concerning factional videos

[Vasiliyi]

I was wondering if the EB team is planning to have factional videos for EBII. U all know what I'm talking about, those videos that play before the game loads, oh and not rtw ones, I mean new ones. Just a thought, please enlighten me.

[Foot]

Yes. New ones (it would look a bit silly to have EBI units in EBII). But as this is an EBII question I'm moving it to that forum.

Foot

[XSamatan]

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]

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

Foot

[Space_Ed]

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]

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]

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

[Tellos Athenaios]

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]

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]

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]

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]

but how exactly do you do a factional video anyway?

[Foot]

The reason that only the Phalava and Saka videos are done is because those historians were able to put together proposals quickly enough for our video guy to start working on. Thats why.

You make factional videos by recording footage ingame. Just need either video capture hardware or software. Then you cut it all together with a video editing program and finish with some fine tuning and some final flourishes.

Foot

[Space_Ed]

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.

[Foot]

Well I disagree. For me intros should follow the style set in RTW, which was a look at the history of a faction and its present situation (including how that might effect the first short years of play), but beyond that the intro should be silent. Having Roman vs Parthian fights just stinks of going for the coolness factor at expense of consistency and historical sensibility. As intro vids should really be consistent across all factions I would certainly vote against such a style of video. However I'm not particularly concerned with EBI anymore, so I don't mind what happens there, but as mod leader for EBII I would certainly wish the style of the intro videos to be discussed far more extensively than has so far been done.

Foot

[Space_Ed]

Well I disagree. For me intros should follow the style set in RTW, which was a look at the history of a faction and its present situation (including how that might effect the first short years of play)...

I thought that was exactly what I described.

[Foot]

Yes, and I agreed with you. I just focused on your seeming obsession with P vs R fights - thats couple hundred years after our start frame. Bit far in the future for me.

Foot

[General Appo]

Actually...

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.

Parthians vs Romans weren´t exactly during the first short years after 272 BC.

Edit: Foot was seconds faster. Mere seconds mind you.

[Space_Ed]

In my hypothetical video I'd have them fighting other people too. I think the main thing I'd focus on- rather than who they are fighting- is WHERE they are fighting i.e. amazing panoramas and I'd concentrate on getting the most impressive looking action shots possible. That shouldn't be too difficult for EB2 because the fighting action sequences on M2TW are much more impressive than RTW.

[Dumbass]

I actually think the Saka intro movie is amazing. The music really fires the blood.

[General Appo]

Yeah sure, coolnes is important, but that doesn´t mean they will throw in shots of Parthians in Egypt, just becasue, you know, it´s cool. The regions enar Pahlava´s starting position are cool enough in my mind. Ranges from dry deserts, tranquil riverssides, thick forests, harsh steppes, great mountains, etc etc.

IMO we will do just fine without Babylonia or the like.

[blado]

Factional videos are in EB I? All I see is a zoom in on a sign saying Europa barbarorum when I start as a faction and the regular Rtw starting cinematic when starting the game.

[Mithridates VI Eupator]

Not all have them. As has been mentioned earlier in this thread, only Saka Sauromatae and Parthians have them.

[a completely inoffensive name]

I think the factional intro should focus on the culture not the legacy or "coolness" of the faction. EB already teaches much about all the factions' history in game and makes you want to research on your own for factions you really liked. I mean I really like following in the factions footsteps, but I never know exactly what life was like for the average Parthian or Bactrian. I liked the Saka intro not because it was "cool" and showed nice angles of the units, but because I got the feel of how the Saka lived by their horses, at least until they settled in later years. Anyone agree with me, otherwise I will just shut up.

[General Appo]

No, it´s a nice idea, but you know, it´ll be hard showing the average life of say a Roman. Because, you know, the average everyday life of a Roman was probably spent farming or shopping or some else that we can´t show with the MTW2 engine. Well, it might actually work, you know, show some tranquil farms and beautiful Latin landscape, and then show marauding Gallic hordes plundering some town, and then show a Roman army of citizens marching out to defend their land.
With some captions and such it could become a bit clearer, but the idea could possible work. Maybe. That is, unless of course someone comes up with a better one, which seeing the genius of the EB team, seems rather likely.

[Space_Ed]

Yeah sure, coolnes is important, but that doesn´t mean they will throw in shots of Parthians in Egypt, just becasue, you know, it´s cool. The regions enar Pahlava´s starting position are cool enough in my mind. Ranges from dry deserts, tranquil riverssides, thick forests, harsh steppes, great mountains, etc etc.

IMO we will do just fine without Babylonia or the like.

Yeah I love the deserts. Theres a good one in the northern area of the Parthian homeland that I think would be a good locale for a scene or two in the intro video.

Lights, camera, action!

[a completely inoffensive name]

Just to be clear on this, for EBII there will at some point (whether its a year after it is first version or not) be a factional video for each faction?

[Foot]

Yes. Just as there will be for EBI (though they will be different for EBII of course). We don't half-arse things. We just take a long time.

Foot