AD's Wing Commander 4 Project Still On Track (February 15, 2006)

[ChrisReid]

There hasn't been much news on the Wing Commander 4 Project lately, but progress is steadily being made. AD's goal is to create a seamless movie by integrating WC4 DVD's video clips and gameplay missions. Properly editing the in-game scenes to remain interesting, coherent and continue to advance the story is the tricky part. Today's 43 meg video demonstrates this process during a mission in the Peleus System jamming field. There is also a neat 30 meg clip that follows the the interception of the Border Worlds convoy in the Masa System.

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This divx is an example of one of the later mission sequences. I've attempted to make more creative and liberal use of the different cameras. With the addition of a new hard drive, work on the project has picked up considerable pace. Let me know what you think... even if it is just a little nagging detail.

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Original update published on February 15, 2006

 

[CataclysmX]

Good idea, the cinematic framework is all there in the game engine through the liberal use of multiple cameras (a record at the time for any type of flight/space sim?).

I was wondering today how hard it would be to create a Wing Commander 4 movie with no gameplay and just movie clips or if it would unintelligible but this is a far more tangible and more thought out idea, kudos to author.

 

[AD]

Good idea, the cinematic framework is all there in the game engine through the liberal use of multiple cameras (a record at the time for any type of flight/space sim?).

IIRC similar camera controls are present in wc2 (I don't have wc1 here so I can't check that one). I'd make a "film" of that but recording from dosbox can be glitchy

I was wondering today how hard it would be to create a Wing Commander 4 movie with no gameplay and just movie clips or if it would unintelligible but this is a far more tangible and more thought out idea, kudos to author.

A lot of people have made custom playlists of the VOBs to play through on their TV or monitor or whatever. (The scope of this project is a little different though. If interested, read through the thread in the fan-projects forum). It works well enough with just the movies if your a fan, but otherwise the briefings grow a little wearisome. More importantly, there are a lot holes missing from the big picture (Defection for one example) that will confuse the uninitiated, though its possible for them to also piece together some of what must have happened on their own.

here are a few goals I have:

1: Have appropriate pacing and runtime.
2: Make sure the storty is cohesive and coherent and contains all necessary in to make it work internally. (some scenes may be interesting from a historical/gameplay point of view but really don't affect the overall story of WCIV as a unit)

 

[TurboTim07]

it's good. some things i didn't like:

1. subtitles. felt like they were distracting during the scenes when they showed up in the middle of the screen.

2. the music. i think it would be better if you picked tracks from the game IMHO.

3. not really important but i thought i'd mentioned it. were you playing on novice because i noticed that the longbow's guns were autotracking...

other than those three things i think it's shaping up to be a great project. keep up the good work!

 

[AD]

it's good. some things i didn't like:

1. subtitles. felt like they were distracting during the scenes when they showed up in the middle of the screen.

I never checked to see that they were on or off the first time around. I won't be putting them in the remaining ones but I don't know if i'll bother going back and changing the ones I've finished.

2. the music. i think it would be better if you picked tracks from the game IMHO.

For the most part the music in the samples was experimental. It is all wing commander music but the ultimate trial is how it will all fit together as a comprehensive whole. If it flows right, it might stay... after all, how many people who havent played the games are going to know that the music is from 3 or prophecy and not IV.

3. not really important but i thought i'd mentioned it. were you playing on novice because i noticed that the longbow's guns were autotracking...

other than those three things i think it's shaping up to be a great project. keep up the good work!

Hehehe, got me! It all has to do with maintaining control though. Its all about how to get the shots I wanted. (and the longbow scene was put together *really* fast actually... like in an hour. Some of the later shots took me 20 times that to get enough shots to make a coherent whole)

 

[Confed]

Great work, I look forward to seeing it when it's finished.
Some comments though :
In "samplewc4adgameplay.avi" at the end you clicked away Naesmith's video (when he says Cpt. Paulsen is pleased...) by selected your shields, and IIRC if you wait a bit before commencing fire on the Borderworlders, Naesmith will contact you ordering you to attack. (I'm not sure about this though)

 

[Edx]

For the most part the music in the samples was experimental. It is all wing commander music but the ultimate trial is how it will all fit together as a comprehensive whole. If it flows right, it might stay... after all, how many people who havent played the games are going to know that the music is from 3 or prophecy and not IV.
)

I think the music should be from WC4 as well. Oldziey even said he had probelms with the producers of Prophecy because they wanted something that didnt sound like Wing Commander music. .

But it was fun hearing the movie score in the other one Not sure how well it would fit with the rest of your WC4 movie idea,

Ed

 

[ChrisReid]

I'd probably be more in favor of pulling music from all Wing Commander games. It'll be more noticeably repetitive in this setting if it's just WC4 music than it would be naturally playing the game.

 

[Unregistered]

If I may ask, how is this project going to be distributed? I'm really looking forward to seeing the final film. Keep up the good work! It looks amazing!

 

[Edx]

I'd probably be more in favor of pulling music from all Wing Commander games. It'll be more noticeably repetitive in this setting if it's just WC4 music than it would be naturally playing the game.

Actually thats a point.

 

[AD]

If I may ask, how is this project going to be distributed? I'm really looking forward to seeing the final film. Keep up the good work! It looks amazing!

Most likely the initial release will be download (at various qualities for those with slower connections and possibly a PDA/iPOD version). If it makes it to DVD that will be later because I would have to design menus an chapters and would like to figure out how to do a commentary and such. It would take me forever and a Day beyond that to figure out inclusion of acual 5.1 because of the gameplay sequences but for the Download version I don't think its actually an issue. But there wouldnt be much stopping people from makeing their own DVDs with the downloaded version I suppose. Right now I'm working on finishing the actual movie (between various other thing.. But I'm actually getting close).

 

[maniac89]

This is really cool what AD is doing