Jump to content
XCOMUFO & Xenocide

We Need Images For The Interlude


Syntax Error

Recommended Posts

Yes, i did not see nowhere on these forums some pictures to show during the alien tour or the Xcom craft landing or the Terror Site...

 

Remember,

.we could see a soldier with a pistol resting on a wall with a pair of luminous eyes just behind him;

.an Avenger landing beside a crashed ovni

...

 

Do you understand my poor end-of-week english? :huh?:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unfortunately I dont. :D Are you referring to cut scenes when loading a terror site, using still images? We will probably render some 3D scenes for use with that at some point.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Like what xcom 1 for PS did? (It had a video clip similar to the intro that played whenever a certain event occured EG: retreating from mission.) I would love to see something like this.

Can't say I agree...would be cool the first couple times to see it...then would turn into a repetitive thing....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think revvie is right :)

 

Such fmv interludes at the start/end of every mission are nice, the first couple of times, but after a few times you're hitting escape all the time to skip them, wishing you could turn them off. I'm sure there's other work to do that has a higher priority. And, some piccies like in the original or xcom 3 are nice enough I think, especially if we provide plenty different pics.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

revenant is right. i've been playing worms3d recently and it's got FMVs for "medal gained", "mission failed", "mission completed", "feature unlocked", etc. although they are quite varied (many FMVs for the same thing) and cool, they get boring as soon as you've seen them all, thus leading to excessive pressing of the Space key ;)

 

i'd say it should be something v1++++

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Perhaps we could use slide shows or comic strips instead of

movies. They could be shown while the game is loading

without slowing the process down too much.

i like that idea :)

c&c generals shows you the mission briefing while the actual mission was loaded, thus avoiding long and boring times.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

I've been cruising these forms for a while now and I thought I'll post.

My thought on this matter is that Syntax Error was right to suggest single panel stills. FMVs would be cool until they get old, stills however, especially if done in a way that causes your mind to look for deeper meaning will last forever. whats more useing stills will allow the people who work with FMVs to focus on less command occurrences, or aerial combat (like UFO, aftermath).

 

I think Syntax Error had good ideas for the stills too, I quote:

 

.we could see a soldier with a pistol resting on a wall with a pair of luminous eyes just behind him;

.an Avenger landing beside a crashed ovni

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that movies are cool, really cool as the matter affect. BUT! Not when u have to see them like about 10 times in an hour. U'll get bored with them and they will irritate. Even the people who like them will get bored after a while. The suggestion of making a lot of pictures and let them vary with every screen, seems to be a lot nicer to me :D

 

I do think that movies are especially cool when u use them in a demo movie for the game ^_^ (repetitively changing from movie to real ingame graphics, for example) U know the thing ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I definitely vote for stills. We don't need videos to every occasion! C'moon! Videos are cool but they should be shown only in special cases to keep them interesting. Like:

 

1. Starting the game intro movie

2. Losing the game movie

3. Winning the game movie

4. Going to mars movie

 

These are enough from my opinion. Following events need stills and backrounds.

 

1. Mission briefing

2. Mission winning

3. Mission losing

4. Research finished

5. Manufacture finished

6. End of month

7. Buy/sell/transfer screens

8. Aircraft management screen

 

Someone from art dep. could start doing these.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

though I would'nt mind seeing just 1 extra movie added to that list Nyyperoid -> First time you enter a terror site mission.

That would be cool!

Would be a pain in the butt to animate a cool video of terror site, all those civilians and aliens and their movement.. Depending of course what the video would be like but I imagine it would contain a fighting scene from a terror site mission.

 

Ah, and the reason why someone should start making those stills is that they could be implemented in the next alpha already! At least some of them.

Edited by Nyyperoid
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the stills maybe could make use of some of the great concepts we've seen here.

 

Even if we later decide to make a movie it's good to have a picture to go from as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...

I think I like the idea of stills, for all the above reasons. with a few movies for "thresholds" in the game.

 

The "into battle" movies on the PS1 were quite varied because they were built up from different layers. These combined to make a lot of variations from a relatively small amount of data, and they played over the load happening, so didn't slow things down.

 

But I think having movies for every event would get tedious to watch (and create).

 

I think Nyperoids list is probably right.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I once read on in a game manual FAQ:

Q: Why are there no movies?

A: Because they are large, time consuming things. Also, the user watches the first couple of times, but after that just clicks past.

Anyone find this true?

We spend 4 weeks and 20 of our best artists on a really cool 3-minute long 3D full colour intro. Ace, no? But once everyone sees it they go: 'Oh not this again blah blah lemme shoot some aliens come ON!'

