This may not be a big deal to many people but it is the one thing that I have not seen mentioned and not seen improved at all by Bethesda since Morrowind, and that is the shift to combat music. This bugs me to no end.

Generally, when the player draws aggro from an enemy, the music changes from normal to 'combat mode' and since this can happen without the player knowing it, it is essentially an early warning alarm to the player that they are about to be attacked. To me, this breaks immersion, and I'd much rather the combat music didn't warn me of an impending threat. My solution is that it should kick off only when the player actually takes damage from an enemy, thus eliminating the early warning effect.

This has actually forced me to remove the combat music from my data folder but then when things get quiet I still know what's coming. That is much less of a problem, but if I'm paying attention I can still anticipate an attack.

I voted other because there is no option for both 2 and 3. I agree that the music changing to battle music simply because you are being targeted/have agro of something broke immersion. The music should change to battle music if you deal damage to something or something deals damage to you. that way you have the opportunity to sneak up on anything and the music will only change once you hit them, but also this gives the opportunity for other things to sneak up on you, but the music will change alerting you of their presence, if you didn't already realize that they hit you.

Aside from wanting it to be a little more epic, I think it should stay the same.

Other. In normal situations a combination of 2 and 3 would be great, but in dungeons the music should already be tense, but minimalistic, almost Hans Zimmeresque. In those situations the combat music should swell up out of the background when you are about to engage the enemy (before you damage one of them), or if they get the jump on you then it should engage right when the attack hits.

Other. Let us decide what we want as an option. Personally I'd turn it completely off (use xxx music - on/off, for all kinds of music).

I turn music off for the same reason as you, and I like your idea of it only starting when you're attacked/you attack something.

Agreed 100%

By the way, there is an actual glitch you can perform in Oblivion that makes the music continue to play instead of switching to battle music or starting the song over (like when you delete the battle music folder)when battling, effectively fixing the problem permanently..look it up in google if you want to know more.

EDIT: Never mind, I found it for you: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=10876

It should start when you take damage AND when you deal damage!

I chose keep it the same, except I want it to not change when there is a rat or mudcrab.

I voted other and I think there should be no combat music except for in big boss battles. ( like mankar camoran )