My big hope for thiis game is that the soundtrack won't...put me to sleep

[waltc]

Pillars of Eternity was a fine game, if a bit rough around the edges, but the sound track almost lulled me to sleep on more than one occasion.  Lively, and kind of weird, like Witcher 3 soundtrack would be nice.

[SonicMage117]

My favorite game ost's are Witcher 3, Hollow Knight, Ys series. It pains me to know that Deadifire's OST won't be as good but at least it's better than Pillars 1. It's combat music isn't too bad. I expect the pilaging/plundering theme will be the most satisfying - as it should be.

[The Sharmat]

Only music I liked in POE 1 was Thaos' theme, Shadow of the Sun, and a couple of White March tracks. Otherwise it was all just random vaguely fantasy atmospheric music.

 

All three Witcher games have a great soundtrack but not sure how that feel would work with Eternity.

Edited March 26, 2018 by The Sharmat

[Wormerine]

I love main theme, Shadow of the Sun and I LOVE White March's tavern song. I overall think the music is good - it fits gameplay style and tone of Pillars' world. I do hope for a bit more lively tone with all the sailing and adventure and no soulless children around. 

What they could do is incorporate folk music of culture which were an inspiration for Huana (japanese/hawaian?). If Justin Bell feels up to the task. Imitating foreign culture can turn out very wrong.

[algroth]

Pillars of Eternity was a fine game, if a bit rough around the edges, but the sound track almost lulled me to sleep on more than one occasion.  Lively, and kind of weird, like Witcher 3 soundtrack would be nice.

 

See, I was playing both The Witcher 3 and Pillars simultaneously last month, and I can't count the number of times I praised Pillars' soundtrack over The Witcher 3's myself. Far as I'm concerned, battle music aside Pillars' soundtrack has a very subtle and almost chamber-like feel to it, it is evocative in a very muted and effortless manner, it feels like the real thing, whereas to my ears The Witcher 3 is thoroughly obvious and hamfisted in its attempts to evoke a tense or epic or nostalgic atmosphere, like the music will thoroughly dictate what the tone of a region or scene will be. To me The Witcher 3 feels amorphous and wishiwashy in the same way so many other soundtracks today do, enamoured by the idea of drones and ambients but never having quite the balls or the grit to be like the better examples of the style, by ways of the likes of Natural Snow Buildings or various neo-folk acts for example. It's not terrible, but it's painfully standard AAA videogame soundtrack fare. In Pillars' case I can actually recall most of the melodies and motifs quite clearly in mind, and thanks to their more relaxed and subtle approach the atmosphere they help to evoke is a lot more nuanced and interesting.

 

Personally I will say that I'd also much rather see more of the feel of the Defiance Bay and wilderness area tracks throughout the game, over the brasher, louder and far less interesting battle music or, for that matter, the sub-Lord of the Rings style they went with the Caed Nua theme. Precisely my concerns, given the latest trailer, is that they'll go for a more obviously epic style this time around and thus undermine what made the better half of the first game's soundtrack work so well.

Edited March 26, 2018 by algroth

[TheisEjsing]

I liked the music in PoE. It's really high quality and to me it's more than good enough. So if OE can keep the same level of quality, I'll be happy. It's not one of the greats. I mean games like Child of Light, Transistor, Chrono Trigger, and Journey are in another league for me. If we're really lucky, Deadfire will join the big OSTs. ^_^

Edited March 26, 2018 by TheisEjsing

[Elkor_Alish]

You know, the only two games I have ever played with soundtracks which blew me away were Silent Hill 3 and American McGee's Alice. I will be content so long as it isn't noticeably bad. Truth be told, I usually cut the internal music on video games off anyway and just have some Gilespie or Coltrane playing over the hi fi.

[algroth]

You know, the only two games I have ever played with soundtracks which blew me away were Silent Hill 3 and American McGee's Alice. I will be content so long as it isn't noticeably bad. Truth be told, I usually cut the internal music on video games off anyway and just have some Gilespie or Coltrane playing over the hi fi.

 

Much as I love Trane and Gillespie (and jazz in general) I don't think I could play that music through my playthrough - I just find it a tad jarring with the mood and tone of the actual game. There used to be a time when I did play through most of my games with the soundtrack muted and playing my own music in the back but in the last decade or so I've mostly reverted to listening to the game's score whilst playing it instead, as it usually leads to more of a cohesive experience. But it's certainly worth having the option to mute the score if one so happens to prefer different music.

