Dear Bear McCreary, Inon Zur, and the Sound, Melodies, Ambience and Music Team of Intrepid

I am not usually critical of Intrepid's ideas, as I know that every week and end of the month they receive comments, sometimes very harsh. However, I want to express my opinion on a subject that I consider crucial to the “identity and vibe” of Ashes of Creation: the music and sound.


The music videos give an idea of the theme, it is not necessary to listen to them to understand but like all music it would be advisable to listen to them for the first 30 to 60 seconds in order to understand the potential of the theme.


Index

1.-The Power of Music in Modern Videogames.
2.-Dear Bear McCreary.
3.-Dear Inon Zur.
4.-Dear Sound, Melodies, Ambience and Music Team of Intrepid .
5.-Inspirational ideas for when the Ashes foundations are well forged.
6.-The orchestral harmony of the movies from 20 to 30 years ago that generated that EPIC feeling and sensation.
7.-Those artists “who have that special something” that have left a mark that will be remembered for years to come with their works and their own “epic” style.
8.- The lie of the Artist .
9.- Those little details that make the difference in the /melodies/environment/music .
10.-Dear Bear McCreary, Inon Zur, and the Sound, Melodies, Ambience and Music Team of Intrepid


1.-The Power of Music in Modern Video Games

In this modern, technological age, where almost everything on the Internet, especially in the video game and entertainment industry, is susceptible to criticism, it is easy to lose sight of the essence of what really matters. Many times, people who hide behind anonymity feel justified in making destructive judgments about works in which, in reality, their knowledge is limited, guided only by personal tastes.

However, you, the sound equipment, melodies, ambience and music, are the light that guides the path that every project needs. Music, good music, that which has “that special spark”, has become a fundamental element to take a project to the next level. It can serve as a shield that protects from the harshest critics and, above all, give a unique identity to the work. That vibe generated by the music can make the player feel: “This is not just any music. This melody transports me, it reminds me that I am immersed in this video game. This music has a special vibe that resonates in me to make me remember those feelings generated by that video game.”

2.- Dear Bear McCreary
https://youtu.be/FJK9qAUQdAE?si=d40Ry_UpevL86mLh
Are you the strongest and most acclaimed video game music composer of the modern era because you are Bear Mccreary or are you Bear Mccreary because you are the strongest and most acclaimed video game music composer of the modern era ?.


2.1 When was the last time one of your big projects wasn't surrounded by an atmosphere of success ?.
2.2 When was the last time you were not assured that one of your projects would reach millions of people?.
2.3 When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone to compose music?.
2.4 When was the last time you composed as Bear McCreary, the songwriter, and not Bear McCreary, the successful one?.

When you are at the top, when you are so high up, when you are so successful and so recognized it is very difficult to differentiate if that success is being achieved automatically just because you are that “successful” person who is surrounded by “success” and an environment that assures you a great % of “success”.
NO ONE can deny that to reach that “success” there had to be a lot of effort, sacrifice and dedication, success does not come by itself is a very long and difficult road, but once you get to that point at the top of the “success” sometimes you tend to forget that “thing” that “special thing” that “something” that pushed the Bear Mccreary NOT SUCCESSFUL to continue trying to be “successful”, be recognized, and that the music / composition of that Bear Mccreary is acclaimed by the entire industry of video games and entertainment.

The music that Bear Mccreary will compose for Ashes will be a “success” , just by saying that Bear Mccreary will compose it already assures that “success” , no one can doubt that , BUT what does Bear Mccreary really expect ? does he want to continue being that “successful” person who lives from his great “success” or does he want to challenge himself and dare to be that UNSUCCESSFUL Bear Mccreary who wished to have “that success” ? .

Will Bear Mccrear dare to step out of his comfort zone to create for Ashes of Creation a MASTERPIECE never heard before in the video game industry ? or will he just create another “hit” ?.

Which Bear Mccrear will be Bear Mccrear ?.