Bit of a waste, no? Maybe a short intro, yes, but not a really long one. Remember, its the game they want.

Edited by Danny252
Link to comment
Share on other sites

<soapbox>

Intro's should be really short, just enough to draw you into the game, maybe tell a short story, (adverts often tell quite complex stories in 30 seconds).

 

I may be biased but I liked the TFTD intro, (mind you even that could have been a little shorter and probably better done). but at least it told a story and provoked some sort of response.

 

Worst recent offender is BF1942 with it's interminable random footage of machinery killing other machinery which goes on and on and on and DOESN'T GO ANYWHERE OR GET YOU INVOLVED IN THE SLIGHTEST :cussing:

<\soapbox>

pant wheeze, sorry bout that

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I liked/like tftd intro too. So you're not alone, don't worry :)

UFO - Enemy Unknowns intro has left me the best memories of all my gaming history. UFO - EUs intro had one great advantage though, that excellent interceptor battle music. That's the best game music I've ever heard. Too bad they screwed it in CE version.

 

Oh, and I too hate intros with no point. The only intro that I have liked lately is wolfenstein - enemy territorys intro. It's great although it's done with the game engine.

Edited by Nyyperoid
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree on having relevent intros or cut scenes. Following the bf1942 line, the intro in the game is terrible, but the promo videos that use real audio from WW2 are great. There could have been classic audio that lead up to the heat of battle to set the mood, that would have been nice.

 

The only reason for having video/pics before a mision is to help out during load time. The UFO:Aftermath load time seemed long because nothing was going on, having something to look at would have helped. Perhaps some still shots while an audio news bite plays (in a random native tongue for the continent?), "special report, it appears an alien attack is taking place, etc"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

UFO - EUs intro had one great advantage though, that excellent interceptor battle music. That's the best game music I've ever heard.

I'll pass it on next time I see the sound guy :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
I think the idea of still images, slideshows and movies are all good ideas, but with economy in mind and the playing habits of the player they have their strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps movies or slideshows could be used for important missions, or even scripted missions (recovery of certain artifacts, certain alien life-forms or classes, ie. leader) to highlight and emphasize it's significance. Even alternating between various still images for ground assults or terrorisms would be sure to add to the replay factor of the game. Just a thought for their implementation.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

:huh?: hmmm... this would probably v1.0+++++, but... IIRC the battlescape will be a real 3d environment, right? perhaps even with the option to rotate and zoom and tilt the view and everything... now there's an idea forming in my mind for the "going into battle" cutscene that would never be boring and also really cool...

 

imagine this: you're a soldier, sitting in your seat aboard the transport plane which slowly descends through clouds and then through the thick smoke coming from the bent metal frame of the as-of-yet-unidentified no-longer-flying object your fighter pilot buddies just shot out of the skies. what do you do, stare into the interior of your transport craft or try to get a glimpse of the horrors that await you down there, things that just wait for the rear door of your plane to open to get their claws, tentacles or whatever into close contact with your throat?

 

my point is: the cutscene could be the view of one soldier out the small window of the transport craft onto the soon-to-be battlefield.

of course this would give you an unfair advantage, because it would show you what the area looks like. so of course most of it is obscured by smoke, clouds, engine exhaust and the like, so you can only sometimes catch a glimpse of what it really looks like.

it would probably not even be very hard to do, because the battlefield is 3d anyway. all you need is a different viewing angle and some cloud/smoke/whatever-layers in front of it.

 

imagine going into a night mission to a downed battleship: the cutscene shows mostly dark stuff in front of your window, but then you see just part of the ufo hull reflecting a fire caused by the crash... only by estimating the curvature of the piece you have seen you can try to imagine just how big the whole thing is... and did you just see something moving down there? :naughty:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This would be really nice, Moriarty; though it would look extremely stupid when your skyranger lands with its exit facing a (grinning) alien that you could see for quite a while during the scene.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

good point. perhaps the aliens you see in the "cutscene" shouldn't be in the same places when you start the battlescape mission. after all, they won't just stand rooted to the spot while there's a big, ugly ship full of earth-people landing.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Keep it short, keep it simple, and keep it efficient...

Yes for stills when loading a mission briefing (wich could show the ACTUAL ligthing)

And vids would best be kept for particularly memorable moments... Keep them BIG and Flashy :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...
  • 2 months later...

Just thought I throw some ideas out there...

 

IF there are people who like making videos out there, couldn't we have videos play the first time things happen?

