Suppose you go to start a new mission arc or something, and the game needs to have a loading screen for you to stare at while it loads the map you're about to start on. I was thinking it would be cool if the loading screen were a comicbook-cover-like thing where the game takes your avatar and inserts it, in a certain pose, into the picture. So like, if the mission is to defeat the Sewer Rat, you have a picture of the Sewer Rat with a background and everything, then the game takes your avatar, poses it appropriately, and takes a snapshot of you in the "hero" space in the picture. Then that picture, which would look like a comic book cover, is what you watch while the map is loading.
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R.S.O. of Phoenix Rising
I'd bet it wouldn't be too hard to create a few very generic "insert random character into this picture" type artworks that the game could generate on the fly. It could even pre-generate those types of things (like as a step every time you saved a costume in a costume slot) so that when it came to an actual "load screen" the game would only have to randomly pick a pic to display without having to "generate" it at that moment.
CoH player from April 25, 2004 to November 30, 2012
[IMG=400x225]https://i.imgur.com/NHUthWM.jpeg[/IMG]
Each mission could select from a subset of backgrounds appropriate for the mission, too. Going into a warehouse? Warehouse background. Bank? Bank backgrounds. Notable missions (like fighting Frostfire) might have unique images that are just used for those missions.
Hmm, Opponent could be snapshotted from their model, as well, making the whole thing dynamic. On the other hand, Opponent could be presented in a static scene from the 'dramatic conclusion' of the mission. That might make for better art.
Be Well!
Fireheart
Wouldn't mind this kind of system but I think that getting an "appropriate pose" would be the hard part since, honestly speaking, it is a combination of powers (including aesthetic choices) and personality. Sure, they could make a number of generic poses based on power set and aesthetic choices but they would most likely get "stale" after a while so they would most likely have to make so each toon can choose between a few of them for each occasion.
Hmm, maybe MWM could make a tool where you can pose you character for different "scenes" like offensive, defensive, scouting, surprise attack/attacked and so on.
I also like the comic book load screen idea.
Deeds Not Words
Excellent idea! Comic book covers often deviate a lot from the plot, so no problem if it doesn't pan out as displayed.
Superman dies on a lot of covers. It could be you! Duh-duh-duh-duhhhhh.
[size=14]"The illusion which exalts us is dearer to us than ten thousand truths." - Pushkin[/size]
[size=14] "One piece of flair is all I need." - Sister Silicon[/size]
Yeah it'd be nice if they could synchronize the artwork to the particular mission but it'd be far easier for the Devs to accomplish this if things were kept generic. For one thing if the art was hardwired to specific missions it could technically only be used once. Also there's the issue of making sure the poses applied to your type of character - if I'm playing something like a gravity controller I won't want to see my character fighting in the artwork like a scrapper regardless of the mission details.
So I figure they could come up with say a dozen or so generic backgrounds that fit each basic class of character. Then the poses could be standardized and these pics could randomly appear for any mission. Besides people we are talking about having something to look at while we're waiting for a "load screen" which, last time I checked, is something we ideally don't want to see ANY of anyway. Let's not have the Devs spend too much effort to decorate a part of the game that in a perfect world would/should not exist in the first place. ;)
CoH player from April 25, 2004 to November 30, 2012
[IMG=400x225]https://i.imgur.com/NHUthWM.jpeg[/IMG]
It can stick around just long enough for a screenshot. ;)
It's funny but your idea of these character pics being on your screen for just an instant reminded me of all those real life theme parks (like at Disney World) where they take a snapshot of a bunch of people riding the rides and try to get you to spend an extra $10 or $20 to get a hardcopy of that pic of you being on the ride. You can always tell the 'real' tourists as the ones who pay for those silly pics. ;)
P.S. Years ago a bunch of us were on one of those rides and since we'd been on it like a dozen times before we knew the exact point when the ride would snap that "tourist pic" so we decided to be naughty and all shoot the camera "The Bird" at that precise moment. Turns out we got pulled aside after the ride by the Mickey Cops and they threatened to throw us out of the park for our "disruptive behavior". Turns out when people like us screw up one of those pics they can't use it to sell to any of the other riders because of the "rude gestures" so we likely cost Mickey a few hundred extra bucks! Stickin' it to the Mouse! lol
CoH player from April 25, 2004 to November 30, 2012
[IMG=400x225]https://i.imgur.com/NHUthWM.jpeg[/IMG]
You're such a rebel, Lothic. :D
+10. ROFLMAO