A Mind mini-series: not worth it?

[Binky The Rabbit]

When Ross released the 60.5 Episode of Freeman's Mind - where he teleports into the countryside - I got the idea for making a FM spin-off in which Freeman teleports to another game (which also builds on the concept of Freeman-Across-The-Universe).

 

I have a game in mind, I've done a couple of playthroughs and have most of the script written.

 

HOWEVER, it's on a games console (not released on PC), and hence all I can do is record the audio-video, and make dubs as well as the main voiceover. I would not be able to do things such as disabling the HUD.

 

I've got the technical side figured out for recording (I know what equipment I need to buy, but open to advice), but I'm concerned that the presence of the HUD would wreck the immersion and put people off.

 

Add to that the obvious need for a substitute Ross voice, and I'm wondering - is it worth the money, time and effort?

[BTGBullseye]

Depending on the game, it may be possible to run it in an emulator... If it runs in an emulator, it may be possible to disable the HUD... Just need to know what game you're talking about.

[Binky The Rabbit]

The game is Timesplitters 2. Specifically, the first story mission set in Siberia in 1990. I reckon I can make three episodes from it.

 

Emulation would be a good idea, but I have no experience and generally am unsure about doing it.

 

Although now I have more time on my hands, I can do some reading into it, which would hopefully boost my confidence about the whole thing.

[BTGBullseye]

PS2 emulation isn't hard... However, you will still have the HUD. (that's a limitation built into the way the game and the system works)

 

It still will be better for recording.

[Binky The Rabbit]

Ok, cheers, I'll look into it Hopefully it'll give me greater resolution too - the device I was planning on using gives a maximum of 360p, which I feel might be kinda low for quality.

[BTGBullseye]

Yeah... 1080p with anti-aliasing generally beats 360p...

[Binky The Rabbit]

Well, I've got an emulation up and running. Need to give it a few tweaks, but it should be fine. I plan on upgrading my RAM so it should eventually run very smoothly (occasional framerate drop).

 

Cheers for prompting me

[BTGBullseye]

Any time. Which emulator are you using? I might know of a way to boost performance with emulator tweaks...

[Binky The Rabbit]

I'm using PCSX2 version 1.0.0. The main issue I currently have is that in order to use my mouse I have to 'Start without mouse focus', which is fine until I stop the emulation, where I find the program doesn't register my cursor (it disappears from screen when it moves across the window), so I have to restart the program to do anything else.

[BTGBullseye]

You know they're up to version 1.2.1 stable, don't you? http://pcsx2.net/download.html

[Binky The Rabbit]

...now running 1.2.1. Same seems to apply, but I've yet to look further into what I can do with it. I reckon I'll need a USB gamepad so I can walk, not constantly run.

 

Once I've got things tweaked to make it look and function the way I want it, I'll try some recording and see how it goes.

[BTGBullseye]

You can use a PS3 controller with it for the best experience... Short of that, I recommend the Logitech gamepads, they have the same layout.

 

Though, if you can get your hands on a Steam controller, that would be the Epic Ultimate.

[Del3030]

Just my two cents but I have found that the Dolphin emulator for GameCube/Wii works really well and is far more stable then the PS2 emulators. Might let you tweak better although I am not sure. Truthfully I only ever played TS2 on the GC so I may be a bit biased. Either way looking forward to what is sure to be a hilarious series.

[BTGBullseye]

Dolphin is a great emulator, but the games themselves are hardcoded with certain limitations because they were for the Nintendo platform. Unless incapable of running the PS2 emulator, I'd say to not go with the Nintendo version. (the only reason is for the game coding itself, not the emulator)

[Binky The Rabbit]

Borrowed a mate's PS3 controller (he has a PS4 now so doesn't really use it anymore) and got it working.

 

 

 

Now just need to get Fraps working (unless someone recommends something else) and should be able to get a short demo going. When I've got time..!

[Binky The Rabbit]

Update: I've tried both Fraps and Mirillis Action, and in both instances, my framerate drops to about 12fps, with Fraps greatly diminishing video quality too.

 

I tested it on a Steam game, however, and got good results (though Fraps still tarnishes the video). It looks like my system can't handle both the emulation and video capture simultaneously, which pretty much means I can't do anything more until I get a better system. Dammit.

[BTGBullseye]

The issue with FRAPS is that it is designed to grab the frames exactly as they're displayed, and write them directly to the file. This makes it a massively resource intensive recording solution.

 

Do you have the trial or paid version of FRAPS? The paid up-to-date version has video quality settings that doesn't chop your resolution in half, (default for the trial, not alterable) allows for different framerate options, and even has a lossless RGB option. (though it really slows everything massively)

 

You might want to check on the stuff you can find here: https://encrypted.google.com/#q=video+screen+capture

[Binky The Rabbit]

Update: I've found some open-source software that is able to record the footage with minimal FPS slowdown. I now have the primary footage recorded, though I won't be surprised if I have to do some re-shoots. Next - put together, then do some audio replacement, and consider the feasibility of dialogue. Safe to say, I don't sound like Ross Scott...

 

It's going to be pretty average quality, but this is essentially a test to see if it'd be worth investing in the necessary resources to make it as good as I'd ideally want it to be.

 

#2: Time to get stuck in with lovely lovely sound editing! I've found a library of .wav files taken from TS2, which will help me no end, as some segments have background sounds I feel get in the way. If I make a full episode, they'll be vital. Still no idea how I'll get Freeman's voice done though. I don't know if I could manage a Ross Scott impression..maybe a generic American accent with an attempt at copying his mannerisms..

 

#3: I've just come across this. Interesting coincidence.. http://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-2-timesplitters

[RyanConner360]

I think I have a solution for you to get past all possible problems.

Use the Dolphin Emulator,

- You can play it with higher a resolution, anti-aliasing and other graphics enhancements.

- You can enable the emulators "dump frames" feature to output a video file with a consistent frame rate even if you have lag spikes or 6 FPS while playing.

- And I've made a custom texture pack that will remove the HUD.