The music! Good or no?

[Sensuki]

Duel of the Fates - you remember that forever on the first listen. That is battle music.

Edited August 27, 2014 by Sensuki

[Guest Guest01]

Baldur's Gate 2 Theme

 

That 6/8 picking from 

 onwards gives me goose bumps every single time. Takes me back to the winter of 2000. The magic hasn't faded one bit.

 

Also that orientalish music at

is incredible. Same thing with

- fantastic. Edited August 27, 2014 by Guest01

[Justin Bell]

 Dragon Age as a series doesn't really have particularly memorable music, even with hundreds of hours logged. But you immediately recognize a DA game when you start it because of the amazing menu/loading song. 

 

And don't get me wrong - I'm not saying the music's bad but I do feel it's missing the certain something.

 

 

Thanks for clarifying.  It's understandable that the music won't suite everyone's tastes.  Personal example, some people swear by Kingdom Hearts music, say that it's amazing.  It's not my cup of tea, but I played the first game in spite of that and I generally enjoyed the game.\

 

At the end of the day, only time will tell how well the music endures.  I feel good about what I wrote because I did so from the heart, as cheesy as that statement sounds.  No regrets here

 

Duel of the Fates - you remember that forever on the first listen. That is battle music.

 

Just getting philosophical here for a minute...  Is instant memorability the only measure of a good piece of music?  Is it possible that good music grows on you over time?

 

Take what I'm about to say with a grain of salt ok?  I'm going to state some general opinions just for the sake of discussion.  So we live in a time of sound bites, where the signal to noise ratio is heavily skewed toward noise.   In many ways, the internet is one huge sensory onslaught.  Every link competes with the rest, so in order to ensure the "message" is broadcast as swiftly and efficiently as possible, measures need to be taken to have that "message" cut through the competition.  Hence the rise of the condensed sound bite and "miniaturization" of music and sound as a new form of short-hand communication.  Whether we recognize it or not our expectations as consumers are becoming carefully groomed to accept this form of communication as the norm, if only because it's so impossible to escape.   I'm not saying this is good or bad, it's just something that's happening.

 

The music for PoE is functionally designed to be both soundtrack and background music.  If it blends into the background, good!  That's what it was designed to do.  If it catches your attention and is memorable, good!  That's also what it's designed to do.  It has the capacity to do both.  I concede it can be minimal, and it can have weighty pauses of silence.  Again, it was deliberately designed that way, and it seems to work great in the game.  The fact that it doesn't suite everyone's tastes isn't surprising, because that's a virtually impossible achievement.  It'd be fool hearty for me to think that it might.

 

Got to run now.  Thanks again for the lively discussions!

[Sloul]

This thread needs a poll.

No, I don't like the music at all, it reminds me of Arcanum's (although 1 or 2 tracks were great), you can feel a lot of melancolia in those songs, TOO MUCH.

Maybe I didn't hear all of POE tracks yet.

[Sensuki]

Just getting philosophical here for a minute...  Is instant memorability the only measure of a good piece of music?  Is it possible that good music grows on you over time?

 

Take what I'm about to say with a grain of salt ok?  I'm going to state some general opinions just for the sake of discussion.  So we live in a time of sound bites, where the signal to noise ratio is heavily skewed toward noise.   In many ways, the internet is one huge sensory onslaught.  Every link competes with the rest, so in order to ensure the "message" is broadcast as swiftly and efficiently as possible, measures need to be taken to have that "message" cut through the competition.  Hence the rise of the condensed sound bite and "miniaturization" of music and sound as a new form of short-hand communication.  Whether we recognize it or not our expectations as consumers are becoming carefully groomed to accept this form of communication as the norm, if only because it's so impossible to escape.   I'm not saying this is good or bad, it's just something that's happening.

 

The music for PoE is functionally designed to be both soundtrack and background music.  If it blends into the background, good!  That's what it was designed to do.  If it catches your attention and is memorable, good!  That's also what it's designed to do.  It has the capacity to do both.  I concede it can be minimal, and it can have weighty pauses of silence.  Again, it was deliberately designed that way, and it seems to work great in the game.  The fact that it doesn't suite everyone's tastes isn't surprising, because that's a virtually impossible achievement.  It'd be fool hearty for me to think that it might.

