UFO:Alien Invasion
Development => Artwork => Topic started by: Mattn on June 28, 2007, 01:04:27 pm
-
I recently added roq support to the ufo engine - see http://ufoai.ninex.info/wiki/index.php/Artwork#Videos_.28Cutscenes.29 - now we need an intro for UFO:AI - contributions are highly welcome
This topic is for discussion the content, and other intro related stuff
-
In an ideal world there would be a sequence showing the attack on Mumbai in all its glory. Really awesome would be live actors and CGI, it worked for the MechWarrior 4: Vengeance intro.
That's the lofty goal.
A realistic goal would possibly be a news reporter in a street in Mumbai reporting on the what little is known about the situation. In the background you could have the sound of gun fire, a few plumes of smoke, and the occasional explosion.
-
What I'd do would be an animation in a style similar to this one (you might have already seen it):
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1wygv_iraq-animation
It's basically a series of well done drawings. The camera moves from one spot to another and all things come alive, they seem to move even though they're mostly static. I think it's realtively easy to do (it's certainly easier to do than a full blown 3D movie) and it wouldnt consume a huge amount of time to get it done.
Oh and if there's no chance for a simple but good looking intro then I'd suggest having no intro at all :D
-
well done animation
-
If you're looking for acting, I have two digital cameras and a chroma key blue screen for photography, and I also have some nice police uniform boots as well as a bunch of BDU camo pants and shirts and stuff in different colors - not just the typical woodland green, but also city grey and sky blue (the blue camo isn't officially used by the US military, but coincidentally it *does* match the default blue color the soldiers in the game wear). I also have a bit of acting experience in front of a camera from a college digital video project and past music videos I've done.
I also like to dress up in outfits - to be honest in my past I've gone through countless different styles, been into mohawks and long hair phases, and other wild stuff (I still have a black leather motorcycle jacket in my closet, too bad it's now a little bit too small).
Props might be a problem though, I don't own any firearms or have much that would look like one.
-
is anyone working on this?
i've published my first crap version of the intro - only to show what i'm think it should be like:
download this file: http://mattn.ninex.info/videos/intro.roq and copy it into base/videos directory (create the dir if it doesn't exist) then start the game.
Note: This is only working with the most recently trunk version or the latest 2.2 beta installer
you can always start the intro by typing cinematic intro to the game console.
Please also note, that sounds and music are completly missing right now
Description
It's just our green rotating globe (texture see here: http://ufoai.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/ufoai/ufoai/data_source/images/globe_green.tga ) and some flying ufo_fighter and ufo_harvester (i took the model from http://ufoai.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/ufoai/ufoai/trunk/base/models/geoscape/ )
-
I think what would really be neat is if we could have a writer who could come up with a script for the intro (Hrm, I wonder who? :) ), and also have someone who can sketch up storyboards. (I do have a small graphics tablet, but my art skills aren't that great.)
Also, VLC seems to play the animation. I don't know if the artifacts also occur when played through the game, though.
Hrmm.... actually, does anyone of any good free networking drawing programs? I have an old version of opencanvas that sort-of works (as long as you don't need to save afterwards), but I was thinking of a vector-based drawing program with the potential for multiple layers.
-
inkscape is what you are searching
-
I'm willing to read a script as a narrator, record it, and sync it with any video footage created - I have the hardware and software to do it.
EDIT: I also have a little digital video footage of (daytime) clouds in a sky I shot myself, if anyone wants to add ships flying through the sky at any point in the intro.
Also, is it possible to animate some of the models already used in the game in a pre-defined manner just for a video clip? I don't know too much about animation or modeling, but if I had some aliens or other animated models to work with, I could add video filters, FX, editing, etc.
FURTHER EDIT: If I even had a moving creature or soldier with nothing else against a solid colored background, I could use a Chroma key FX to place the animation on top of a background for parts of the intro, regardless of whether the background is still or moving, computer-generated or real video footage. (I know of a movie that used this technique to make a real live actor look like he was holding an animated cartoon gun.)
I just need some components to work with.
