[PLAYER] Do we want to keep UI actions in the replay?

[namida]

Currently, NL always saves skill selection (but no other purely-UI actions) to the replay, but nothing else. There is a user-side option as to whether or not to actually show these when playing back a replay.

Let's compare this to other engines:
> Lemmix: Works the same way as NL does, minus the option to hide skill selections when viewing a replay.
> Lemmini / SuperLemmini: These save all UI actions in the replay. For example, the replay includes screen scrolling. I think SuperLemmini now has an option to not display these things when playing it back, however (Lemmini does not).
> Lix: No UI stuff is saved, as far as I'm aware. If it is, it doesn't get played back.

In the past, requests to go more towards the Lix route have lead to the introduction of a user-side option for showing these; the replay file always includes the data on them. But do we need to keep this?

If we are going to keep this - I think it should be expanded so that all UI actions are saved to the replay file and can be played back. The other option is to only record the actual gameplay, and discard purely-UI actions when saving a replay. I don't want to keep the current middle ground either way; I want to go with one or the other. If we do include all UI stuff in the replay, the option to not show it when replaying will remain available. If we discard it, of course, there won't be any need for an option, as we can't replay something we don't have information on.

Even though I was one of the people who wanted to keep the UI stuff, over time I've found myself leaning more towards that it doesn't need to be replayed. And, of course, it's easier to code this way.

The reason I ask is because I'm working on the new replay format (and associated code) at the moment.

On that note, here's an example of a new replay file. Note that the extra info like lemming position and direction isn't currently used; it's just saved so that in future, code can be added to try and recover replays that have been broken by physics changes etc.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

# NeoLemmix Replay File
# Saved from NeoLemmix VExNF 1.45n-C
# Assignments: 5
# RR Changes: 0

TITLE    Compression Method 1         
GAME Untitled Level Pack
RANK TEST MODE
LEVEL 1
ID 9FEA9A63

ACTIONS

ASSIGNMENT
  FRAME 84
  LEM_INDEX 3
  LEM_X 133
  LEM_Y 90
  LEM_DIR RIGHT
  ACTION BASHER

ASSIGNMENT
  FRAME 96
  LEM_INDEX 6
  LEM_X 197
  LEM_Y 90
  LEM_DIR RIGHT
  ACTION BASHER

ASSIGNMENT
  FRAME 109
  LEM_INDEX 9
  LEM_X 262
  LEM_Y 90
  LEM_DIR RIGHT
  ACTION BASHER

ASSIGNMENT
  FRAME 167
  LEM_INDEX 7
  LEM_X 98
  LEM_Y 117
  LEM_DIR LEFT
  ACTION BLOCKER

ASSIGNMENT
  FRAME 697
  LEM_INDEX 7
  LEM_X 98
  LEM_Y 117
  LEM_DIR LEFT
  ACTION BOMBER

[namida]

It seems votes are mostly in favor of excluding these from the replay.

To the person who voted yes (and anyone else who may agree with them): Would you mind expanding on why you'd like these to be included?
To those who voted no: Do any of you have an opinion explicitly of "no, it should not exist", or would you consider your view more along the lines of "I don't care if there's support for it, as long as it can be turned off"?

I would still say at this stage it's most likely support for such things is going to be dropped, but I wouldn't rule it out yet.

[mobius]

I personally can't think of any good reason/ benefit of this, and I've always wondered why it existed in the first place.
Ususally it just annoys me, for instance, I'll be getting ready to take over/end the replay and make a move when the skill gets changed right before and I make a mistake, then have to back up or replay again.

I don't care if there's support for it, as long as it can be turned off

[namida]

It's really not looking like there's much demand for it, so I won't bother to add support.