Episode 1 to 2 transition

[Teonis]

I wanted to leave a bit of feedback for Wintermute and story mode. I just finished episode one and as you exit the cave (spoilers!) your abruptly met with the scene of a bear attacking Jeremiah. I really had no idea it was going on. I thought it was something like in The Walking Dead with a show you clips from the next episode. I didn't realize it was actually happening as there was no indicator that McKenzie had even left the cave yet.

 I feel like this cut scene needs to show McKenzie leaving the cave or maybe seeing Jeremiah get attacked from a distance and running towards him. It was very sporadic and I didn't actually understand what was happening at first. This scene MUST be made longer. 

What I would like to see is McKenzie leaving the cave and here's the roar of the bear. He panicked at first but then sees it attacking Jeremiah. Jeremiah's gun is not from his hand as I can see approaches. Scene plays as currently shown. Scene  fades to black. Scene fades in  showing Jeremiah being dragged, at this time McKenzie has not seen. Scene fades out and back in again (or maybe pans across) to a familiar landmark from mystery lake, perhaps the lookout tower can be seen in the distance or we are close enough to the trappers cottage to see it. 

I understand ending on the gunshot. That's also a good place to end, but then at the beginning of the next scene we need to see a bit more conclusion of what happened. Were we Jeremiah this would all be black to us as we did not see it happening, but we are Will MacKenzie!  McKenzie did all the rescuing so it should be more apparent to the player what had occurred at the start of the next episode.

[cullam]

I was also thrown off by the abruptness of it. The fact that there's no transition is what's so jarring. Mac reaches the end of the cave, and the next thing we know, he's got a rifle in his hand, and is aiming at a bear. The lack of narrative from point A to B is very strange. 

[Teonis]

I thought I was deus ex machina'd into a bear struggle immediately after leaving the cave, like I got bushwhacked. I didn't even realize  Jeremiah wasn't Mackenzie until they were both on camera.

additionally, if that cave led to ML, I really, really want to know where that cave came out at. Not so I can go back or anything, but for continuity's sake, how did I get to ML? Jest before entering the cave I was overlooking a highway with an overturned trailer truck on it. I thought I was headed down there, where is that?

[Nervous Pete]

14 minutes ago, Teonis said:

I really, really want to know where that cave came out at. Not so I can go back or anything, but for continuity's sake, how did I get to ML? Jest before entering the cave I was overlooking a highway with an overturned trailer truck on it. I thought I was headed down there, where is that?

If you step out in front of Trapper's Cabin and look to the right of half way across the clearing  and up a little slope, you'll see what appears to be a cave. That's the tunnel mouth of where you emerged from. A little piece of dialogue plays if you attempt to walk into it.

I assume the view you got from before entering the cave network is of the railway carriages on Forlorn Muskeg - but I could be wrong, it could be an inaccessible area beyond the ridge behind Trapper's Cabin.

[Nervous Pete]

32 minutes ago, cullam said:

I was also thrown off by the abruptness of it. The fact that there's no transition is what's so jarring. Mac reaches the end of the cave, and the next thing we know, he's got a rifle in his hand, and is aiming at a bear. The lack of narrative from point A to B is very strange. 

Agreed, ideally it should have gone to a black screen. Sound of heart beating - a man screaming. Black screen continues. MacKenzie's voice: "And there it was, the bear. It had him on the ground, tearing at him. I froze. Just froze. And then I saw it. There, in the snow, his rifle. No time to think... move fast... Jesus..." Black screen ends.

Cut-scene plays. 

Back to black screen. Pause. "I knew then... all that horror and pain back in Milton, I hadn't left it behind. It was all around me. She was right. This was the new world. I'd have to be strong to survive..."

CREDITS.

[June]

2 hours ago, cullam said:

Mac reaches the end of the cave, and the next thing we know, he's got a rifle in his hand, and is aiming at a bear. T

You actually see him picking up that rifle from the ground. Agreed on the apruptness, though. Still had some thrill in it. But omg do I love the opening of EP 2 <3

[Renegade30]

I also was confused at first, I thought I had reached the end of the story mode release for a few seconds. The only reason I went back to check if I could continue was because I knew there was 2 episodes...

[cullam]

13 hours ago, June said:

You actually see him picking up that rifle from the ground. 

I didn't, but there seems to sometimes be some cut scene alignment issues. So mine might have just started a couple seconds in. 

[Scyzara]

I have to agree on this one. The transition scene between Ep.1 and 2 is a bit too abrupt for my taste as well - would have been nicer to make the scene a few seconds longer and show how Will actually leaves the cave.^^

[Jens]

I also agree and I also got confused. Actually, I was thinking there were two ways insisde the cave, so I first tried the one on the right, but my intention was to go back later and try the other way... but suddenly the strange cutscene came in, without me being sure if I had even left the cave. While beautifull in general terms, some aspects of storytelling need some work done on them to be polished. The tutorial needs to be remade and the journal should update more frequently and with more precise info, imo.

[Hotzn]

On 4.8.2017 at 10:21 PM, Nervous Pete said:

Agreed, ideally it should have gone to a black screen. Sound of heart beating - a man screaming. Black screen continues. MacKenzie's voice: "And there it was, the bear. It had him on the ground, tearing at him. I froze. Just froze. And then I saw it. There, in the snow, his rifle. No time to think... move fast... Jesus..." Black screen ends.

Cut-scene plays. 

Back to black screen. Pause. "I knew then... all that horror and pain back in Milton, I hadn't left it behind. It was all around me. She was right. This was the new world. I'd have to be strong to survive..."

CREDITS.

Honestly, your writing is very good. You should be writing for TLD.

[Nervous Pete]

Heh, thanks. Read it in the 'Wonder Years' freeze-frame slow-zoom in nostalgia-narration style and it loses some impact. I've got some fan-fic buried away on this forum too, on hold since what I thought was happening in this quiet apocalypse turned out to be hilariously wrong. Still might continue it though.  

I honestly don't think the writing's bad on Wintermute, I'm engaged and loving the world-building. But yes, I am finding some of the dialogue exchanges a bit too abrupt and in service of game objectives. However I did leave Milton feeling pretty melancholy about abandoning Grey Mother, so mission accomplished there.