Atmosphere (I hope Justin Bell reads this)

[IndiraLightfoot]

Personally, I reckon the music in Deadfire was better than the one in PoE1, even disregarding the fab shanties.

 

I'm wondering, though: Is any music ever affected/changed during convos? 

 

Perhaps you pick a detrimental choice, and then an ominous tone starts when you are pondering your next choice after the new mess you're in...

 

Compare Pathfinder Adventures, when the bad guys spill the beans, for instance. I really like that.

Edited September 2, 2018 by IndiraLightfoot

[Boeroer]

 

With some people here who only post that

a) music is bad

b) narrative is bad and

c) gameplay is bad (because of nerfs or whatnot)

I really wonder why they still stick around? Can't be so bad after all, eh?

Lack of alternatives. No one else makes games like these anymore (though I heard some are coming).

 

Yeah... "The Pizza is so bad! The Salami is rotten, the sauce is too salty and the cheese is rancid. But I have to eat it because I only have tasty burgers as alternative..."

 

Another explanation would be that they are exaggerating and simply love to complain - while they secretly don't think it's so bad after all.

 

 

[Manveru123]

What if someone only eats pizza and hates burgers? He eats classic pizzas because nobody ever creates any new ones. And when somebody finally does, it turns out to be rotten. In this particular comparison, a person unwilling to try the burger can only go back to the classic pizzas. Which is unfortunate.

 

Also there are people around here who don't really play anymore but still stick around to know what's going on. And maybe wait for DLCs and such.

 

People always complain, that's what everyone's best at. But to be fair, this game gives you a lot of legit reasons to do so.

[Justin Bell]

Personally, I reckon the music in Deadfire was better than the one in PoE1, even disregarding the fab shanties.

 

I'm wondering, though: Is any music ever affected/changed during convos?

 

Perhaps you pick a detrimental choice, and then an ominous tone starts when you are pondering your next choice after the new mess you're in...

 

Compare Pathfinder Adventures, when the bad guys spill the beans, for instance. I really like that.

No, never to that degree of reactivity, but it would be pretty cool if we could pull that off. It all boils down to time of course, there was so much to accomplish during this project.

[gloomseeker]

Just popping in to say that I think the music does deserve more credit than it has received as there hasn't been enough praise for what you've accomplished with this soundtrack. 

[Justin Bell]

Just popping in to say that I think the music does deserve more credit than it has received as there hasn't been enough praise for what you've accomplished with this soundtrack.

Thank you for saying that!

[injurai]

The Pillars' scores are amongst my favorite I've heard from games recently. They have a tone and mood all their own. The opening sequence of Pillars 1 is still so memorable in my mind.

[Corthaxius]

Examples for outdoor:

- Cloakwood forest (Day): www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8wwo7gpC3I&t=1615s

- Night in the cloakwood: (Night): www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8wwo7gpC3I&t=1813s

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

- Exploring the plains (Day): www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8wwo7gpC3I&t=633s

- Night on the plains (Night): www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8wwo7gpC3I&t=770s

 

Examples for cities:

- Daytime in the slums (Day): www.youtube.com/watch?v=W80tmfVcQCo&t=591s

- At night in the slums (Night): www.youtube.com/watch?v=W80tmfVcQCo&t=675s

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

- Waukeens Promenade (Day): www.youtube.com/watch?v=W80tmfVcQCo&t=475s

- Waukeens Promenade (Night): www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfMVPS9GtdU

 

 

Damn, that sure is nostalgic. I had totally forgotten about those sounds but hearing them makes the same feeling from back then come right back. I feel as if I'm 14 again, haha.

Thanks for that!

 

Best regards.

[misterjimmy]

There is some good towns and villages music in Divine Divinity.

 

A Wind of Aleroth

 

The Four Seasons Singing(farmland)

 

Stones and Trees(dwarf village)

 

Suffering and Shame(slum)

Edited September 4, 2018 by misterjimmy

[pi2repsion]

Creating an unforgettable experience through music and pieces of various environmental sound is an art and can make a difference between a good game and a classic that you will still think about years later.

Thinking back on my four decades of gaming, I must agree.

 

If music and environmental audio is bad, it always stands out, negatively impacts my view of the game, and I may even remember the negative associations years later if hearing it again.

 

If it is average or even good work, but not great, the music is quickly forgotten even if the game is otherwise great. Most musical works obviously fall in this category.

 

Whereas if it is great, merely hearing fragments of it will years later remind me of a game and trigger the nostalgic impulse, regardless of whether the game itself was otherwise great or not.

 

And if it is truly outstanding, I'll remember the music and be able to hum parts of it even decades later without any audio cues, but that is rare indeed.

 

 

For Pillars of Eternity 1&2, if pressed to rate them I'd be in a bit of a bind. The composer is obviously talented, yet the overall impression I've got is one of "really good craftsmanship, but not great or memorable", on the simple grounds that mostly I don't think of its presence at all while playing.

