Intro Cinematic

I enjoy the approach.

But we could make it a little more extravagant by adding some of the other elements that we talked about before.

Rustling of leaves and branches, everything must feel hurried, urgent.. but silent almost... just the sound of breathing and rain drops from earlier in the night perhaps. No breeze.

Then when you break the tree line and are in the tall grass (knee-high to be specific, or 'sand grass') it opens up wide like you said and its night time, big full moon, lots of stars and maybe something weird is going on to let you know its a dream.. there is a slight vignette to the whole scene. It blurs at the edge so you can't really see what is around. But if we do that, it should be playable, so the player has some point of reference so far.

So how about this: there needs to be something drawing you to the shoreline. So maybe your put in the middle of the woods and you start running with low erie music playing.. almost totally black except for the fading moon light through the trees onto the path. A faint light appears down the path, naturally the player will run towards it.. as you get closer it moves further away.. The player fill follow. Just before clearing the forest you can hear the ocean..

Very shortly after chasing the 'light' a low bass hum starts and gets louder with the music until you can barely see the light (it moves faster than you can.. like in a dream) You break the tree line and the view expands. By now you are sprinting (a prompt will pop up to teach you how to run..'Hold X to Sprint') you run through the grass, pass the fence on the edge of the grass, through the sand only a short way...

The cinematic takes over with excellent graphic quality: Merle sprints down the beach toward incoming tides, he runs onto a long narrow dock made of wood and as he reaches the end of the dock, just before he grabs the light it flies up out of his reach leaving him alone at the end of the dock. He looks up and boom, music cuts out, just the sound of a ocean breeze.. lots of big black ships. Some just sitting high above, some still coming in. But many of them.

Screen goes black to the sound of a low bass hum and ocean waves crashing.

Player wakes up in his house, explore a little bit.. when you first run outside.. the camera takes over and shows where you are.. maybe just a view of your house from afar. showing a little bit of the landscape and what a preme-o summer morning it is. and while the camera is panning it splashes the title of the game. (think lord of the rings during return of the king)

SO. Thats an idea to play with. the problem is this: what was the "light" that you chased to find the ships.. maybe something from the ships.. like a recon droid or something that is not known to the player. but the ships use it with there advance technology to seek out life and other people. maybe it is something that the player uses in the game later.. an aid to the story, referencing the fairy from zelda.. something along those lines.

anyways- So I think we have it down for the start: dim-lit forrest, chasing down a path, forrest ends, expands view with stars, grass, sand, beach- big ships, cut to house.

It just depends on how its handles. maybe none of it is playable? do you like that better? I just thinking, when you put the game in for the first time- it is very interesting to be put into a story with no prompting first.. just like .'annnnd go!' Running through dark woods chasing something!.. exciting and mysterious to go with the music tone.

Oh check this out: at the title screen the music that plays should have close resemblance to Radioheads' 'Kid A'.. the intro piano? Its so killer. You'll see! Sets a great mood, just like final fantasy.. sets the tone for a big long adventure that will take place if you choose to press the 'New Game' option.. but it won't be all good things.. its not a happy tone. its suspenseful. there will be battle and war.. you'll meet characters to rely on.. and theres lot of death.

Let me know what you think.