CIV Intro Video + Queen = Excellent

[SevenSpirits]

So I recently heard the song Innuendo by Queen, which aside from being a totally awesome song in its own right, fits remarkably well with the themes of Civilization. It also lines up beautifully with the Civ IV intro video - the one with the Earth and the galleys and the coronation.

Take a look and let me know what you think:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsMJqUv6aqQ

 

[TheOgre]

queen sucks, desu desu.

i like-

Christopher Tin - Baba Yetu

 

[Supr49er]

I haven't seen that video in years.

Nicely done SevenSpirits.

 

[PieceOfMind]

Let me fix that typo for you...

Queen sucks rocks!

I too was surprised how well the song went with the video, except it lost its connection a bit towards the end IMO. Still.. great song!

Also, usually during that video it's Coronation (by Christopher Tin) - not Baba Yeta - but they are also both great songs.

 

[Joecoolyo]

It works!

 

[AfterShafter]

This reminds me a lot of when they chose that song "Faith" for the introduction to the last Star Trek series, Enterprise... In this case, it's *way* too heavy and doesn't even come close to fitting with the generally classical or ethnically driven music that is the trademark of Civ's sound track.

Don't get me wrong, I like Queen, but... Civ music is almost exclusively seperated from the pop-rock milieu which the entertainment industry is saturated with. I think *any* steps towards this western civilization wide pop-rock trend/obsession for Civ is a big mistake. I mean, we'd all love to see games loaded with our favorite musicians and songs, but, at some point I think it's good to ask if they really fit the game? In the case of Civ, I think things that fall into the heavy metal genre really don't fit.

(in short, good song, but I really don't think it's use fits at all in Civ)

 

[SevenSpirits]

Nice critical reply, AfterShafter. I mostly agree with you - I love the Civ soundtrack and wouldn't want to replace it with very stylistically different music while playing the game.

Nevertheless, that song really reminded me of civ when I heard it somewhere else. I mean, come on - they start by singing about all the different terrain types (heh) and go on to talk about rulers and religion. And then the chorus is "... we'll keep on trying... 'til the end of time".

My favorite part was when I lined it up so that the music started at the beginning, and (without any video editing) the "sun in the sky" line lined up with the sun rising, the "waves meeting the land" part had a great shot of sea and land, the "tread that fine line" line was punctuated by the camera flying past one of the lines holding up the sails, the switching to the coronation scene happened exactly at the same moment as the end of the first part of the song, the "race, color or creed" line coincided with the camera panning over differently colored statues (lol), and finally, the video ends right when the music gets to its first interruptible point! Ah, coincidence.

 

[PieceOfMind]

Yeah I agree the way it just synced was uncanny. The main one IMO was the sun rising.

 

[Arlborn]

I liked it very much. The song itself gives an epic feeling, just like Civ.

 

[bestbrian]

I'm three weeks late to this party, but I like how it synced up. However, if you're going to use a Queen song for this it's gotta be "I Want It All" - the warmonger's anthem.

 

[Rusty Edge]

Nevertheless, that song really reminded me of civ when I heard it somewhere else. I mean, come on - they start by singing about all the different terrain types (heh) and go on to talk about rulers and religion. And then the chorus is "... we'll keep on trying... 'til the end of time".

My favorite part was when I lined it up so that the music started at the beginning, and (without any video editing) the "sun in the sky" line lined up with the sun rising, the "waves meeting the land" part had a great shot of sea and land, the "tread that fine line" line was punctuated by the camera flying past one of the lines holding up the sails, the switching to the coronation scene happened exactly at the same moment as the end of the first part of the song, the "race, color or creed" line coincided with the camera panning over differently colored statues (lol), and finally, the video ends right when the music gets to its first interruptible point! Ah, coincidence.

That's my favorite CIV intro movie of all time, and as you point out, the synchronization was incredible.

I usually play with the sound off, but CIV reminds me of the movie "Highlander" ( in the end, there can be only one) which had a Queen soundtrack. I could see a Queen mod, with this intro, and maybe "I Want it All" for a conquest victory, "We are the Champions " for a domination win, something from the Flash Gordon soundtrack for a space victory, "Who dares to live forever?" for a time victory, etc. Bohemian Rhapsody for cultural victory , of course.

 

[-FC-Commando]

Queen - Princes Of The Universe

Now that's an intro song.

The sun rising wasa really really good.

 

[seul]

Loved it, really does align nicely.

On a different note, after playing Civ4 for a year i just realized i never watched that intro

 

[Antilogic]

You guys realize we have to give this a unique name now, right? Just like the Dark Side of the Rainbow.

 

[DrewBledsoe]

Can we all have a go ....?

Here's mine, think it kinda suits http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToR6o7h9rks

Maybe Chris Martin is a CivFanatic...

--------------

Btw where the heck is the intro file located? Gave up looking and Just downloaded your original vid from youtube SevenSpirits. Then converted from .flv to .avi...THEN found out Movie Maker doesn't like DIvX codecs so reconverted to .wav....hence rubbish picture quality....

 

[theskibum]

Second best song/video sync ever (that I have seen)
Pink Floyd Dark side of the Moon and the Wizard of Oz is #1, but that is arguably intentional.

This Queen song predates Civ 4 by years. Excellent coincidence...unless one of the civ designers was a huge Queen fan

 

[SevenSpirits]

Glad you guys are liking it!

Btw where the heck is the intro file located? Gave up looking and Just downloaded your original vid from youtube SevenSpirits. Then converted from .flv to .avi...THEN found out Movie Maker doesn't like DIvX codecs so reconverted to .wav....hence rubbish picture quality....

???\[civ iv directory]\Assets\Art\Movies\Intros\intro.bik
[edited; got a bit confused between different intro names]

(The other intro movies are in a similar paths, in case someone's interested in finding out which song goes with them.)

I used RAD Video Tools (it's free, though kind of annoying to use) to convert it to avi, then Windows Movie Maker to edit in the music.

 

[DrewBledsoe]

Glad you guys are liking it!



???\[civ iv directory]\Assets\Art\Movies\Intros\BTS Intro Final.bik

(The other intro movies are in a similar paths, in case someone's interested in finding out which song goes with them.)

I used RAD Video Tools (it's free, though kind of annoying to use) to convert it to avi, then Windows Movie Maker to edit in the music.

Thanks

 

[Iranon]

Stylistically appropriate? No, but the timing is awesome!
Beyond what's been mentioned, the chorus cracked me up... twice.

1:12: *Hail of arrows*
'Oh yes, we'll keep on trying!'

2:23: After a coronation accompanied by 'while we rule by blind madness and pure greed / Our lives dictated by tradition, superstition, false religion', the freshly crowned king hesitates before rasing his arms in a very awkward-looking greeting.
'Oh yes, we'll keep on trying!'