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Post by Simon on Nov 11, 2017 14:42:56 GMT
Recently i have been watching some of the excellent videos that have been made - thank you Tony Aguilar, Baldie and others. I was struck by how clear it was to see what elements were what and how you could get a good overview of the table.
This led me to think about whether it would be possible to play a game with another player remotely, using Skype for example, and how, if so, this would enable us to have a truly international tournament over a period of some months.
Clearly, such games would not be the same as playing face to face and some protocols would be required to overcome or at least mitigate some of the problems and challenges that might arise.
The idea is that the host player would manage and move both his/her own army and his opponent's, the latter under the remote player's instructions and provide information on distances/ranges/relative positions etc at the request of the remote player who would be watching a live picture of the game streamed via webcam with sound.
The tournament would run as six games over, say, a six month period, to give people a chance to arrange suitable dates for the games with their allocated opponents. Time zones would need to be catered for!
If there is interest, I would be pleased to test the feasibility and and draft some protocols and guidelines, with a view to organising something running from early 2018.
Do let me know if you might be interested in having a go and if you have any experience of playing remotely that might provide useful lessons. If there is interest, I will develop the thinking further.
Regards,
Simon
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Post by bob on Nov 11, 2017 16:15:16 GMT
An excellent idea which can be worked on to develop a simultaneous play by net system. Updated version of play by mail.
What about in the short-term perhaps 2018, we have an international competition like the good bad and ugly HOTT event.
In the space of the week, or a fortnight, people around the world play with the same two armies and report the outcome centrally.
Literally, "A day of DBA." Not all on the same day that's a little much to ask. But as close as possible. On Phil's birthday maybe?
How many games could there be on one day around the world?
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Post by timurilank on Nov 11, 2017 16:17:13 GMT
Simon,
I rather like the idea, however my only experience with remote play is with chess, mind you this was in the day of envelopes and postage stamps.
I will ask our technically inclined club members next Friday how they would organise a similar event for their games. Considering how quickly the games move you could have several games with different players in rotation using the same connection.
Regards,
Robert
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Post by timurilank on Nov 17, 2017 9:41:39 GMT
DBA International.
Using existing internet-communication technology it would be feasible for players located in differing parts of the globe to game DBA. In the past week I have looked at what would be needed to set up an operation here in the Netherlands.
Communication.
Land line vs. Mobile link; Skype is now part of Microsoft and depending on your location and destination there are variable rates. Rates listed are per month or per usage. Land line to land line are considerably less expensive. The example given here lists my options to call a UK address:
secure.skype.com/en/calling-rates?expo365=empty
Equipment.
Knowing absolutely nothing about the subject I found the following reviews, side-by-side comparisons and videos useful. Side by side comparison: www.youtube.com/watch?v=furw2ppqY3c
I have both a desk top and laptop, but would prefer to use the desk top for this project. This would necessitate an extra length of USB cord to connect my camera with the computer.
A desk top tripod or floor model – would be depending on the game table area used and the focus capacity of the camera as it may be necessary to zoom in on various parts of the game board.
Lighting – Initially, I was preparing a list of special lights, backdrop screens and umbrellas to purchase. However, after looking at several video reviews I learned camera development and software made the above unnecessary.
Software.
Referring to the videos, the software is rather simple to use; settings to change field of view (FOV), green screen option (?), sound, colour adjustment. Logitech Camera Settings Application is demonstrated in the video review.
Recording the event.
Some software will allow the recording of a video while a game is in progress. Do note, this may produce a high level of the stress to your computer (overheating). If players wish to record the event then an external microphone would help improve sound quality.
I am still exploring the technical aspects of this project and will talk with my local computer service about other details I may have missed. Our club meets tonight, so there may be interest there to help with this.
Regards,
Robert
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Post by Simon on Nov 17, 2017 14:17:11 GMT
Robert,
Thanks for the input on this idea!
Do you have a Skype account/separate webcam? If so we could set up a trial and have a go. I believe Skype is free for Skype to Skype audio/video - or it has been in the past when I have used it both nationally and internationally. The charges are for when you want to call landlines or mobiles. I will be getting a webcam for Christmas so if you don't have one, we could wait till then. Have you looked at Tony Aguilar's videos to get an idea of the sort of view I think might work? Tony shot this with his mobile camera although you need a webcan for real time stuff rather than recording.
Cheers
Simon
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Post by timurilank on Nov 17, 2017 16:55:11 GMT
Hi Simon,
I have neither Skype nor a camera.
However, this will change before Christmas.
My talk with the computer service people about Skype, webcam and recording suggested an upgrade to Windows 10, as the later operation would work better. The computer will be brought to the shop next week for maintenance so we will have a better idea of what is required.
Filming the event with a digital recorder (in addition to the Webcam) for archival purposes would preclude the need for a serious upgrade. Again, I am thinking out loud here.
Reviewing Tony’s DBA videos, the camera seems mounted on a floor model tripod.
Tony can confirm this.
Regards,
Robert
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Post by lkmjbc on Nov 17, 2017 18:04:27 GMT
Hi Simon,
I have neither Skype nor a camera.
However, this will change before Christmas.
My talk with the computer service people about Skype, webcam and recording suggested an upgrade to Windows 10, as the later operation would work better. The computer will be brought to the shop next week for maintenance so we will have a better idea of what is required.
Filming the event with a digital recorder (in addition to the Webcam) for archival purposes would preclude the need for a serious upgrade. Again, I am thinking out loud here.
Reviewing Tony’s DBA videos, the camera seems mounted on a floor model tripod.
Tony can confirm this.
Regards,
Robert
Robert...a large external hard drive is also recommended. Video files are very large. Luckily, storage is cheap. Joe Collins |
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Post by timurilank on Nov 17, 2017 18:11:06 GMT
Joe,
Thanks for the tip.
Robert |
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