Making a TF video with multi-player commentary?

[OneManClan]

Hi all.

OBJECTIVE:
To make a Quake TF 'show' which has highlights of a TF game with commentary by multiple spectators.

Here's the process I'm 'imagining':

• 1. Make the (fteqw TF) server play a (pre recorded) demo
  2. Clients connect as spectators, and watch the demo.
  3. The clients use voice chat (eg ventrillo) to 'commentate'.
  4. One (or more?) players control the viewpoint.
  
  (the rest I can do:)
  
  5. Output what the players were watching as an avi. Fraps might be the best option. I can then use vid editing software to sync everything up and output a final vid.

Q1: Is it possible to put a server (fteqw) into 'playback mode', so that multiple spectators can connect and watch a demo together in real time?

Q2: Is there ANY way to 'rewind' the demo? I know you can skip 1 minute, but can you go back?

Q3: What about making one spec controlling the viewpoint and the other spectators spectating his view (like cl_chasecam 1 for a spec), like this? This way all the specs are looking at the same thing.

I suppose the other possibility would be to make the entire video first, stream it live, and have the specs chat whilst watching it, ie not involving the server at all, but it would be nice for the commentators to be able to decide what bits they want to see (again) on the fly.


Possible? Is there a simpler solution I've missed?


OneManClan

[leileilol]

Is there a simpler solution I've missed?

Live streaming + vent?

[Spike]

A1: older versions were able to play mvds on the server. However, this essentually resulted in two mods running the whole time, and was rather clunky. Support was later removed with the expectation that QTV would be able to support this instead. Most of the code is still there from what I remember, its just disabled - it was never ideal.

A2: The only way to rewind a demo is to restart it from scratch, due to it being delta-compressed (this can cause large stalls, etc). If you can skip 1 min, you can restart and skip 'currenttime+1min' too. QTV cannot adjust playback speeds, including unable to jump to a later part of a demo.

A3: QTV is meant to feature a .follow command to spectate/follow another spectator (including switching streams). It is not well tested.

Regarding simpler solutions, skype seems to have the ability to use your screen instead of a webcam for video chat, but I cannot vouch for its image quality inside conference video calls.
However, skype is a piece of advertising-bloated crap, at least in regards to its UI, it also requires you to sign up (free).

[OneManClan]

Is there a simpler solution I've missed?

Live streaming + vent?

Hey leileilol,

That would 'do', but I'm asking if it's possible for the commentators to be able to decide 'on the fly' what bits they wanted to see. There's so much going on in a BIG TF game, it's not really optimal if one person decides which perspective is *the* perspective, and the commentators can only comment on the one POV that's in the pre-recorded vid.

I'm imagining something like:

Commentator 1: "Wow that soldier in the flag-room saved the day"
Commentator 2: "No way, it was the HWguy in the upper spiral who did most of the work, the enemy were damaged before they got to the Flag Room"

Host: "Well lets watch that again, what exactly WAS going on upstairs just then"

Everyone: "oooooh"

etc

[OneManClan]

Hey Spike. Some important games are coming up (Rock2ober 2011, and some organised mini Clan events), and a video w multiplayer commentary would be absolutely brilliant, especially to promote Q1 TF, and preserve it's glory for future generations.

A1: older versions were able to play mvds on the server. However, this essentually resulted in two mods running the whole time, and was rather clunky. Support was later removed with the expectation that QTV would be able to support this instead. Most of the code is still there from what I remember, its just disabled - it was never ideal.

Q1: By 'clunky', and 'never ideal', do you mean:

• A. Unreliable (crashes, bugs)?
  B. Hard to set up?
  C. Limited in what was possible?

As long as the server can play the demo, with multiple people able to connect to watch 'live' that would be fine. The part I can't envisage is… Q1: Is it possible to make it so that the commentators can take turns in controlling what the POV is?

A2: The only way to rewind a demo is to restart it from scratch, due to it being delta-compressed (this can cause large stalls, etc). If you can skip 1 min, you can restart and skip 'currenttime+1min' too.

Ah, Q2: Is this FTEQW were talking about or QTV? What exactly do I type in, and where?

QTV cannot adjust playback speeds, including unable to jump to a later part of a demo.

I've been rtfming about QTV, but it all seems to vague and technical. Q3: is there a simple step by step guide somewhere? ie do this, go to this screen, type in this etc.

A3: QTV is meant to feature a .follow command to spectate/follow another spectator (including switching streams). It is not well tested.

I'm ready to test .. if given a dummies guide.

Regarding simpler solutions, skype seems to have the ability to use your screen instead of a webcam for video chat, but I cannot vouch for its image quality inside conference video calls.However, skype is a piece of advertising-bloated crap, at least in regards to its UI, it also requires you to sign up (free).

This would work, but there's no way to record /keep track of what the view is, if if the person controlling the POV (that all the other spectators/commentators see) pauses or replays the demo.

Ultimately I'd like the final result to be a 1 hour video, done in a sporting event style - replays from multiple views, discussion w multiple commentators, the works!
[DISCLAIMER: I know I might be being naive, but (as a newb to all this) I have no idea what is a ‘no prob, here’s what you do’ type request, vs a ‘forget it – can’t be done’ type request.]