Opening Cutscene

So we save the computer's spatial memory by living in a universe that is statistically a pancake?

Mysterious_Calligrapher wrote:

So we save the computer's spatial memory by living in a universe that is statistically a pancake?

No, we explain the universe as a holographic construct according to the theory.

~sciocont wrote:

Mysterious_Calligrapher wrote:

So we save the computer's spatial memory by living in a universe that is statistically a pancake?

No, we explain the universe as a holographic construct according to the theory.

How do we represent that in an opening cutscene?

As i was doing the storyboard i came across a problem

The planet that the camera plunges into may not look like the one you're playing on (unless we make a separate video for each planet color which would be nearly impossible)
My idea to fix this have the camera fly throw a solar system and into the star which makes the whole screen white it then fades to black and the thrive logo fades in
After this it would take you to the main menu

Oh, that is a problem... Maybe we can use that idea... We could also have the screen plunge into a newly formed planet, that way nobody could tell that their planet was alike to the newly born one, as it would have changed too much.

This cutscene goes after the main menu, and before you start the game, by the way

That's why we kinda needed the planet. Because you play on that planet.

Fact: All newly formed rock planets look more or less the same. Why? Hyperactive volcanism. The core hasn't cooled much yet, so all rock will be the new, mixed and melted kind. When it cools enough to have water, all rocks will be greyish brown, and volcanic rather than sedimentary or metamorphic, because there will still be volcanism hanging out. Oh, and probably dense, soupy clouds, as volcanism is murder on the clear complexion of your atmosphere.

Don't think it's going to be too much of a problem - "continent" shapes wouldn't match up by the time you hauled your fishy carcass onto the land anyway, due to continental drift. (And billions of years.)

And whoever tells me that they intend to start on a gas giant is getting put in charge of the physics and chemistry to make that possible, as well as the biomes.

Alrighty, specialk, you can do a rocky planet.

No life, just rocks, volcanoes, and lava. Oh, and a very thick reddish atmosphere with tons of grey clouds. Not to mention the absence of any water too...

Dudeman wrote:

Alrighty, specialk, you can do a rocky planet.

No life, just rocks, volcanoes, and lava. Oh, and a very thick reddish atmosphere with tons of grey clouds. Not to mention the absence of any water too...

Seconded. It more or less looks like Dante's inferno. Except without all the rogue philosophers wandering around.

Not sure what that is...

But it'll look like this, and all planets can look like this when they start off:

I apologize for necroposting, but I have a intro idea.

Imagine Thrive theme v6 playing in the background. It would have a voiceover, and it would go like this;

Long ago, there was a mighty civilization. The first lifeforms in the universe. They called themselves Humans.

*Shows a futuristic metropolis*

They did wonders! Force fields. Terraforming. Always inventing, never resting in their progress.

*Shows scientists working in a lab*

And then, the ultimate discovery.

*Shows one of the scientists holding up a vial and shouting in excitement*

DNA creation! Not just manipulating life, but creating it!

*I had no idea what to put so just imagine a dog with a jester hat on*

Months later, this technology was approved for use and 10,000,000 canisters full of microbes were ready to be distributed across the universe. They called this experiment, "Project Thrive".

*Shows a cargo ship with thrive logo flying past the camera*

But alas, soon after, humanity(perhaps using that technology?)was beset upon a strange disease. This somehow had another genetic code, so they couldn't genetically modify it to not attack them.

*Shows the cities filled with sick people, some dying in the street*

As for project Thive it got released.

*Shows the cargo ship splitting and letting out a bunch of thermos-sized containers, each also with the thrive logo*

But that doesn't mean that the galaxy suddenly had 10,000,000 planets with life on them, oh no! Some got sucked into black holes.

*Shows a canister being sucked into a black hole*

Some were burnt up by suns.

*Shows a canister burnt up by a sun*

And even the few that did make it, some planets couldn't even support life.

*Shows a canister landing on a volcanic planet, opening, and the water inside evaporating*

In the end, only a precious few survived. You are one of them. Now one question remains: will you Thrive?

*Shows your canister in the atmosphere*

That was just my idea, again I apologize for necroposting, Portal out!

I dunno Portal man, I don't really like the premise for that.

To build upon what Inca said, Thrive will have no story to the game. It is an open-world sandbox. This goes right against that.

PortalFan1000 wrote:

I apologize for necroposting, but I have a intro idea.

Imagine Thrive theme v6 playing in the background. It would have a voiceover, and it would go like this;

Long ago, there was a mighty civilization. The first lifeforms in the universe. They called themselves Humans.

*Shows a futuristic metropolis*

They did wonders! Force fields. Terraforming. Always inventing, never resting in their progress.

*Shows scientists working in a lab*

And then, the ultimate discovery.

*Shows one of the scientists holding up a vial and shouting in excitement*

DNA creation! Not just manipulating life, but creating it!

*I had no idea what to put so just imagine a dog with a jester hat on*

Months later, this technology was approved for use and 10,000,000 canisters full of microbes were ready to be distributed across the universe. They called this experiment, "Project Thrive".

