I personally don't, not that it's bad, just felt "more real". I've been doing that since my Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 1-2 days (and yes I still play those, top Skyrim in my opinion).
Music is often quite important for me in a game, so the only time I turn it off is when it's really bad or repetitive, which in Skyrim it isn't.
Well, it's a game for me. And in games, I don't always look for ''real''. I'd rather look for a way to set the mood which keeps me enjoyed. Music plays a big role in setting the mood for me.
If I don't feel like listening to the game's music. I just put something else on that to cover it, but makes me feel part of the setting regardless. Adrian von Ziegler's work or maybe Omnia. Most of the time I just stick to the game's own soundtrack, though.
I've never turned it off personally, but can understand why people do.
It's much better with it for me. I listen to some soundtracks even without playing.
I play with the music on - I tried without for a while, but turned it back on pretty quickly. The music makes everything feel more epic, and when it's on I don't have to listen to drunken renditions of We Are The Champions or similar outside my window.
I'm on a console so I don't have much control over the music/sound effects (as far as I can remember poking around the settings ages ago). This makes it an all or nothing kind of a deal. I enjoy the music and the sounds for various actions (fighting, casting, etc.) but it got annoying when the music preceded a baddy, pretty much a warning that something dangerous is about to happen. Also, I despise the nature and volume of the sounds inside Dwemer ruins. Consequently, I play without sound though I do occasionally turn it back on if there's an interaction with an NPC for information.
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It depends, I suppose.
I have played the game for hundreds of hours and by that point I've heard each song over and over and over countless times, although I adore the soundtrack it can become a little repetitve.
So what I normally do is turn off the game's music and play my own or play in silence.
But, if I'm starting a new game and thus have likely not heard the soundtrack in 100+ hours, I will play with the music turned on.
Until it becomes rather maddening again.
Now that you mention the ambient, I'm more inclined to raise its volum a bit more.
After all, what... is the music of life immersion?
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I hate music in games but in Skyrim and Oblivion it is very pleasant to listen to. I rather enjoy it. On the other hand in games like Fallout and New Vegas I find it incredibly annoying even though ordinarily I like the music itself. It's like the music and especially the singing distracts me from enjoying the game. When I first run through Fallout I start by shutting down all of the radios that I find. I can't do much about the New Vegas Strip or casinos though.
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