Opening cinematic

[Par4]

I'm curious to see what everyone would want in an opening cinematic for the game when you start a new one or when the game starts before you get to the menu. I would want a big big big battle between hannibal and a roman legion in uh crap cant remember the city in northern italy, the one where rome lost like 60000 or was it 80000 I think it was 2 or 3 legions of 30000 each. Like the opening one in the original AOE. Then it could zoom to the D-Day landing just long enough to see the men run out just out and run up the beach, then zoom a battle between panzers and shermans in a french field then some p51s come and destroy the panzers. It would be hollywood quality and about 5 minutes long.

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I use this email
(stupid cant use hotmail)
gamma_par4@hotmail.com
Don't ask for golf tips
Your game will get worse

[MidKnight Lament]

And while we're at it, give us some decent end movies. We want to see something half-satisfying at the end of such a long game. They've been pretty disappointing lately.

- MKL

[Tiberius]

Yeah, an opening cinematic would be nice, but I also want more a satisfying end-movie. Something that gives you the impression that, beyond the joy of playing, your effort in conquering (or civilizing?) the world was rewarded.

[heardie]

Well they really have no excuse. I am not even close to good at 3dmax and I had a go at a move
see http://members.xoom.com/acchiron/opening.zip

Well its not that good but hey! I like the dinosaur bit best. That wa some of my best work getting the dino animated like that

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-Chiron Creators-
"http://members.xoom.com/acchiron"

[Adm.Naismith]

I don't like too much cinematic opening sequences, if they aren't strictly game related.

I mean, they must immerse you into the game background, or they will end to be only advertising (how many times do you see "catch eye intro" rolling on PC at the shop?).

I don't like when images are rendered by some 3D product, too: I want to see the real game engine at work, otherwise it's as correct as someone who showed to me a wonderful top car, then sell me the basic model

I will like some scene reproducing (quickly) the born of my tribe, the wandering and hunting, some trouble that force them to pack things from old village (a fire, the end of ice age, famine because of bad hunting season, a minor skirmish with another tribe) and start the voyage (first settler appear) to a new place.

I can accept some zoom-in, zoom-out effect added to the real engine feature, and a more "event related" music and sound effects, but that's all.

Using the game engine Firaxis can slighty change the opening scene every time a new game start (different terrain, different race, different event that start the voyage). Looking at the opening sequence you can gain a bit more info on surrounding terrain (I can't really believe an old nomadic tribe don't know anything outside the first settler square).

That would be an useful start, one that you don't skip the second game you play!

And about ending game, I'm with you MKL, you know how many posts I spent on this subject before!

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Admiral Naismith AKA mcostant

[Joe Bourque]

I doubt it would ever happen, but I'd cheerfully give up any opening animation at all in exchange for a well done and reasonably long ending animation for every possible victory type.

I have to admit it irks me when some endings are reduced to a mere text file. It's sort of like the designers editorial comment: "Why would you want to something mean like conquer the world when you can have a lovey-dovey ecological victory?" All game victories should be rewarded.

Even if it's very cool, I almost never watch the opening animation more then very sporadicly, but it's always satifying to be rewarded for my victory.

What would be ideal (but even less likely) would be to have -several- different endings for each kind of victory, so that you never know which you are going to get. But now I'm daydreaming.

Joe
[This message has been edited by Joe Bourque (edited May 23, 2000).]
[This message has been edited by Joe Bourque (edited May 23, 2000).]

[Stuff2]

Oh yeah! I would like to see all the starwars movies as an opening for civ 3!! I think this is a must. I won't feel ready to start a new game until i've spent 6 hours in front of the computer staring.

[Earthling7]

How about this? They make the game, Civilization III, and also Civilization - The Movie !!! That way they can release the whole thing on a double DVD and charge a lot more.

Any ideas what actors to approach?

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Greetings,
Earthling7
ICQ: 929768

[Par4]

Ok so opening in the game was bad, ok now we have end game cinematics just move my first for a conquer victory. Economic I would want to see fields of wheat and orchards then move to industry, into a computer building with some guys working on software, to a factory that makes something using robotic assembly, and some shipping basically lots of industry and trading maybe a stock exchange. For diplomatic I would want, well I don't know maybe um well this is hard. For Alpha centauri I wouldn't mind seeing the launch and the ship blast past the planets and into alpha centauri then you could watch it land and the people start putting up buildings and the first communication with earth and a crowd cheering.

