concerning factional videos

**XSamatan** · 09-22-2008, 15:56

does the team concern to include factional pregame vids?
(you're in the game, after you select the faction you want to play with)

altough it would be a lot of work, and definetly low priority

XSamatan

**Foot** · 09-22-2008, 16:37

I've just said "yes" to that so, once again, "yes".

Foot

**Space_Ed** · 09-22-2008, 16:57

Foot- I hope they are better than the current EB ones. I started a new Pahlava campaign yesterday... I think the mod is amazing but (I'm sorry if whoever made it reads this) the video was pretty amateur and really didn't say anything about the faction. The battles scenes used really wern't that great either. Come on I know you guys can do better than that.

Theres a nice simple one at the start of a Sauromatae campaign that works well because of its simplicity. But where EB does better in game realism than RTW it isn't as cool as the original when it comes to videos. If you can't do better than that I suggest you don't bother.

**Foot** · 09-22-2008, 17:24

Its very difficult to do videos properly in RTW 1.5 because they broke the capture program for the game (meaning you have to have a hefty rig to record high quality shots). In Kingdoms, the inhouse capture program is back which means that high-quality and sweeping shots can be produced with relative ease.

Of course we can do better, so of course we will bother. However, be more constructive with your feedback, please. How was it amateurish? In what ways did it fail to say anything about the faction? And how can that be improved? Just making a whole new thread to say nothing more than "the video was pretty amateur" and it "really didn't say anything about the faction" is laziness on your part. Tell us what you think, where it can be improved. We need feedback more than anything else (well perhaps not more than willing modders).

Foot

**XSamatan** · 09-23-2008, 21:03

sorry foot, thought he was talking about the pregame video...

**Tellos Athenaios** · 09-24-2008, 00:39

Well it is true that the Phalava one isn't of the same quality as the Saka one: the Saka one shows improved levels of experience and proficiency all around. The Pahlava one _was_ a bit of a guinea pig project to get a feel for the whole thing, and the limitations the RTW 1.5 engine imposed on us...

**Space_Ed** · 09-24-2008, 17:41

Originally Posted by Foot

Its very difficult to do videos properly in RTW 1.5 because they broke the capture program for the game (meaning you have to have a hefty rig to record high quality shots). In Kingdoms, the inhouse capture program is back which means that high-quality and sweeping shots can be produced with relative ease.

Of course we can do better, so of course we will bother. However, be more constructive with your feedback, please. How was it amateurish? In what ways did it fail to say anything about the faction? And how can that be improved? Just making a whole new thread to say nothing more than "the video was pretty amateur" and it "really didn't say anything about the faction" is laziness on your part. Tell us what you think, where it can be improved. We need feedback more than anything else (well perhaps not more than willing modders).

Foot

Lol. Sorry I'm not trying to put anyone down- the mod is really amazing... But as you've asked I'll try to give you some constructive criticism:

Well like you wrote above, big sweeping shots, huge panoramas involving huge mountains, deserts, vast armies colliding. I played M2TW the last few days and while I'm not that impressed with the campaign map or the overall gameplay compared to EB- the videos are wicked. I think the CA are really good at making the videos. I recommend watching those and thinking about what makes their videos so good. I like the way they give character to the factions and they way they start off gently with talking and some slow good music then slowly build up in excitement, with faster music and then people getting killed at the end.

This is how I would structure the Pahlava video in an ideal world free of constraints from technology etc etc:

Probably start off with some talking to set the scene I reckon you could find someone with a middle eastern accent to do that quite easily. Perhaps a shot of an authentic looking Arsacid city and mention that they are are nomads and include some footage of nomadic lifestyle (you could probably get real video footage of that and blend it in well). Perhaps then have one of the Arsacids looking at a map talking about the factions around them. What they need to do like the risks of waging war against the seleucids, bakrians and saka but say some of your options like attack south while AS is weak. That type of thing. Then the music changes from some of that really good slow middle eastern music you have used for the mod (love it btw) to some more exciting music. Here I think is where I'd reference Parthian history. Big sweeping scenes of vast armies across deserts, mountains, babylon... the more epic the terrain the better. Then perhaps finish off with a clash against the Romans because thats what everyone remembers them for. The people who could stand up to the Romans. Finish it of with the mandatory climax like how they do it in M2TW. Then Boom remind us its Europa Barbarorum with the logo. Bobs ur uncle. The loading screen comes up.

Thats how I'd do it in an ideal world. Hope that helps as you have asked.

**Cyrus** · 09-24-2008, 17:53

What i really dont understand is why the videos are only for the nomadic factions(early pahlava,saka,sauromatae)but not 4 example the greeks
and I think that the suggestion Space_Ed made was very good that would make for an exellent factional video for pahlava.

**Foot** · 09-24-2008, 17:59

Its an intro movie, so I think the idea of showing clashes with the romani is certainly out. EB is about replaying history, so recreating (ie not changing history) is not consistent. I don't know how you expect us to do the Arsacid looking at a map - not made of hi-def modellors, y'know. And if we were to have a voice-over, we would have it in phalavan (with english subtitles). We don't half-arse when it comes to OTT history!

Foot

**Cyrus** · 09-24-2008, 18:03

but how exactly do you do a factional video anyway?

**Space_Ed** · 09-24-2008, 18:12

Yeah but I don't think referencing their history in the video would be such a bad thing. In my idea you have cultural and historical background, options during the game, possible future consequences of actions- then some shots of some of their history at the end for the battle scenes with no talking just because its impressive and looks cool. IMO the videos are a completely different aspect of a game and can make a huge difference to the overall quality of a game. I don't think referencing history would go against EBs objective of realism. If in my ideal video was saying 'we have to expand south and take on the Romans' then yeh IMO that would be going against EB's objective. I don't think showing some Parthian vs Roman clips would be such a bad thing. Basically I think the coolness factor would outweigh the 'make ur own history' thing tenfold. So I think thered be more smiley faces for including that than frowns IMO.