Hello all,
What are you opinions on music looping vs not looping? In Original everquest the music would not constantly play, there were periods of silence where one could enjoy the environmental noises. While I want to enjoy that same feeling in Pantheon, I also would like there to be an option to continually loop music if one should want that.
-Todd
I kind of prefer that the music and ambient sounds be controlled to some degree by the server. Certain songs or effects should only trigger after you pass through a specific threshold, engage a nasty beast, it gets dark outside, someone or something dies, etc. I have no issue with allowing players to customize their settings though. I would probably use it myself but more than anything I am looking forward to the gameside choreography and observing the natural flow of how sound was intended.
I'm all for an improved ambient audio experience. I like how well crafted the EQ audio was. Certain area's would trigger a matching music to set specific moods. It was really well done. Jay Barbeau did a great job. I can't believe he hasn't had more work. Would be awesome to have him work on Pantheon!
The first thing I do in any new game, even before changing my keybinds, is turn the music off. I like a full immersion and music is usually at least distracting, often anoying, and sometines it even obscures important sound effects that give hints as to what's happening around you (enemy spell casting, footsteps, etc.) So I don'y really care if it loops or not, so long as I can turn it off.
I love the moments during voice chat when you hear another players music turned way up. Yes, I know it can be annoying, but it always makes me smile.
A looping option is interesting. For me personally it isn't needed. I just go with the flow and agree with the OP that those times of silence where you can take in the ambient sounds of the environment are pleasing.
I like a little of both worlds I guess. I will say that music is important to me. A good or bad sound track can make or break a game for me.
bigdogchris said:oneADseven said:Jay has been contacted by many Pantheon followers. I agree, would be awesome to have him involved in any capacity.
That would be great, but I'm sure he's moved on to other things and probably wouldn't be interested. Too bad.
Yeah unfortunately it looks like his hands are pretty full now. It looks like he's making some interactive 3D music software called "Musycal": www.musycal3d.com
Interestingly enough, I also think he's helping develop some software for a fire fighting flight simulator for the US Forest Service. He's a talented guy and that comes with being in high demand. But that doesn't mean Pantheon can't have music that's equally or even more epic. The handful of tracks that we have heard already gives me goosebumps.
tehtawd said:Hello all,
What are you opinions on music looping vs not looping? In Original everquest the music would not constantly play, there were periods of silence where one could enjoy the environmental noises. While I want to enjoy that same feeling in Pantheon, I also would like there to be an option to continually loop music if one should want that.
-Todd
I, for one, enjoy having music playing along with environmental sounds. However, some games have done it terribly, with 1-2 minute loops repeating endlessly to the point where it becomes annoying. A few things that can help with this:
- Large-ish looping tracks (5-10 mins long) to reduce the number of loops; it shouldn't be too difficult to have a central theme and a couple of variations to make tracks a bit longer.
- Wide variety of different tracks with contextual cues to switch from one to the other, e.g. when zoning, entering a city, moving into a different terrain such as from open grassland to a woodland, initiating or ending combat, etc.
- Options. Allow music to be turned on/off and its volume controlled independently of ambient sounds/SFX.
Some of the game soundracks I remember most fondly were from the single-player Ultima games. Although tracks were relatively short, the variety of tracks and the frequency of track switching made up for that shortcoming, and other than that they were pretty good compositions that helped set the mood in different parts of the games.
Epic moment: the ending of Ultima VI, when you hear Rule Britannia (Lord British's theme) and Audchar Gargl Zenmur (the gargoyles' theme) played simultaneously and realize that they were complementary tracks all along.
Questaar said:I am the odd man out here. I only have music on if I'm in an Tavern or some such place. Never in game. A few exceptions in EQ1 in Hate where there were organs I'd turn it on. Otherwise I'm listening for environmental sounds.
I adjust the volumes so the music is on, but oh so faint in the background... ambience I think would be the word. And turn UP the environment sounds.
I typically enjoy the music in games as long as it matches the mood. Like different music plays at night / day or when it's raining, etc... I was always a huge fan of Nobuo Uematsu's early work on the Final Fantasy series (II, III - VI). Sometimes when I'm working or reading and want to set a certain mood, I'll put on his music from Final Fantasy. A good example is The Gestahl Empire. Even the Prelude seems magical everytime I hear it even though I've heard it a million times already. And I honestly feel like the music played a significant part in making Final Fantasy so immersive and successful.
So, it's my opinion that as long as the music soundtracks are a little on the longer side (like, 1:30+ minutes each), and they are done well, I would be perfectly happy with having them loop. But if they're looping every 20 sec like the music of a cheap Halloween horror house, I probably would opt to turn it off or just turn down my game music.