-
you can find everything in our svn: http://ufoai.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/ufoai/ufoai/trunk/base/models/
or the source files here: http://ufoai.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/ufoai/ufoai/data_source/models/
but i don't think we should include speech in any of our cutscenes - just video and music. because localization would be a problem for every language we have translations for. We need small cutscenes of UFOs attack a city (first campaign stage) - every campaign stage needs a small cutscene - please just ask our storywriters if you are interested in doing them.
It's also enough to create skyscraper models we can do the rest with our sequence scripts. Models of houses and so on.
The only "speech" we need (also for in-game dying sounds) are crying civilians, dying sounds for male and female, panic sounds and so on
-
I think what would really be neat is if we could have a writer who could come up with a script for the intro (Hrm, I wonder who? :) ), and also have someone who can sketch up storyboards. (I do have a small graphics tablet, but my art skills aren't that great.)
Hey, I'd be happy to write a script, but it would probably end up a bit too . . . extravagant. ;)
The easiest way to do it is for someone to step forward and say, "Yes, I will animate the intro," at which point we can figure out something that's both well-written and doable.
Regards,
Winter
-
Okay, I've written a very simple opener script that I think would make a nice lead-in to the game. More extensive animation can be easily tacked on after the logo is displayed.
Script:
CLOSE-UP: Taman face, eyes slightly narrowed, on a backdrop of golden afternoon sky. Gradual zoom out to see the whole body, holding a plasma rifle, and a landed Harvester UFO behind it. Before fully zoomed out, camera circles 180 around the alien to reveal the human city in front of it. For two seconds the city is pristine. Then blue light flashes against the buildings, and a pillar of smoke starts to rise into the sky. Sounds fade in of plasma and gunfire, explosions, human screams of terror.
The Taman hefts its rifle and starts to walk towards the city. It suddenly pauses and assumes a relaxed shooting stance; screen fades to black as plasma firing sounds and human screams commence. UFO:AI logo appears.
Regards,
Winter
-
yeah - that would be cool
-
The logo in the animation should seamlessly (or a good approximation thereof) connect with the loading screen. In other words, the loading screen should also display the logo. I don't like the current screenshot that's there, it's not appropriate.
-
Here's a very quick sketchup of the first part of Winter's script. Very quick and very sketchy, that is. :P As you can see, I don't have much in the way of art skills :P.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v388/Psawhn/UFO-AI/ufo-ai_intro_a-1.swf
The second part (actually animating the Taman) is beyond my skills right now, haha.
Edit: One idea that's sort-of been going around my head are TV news on the attack of Mumbai. It would be dawn/dusk, with the city smoking and in ruins behind the reporter. Plus, the reporter would be speaking Marathi (an Indian language).
I have some Indian friends I could maybe pester to get some news recordings of :). It might have to be Gujarati or Punjabi, though - depends who's willing to do it, haha. :D
(Or Chinese - I have some Cantonese-speaking friends, too.)
-
Here's a very quick sketchup of the first part of Winter's script. Very quick and very sketchy, that is. :P As you can see, I don't have much in the way of art skills :P.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v388/Psawhn/UFO-AI/ufo-ai_intro_a-1.swf
The second part (actually animating the Taman) is beyond my skills right now, haha.
That's a pretty decent storyboard, thanks a lot.
Also, the Taman wouldn't need any complex animation -- the model already has walking and firing animations, so really you could just set the default anims to play and you'd be done.
Regards,
Winter
-
Actually, I mean drawing the Taman walking around, for the storyboard, is beyond my skills. :D Thanks for the compliments.
For the next shot in the storyboard, were you picturing a different camera angle, or just the camera fixed at that position behind the Taman?
-
For the next shot in the storyboard, were you picturing a different camera angle, or just the camera fixed at that position behind the Taman?
It could be either a chase camera on the Taman, or (preferably) rest at a fixed point after the 180 spin, just watching the Taman walk towards the city.
Regards,
Winter
-
I kinda gave up trying to make the next part look pretty, I just can't do it decently. :P
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v388/Psawhn/UFO-AI/ufo-ai_intro_a-2.swf
I kept the camera still, but then added an upwards pan as the screen faded to black. (It broke the smoke plume, though, haha :P)
-
I like very much the concept and the current make up. What it lacks is fancy drawings - don't now if the currents artists are able to draw something decent.