 

For example, maybe have short clips (only a few seconds long) showing:

- the first time any X-Corps craft take off (Interceptor, Skyranger, Lightning, Avenger, etc.), or when new crafts are first built

- the first time the Aliens attack a base (that could be cool- lots of explosions)

- the first month of funding (a panning shot of a large UN-style council having a vote, then on to the funding screen)

- first access of the X-Net (have a computer log-in animation)

- first lost mission (maybe see a silhouette of poor soldier getting lanced in the back by several plasma shots from offscreen and collapsing, fade to black- this avoids showing which alien to avoid inconsistencies)

- first successful mission (maybe see several soldiers- silhouettes?-firing, running, ducking and taking cover... and then celebrating- this also avoids showing the aliens, but might run into terrain inconsistencies)

- first terror attack

- first flight to Mars

 

It might be neat, especially in the beginning of the game: there are lots of short animations that add to the feel and wonderment of the Xenocide universe. There are some other animations that appear due to research so that some animations appear later in the game. All of these little animations could really enhance the immersion of the game, but only if there are people willing to make them. :P

 

Since they only appear the first time a certain event happens and since they are so short, it'll take a long time before they get old, imho. In any case, there could be an option, "Don't show short animations," or somesuch. It would be great if these short animations could make it into V1, but I realize this is probably a V1+ issue.

 

The pre-mission (mission briefing?) loading screen and Alien turns would still be, um, stills.

Edited by Astyanax
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was just thinking this Asty - short videos for the firsts, and maybe a few stills on any loading screen. Maybe the 'making of' pictures - AWD KEEP ALL YOUR CONCEPTS!!! :D

 

I would think that building aircraft should be the video.

 

Also, what about important research topics? eg Cydonia or Bust etc etc

 

Possibly, to avoid inconsistencies, maybe sound only on some mission videos? Eg for first loss - have a normal report in - centering on a soldier's face, then it going fuzzy, and cutting to 'white noise' visual, and the sounds of gunfire overplayed by the 'commander' repeatedly asking for a sit-rep, and getting more frantic? Or am I going too far?

 

At any rate, we should be keeping the AWD busy for years to come!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First post on these forums! Yay.

 

Anybody here ever play Rome: Total War? Well before you deploy your force for a battle you see all your troops lined up on the battlefield and they are all shouting and roaring and banging on their shields and stuff getting psyched up for the battle. The commander gives a speech which varies on a whole bunch of things:

 

location/enemy/experience equip of your troops/experience equip of enemy troops/number of your troops/number of enemy troops/important battlefield features (bridges etc)/type of battle (defense, attack, siege, ambush etc) and general things like "remember those you love this day".

 

OK so here's my idea.

 

When the mission is loading you see a few comic book type images showing what you know about the mission;

 

If its a terror mission you'l see a picture of an alien terrorising a civilian.

 

But if you don't know what the race is the alien will just be a dark shadow (if you know who the aliens are there'l be different pictures for each type).

 

You'l see a picute of whatever craft your guys are in landing, you'l see a picture of a few x-corp operatives in an urban (if its a terror mission: if not whatever locale you're in) environment, the x-corps in pic will have whatever equip is currently avaiable to you. And so on.

 

There will be a voice going at the same time talking about the mission, the commander giving the troops his words of encouragement, it will depend on the variables i've listed and any others that might be relevant.

 

Maybe on how much research you've completed on the race in question (ie if you know its snakemen and you've reseached snakeman autopsy then he'l say "we know these snakemen's weaknesses").

 

If you have researched "snakemen" then it will say something like "we have faced these snakemen before and been victorious, and we will be victorious again today"

 

If you don't know who the enemy is then something like "we face the unknown today, but I am confident all of you will do you're duty to family, nation and all of humanity".

 

If we have researched things like why the aliens launched terror missions "these aliens think they can intimidate humanity into submission - let us show them they are wrong!".

 

The stats of the highest ranking guy you have on mission (who is presumeably giving the speech) could also be a variable: "you know of my victories against the alien threat, remember your training and experience and I will give you another!".

 

What weapon tech you have could also come into it "these aliens have mysterious and powerful weapons" OR "we will meet these aliens with their owns weapons, they have no advantage of arms over us"

 

So basically early on in the game it will set up the mystery and scaryness of the whole thing with the commander basically saying "we know *** all about what were facing, try not to **** your pants" but as the game develops it will become more and more like "FOORRR EARTH!!!! AAAAAAGGHH!!!" :cussing:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the boards, wilted_laughter!

 

I really think the comic book images could work out; it just depends on what mood Xenocide is trying to emote. If there's a great focus on "realism" and "creepiness", then comic book images wouldn't work. But if Xenocide is more light-hearted, then it would be a fantastic idea.

 

The ideas for speeches are pretty good, and they would really add an emotional component to the game, but I have some concerns:

 

1) Foreground voices will get old quickly (particularly for the repeat player), even if there are several versions available (which then might make the download very large? I'm not sure how big speech files are...).

