Future Feature Request: Save Replays for Playback

[Bridger15]

I'm sure you guys are hard at work on the sequel to CM:BB, and I hope that in that version we can get some kind of playback system for saving and watching matches. The game already has the capacity to save game states and orders and load game states and execute orders from a file (PBEM) so it seems like it shouldn't be too hard (from a programing standpoint) to provide a start game state and then write all the orders + random seed and have the game play out the same way (similar to other RTS games).

Perhaps it's a lot more work than that, but just wanted to express my interest in such a feature should it be possible.

[Sergei]

You can save during the replay already, or am I missing something here?

[Bridger15]

I'd like to save at the end of a mission, and then send that file to a friend who can watch the entire battle exactly as it played out. This allows people to share games and show off strategies. There's a whole website dedicated to just this aspect (www.gamereplays.org) for many RTS games. It also helps with bug tracking and balance issues. If someone comes on the forums and says "OMG TIGER IS WAY TOO POWEFUL IT SHOULD BE 3,000 more points!" or (more likely for this forum) someone says "hey I'm having a real problem beating this mission" the response could be "show me the replay and I can see if I can help you).

It would also be useful for recording Video After Action Reports. A few of those have been posted, but AFAIK, you have to load each PBEM file one at a time to watch the action, you can't just save one big file and watch it all in a row.

[Blackcat]

Bridger15,

What you are asking for is something that has been requested ever since CMBO first came out. It ain't happened yet and I don't suppose it will in the foreseeable future. Steve and the guys have explained why a whole game video is a non-starter several times over the years, though I can't remember what they said.

So it is a nice idea, we would all like to see it, it has been requested many times but don't hold your breath on it ever happening.

[lookeylou]

Fraps can make movies/ replays

[Bridger15]

I know fraps can make movies. I'd like to be able to have people submit replays to me and I could make movies of them, commenting on the strategy etc. I do this for Company of Heroes in a show I call Tales of Heroes. Thought about doing something similar for CM, but no replay system makes this difficult.

It shouldn't be too difficult to put in if they had been planning for it when they built the engine. If not then it may be way too hard, I just don't know. The way other RTS games do it is simply have a saved starting game state, then save each of the commands and when they are given. Then when you watch the replay the game is literally re-playing the game. All the same orders are being given and all the same calculations are being done (using the same random seed). This makes the replay file very small (less than 1MB).

Theoretically this should be possible with any game that can have a real-time element, but there may be something in CMx2 that makes it harder than normal.

[dakuth]

I'd kill for this. I've also heard everytime I've looked into it that it is not coming. I don't know why exactly.

For example, a workaround for Bridger would be: Then zip all the "Incoming" files up when you finish the game, and send them to the prospective viewer. That person then opens each file one at a time and pleases the "play" button, allowing them to watch the whole battle.

What we'd need is to automate this process. Zip the files together into one file. Remove the ability to issue orders, and load each file in order.

Several problems arise though (from a programing POV.) You have to make sure you keep the file's order straight (afterall, they could really be called ANYTHING), you have to make sure you keep them in around (no deleting old files until the game is complete), that sort of thing. As well as differentiating between replay and save file and PBEM files so that people can't issue orders, etc.

None of them are huge issues, but they would take development time. Perhaps BFC could come up with a compromise? Something like the ability to save PBEM games in a non-encrypted format? Give modders a chance to construct a tool that could combine a string of save files together into a big save file, that then - in theory, would play a 60minute replay instead of the usual 1 minute?

I don't know. I'd LOVE to see this feature. In my mind, I'd even love to see it before new units and theatres. I think it would really bolster the community - game replays and videos and community projects is what really makes these things take on a life of their own.

... but I can only assume it will never happen

[user38]

You can save the replays if you save after the game turn ends and before you start a new turn (that is, when the game is in replay mode). What you have then is a save game file that replays that 60 second turn. Unfortunately, to play the next replay turn you have to load that replay save game - this gets a bit tedious.

I guess it is theoretically possible to make a movie like this (using fraps and a video editing program to edit out the load screens). But I imagine it would take several hours to make a movie this way.

Thinking about this further, it should be possible to make a high quality movie this way if you were committed to putting in the time and the effort. I imagine you would start with with a rough movie giving an overview of the entire battle. You would then have to find a narrative thread, or several narrative threads and record the relevant time, map positions and replay file locations. Then you could story board the movie and replay and record the action from several different camera locations including overhead establishing shots, close ups, reaction shots, pans, zooms, etc. You could overdub a music track and redub the troop voices (so that the German's say "Mein Leben" when they die, etc).

Or not.

[Erik Springelkamp]

Currently it takes a lot of computer work to save a complete state of the game, and it also costs a lot of computer work to restore a complete state of the game. And all the time the game is frozen.

So you don't want all this work to be done for you automatically every turn, because it will make you wait for a long time.

I am sure this aspect is also related to the problems of implementing WEGO TCP/IP and realtime replay, as the game will have to create a restore point in the state of the game, and fast.

Not a trivial programming task.

[Fed]

Relays are available for Combat Mission Touch. I wonder if they will make it for the main game too.

[Ranger33]

Bridger15, are you the same Bridger from the Tales of Tyria podcast? If so, it's pretty cool to see you popping in here. I listened to a lot of your stuff for Guild Wars 2 when it first came out.