[Elkor_Alish]

When I am immersed, I tend to get so focused I lose track of things like music, otherwise its a mood thing. And the nice thing about jazz is that you can find some which will fit any ambiance. I don't know it works for me. And when it doesn't, there is always Pink Floyd :D

[injurai]

I really like the lulling themes that rpgs use for countryside settings, like

 

 

So I think Pillars1's score matched it's setting very well. I would want Deadfire's to also be theme appropriate. So I'm expecting the classical influences to be less continental and more that of trade nations, Italy over Austria for example. I think we'll be getting more indigenous inspired themes as well.

 

I do really want string quartet on my ship now that I think of it. Could be the equivalent of a jukebox or radio of Fallout.

[Starwars]

I was very happy with the PoE soundtrack, except the battle tracks (not a fan of most battle music in games though) and some of the tracks that felt a bit too close to LOTR for comfort.

 

For Deadfire, I hope there will be more "source music". Music for taverns, the sea shanties etc. The more of that stuff the better.

 

I *loved* the soundtrack for the first Witcher game but I'm not a huge fan of the soundtrack for the other two games, except for the odd track. Will admit that Dwarven stone upon dwarven stone from the second game is one of my favorite tracks from a game ever. Utterly fantastic.

[JerekKruger]

I loved some of the Pillars tracks and there were only a couple that eventually became grating to me. Different strokes I guess.

[jf8350143]

I like the soundtrack just fine, except the combat music. But I rarely like any rpg's combat music. Witcher 3's combat music is very good, until it plays for a 1000 times and starts play again when I was just trying to kill two dogs.

Edited March 27, 2018 by jf8350143

[injurai]

I like the soundtrack just fine, except the combat music. But I rarely like any rpg's combat music. Witcher 3's combat music if very good, until it plays for a 1000 times and starts play again when I was just trying to kill two dogs.

 

Apparently Pillars1 had like 5 or so battle themes. In my mind there was only one, and I was finally corrected on the forums. I think a lot of the battle music just felt like different sections or movements to the same piece. It's a lot better than some jrps which tend to use the same single song every time. I certainly though battle music could be handled better since it's such a stark transition and typically the music plays out the same every time. More dynamism would be great but I'm not sure how possible that would be given Obsidian's resources.

 

I wonder if any of the battle themes would return. All fresh songs would give Deadfire more of an identity, on the other hand you'd get more diversity by including both games battles themes and you'd have some continuity of theme going on.

[jf8350143]

 

I like the soundtrack just fine, except the combat music. But I rarely like any rpg's combat music. Witcher 3's combat music if very good, until it plays for a 1000 times and starts play again when I was just trying to kill two dogs.

 

Apparently Pillars1 had like 5 or so battle themes. In my mind there was only one, and I was finally corrected on the forums. I think a lot of the battle music just felt like different sections or movements to the same piece. It's a lot better than some jrps which tend to use the same single song every time. I certainly though battle music could be handled better since it's such a stark transition and typically the music plays out the same every time. More dynamism would be great but I'm not sure how possible that would be given Obsidian's resources.

 

I wonder if any of the battle themes would return. All fresh songs would give Deadfire more of an identity, on the other hand you'd get more diversity by including both games battles themes and you'd have some continuity of theme going on.

 

I think they should make the battle theme starts more subtle, less dramatic, and only get very intense later if the battle last long enough.

 

Right now it feels like whenever you see any enemy, it burst into some dramatic music, even when you are just dealing with some weaklings.

Edited March 27, 2018 by jf8350143

[injurai]

 

 

I like the soundtrack just fine, except the combat music. But I rarely like any rpg's combat music. Witcher 3's combat music if very good, until it plays for a 1000 times and starts play again when I was just trying to kill two dogs.

 

Apparently Pillars1 had like 5 or so battle themes. In my mind there was only one, and I was finally corrected on the forums. I think a lot of the battle music just felt like different sections or movements to the same piece. It's a lot better than some jrps which tend to use the same single song every time. I certainly though battle music could be handled better since it's such a stark transition and typically the music plays out the same every time. More dynamism would be great but I'm not sure how possible that would be given Obsidian's resources.

 

I wonder if any of the battle themes would return. All fresh songs would give Deadfire more of an identity, on the other hand you'd get more diversity by including both games battles themes and you'd have some continuity of theme going on.

 

I think they should make the battle theme starts more subtle, less dramatic, and only get very intense later if the battle last long enough.

 

Right now it feels like whenever you see any enemy, it just burst into some dramatic music, even when you are just dealing with some weaklings.

 

 

Yeah, that's a large part of the issue. It's especially weird if you have pause-on-combat set because then it get's all hype while nothing is happening, then finally chills out by the time you've issued up all your attacks. I don't hate the themes, but they are sometimes too frantic for a game where I'm pausing and taking my time. With the especially the beginning being jarring.

