The music! Good or no?

[Gromnir]

 

any time friend or foe is victimized by a knockdown effect, all we hear is Dune thumper meant to attract sandworms. is very distracting such that we don't even notice music.

 

on the positive side, the annoying sound did encourage us to watch the sci-fi dune miniseries just the other day, and we will probably watch 1985 lynch version this weekend- director's cut 'course.

 

HA! Good Fun!

By Directors Cut, do you mean the "Alan Smithee" extended version? The one that Lynch disowns?

 

...

 

Justin, just curious but how far along are you with the music and sound effects?

 

am assuming that any and all extended versions were disowned by lynch, yes? our understanding is that post release lynch has never even agreed to speak o' dune in interviews... which we find most amusing.

 

...

 

am hopeful you is happy. am having back issues today, but we did hobble over to our dvd rack and peek at our metal box containing the extended cut. 

 

"TWO VERSIONS OF THE FILM Original Theatrical (Directed by David Lynch) and Extended Version (Directed by Alan Smithee, Screenplay by Judas Booth)"

 

smithee being the pseudonym for the director(s) who didn't want to be named, yes?

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Justin Bell]

I didnt like baldurs gate music 

 

It was bound to happen.  Personally, I'm partial to BG2 and Heart of Winter's soundtracks.

[Marceror]

Hey Justin, for what it's worth, I'm absolutely in love with the theme music that plays when you're going through char gen. I think it's one of those tracks that is going to have a massive nostalgia factor with fans over time. Well done.

 

I also really love the acapella piece that has been included in some of the game marketing.

 

 

EDIT: By the way, will that one be included in the game somewhere? It should be!

Edited August 22, 2014 by Marceror

[Rostere]

There seems to be a general trend in games towards making ever more "subtle" and boring music for games. I suspect the real reason is that some people really just don't like music. Michael Hoenig's music for BG1 and BG2 was very impressive and emotional, a polar opposite to Jeremy Soule's music, which except for a few tunes was very bland and forgettable. That first time you get to Friendly Arms Inn in BG1 is truly a musical knockout punch which leaves you completely stunned. It captures the feeling perfectly and it's a song you won't forget, even if you only hear it once.

 

 

The last ten years I've played more IWD2 than any of the Baldur's Gate games, yet the music doesn't stick in any way like the BG and BG2 music did. IWD1 music is marginally better in my opinion. I find it astounding that a talent like Hoenig is not composing for every game beneath the sun, while people like Jeremy Soule seems to do so.

 

Oh well. At least Paradox, which Obsidian recently announced a partnership with, still belong to the school of making exciting music:

 

 

This one could almost be straight out of BG2:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0aSQH_RZKQ

 

But yeah, that's just commenting on game music in general.

Edited August 22, 2014 by Rostere

[Marceror]

And then there's the most divine of IE games music, The Lady's House.

I'm a big fan of this one too.

[Gromnir]

 

I didnt like baldurs gate music 

 

It was bound to happen.  Personally, I'm partial to BG2 and Heart of Winter's soundtracks.

 

am having difficulty recalling HoW. the gameplay were... disappointing, so we has kinda blocked the experience from our mind, much like one may not actual recall the pain o' a traumatic leg break. sure, we can recall the leg break were not fun, but one may not actual recall the pain. HoW were a painful crpg experience.

 

bg2 music did not annoy us. am not recalling it as particular good or bad, but if it weren't memorable bad, that is probable good... if that is making sense.

 

iwd and iwd2 were our high water marks for ie games. we liked some ps:t stuff, but it all felt rather schizophrenic.

 

 

 

so far, we has not been annoyed by PoE music. am realizing this is not a ringing endorsement, but comparatively speaking, it is a positive review.

 

HA! Good Fun!

Edited August 22, 2014 by Gromnir

[Justin Bell]

Hey Justin, for what it's worth, I'm absolutely in love with the theme music that plays when you're going through char gen. I think it's one of those tracks that is going to have a massive nostalgia factor with fans over time. Well done.

 

I also really love the acapella piece that has been included in some of the game marketing.

 

Thank you Marceror!  I'm looking for a place to include the acapella piece...  I think I know where but still haven't decided 100%.

 

There seems to be a general trend in games towards making ever more "subtle" and boring music for games. I suspect the real reason is that some people really just don't like music. Michael Hoenig's music for BG1 and BG2 was very impressive and emotional, a polar opposite to Jeremy Soule's music, which except for a few tunes was very bland and forgettable. That first time you get to Friendly Arms Inn in BG1 is truly a musical knockout punch which leaves you completely stunned. It captures the feeling perfectly and it's a song you won't forget, even if you only hear it once.

 

Nice selection of music.

 

am having difficulty recalling HoW. the gameplay were... disappointing, so we has kinda blocked the experience from our mind, much like one may not actual recall the pain o' a traumatic leg break. sure, we can recall the leg break were not fun, but one may not actual recall the pain. HoW were a painful crpg experience.

