People wonder why nobody plays villains, so I made a music video about it.

[gabrilend]

Music by this person I met on Mastodon named Avaelin starts at 4:43 - check out her other stuff if you dig it

 

 

EDIT: updated link to skip the intro.

Edited March 19 by gabrilend
because the CoX community cares about CoX and I want to highlight that

[Player2]

Almost an hour long and the beginning is really dull with the MS-DOS screen, so I'm not sure if I really got the premise but I'll take a stab at it.

 

Is it because villains are boring?

[Coyotedancer]

This is just an ad for the musician buddy's page, isn't it?

[Saiyajinzoningen]

53 minutes ago, Player2 said:

Almost an hour long and the beginning is really dull with the MS-DOS screen, so I'm not sure if I really got the premise but I'll take a stab at it.

 

Is it because villains are boring?

GASP! 

u take that back!

we villians are generic at best! err worst? 

english is hard.............

[gabrilend]

heh wrong crowd I guess 🫠

[Scarlet Shocker]

tl;dw

[Herotu]

5 hours ago, Player2 said:

 the beginning is really dull with the MS-DOS screen,

It's Powershell, but yes, I agree.

[gabrilend]

40 minutes ago, Herotu said:

It's Powershell, but yes, I agree.

 

Yep, I use BASH which is the Linux version of Powershell. Also DWM is the program that lets me put the album-art on-top of the game like that.

 

45 minutes ago, Scarlet Shocker said:

tl;dw

 

There exists a cloud of sentient bloodmist named Seleo who is in service to Lord Recluse, perhaps unwillingly. This cloud can manifest the forms of powerful warriors that dance in the panopticon that is Grandville. The unceasing observation of the cameras and towers watch as the villain-to-be faces threat after threat, showcasing her potential to her ever-watchful master.

 

Really though, it's a video meant to get people interested in the game. Like "wow that looks fun, look at how tactical she's being and those are some neat environments and world-building, somehow generic enough to project your own fantasy upon it yet also iconic in a way that screams it's themes across the decades since it's conception"

[Scarlet Shocker]

1 minute ago, gabrilend said:

Really though, it's a video meant to get people interested in the game. Like "wow that looks fun, look at how tactical she's being and those are some neat environments and world-building, somehow generic enough to project your own fantasy upon it yet also iconic in a way that screams it's themes across the decades since it's conception"

 

ok, well disregarding my off-the-cuff and somewhat dismissive previous response - the story you tell in this quote is way more interesting than the first three minutes of the video that I did watch.

 

Respectfully I suggest you try and tell a story that captures the imagination. You've clearly got smarts - you're better at Bash than I am, which is obvious,  but that did zero to capture my imagination. A story needs to capture the audience within seconds and hold them and sadly on this occasion you failed in that.

 

Better luck next time.

[gabrilend]

Just now, Scarlet Shocker said:

 

ok, well disregarding my off-the-cuff and somewhat dismissive previous response - the story you tell in this quote is way more interesting than the first three minutes of the video that I did watch.

 

Respectfully I suggest you try and tell a story that captures the imagination. You've clearly got smarts - you're better at Bash than I am, which is obvious,  but that did zero to capture my imagination. A story needs to capture the audience within seconds and hold them and sadly on this occasion you failed in that.

 

Better luck next time.

 

teehee it's more in line with my other works, which tend to have an intro like this. Not sure why, I think it makes it feel more real or visceral because you can see exactly what I'm doing to set up the performance. I consider it sorta like, the credits that play at the start of old-timey movies - the ones that keep you from the action and usually showcase the musical score. Though in this one it's perfect silence, which is unusual - I usually have a microphone recording my keystrokes, but I left it at my boyfriends house for a month or two RIP >.>

 

So far I have 4 City of Villains videos, and 2 of them are... flawed, so I consider them dress rehearsals. The other two (including this one) are totally improvised.

[Player2]

27 minutes ago, gabrilend said:

 

I think it makes it feel more real or visceral because you can see exactly what I'm doing to set up the performance.

