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Chapter Introduction Stories (aka Storytime with Rarebit!)
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Systemic Anomaly

Joined: Aug 27, 2005
Messages: 1995
Location: Syntax:Recurs HvCft Rocinante-Captain Level 50 Hacker http://matrix.hax.nu
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I mentioned this in another thread and was talking about it with fac mates last night, and I decided to put a thread here to open up the discussion. I guess I'm hoping that if we can beg Rarebit enoughhere, he'll add this to the mountain of work he already has. SMILEY

I am one of those that feel like the story seriously feels the lack of the cinematics. I think they never should have been done away with, because, for every problem they might have caused, the cinematics connected the people to the storyline in a way that caused excitement and enthusiasm. Love them or hate them, almost everyone watched them.

I know, budget cuts. Cest la vie.

Now, for those of you familiar with Rarebit's basketball playing Agents, you'll know that he can spin a pretty good yarn in story format. In other words, he can write a pretty engaging story. When he has time. That story was a good read, and a fun (albeit strage) look at Matrix lore.

What if, at the beginning of each chapter, Rarebit wrote an introductory story? Think of it as a prologue, one that sets the stage for the coming events in much the same way the cinematics did. Maybe with some screen caps for added ambience. Something like that would be far better, in my mind, than even the cinematics.

I know it's asking a lot, especially of someone who already gives so much. But all I keep hearing from people is "I'm just not into the storyline like I used to be," even though I think the current story is some of the best Matrix stuff yet. I think something like this might get more people into the story again, even if it isn't very long.

What do you guys think?


odj


Vindicator

Joined: Oct 5, 2006
Messages: 2254
Location: UK - Wales
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ShiXinFeng wrote:

I am one of those that feel like the story seriously feels the lack of the cinematics. I think they never should have been done away with, because, for every problem they might have caused, the cinematics connected the people to the storyline in a way that caused excitement and enthusiasm. Love them or hate them, almost everyone watched them.

Amen. We need them back asap. Nothing replaces them.



Mainframe Invader

Joined: Dec 27, 2006
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Location: The Real World This is how MxO ends: Not with a bang but a whimper
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I would like to see this happen, it doesn't have to be big, and an image is worth a thousand words (I bet he loves it when he has a mysterious image put up in the IR thread, listening to our theories and ideas) but as you say, he probably wouldn't have the time to do it on top of all the other work he's got on.


Perceptive Mind

Joined: Aug 17, 2005
Messages: 599
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My name is Nicho and approve of this message.

No seriously, I would really like this idea. Now that the cinematics are gone, it is really hard to keep up with things before they actually happen. The only thing that keeps me connected with the storyline are the Matrix Storyline Summaries, but those come up after everything happens so actually I am still missing everything.

I'd enjoy a good read if Rarebit took on this task. Especially with his imaginative skills.


Transcendent

Joined: Sep 10, 2005
Messages: 212
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I would love to see something like this, as things have felt slightly disjointed since the cinematics left. Even a short introductory piece would really serve to bring things together. However, I do appreciate the extra work on top of everything else it would create.



Fansite Operator

Joined: Aug 16, 2005
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I remember the first subchapter to not have a cinematic (the one where Halborn killed the Oracle) Rarebit did write a summary of what happened on DN1 like the storyline summaries he already does. It was essential for knowing what was going on because a picture alone really can't speak a thousand words. He should bring them back...unless now they just represent the chapter rather than an actual event SMILEY.



Clairvoyant

Joined: Aug 16, 2005
Messages: 94
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I like it.  Rarebit has done "Live Events" posts that don't involve players but rather are parts of the story.  Kicking off every chapter with one of these, to replae Cinematics, would be awesome.  He can certainly do it already!


Jacked Out

Joined: May 9, 2006
Messages: 625
Location: Ontario, Canada
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If it was a short prologue with a picture you could put it in the same spot the cinematics (and now the pictures) are shown in game.


Virulent Mind

Joined: Sep 18, 2006
Messages: 102
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Why not run a machinima contests?

Rare writes a brief story, about enough for 30 seconds - a minute of footage and players have a limited time after the post to make a machinima out of it.

The Devs decide which is the best and offer that person the (unpaid) job of making the cinematics.

If my PC had the power to record MXO i would hapily give it a try!



Fansite Operator

Joined: Aug 16, 2005
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I remember this coming up when cinematics were first axed. Agreed with it then, agree with it now. If anyone remembers the awesome stories that the LET used to write for DN1 (Cypherite killings in the real, code bombings, Ookami and Malphas introductions) they'll know how much they help enhance and compliment the in-game story in really quite exciting ways - sometimes more than the visual medium we had in the cinematics. I'd love to see a return to that kind of complimentory storytelling. Much in the same way Event posts without player interation do now.

 


Message edited by cloudwolf on 09/22/2008 06:30:33.

 
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