 

On revisit though they use the varying themes to good effects depending on what type of encounter you've befelled.

[Katarack21]

To me, music in games like this is just fine as long as it's not distractingly bad. I tend to not notice it much once I start getting into playing the game.

[Messier-31]

The Burial Isle theme is unsettling, I love it.

 

Baldur's Gate II soundtrack is my favourite, though.

[Lamppost in Winter]

 

 

Yeah, that's a large part of the issue. It's especially weird if you have pause-on-combat set because then it get's all hype while nothing is happening, then finally chills out by the time you've issued up all your attacks. I don't hate the themes, but they are sometimes too frantic for a game where I'm pausing and taking my time. With the especially the beginning being jarring.

 

 

 

Transistor did something really neat with this where while exploring, the percussion track is muted, and fades in when combat starts. Then when you enter the pause mode, the instrumentals become muted and distant, while the main character's humming comes in.

[SonicMage117]

Transistor did something really neat with this where while exploring, the percussion track is muted, and fades in when combat starts. Then when you enter the pause mode, the instrumentals become muted and distant, while the main character's humming comes in.

Darren Korb and Ashley Barret is so ahead of the curve when it comes to rpg ost that I don't even think of their material as video game soundtrack but as actual artist soundtrack. There's nothing in the industry that's on that level, maybe that's because rpg's are mainly orcestra and Supergiant's stuff is written, composed and sang all by the artists themselves.

 

And then the mixers, their amazing. It's more than just a soundtrack, it's art. This goes for all 3 games by Supergiant.

 

https://youtu.be/6bNVkhzURlQ

 

^For example, would much rather see this concert than an full sectional orchestra.

 

 

 

Anyway, back to Deadfire's ost. Not bad so far, not amazing, but not bad. Better than decent, I'd say it's good from the tiddles that I've heard.

 

 

Of course I will be listening to it on headphones and surround sound to see how the mix is

[Wormerine]

Darren Korb and Ashley Barret is so ahead of the curve when it comes to rpg ost that I don't even think of their material as video game soundtrack but as actual artist soundtrack. There's nothing in the industry that's on that level, maybe that's because rpg's are mainly orcestra and Supergiant's stuff is written, composed and sang all by the artists themselves.

 

With Supergiant it’s quite clear that music is part of the game (especially with transistor were its tied directly to protagonist). It is not only that game designers design the game and composer fills it with soundtrack, but there are systems build to interact with soundtrack, and I be that as game gets developed it goes together with thinking about how OST will work.

 

Regarding battle music: it’s a direct reference to BG series who did the same thing. I got quite a nostalgia kick out of battle music and how it was implimented. Industry developed some neat tricks throughout the 20 years though, and I wouldn’t mind one bit if Deadfire would modernise it’s music a bit.

[Lamppost in Winter]

 

Darren Korb and Ashley Barret is so ahead of the curve when it comes to rpg ost that I don't even think of their material as video game soundtrack but as actual artist soundtrack. There's nothing in the industry that's on that level, maybe that's because rpg's are mainly orcestra and Supergiant's stuff is written, composed and sang all by the artists themselves.

With Supergiant it’s quite clear that music is part of the game (especially with transistor were its tied directly to protagonist). It is not only that game designers design the game and composer fills it with soundtrack, but there are systems build to interact with soundtrack, and I be that as game gets developed it goes together with thinking about how OST will work.

 

Regarding battle music: it’s a direct reference to BG series who did the same thing. I got quite a nostalgia kick out of battle music and how it was implimented. Industry developed some neat tricks throughout the 20 years though, and I wouldn’t mind one bit if Deadfire would modernise it’s music a bit.

 

 

Very true that Supergiant build their games with the music already in mind. Other games do some adaptive soundtrack tricks, though; for example, Dragon Age II (dare I mention it) changes battle music to a different, tenser track when you're doing badly in a fight.

[Daled]

I loved the first one soundtrack, was its thing but with clear homage to LotR, Poledouris's Conan and BG2. I didn't paricularly like witcher 3 soundtrack though I felt it was really generic cinematic music.

[-dib-]

I really liked the music in PoE. I remember the first village gave off a really strong Arcanum vibe, for me, another game whose soundtrack I really like, much because of the music.

[Hybridsalmon]

Music in PoE wasn't bad at all, it fit the theme, though more variation would've been nice(or just let the ambient sounds go without music for a while). Considering the new theme the new ost will most likely be more upbeat.

TW3's OST is one of my favorites, but it'd say the biggest difference is that PoE OST is ambient music while TW3 is much more cinematic(wouldn't call it generic though). Neither OST would fit the other game.

Edited March 27, 2018 by Hybridsalmon