You can play them back at the server but it has lots of bugs and is unusable at times. And ofc, you would need .. a server, fileaccess and rcon.
Connect to the running server. Type "rcon demomap myloldemo.dm2" and it is supposed to run .. or not.
The recorded serverside demo has the .dm2 extension too - which is misleading, since it can't be played back on the clients. So, a .dm2 isn't always a .dm2.
Other way round, you can sometimes play back clientside recorded demos on the server. It's buggish too and sometimes kicks connected clients.
Roundup: It's unusable in any way.
Another info: I heard Keygrip claims it can process serverside recorded demos. But I think it's a hoax.
http://keygrip.planetquake.gamespy.com/
Yet another info: LMPC can process those serverside recorded demos - that, I feel, is no hoax.
http://demospecs.planetquake.gamespy.com/lmpc-stable/
What's missing?:
We need a developer who looks into those serverside recorded demos and eventually creates a good application out of it.. meaning:
- Serverside demos need to be recorded in a compressed format .. perhaps interpolation of player movement, so the demo would have less size.
- Demo recording should be triggered on a certain variable string appearing on the mod. Like: "match started" or something you can set.
- Demos should be stored on the server for a certain variable set time
- Demos should be downloadable by clients with some commands (not by the mod but offered by the server implemenation)
- Demos should be able to be played back at some advanced clients, allowing to switch Point of View anytime.
- Clients who implement those Multi View Demos can go for further cool stuff, like viewing four POVs at a time.
- Once everything is done, the demos should be called MVD2 (Multi View Demos for Q2)
Why is Haudrauf so furious about it?:
Every fucking quake scene has MVD since ages. Quakeworld invented them, Quake 3 got it with its CPMA mod by Arqon and later unified with OSP. Half-Life, Counterstrike has them too implemented with their HLTV solution.
The only useless and boring scene not having those is Quake 2 .. Where are all the cool quake developers? It's so obvious that MVD would bring more demos with cool frags - and thus, more movies! - to the people.
For example, you forgot to record your clanwar but you made sooo cool headshots or cool frags (for other mods:hop:). Easy solution: Download the MVD after the game .. it's better anyways since it would have all POVs.
No small client harddrive "lag" when recording a game anymore.
etc. etc.
This is the Number One issue that drives me crazy about Quake 2.