3.-Dear Inon Zur

https://youtu.be/yE9iwOz9ueI?si=Sa2Texnyl-Ocx0Lf&t=816

Risk x Reward is a defining characteristic of Ashes, you in that part of the video exemplify Risk x Reward very well but in a way that reminds us of modern MMORPGS that try to go for the lowest Risk expecting the Highest reward.

What can we expect from Inon Zur when creating the feelings that the Ashes music will convey? .
Will it be Lower Risk x Lower Reward ? or will it be , Higher Risk x Higher Reward ? .

4.- Dear Sound, Melodies, Ambience and Music Team of Intrepid

You are the pillar that sustains the sanity mentality of future Ashes of Creation players, you are the last bastion that CANNOT AND MUST NOT FALL, you are the last Jedi that brings hope in the darkest of times.

Creating those moments where a player is lost in some remote part of an open world appreciating a beautiful landscape that is driven by the sound/melodies/ambience/music that gives that vibe of belonging and meaning to THAT MOMENT is something ANY gamer will thank you for.

Do you , sound/melodies/environment/music team really listen to the sounds you create for Ashes or do you just create those things ? .

You guys , Can You Hear The Music ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiuSBWVdgLI

5.-Inspirational ideas for when the Ashes foundations are well forged.


Regardless of the musical direction or path chosen for the sounds, melodies, ambience and music of Ashes of Creation, it is essential to take into account the heart and dedication that other artists have poured into their works.
It is not about pigeonholing Ashes into a specific style or sounds, or limiting creativity to a predefined set of features. This MMORPG is designed to be a constantly evolving and diverse environment, both socially and atmospherically. Therefore, it would be logical that the inspiration behind its sounds, melodies and environments should also reflect that variety and dynamism.

Take advantage of the richness of music in all its expression, and let the diversity of Ashes be heard in every musical note defined by a constantly changing and evolving open world.

For example:

Japanese epicness to create sounds/melodies/environment/music for their anime/video games that INSPIRE others to try to improve their sounds/melodies/environment/music.

Hiroyuki Sawano / Project【emU】 “Attack on Titan” suite
https://youtu.be/a6Fl1Xl1ogg?si=OhjmlbzHEJrbmXwx&t=12
Thanks to Hiroyuki Sawano / Project【emU】 Grissini Project was inspired to create this ORCHESTRA EPICITY:
VOGEL IM KÄFIG - ATTACK ON TITAN (feat. Stella Siecinska) - // Grissini Project Orchestra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9SwzEhfBLc&list=PLt76DB8Nkob8u4ZAmESuNcciqyCiNGVaG&index=38

Elden Ring - Main Theme OST Official Soundtrack Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfGqwHDK2Uw
Thanks to the inspiration of Elden Ring - Main Theme , Samuel Kim Music was inspired to make an EPIC version of that song :
Elden Ring Main Theme (The Final Battle) | EPIC VERSION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2p_JFF4lR0

Interstellar Main Theme - Extra Extended - Soundtrack by Hans Zimmer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDVtMYqUAyw
Ludwig Goransson -Can You Hear The Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JZ-o3iAJv4

Thanks to the inspiration of Oppenheimer X Interstellar, John G. Music was inspired to make this emotional version. Oppenheimer X Interstellar | EMOTIONAL VERSION (Can You Hear the Music X Cornfield Chase)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzxJN3REanU

That EPICITY is contagious and inspiring and although NOT EVERYTHING should be EPIC because many times “less is more” also many times it is necessary to be EPIC to inspire.
EPICITY can be less or more but it will still be EPICITY.

6.-The orchestral harmony of the films of 20 to 30 years ago that generated that EPIC feeling and sensation .

