Players cannot observe before PREGAME is reached

Ready | Not Ready | Observe is now a three way toggle

The player ready status has been refatored into an ENUM of the three
states, READY, NOT_READY and OBSERVING

if the tickerstate is at least PREGAME they will spawn as observers,
before then you can only register your interest

code/__DEFINES/mobs.dm

@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
 
 //Misc mob defines
 
+//Ready states at roundstart for mob/dead/new_player
+#define PLAYER_NOT_READY 0
+#define PLAYER_READY_TO_PLAY 1
+#define PLAYER_READY_TO_OBSERVE 2
+
 //movement intent defines for the m_intent var
 #define MOVE_INTENT_WALK "walk"
 #define MOVE_INTENT_RUN  "run"
@@ -128,4 +133,4 @@
 
 #define INCORPOREAL_MOVE_BASIC 1
 #define INCORPOREAL_MOVE_SHADOW 2 // leaves a trail of shadows
-#define INCORPOREAL_MOVE_JAUNT 3 // is blocked by holy water/salt
+#define INCORPOREAL_MOVE_JAUNT 3 // is blocked by holy water/salt

code/controllers/subsystem/job.dm

@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(job)
 
 	//Get the players who are ready
 	for(var/mob/dead/new_player/player in GLOB.player_list)
-		if(player.ready && player.mind && !player.mind.assigned_role)
+		if(player.ready == PLAYER_READY_TO_PLAY && player.mind && !player.mind.assigned_role)
 			unassigned += player
 
 	initial_players_to_assign = unassigned.len
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(job)
 		var/level5 = 0 //banned
 		var/level6 = 0 //account too young
 		for(var/mob/dead/new_player/player in GLOB.player_list)
-			if(!(player.ready && player.mind && !player.mind.assigned_role))
+			if(!(player.ready == PLAYER_READY_TO_PLAY && player.mind && !player.mind.assigned_role))
 				continue //This player is not ready
 			if(jobban_isbanned(player, job.title))
 				level5++
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(job)
 		Debug("Popcap overflow Check observer located, Player: [player]")
 	to_chat(player, "<b>You have failed to qualify for any job you desired.</b>")
 	unassigned -= player
-	player.ready = 0
+	player.ready = PLAYER_NOT_READY
 
 
 /datum/controller/subsystem/job/Recover()

code/controllers/subsystem/ticker.dm

@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(ticker)
 				window_flash(C, ignorepref = TRUE) //let them know lobby has opened up.
 			to_chat(world, "<span class='boldnotice'>Welcome to [station_name()]!</span>")
 			current_state = GAME_STATE_PREGAME
+			//Everyone who wants to be an observer is now spawned
+			create_observers()
 			fire()
 		if(GAME_STATE_PREGAME)
 				//lobby stats for statpanels
@@ -92,7 +94,7 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(ticker)
 			totalPlayersReady = 0
 			for(var/mob/dead/new_player/player in GLOB.player_list)
 				++totalPlayers
-				if(player.ready)
+				if(player.ready == PLAYER_READY_TO_PLAY)
 					++totalPlayersReady
 
 			if(start_immediately)
@@ -131,6 +133,7 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(ticker)
 				declare_completion(force_ending)
 				Master.SetRunLevel(RUNLEVEL_POSTGAME)
 
+
 /datum/controller/subsystem/ticker/proc/setup()
 	to_chat(world, "<span class='boldannounce'>Starting game...</span>")
 	var/init_start = world.timeofday
@@ -400,7 +403,7 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(ticker)
 
 /datum/controller/subsystem/ticker/proc/create_characters()
 	for(var/mob/dead/new_player/player in GLOB.player_list)
-		if(player.ready && player.mind)
+		if(player.ready == PLAYER_READY_TO_PLAY && player.mind)
 			GLOB.joined_player_list += player.ckey
 			player.create_character(FALSE)
 		else
@@ -791,6 +794,13 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(ticker)
 	else
 		timeLeft = newtime
 
+//Everyone who wanted to be an observer gets made one now
+/datum/controller/subsystem/ticker/proc/create_observers()
+	for(var/mob/dead/new_player/player in GLOB.player_list)
+		if(player.ready == PLAYER_READY_TO_OBSERVE && player.mind)
+			//Break chain since this has a sleep input in it
+			addtimer(CALLBACK(player, /mob/dead/new_player.proc/make_me_an_observer), 1)
+
 /datum/controller/subsystem/ticker/proc/load_mode()
 	var/mode = trim(file2text("data/mode.txt"))
 	if(mode)

code/game/gamemodes/game_mode.dm

@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
 /datum/game_mode/proc/can_start()
 	var/playerC = 0
 	for(var/mob/dead/new_player/player in GLOB.player_list)
-		if((player.client)&&(player.ready))
+		if((player.client)&&(player.ready == PLAYER_READY_TO_PLAY))
 			playerC++
 	if(!GLOB.Debug2)
 		if(playerC < required_players || (maximum_players >= 0 && playerC > maximum_players))
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@
 
