the0thMonkey
Member
Okay, here's a topic that has not seen a lot of discussion on this forum. I know the game is pre-alpha so this can be dealt with much later on, but I think it's a good idea to have a place to post ideas and suggestions about this as the game is developed.
Music is really important for creating mood in a game, but it gets talked about a lot less because it is much more subconscious. I think an effective strategy is dynamic music that fits your current activity. For example, strolling along a cobblestone road on a sunny day with cheery music playing vs. exploring a dark dungeon after having encountered skeletons with sinister and tense music playing.
Some issues to do with music are repetition and inappropriate use. Most games that feature dynamic music need minimalistic soundtracks to avoid songs that once sounded great becoming really worn out and sickening. This was used effectively in Skyrim, for instance. Sometimes, the dynamism was too great however. The happy tune while on the road turned sinister and alerted you to the presence of a wolf/dragon etc that you would not otherwise have been aware of. This reduces realism and in this game in particular, would be an issue.
The actual music content itself should make sense based on the environment or local lore. The videos did a good job of this. Drums and woodwind flutes, etc.
Now onto sounds. This is also a sensitive issue which can be done really well or poorly. I don't have much to say on this issue so I leave it open to discussion!
Begin!
Music is really important for creating mood in a game, but it gets talked about a lot less because it is much more subconscious. I think an effective strategy is dynamic music that fits your current activity. For example, strolling along a cobblestone road on a sunny day with cheery music playing vs. exploring a dark dungeon after having encountered skeletons with sinister and tense music playing.
Some issues to do with music are repetition and inappropriate use. Most games that feature dynamic music need minimalistic soundtracks to avoid songs that once sounded great becoming really worn out and sickening. This was used effectively in Skyrim, for instance. Sometimes, the dynamism was too great however. The happy tune while on the road turned sinister and alerted you to the presence of a wolf/dragon etc that you would not otherwise have been aware of. This reduces realism and in this game in particular, would be an issue.
The actual music content itself should make sense based on the environment or local lore. The videos did a good job of this. Drums and woodwind flutes, etc.
Now onto sounds. This is also a sensitive issue which can be done really well or poorly. I don't have much to say on this issue so I leave it open to discussion!
Begin!