Feedback:User/Karasu/Machinima
Machinima | |
|---|---|
| User | Karasu |
| Categories | Mechanics |
.,;:! Machinima !:;,.[edit]
Motivation[edit]
Currently the camera position is tightly locked around the player, making it difficult to get a clear overview of an area or make nice pictures or machinima. Besides being able to hide the UI the ability to unlock the camera and advanced camera functions will be beneficial for players to fully enjoy the environments or get creative with video editing. This second feature is now an option in contrast to GuildWars where the locked camera angle and lack of Z-axis is used as an advantage to 'cheat' the player visually.
Another part of the Machinima features would be spectator mode or match replay for PvP. More on that in the Feature Overview.
Player-made videos are probably the largest part of a gaming community's creative side. They allow players to enjoy the game in new ways while not being able to play or just to learn about it for the first time. Many companies recognized the value of this self-sustaining community and the free promotion or awareness that comes with it.
Examples[edit]
The following games have implemented advanced camera functions each in their own way.
- Runescape : The Orb of Oculus allows to control the camera position and hide UI elements. (Wiki) (Development blog)
- Age of Conan : F11 and F12 creates screenshots in different formats. Ctrl+F11 and Ctrl+F12 records gameplay in different formats.
- Black Ops : Theater Mode allows match replay with unlocked camera angles
- Uncharted 2 : Cinema Mode. Similar to Black Ops' Theater Mode this allows match replay with a fully variable settings such as camera angle, playback speed or even texture/lightning settings. Even better you have a kind of map creator with a greenscreen option and allows lip sync based on your microphone or recorded audio. (Video Overview)
- World of Warcraft : Unofficial Model Viewer has allowed the creation of many video's. (Example)
- Source : Source Film Maker as separate software. Plenty of examples to be found for Team Fortress 2 and Gary's Mod.
Feature Overview[edit]
Hide UI & Quick Screenshot [★★★★★][edit]
Probably already implemented. Can't leave these cheap but great features behind.
First Person Camera Mode [★★★★★][edit]
Allows to enjoy the finer details of the world around you trough the eyes of your avatar.
Character Animations [★★★★★][edit]
The more, the merrier!
Advanced Camera Controls [★★★][edit]
Several features under this category would be very helpful for machinima creators to aid them in their projects.
- Unlocked Camera : Allows for more variation in scenes and more angles to enjoy certain areas or events. Load/Save/Replay angles or provide smooth movement.
- Personal Environment : Adjust time, weather or even particles on the client.
The developers of Uncharted 2 sat down with the guys from Machinima.com to pick their ideas on what players needed.
Match Replays [★★★][edit]
Being able to record and save matches is especially interesting for tournament replays and commentary. In GuildWars recent games and tournament games were available for replay trough a simple spectator mode.
Live Spectator Mode [★★★★][edit]
Spectate a running match. For live commentary during organized tournaments this is a critical feature. One reason observer mode in GuildWars functioned with a delay was to prevent the teams from seeing each others moves.
Offline Character Creator [★★][edit]
Available for download or even as a mobile app the character creator is a feature with a great demand from the community. Being able to try out all different physical character features, colors or costumes anywhere is just too cool for all RPG fans.
Model Viewer / Map Editor [★][edit]
Allows to re-create any instance. Full control over creatures, their animations and the environment plus an unlocked camera. Not really an expected feature since there's a large pool of different animations and models.
