The Matrix Online Producer Letter

Hx

odj wrote:

MotorZ wrote:
kou_urake wrote:
How about one of those live events (and recaps) where only the LETs interact with each other, in secret?
I would think that could work?
Well if you are going to do that might as well get someone to film it with Fraps and add subtitles to it. " />

Yea no doubt. Cinematics are not hard to make. I haven't watched them all, but I'd bet a lot of it can be done by recording game footage on a machine with high end graphics capabilities. Then just clean stuff up and tweak it all out in After Effects.... I can do that. I can also do custom animations if someone else does the skinning.... can you guys use the Cryptic animation rig? I can make animations with that or with the rigger in 3DSMax. I'm not pro, just a hobbyist, but I could get good at it real fast if I had the motivation of working on a sic project like the Matrix.

**LtCmdr_Tsusai** · 03/23/2008 14:12:31

I look back at certain player made videos, and things like the A:B Snowblind video meet cinematic lengths, and I don't think it takes more than a week to get a 1 min video done. By week, I mean that last week in between subchapters is an excellent time to get it knocked out.

However, certain out of Matrix videos are hard to do, like sentinels attacking Zion...

Come to think of it...wasn't there a 30 second test video doing the full animated type of cinematic on odj's site somewheres? Just need an artist, director, animator, and voices. I'm sure there are some players out there with some tough, badass voices.

But then...the con is this: Most MMOs don't have this sorta thing, with the players supporting the actual game (LESIG for example). It would be outsourcing more things to the players, and I don't think thats good.

**POwedMxOplayer**

If I wanted PVP I'd be on the Vector server

**MotorZ**

POwedMxOplayer wrote:

If I wanted PVP I'd be on the Vector server

You talking about datamine? You do know you can get up to 9x the normal $info amounts while data mining in there, right? There had to be some sort of stoppage from all out inflation.

**odj**

LtCmdr_Tsusai wrote:

Come to think of it...wasn't there a 30 second test video doing the full animated type of cinematic on odj's site somewheres?

Was that the one of Void hanging upside-down?

**ZippyTheSquirrel** · 03/23/2008 19:33:11

Hx wrote:

or with the rigger in 3DSMax.

Now that would be a god-send. Imagine MxO cinematics made with custom-rendered 3dsMax clips.. *drool*

**MotorZ**

SOE's got quite a racket going with us, don't they? First, they take away the LET and have the players help out through LESIG; now, LESIG is going to do the Sentinel instead of Chadwick; cinematics are going, so players take up the slack. Too bad once the devs all leave they won't hand development to us too.

**LtCmdr_Tsusai**

odj wrote:

LtCmdr_Tsusai wrote:
Come to think of it...wasn't there a 30 second test video doing the full animated type of cinematic on odj's site somewheres?
Was that the one of Void hanging upside-down?

Yeah, that one.

**Cervacius**

odj wrote:

So how are situations like this...

...going to be handled by live events?

I can see something like those things being a problem, but I'm sure Rarebit has a fix for them somehow.

But also, think about how awesome it would have been to be there when Halborn showed up out of nowhere and everyone went '*CENSORED*?' And think about how awesome it would have been to be there when Carlyne showed up and everyone went '*CENSORED*?' again? It seemed like a lot of dramatic things happened in the cinematics and the Live Events were never as 'OMGWTFBBQ' as the cinematics were. Now the Live Events should be filled with even more storyline changing and dramatic things than before.

Yes, I'm sad the cinematics are gone, but I'm pretty excited to see how things continue without them.

Vedren · 03/23/2008 22:11:20

MotorZ wrote:

POwedMxOplayer wrote:
If I wanted PVP I'd be on the Vector server
You talking about datamine? You do know you can get up to 9x the normal $info amounts while data mining in there, right? There had to be some sort of stoppage from all out inflation.