I don't want the backstage passes to see the set up.  I just want to see the show.

[gabrilend]

1 minute ago, Player2 said:

I don't want the backstage passes to see the set up.  I just want to see the show.

 

Makes sense to me. I edited the link to skip to the music / CoX content

[Sovera]

Man, you show interest and passion so I don't want to be negative. But the previous posters were right that no one will watch an hour long video of prep and random flying around.

 

But you got the good building block to edit into an easier to swallow 3-5 minute video, maybe even including your explanation blurb into it for context?

[gabrilend]

1 hour ago, Sovera said:

Man, you show interest and passion so I don't want to be negative. But the previous posters were right that no one will watch an hour long video of prep and random flying around.

 

But you got the good building block to edit into an easier to swallow 3-5 minute video, maybe even including your explanation blurb into it for context?

 

It's just my style : )

 

I try to go as quickly as I can, sometimes I take a second to think about what to do next, but for the most part it's all important.

 

Maybe the next video I make will be shorter, but tbh I can't see it getting down to 3-5 minutes. There's a few earlier ones I made and when I rewatch them I can definitely tell that they're improving! If I keep making videos about CoX then perhaps I'll post again here, if it's around 30 minutes or so =P

[Herotu]

5 hours ago, Scarlet Shocker said:

A story needs to capture the audience within seconds and hold them and sadly on this occasion you failed in that.

 

Better luck next time.

Narrative is a subject in itself.

 

One I happen to have taken, so .. start with ..

• establish a normality,
• quickly followed by an "inciting incident",
• have 5 acts and/or 3 plot points
• and a nadir (low point, usually bang in the middle of the story) where everything has gone wrong for the protagonist, and from where they
• defeat their inner demon (some personal, mental problem) and
• then the outer one (the baddy).

You might want to consider "rising action". There are graphs on the internet.

 

Your story doesn't have to go like this at all, people have successfully messed with narrative structure, but if you're looking for a classic formula, there it is.

 

P.S. It's fun to watch a film with this stuff in mind.

Edited March 20 by Herotu

[High_Beam]

The Malibu just rolls by, heading for Up and Away Burger

[Snarky]

An hour?   A F-ing hour?  Maybe, with a bit of warning, I would sit through an artist that i really enjoy performing for an hour.   Maybe. 
 

But to say “here is a song” then post an hour long…thing?   
 

So…. Editing is your friend. Start small.  Maybe 2-3 minutes?  If people like that keep at it, maybe pad a few and see what they like?  Heck, Led Zeppelin, Queen, and Pink Floyd almost could not get played because of songs that went 5-7 minutes.  

[gabrilend]

8 hours ago, Snarky said:

An hour?   A F-ing hour?  Maybe, with a bit of warning, I would sit through an artist that i really enjoy performing for an hour.   Maybe. 
 

But to say “here is a song” then post an hour long…thing?   
 

So…. Editing is your friend. Start small.  Maybe 2-3 minutes?  If people like that keep at it, maybe pad a few and see what they like?  Heck, Led Zeppelin, Queen, and Pink Floyd almost could not get played because of songs that went 5-7 minutes.  

 

It's a music video for the whole album, and I think it plays twice. Or maybe 1.5 times, because I cut it short partway through once I was running out of steam.

 

You don't have to watch it if you don't want =P

[Sunsette]

22 hours ago, gabrilend said:

heh wrong crowd I guess 🫠

 

Yeah this sort of chill longplay video plays better with younger crowds usually who are more accustomed to leaving videos on off to the side and checking back every now and then. Forums trend much older. I enjoy the choice of music, it's very mood-setting. I think if I were the sort that enjoyed longplay/streaming, this would be great for me to get to appreciate at least part of red-side -- sadly, I am not quite as young as I used to be. 🙂 

 

I think you'd want less emphasis on gameplay and UI and more on the vistas and environments with it advertising for red-side rather than for City, and I do agree with cutting out the PowerShell opening, but I think there's something to this.