 

That's not bad where environmental music and effects are concerned, as it suggests that they are doing their job of supporting the mood well, but it does mean that to me the game's audio lacks that certain something that makes good into great.

 

...and I wish I knew what that certain something was, but as always that's the hardest thing to nail down. The composer will just have to be satisfied with a player who is completely satisfied with his work, yet wishes it were better yet. 

 

That said, the real test is yet to come; Ask me twenty years from now; If merely listening to a fragment of POE music reminds me of the game at that time, then obviously it was better than my initial impression.

Edited September 4, 2018 by pi2repsion

[EdwinOdesseiron]

I wrote down a list of my most memorable and favorite tracks from the Deadfire. I am not talking about the composition or quality of a soundtrack alone, but rather about the mood/atmoshpere it created together with its visual surroundings & the narrative of the section of the story. Apparently this is a personal thing but here we go:

1. Eothas:
While I didn't recognize it too much during the main game, it climbed to #1 after the Beast of Winter DLC. Just fits perfectly to the scene there, it feels divine & almost stops the time just by listening to it. Besides... experiencing that special scene was really a key moment. I believe, this scenery enhanced the track itself for me a bit. Hell, it enhanced the whole story (in terms of epicness) of not only Deadfire but also PoE 1 for me.

2. Arkemyr:
Just magical & mystical. Fits very well with the theme of an archmage. I find myself revisiting the Manor just to listen to it from time to time.

3. All Gods:
That's what you should always listen to when making important decisions & talking about serious, momentous things. I wish the gods would behave accordingly & not like children. Definitaly enhanced & maybe even saved my experience with the otherwise rather silly divine encounters.

 

And I like most of the rest... like Mother Ocean & the Serpent Crown, and the shanties. 

[Justin Bell]

I wrote down a list of my most memorable and favorite tracks from the Deadfire. I am not talking about the composition or quality of a soundtrack alone, but rather about the mood/atmoshpere it created together with its visual surroundings & the narrative of the section of the story. Apparently this is a personal thing but here we go:

 

1. Eothas:

While I didn't recognize it too much during the main game, it climbed to #1 after the Beast of Winter DLC. Just fits perfectly to the scene there, it feels divine & almost stops the time just by listening to it. Besides... experiencing that special scene was really a key moment. I believe, this scenery enhanced the track itself for me a bit. Hell, it enhanced the whole story (in terms of epicness) of not only Deadfire but also PoE 1 for me.

 

2. Arkemyr:

Just magical & mystical. Fits very well with the theme of an archmage. I find myself revisiting the Manor just to listen to it from time to time.

 

3. All Gods:

That's what you should always listen to when making important decisions & talking about serious, momentous things. I wish the gods would behave accordingly & not like children. Definitaly enhanced & maybe even saved my experience with the otherwise rather silly divine encounters.

 

And I like most of the rest... like Mother Ocean & the Serpent Crown, and the shanties. 

 

Nice!  That's awesome to hear, thank you!

[Phenomenum]

Strange thing: when i playing the game, music just flows and don't memorable, exept 2 or 3 tracks. But today i had a free time and desided to listen OST - and i was amazed how magnificient and charming all of Justin's work - every song has own temper, brilliant instruments arrange, interesting structure. All and all, it's state of art.

Now i wonder why all this beauty don't recognized during the game process..?

Anyway, if someone feels ingame music mediocre try to sit, relax, and carefully listen OST - maybe you change your mind like i did.

[InsaneCommander]

Strange thing: when i playing the game, music just flows and don't memorable, exept 2 or 3 tracks. But today i had a free time and desided to listen OST - and i was amazed how magnificient and charming all of Justin's work - every song has own temper, brilliant instruments arrange, interesting structure. All and all, it's state of art.

Now i wonder why all this beauty don't recognized during the game process..?

Anyway, if someone feels ingame music mediocre try to sit, relax, and carefully listen OST - maybe you change your mind like i did.

 

Good idea. Maybe it means we very focused on the game. I'll do it until the weekend and see how I feel when I listen to the soundtrack. And what moments of the game are associated with each song.

[house2fly]

People in general don't seem to like the combat track "Its Crash Could Not Be Denied" but I can't get enough of it. It always gets me pumped up for a fight

[Phenomenum]

I think, i understand at least one issue.

As Justin Bell said, music have some reactivity - so basically we don't able to hear full song, instead of this we hear some various "cuts", depending of situation. That's why i was amazed when listen full OST. Becose each song have own melodic structure and when you hear just random cuts from it, you can't cath up rhytm and mood from music, even from great composition. Try to listen Mozart in form of few random repeating cuts - you don't understand anything and probably don't remember melody.

 

If we able to listen full compositions during the game, the Deadfire's music can be more memorable.

[Justin Bell]

Strange thing: when i playing the game, music just flows and don't memorable, exept 2 or 3 tracks. But today i had a free time and desided to listen OST - and i was amazed how magnificient and charming all of Justin's work - every song has own temper, brilliant instruments arrange, interesting structure. All and all, it's state of art.

Now i wonder why all this beauty don't recognized during the game process..?

