The Future of RCT3 Machinima

I hope that you have all enjoyed March Madness! Sorry if it didn't seem "Mad" enough, but at least I have set a record for the most posts in one month on my blog! I haven't gotten to work any more on The Battle for Axis Mundi since my last post, so no new info on that, but I think I will take some time and talk about the future of RCT3 Machinima, as aptly requested by CZsWorld.

Currently, what I am striving to achieve is what I believe the future of RCT3 Machinima to be. Namely, I want to utilize custom scenery, custom fireworks, and green screening, to the point where RCT3 is mostly just a rendering engine for various particle simulations and 3D animations. Once we get to this point, the only thing separating RCT3 Machinima from true Hollywood films will be rendering capabilities, quality music, quality actors, etc. But basically, it might be possible to get any shot you could possibly dream of-rendered in RCT3.

That's a pretty good summary of what I believe might be possible. Now let me break it down into why I think these things.

1) The only limitations to RCT3's FCR Editor is that it cannot tilt or zoom. Shaky-cam shots are possible through manipulation of the coaster-cam, so that almost covers every camera move imaginable. A lot of the time, I'll be watching a Pixar film, and the camera movement feels jut like it would if the shot had been produced with the FCR Editor.

2) Since RCT3 is designed to let you do most kinds of terra-forming, you can create whatever landscape you need. Granted, there might not be as much detail as might be desirable, (pebbles, grass, and other small objects come to mind) but it basically gets the job done.

3) Particle effects can be used to create many special effects, and can also be used to add atmosphere to sets. Fog, smoke, waterfalls, starscapes, even (theoretically) snow can be created with the Advanced Fireworks Editor.

4) Green screening can be very effective and useful in RCT3, and is yet another tool that can help to create spectacular sets and effects. However, the usefulness of green screen for special effects and moving otherwise static objects may be made obsolete if you consider the possibilities of the next section. For this reason, I think it is more appropriate to use green screens for set backdrops.

5) Since it is possible to import custom made 3D models into RCT3 (custom scenery), you can create whatever set pieces you need for your film. There is also animated custom scenery, which has the most potential, and is also what I am most speculative about. In theory, animated custom scenery would enable you to bring any character that you can create in a 3D program into RCT3, and have it do whatever actions you wanted. This would open up a whole slew of possibilities. The problem is that I have yet to import my first animated CSO into RCT3, and I also have no idea if RCT3 would be able to handle complex animations, which would be necessary in order to make really good films.

Those are the techniques that I feel compose the core foundation for the "future" of RCT3 Machinima. I'll list them again, just to be painfully clear:

Camera movement

Terraforming

Particle effects

Green screen

Custom Scenery & Animation

I underlined animation because it has the most potential. To help you understand what I hope to achieve with animated CSOs, take a look at this film made with World of Warcraft. The film is composed of custom animations by the filmmaker, and it really speaks to the power of importing animations instead of relying on what the game provides. I am not sure if this level of animation can be imported into RCT3, but it would be a shame not try.

Now to tie in all of this speculation with the reality of today. I consider The Battle for Axis Mundi to be the cutting edge in terms of green screening and particle effects. Technically I used a green screen in Mechanics Vs. Aliens episode 5, but the level at which I did so is far less impressive than what is in Axis Mundi. Same thing goes for custom particle effects. I used them briefly in MVA ep. 5, but they are basically the backbone of the action in The Battle for Axis Mundi.

There you have it. That's how I see the future of RCT3 Machinima.