to one person's pov.

I know that they are not quite the same but they are more fleshed out than if the team were to implement a fully functional streaming option on their own. Heck, they are still having trouble with their own voice chat.

It is easier, cheaper and more beneficial to just permit the streaming market to operate than to try and get in on that market on their own, and start changing game coding to have invisible player camera options so they can float around. If people wish to share their gameplay, then there is many streaming options the offers what is needed.

And before mentioning, there is a broadcasting system if I believe we have seen used, that functions fine with arenas and BG's.

[Kokolums]

I know that they are not quite the same but they are more fleshed out than if the team were to implement a fully functional streaming option on their own. Heck, they are still having trouble with their own voice chat.

It is easier, cheaper and more beneficial to just permit the streaming market to operate than to try and get in on that market on their own, and start changing game coding to have invisible player camera options so they can float around. If people wish to share their gameplay, then there is many streaming options the offers what is needed.

And before mentioning, there is a broadcasting system if I believe we have seen used, that functions fine with arenas and BG's.

Well this is completely and absolutely wrong.

Blizzard was the pioneer in the market. Its what made them special in the first place.

[Lochton]

Well this is completely and absolutely wrong.

Blizzard was the pioneer in the market. Its what made them special in the first place.

But they were not in the streaming market as of what I know. I have not seen them implement a streaming service before.

[Halyon]

'Cus that won't be abused in any way shape or form.