-
Hi there,
first, cool storybord! Would really spice up the game!
Question: Wouldn `t it be more interesting to turn around the order of the revealed elements? For example:
1. City
2. City exploding or burning or whatever
3. Feet of the alien
4. Back of the alien
5. and THEN turn around, showing the alien and face (maybe second shot/angle)
I just don
-
I don't think we should really show an alien in the intro, that would take away the creepyness of the 'unknown'. Rather as silhouettes, shadows or single body parts, like "hands" grasping a gun or sth. Anyone knows the glowing eyes in the dark cave from Tomb Raider: Last revelation?
As for drawings, that sounds like a job for blywulf... is he still around?
EDIT: OK, I shoud've known there's nothing that' not on YouTube *g See at ~7:00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDxQD6imHlQ&mode=related&search=
(very short, had it in mind longer)
Or what about a scene with minigun soldiers being mowed down like in Dune 2? See @ ~2:18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tppjzT-su0Q
(Don't you just still love that intro? :-D )
-
What I'd do would be an animation in a style similar to this one (you might have already seen it):
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1wygv_iraq-animation (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1wygv_iraq-animation)
It's basically a series of well done drawings. The camera moves from one spot to another and all things come alive, they seem to move even though they're mostly static. I think it's realtively easy to do (it's certainly easier to do than a full blown 3D movie) and it wouldnt consume a huge amount of time to get it done.
[...]
I know this posting is a bit old but i must say that i like the style. Reminds me of AC2...
-
I agree with XaverXN. What would be better (I think) is you see the city, with people walking around and minding their own business. You see parents playing with their children, friends laughing around a table from a cafe.
Life was good.
But then, the screen goes black. Then you see a scene with people running, crying, and the camera moves around chaoticly, as if it's being held by someone on the scene. They run past soldiers who desperately try to hold back the unknown enemy, but soldiers left and right are shot by flashes of light and you see tanks roll into the screen, only to get shot by the enemy aircraft.
The screen goes black. Then you see a news report of the UN meeting declaring war.
The screen goes black.
Jet fighters shoot missiles following curved paths from the distance.
The screen goes black.
Then the camera would be behind a wall of flame with PHALANX soldiers walking towards it cautiously.
then the screen goes black.
Then you would see the commander (from the back) and the alarm of the base would sound. then the soldiers mount metal walls in front of the main entrance, waiting for the enemy.
I was thinking of this being either the intro or the trailer of the game.
What do you guys think?
-
I see we have this topic going on in more than one thread - If some of the people who post here that have experience rendering animated models could make even some of these brief clips and post them, I'd be more than willing to put them together into an RoQ video and add a soundtrack - Again, I'd need some source videos to work with.
I also added a section in the wiki some time ago on making RoQ files (hopefully I'll have time to finish it soon) if anyone else wants to make cutscences or small clips for the UFOPedia.
Regarding the source clips I mentioned in the first paragraph however, I could work with short clips in almost any format, the higher quality source the better, preferably lossless (as opposed to lossy). My personal favorite is Lagarith (it is free and open source, makes very nice AVIs), although I can work with most others as well. The one exception is RealMedia, which I can't do too much with.
-
Hmmm... what do I need to learn if I want to make my own videos for UFO:AI?
-
Destructavator said he put it on the wiki
http://ufoai.ninex.info/wiki/index.php/Artwork
-
Orrigonal X-com Intro 8)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX0Cm3N_n6k (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX0Cm3N_n6k)
-
Maybe a real life "blair witch" type thing?
a reporter walking around town with a cameraman, but then aliens land and start shooting the place up, and then PHALANX soldiers arrive and a stray plasma bolt decapitates the news reporter. Then a PHALANX in body armor whips out a rocket launcher and blows up a nearby building, the cameraman can be heard muttering "Pulitzer time". After he gets enough footage he turns a corner and bumps into a ortnok, who turns around and a slicing is heard as it brings its kerrblade up. the camera hits the ground and specks of blood hit the screen as the cameramans hand lands in a pool of blood infront of the camera; the ortnoks feet start moving and a soldier can be heard yelling obscenities and a shotgun goes off, the ortnoks head crushs the human hand and green splatter hits the screen, whitch then fades to black.