Edited March 20 by Sunsette

[BurtHutt]

Red side is better. For sure. I couldn't be bothered to watch OP's video or whatever logice he'/she may try to apply in that video. I'm just here to say OP is wrong.

[Sunsette]

1 minute ago, BurtHutt said:

Red side is better. For sure. I couldn't be bothered to watch OP's video or whatever logice he'/she may try to apply in that video. I'm just here to say OP is wrong.

 

...the video is pro-red-side. So I guess you're a true-blue fan, then?

[BurtHutt]

Just now, Sunsette said:

 

...the video is pro-red-side. So I guess you're a true-blue fan, then?

Believe whatever you like. It doesn't impact me.

[Sunsette]

CoH likes to pride itself on the kindness of its community, as well as how it is more thoughtful than other MMOs -- but this discussion would fit right in on the WoW general forums.

[High_Beam]

Malibu pulls up and I step out.

 

Sometimes you have to be honest with people.  You don't tell a person who cant sing that they sound great because they try out for American Idol and make themselves and everyone around them look like fools.  Dont laugh at jokes that are not funny and dont say they are funny because getting hit by a bottle or three at an open mike night hurts more than the truth.  Just because a persons parents said to their child that they had talent doesn't mean you do; parents are supposed to say that until it becomes delusion.

 

To the OP here, I am not saying you don't have talent, nor am I saying the person who made the music doesn't have talent.  Many people in this post have tried their best to put a positive spin on things; be impressed by powershell skills and such.  Or giving you tips on how to improve the work.

 

But the bottom line is that the video isn't good and the music is mediocre at best.  To say otherwise is feeding delusion instead of improvement; mediocrity shouldn't be rewarded.  To many people take silence to be acceptance or approval because too many people chose not to speak for whatever reason.  Constructive and even negative commentary does not equate to mean spirited.

 

Gets back in the Malibu and drives away

[Cyri]

8 hours ago, High_Beam said:

Malibu pulls up and I step out.

 

Sometimes you have to be honest with people.  You don't tell a person who cant sing that they sound great because they try out for American Idol and make themselves and everyone around them look like fools.  Dont laugh at jokes that are not funny and dont say they are funny because getting hit by a bottle or three at an open mike night hurts more than the truth.  Just because a persons parents said to their child that they had talent doesn't mean you do; parents are supposed to say that until it becomes delusion.

 

To the OP here, I am not saying you don't have talent, nor am I saying the person who made the music doesn't have talent.  Many people in this post have tried their best to put a positive spin on things; be impressed by powershell skills and such.  Or giving you tips on how to improve the work.

 

But the bottom line is that the video isn't good and the music is mediocre at best.  To say otherwise is feeding delusion instead of improvement; mediocrity shouldn't be rewarded.  To many people take silence to be acceptance or approval because too many people chose not to speak for whatever reason.  Constructive and even negative commentary does not equate to mean spirited.

 

Gets back in the Malibu and drives away

 

I start with this simple concept:  Could I do that?  That's the baseline. 

 

Things I cannot do because I lack training or aptitude:

1. code
2. overlay music onto a video
3. compose music
4. with simple play manage to make masterminds look fun (I hate the class on principle...pets, I do not like pet classes (it's a play style thing))

 

Gabrilen managed to do all four.  So, good effort as far as I am concerned.  What's more, I am less opposed to playing a mastermind now.  Probably won't, but if someone asked me to do it as a project for a day, the answer is not now an outright, "no!"

 

Were the video were submitted as a professional grade product, then I would agree with you.  But a simple video for fun, posted to an obscure forum?  I do not think it requires the level of 'constructive' criticism that it has garnered here.

 

edit:

Okay, some of the comments were pretty okay.  I am not a fan of participation trophies either.  I simply mean that harsh criticism is not necessary here.  Again, most were not harsh.  My attention span is rather short.  So, I watched a minute here, skipped ahead, watched a minute there....skipped ahead...and like that.

 

I don't have strong feelings about it.  It was cute...that's it.  Moving on.

Edited March 21 by Cyri