*Shows a cargo ship with thrive logo flying past the camera*

But alas, soon after, humanity(perhaps using that technology?)was beset upon a strange disease. This somehow had another genetic code, so they couldn't genetically modify it to not attack them.

*Shows the cities filled with sick people, some dying in the street*

As for project Thive it got released.

*Shows the cargo ship splitting and letting out a bunch of thermos-sized containers, each also with the thrive logo*

But that doesn't mean that the galaxy suddenly had 10,000,000 planets with life on them, oh no! Some got sucked into black holes.

*Shows a canister being sucked into a black hole*

Some were burnt up by suns.

*Shows a canister burnt up by a sun*

And even the few that did make it, some planets couldn't even support life.

*Shows a canister landing on a volcanic planet, opening, and the water inside evaporating*

In the end, only a precious few survived. You are one of them. Now one question remains: will you Thrive?

*Shows your canister in the atmosphere*

That was just my idea, again I apologize for necroposting, Portal out!

No...Just...No...Don't involve humanity in it. I don't want to see ANYTHING based around creation in this game. This is evolution, not genesis.

Ok, I see. I just want to make myself as useful as possible here.

dinoman9877 wrote:

No...Just...No...Don't involve humanity in it. I don't want to see ANYTHING based around creation in this game. This is evolution, not genesis.

Don't be so hard on him, he was just suggesting an idea he found interesting for the game.

No worries. Its good to keep putting out ideas even if they don't stick. PS The phrase Portal out sounds sick :L.

I love the story, and i believe it was well written. However, i dont like it as an opening. I dont believe we should explain at all how life appeared.

I guess it would work much better if it were in a completely different game.

I like the idea, and if we weren't going for total realism I'd support it, but I agree that there probably shouldn't be any part of a concrete storyline beyond scientific theory.

For a while now I've been thinking about the opening cutscene myself, and since this thread has been revived anyway, I think I'll post some of my ideas. I originally composed the Main Theme v6 with the opening cutscene in mind - the gradual development, addition of further instruments and climax of everything together would, in my opinion, work well for the cinematic.

The cutscene would show the formation of the universe via the Big Bang, with the Main Theme in the background. Subatomic particles would be shown forming atomic nuclei as the universe cooled, before temperatures became low enough for the atomic nuclei to form atoms with passing electrons. These atoms would then form molecules and compounds, slowly building up to more complex structures. During this, the camera would zoom out constantly to show the progression from simple particles to larger objects, matching with the progression of the Main Theme from sparser, melancholic to more fully orchestrated sections. Eventually, rocks would come together to form asteroids, then planets, as a solar system and galaxy formed around them. Pretty soon there would be a definite solar system, with planets orbiting a newly-formed star. At this point, the Main Theme will have reached the point where the drums kick in, and the camera would zoom into a planet in the solar system very quickly. After this, there would be a kind of montage involving scenes from all stages of the game and all environments, from microbial tide-pools to fleets of spaceships skirmishing among the stars. This part would be difficult to do at the moment, considering we don't have any gameplay further than a few prototypes, and unless we find a brilliant animator who can create all of these things when they haven't even been implemented in the game yet, this idea can't be implemented. As the Main Theme reaches the final crescendo, the final few scenes would fly by, to fade into a view of a puddle. Slowly, with the piano arpeggio of the final few bars playing, the Thrive logo would appear on the surface of the puddle (which, if you're wondering, is the microbe tide-pool). Then the camera would start zooming into the puddle and fading to black as the final chord is played.

Yeah thats more or less what I'd like to see.

Oliveriver wrote:

After this, there would be a kind of montage involving scenes from all stages of the game and all environments, from microbial tide-pools to fleets of spaceships skirmishing among the stars.

Should we include shots of all the gameplay? I think it would be better to only have the intro show the creation of the galaxy, as you described, and then zoom in to one planet to begin the Microbe Stage. I think images of the later stages shouldn't be shown to the player in the intro. It kind of breaks the sequence of events leading to the player's start. However, I think a trailer modeled in a similar fashion would work great with shots of the later stages, because of course we want to demonstrate all parts of the game.

NickTheNick wrote:

dinoman9877 wrote:

No...Just...No...Don't involve humanity in it. I don't want to see ANYTHING based around creation in this game. This is evolution, not genesis.

Don't be so hard on him, he was just suggesting an idea he found interesting for the game.

We should add that just to piss him off AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHAHA
Am done
Maybe at the end when you reach godmode it shows your history from a little micro to a space faring race
Maybe dynamic cutscenes I need to learn how to program

Jimexmore wrote:

NickTheNick wrote:

dinoman9877 wrote:

No...Just...No...Don't involve humanity in it. I don't want to see ANYTHING based around creation in this game. This is evolution, not genesis.

Don't be so hard on him, he was just suggesting an idea he found interesting for the game.

We should add that just to piss him off AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHAHA

... I cant believe you actually posted something like this

I like Olive's idea, with the addition by Nick. To use my own experiences, games are like writing stories, you need a good solid hook to get the player/reader interested, and Olive's idea seems very good to me as a strong hook.

*Oliver

In retrospect, maybe the idea would work better for a trailer as Nick said. I could always shorten, lengthen or rearrange the Main Theme if necessary.