-
I've seen a lot of ideas thrown around here, many of them good ones, but it would really be nice if someone could simply step up to the plate and actually start creating some media, even part of an intro, fragments, short clips, even backgrounds to work with that the project's existing models could be animated in front of - in other words, it would be nice if there was less of nothing but talk and talk and more of people who would "just effing do it already," or even create part of something.
I've seen this topic discussed for a long time, but little of anyone actually implementing anything. I've slowly been teaching myself to animate 3D models, use blender, and touch a little C/C++, but I only have so much time, and it will be quite a while before I'd be able to try to animate something myself.
Sorry if I sound irritated, but we already have 3D models to work with, we already have many animations for them for the game already, and I know there are people here who have more experience than I do writing code to animate and render them, but if all we do is talk about it and no one actually tries to implement anything, it will be a loooooooong time before there is any intro animation.
Again, even if it isn't complete, even if someone puts together a fragment of a video that could be combined with something else, that would be a nice start, and the more fragments created the more possible intro videos could be made.
Again, sorry for my rant - I've been away from this forum for a while, a leave of absence of the involuntary kind.
-
i totally agree with you - also note that we can export wavefront object files for all our maps and create some city scenes.
-
just wanted to let everybody know, that the roq audio is fixed in current trunk
-
Hey, Great!
I've actually had some ideas for in-game RoQ clips, just haven't had too much time recently to put them together, but I plan to soon.
Also,
http://roq.destructavator.com/
Here is where I've been keeping RoQs I've made, from both myself and others.
Also, I believe the ZIP file from the link (on my page, listed above) has a test video with an audio track if anyone wants to test the audio playback with RoQ videos. It's called "test1.roq" and it's included with PSawhn's clip. Anyone is free to try it out.
EDIT: Does the UFO: AI game engine also support playing a RoQ in just part of the screen (during gameplay, without interrupting the game) as well? I've had a few ideas for clips for the UFOPedia and other stuff.
2nd EDIT: For anyone who wants to try the clips I have on my site, if renaming the zip file doesn't work, the game should be able to find them if the contents of the ZIP are simply unzipped in the videos folder under "base" - And if there are still issues, give me a holler.
As a reminder for the newer people here, the console has the command "cinematic" to play these.
If I remember right, the complete command for the test video clip would be:
- cinematic test1.roq
which should play it.
-
Ugh! I just tried it under Kubuntu v8.04, with KDE v3 after updating from the SVN trunk, it crashed not only the game, but KDE as well! I didn't have to reboot, but I had to press ctrl-alt-backspace and log into Kubuntu again...
It also displayed the message "recursive shutdown" line after line in the system console.
Can anyone reproduce or confirm this glitch?
I also noticed some compile warnings, but no errors, something about "extra tokens" at the end of "if" statements over and over again related to SDL. Did the libraries used from SDL change recently in the development version?
-
Does the UFO: AI game engine also support playing a RoQ in just part of the screen (during gameplay, without interrupting the game) as well? I've had a few ideas for clips for the UFOPedia and other stuff.
yes, this is possible via menu node descriptions, too
-
"The only "speech" we need (also for in-game dying sounds) are crying civilians, dying sounds for male and female, panic sounds and so on"
Is there anyone working on this right now?
-
No.
-
Well, we could create a specific thread for "user submission" (after proposing some "lines" for each character).
I just wonder if we'll need a studio to record such lines.
-
Well, we could create a specific thread for "user submission" (after proposing some "lines" for each character).
Doh, okay: I found it.
-
We now have ogm support in ufo - maybe a little easier than creating roq files - also smaller.
-
Nice. 8)
I'd like to test this with the current SVN version - How do I do it with the game console? Is the command the same as for .RoQ files? "Cinematic (filename)" or something?
