• Add Review
  • Subscribe
  • Nominate
  • Submit Media
  • RSS

Theme of the Orchestra

  • Craze
  • 04/25/2010 11:30 AM
  • 1198 views
Padrick's theme ("Mission"), as heard in the Castle Defender midboss video.

Music is very important for RPGs... as is everything else. Even if you aren't trying to get a certain few emotions out of your players (making something like Final Fantasy I, for instance), you need to entertain them audiovisually as well as with a fun game. Numbers aren't enough, story isn't enough, good graphics aren't enough. You need everything to make a good RPG.

As such, you need good music (hi Newgrounds) and you need to know how to use it. This is basically lifted from one of my older Demon Tower/Diablocide blogs, but I feel that it's important:

-Listen to your game's music randomly, whenever. If you can't stand it over time, change it.
-Listen to your game's music when it plays. It's not enough to declare In2ZeDarkNESSiah.mid your cave theme without actually listening to that music as you map the cave. Don't write a scene without listening to the music you're going to have playing. If this can't happen for whatever reason, when you eventually select your music, touch up your map or scene while listening to the music. If it doesn't fit, don't use it.
-Listen to your game's music when it would fit. If you're working on skill animations for the Lich Queen, you should probably listen to her battle theme. Maybe you'll realize than an enemy casting Ebon Tendrils to the peppy theme you chose just doesn't work. Don't use that track; change it.

What's I'm try to say here is "listen to your music; don't throw it in willy-nilly." Make your game have a consistent feel and sound. Understand what emotions your music evokes. Don't use The Man with the Machine Gun.

Posts

Pages: 1
Solitayre
Circumstance penalty for being the bard.
18257
Truth
Numbers aren't enough, story isn't enough, good graphics aren't enough. You need everything to make a good RPG.


I endorse this statement.
I can't contribute much besides saying that everyone should follow this advice.

(hi Newgrounds)


Yes.
Pages: 1