Yes, I made another poll. It's kind of my thing

So, this is not the theme song I'm talking about, I do not really have that strong feelings for or against it. I'm talking the music that always follows you around as you are playing the game. I have never really liked the way the games get a movie-like score that plays constantly throughout the game, so I have always turned down the music volume as I play (always found it really strange to have a symphony orchestra follow me around in the woods!). It's not only battle music I'm talking here, that already has been discussed, but I would actually like for all in-game music to either be completely gone or reduced in some way.

My ideal sound image would be if there was no music at all in the game (except for maybe some really low and infrequent notes, a motif of some sort played once in a while), unless there was an excuse to put some "real-life" music in it, like if you walked into a tavern a quartet would play woodwinds, or a minstrel would play the lute or something. Would be nice to fill the void in woods and caves with some more ambient sounds like wind in the trees, streams, critters etc.

It has always really ruined immersion for me to have the cinematic score follow me around all the time, don't get me wrong, I like what they do with the main themes, I just think it's really unrealistic and far to movie-wannabe for a roleplaying game to have it going constantly. So I'd just like to hear if I am the only one who feels this way, or others would appreciate a more minimalistic and more acoustically inspired use of music in the lack of better formulation

First thing I do in any game is to take off music, music annoys me ingame and just feels plain weird

Indeed, only music in places where it's natural suffises for me.

Well, what you can do is turn off music, mod some ambient sounds that play a tune and place them where you want..
I do like having music when I play. doesn't add immersion in the way you fell like you're in the game, but it adds immersion in the way it plays with you emotions at moments.

What I don't like though, it's "all musics in one, exterior, cities and combat."
I would have loved to have a "Bravil theme", or a "meet Dagoth Ur theme" for example. This adds personallity to certain places and events.
I remember loving special places or happenings in zelda or FF just for their music.

If you don't like the music, then turn it off.
I want people to play http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM8EaL1Zm6w&feature=related in taverns. :tongue:

What's with all the poll threads? It's really annoying.

Anyway, I like your idea as far as having music play when you walk into a tavern or certain areas. It would make the music much more meaningful and appreciated. Imagine being out exploring on a harsh, snow-swept mountainside with nothing but the sounds of nature, and then making your way into a warm tavern and being greeted with a peaceful melody being played by someone gently strumming a lute somewhere.



I really want to make fun of you but I'll refrain because I'll probably get banned again by that bear-in-a-tux (wut) moderator again.

Same as always. A few more songs would help though

Oh god no please NOOOOO!

WHen I say I don't want music, I don't want the option removed, as I pointed out, I simply click it off. I still want ambient sounds ect tho, which in same games are in on the same track as the music (really annoying actually).

As far taverns, I'd like some actual in-game music being played. which would be great

Music where it's needed for dramatic effect, but not constant. A dungeon can be a lot more creepy in silence. A lot of film directors overdo music - Lord of the Rings suffered from continual, unnecessary background music. Take a look at Seven Samurai or the 1939 Jesse James for skillful use of a limited score. There's nothing like the unaccompanied sound of massed horses hooves thundering along to get the goosebumps standing up on you neck!

The music tracks in both Oblivion and Morrowind really amazed me. It really "boosted" the atmosphere.

There are lots of "real" sounds in Oblivion; for instance critters, water, wind, birds, etc.
But it sure can be improved a lot more though...

Still, for your case, the most simple solution is to... well, just turn off the music.

Muhahaha!

Personally, I find tha it can often get a little boring if a game doesn't have in-game music, but I'd like the way music works to be reworked somewhat. Mostly, I'd like more situation specific music, and combat music shouldn't always override exploration music as soon as an enemy shows hostility towards you. I also wouldn't mind if taverns and such would sometimes have people playing music in them that would override the normal in-game music, I figure it would help to enhance their ambience.



It's pretty simple to turn the music volume down to zero in the menu in Morrowind and Oblivion, though, and at least as far as I know, ambient sound effects are not effected by the music slider, which should also be the case in Skyrim. Though I'd say the game SHOULD make better use of ambient sound effects, but that really has very little to do with music.

The term you're looking for instead of "real life" is diegetic.

I would be keen to agree with you, but I have a hard time imagining Morrowind and Oblivion without the music. It acts like a kind of make-up if you catch my drift.

But if handled correctly with good environment sounds it would be awesome. For example, I like how Minecraft produces scary sounds emitting from the darkness of the caves.

Have both, simple as that. Ingame-music when ingame-music is played (automatically turns off other music), and the orchestra following you around otherwise. Can of course be turned off if you want it realistic.

Once I figure out which tracks are which, I'm going to replace most of the in-game music with music from Soul Reaver 1 and 2. Or that's the plan anyway.

Soul Reaver is awesome

What the? I loved that tune

From New Oxford American Dictionary (2005)

diegesis |?dī??jēsis|
noun ( pl. -ses |-sēz|)
a narrative or plot, typically in a movie.
DERIVATIVES
diegetic |-?jetik| adjective

Not sure if that is actually the word I am looking for...?

Seems the most common opinions here is "if you don't like it, turn it off". But the point is not that I don't like music, the point is just as much that there really is no music in the game. Uhm... Meaning no one in Tamriel listens to music, it is really not present in that world at all. What I think would help would especially be to make "musician NPCs" to play in courts and taverns and so on simply for the sake of immersion, that won't happen by turning off the in-game music. I can, however, get rid of the Hollywood approach, to which I am so opposed, by turning off the music, true. But that won't bring more ambient sounds either, which, as someone else pointed out, was of course present in Oblivion but needs improvement.

I have taken a course in film music, trust me.

Else, look here:
http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diegesis

(Nothing on danish wiki, but swedish will suffice I hope ^^)

Thank you, this does make more sense.

Put music/musicians into the the fictional reality that is Skyrim, and when I am wandering the forests and caves for hours on end, I don't want an invisible orchestra playing me through with some heroic theme all the time. That must be it! :goodjob:

Nonsense the score in TLOTR was amazing and used perfectly. How dare you. :cryvaultboy:

Or just play 4'33" by John Cage on repeat.

It's the truth. Too many notes.

I say none, unless they overhaul it, I want specific songs playing in a Tavern(So I can replace it with Arena's Tavern theme), or in certain cities, and of course different songs for story based events. But if they don't bother to overhaul the music system(especially the battle music) then I will just disable the music.