 

bg2 music did not annoy us. am not recalling it as particular good or bad, but if it weren't memorable bad, that is probable good... if that is making sense.

 

iwd and iwd2 were our high water marks for ie games. we liked some ps:t stuff, but it all felt rather schizophrenic.

 

so far, we has not been annoyed by PoE music. am realizing this is not a ringing endorsement, but comparatively speaking, it is a positive review.

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

 

The HoW soundtrack is pretty good!  Some nice music in there, check it out when you have a chance:  

[Sarex]

iwd and iwd2 were our high water marks for ie games. we liked some ps:t stuff, but it all felt rather schizophrenic.

 

IWD was very hit and miss, while IWD2 was the best of the IE games music wise. The menu music for IWD still makes me want to stab my ear drums.

[Cabamacadaf]

 

 

I didnt like baldurs gate music 

 

It was bound to happen.  Personally, I'm partial to BG2 and Heart of Winter's soundtracks.

 

am having difficulty recalling HoW. the gameplay were... disappointing, so we has kinda blocked the experience from our mind, much like one may not actual recall the pain o' a traumatic leg break. sure, we can recall the leg break were not fun, but one may not actual recall the pain. HoW were a painful crpg experience.

 

bg2 music did not annoy us. am not recalling it as particular good or bad, but if it weren't memorable bad, that is probable good... if that is making sense.

 

iwd and iwd2 were our high water marks for ie games. we liked some ps:t stuff, but it all felt rather schizophrenic.

 

 

so far, we has not been annoyed by PoE music. am realizing this is not a ringing endorsement, but comparatively speaking, it is a positive review.

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

I also prefer the Icewind Dale soundtracks to the Baldur's Gate ones. Skeleton of a Town is my favourite track of all the IE music (closely followed by Deionarra's theme from PS:T).

[Cantousent]

Forget the game, how about the board bugs.  Every time I click in the quick reply spot I get a pop up window of various sorts.

 

I think the music shouldn't push the tone.  It should accentuate it and help define it.  I never thought much of the BG main theme because it always seemed overwrought to me, although I did enjoy some of the other music in the game.  I don't really care one way or the other for the Dyrford music and I haven't been in enough combat to get a feel for the combat music, but I thought the opening theme was quite well done.  It's music that can go anywhere.  In BG, the opening theme pretty much said, "Yeah, you're a chosen one, Godspawn, and general badass who will kick over everyone's lemonade stand."  I'd rather have something that says, "Maybe you'll be that badass the other guy just described, but maybe you'll be the guy in the shadows who steals the money from the lemonade stand owner or maybe you'll be the lemonade stand owner who just set a trap for that badass and that thief who don't realize there are some deadly asps waiting in the lockbox when they take it."

 

"I also prefer the Icewind Dale soundtracks to the Baldur's Gate ones. Skeleton of a Town is my favourite track of all the IE music (closely followed by Deionarra's theme from PS:T)."

 

Deionarra's theme is one of my favorite pieces from *any* game, ie or not.

Edited August 22, 2014 by Cantousent

[kloperius]

There seems to be a general trend in games towards making ever more "subtle" and boring music for games. I suspect the real reason is that some people really just don't like music. Michael Hoenig's music for BG1 and BG2 was very impressive and emotional, a polar opposite to Jeremy Soule's music, which except for a few tunes was very bland and forgettable. That first time you get to Friendly Arms Inn in BG1 is truly a musical knockout punch which leaves you completely stunned. It captures the feeling perfectly and it's a song you won't forget, even if you only hear it once.

 

 

The last ten years I've played more IWD2 than any of the Baldur's Gate games, yet the music doesn't stick in any way like the BG and BG2 music did. IWD1 music is marginally better in my opinion. I find it astounding that a talent like Hoenig is not composing for every game beneath the sun, while people like Jeremy Soule seems to do so.

 

Oh well. At least Paradox, which Obsidian recently announced a partnership with, still belong to the school of making exciting music:

 

 

This one could almost be straight out of BG2:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0aSQH_RZKQ

 

Well i love music! i think the music of baldurs gate its very well composed, the problem for me its to be a little generic and its only 1.40 hours of music for a 100 hours game.

A good example off a great and unique soundtrack its for example panzer dragoon saga. music

 

-

 

Another geat soundtrack

Grandia II

 

Project phoenix a game that was in kickstarter to 

 

Final fantasy VII for example have 4 hours of soundtrack.

The witcher 2 has 2 hours and its a game much more small.

 

If pillars have a much larger and diverse soundtrack i will be happy 

[Marceror]

@Justin

 

Not sure why but I have Od Nua in mind when I hear the Acapella piece. I associate with something very old, which I believe Od Nua to be.

[Leferd]

When we got our first glimpse of the Orlan Detective concept, the first thing that popped in my mind was Gabriel Knight and his theme playing in the background.