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I use this email
(stupid cant use hotmail)
gamma_par4@hotmail.com
Don't ask for golf tips
Your game will get worse

Don't you think it would be worth more to find a way of having different endings?

Actualy, going back to my other arguement (sorry) if you were in a 3D engine, you could do that.

It does take quite a bit of time creating cut sequences, I think the time and effort used for that should be used for finding another way of rewarding the player at each ending, something that can give a slightly different feel each time.

As for the beginning, I would rather see a big big BANG! And then the creation of life, towards the point of man discovering fire. And then you take on from there.

There isn't any point showing a whole bunch of 'unknown' things, which are to come. I HATE the fact I somehow seem to know what I can discover next. A lot of things were discoveries, they weren't intentionaly found.
I like surprises.

I tried downloading that opening.zip but it didn't open, try uploading it again. I might look at it next time. Please let me know if you do fix it.

[MidKnight Lament]

Call me what you will, but I rather liked the opening for Civ1. They should do an opening sequence in the same vein as that. A lot better of course, but the same sort of concept. It'd be nostalgic. It pumped you up to play the game. Made you feel like you were really beginning something big and important.

- MKL

I agree, the Civ one intro was sweet, for its time...but I liked it

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~~~I am who I am, who I am - but who am I?~~~

[Imran Siddiqui]

quote: For Alpha centauri I wouldn't mind seeing the launch and the ship blast past the planets and into alpha centauri then you could watch it land and the people start putting up buildings and the first communication with earth and a crowd cheering.

They can't do this! Because Civ goes into SMAC, and in SMAC, there was no communication back with Earth..

Oh who cares? It still makes the game complete. The Civ 2 ending was good. I just didn't like the music though. It's kinda lame...plus it reminded me of "The Nature Boy" Rick Flair

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~~~I am who I am, who I am - but who am I?~~~

[Urban Ranger]

There's one ending I like to get: Civilization victory.

In an old Avalon Hill boardgame Civilization, which predates the computer game and has no relation with it, you win by meeting certain cvilization goals.

How 'bout it?

[Par4]

quote: Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui on 05-23-2000 09:37 PM They can't do this! Because Civ goes into SMAC, and in SMAC, there was no communication back with Earth..

I don't see why, in SMAC earth was in turmoil and anarchy ruled, but if we retrace history and change it, IMHO this is how civ does it look at the civ history or fantasy thread, then you might not have the different ideologies and fusion reactor failure. Your ship has to keep in contact with you or you would assume it is dead and didn't make it and you didn't win the game.

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I use this email
(stupid cant use hotmail)
gamma_par4@hotmail.com
Don't ask for golf tips
Your game will get worse

[tniem]

This leads to some complicated questions of how Civ III will flow into SMAC. To win Civ you have to be a very accomplished and successful civ, while to start SMAC, Earth has to be in anarchy and looking to escape. That is why I do not think going to AC can be a game winning condition in Civ III, may be setting up colonies on the moon or something. But SMAC must be colonized by an Earth population that is taking the last chance for the human race if the story is to continue.

[Father Beast]

I also enjoyed the civ 1 intro, low end graphics as it was. I recently got civnet (to help feed my multiple civ addiction) and notice it has an intro obviously similar to Civ 2. Civ 2 was more "mood setting" than hyping up like civ 1 was. I think we could take the best of both civ 1 and civ 2 to create a great opening cinematic.

The big bang and quick formation of the solar system (like in civ 2). from solar system, camera zoom in to earth in its orbit, the watch the earth cool in a few seconds and land and oceans form. Greenery spreads across the continents (which are slowly changing shape). windows appear with 2 second scenes from the surface. Dinosaurs, sabretooth tigers, Cro magnon man. A look of wonder as a man holds a firebrand. swoop over a village. Etc. as the scenery in the windows continues to change, the world behind the windows takes shape and we see roads appearing, little ships on the water, planes, and finally sattelites circling. about a minute all told.
that's my 2 cents.

[Biddles]

I actually liked both the SMAC and the CTP intro's. They both got you pumped up to play. With SMAC it made you determined to do things differently (until you discovered the impact laser while everyone else was stuck with regular lasers). With the CTP intro I liked how it ran through history.

Father Beast: I think that your intro sounds almost perfect. A nice formation of the solar system a quick tour through history, all based on the Civ1 intro. Aggghhhh .... too many good memories .... It's 4 in the morning all over again!!


