Wesnoth Theme - Emotion music

[zookeeper]

Other than making the tempo more interesting, this is basically great. I really hope you finish this one, we could really use some music for character interactions in the story.

Not to be an arse, but...where? I mean, could you give some example(s) in mainline? I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just saying I don't know how and where.

Since it's not a movie where you can sync the music to what's happening on-screen and slowly change the themes but have to instead make pretty much all music changes in a more abrupt manner at arbitrary moments (sure, simple fadeouts help a bit, but still), I'd imagine it might also be much harder to avoid a cheesy effect (suddenly turning on an "emotional track" when you enter an "emotional scene").

[Rain]

Bump.

http://www.allacrost.org/staff/user/rai ... snoth2.mp3

[Jetrel]

Other than making the tempo more interesting, this is basically great. I really hope you finish this one, we could really use some music for character interactions in the story.

Not to be an arse, but...where? I mean, could you give some example(s) in mainline? I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just saying I don't know how and where.

Since it's not a movie where you can sync the music to what's happening on-screen and slowly change the themes but have to instead make pretty much all music changes in a more abrupt manner at arbitrary moments (sure, simple fadeouts help a bit, but still), I'd imagine it might also be much harder to avoid a cheesy effect (suddenly turning on an "emotional track" when you enter an "emotional scene").

This is such an established capability of both tactical turn-based strategy games (which wesnoth is, hands-down), and turn-based role-playing games, that suggesting it won't work is like suggesting, that, say, making roleplaying games MMO is not feasible as a concept. I know this works, beyond any doubt. Take "Final Fantasy Tactics" for one of many, many examples. And in fact situational music is, I suspect, the feature that has put the teeth in most games like Final Fantasy, etc.

If we need additional code capabilities to make it work well, fine. But we're big, grown up game developers now, and we know better than to hold back the creation of content because there's not some piece of (relatively easy to make) code support. Because we know that if we hold back the content creation, the code will never come. It's a catch-22.


As for specific situations in mind, they are legion. Nearly all dialogue sections of any type could use special music - it doesn't have to be unique to that level's dialogue, but it would really, really help give the dialogue some force. (Take delfador's recounting of history at the ford of abez, or stepping on shore at anduin and witnessing the desolation. Etc.) I'm suggesting a body of some 10 songs or so, which are enough to build a basic vocabulary of emotion ranges.

Things like "tension/suspense", "creepy", "sad", "triumphant", "merciful", "hopeful", even "slapstick". Any number of things. Run some good leitmotifs through them, tie them together into a family.

[doofus-01]

I like the bells in the beginning, and think this would fit fine in intro/[story] sections. Isn't the transition from intro to scenario start in {SCENARIO_MUSIC "#####.ogg"} usually abrupt anyway?

[Rain]

I agree with Jetryl 100 percent. I would love to follow through with these emotion musics and try to implement them in the game as needed, per situation.
Zookeeper, I definitely think you could get a better idea for the scope of what I mean by 'emotion music' by evaluating the spectrum of the Final Fantasy Tactics soundtrack and how it is implemented in accordance with the emotional content of a given scene.

Wesnoth is surely capable of having storyline moments which require music that is a bit more personable. Whether or not the implementation is cheesy relies upon how well the coders and composers work together to find a perfect fit. We should try to make this happen, imo.

[Mica]

Only thing I don't like is the ending, perhaps have the last part fade out a little bit more, and then have the bells go off again like the beginning, except they slowly fade out as well, I'm not familiar with making music, but I'm guessing about an extra 15-20 seconds for both the extra fading of the last part, and the bells.

What do you think?

[Jetrel]

Bump.

http://www.allacrost.org/staff/user/rai ... snoth2.mp3

Nice.

Doesn't really 'go' anywhere, but that might be very appropriate for this kind of mood/use.

[Rain]

Only thing I don't like is the ending, perhaps have the last part fade out a little bit more, and then have the bells go off again like the beginning, except they slowly fade out as well, I'm not familiar with making music, but I'm guessing about an extra 15-20 seconds for both the extra fading of the last part, and the bells.

What do you think?

I think that could work. I think we should first decide whether or not this type of theme will be looping before I make any more concrete revisions to the piece, but I think it would be more fluid with looping if the bells were to be featured a bit more prominently in a softer fade out towards the end of the song. It would definitely work better with the intro.