 

Got to run now.  Thanks again for the lively discussions!

I was just using that example song to relate to of the points war:head was making in his post about instant memorability.

 

Most of the music I listen to is not memorable on the first listen and a lot of it has taken many repeated listens to even enjoy.

 

I don't tend to listen to that much music that has much silence in it, but I do really like Bohren & der Club of Gore - Black Earth, which relishes on minimalism and also a fair bit of Dark Ambient stuff.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1b0GO7_uXU

 

My personal issue with the soundtrack direction is as I've stated many times - it doesn't use the production style of the IE games with the foreground instruments / melody and background everything else. This prevents me from thinking of it as "IE-like" but you've mentioned that you've gone your own direction many times and I'm okay with that. I do like the main theme and I like the classical guitar piece in the Inn. The trailer music was alright too. It will be interesting to see what the full game soundtrack has to offer.

Edited August 27, 2014 by Sensuki

[war:head]

Just getting philosophical here for a minute...  Is instant memorability the only measure of a good piece of music?  Is it possible that good music grows on you over time?

 

Wasn't directed at me but I'll add my 0.02$ anyway.

 

General answer: Certainly no and yes, respectively. Two of my very favorite albums took years for me to 'recognize' their quality. I feel, however, that we're talking about two different pairs of shoes here. As long as the music is the primary focus, this is perfectly fine - if it takes five or even ten spins for an album to hook, so be it. 

For in-game music with the primary purpose to provide a sort of canvas for the player experience, I feel one of the core traits need to be easy accessibility. Doesn't need to be flat and boring but it should catch the listeners ear on the first way round. 

 

I think this is what Sensuki is pretty much onto with his references to the IE music. The melody in the foreground provides the accessibility and the 'easy emotions' while the backdrop is for the more inclined listener to explore, creating a reasonably complex score that is easily recognizable while still complex enough to not get boring.

 

But anyway, the music's just about done so there isn't really that much use to further discussing it I guess. I'll make sure to give it time to sink in and if doesn't I'll just have some Zoë Keating or something running in the background.

[Kronos]

Music is okay I guess, can't remember it though... Just a bit generic and bland, needs some oomph.

[GreyFox]

BG1 is my favorite all time, especially the main theme...could rock that all day every day till death.

[leninghola]

I think the music is good. Some tracks could use a little extra mixing, but overall I felt it fit and was complementary to the game.

[GreyFox]

I definitely respect Justin for coming in here and telling us what he thinks and taking some lumps from the fans

[Cantousent]

Yeah, gotta love a developer who takes the heat.

 

I think, other than PS:T, the theme for Freehaven in MM6 is my favorite.  I don't know if anyone else talked about it in this thread, but it's definitely not 'epic.'  Great music for the area, though:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_gOX3Mt3Lc

 

Anyhow, as regards remembering music, I didn't think much about it when I read the commentary earlier, but I was putting going through my music library and I saw something there that struck me.  I played a lot of the Ultima series 1-4.  I was listening to a lot of Bach at the time and I had a couple of CDs that sampled his concertos, and my memory works both ways, I can't hear them anymore without thinking of the games, and I can't see or read about the games without the music playing in my head.

 

I'm too much of a Philistine to hold my own in a music thread.  I love music and I enjoy having good music in the game.  I just hope that they don't throw over the main theme for something 'epic' that sounds like it belongs in a B movie about the exploits of Sinbad the Sailor or something.

[Mayama]

I'm too much of a Philistine to hold my own in a music thread.  I love music and I enjoy having good music in the game.  I just hope that they don't throw over the main theme for something 'epic' that sounds like it belongs in a B movie about the exploits of Sinbad the Sailor or something.

I like the main theme too for the same reason

[Justin Bell]

 

I'm too much of a Philistine to hold my own in a music thread.  I love music and I enjoy having good music in the game.  I just hope that they don't throw over the main theme for something 'epic' that sounds like it belongs in a B movie about the exploits of Sinbad the Sailor or something.

I like the main theme too for the same reason

 

 

That is definitely not going to happen.  