Anyway, if someone feels ingame music mediocre try to sit, relax, and carefully listen OST - maybe you change your mind like i did.

 

If you guys want I can see if we can make it so soundtrack reactivity is an option that you can turn on and off.  Honestly, I think this would address a lot of the feedback folks have.

[Phenomenum]

Yes. Maybe i'm the only one, but i definitely wish to listen full compositions during game process (exploring) - becose it's make a real difference. For me anyway.

Maybe music reactivity should be less "reactive" - one track during the day and some variarion during the night. But it must be full songs, without repeating cuts.

Edited September 5, 2018 by Phenomenum

[Multihog]

After 130 hours spent playing Deadfire, the only memorable audio-related things for me are shanties and the music that is played when you board an enemy ship. I don't even remember any other, to the point that I recently disabled audio completely and just run Spotify. After 130 hours man! IMO Deadfire's music is one of the worst things about this game.

I feel like a big part of the problem is that the music is too homogeneous throughout the entire game. The entirety of Neketaka's—and honestly nearly the whole game's—music is characterized by the same tranquil, Dorian mode type of mood, and the orchestration/arrangements are also very samey. Why does even the slum area have such a chill vibe in the soundtrack despite all the suffering, poverty, and criminal activity? I don't feel that the soundtrack reflects the area well. Also, like mentioned before in this thread, the fact that the music remains the same at night makes the soundtrack feel more static. Anywhere you go in the game, the music sounds more or less the same, and on top of that, the tracks are very subtle, which makes them all the more unmemorable. It's as if the soundtrack is deliberately as neutral as possible so as to not evoke any emotions in the listener. 

 

It's not awful, and certainly sounds professional, but it's neither particularly interesting nor memorable. It's definitely not something people will look up on YouTube 10 years from now and get a strong sense of nostalgia. 

Edited September 6, 2018 by Multihog

[Guest Blutwurstritter]

I agree with Multihog. I cannot remember a single song/melody from PoE I or PoE II. There are no bad songs, but also no outstanding songs. I think a few more powerful and driving pieces would have helped a lot. 

On the other hand i would say that BG I and BG II were "slower" and required less actions from the player in comparison to PoE. You could pay more attention to the music which might be another reason that the soundtrack stuck more easily. I realize that more of my favorite soundtracks, the one of Heroes of Might and Magic III and Age of Wonders I, belong to rather "slow" and relaxing games.

This brings me to the last point,  my dislike for the dynamic playback of the tracks, I support the option to disable this feature as it prevents you to actually listen to the songs in full. 

[Walter.Richards]

If you guys want I can see if we can make it so soundtrack reactivity is an option that you can turn on and off.  Honestly, I think this would address a lot of the feedback folks have.

 

 

 

I'd love to see that.

It would be another way PoED stands above other games.

[Justin Bell]

Just wanted to let you folks know that we're doing the following:

• Night music in all Neketaka districts except for dungeons and inns, and some wilderness areas.  It will be two pieces of music, one for towns, one for wilderness areas
• Boss music for all boss encounters
• Reactive music turned off by default, but optionally turned on if you so wish.

Couple notes to set expectations.  We will be re-purposing music from Pillars 1 for the music above.   I know that this will likely disappoint some, but my current workload won't allow for anything more than this.  That said, I really think it will make the difference you guys hope for and urge you to give it a chance!

 

We're aiming to have this in when Seeker, Slayer, Survivor launches, but like anything we do, I can't guarantee the timing because we need to test it first to make sure we can safely add it to the game.  That said, it's looking good so far, and we hope to be able to do this for the 3.0 release.  If not for that release, then one shortly thereafter. 

 

Stand by! 

[AndreaColombo]

Thank you for listening to player feedback as much as you do, Justin and team!

[Starwars]

Just wanted to let you folks know that we're doing the following:

• Night music in all Neketaka districts except for dungeons and inns, and some wilderness areas.  It will be two pieces of music, one for towns, one for wilderness areas
• Boss music for all boss encounters
• Reactive music turned off by default, but optionally turned on if you so wish.

Couple notes to set expectations.  We will be re-purposing music from Pillars 1 for the music above.   I know that this will likely disappoint some, but my current workload won't allow for anything more than this.  That said, I really think it will make the difference you guys hope for and urge you to give it a chance!

 

We're aiming to have this in when Seeker, Slayer, Survivor launches, but like anything we do, I can't guarantee the timing because we need to test it first to make sure we can safely add it to the game.  That said, it's looking good so far, and we hope to be able to do this for the 3.0 release.  If not for that release, then one shortly thereafter. 

 

Stand by! 

 

Yeah man! Awesome that you took suggestions to heart. Looking forward to the results.

[Justin Bell]

Thank you for listening to player feedback as much as you do, Justin and team!

 

 

 

 

Yeah man! Awesome that you took suggestions to heart. Looking forward to the results.

 

 

My pleasure, really.  We worked hard on this game for you guys.  We know we can't make everything perfect, but we will try our best to keep an open mind!