 	// Ultimate randomizing code right here
 	for(var/mob/dead/new_player/player in GLOB.player_list)
-		if(player.client && player.ready)
+		if(player.client && player.ready == PLAYER_READY_TO_PLAY)
 			players += player
 
 	// Shuffling, the players list is now ping-independent!!!
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@
 	players = shuffle(players)
 
 	for(var/mob/dead/new_player/player in players)
-		if(player.client && player.ready)
+		if(player.client && player.ready == PLAYER_READY_TO_PLAY)
 			if(role in player.client.prefs.be_special)
 				if(!jobban_isbanned(player, "Syndicate") && !jobban_isbanned(player, role)) //Nodrak/Carn: Antag Job-bans
 					if(age_check(player.client)) //Must be older than the minimum age
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@
 
 	if(candidates.len < recommended_enemies)
 		for(var/mob/dead/new_player/player in players)
-			if(player.client && player.ready)
+			if(player.client && player.ready == PLAYER_READY_TO_PLAY)
 				if(!(role in player.client.prefs.be_special)) // We don't have enough people who want to be antagonist, make a seperate list of people who don't want to be one
 					if(!jobban_isbanned(player, "Syndicate") && !jobban_isbanned(player, role)) //Nodrak/Carn: Antag Job-bans
 						drafted += player.mind
@@ -354,13 +354,7 @@
 
 		else												// Not enough scrubs, ABORT ABORT ABORT
 			break
-/*
-	if(candidates.len < recommended_enemies && override_jobbans) //If we still don't have enough people, we're going to start drafting banned people.
-		for(var/mob/dead/new_player/player in players)
-			if (player.client && player.ready)
-				if(jobban_isbanned(player, "Syndicate") || jobban_isbanned(player, roletext)) //Nodrak/Carn: Antag Job-bans
-					drafted += player.mind
-*/
+
 	if(restricted_jobs)
 		for(var/datum/mind/player in drafted)				// Remove people who can't be an antagonist
 			for(var/job in restricted_jobs)
@@ -383,17 +377,12 @@
 							//			recommended_enemies if the number of people with that role set to yes is less than recomended_enemies,
 							//			Less if there are not enough valid players in the game entirely to make recommended_enemies.
 
-/*
-/datum/game_mode/proc/check_player_role_pref(var/role, var/mob/dead/new_player/player)
-	if(player.preferences.be_special & role)
-		return 1
-	return 0
-*/
+
 
 /datum/game_mode/proc/num_players()
 	. = 0
 	for(var/mob/dead/new_player/P in GLOB.player_list)
-		if(P.client && P.ready)
+		if(P.client && P.ready == PLAYER_READY_TO_PLAY)
 			. ++
 
 ///////////////////////////////////

code/game/gamemodes/objective.dm

@@ -658,7 +658,7 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_EMPTY(possible_items_special)
 		var/n_p = 1 //autowin
 		if (SSticker.current_state == GAME_STATE_SETTING_UP)
 			for(var/mob/dead/new_player/P in GLOB.player_list)
-				if(P.client && P.ready && P.mind!=owner)
+				if(P.client && P.ready == PLAYER_READY_TO_PLAY && P.mind!=owner)
 					n_p ++
 		else if (SSticker.IsRoundInProgress())
 			for(var/mob/living/carbon/human/P in GLOB.player_list)

code/modules/mob/dead/new_player/new_player.dm

@@ -29,21 +29,25 @@
 /mob/dead/new_player/prepare_huds()
 	return
 
-/mob/dead/new_player/proc/new_player_panel()
+/mob/dead/new_player/proc/linkify_ready(string, value)
+	return "<a href='byond://?src=\ref[src]:ready=[value]>[string]</a>"
 
-	var/output = "<center><p><a href='byond://?src=\ref[src];show_preferences=1'>Setup Character</A></p>"
+/mob/dead/new_player/proc/new_player_panel()
+	var/output = "<center><p>< href='byond://?src=\ref[src];show_preferences=1'>Setup Character</A></p>"
 
 	if(!SSticker || SSticker.current_state <= GAME_STATE_PREGAME)
-		if(ready)
-			output += "<p>\[ <b>Ready</b> | <a href='byond://?src=\ref[src];ready=0'>Not Ready</a> \]</p>"
-		else
-			output += "<p>\[ <a href='byond://?src=\ref[src];ready=1'>Ready</a> | <b>Not Ready</b> \]</p>"
+		switch(ready)
+			if(PLAYER_NOT_READY)
+				output += "<p>\[ [linkify_ready("Ready", PLAYER_READY_TO_PLAY)] | <b>Not Ready</b> | [linkify_ready("Observe", PLAYER_READY_TO_OBSERVE)] \]</p>"
+			if(PLAYER_READY_TO_PLAY)
+				output += "<p>\[ <b>Ready</b> | [linkify_ready("Not Ready", PLAYER_NOT_READY)] | [linkify_ready("Observe", PLAYER_READY_TO_OBSERVE)] \]</p>"
+			if(PLAYER_READY_TO_OBSERVE)
+				output += "<p>\[ [linkify_ready("Ready", PLAYER_READY_TO_PLAY)]] | [linkify_ready("Not Ready", PLAYER_NOT_READY)] | <b> Observe </b> \]</p>"
 
