The Sounds of Creation

ArchivedUser

I would like to start a discussion about the direction for the sound and music direction of the game. I understand the game is in very early development stages and a lot is being toyed with which is why it is the perfect time for discussion into the sound design direction of the project.

Topic 1: Music

So far throughout the various videos we have so far, I've heard a lot of different atmospheric music that sets the mood for the accompanying footage. (Yes, the game is in development so ideas are still being toyed around with.) What I haven't heard is a coherent theme that lets me know "This is the game I'm playing." *Note: This is my OPINION.* When I hear certain musical ideas, in or out of context, I know exactly where it came from. I'm sure we can all recognize Star Wars or Super Mario without any context (as they are super iconic). That being said, every game series of franchise has a theme whether we recognize it or not. That thing we hum along to when we boot up the game that puts us right in the world we are looking to explore; and of course the sound effects that build the world too. I'll also add that some games or films will use atmospheric music with less obvious or recognizable themes but still place you in the world such as "The Last of Us" with it's super emotional score.

I gave myself an assignment of "what if I was hired to write a theme for a game." Coincidentally I was checking out Ashes of Creation at the time and wrote a few sketches before fleshing out the idea. I'm curious what the community thinks of what I've come up with and if you have any opinions or music/sound ideas of your own I implore you to share them. 

https://youtu.be/NDAntdyRFJw

This particular version works for a title screen or trailer but not necessarily for gameplay. However, the repeating theme could be used in a variety of forms as a theme tied to specific moments in either story or world. Please let me know what you think. If I have infringed on Intrepid Studios and their IP in any way PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I literally cannot afford for that to happen and I don't know all the rules involving publishing their content edited or otherwise.

I'll probably work on something combining my theme with the piano idea in a few of the videos since that idea is pretty cool.

Topic 2: Audio and Effects

Going into the secondary topic, Audio and Sound FX, let's discuss what ideas people would like to see. *Note* There are budgetary constraints which would limit options but let's say that money is not an object. I feel sound design has a profound impact on player experience but we don't always recognize it as players. If we look at the menu sounds of a Final Fantasy game for example one small tweak and it may not fit the aesthetic of the visuals. If we take a listen to hit versus blocked sounds in Street Fighter games we know based on the sound cue what happened without looking. I know it seems obvious but I just want to open the floor for discussion. If any devs see this post, I'm curious what your approaches are to created the sounds to build your world. For example, how you go about creating the sound of casting a fireball, the sound it makes while traveling, and the sound on impact and how you set your FX apart from other games, but more importantly to give the player necessary info through sound.

One thing I heard in an MMO and now I know why it's not done often is the addition of casting phrases. I played a game years ago and considering how often you have to use abilities the constant repetition of casting gibberish became very annoying very quickly. If it was ever added I'd leave it on for the first hour or so then turn it off.

ArchivedUser

Sound design, both theme and ambient music as well as audio effects and environmental sounds, are crucial to the game experience.

The iconic main title theme music is our introduction to the game.  Excellent examples of this in the MMORPG genre are World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2 and Elder Scrolls Online.  There are more, obviously.  These are the first three that came to my mind as I was pondering this topic.

Ambient zone music should enhance the game experience, not overwhelm it.  Some games do this better than others.  I know a lot of people who turn off in-game music because it's too much for them.  Black Desert Online did a good job with ambient music.  Most of it serves its purpose as a backdrop to what's happening in the game.  The music in some of the towns in BDO is very pleasant and would even be enjoyable outside the game.  One of the things I like about WoW's ambient music is that each zone has different music for day and night.  I think this really enhances the experience.

Ability sound effects are definitely important audio cues for what's happening around you.  They help keep you aware.  One good example of this is the stealth sound effect in WoW.  When you hear it, you are immediately on your guard because you know there is a Rogue or Druid very close to you.

I would LOVE to see a blog post from Intrepid on the sound design of Ashes of Creation.  I'd like to see input from both the theme composer(s) and the sound engineer(s) responsible for the effects and ambient sounds.  I've always found it fascinating to read about how they create the sounds of the game.

ArchivedUser

It sounds very 8-bit fantasy, like an 8-bit game. Or Mabinogi, not necessarily the theme I think about when I see Ashes. 


BUT NONE THE LESS IT'S FANTASTIC! GREAT JOB.  

