Star Sentinel Tactics Trailer

Community Forums/Graphic Chat/Star Sentinel Tactics Trailer

Gabriel(Posted 2009) [#1]
I wasn't really sure which was the correct forum for this, but I guess Graphics Showcase is the best fit.

I've been working on a trailer for my forthcoming game, Star Sentinel Tactics. It's some way off being finalized and released, so there's plenty of time to fix an issues or complaints. Any and all feedback appreciated.

Take your pick of sources for the video, both streaming and download.

YouTube (HD) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1shzgAIYF4&fmt=22

YouTube (SD) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1shzgAIYF4

Vimeo : http://www.vimeo.com/5631712

Or download the original untouched HD version to play locally : http://www.starsentineltactics.com/trailer/SSTTrailer.mpeg


Ross C(Posted 2009) [#2]
Hmmm, i don't like it man. The graphics are awesome looking and the representation looks good. But i dunno...

You have text appearing saying "Take back the galaxy!", then a pretty static shot of someone punching an alien weakly, and him falling down. And that's it.

Tbh, i think you should show off more of what the game has in the trailer, and edit the clips a bit, so you have less static parts. The text is very grand, and the following clips are deflated.

I've tried to word that as best a could. Looks like a great looking game and best of luck with this. To sum up, edit the trailer to get rid of the static parts. :)


RifRaf(Posted 2009) [#3]
I somewhat agree, I dont think its the games fault. I think its the desription text in the video.

In my opinion you should describe it as a turn based game, and cover the features. When you consider the game as a turn based strategy the game sequences seem very nice. But the text is misleading and so you end up judging the game sequences unjustly, even though watching the clips it should be obvious what kind of playstyle you have there.

I think the game looks addictive and fun. Ill try the demo as soon as I can. Thanks for posting the vids.


Gabriel(Posted 2009) [#4]
Thanks Ross, that's exactly the type of feedback I need.

So the text doesn't match up to the action? So I either need to promise less in the text or deliver more in the video.

I must admit, I really thought that was a real wallop of a punch too, but it's not the clip I really wanted to use. I'm constrained by the music, as several parts of the video need to sync with it. If I shortened the static text bits a bit, I could make more time there, I guess.

You don't like the static text at all. I can't remove it entirely because copy is what a promo video is all about, at least for me it is. Would it help to shorten the text bits? You make a big thing about them being static. Would it help if they were more dynamic? Moving/Zooming, etc? I tried to keep the text very simple so as no to distract from the video, but maybe I've gone too far in that direction. Would it help if I ditched the black background and cross faded between the clips and overlayed the text over the videos themselves?


InvisibleKid(Posted 2009) [#5]
from what i could see of the game it does look interesting but imho, i do agree with what the 3 of you have already said. i think you need to ditch the black screen and just overlay the words, or atleast lengthen the time showing game clips and lessen word time a little.

like raf i look forward to checking out a demo (alpha/beta/official/whatever) when available.


slenkar(Posted 2009) [#6]
I think its good except you should maybe have more guns and explosions, you have about 3-4 melee scenes.


GfK(Posted 2009) [#7]
It looks like turn-based strategy? I think that's the problem. You have soldiers and guns and giant monsters and stuff, which would be spiffing if it was action-packed. The trouble is, the genre has the pace of a game of Ludo so maybe it just doesn't lend itself well to a video trailer? Maybe knock up some non-game footage to beef up the action? As it is you have a guy being clobbered over the head by a 20ft alien, then hitting the deck like Mr Bean slipping on a banana skin.

Other than that, at the end it says "to be released Winter 2009" or some such. You do know that the first day of Winter is December 21st? That only gives you ten days until its 2010. Maybe change it to "Q4 2009"?


Chroma(Posted 2009) [#8]
I didn't gather from the video that it was turn based except when some dashed white lines showed up on the ground. I thought it was real-time like Diablo/Diablo II. But I'm not a tactics type game player so...I'm guessing all games with "tactics" in the title are turn based right?

Characters and animations look pro. Some of the ground textures are still looking out out place.

