Spell Cut scenes

[Inertia]

I remember in PST the really high lvl spells had these cool little mini cut scenes to emphasize just how powerful they were would you like to see something similar in project eternity?

[Volourn]

No.

[Starwars]

As cool as they can be to watch, I'd have to say no as well. I hope something Project Eternity will do is to have as little interruptions to the gameplay as possible. No cutscenes or other things that constantly takes away control from the player.

[molarBear]

NO, also, even in PST those cut scenes suck after couple of uses.

[hideo kuze]

Yes I would.

But only for really high level stuff (maybe 4 or 5 spells).

This makes the player appreciate them more and also to have this stay budget friendly.

 

Although technically these would be cinematics, so I doubt we'll have this.

 

It may be better to simply invest more on particle effects.

Edited September 24, 2012 by hideo kuze

[PsychoBlonde]

I remember in PST the really high lvl spells had these cool little mini cut scenes to emphasize just how powerful they were would you like to see something similar in project eternity?

 

It wasn't always high-level spells. Fire and Ice was 4th level. I think one of the 2nd level spells had an animation like this.

 

I'd always use these spells to freeze enemies so it was easier to target them with Call Lightning. If you had characters throw both spells simultaneously it was like getting a free Hold Monster that prevented them from moving out of the area of effect.

 

So broken. :D

 

So, yeah, I expect we won't be seeing this again.

[Waywocket]

Wow, I can't believe people are saying no. I loved those! PS:T had probably the best spell effects of any game I've ever played. The first time I cast meteor storm bombardment... I think that's the most epic thing I've ever seen.

 

All of PS:T's spell effects were great though, not just the ones with cutscenes. I liked blacksphere, axe of torment, fire and ice, etc...

[Volourn]

FF did them first and did them better.

[Inertia]

Let's not forget

i think you should be able to skip them of course.

[Tychoxi]

c'mon guys, the long PST cutscenes for epic spells were more of a joke than anything else! Yes, they were "cool", but they were more of a "here's your reward, have a laugh with us!" than "here's your reward, have some awesome cool **** and get all wet with nerdgasm with us!"

 

For some reason, "spell cutscenes" reminds me

,

... Edited September 25, 2012 by Tychoxi

[Michał]

No. Just no.

[Shades]

Ugh, the Mechanus Cannon, I hated that spell (when the enemy had it) and having to see it over and over again if I had to reload or was going through the maze a number of times.

 

I'd say no for spell cut scenes, no matter how cool they might look it throws you out of your regularly scheduled combat and makes you watch a cinematic. Which is fine the first few times. But when you've seen it who knows how many times it gets really old really fast. Even if you can skip them it would still be a bit annoying.

[AwesomeOcelot]

Definitely not, it's painful to play games like this. If they're going to they need to be able to turn that stuff off. Farcry 2 and Max Payne 3 turn that stupidity up to 11. The canned death animations in DX:HR and VtM:B are cool the first few times. The worst is when games not only do this but add the worst type of "gameplay" ever, QTEs, e.g. 40k:SM as if being told "press this button" or "tap this button" is remotely entertaining. You can forgive a game that's turn based game for doing it (although a skip animation button would be great) because you're not being taken out of the action in a jarring way, but in real-time games it's such an annoying way to spoil a game.

Edited September 25, 2012 by AwesomeOcelot

[Ieo]

I remember in PST the really high lvl spells had these cool little mini cut scenes to emphasize just how powerful they were would you like to see something similar in project eternity?

 

I agree with you in that the first time I saw those, I thought they were very cool. But after the dozenth time? Uh, no. The problem is that those spells broke the rhythm of combat too much, the same way the slow-motion stupidity of certain kill skills in DA:O broke the flow of combat completely. Why is combat flow important? This is a real-time-with-pause system, and ripping combat control from the player in the middle of that can be very jarring. I think PS:T could (barely) get away with it only because combat itself was rare in the game, or could be made so at least.

 

It would be far better to have neat spell animations in the 'live' battle.

 

Cut-scenes, IMO, should only be used like they were in Baldur's Gate--to show major storyline events (chapters, but dunno if PE will have "chapters") and NPC interactions far away from the PC. The close of a battle using a very high level, rare spell could be a major storyline event, for example, but it should never be all the time.

 

I classify PS:T's spell cut-scenes in the same genre as modern action-RPG talking NPC heads (where the NPC says the same sentences when you try to talk to them about something else, and you cannot fully skip that). It's flavor for the first couple times. After that, it's annoying and impedes replayability.

 

The only way this would be tolerable is to add a system option to completely disable such things. But that's added, unnecessary work for minimal flavor IMO--I'd much rather Obsidian add more NPC chatter and opined fluff conversations.

[Inertia]

mm i guess i didn't play enough to be sick of them i think i could only cast it once or twice before needing to rest let alone finding an enemy worthy enough to cast it on

[PsychoBlonde]

I'd say no for spell cut scenes, no matter how cool they might look it throws you out of your regularly scheduled combat and makes you watch a cinematic. Which is fine the first few times. But when you've seen it who knows how many times it gets really old really fast. Even if you can skip them it would still be a bit annoying.

 

Not to mention the fact that it is incredibly hard to tell what actual mechanical effect the spell had. Sure, it may LOOK all cool and epic and junk, but then it does . . . 20 points of damage?!?!? SRSLY?!?!?!

 

I will stipulate that if they intend to put that kind of thing in the game, the effect of said spell or ability ought to be *YOU WIN THE COMBAT*. And then they need to be sure there's some way to prevent it from going off.

 

If they want to have an epic effect cut scene, make it be part of a sequence where you, like, have to stop this massive ritual spell from going off by killing the ritual casters or something, and if you don't, EPIC CUT SCENE BOOM YOU DIE. THAT would be cool.

[Infinitron]

The spell cut scenes in PS:T were a gimmick, a homage to Final Fantasy 7 which had inspired the game to an extent.

 

They worked because the game's combat was easy enough that you never really needed to cast them.

[Zverd]

No, its will get boring about 2 or 3 watch and it totally break the flow of the game.

[Gorth]

I don't mind nice visual effects for spells, but if they want to interrupt combat and freeze time, it better be for some unique, one off spells, not for your everyday soul drain and summon demon spell.

[khango]

Against any effects that break immersion.

[Director]

Loved them - they were awesome. Totally vote for them, but I doubt we have the resources Not even sure how they are gonna put this game together on such a small budget.

 

They were also unintentionally hilarious in PS:T, you cast a spell that summons demons from the PLANES OF HELL to DEVOUR YOUR OPPONENT!

 

<Opponent Saves> : 0 damage.

 

Always made me laugh.

[SnideCipher]

It is a very cool effect that gets ruined with over use, so the answer is simple. If it is going to be done it should be done specifically for a few really awesome abilities that can only be used once. It might be a lot of effort for a once of effect, but that would just add to the momentousness of it. I am not only thinking combat abilities either.

Edited September 25, 2012 by SnideCipher

[Director]

It also was a bit lame for the non-spell using characters, since you never saw them - unless they got used on you. Course - in this game every character will likely have a power that would justify an extra special spell effect. Also - we know that gods exist, so there could be abilities that involve calling on them directly.

[cyberarmy]

I really dont like our usual spells have PST kind of videos but some quest related big rituals or powerfull spells could use this.

[Laakeririkko]

If you put something like this in game, that brakes combat flow, atleast make option to turn it off. I dont want to be watching same long animation every time i fight. Mayby once. Anybody remember knights of the roundX8 in ff7 While fighting ruby or emerald.