ArchivedUser

Czar said:

It sounds very 8-bit fantasy, like an 8-bit game. Or Mabinogi, not necessarily the theme I think about when I see Ashes. 


BUT NONE THE LESS IT'S FANTASTIC! GREAT JOB.  

I only have the default sounds available to Sibelius. If I was in a position where I was hired to write for a project (game, movie, or otherwise) the audio you heard would only serve as a demo of the idea NOT the finished product as that would be professionally recorded or utilize high quality samples. All I have available to me is default MIDI tracks. which is why the oboe sounds so bizarre lol. But thank you nonetheless!

ArchivedUser

Possum said:

Sound design, both theme and ambient music as well as audio effects and environmental sounds, are crucial to the game experience.

The iconic main title theme music is our introduction to the game.  Excellent examples of this in the MMORPG genre are World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2 and Elder Scrolls Online.  There are more, obviously.  These are the first three that came to my mind as I was pondering this topic.

Ambient zone music should enhance the game experience, not overwhelm it.  Some games do this better than others.  I know a lot of people who turn off in-game music because it's too much for them.  Black Desert Online did a good job with ambient music.  Most of it serves its purpose as a backdrop to what's happening in the game.  The music in some of the towns in BDO is very pleasant and would even be enjoyable outside the game.  One of the things I like about WoW's ambient music is that each zone has different music for day and night.  I think this really enhances the experience.

Ability sound effects are definitely important audio cues for what's happening around you.  They help keep you aware.  One good example of this is the stealth sound effect in WoW.  When you hear it, you are immediately on your guard because you know there is a Rogue or Druid very close to you.

I would LOVE to see a blog post from Intrepid on the sound design of Ashes of Creation.  I'd like to see input from both the theme composer(s) and the sound engineer(s) responsible for the effects and ambient sounds.  I've always found it fascinating to read about how they create the sounds of the game.

I would also love to see input from the the composers and sound designers. A big reason I made this post was because of a GDC seminar I watched about music direction and ambient/mood composition for games. And being someone who wants to get into the field on this side of things, I'd like to just have a discussion about it.

Guild Wars 1 and the Final Fantasy games were some of the first games where I payed a lot of attention to the music in how it set the tone for different scenarios. In FFX, the "attack" theme used in some boss fights features a repeated ostinato in the bass and percussion coupled with accents on off beats. then the strings come in with another repeated idea which just adds to the emergence and power of the moment. Another scene that comes to mind using a more ambient sound with layering comes in the "Hurry" track where the repeated figures set the mood that something is building. and as that happens the music builds as well and then in the middle of the track all the layers except the bottom layers drop out putting the listener a bit on edge.

As far as MMO scores go the original GW soundtrack is one of my favorites. (I'm a bit of a Jeremy Soule fanboy, sue me). The main theme reoccurs and very important cutscenes in the plot re-orchestrated to fit the mood of the scene (Featured in the tracks "Moment of Truth" and "Guilds at War"). This is not at all a new convention as it is a basic concept in all musical design. But it does make me wonder..., depending on how the story is told in AoC, I'm curious to see how music and themes will be tied into the story. Cutscenes are one thing but within the context of gameplay, which is quite open-ended in an MMO, I'd like some developer insight on that.
  
But also in the GW OST, I'm particularly drawn to a few tracks when thinking of atmosphere "Over the Shiverpeaks" and "Droknar's Forge" both of which are used in the snowy landscape of the Shiverpeak Mountains. Both of these tracks build atmosphere in different ways. In "Over the Shiverpeaks" the solo violin with it's rising and falling melody which it eventually begins to trade with the solo flute creates this feeling of solitude before sustained strings enter to create a brief pad beneath the unison flute and violin for a short while before dropping out again to a solo violin and eventually solo flute caries the melody to the end. To me this paints a certain picture of the loneliness and solitude of climbing a frigid mountain coupled with the natural beauty of snowcapped mountains.

This theme is also used in the autumn landscapes in the pre-searing area if my memory serves me correct but still works much the same way. 

"Droknar's Forge" gives a more traditional approach (imo) with low strings, synth, and something else creating a pad while a high piano (or maybe celeste not sure what it is) plays a few hits on top then a low flute plays a melody with bass flute and low clarinets (and maybe a string) playing pianissimo beneath it for texture before low strings come in and carry the slow harmony out. Creating this picture of a cold place with uncertainty beneath it all. It's both pretty and eerie at the same time. 

Which approach do you prefer?