STAR WARS - Duel of the Fates // The Danish National Symphony Orchestra (Live)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97-0ghnBMcs&list=RDLZ0w3Lig9Cg&index=5
The Lord of the Rings - THE END OF ALL THINGS //The Danish National Symphony Orchestra (LIVE)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahVRy4Sy3js&list=RDLZ0w3Lig9Cg&index=6
Hans Zimmer Live Prague Gladiator Elysium Now We Are Free 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TetmPdNkXo
Hans Zimmer - Pirates Of The Caribbean Medley
https://youtu.be/P5JplB64m5U?si=P_W3laXSg3n-0QI1&t=33

7.-Those artists “who have that special something” that have left a mark that will be remembered for years with their works and their own “epic” style

Hans Zimmer - INTERSTELLAR THEME (Live in Prague)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kottjfEd7Zw
Ludwig Goransson -Can You Hear The Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JZ-o3iAJv4
Seiji Yokoyama -Saint Seiya Symphonic Orchestra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx0nKKNWJqY
Howard Shore-The Lord of the Rings-Imperial Orchestra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSb-rWX0ItA
Hiroyuki Sawano - “Attack on Titan” suite / Apple seed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTyAMZOUNvc
John Williams & Vienna Philharmonic – Williams: Imperial March
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsMWVW4xtwI

The music they created infused meaning and an unmistakable “vibe of their own” to each scene they depicted. Without that music, many of the emotions and experiences that these plays attempted to convey would have lacked the unique essence that only their melodies could provide.

Could one imagine the world of Harry Potter without the iconic melody that gives it its distinctive “vibe”? That music doesn't just accompany the story; it transforms it, elevates it and makes it unforgettable. Here is the perfect example of how a composition can give life and character to a magical universe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3UGOu-tqII

8.- The Artist's lie.
There are two big lies that are always told when someone tries to make “any kind of art.”

8.1.- The art you make must be made for a target audience that can love your art. 8.2.
8.2.- The art you make must be born from your own creation without copying, without being inspired, without looking at the past of another artist so that you can create your “own art”.

1.- The art you make must be made for a target audience that can love your art.

The music that Ashes makes is and will be the music that Ashes makes and should not have a target audience, or as many say “Ashes will be a MMORPG for Boomers”, that is totally FALSE.
Ashes will be a TRUE MMORPG in which people who really love MMORPGS will be able to experience that and people who want to know a real MMORPG will be able to have the opportunity to play one so the music that represents Ashes should be the music that Ashes should trust will be the right music for Ashes without being afraid that “the younger or older audience will approve or disapprove”.

A good melody/song/music will always be remembered and appreciated as well as the music of this scene https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_HjMIjzyMU and although it has a difference of 20 years between the birth of the song, the update and adaptation of that song to that movie and another 20 years more, to this day that scene is so remembered for its music that gives its “own vibe” and sense to that scene.

The way Ashes should represent their sounds/melodies/environment/music should be the way they are most proud to do it and the way that REPRESENTS that “own vibe” that Ashes is going to have.
The way Ashes wants to represent their Art is and should be the way Ashes should represent their Art either by studying, adapting and improving ideas from others, either by creating new ideas, either by being inspired to create ideas similar to others but with the Ashes touch and “vibe”.

Ashes sounds/melodies/environment/music should be represented with that “own vibe” that really represents and makes you feel that it is Ashes.

2.- The art you make must be born from your own creation without copying, without inspiration, without looking at the past of another artist so you can create your “own art”.

What would become of Hans Zimmer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGx5a1ifSDs
without the inspiration and influence of Ennio Morricone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9EZGHcu3E8

What would become of Likin Park
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FrhtahQiRc
without the inspiration and influence of Public Enemy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vQaVIoEjOM
or Stone Temple Pilots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5UOC0C0x8Q

What would ARCANE's song “What Could Have Been” be without that something different that Sting gives it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1klbTzBQpkde

What would Hidetaka Miyazaki be like?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_03kFqWfqs
without the inspiration of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rPxiXXxftE

What would video games be without the inspiration and continued influence of generations of developers who do their part to improve the development of video games and that these grains of sand improve the knowledge base for future generations of developers/artists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bM0pM0_k0s

If one were to define the art in terms of Ashes of Creation it would be this :

“Art is a node in which everyone works together to try to take it from stage 1 to stage 6”. Therefore, the knowledge left by one generation helps another generation to have the opportunities to continue to maintain the necessary level to improve that node.
There will be players who are more individualistic (genius artists), there will be players who work more as a team, there will be all kinds of artists but as a whole they all contribute that grain of sand that makes that node strong to continue improving/evolving and that other generations can have a node where they can continue to grow.

