Introductions

simulacra · Mon 30/08/2004 03:07:15

I seem to have locked myself up in my latest gaming project... It's the intro scene that worries me. I have the storyline ready, but is not quite sure on how to do it. I have a feeling I should do some serious and advanced animations, but that's not really my strong side.

Does anyone have any good examples of introduction scenes that felt moving and serious in some way?

shbaz · Mon 30/08/2004 03:26:55

Final Fantasy intros are usually sweet.

If you can't do advanced animations and you don't want to, just don't. You could try and learn, but that takes a long time. In the end it's going to be whatever you feel like doing anyway, since few people would do it for you. I'm a plot lover though.. loads of AGS games have terrible graphics (Larry Vales?

) but are awesome games.

Gilbert · Mon 30/08/2004 03:45:24

The graphics of Larry Vales were superb, the game that had terrible graphics was called 6 Days an Assasin.

shbaz · Mon 30/08/2004 03:52:58

Quote from: Gilbot V7000a on Mon 30/08/2004 03:45:24
The graphics of Larry Vales were superb, the game that had terrible graphics was called 6 Days an Assasin.

I think if we put our heads together we could come up with a lot of games that had cheesy Paintbrush graphics with questionable artistic value.

Goldmund · Mon 30/08/2004 04:27:22

GK3.
"Attention! C'est San Graal (Sang Real)!"

And the embryo was cool as well.
As was the music.
I watched it just for the kick of it several times, to get in the right mood.

P.S. simulacra, if you like my game's look, check "shadowplay" by Garage Gothic, we work in similar areas.

Rui 'Trovatore' Pires · Mon 30/08/2004 08:03:14

Gabriel Knight's intros are great.
Black Dahlia's is so-so, but good.
Syberia is great - enygmatic.
Myst - same deal.
System Shock 1 - Extraordinary, one of the best intros I've ever seen apart from GK3.
Broken Sword 1 - short and simple. And, consequently or not, quite sweet.
Lighthouse - almost nonexistent, but very powerful.
Shivers - Bit of a letdown.

Intros really depend on the game, and are not required to be outstanding, but they ARE the first thing the player sees.

Ozwalled · Mon 30/08/2004 08:58:49

You think you need advanced animations? BAH!

BAH, I say!

If you're looking for something fairly gripping and moving, then I dare say that it can be just as effective, if not moreso, to have still shots of some important scenes, locations, items, characters, or whatever, and have some narration over them (voice would be nice if you can get a really good narrartor voice in there, but text is good too).

Of course, since what you do is so largely dependent on what your game's about, that's about all I have to offer.

If animations' not your strong side, I think you should focus on what your strengths ARE, and not get bogged down in what you feel you should do, just because it might be eye-pleasing or catch some attention.

Sure, it's the first thing that people see and it can really set the tone for a game, but if you try doing something that's too far outside of what you can comfortably do, then I'm betting that your efforts can be better used on imporving something else in the game in order to make it memorable.

That's my two cents, anyway.

jetxl · Mon 30/08/2004 09:08:44

Mourir en Mer moved me and it didn't used ANY animation.

Rui 'Trovatore' Pires · Mon 30/08/2004 09:09:53

Except for the blood dripping, you mean. It HAD intro and animation, but they were simplistic. In the good sense of the word. Sometimes simple works best.

James Kay · Mon 30/08/2004 10:31:09

Indeed, who says an introduction has to be a long drawn-out animated sequence?

It could be a simple but well-told screen full of text.
Or it could be actually part of the game, like Indiana Jones, for example.
It could be a comic strip style set of lose, static images.
It could be a recorded voice-ocer.
Be creative!

simulacra · Mon 30/08/2004 14:51:26

Thank you all for the advice. Especially the one about doing what you're good at. I think I'll do some dadaist cut and paste stuff, with strong and moving (hopefully) narrative to accompany it. That could work.

Quote from: Goldmund on Mon 30/08/2004 04:27:22
P.S. simulacra, if you like my game's look, check "shadowplay" by Garage Gothic, we work in similar areas.

So I have noticed. Interested in helping each other out with beta testing? What is "shadowplay"? Is it a game?

MrColossal · Mon 30/08/2004 19:50:52

http://www.agsforums.com/yabb/index.php?topic=8237.0

Shadowplay, a game by GarageGothic

check out one of The Inventories at the JustAdventure website, there's more info and some screen shots in there.

Goldmund · Tue 31/08/2004 01:23:49

As my great friend from America Land of Freedom says above, "shadowplay" is a game, but it's still unreleased.
By the way, check the aforementioned great friend's game (something de la guerra), it's also experimental and has extremely fabulous graphics et sfx:
http://www.agsforums.com/yabb/index.php?topic=3349.20

As for beta-testing, I already have some people who kindly offered their help, but I'd test The Zone with big pleasure -- it all depends on the time of its release really, because there are times in the year when I've no time to do anything I'd like to.

Aha, your mention of "dadaist" reminded me that we also have one interesting cut-and-paste game, this time made by DGMacphee. It's even called "Dada: Stagnation in Blue" (it's not dadaistic at all, however, since it aims at a very specified atmosphere)
it's here:
http://www.agsforums.com/yabb/index.php?topic=7434.0

DGMacphee · Tue 31/08/2004 02:38:20

Quote from: Goldmund on Tue 31/08/2004 01:23:49
it's not dadaistic at all, however, since it aims at a very specified atmosphere

Dada is everything... yet, it is nothing.