I know you'll totally disregard my opinion but that's my 2 cents.


Gabriel(Posted 2009) [#9]
Thanks guys.

@GFK: Quite honestly, I'm not trying to appeal to people who don't like turn-based games. If it happens, it happens, but my priority was always to serve genre fans as best I could, but still do my best to make it as exciting and streamlined as possible. We just don't tolerate the same unfriendly crap we used to tolerate ten years ago, even in games we like.

You're quite right, the genre doesn't lend itself well to a trailer, but it's a required item like a sellsheet, so I might as well do the best job I can.

I'm really not a fan of using non-game footage. It screams "there's something wrong with the game so I'm showing you something better instead."

It's implied that the winter that begins in 2009 will continue into 2010.

@Chroma: I never totally disregard anyone's opinion. Just because someone has expressed a personal dislike for me in the past doesn't mean they don't have something valid to say about my work. As a matter of course, I don't hold grudges in the first place, and particularly if someone's taken the time to look at my work and offer criticism, I'd be a fool not to appreciate that criticism and consider acting on it.

Putting Tactics in the title is really a Japanese convention with console tactics games, but I am hoping that it helps send out a message, yes. I think you make a good point that I don't make it clear that it's turn-based in the trailer though. I wanted to, but couldn't think of an elegant way of doing so. I have an idea which might work in the context of the video now though, so I may give it a try. Making it seem like a real-time strategy is not going to extremely counter-productive, so I need to avoid that.

Haven't had a chance to rework any ground textures yet, but it's on my list of "I'd like to do these if I actually have the ability" things.

@All: I have to make a few changes to the website, set up a new forum, and then I'll hopefully be releasing a public beta demo in a few days time.


ICECAP(Posted 2009) [#10]
Hey Gabriel, I do agree with the other posts here but I also think that it could be made alot more exciting with some tick edits and maybe a change in music.

I say this because if you watch the trailers for other games you will find that 80% of the time the music is written around the visuals, and it doesnt sound like someone has take a pre-existing piece and slapped it in there.
The trailer is made that much more dynamic by the use of this.

Also you have flat cuts and fades, all of similar time durations, for your different shots. Try vairying these with zooms and quick cuts, in-time with the music.

I know the genre of the game you have is hard to make look exciting, no matter how captivating the gameplay is, but i'm sure using the right cuts etc. you could get it looking awesome.

I also felt the need to show a logo at the end of trailers too, the game logo. At the moment its just the same as the cut text.

Hope that helps a little bit.


InvisibleKid(Posted 2009) [#11]
i do like the direction of your trailer and what it seems like to me what your trying to do. to me it was in the style of a movie trailer, just show some random clips of interesting or action points of the movie/game. you just need more action and less fading to black/wording.

i could be wrong but in my honest oppinion i realy don't think your need to state/specify/show what the genre is. to me thats what discriptions are for whether on the youtube video discription the website, back of the box or where ever else, but not in the trailer it self. again thats just imho and im probably in the minorty on it but owell.

i look foward to checking out that demo ;-)


skn3(Posted 2009) [#12]
I think the trailer is way too slow.

Perhaps you could simulate fast actions scenes by quickly fading between scenes. Currently when watching the trailer it seems like...

- "he went to the shop"
- show picture of a shop
- "to get some cheese"
- show a picture of cheese
- "it was nice cheese"
- show picture of person smiling
- "it was expensive cheese"
- show picture of money

...Just a bit flat if you catch my drift.

What if when you wanted to show that you are up against an big army of aliens surrounding you, instead of showing the game running 1 attack at a time; splice out all of the parts of the clip where aliens are attacking and put them one after the other. You could use some kind of flashing white fade-out-in to emphasise the action (and hide the editing).

Just a suggestion. Just because it is turn based, doesn't mean you have to make the trailer slow.


_Skully(Posted 2009) [#13]
It seemed to me that every time something interesting was about to happen in the video thats when the scene changed to text... then on to the next part where it happens again and again...

Why not show some big battles and effects to get the buyers interest...