 

2) Quality voice acting is difficult to find, and (as far as I know) without professional equipment, it not easy to get a decent recording. Removing background noise from samples is difficult from what I understand.

 

Still, who wouldn't want to have good speeches and quotes in a game? :P

 

@dipstick: I was thinking of keeping voices faint and in the background (or absent altogether to reduce repetitiveness)- it would work perfectly to enhance the remoteness of the dying soldier from safety. I really think that both visual and audio static would fit in very well here.

Edited by Astyanax
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

I like Wilted's idea, it's got a good emotional feel and is very cool :)

 

In X-Com, I'd love to see how the rest of the world was faring with the situation. Maybe 1 or 2 videos to show that? For example, if America allied with the Aliens at the end of the month, you'd have a news report of the President leaving the Whitehouse with 2 Secret Servicemen, and a Sectoid. The Sectoid would be shaking hands with the President while cameras would flash at them and the President would be waving his hands to the cheering crowd. He would then give a speech against X-Com, and this would seem unnerving.

 

Wilted's idea can be improved, such as, when you research more about the target creature, you get more cutscenes. For example, if you don't know about a Chryssilid, it would say stuff about "we go into the unknown" (like Wilted said) with not a lot of scenes, but if you research more of the Chrysillid you get more scenes about it perhaps laying an egg in some victims, an X-Com soldier blasting it as it gets closer towards him, etc.

Edited by Chmmr
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@MOriarty

 

I agree that using in-game engines make much better cut-scenes in many cases. A good example would be Jedi Knight, where they used FMV and it lost some of the consistency. Interstate '76 did the whole thing with the game engine and it was quite immersive. Maybe you could combine the decent/still concept. Here is how loading would look:

 

1) Satellite Photos - As your ship is descending(map loading), you see satellite stills. To keep these from becoming boring, they should actually be rendered somehow. THat means it would reflect the actual state of hte UFO, what it looks like in the upcoming map, any terrain damage around it. Also useful would be little lines coming out with digital looking information(like military screens). If you needed a minute before that worked, you could even add 'system uplink' stills.

 

1b) Ambient RAdio/Cellphone Communication - In background, you should have random chatter based upon the event. Terror attacks would light up radio waves and cellphones, while other incursions would have more military channels active(you would be a UFO to their radar).

 

2) Once the map was generated, some stills rendered from the descent would be generated, also giving you a chance to survey the map briefly and maybe catch some aliens unaware. It would make it exciting because it would add a strategy side to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

cant remember the came it was from but prior to a mission there was a mission information screen (kinda rectangular box with numbers down the bottom right)

based on stills and text mabe this would work?

 

OVERVIEW

from here you could review the recon report (such as if an intercepter shot the craft down) or via satailte imaging (landed ufo) or transmissions (from terror site city congress) (e.g. not to disclose which aliens they are, though the player may have the tech to do so themselves)

 

the numbers would reflect diffrent aspects of the mission

a)alien species (if known)

b)land type (ie grassland, desert, city etc)

c)basic squad information (craft, no of troops, aprox tarvel time to target)

d)pics of the ufo in question and/or size (if known/spotted/intercepted)

(if unknown just aprox ufo size)

e)relations to the location (in the world of the ufos location) ie if they are working with the aliens?

f)funding from location?

any additions??

 

also if this was done in a box format as mentioned above with "links?" to the numbers detailing diffrent aspects of the mission (the more info the player has prehaps the more still photos displayed during this phase)

 

feedback ? (LOL just anouther daft plan......)

/me attempts to kickstart brain ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the idea that you could get relevant information about the nation you are landing in as well. This would be especially useful if they started adding in penalties for nuking the terrain, like Apocalypse. It might also prepare you for unfriendly military troops are at least loadout. Also it always bothered me there was no ETA function for at least land missions, if not interceptions.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...
I think we should just have the XNET entries as splash screens while waiting for the mission to load. More will become available to be randomly picked from as the game progresses and that art work and writing will already have to be done anyway. That would be cool.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

...

- the first month of funding (a panning shot of a large UN-style council having a vote, then on to the funding screen)

...

 

I like that idea. In the funding scene showing only one council member's face or a x-corp base commander sqringe looking at a paper or monitor screen.

if (sound==true){
  if(council==true){
    sound = "Damn..."   
  else if(base_commander==true){
    sound = "We got cut again..."  
  }
  music = "terror music"   
}

Although contrary to that, we can just use stills behind the funding window...

Either way, we need stills for all of them anyway. So have art dept done any stills yet? (Maybe just drawing for v1 till 3D models are available)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...