Observing games

[Edward Cherlin]

On Feb 5, 2008 6:37 PM, Walter Bender <walter at laptop.org> wrote:
> As I recall, the Connect activitiy was set up to let the first two
> players "play" and everyone else who joined "observe."

I hadn't discovered that, because we have never had enough XOs around
at one time out here. %-[

So if we have that code, it should be easy to add to other games. Excellent.

Can somebody put that on a Wiki page, and link to it from a
development page and the various games pages? Should we bug each of
the games with this as a feature request?

> -walter
>
>
>
> On 2/5/08, Don Hopkins <dhopkins at donhopkins.com> wrote:
> > I want the multi player version of Micropolis (SimCity) [the new one
> > based on Python that we're developing, not the old X11/TCL/Tk multi
> > player version] to support different roles, including observing and
> > chatting.
> > Some roles (like observing and commenting, or wrecking destruction by
> > playing the monster or tornado) would be simpler and easy for young kids
> > to play, and others would be more advanced and require more skill and
> > trust and communication with other players.
> > Each player who joins the activity could be shown on the map as an
> > animated sprite (color coded of their XO user colors) which depicts
> > their role, that they can move around on the map.
> > For example, to just observe and comment on a game, you could fly the
> > helicopter around, and speak to other nearby players through the "PA
> > system", but not edit the map or change the tax rate.
> > Different roles come with their own abilities and simple focused user
> > interfaces (playable with the game controller buttons), like editing the
> > map with various tools.
> > Roles could be dealt out to different players like pokemon or magic the
> > gathering cards, and players could switch between the roles they've been
> > dealt, instead of everyone playing in "god mode" with all actions
> > available at all time.
> > Players, possibly including observers, could vote on various issues,
> > like building zones, changing the tax rate, electing other players into
> > offices or jobs, like treasurer in charge of finance, demolition
> > bulldozing, building roads, zoning land, etc.
> > Players should be able to publish remarks (time stamped and geocoded)
> > and articles with screen snapshots (and graphs and charts and map
> > overlays) in the city newspaper, a blog-like journal that's saved with
> > the game.
> > You should be able to view all geocoded articles as icons on the map
> > like "point of interest" markers, and also on a timeline with a calendar
> > like a blog.
> > The Micropolis journal would be something like the stories in The Sims
> > "Family Albums" that you can upload to The Sims Exchange along with the
> > game save file, to share with other players.
> > But it would be more geographically oriented, and more like a regional
> > newspaper than a family album.
> >
> >     -Don
> >
> >
> > Edward Cherlin wrote:
> > > While talking with Josh Waitzkin about the chess software he would
> > > like to donate, I realized that it would be very helpful if there were
> > > a way to share games on XOs not just with players, but with observers,
> > > including kibitzers who want to comment on a game in progress, or have
> > > a discussion with the other observers. This function is provided on
> > > most game servers, with the players unable to tap into the discussion
> > > channel. Chess TV in Russia especially, and weiqi/go/baduk TV and
> > > xiangqi/janggi/shogi TV in China/Korea/Japan also have expert
> > > commentators discussing games in progress, and there is a market in
> > > DVDs of commented games.
> > >
> > > What would we have to do to the XO collaboration model to make that happen?
> > >
> > > If we can do that, what would it take to extend it to games with
> > > multiple players or even teams online? Chaturanga, the earliest form
> > > of chess, was a four-way battle. Many combat card games permit fairly
> > > large matches, although I haven't seen any larger than eight players.
> > > World of Warcraft has team voice communications that the other team
> > > doesn't get to hear.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > Devel at lists.laptop.org
> > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/devel
> >
>
>
> --
> Walter Bender
> One Laptop per Child
> http://laptop.org
>



-- 
Edward Cherlin
End Poverty at a Profit by teaching children business
http://www.EarthTreasury.org/
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."--Alan Kay