Edit: I already have some video tools that can encode OGM. As soon as I encode and test a few on Windows and Linux, I'd be happy to recommend one and update the wiki - some such tools are free, although it varies between platforms a bit, depending on how the OGM is encoded (the OGM container can have multiple codec formats for both video and audio, I'll do some testing to see which ones work with the game).
-
Does this mean we can have animations for dropships landing?
-
That has nothing to do with it. This is just support for a different video format.
-
you can start them by typing
cinematic filename (use tab completion) - the file must have the suffix ogm and must be placed in base/videos.
-
Thanks, I just tried it with a test video.
Unfortunately, it didn't work - the command closed the console, and after I re-opened the console it said the server shut down, then: "No ogm support compilied into the binary."
I checked the "dll" folder under "contrib" and didn't see any new DLL files. Should there be one there that wasn't put in the SVN?
On a related note to that, I've noticed - from looking at console logs and such - that under Kubuntu Linux some of the libraries get updated with the OS automatically, resulting in my Linux copy having later versions of some of the libraries than my Windows version. Needless to say, I'm guessing this might cause discrepancies in performance and functionality across platforms. I've already noticed different FPS rates in the two versions in different parts of the game, on the same machine and same hardware. (Of course, Windows runs a lot of crap in the background that I'm guessing is very different with Linux, so I'd imagine there's more than one factor that affects that point.)
There could also be a problem with the OGM Videos I created for testing, it might be the format - OGM files can be encoded in more than one way (for both audio and video, various combinations exist), I might need to simply encode them a different way.
By any chance can any of the coders tell me any of the technical stuff as to exactly which codecs and formats within the OGM container format are supported in the game?
-
could you please retry with latest revision?
-
Success! ;D ...Mostly, at least, just one issue: I ran the game on my laptop with a widescreen display and the video was stretched out horizontally - The rest of the game displays fine though, with the right full-screen resolution and the 4:3 stretch video option turned off.
...But the intro.ogm in the SVN plays, video and sound just fine otherwise.
One other note: I did this on a clean install of Windows, fresh SVN copy and codeblocks package, and when I first ran ufo.exe it complained about a missing intl.dll file. I fixed this by copying the dll from the radiant .zip package and it then ran just fine.
Sometime this weekend I'll do tests with different free video conversion tools to see which ones can make OGM videos that play OK in the game. Right now I'm looking at WinFF/FFMPEG, AviDemux, and VLC, as well as a few other free and open-source tools that anyone who wants to make a cinematic can use. (The three I mentioned are also cross-platform BTW.)
-
OK, two updates:
I realized I had actually compiled the game with Muton's version of codeblocks. I tried to re-build the game with the latest one you put together, Mattn, and found that your version would not compile it without errors (I'll try to generate and attach a log of the errors later).
I also found that VLC generates buggy OGM video clips, ones that mostly work but not completely, so I wouldn't recommend transcoding video to OGM with VLC. I also tried AviDemux, which doesn't create compatible OGM files at all (only the audio works), so that leaves FFMPEG. Sometime soon I'll try to put together a preset for WinFF, which is a free Open-Source GUI for FFMPEG that makes FFMPEG much easier to use, and runs on Windows and Linux just like FFMPEG does. (Heck, on Ubuntu WinFF is even in the repositories, so it's easy to get.)
-
Well, this is probably WAY too long, but here's my take on a good intro movie:
The screen is black. It fades into view of a huge city. Camera is raised, so you're looking down slightly at it, from moderate distance (The FOV is big enough to encompass the entire city)
Camera cuts to a 'birds-eye-view', almost like looking down from a helicopter, scrolling across streets and buildings. On the bottom left, green letters type up, accompanied by a small sound as every letter appears. It reads:
Mumbai
(Month) (Date)th 2084
XXXX Hours
The text stays for a couple seconds as the camera continues to float around, giving us an idea of the scale and diversity of the city. The letters them fade away.
The camera changes to a human-level view shopping district. People are everywhere. Again, letters come up. This time it says:
The most densely populated city in the world.
After a couple of seconds, that fades away too.
Camera cuts to a crowded, darkened control room. Again, words appear.
(Name) Radar Installation
Couple seconds, fade.
