Wing Commander....DEAD?
- Thread starter HellRaisWC
- Start date
Pedro
Admiral
Quarto, intrestrestingly enough that is the mission I have just flown and I did feel something for spirit but firstly I saw it coming and secoundly she never felt as real to me a s vagabond, sorry m8, difference of opinion I guess. Suppose I'm very visually orientated (although Sventlanas death, right spelling?, did get to me in End Run I had more background about her and her death was elaborated on more AND I had a REAL HUMAN pictured in my mind, not a cartoon).
Sorry I just don't have emotions for paint nor polygons to the same extent I do a good actor.
[This message has been edited by Pedro (edited September 25, 2000).]
Sorry I just don't have emotions for paint nor polygons to the same extent I do a good actor.
[This message has been edited by Pedro (edited September 25, 2000).]
Wedge009
Rogue Leader
The alien that confronted Blair in the wormhole superstructure was CG wasn't it?
Another thing, why is it in sci-fi movies, the computer consoles always have flashing lights. Whenever I see that comm officer pushing buttons on the Midway, there's always a ridiculous board of lights flashing on and off. Also, the screens also show meaningless patterns of light recycled from the CIC of the Intrepid. I know it's relatively unimportant, but I'd like to see more realistic presentations of such technology in the future, in any sci-fi related stuff.
Another thing, why is it in sci-fi movies, the computer consoles always have flashing lights. Whenever I see that comm officer pushing buttons on the Midway, there's always a ridiculous board of lights flashing on and off. Also, the screens also show meaningless patterns of light recycled from the CIC of the Intrepid. I know it's relatively unimportant, but I'd like to see more realistic presentations of such technology in the future, in any sci-fi related stuff.
Mad Hatter
Spaceman
I think it would be a tad bit absurd if all they had was a 17" screen with MS Windows 2670 running, wouldn`t it?
I can see Captain Eisen saying: "Helm! Hard to port!" and the poor bastard replying: "Sorry sir, the navigation program just crashed on me, I need to reboot the computer".
But seriously, flashing lights and switches are kinda` obsolete. Touch pads are much more fitting, although I believe that 20 years from now, they too will seem old.
It`s almost impossible to imagine how interfaces will be 700 years from now. Just look at Star Trek: the original series. You see analog timers and colorful flashing lights that mean absolutely nothing, but 30 years ago were the peek of technology.
[This message has been edited by Mad Hatter (edited September 26, 2000).]
I can see Captain Eisen saying: "Helm! Hard to port!" and the poor bastard replying: "Sorry sir, the navigation program just crashed on me, I need to reboot the computer".
But seriously, flashing lights and switches are kinda` obsolete. Touch pads are much more fitting, although I believe that 20 years from now, they too will seem old.
It`s almost impossible to imagine how interfaces will be 700 years from now. Just look at Star Trek: the original series. You see analog timers and colorful flashing lights that mean absolutely nothing, but 30 years ago were the peek of technology.
[This message has been edited by Mad Hatter (edited September 26, 2000).]
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Speaking of CG has anyone seen the television series "Starship Troopers: Roughneck Chronicles". The CG in that show were phenomonal(sp?) I would like to see the next WC (yeah right) use this technology. While it is expensive it cannot compare to paying a live actors salary. I've been playing Freespace and they use CG for some scenes it's ok but storyline sucks and no character development.
Yeah, I was watching Roughnecks before school on the Sci-Fi channel. That is, before I started watching M*A*S*H in the morning...
The CG was really good on that show. The first time it was on, I thought it was live action. I think my glasses might've been off at the time, though.
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If I'm locked on, there's no such thing as evasive action!
The CG was really good on that show. The first time it was on, I thought it was live action. I think my glasses might've been off at the time, though.
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If I'm locked on, there's no such thing as evasive action!
Mad Hatter
Spaceman
It`s good as long as they don`t show closeups of faces. The Faces are too smooth, and are not realistic enough to handle scenes of coversations. I guess that`s why it`s 99% action animations.
Pedro
Admiral
Yes but wing commander is strongly based around character interaction, close ups of faces is a must. I really think that real actors in a CG enviroment would be the perfect mix, it worked in WC3. Afterall the sets make up a huge amount of the total cost, if you don't hire famous actors the above mentioned method could work out cheaper, not character models or animations who would need voice actors anyway!! The people in WC make a big difference to me.
Pedro
Admiral
Am I the only one here who feels that the character interaction was as important as any other plot aspect of the game? I mean you guys are basically talking about starlancer, CG characters mean short sequences, you'd end up spending more than WCIVs movie if you generated character animation for 2 hours+ of character interaction, CG is only cheaper for short amounts of video or those where the setting changes radically and repeatedly.
Starlancer did what you people are suggesting and it didn't live upto WC, Freespace 2 had a great overall plot but you just shrugged off losing a wingman, is this really what you want?
Now maybe its just me but my first experience of WC was WCIV and the bond a I felt with these people who seemed so real to me set WC above all other games I had played upto that point.
Starlancer did what you people are suggesting and it didn't live upto WC, Freespace 2 had a great overall plot but you just shrugged off losing a wingman, is this really what you want?
Now maybe its just me but my first experience of WC was WCIV and the bond a I felt with these people who seemed so real to me set WC above all other games I had played upto that point.