[Rain]

Bump.

http://www.allacrost.org/staff/user/rai ... snoth2.mp3

Nice.

Doesn't really 'go' anywhere, but that might be very appropriate for this kind of mood/use.

Thanks J. Where do you think it should go? lol I was trying not to meander too much.

I think this piece should probably stay fairly consistent in its materials the whole way through. This may not be a constant for all the emotional music, but it will work for this theme.

[Rain]

After writing a tragic theme, I've had the burning desire to create something a bit more ... HAPPY! I tried to make the piece instill a feeling of hope. I hope this isn't too sappy of a piece but it's a motif of the theme that I am going to be using for motif work so that should make it more viable.

I am sure there will be parts in the story which will include the need for this theme.

http://www.allacrost.org/staff/user/rai ... esnoth.mp3

Let me know what you guys think!

[zookeeper]

After writing a tragic theme, I've had the burning desire to create something a bit more ... HAPPY! I tried to make the piece instill a feeling of hope. I hope this isn't too sappy of a piece but it's a motif of the theme that I am going to be using for motif work so that should make it more viable.

I am sure there will be parts in the story which will include the need for this theme.

http://www.allacrost.org/staff/user/rai ... esnoth.mp3

Let me know what you guys think!

Very nice. While there aren't many places for music that happy, I'm sure there are some. As story scenario music, even if nothing else. And it'd be perfect as an epilogue and/or ending credits track too. Anyway, it's good! Are you going to make it longer?

[Rain]

Very nice. While there aren't many places for music that happy, I'm sure there are some. As story scenario music, even if nothing else. And it'd be perfect as an epilogue and/or ending credits track too. Anyway, it's good! Are you going to make it longer?

Thanks for the feedback. I think this theme could be nice in breaking things up. (All in the name of CONTRAST!) A majority of the soundtrack is so dark. I just hope we can find appropriate places to use this theme.

As a happy theme that is to be integrated into the story, I am not certain this particular piece doesn't need to be very long, especially if it is made to loop well. (which I intend on doing) If I made the piece much longer, I might feel compelled to alienate the sense of happiness and light-heartedness that the piece contains in its current state. (not sure I want to screw around with that yet)

However, a credits theme would definitely need to be longer and more brooding, imo.

Anyways, I intend on making quite a few of these 'emotion' pieces with the same motif and it would be nice to find ways to put the themes in various parts of the story to space them out so that they stay relevant in the mind of the game player as they play through the game, but we can worry about that later.

For now, I am happy to see the piece might be acceptable for the scope of what we are doing.

[gmlion]

Very nice, it is true!
I like especially the "japan style" in some parts (it reminds me chrono trigger a bit).
ciao
Gianmarco

[Jetrel]

Very nice. While there aren't many places for music that happy, I'm sure there are some. As story scenario music, even if nothing else. And it'd be perfect as an epilogue and/or ending credits track too. Anyway, it's good! Are you going to make it longer?

Thanks for the feedback. I think this theme could be nice in breaking things up. (All in the name of CONTRAST!) A majority of the soundtrack is so dark. I just hope we can find appropriate places to use this theme.

As a happy theme that is to be integrated into the story, I am not certain this particular piece doesn't need to be very long, especially if it is made to loop well. (which I intend on doing) If I made the piece much longer, I might feel compelled to alienate the sense of happiness and light-heartedness that the piece contains in its current state. (not sure I want to screw around with that yet)

However, a credits theme would definitely need to be longer and more brooding, imo.

Anyways, I intend on making quite a few of these 'emotion' pieces with the same motif and it would be nice to find ways to put the themes in various parts of the story to space them out so that they stay relevant in the mind of the game player as they play through the game, but we can worry about that later.

For now, I am happy to see the piece might be acceptable for the scope of what we are doing.

Very nice!

[Rain]

Love theme - The piece is somber. I meant for the piece to be describing a 'forbidden love' type thing, which is why it sounds a bit sobering in the earlier moments of the song, which eventually make way for a much more uplifting section - to symbolize the will to overcome all odds in pursuit of love... (and all that)

http://www.allacrost.org/staff/user/rai ... esnoth.mp3

Let me know what you guys think!