Modern Forged Alliance Trailer Contest!

Presented by: Morax & Saske
Tournament Voting / Finale Live Stream: 21, August, 2021
Current Prize Pool: $220

Synopsis:

First and foremost: This is not an official FAF organization trailer. It is a community-driven project for self-promotion rather through the association/board. If this is confusing, please read up on how the FAF Association operates here.

This is a contest to help promote the creation of a new, up to date trailer for the game Forged Alliance highlighting features, updates, and demonstrations of the modification Forged Alliance Forever.

There will be a cash prize for the top video trailer for 1st place. If the funding exceeds $200, a 2nd place will be added. If there is a much larger portion, then possibly a 3rd, 4th.

For reference, here are good examples of a trailer similar to what is being desired, except keep in mind they are both QUITE dated:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoxPvkg21Jg&list=PLD5B7864ABDA0D620

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xWTKqKCuPU

Content:

The Basics

The video should of course show all the classic highlights of the game: many units, epic scale (up to thousands of units), variability and interaction of units, entertainment, etc. It should also show the best game mechanics: zoom, physics, and so on. For example, units cling to air transport, and in other strategies they just disappear, a nuclear missile really kills the base, as opposed to a RTS like Starcraft where it is not exactly a game-ender (or close to it!). You can show how engineers collect the remains of a fallen unit. What do you think is cool in the game? Show it!).

Desired Highlights:

1. Show the game enhancements through popular modifications such as Supreme Scoreboard, UI Party, better reclaim, target priorties, etc.

2. A lot of UI updates such as "notifications," idle engineers, additional camera stuff, etc have been added to make the gameplay experience much more manageable as opposed to its 2008 form. Try and show some features to give interested parties/players a glimpse of why FAF is so much better than the original/Steam/GoG.com versions of FA.

3. New units, advanced AIs, new game modes like "King Of The Hill," Phantom X, a totally new faction set (Supreme Commander TA, Nomads, etc).

4. Use your own personal highlights to get a competitive edge in your trailer!

Mood / Flow:

Try not to make the scenes too long, an average of about 5 seconds is ideal, but no more than 10 seconds, the viewer should not get bored. The video should inspire. Imagine you haven't played Supreme Commander yet. What would prompt you to play this strategy? Show it in your video!

Try to keep the length to 2 minutes - approximately! A succinct and effective message is best.

Music:

It is better to choose an epic soundtrack of the game, but it is better to make sure that, for example, YouTube does not block your video (you can upload music with a black screen to YouTube and check, in most cases everything will be ok). For example, you can take any audio track or something similar.
It will be ideal if the video sequence will be in harmony with the music (for example, cannon shots are synchronized with the rhythm).

Finding content with no copyright or "free use" will be tricky, so if you need help feel free to ask in this thread, or contact Morax/Saske.

Submission Rules

The video must be uploaded to YouTube and a link left in the comments to this post with your FAF & Discord nickname (for communication). Please refrain from changing either so it is not a challenge to keep in contact. Optional: Make an attractive video preview.

Voting for the best video will take place on August 21 (in the format of an online broadcast on YouTube, (we can comment and watch together) or your version)

How Winner(s) Are Determined

The winner(s) will be determined by a live stream by Saske (aka Lenkin) via voting which will take place on August 21 via YouTube. Comments and viewership will take place in parallel!

Disclaimer: Due to the fact that not everyone may be able to attend the "viewing part," a secondary voting system is being discussed. There is plenty of time until August so hopefully this will be determined well beforehand.

The prize fund starts from $ 50 (courtesy of Saske) and if you want - you can contribute ( LINK to be posted - soon[TM] ). If the prize fund is more than $ 200, then there will be a reward for the second place, if more than $ 300, then there will be a reward for the third place.

You have three options
a) Create a video and participate in a competition (you can join teams)
b) Sponsor a competition and contribute to the development of FAF
c) Tell your friends about the competition for promotion and repost.

Current Contributors

Prize Total: $220

1. Saske - $50
2. Morax - $100
3. Astrocrater - $40
4. Yugo - $30

Current Signups

AstroCrater (player) added $40 to prize pool

Yugo added 30$ in prize pool

I've made a small mod to help making cinematics, see also this post

Is there a time limit?

I been making something similar but its taken about a month on and off just collecting footage and storyboarding/script writing so far.

@derpfaf if you read the rules, you will see, until August 21

I'm interesting in participating. Link here for an example of my previous work.

I've always though a good FAF trailer could be made along the same lines of the well received This Is Eve trailer - real voices of players reacting to clutch/action packed moments. Might be hard to collect enough moments though.

@keene said in FA Modern Trailer Contest:

I've always though a good FAF trailer could be made along the same lines of the well received This Is Eve trailer - real voices of players reacting to clutch/action packed moments. Might be hard to collect enough moments though.

Not a bad trailer!

I am a bit biased as EVE is really really complicated, but I felt like the 1-2 second glimpses of the actual menu UI just seemed to confused me. It would have been nice to have some audio or text to highlight what that is all about.

Regardless, overall it was fun to watch, but this FAF one I really think it should tell things critical to it being a more refined, improved version of FA.

@wingflier Ye its good! Hope you will make one for Supreme Commander

How do I donate to prize earnings?

I am participating. Well do my best.

I'm participating! I'll try making it insanely good.

Im intrested to see the work of what people create here. As apart of the FAF Promotion team i now have accses to the FAF yourube Channel and looking for somthing that shows off faf to people who are not subscribed to the FAF yourube and hopfully bings more players to the community So hopfuly with morax's help we can pick one to be the Channel Trailer for the FAF Youtube!

@rowey said in FA Modern Trailer Contest:

Im intrested to see the work of what people create here. As apart of the FAF Promotion team i now have accses to the FAF yourube Channel and looking for somthing that shows off faf to people who are not subscribed to the FAF yourube and hopfully bings more players to the community So hopfuly with morax's help we can pick one to be the Channel Trailer for the FAF Youtube!

Was there a change in heart about using this for an official trailer? There was quite a debate going on to the point where I was denied any kind of FAF official funding for this contest.

I was wondering the same.

@majorwitty pm me in discord Lenkin#0007

Should the trailer already exist I'm sure it could be nominated for this purpose. But until this is all concluded it should be treated completely unofficial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mefAO2PC4s
FAF Name: InitialDesu
Discord: InitialDesu#9997

That looks really good InitialDesu!

A piece of unsolicited advice for you and anyone else making/planning on making a trailer: if your system can't handle running the game on the highest graphics setting normally, use the highest graphics setting but slow down the game to -10, record the gameplay, and then speed it back up in post production. It will look a lot smoother and higher quality.