CG is fairly inexpensive (though for about the same amount of story would cost about as much as WC3, but well under WC4). Also using poor actors would ruin the story as the guy who played Casey horribly did. CG is quickly approaching realism (check out the Final Fantasy Movie trailer for proof of this). If the next (we hope) WC game comes out in a few years, CG will have gotten even better and cheaper. Starlancer never went out to be WC but with CG, they never intended anywhere as deep or detailed a story. They wanted the story to be in-mission. Freespace did the same thing and told the story of the war, not the pilots, so that doesn't really count either. Origin will never make anything approaching WCIV, unless it is cheaper and CG is the only reasonable approach. The mixed CG and actors is ok but it would have to look alot better because most heavy CG backgrounds look pretty bad. Its just harder to tell in WC3 since the video is pretty bad. But do not skimp on quality actors because either poor voice actors or real ones can take a great plot and run it into the ground in no time.
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There is no God but myself. No destiny but what I deem for me. I walk my path and no others, for I am free.
http://www.ntr.net/~vondoom
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There is no God but myself. No destiny but what I deem for me. I walk my path and no others, for I am free.
http://www.ntr.net/~vondoom
For any game that attempts to tell a story, I would think that character interaction would have to be a big part. Generally, great stories have a lot in common. They are original, explore the human spirit, and let us look at life through a different pair of eyes. Of course, this can vary by how you define a great story.
So, how can you explore the human spirit without involving people? Answer: You can't. I just find it sad that most (in fact, almost all) computer games make no effort at telling a story. Granted, gameplay by itself can be a lot of fun, but it just isn't that involving. But if you don't tell a good story that involves people and makes them care about the other lives involved in the story, the results of the game are inconsequential.
So, how can you explore the human spirit without involving people? Answer: You can't. I just find it sad that most (in fact, almost all) computer games make no effort at telling a story. Granted, gameplay by itself can be a lot of fun, but it just isn't that involving. But if you don't tell a good story that involves people and makes them care about the other lives involved in the story, the results of the game are inconsequential.
Casey wasn't that bad. It's just that he was a new character after most of us were used to Blair, and his character still wasn't as developed as Blair's. Blairs history is so long that it dwarfs that of Casey, though we know more about Casey, than about Blair in WC1.Vondoom said:
To bad that they forgot the pilots are humans and would have feelings about their killed comrades.
No one said they should, something like WC3 would be more than enough.
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Earthworm: I had nothing against Casey the character (they should have done more to establish but I understand budget cuts). The actor though was very bad even by computer game standards. I know Mark Hamill is nothing special but he could out-act Petrica any day. I've seen too many games with FMV that were totally ruined by lousy actors and voice actors.
As for FS, again the story was told more from a General's point of view. The war and struggle were the story, not the pilots. I don't agree with the choice but both games felt far more desperate than WCP. I do really wish though they would have told it from a Pilot's point of view. Same thing with the majority of the X-wing games. They were very impersonal too.
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There is no God but myself. No destiny but what I deem for me. I walk my path and no others, for I am free.
http://www.ntr.net/~vondoom
As for FS, again the story was told more from a General's point of view. The war and struggle were the story, not the pilots. I don't agree with the choice but both games felt far more desperate than WCP. I do really wish though they would have told it from a Pilot's point of view. Same thing with the majority of the X-wing games. They were very impersonal too.
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There is no God but myself. No destiny but what I deem for me. I walk my path and no others, for I am free.
http://www.ntr.net/~vondoom
I'll have to disagree. By computer game standards, Petrarca was not that bad, Vondoom. I don't play a lot of games other than Wing Commander, but I've seen some atrocious acting in video games (X-Files, Rebel Assault II, Mortal Kombat Mythologies among others), and Petrarca was way better than they were.
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If I'm locked on, there's no such thing as evasive action!
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If I'm locked on, there's no such thing as evasive action!
I understand where you are coming from Drathi5, but it being better than those still does not make it good compared to the previous games. If any of the characters in a game should be well acted, the main character is the most important to have acting well. If the lead isn't as good as most of the rest of the actors it just makes it blaring. If Petrcia (sp?) was the best actor in the game it wouldn't be so bad but since he isn't close to the best it's just all the more glaring. But this is all just my own rambling opinion anyway. To each his own. We all just want to see WC again and see it done well, bottom line.
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There is no God but myself. No destiny but what I deem for me. I walk my path and no others, for I am free.
http://www.ntr.net/~vondoom
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There is no God but myself. No destiny but what I deem for me. I walk my path and no others, for I am free.
http://www.ntr.net/~vondoom
Pedro
Admiral
I'm sorry but the notion that you will be unable to distinguish between a CG character and a real one is slightly unbelieveable at this point in time, they may look impressive thats all, until such time as they are undetectable you are losing a part of the characters humanity and what makes the WC world special.
Finally I fail to see why characters interacting at a blue screen would be any more expenisve than CG characters? No rendering, no animation and you need an actor anyway for the voice over in CG.
I would be happy with the acting in Prophecy again IF it involved real actors and not their voices.
Finally I fail to see why characters interacting at a blue screen would be any more expenisve than CG characters? No rendering, no animation and you need an actor anyway for the voice over in CG.
I would be happy with the acting in Prophecy again IF it involved real actors and not their voices.