The Mana World Forums

I chose "good idea". I was going to add "didn't need official support", but then I realized you might need some support for the custom setting of spawnpoints, so I'm tentatively choosing "need official support" for that reason.

Many bots already spy, just not with video. You can even spy (a little) with the users_online list. I don't see video as being a gamechanger in the calculus of whether this should be allowed or not. As far as I'm concerned, if other bots can already spy, even without informing players or staff, and if that is okay, then I fail to see how yours is any different (besides the video).

The internet is a public place. Anything you don't want public, you should not put on the internet. (Yes, I know it's more complex than that, but it's a good rule of thumb regardless.)

I do not really like those bots. If we really want a webcam we should do it right. This means for me:

• no silly dead webcam chars (at least not visible to other players)
• no display of the own character
• no display of display of useless ui parts like the status bars on top or chat tabs

Also i think players should play the game and not watch on the webcam secretly.

Regards
Ablu

Ablu, you're a second person now to suggest the cam should be invisible. I think that violates the assumption that only GMs (people trusted by the community), and people i can see around me, can see/hear me.

invisible ui: the ui is a part of the player experience, if the cam should serve to give a download-less feel for the game, shouldn't the ui be a part of that peek, too?

I don't see a problem with this. It's pretty clear what they do.

If a player-character has you within their field of view OF COURSE they can see everything you do. How do you know they are not posting screenshots, watching you bot, or secretly telling your in-game stalker where you are? You don't. That goes for any player-character in the game.

I don't see any difference whatsoever if it's being broadcast as a webcam anyone can watch, I really don't. If you want privacy go into the woodland hills and play where nobody else can see you.. because that's the only way to accomplish it!

As long as the characters are visible so people KNOW they are being watched, there is no privacy invasion whatsoever. I also see no problem with the admins helping out by setting the savepoints for those characters.. If someone's trying to do something cool and harmless why not help them out a little?

Btw kook, I'd really like to see one of these in Candor 24/7. It's really the most useful application for the webcams I can think of.. We'd be able to see if there are others waiting who might like to start a run but do not have enough people. And so what if it lowers the number of real people needed slightly? Anyone who wanted could park a mule in there 24/7 to do the same.

Crush wrote:Maybe a less privacy-infringing way of doing this would be to hide chat and character names. That way you can't identify the players which appear on the screenshots and their privacy would be protected.

Besides I think this is a very good idea, it looks very stupid when the chat is not hidden and messages from people, who are blocked by the webcams, are not shown.

Here it looks like I'm talking to myself: The person I was talking to seems to be blocked.

Edit: There were some absolutely disgusting conversations in the chat today. I don't think I have to mention that this would be bad marketing.

Anyway, that chat should be hidden in my opinion.

Ablu wrote:I do not really like those bots. If we really want a webcam we should do it right. This means for me:

• no silly dead webcam chars (at least not visible to other players)
• no display of the own character
• no display of display of useless ui parts like the status bars on top or chat tabs

Also i think players should play the game and not watch on the webcam secretly.

Regards
Ablu

I agree. The dead webcam chars are kind of annoying, if you want the webcams to be a thing then make them "official" and give them a few special @commands and other privileges that make them more efficient (like ManaMarket).
Also maybe a new name without the word "spying" in it. An official "player spying" service doesn't sound nice.

hey...

i personaly havnt any problem to see me/other ppl ingame on the webcam,
all stats should be hidden, like->"mp/hp-bars" & tasks->":-)/Eq/..."
the player-names should be hidden also

Chat disabled - OR - you could show Debug-Tab, and add all announcments in there, Event's/Candor... Marriage...

Dead Player isnt that good too, remove own player-sprite and sit only on this place... (in Condor with @hide would be the best)

jak1

... btw (spying) in this topic title isn't the best reclame for that "feature"

just noting another suggestion, and that is leaving chat tab on, but removing player names from it.
oh and a technical future suggestion and that is i would use and add the option of noVNC the next time. Or even straight view-only vnc for madcamel (or is it?)

Btw, cam 3 seems to be succesfully placed in candor.

I still find the dead chars very annoying, if this is to be a thing then the webcams should be able to use @invisible.

Well, I voted it's a bad idea, but not to do anything about them.

Why? This is because I believe that there should be a log anyway of each warp zone, of all the chat. If this isn't done, then one of these things could be installed to maintain a log. On top of that, they shouldn't be advertised. It's not a speed camera, raising revenue. So as mentioned by a former blogger (sorry, I forgot who), they should be invisible, and not attract attention. The rules are there; people abide by them, or get warned/booted. That's my thoughts on it. What benefit is it to have a cam advertised to anyone?

Sorry, but the point of keeping a log is important, but I believe (not meaning to diss the creator) the perspective of a "cam" is silly.

i dont plan to renew the vps hosting this month, thanks for participating in the experiment everyone, and happy playing!

To my taste it's okay to have "webcams" translating pictures from public places. In fact I consider this idea fresh and interesting.

Why I think it's okay? If someone conducts some activity in public place, they have to understand these actions are public - everyone can watch these actions at their will. And there is no way to detect if someone records video. Furthermore, nothing could prevent anyone from doing so. Hence, "resistance is futile". All actions in public places are inherently public - I don't see reasons why some "webcam" can't translate picture somewhere else. However I don't see why such entity should need any extra official support either.

i'm not sure what official support meant myself. There was a word the tmw team would host the webcam themselves. Presumably to deal with privacy issues. I guess it meant the ignore list would be safer with them than with me.
The webcams could have used some heavenly touches from GMs. Respawning them after a disconnect was no fun.

kook wrote:i'm not sure what official support meant myself. There was a word the tmw team would host the webcam themselves. Presumably to deal with privacy issues. I guess it meant the ignore list would be safer with them than with me.
The webcams could have used some heavenly touches from GMs. Respawning them after a disconnect was no fun.

@hide and @invisible commands would have been nice as well