Shogun 2's ninja video

[CraigTW]

Hi guys,

In case any of you have missed it, here's a video showing our new, rotatable campaign map and ninja. Note the return of assassination movies!

You can check it out here.


Thanks!

Craig Laycock
The Creative Assembly

[Nelson]

Very nice, Craig! Thanks!

[Togakure]

Technically beautiful. So glad to see the cut scenes back. That ninja would not have graduated from my school--seems he learned his skills at the Mon Teh Pai Thon school of ninjustu. They are nothing but clowns.

Perhaps have the ninja on the campaign map approach and attempt to strike the unit from behind instead of from the front? Just a thought.

[Gregoshi]

...seems he learned his skills at the Mon Teh Pai Thon school of ninjustu. They are nothing but clowns...

Brilliant! And now for something completely different...

[Magyar Khan]

cutscenes ok but please not inbattle.... or make them uncheckable somewhere in the gameoptions...

[Revolting Friendship]

Love the assassination-video

[caravel]

I noticed the "fatality move" at the end (on the campaign map) and shower of sparks, what's all that about?

[Barkhorn1x]

I noticed the "fatality move" at the end (on the campaign map) and shower of sparks, what's all that about?

Well the "fatality move" has always happened in TW games when a character is assinated. The sparks/smoke indicates that the ninja leveled up. Kinda corny but not excessivly so.

[Togakure]

Re: fatality move and level up effect: this kind of thing is where a designer has the opportunity to take some time and consider an effect that fits the event (significant gain in experience), relates to the object (ninja) and setting (Japanese culture). Off the top of my head, I'd rather see the little guy stand up straight and tilt his head down, put his hands together in a ninja finger weave and then perhaps expand slightly and glow gently for a sec to indicate the level up. Then, move on as he did. When I use the term shibumi to (vaguely, granted) describe the many things in the original Shogun that made it so neat, this is the kind of thing I mean--time is taken to consider visual and audio events that are exceptionally cool but somewhat understated in the Japanese way--not just a cutesy effect that's "kinda corny but not excessively so," that doesn't really fit except that you see this kind of thing in modern games all the time. My two koku.

[Tsar]

Re: fatality move and level up effect: this kind of thing is where a designer has the opportunity to take some time and consider an effect that fits the event (significant gain in experience), relates to the object (ninja) and setting (Japanese culture). Off the top of my head, I'd rather see the little guy stand up straight and tilt his head down, put his hands together in a ninja finger weave and then perhaps expand slightly and glow gently for a sec to indicate the level up. Then, move on as he did. When I use the term shibumi to (vaguely, granted) describe the many things in the original Shogun that made it so neat, this is the kind of thing I mean--time is taken to consider visual and audio events that are exceptionally cool but somewhat understated in the Japanese way--not just a cutesy effect that's "kinda corny but not excessively so," that doesn't really fit except that you see this kind of thing in modern games all the time. My two koku.

That would be much better.

[hoom]

Agree with the above, silly gamey animation spoils the immersion.
Should be doing something culturally appropriate instead.

[Togakure]

I'm sure many different ideas could be thought of with which we would be delighted. I just hope that what makes the final cuts have been carefully considered and crafted for lasting effect.

Thinking back to STW, there wasn't a lot of "cutesy" humor in it. There was humor, but it was subtle. Hyper-focused ninja can't see the clever geisha. Inept ninja gets summarily cut down by the indignant emissary, or breaks his neck after falling from the rafters after so much care getting there and trickling the poison (implied). A priest is served a rather spicy last supper. Reflections in tea as two kunoichi engage each other motionlessly in the beginning of their final conflict. Such delightful subtleties abound in STW and make it memorable.

Slapstick humor like the grabbing of the ninja's leg by the sleeping soldier in the recently showcased cutscene video will produce chuckles and laughs initially, but will it inspire lasting appreciation?

Elegant simplicity is difficult to achieve. It requires refinement, more scrutiny, more critical judgment when it comes to what makes the final cut and what doesn't. But it will leave a lasting impression, remembered, cherished even, if the overall game is well done. STW has much of this. I hope S2TW does too.

[Swoosh So]

Glad to see the videos make it back in the game i always found them to be fun and add to the atmosphere of the game, pity the throne room wont make it into shogun 2 tho, i heard mike simpson still has nightmares about implimenting the first one in shogun1. Would have been nice tho to see even a scaled down version of this. I think with the RPG features and character development these videos are going to be more involving than ever! you dont just want to see that ninja you built up all game die in some text u want too see the character on the missions! win or lose! so well done CA! Its a pity we dont live in a world of infinite resources and time then we could start putting traits into the videos as theyre currently doing with generals speeches :D

I think this rpg aspect of shogun where you can choose traits or skills for your characters is going to be really nice and a good addition by ca, especially when we can watch our clan characters in action in the videos.

[Vladimir]

Brilliant map. Thank you.

[edyzmedieval]

I didn't like the video. I'm honest, I found it way too amusing to make it worthy of a STW remake. Seriously, it felt as if I was playing a complete but dumbed down copy of the original.

The map is amazing though.

[Gregoshi]

I didn't like the video. I'm honest, I found it way too amusing to make it worthy of a STW remake...

I highly doubt most of the videos will be comical. CA said that there will be a much greater variety of possible videos than in STW, which was simply "success" or "failure". This particular video shown sure looks like it is heading towards failure, but doesn't.

[AggonyKing]

here is one more video talking a bit more detail about the ninja and some other agents

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure.../video/6282076

interview around the 10min 30sec mark.