 	else
 		output += "<p><a href='byond://?src=\ref[src];manifest=1'>View the Crew Manifest</A></p>"
 		output += "<p><a href='byond://?src=\ref[src];late_join=1'>Join Game!</A></p>"
-
-	output += "<p><a href='byond://?src=\ref[src];observe=1'>Observe</A></p>"
+		output += "<p>[linkify_ready("Observe", 2)]</p>"
 
 	if(!IsGuestKey(src.key))
 		if (SSdbcore.Connect())
@@ -108,42 +112,23 @@
 		return 1
 
 	if(href_list["ready"])
-		if(!SSticker || SSticker.current_state <= GAME_STATE_PREGAME) // Make sure we don't ready up after the round has started
-			ready = text2num(href_list["ready"])
+		if(SSticker)
+			var/tready = text2num(href_list["ready"])
+			//Avoid updating ready if we're after PREGAME (they should use latejoin instead)
+			//This is likely not an actual issue but I don't have time to prove that this 
+			//no longer is required
+			if(SSticker.current_state <= GAME_STATE_PREGAME)
+				ready = tready
+			//if it's post initialisation and they're trying to observe we do the needful
+			if(!SSticker.current_state < GAME_STATE_PREGAME && tready == PLAYER_READY_TO_OBSERVE)
+				ready = tready
+				make_me_an_observer()
+				return
 
 	if(href_list["refresh"])
 		src << browse(null, "window=playersetup") //closes the player setup window
 		new_player_panel()
 
-	if(href_list["observe"])
-
-		if(alert(src,"Are you sure you wish to observe? You will not be able to play this round!","Player Setup","Yes","No") == "Yes")
-			if(!client)
-				return 1
-			var/mob/dead/observer/observer = new()
-
-			spawning = 1
-
-			observer.started_as_observer = 1
-			close_spawn_windows()
-			var/obj/O = locate("landmark*Observer-Start")
-			to_chat(src, "<span class='notice'>Now teleporting.</span>")
-			if (O)
-				observer.loc = O.loc
-			else
-				to_chat(src, "<span class='notice'>Teleporting failed. The map is probably still loading...</span>")
-			observer.key = key
-			observer.client = client
-			observer.set_ghost_appearance()
-			if(observer.client && observer.client.prefs)
-				observer.real_name = observer.client.prefs.real_name
-				observer.name = observer.real_name
-			observer.update_icon()
-			observer.stop_sound_channel(CHANNEL_LOBBYMUSIC)
-			QDEL_NULL(mind)
-			qdel(src)
-			return 1
-
 	if(href_list["late_join"])
 		if(!SSticker || !SSticker.IsRoundInProgress())
 			to_chat(usr, "<span class='danger'>The round is either not ready, or has already finished...</span>")
@@ -273,6 +258,42 @@
 					return
 				to_chat(src, "<span class='notice'>Vote successful.</span>")
 
+//When you cop out of the round (NB: this HAS A SLEEP FOR PLAYER INPUT IN IT)
+/mob/dead/new_player/proc/make_me_an_observer()
+	if(QDELETED(src) || !src.client)
+		ready = PLAYER_NOT_READY
+		return FALSE
+
+	var/this_is_like_playing_right = alert(src,"Are you sure you wish to observe? You will not be able to play this round!","Player Setup","Yes","No")
+
+	if(QDELETED(src) || !src.client || this_is_like_playing_right != "Yes")
+		ready = PLAYER_NOT_READY
+		return FALSE
+
+	var/mob/dead/observer/observer = new()
+	spawning = TRUE
+
+	observer.started_as_observer = TRUE
+	close_spawn_windows()
+	var/obj/O = locate("landmark*Observer-Start")
+	to_chat(src, "<span class='notice'>Now teleporting.</span>")
+	if (O)
+		observer.loc = O.loc
+	else
+		to_chat(src, "<span class='notice'>Teleporting failed. Ahelp an admin please</span>")
+		stack_trace("There's no freaking observer landmark available on this map or you're making observers before the map is initialised")
+	observer.key = key
+	observer.client = client
+	observer.set_ghost_appearance()
+	if(observer.client && observer.client.prefs)
+		observer.real_name = observer.client.prefs.real_name
+		observer.name = observer.real_name
+	observer.update_icon()
+	observer.stop_sound_channel(CHANNEL_LOBBYMUSIC)
+	QDEL_NULL(mind)
+	qdel(src)
+	return TRUE
+
 /mob/dead/new_player/proc/IsJobAvailable(rank)
 	var/datum/job/job = SSjob.GetJob(rank)
 	if(!job)