 

 

My longshot fanboi fantasy is a riff/homage of this.

[Gromnir]

 

 

The HoW soundtrack is pretty good!  Some nice music in there, check it out when you have a chance:  

 

very impressive depth.  thank you for sharing. we honestly do not recall HoW, but we will go back and listen to the entire soundtrack. 

 

HA! Good Fun!

[cilantroll]

I loved Soule's work for IWD--it had great depth, felt chilly, vast, epic, and tranquil when it needed to be (love the theme in the tree town)--but not Inon Zur's for IWD 2.

 

Hoenig's killed it with BG I and II, and Mark Morgan made magic with PS: T; I'm already pumped they got him back for TToN!! The tracks he's already composed for that released for the Kickstarter sound like unreleased material from the original Torment, capturing that same mood effortlessly.

 

PoE's music...after being clued in by Namutree the title theme is better later on (it is), I like it a little better. But it doesn't change that I feel the other music in-game (especially battle and the tavern) are lacklustre, IMO. When I think of IE game music, there are a number of tracks I can recall and hum (even town themes--Friendly Arm, Beregost). Here, it is absolutely forgettable.

[Tartantyco]

The inn music should consist entirely of Luke Kelly.

[evilmiera]

 

 

 

The HoW soundtrack is pretty good!  Some nice music in there, check it out when you have a chance:  

 

very impressive depth.  thank you for sharing. we honestly do not recall HoW, but we will go back and listen to the entire soundtrack. 

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

Bit off topic, but is this the "real" Gromnir? Dang man, you've been around for a bit

[Avtom]

BG's OST is probably my all time favorite video game music. A perfect balance of epicness and atmospheric music.

So I'm logically very sad about the music of PoE.

Everything in the game has the same feeling as an old BG, so I was expecting the same for the music.

(For example, other "nostalgia-Kickstarted" projects like Planetary annihilation had a music similar to their ancestor).

 

I can recognize some vibes of Morrowind, Lotr ost, Conan etc… in the music of PoE, which is a good source of inspiration, but not was I expected for this game.

Maybe it could be an option to let the player provide his own music for this game and let him choice the music he prefer for a spiritual successor of BG. (or maybe Steam Music will help us for that :D)

Edited August 24, 2014 by Avtom

[Shadenuat]

After playing Child of Light I barely notice music in games. If we're talking beta, I was unimpressed. Nothing bad, but nothing that made me clap my hands either. But I'm open for new experiences.

Environmental effects did make some themes stand out more as I thought they would though.

[Leferd]

It's not just the spiritual successor to BG.

[Gromnir]

 

 

Bit off topic, but is this the "real" Gromnir? Dang man, you've been around for a bit

 

yes, this is the original... and it has been a long time.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[aluminiumtrioxid]

Jeremy Soule's music, which except for a few tunes was very bland and forgettable.

 

You, sir, have no soul.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_clXvNZ4AI

 

 

Edited August 24, 2014 by aluminiumtrioxid

[Caerdon]

I like what I've heard so far, but the soundtrack is definitely lacking in memorable department. I loved the simple, beautiful melodies in the old IE games - songs like

and

. The game also needs a powerful main theme. All IE games had great themes (and I loved how BG2's theme changes into peaceful compound meter after the intensive first part and keeps playing while you're creating your character).

[sb5]

As much as "epic" classical pieces are a standard nowadays in many RPGs, it's never been my cupcake and I've preferred the sometimes hypnotic midi rhythms of older RPGs from the early 90s. So the music did not turn me off but it didn't stand out either.

 

Composers I fondly remember are Jeehun Hwang (Activision titles like Mechwarrior 2 and Dark Reign 1) who did some great genre fusions and Frank Klepacki who did some very catchy genre mixes. Jeremy Seoule's soundtrack to Total Annihilation was a masterpiece too which really stands out. I hope you take this in the right direction...

Edited August 24, 2014 by sb5

[Rostere]

 

Jeremy Soule's music, which except for a few tunes was very bland and forgettable.

 

You, sir, have no soul.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_clXvNZ4AI

 

 

 

Oh, come on. You know as well as I that those tracks are not representative at all of the IWD1/IWD2 soundtrack. Kuldahar was THE standout track from IWD. But still, it would face stiff competition had it appeared in BG2. IWD 1 and 2 soundtracks were mostly just really boring filler, which makes the Kuldahar track really stand out.

 

The Morrowind song you linked to is definitely great, but I was not referring to Morrowind, and in any case it's also the best track of many, where most of them are boring filler. If every song Soule had written was as melodic as the Morrowind theme I wouldn't complain. Sadly, that is not the case with the IWD/IWD2 soundtrack.

 

The Guild Wars song was also great, frankly I had not heard it before because I don't play **** MMOs. Judging from IWD/IWD2 I would doubt the rest of the Guild Wars soundtrack is as characterful, however.