[Sensuki]

The Main Theme has a great tone/color, nice and warm, even if it was done with samples.

 

What are you planning to get live instrumentation for ?

Edited August 28, 2014 by Sensuki

[Justin Bell]

The Main Theme has a great tone/color, nice and warm, even if it was done with samples.What are you planning to get live instrumentation for ?

Thanks Sesuki! The mockup has some issues towardmthe end, but I agree that it came out sounding warm. I spent more time on massaging the MIDI for that than I did the other music.

 

Regarding live stuff.... Hang tight!

[IndiraLightfoot]

Here's some music that would have fit F:NV like a glove, methinks. I have this thing for Nick Cave, and his collaborations with Warren Ellis are beyond excellent. Have a listen!

 

 

Doesn't this capture the bleak harshness of the wilderness and grim conditions a few humans tried to carve out an existence in? 

[Mayama]

Here's some music that would have fit F:NV like a glove, methinks. I have this thing for Nick Cave, and his collaborations with Warren Ellis are beyond excellent. Have a listen!

 

 

Doesn't this capture the bleak harshness of the wilderness and grim conditions a few humans tried to carve out an existence in? 

Yeah that stuff is good stuff you should search for "O'death" and "murder by death" on youtube. Both make rather depressive country maybee its something for you.

Edited August 28, 2014 by Mayama

[Marceror]

What are we calling the "main theme" at this point? The one that plays during chargen in the backer beta?

 

I had actually thought that theme was specifically related to the town of Dyrford. I believe it was introduced as such in an earlier KS update. Would be surprised if the theme of a town that has nothing to do with the game's primary plot would be the main theme.

 

Then again, maybe you guys are talking about some other tune entirely, and I just haven't been paying close enough attention.

[Mayama]

What are we calling the "main theme" at this point? The one that plays during chargen in the backer beta?

 

I had actually thought that theme was specifically related to the town of Dyrford. I believe it was introduced as such in an earlier KS update. Would be surprised if the theme of a town that has nothing to do with the game's primary plot would be the main theme.

 

Then again, maybe you guys are talking about some other tune entirely, and I just haven't been paying close enough attention.

i talk about the theme at the start screen but dunno if everyone else talks about the same.

[Justin Bell]

 

What are we calling the "main theme" at this point? The one that plays during chargen in the backer beta?

 

I had actually thought that theme was specifically related to the town of Dyrford. I believe it was introduced as such in an earlier KS update. Would be surprised if the theme of a town that has nothing to do with the game's primary plot would be the main theme.

 

Then again, maybe you guys are talking about some other tune entirely, and I just haven't been paying close enough attention.

i talk about the theme at the start screen but dunno if everyone else talks about the same.

 

 

That's correct, the main theme is what plays over the start menu.  The character gen music is placeholder, and currently uses Dyrford's music. 

[Corivar]

One of the first things I usually do in a game is turn the music off as I much prefer hearing everything else instead. However for some reason I neglected to turn it off in this beta, and I like it well enough.

[Volourn]

Not best ever but it gets the job done.

[Fiebras]

I like the music.

It is lacking in easily repeatable and memorable tunes ala LoZ: Ocarina of Time´s Marketplace and Diablo 1´s Tristram guitar strings but it does get the job done.

 

My one criticism would be that listening to the combat music can get repetitive. Perhaps some variation in tunes would be nice. Not every combat must be acompained by an epic score.

 

Ill add that Im a sucker for heavy drums and tribal beats.

[Cantousent]

 Diablo 1´s Tristram guitar strings but it does get the job done.

I hadn't thought of this, but I'll sometimes hear a song and it immediately brings Tristram to mind.  I don't really remember much else about the music, although that means it didn't irk me either, but I loved the music in Tristram.

[Freshock]

I like it, but I don't think I've ever kept the music on in a singleplayer game for more than 50 hours + of gaming, I'm pretty sure I will be turning it off and play my own music after a while. As of the beta I think I had it on for about 6 hours of gaming then I jumped over to my spotify playlist. 

 

EDIT: Actually I did listen to the music in The Legend of Zelda-games for what must have been hundreds and hundreds of hours.

Edited August 28, 2014 by Freshock