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- Biddles

"Now that our life-support systems are utilising the new Windows 2027 OS, we don't have to worry about anythi......."
Mars Colonizer Mission

[Father Beast]

Biddles, I also liked the AC intro, if it's the same one that's in the demo (I don't have the full game yet). Very cool showing the breakoff of the pods and all, giving someone who hasn't read the manual (and doesn't have it) a start into the game.
I don't know what the CTP intro was like. can you describe it?

Umm.. Lightening and DanQ, I can't get that file to work. I have Real G2, do I need a later version?
[This message has been edited by Father Beast (edited May 28, 2000).]

[Ari Rahikkala]

Just for those who can't even remember the Civ1's opening text:

Narrated Intro Theme[/b]

Text in Civ1 Introduction, narrated by DanQ

[Biddles]

CTP Intro: Roman Trireme sailing along, the centurion gets out and plants hist flag thingy in the sand. Next scene, run through shot of a midieval city, into cathederal where the bishop is coronating the king. The king walks out to the cheers of his people, shows the civ's flag on the top of the place or cathederal, it's the same as the 'roman' one. Next scene, Nazi bombers are flying over the same city (modern day though!), camera pans down to show a brigade of nazi tanks, one of which takes aim and blows the top of the cathederal\palace away. Nazi troops march into the city. Next scene shows the ruins of the palace surounded by the banners of the original civ. Camera pans back to show a futuristic city and a ship which flies into space.

The best thing is the background music, sorry can't really explain that.


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- Biddles

"Now that our life-support systems are utilising the new Windows 2027 OS, we don't have to worry about anythi......."
Mars Colonizer Mission

[Adm.Naismith]

Nice, cool intro, but once again: how many times do you watch them?

My proposal fell in the dark, so probably I'm wrong, but no one really like the idea of a more game-related, never-the-same, intro?

As I already suggested, I will like some scene reproducing (in short) the growth of my original tribe, with population wandering and hunting, some trouble that force them to pack things from old village (sometime a fire, another the end of last ice age, yet another time a famine because of bad hunting season, a minor skirmish with another tribe) and start the voyage (first settler appearance) to a new place.

Using the new game engine Firaxis can change the opening scene every time a new
game start (different terrain, different race, different event that start the voyage).

It can justify your initial knowledge and your first needs too: if you flee from a fight, your first bonus unit will be a warrior, if you come from good land because of extended fire you can have the extra settler, if you survive from ice age instead of vulcano eruption you'll start in some kind of continental forest terrain instead of tropical insland.

Looking at the opening sequence you can gain a bit more feeling and info about your Civ start.

That would be a start that you will be less ready to skip the second game you play!

The whole civilization history is, IMHO, better used at the end (replay) of game, where putting cut scene and text is more on the "history" side than on the game promise.

Of course, any promotional trailer movie must show either part, the intro and the replay, to let potential players take a look at the whole beast

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Admiral Naismith AKA mcostant

[Paul]

If you want to see the CTP opening movie and you don't have the game you can download it from Activision. This version has a smaller picture size and a lesser picture quality (file size 13 MB compared to 30 MB for the one on the game CD) but it should give you an indication of what it looks like.

btw, they're making SMACII, they're not going to merge Civ3 into SMAC.

The only way to do it, is to have several endings and several beginnings.

So Dinosaurs will have several endings, and Civ3 will have several beginnings which link from Dinosaurs ending, then Civ3s ending will link to Smac2's beginning.

[MidKnight Lament]

No. They won't. People keep insisting on it, but they won't. Particularly the Dinos to Civ3 link. Won't happen, and there's no need to.

- MKL

[UltraSonix]

SMACII? Where did you hear it?

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No, in Australia we don't live with kangaroos and koalas in our backyards...

[Par4]

SMACII firaxis better not be, or we might have to march on wherever Firaxis is at, aren't they in Maryland. I'll get my baseball bat and snowboarding mask, muahahahahaha, down with SMACII Civ3 first.

*Par4 starts swinging a bat around, accidently hits monitor*

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I use this email
(stupid cant use hotmail)
gamma_par4@hotmail.com
Don't ask for golf tips
Your game will get worse
OMG if your hard drive dies,
And you ain't got backup of your files
Life sucks
Although I am doing a lot more Mountain Biking

Hmm.. I kinda liked the CTP intro...

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-Shiva
Email: shiva@mailops.com
Web: http://www.crosswinds.net/india/~shiva
ICQ: 17719980

I've read it somewhere a long time ago, something about upgrading SMAC to Civ3's standards.

I like seeing the FMV's because it adds a minute of life to my civ up close!