[POLL] GAME MUSIC

Free to use resources or rips? Just wondering. If both could you label them so that others can know? Thanks~

Personally I prefer the kind of music you can find in OSTs of games like Suikoden, Chrono Trigger/Cross and Wild ARMs. Sometimes it uses ethnic instruments, sometimes orchestral, but most piece is epic and can be listened to over and over.

The themes of your game will play heavily into the genre of music that fits best. If it's a traditional fantasy game about exploration and discovery, then orchestrated music will feel very fitting. Meanwhile if it's a modern paranormal game with an emphasis on being over the top and awesome, rock/metal will fit better.

There really isn't any rule or preference. Both DQ and Ys are about lone heroes out to defeat the Big Bad, yet their soundtracks are wildly different. What will be most important is consistency in your game itself. Don't have an orchestral overworld theme, hard rock dungeon, and jazz town*.

But if you're determined to have others tell you what kind of OST to have, tell us a bit about your game so we have ideas to relate to.


*Jazz fits anywhere, but still... you get the idea.

Dubstep.

No, no, that was a joke. Not dubstep. Please.

Yeah, that sounds like very much a typical SNES RPG fantasy plot, so typical SNES RPG fantasy music would probably feel very fitting. If you gave it kind of an anime feel, you might want to use more vibrant, synthesized, pop-ish music.

You would probably only want to use an unusual type of music in such an otherwise traditional game if you wanted to create an intentional disconnect for some reason. Like if halfway through the game there were a major subversion of the tropes you're using. Maybe half the cast are revealed to be space aliens stranded on the planet after being cut off from the Galactic Federation. Or the entire story is revealed to be the psychotic hallucinations of a schizophrenic serial killer, with the different characters each being one of his multiple personalities. But up until that happened, you wanted everything to seem mostly normal but slightly off-balance in an intangible way.

I dunno, I don't actually know anything about music and am spouting random bullshit. Someone who is into music theory should probably step in and tell me exactly why I'm full of shit.

I would say I don't really have a preference if the music fits thematically. Metal worked for FFX's Blitzball scene but switching to orchestrated instruments for Besaid Isle made sense. The actual instrumentation should fit the mood that the player is supposed to be feeling - rock or metal works for battle themes because it involves short bursts of passion and violence, but it would be terrible for most town themes because you can't sustain that passion while talking to NPCs and purchasing potions.

Continuing with that, I think you're right about the disconcerting effect of music, LockeZ. "Good" musical patterns are very ingrained in the brain, so a small bit of awkwardness in the music can be really good at making people uncomfortable - they'll notice it subconsciously, so they may not even know why they feel that way. That can be exactly what you want for a horror or adventure game before the twist.

I know games have done this before, but I can't think of a great example at the moment... anyone?

author=Zeraf
Main character sets out to collect 13 elemental stones and deliver them to the temples in order to save the dying planet. A war occurs as a result of a king trying to stop her.

Doesn't really say much. I was hoping to get a real feel for it based on thing slike like how many party members, what type of conflicts would happen, nature of the final boss, stuff like that.
Based on what little you shared, I'm getting a NES-vibe. Traditional would be best for that.
But then...

author=Zeraf
The tone is serious while still having light hearted moments.

Now I get a Star Ocean/Tales of ___ vibe. So now its something with a little more synth to it?

I don't know. This is an awkward poll. I think we're all talking out our ass now. Except kentona.

Here's the thing. You want consistency with your music. Sometimes, you'll get lucky enough to find a few good pieces from different composers, that blend very well. Oftentimes, you will get music that clashes.

Aaron Krogh has a style that may take a couple listenings to get used to, but at well over 50 total tracks (all of which he allows for commercial use as well), you really can't go wrong. Not only will this make your game more consistent with the melodies used, but each of his songs can easily fit into multiple areas of the game.

Everybody mixes and matches tilesets. Fact is, there isn't any single tileset series that suits all the needs we could come up with. You may need to do some recoloring or slight editing to make one or two items fit.
Of course, the best option for visual advice is to make something, then post screenshots for feedback.