About our trailers, and what "in-engine" and "gameplay" mean.

Bart_CA

Hi everyone,

With the Karl Franz in-engine trailer going live this afternoon (2pm BST!) and a lot of discussion going on around what 'in-engine' means, we thought it’d be worth a post explaining the different kinds of videos we make and why we make them.

As you've probably noticed, we create a lot of videos for our games. When they’re not making in-game cutscenes, most of these are created by the Total War in-house cinematics team, and in some cases members of the Total War community team.

We create different types of video for different purposes and to suit a range of different tastes. When we first announce a game, we tend to kick off with a big CGI trailer, designed to establish the studio’s vision for the game (usually produced externally with the help of a CGI house), with consultation from the game’s senior developers and often using early elements of the in-game art (such as 3D models, or concept art).

As development gets up to full speed, more and more in-game assets are completed. We start using these assets in videos to show off how things are coming together, such as the ‘Introducing Demigryphs’ video released earlier this week.

When we show early game code to journalists, we usually follow up by releasing a video of it. The first of these will be released in two weeks’ time on the 30th of July with the Battle of Black Fire Pass Developer Walkthrough and there will be more to follow.

A bit closer to release, when the game is coming together in earnest, we’ll begin producing videos using gameplay footage. These come in the form of lets-plays, spotlights and eventually broadcasting livestreams.

Today we release our first in-engine cinematic trailer. These videos introduce characters and races, and the narrative surrounding them. They tell the kind of stories that we imagine players will experience when they play their own campaigns. They also give us a place to start showcasing cool features of the game in an exciting way.

Once we’ve storyboarded and written a script for a cinematic trailer, we set to work with our in-house cinematics tool (It’s called CINDY if you’re interested). This enables us to set up environments, units, models, terrain, and create custom camera paths directly within the game engine. Today’s Karl Franz trailer, for example, was set up in the Black Fire Pass battle map you’ll see in-game.

The cinematics team often ask our team of animators to make some custom animations for these trailers, chiefly for when a main character is gesturing and gesticulating. These aren’t generally made for the game but they help us to explain what’s going on and are often also used for in-game cutscenes. This being so, Total War: Warhammer offers an embarrassment of riches. Our animators have gone to town on hand-crafting spectacular combat-anims for many monsters and beasts in the game – the kind of stuff you just can’t get in the mocap studio. In today’s Karl Franz trailer for example, you’ll see a giant pick up a soldier and smash him repeatedly into the ground. This is just one of a variety of attack animations you see the giants perform in battle.

When we render the final video out, we add some post-processing cinematic effects such as enhanced depth of field and motion blur. Not features you’ll see in the game, but in these cinematic trailers we’re trying to create atmosphere and tell a story. These techniques help us do that.

So in a nutshell, that’s what an in-engine trailer is for us. We use the game engine itself as the set, along with all the props and actors it provides. We add some custom animations and some cinematic effects to make it a better watch.

Ultimately though, there’s going to be plenty of unedited gameplay to see before the game is finally released. If you follow us on social media or the forums you’ll see something for everyone.



Clearly Labelling Videos

So moving forward, we’re also going to make sure all our videos are clearly labelled so you know what you are seeing. If it’s not otherwise very apparent (like one of the following terms is used in the video’s title), you can check the description text on the video on our YouTube channel, and each will be tagged with one of the following:


‘Gameplay’
Footage captured from the current game build. If you played the game as it currently stands, that’s what you’d see. It might be edited down to make it fit the format (so loading screens removed, or various shots used to show different things).

Before launch it is also likely to be marked ‘Development in Progress’, in which case you can expect it to be representative of the final game, but you should be aware that it is not the final game and anything you see is subject to change as the game is worked on.

Gameplay videos can also be marked ‘Scripted’ or ‘Scripted Demo’, this means we’ve set the game code up to make sure specific things happen. This is handy in a sandbox game like Total War where sometimes anything can happen, but also important in the early production stages of the game where some features or components may not be ready to be integrated into the code yet and so they need to be simulated. For example, in the forth-coming video of our Total War: Warhammer Black Fire Pass demo, we’ve scripted when the various units engage with each other to simulate the battle gameplay, because we want to show off the different units fighting without them killing each other behind the camera while we’re not looking.

‘In-engine Cinematic’
The video uses Development in Progress in-game assets and code as a basis for a video shot with cinematic camera techniques to create movie-like footage. This is representative of the themes and general look and feel of the game, but it is not the direct in-game experience you will get when you are physically playing the final game.

‘In-game Cinematic’
This is the same as an ‘In-engine Cinematic’ except you can expect to see the vast majority (if not all) of the footage appear in the final game as an in-game movie, such as a intro or win movie for example.

‘Cinematic Trailer’
This is a video that doesn’t use the game engine to produce its visuals. They might use some game assets like models and audio to contribute to the making of them, but for the avoidance of doubt, please assume that nothing you are seeing is from the game itself. These are typically CGI or Live Action trailers and videos, and will be otherwise very apparent.

‘Livestream’
You’re more likely to see this on our Twitch channel of course, but unless stated otherwise, what you see during a Livestream is live gameplay captured from the current code build. Again, this may be flagged as ‘Development in Progress’ and therefore as above, is subject to change.

If during development a video we’ve previously released changes it’s classification for some reason (like the designers decide that an In-game Cinematic should be replaced with something else, or they really like our In-engine Cinematic to be included in the final game) we will endeavour to go back and update the description on YouTube.

If you’re in any doubt as to what you’re seeing, then post a question for the Community Team in the appropriate thread on the forum, but do please check the original official post on the forum which announces the video first.

