Demo recording (a.k.a. BattleRecorder) in PS2

Really · 2012-03-19, 03:03 PM

Does anyone know if there'll be any sort of demo recording functionality in PS2?

This has been around at least since Quake 3 (and probably before that), and it basically records everything that happens on a map at all times. I realise that might be impossible for PS2, since the scale is huge, but surely it would be possible to record everything within, say, 100m of you?

The benefit of this is that you can revisit the entire fight later on and re-record things from any angle, and re-record shots exactly how you want them. It's mainly a cosmetic thing for videos, but it's worked out well for Quake 3 and BF3 (that I know of), and their YouTube fanbase is huge. Another advantage for the player is that it doesn't take up nearly as many resources as recording lossless (or lossy) video live!

The demos themselves could even be useful for catching hackers (if they exist in PS2).

In the original PS I had a lot of fun recording and editing videos of PS, using FRAPS and a horrible complicated video card setup. I know I wasn't the only one, and there was eventually a whole subforum set up on the official forums devoted to player-made videos. I just wondered if there were any plans to cater to this sort of thing in PS2; what with the huge explosion in YouTube popularity since PS1 it would be a great way to bolster publicity as well

MrBloodworth · 2012-03-19, 03:05 PM

Highly unlikely. Unless you are referring to video.

Shogun · 2012-03-19, 03:08 PM

there was a thread about battlerecording (data instead of video) and it was very interesting. but i´m too lazy to look it up. just put battle recorder in the searchbar and look it up

Really · 2012-03-19, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by Shogun

there was a thread about battlerecording (data instead of video) and it was very interesting. but i´m too lazy to look it up. just put battle recorder in the searchbar and look it up

Ah think I just found it, inconclusive basically

Gonna get tweeting Higby about it...

Duddy · 2012-03-19, 03:15 PM

I was able to squeeze some info out of Higby when he was on Morto's stream a while back; post is here.

Originally Posted by Duddy

Poorly timed as he just left, Morto!

Nice pieces of information gleened from his presence though (if I understood him correctly):
- Ability to record your game sessions already exists, with the ability to upload it to Youtube & etc
- He would like to implement the ability to live stream directly from the game client, allowing you to point it to sites such as Twitch TV, but I think this is at the "is it feasible?" stage

Needless to say I'm quite happy about this information, if correct.

ThGlump · 2012-03-19, 03:36 PM

That seems only as recording your view. I want recorded whole continent serverside, download that file and replay it in ps2 client, with free camera or first person from any player on continent. Video makers would be happy.

Bonius · 2012-03-19, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by ThGlump

That seems only as recording your view. I want recorded whole continent serverside, download that file and replay it in ps2 client, with free camera or first person from any player on continent. Video makers would be happy.

Video makers would be happy, server provider for SOE would not.

basti · 2012-03-19, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by ThGlump

That seems only as recording your view. I want recorded whole continent serverside, download that file and replay it in ps2 client, with free camera or first person from any player on continent. Video makers would be happy.

Happy? We would fap all day about that.

Really · 2012-03-19, 03:40 PM

There's no need for it to be server-side, all the client needs to do is record what happens near to the player - basically everything your connection receives already - since there's no need to record what's happening all the way on the other side of a continent (although that would be nice too :P).

I can see a bit of abuse potential here if someone managed to decode the file in realtime and found out what was happening on the other side of a base or something, but there must be a way around that.

ThGlump · 2012-03-19, 03:45 PM

Thats why it should be recorder serverside (since thats where will be all informations), and provided to public with several hours delay (or once a day recording from that day)

Duddy · 2012-03-19, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by ThGlump

Thats why it should be recorder serverside (since thats where will be all informations), and provided to public with several hours delay (or once a day recording from that day)

Whilst I agree that it'd be awesome to have that for machinima purposes, it's not as simple as it may seem (or so I imagine).

In addition to the recording/storage/distribution of said logs, you need to also then build into the client the tools to read back, process and manipulate that log.

Can't say I know how difficult it could be, but it's certainly more so that any method centred on the player themselves.

It's certainly more simple in a session based game, such as TF2, where there is usually a finite start and ending to the goings on.

PrISM · 2012-03-19, 05:08 PM

I'd like something like this as long as it recorded with good quality. I've always had issues trying to get FRAPs to record with decent quality.

Stew · 2012-03-19, 05:59 PM

Originally Posted by PrISM

I'd like something like this as long as it recorded with good quality. I've always had issues trying to get FRAPs to record with decent quality.

My fraps video have a perfect quality what version are you using ? The problem is video conversion when you want to reduc the format you loose quality a full fraps video in full screen is about 3 GB for a few minutes so its pretty heavy but look damned perfect ...

duomaxwl · 2012-03-19, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by PrISM

I'd like something like this as long as it recorded with good quality. I've always had issues trying to get FRAPs to record with decent quality.

I had issues with it until I put two hard drives in raid 0 for fraps to record on. The color looks a little off, but that can be fixed in a program like Vegas.