Camera switches to one of the seats with a radar console, y'know, with the round screen and the sweeping line. The operator is leaning so that his head is offscreen, you can here him and another guy talking in... uhm, Mumbain?
Camera cuts again, now the radar display fills the whole screen. This view stays on enough for the viewer to watch the sweeper do a couple complete rotations. Nothing appears on the screen. (You could add a couple of blips with little words labelling them as civilian flights, but for this, effect>realism, probably)
Cut to a view of the sky. Couple small clouds. Sun is centered in at the top of the screen. Lens flare aims at the bottom left of the screen. The camera moves slightly, and the flare moves from that side to the right. As it points directly at the camera, so that theres a big flashed, the ships appear. 6 small ones. they swoop down, just barely allowing for a good enough view to allow the viewer to see they're not man-made.
Cut back to the radar display. Couple sweeps, nothing.
Cut to the crowded street. One of the ships lands, as people scream. One stays, curious. The ramp lowers. You can't see inside. A bright flash, and a plasma ball rips out, killing the lone person. Fade to black.
About 5 seconds of blackness, then an abrupt flash view of the fighting, followed by an abrupt fade to black. This repeats several times, before it goes back to black. The words type up again:
Bonn, Germany
The words fade into the black. Abrupt flash, a SAM launcher firing at the UFOs, as men scream. Fade to black.
Bangkok, (uhm... wherever it is)
Abrupt flash to combat there, fade to black, then the same sort of thing for the last city.
Scene inside the UN, people arguing, then the head person declares war.
The final scene is told through the eyes of the player character. It starts with you entering an office (Yours). Several people are inside. One is a UN rep. He says
"Ah, commander. Good to see you found your office. I'd like you to meet some people" He motions to the side, where the remainder are standing. The rep introduces you to Dr. Connor, Cdr. Navarre, all the people from the mailclient letters. You then go ans sit down at you desk. The people all nod, etc, and begin to file out. You pick up a manila folder on your desk. It has a top secret stamp on it, and the word Phalanx along with the phalanx logo. The screen fades to black, and only the Phalanx and the logo remain. They stay for several seconds, then they fade too. The name of the game fades in, UFO: Alien Invasion. That fades out after about ten seconds. End of intro.
-
The problem with including language is localization - If I'm not mistaken text can be put in an overlay or below video in the game engine, but with spoken language we would need voice actors with pro-recording equipment for every one of the over-a-dozen-or-so languages this game is available in.
I've actually thought about cinematic cut-scenes that have language just as text below or over video, which could vary for every language the game supports (much like sub-titles).
As far as actually getting something together beyond just dreaming up intro movies, one thing that could really get us moving in that direction is a 3D model of a city, or at least a city block. Other than that, we've already got models of just about everything we would need to make an introduction video for a number of proposed script ideas.
Please keep in mind that Winter would need to approve any script ideas or drafts.
-
Don't look at me. I would lose interest before I could open a tutorial.
-
We have several people here that have atleast some experiance with modeling. If some concept art could get drawn up, and SVN rights given, some cities could be modeled up.
-
At one point I attempted to do it myself, using some of the bsp maps already in the game and putting them together until it looked like a city or town - No need to re-invent the wheel and such. It really didn't work very well, but it wasn't too recent that I tried it.
-
The problem with including language is localization - If I'm not mistaken text can be put in an overlay or below video in the game engine, but with spoken language we would need voice actors with pro-recording equipment for every one of the over-a-dozen-or-so languages this game is available in.
3 problems in this matter:
1st: we would need voice actors for every character that speaks in the intro. (at last 1 male and 1 female VAs, for case of use of a good "voice morpher" such as screamingbee.com's Morphvox PRO...but i think using a "voice morpher" is a bad idea...and without an "voice morpher", i think it would be needed at last 1 VA for each 2 characters that speak in the intro...with can or not mean a load of VAs.)
2nd: this multiplyed by the number of languages the game has, couse otherwise there will be certainly some lack on the languages due to them not being VAs native language.