Yeah but we all know that $i has been useless for quite a while now...All you need is the small amount to level your skill trees which is easily made running missions/ archives...Noone I know has bought gear (clothing, abilities, weapons, bit/frags etc...) for a very long time. the only thing info is used for now is to buy rare things from past events ...rewards..documents etc...and that is a very small market. I mean the only reason anyone really data tapped after the spawns and such were added was to get the bits to make the overdrive etc...Not for the money. There is no real market present as absoultly everything can be character made.. except for boss drops which are easily surpassed by regular loot drops. And the pvp ...not really a "stoppage" to to inflation, you can bypass that easily by loading up Master Shadow and avoid the pvp all together.

V

**GypsyJuggler**

Vedren: Go ahead and try MS. Also, if you have a lot of money you're not going to need, I know rather a lot of people who will.

Walrus: It just occured to me, at least in so many words, that you haven't told us anything about the production of MxO. You didn't tell us about what is coming, only what we have and what we're losing. That's why this doesn't qualify as a 'Producer's Letter'.

**TheUnknownShadow**

GypsyJuggler wrote:

Vedren: Go ahead and try MS. Also, if you have a lot of money you're not going to need, I know rather a lot of people who will.

Walrus: It just occured to me, at least in so many words, that you haven't told us anything about the production of MxO. You didn't tell us about what is coming, only what we have and what we're losing. That's why this doesn't qualify as a 'Producer's Letter'.

You know something, you're right. I had to go and have a read through it again just to check but you're totally right.

The only thing I know that's coming in the future is the opening up of the buildings in Datamine and some sort of collector too but I guess that is what would be classed as relatively short term into the future...

*shrugs*

**odj**

LtCmdr_Tsusai wrote:

odj wrote:
LtCmdr_Tsusai wrote:
Come to think of it...wasn't there a 30 second test video doing the full animated type of cinematic on odj's site somewheres?
Was that the one of Void hanging upside-down?

Yeah, that one.

Isn't 30 seconds only 6 but I only did it as a test. Credit goes to pyraci for the drawing and cinematic 8.2 for the sounds...

http://www.odj310388.com/other/mxos...ercinematic.mov

Danger_Frog1471

odj wrote:

LtCmdr_Tsusai wrote:
odj wrote:
LtCmdr_Tsusai wrote:
Come to think of it...wasn't there a 30 second test video doing the full animated type of cinematic on odj's site somewheres?
Was that the one of Void hanging upside-down?

Yeah, that one.
Isn't 30 seconds only 6 but I only did it as a test. Credit goes to pyraci for the drawing and cinematic 8.2 for the sounds...

http://www.odj310388.com/other/mxos...ercinematic.mov

Proves its possible though... And within the reach of the community. Thats the way thigns work though, Someone draws, another animates and a third added audio. SMILEY

Seems like the perfect team if you ask me... Throw in some extras and we got us continuing player cinematics SMILEY

woot

**Fen**

Cervacius wrote:

odj wrote:
So how are situations like this...

...going to be handled by live events?

I can see something like those things being a problem, but I'm sure Rarebit has a fix for them somehow.
But also, think about how awesome it would have been to be there when Halborn showed up out of nowhere and everyone went '*CENSORED*?' And think about how awesome it would have been to be there when Carlyne showed up and everyone went '*CENSORED*?' again? It seemed like a lot of dramatic things happened in the cinematics and the Live Events were never as 'OMGWTFBBQ' as the cinematics were. Now the Live Events should be filled with even more storyline changing and dramatic things than before.
Yes, I'm sad the cinematics are gone, but I'm pretty excited to see how things continue without them.

The problem I have with that is that the cinematics and critical missions are nice because they're something that everyone can experience first hand, regardless of RL work schedule and time zone. Live events are not.

I'm interested in seeing more dynamic things in Live Events, but for the most part, a large percentage of players don't get to see or participate in Live Events until several days after when they're posted on the LE forum.

If the story is to be advanced via the Sentinel, it would be nice if there will be a way to look up previous editions as the story goes on, so new players to the game can catch up... kinda like how you can watch old cinematics now.

Now yes, it would be cool if you could've been there when Halborn popped out of the Ascension monument. I'm wondering if things like that can be translated into the critical missions.