9.- Those little details that make the difference in the /melodies/environment/music

I wonder if in the world of Ashes there will be differentiation in the intonation of voices.
Will the Kaelar have the same intonation as the Vaelune , will they sound different because they belong to different territories of Verra?
The intonation of a Texan is not the same as that of a New Yorker, will this also apply in Ashes?

This also applies to the /melodies/environment/music, since the world of Ashes is so DIVERSE, also the /melodies/environment/music should have that DIVERSITY and that “own vibe” that characterizes each zone/territory.

The Sound of Ancient Languages. You Haven't Seen Anything Like This Before!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc22W3bos64

For example, Hiroyuki Sawano in ATTACK ON TITAN uses a lot of German language which gives his music that “own vibe” and that “something special” that makes ATTACK ON TITAN so distinctive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9SwzEhfBLc&list=PLt76DB8Nkob8u4ZAmESuNcciqyCiNGVaG&index=39

If the different races of Ashes had songs , melodies , fables or things using different languages or a language that gives something distinctive , “that own and unique vibe” something like a HIGH CELTIC LANGUAGE or maybe the ANCIENT LATIN language , or some language that characterizes the territory of Verra, that would be amazing and would give that distinctive intonation to the music/voices/melodies/chants something like German gives “that own vibe” to Hiroyuki Sawano's music in ATTACK ON TITAN.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJolZxVvj-0&list=PLN9lCW3eQDVfrbucNCZll8JDsOrIy-U8n (Scottish gaelic (Gàidhlig))

https://youtu.be/hom1ocRrT5s?si=VbrhTmtgjJhG1c1-&t=70 (Manx (Gaelg)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0t1YEh4fUk&list=PLnOSH5j1sQh-gpo-pKdZMRWYfOKTKS15M&index=17 Welsh (Cymraeg)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4WLR_gHrd8 (Breton (Brezhoneg))

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUz4iYwCqxI (Irish Gaelic Song)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVXZg6_JdmE (Cornish (Kernowek))

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQeD2TvvHKg ( Epic Roman Music)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z_QAPB3XeA (Ancient Roman Song)

10.-Dear Bear McCreary, Inon Zur, and the Sound, Melodies, Ambience and Music Team of Intrepid

In an era where video game music often blends into the background, the opportunity to create something extraordinary is at your fingertips. Ashes of Creation's soundscape must transcend mere accompaniment; it must serve as the essence of the game, creating moments that linger in players' hearts long after they log off. This is an opportunity to forge a distinct aural identity that reflects Verra's rich tapestry-a sound that players will not only hear, but feel, immersing them in every mission and encounter.

Dear Bear McCreary, Inon Zur and the entire Intrepid sound team:

I encourage you to embrace the potential for risk and innovation in your compositions. Challenge the boundaries of the comfort zone established by past successes and let your creative instincts guide you. Remember that you are walking a path forged by generations of songwriters whose talent and heart have inspired others and to which YOU will belong in the distant future. It is the unexpected, the bold and the deeply felt that will truly create a soundtrack worthy of a game that aspires to be a milestone in the MMORPG genre.

When creating the melodies, ambiances, and soundscapes, let them be imbued with the essence of Ashes of Creation-a reflection of its diverse cultures, epic narratives, and emotional depth. Let every note tell a story, every theme evoke a memory, and every sound unite players in a shared experience they will cherish and celebrate for years to come. Together, let us create not just music, but a legacy that will resonate through the ages-a true symphony for Ashes of Creation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjpSTpXNmbY

I am deeply grateful for every moment of effort and dedication you are investing in leaving an indelible mark on the history of compositing. Your work doesn't just make a difference; it has the power to transform the experience of millions of gamers and resonate in their hearts forever.