Players cannot observe before PREGAME is reached

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

The player ready status has been refactored 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 in observing.

All the observer code has been centralised into a single
make_me_an_observer proc on new_player mobs

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"

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
@@ -402,7 +405,7 @@ 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
@@ -793,6 +796,13 @@ 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))
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@
 
 	// 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!!!
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@
 	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
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@
 
 	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
@@ -352,13 +352,7 @@
 
 		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)
@@ -381,17 +375,12 @@
 							//			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

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-
+#define LINKIFY_READY(string, value) "<a href='byond://?src=\ref[src];ready=[value]'>[string]</a>"
 
 /mob/dead/new_player
 	var/ready = 0
@@ -30,20 +30,20 @@
 	return
 
 /mob/dead/new_player/proc/new_player_panel()
+	var/output = "<center><p><a href='byond://?src=\ref[src];show_preferences=1'>Setup Character</a></p>"
 
-	var/output = "<center><p><a 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>"
-
+	if(SSticker && SSticker.current_state <= GAME_STATE_PREGAME)
+		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><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>[LINKIFY_READY("Observe", PLAYER_READY_TO_OBSERVE)]</p>"
 
 	if(!IsGuestKey(src.key))
 		if (SSdbcore.Connect())
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
 	output += "</center>"
 
 	//src << browse(output,"window=playersetup;size=210x240;can_close=0")
-	var/datum/browser/popup = new(src, "playersetup", "<div align='center'>New Player Options</div>", 220, 265)
+	var/datum/browser/popup = new(src, "playersetup", "<div align='center'>New Player Options</div>", 250, 265)
 	popup.set_window_options("can_close=0")
 	popup.set_content(output)
 	popup.open(0)
@@ -108,42 +108,23 @@
 		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 +254,44 @@
 					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
+		src << browse(null, "window=playersetup") //closes the player setup window
+		new_player_panel()
+		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)