3rd: the VAs will still need to own or at last have access to a professional or at last very good equipment.
result: it will probably take months till the community gatter all the itens needed...
my opinion: an intro with no voices is like a birthday party without candy...an intro of the style of this game, and like the one suggested by Titan, MUST have voices...
i think its a good idea to start gattering the VAs for at last the 5 most relevant languages: (based on real research data)
1st: English, the most understood worldwide.
2nd: Mandarim (Chinese), the most spoken worldwide.
3rd: Spanish, the most spreaded worldwide.
4th: Portuguese, the 3rd most common in games (the 1st and 2nd are English and Spanish, already listed)( :D BRASIL! :D |<o>|) (my country's language, cant control myself, sorry :P)
5th: Russian, the 5th most common in games (the 4th is Mandarim, already listed)
...and at same time work on the models, texturing, animation and video-edition of the intro...so that its ready to receive voices and soundeffects when we have the VAs.
its also a good idea to so make an in-english intro...and just subtitle it to the other languages (maintaining audio in inglish is pretty common even for the high-top of the games, for example, EA's (Eletronic Arts) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. where the game DEV has only traslated the texts and added/changed subtitles, all the official audio is the standard english and russian spoken by the american, british and russian characters)
-
right heres what i think u should do.
program the game to play a simple mp4 file or what ever format u think usable by the game.
then ask users out here in the real world to make intros for the game and host a webpage where users can upload and download the movies and what ever the user thinks is best then they use.
it brings the game player into the process of makeing the game and i think it would be a big hit.
the same process can allso be used for the cut scenes and lets face it if peaple realy into the spirit of this movie making theres gonna be some really funny and really good intros made.
allso if u did take this on board u could allso get users to make video entries for the ufopedea example some bloke dressed as a scientist explaining how the lazer pistals work or descrition of autopsies and such.
well i hope u consider this proposal i think it would open a whole area of the game that not been exsplored at the moment
fundude53..
-
that is what we did (except the possibility to upload some stuff) - we have ogm and roq video support, we have implemented this for the usage in our menus and so on.
have a look at our wiki (http://ufoai.ninex.info/wiki/index.php/Artwork#Videos_.28Cutscenes.29)
-
I'm actually inclined to disagree about the voices... I personally don't think the intro needs dialogue at all, whether spoken or text. As long as you had good music and a well-edited sequence, you can tell the basic story pretty effectively with just visuals.
-
Titan good idea for a intro and also werent we talking of making a 3D thing of a city? Why cant we just use what ever make maker we have give it a skybox and make the camera go in different places how hard is it? And that was dumb to ask since i only know how to map simple things with the Hammer editor for the source engine
-
Legendman, way to bump a dead topic... (not that I can say anything, since I sometimes do it too...)
-
Its dead? woops........
-
no prob, man. everyone does it sometimes. ;)
-
What I'd do would be an animation in a style similar to this one (you might have already seen it):
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1wygv_iraq-animation (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1wygv_iraq-animation)
It's basically a series of well done drawings. The camera moves from one spot to another and all things come alive, they seem to move even though they're mostly static. I think it's realtively easy to do (it's certainly easier to do than a full blown 3D movie) and it wouldnt consume a huge amount of time to get it done.
Oh and if there's no chance for a simple but good looking intro then I'd suggest having no intro at all :D
he doesnt say F**k for more than 10-15 secs before he says it again lol
-
What I'd do would be an animation in a style similar to this one (you might have already seen it):
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1wygv_iraq-animation (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1wygv_iraq-animation)
It's basically a series of well done drawings. The camera moves from one spot to another and all things come alive, they seem to move even though they're mostly static. I think it's realtively easy to do (it's certainly easier to do than a full blown 3D movie) and it wouldnt consume a huge amount of time to get it done.
Oh and if there's no chance for a simple but good looking intro then I'd suggest having no intro at all :D
I think this is a great idea.
The drawings can be concept art, and should be relatively straight forward for somebody with a bit of stylistic ability to create. It would be reminiscent of the old UFO: Enemy Unknown intro - which is another positive.
I would avoid doing 3D stuff, it is much harder to pull off. Even in the 2D arena, I'd avoid things like animations (beyond very simple flashes or gun muzzles or movement indicators).