Thanks for reading - if you have any questions, please post below.

You can always find this text here on the wiki for future reference: http://wiki.totalwar.com/w/About_our_trailers


Bart CA

Hollandia

Great explanation, this will really help with avoiding people getting their hoops up for something that will (probably) not be included in the game.

GrudgeNL

Good stuff

Hopefully this will answer a lot of questions.

TheokolesOfRome

Dang it, you beat me to it.

Mine wasn't as long winded though. ;-)

Wallenstein

Thanks alot! In my opinion an explanation like that was overdue.

Wintermist

Just fab!

ITA_Vae_Victis

Thank you for your clarity and honesty. It's really appreciated.

dge1

Great info! Thanks.

englisharcher89

Nice one, thanks guys looking forward to see it. It's just right before my theory exam for driving this afternoon lol

Gosling

I'm really glad that they're being really direct and honest with us: they didn't need to go through all this explaining for us!

ignaciospain1

Very, very, very nice move CA. From announcing with days/weeks what´s to expect to the tagging of videos and their definition.

Very good decision.

I am starting to think you have learned from Rome 2 fiasco. Now give us a demo some weeks before release and i might even eat my words and preorder!

panzerschreck

ignaciospain1 wrote: »

Very, very, very nice move CA. From announcing with days/weeks what´s to expect to the tagging of videos and their definition.

Very good decision.

I am starting to think you have learned from Rome 2 fiasco. Now give us a demo some weeks before release and i might even eat my words and preorder!

indeed, demo is the best way to avoid catastrophic surprises on the first day of release!

Sceligator

Good guy developers for taking the time to explain this to avoid another "Siege of Carthage".
+10 Respect for CA

Phoenix99

TW:WH ****! When?!

Pr4vda

Keep going like that CA. Provide your community good informations and contents regularly, and everything will go well.

Because don't forget that with TW:WH, you have to satisfy 2 communities. Take your time, and create the best WH game ever (what is really really possible for you).

Can't wait for some gameplay videos, with some campaign map and dwarves

thesniperdevil

Good move. A detailed taxonomy like this ensures that the videos are watched, enjoyed and discussed within teh right context.

It should hopefully thwart the fools out there who take everything at face value as well as those who take the most convoluted interpretations and amplify it out accross the communities causing confusion to all.

Monkeeyo

So TL;DR they will not be showing gameplay today, but an in-engine trailer like "The Last Roman" trailer. giving you an idea of the graphics of the game and possible features.

Sulieman the Magnficent

A good explanation, but for every total war game you release - please put this as posting this as MANDATORY. Rome 2's videos displayed nothing of the kind that was advertised, and I don't want Warhammer ending up like Rome 2. Especially not when you get to the stage of cutting excellent features and putting in features that no one wants.

Klunz

Cheers for the explanation can't wait to see it! Just a few more minutes before it's live!

Prophet of Sotek

I greatly respect this move, Creative Assembly. Kudos to you for reaching out to comfort the community!

Bart_CA

Monkeeyoz wrote: »

So TL;DR they will not be showing gameplay today, but an in-engine trailer like "The Last Roman" trailer. giving you an idea of the graphics of the game and possible features.

Just to be clear, the Last Roman Trailer (here) would be an "In-Game Cinematic" in that it is the intro you get when you play the campaign, but it is still a cinematic.

Nelec

This level of transparency definitely helps to builds consumer trust, very impressed by concise explanations.

JollyRogero

Really appreciate the transparency in these matters. Speaks volumes - all good - Again, thank You!

FrontlinerDelta

Even knowing some of those animations are real at least (like the giant picking up the soldier) is awesome. I like the extra definition from CA though. The game looks excellent and as I said in the other thread about the video, while we very likely won't have quite those numbers of units I could still see glimpses of a Total War battle in there.

And it looks great.

ZoeDiyaK

Interesting info thanks CA. You didnt have to, but you did. Great video btw.

wakko2k

When saying "in-game footage" customers would most likely assume this is what the game is going to look like... IN-GAME. Why do you add effects that wont be in the actual game? You're basically saying that this is how the game is going to look, then remove graphic features and such from the actual game. Just like you did with Rome 2 screenshots?

DonniMalaka

Cheers guys, loving the trailers so far!

Bart_CA

wakko2k wrote: »

When saying "in-game footage" customers would most likely assume this is what the game is going to look like... IN-GAME. Why do you add effects that wont be in the actual game? You're basically saying that this is how the game is going to look, then remove graphic features and such from the actual game. Just like you did with Rome 2 screenshots?

Hi wakko2k,

We aren't saying "in-game footage"; please refer to the definitions in the original post. Perhaps you mean "gameplay" or "in-game cinematic"?

If we say "gameplay", yes you could assume this is what we intend the game to look like at the time the footage is captured. If it is marked "work in progress" then it is subject to change and graphical or gameplay features may be changed before release as part of the development process.

This is unavoidable, we would like to show everyone the game as it comes together, but it will change in the development process as it is made.

We shouldn't assume that everyone understands how games are made, and so we will adhere to these terms in future to help make it clearer.

Thank you for reading,

Bart CA

PiperRTW

Wow I'm loving the "In game" trailer.

Fredrin

Nelec wrote: »

This level of transparency definitely helps to builds consumer trust, very impressed by concise explanations.

Very much agree. Good to see CA exhibiting some respect for its fanbase in these matters. And a helpful way of keeping expectations well managed!

Norsa

WoW, how wonderfully transparent of you! I like it alot