Ooh, I'm glad this thread got necro'd, I hadn't seen it before.
To answer the titular question - in-game sounds and music are super important! I almost always play games with the sound/music on, and in some cases I've been known to spend money on game soundtracks that I find particularly good (hint). I still have the Vanguard and EQ2 soundtrack CDs somewhere...
Somewhat related, I know that sometimes the sound design for the game will have periods of silence or only ambient noises in between repeats of the music track for the area you're in. I get this, as it's a thematic/stylistic choice on the part of the designer - however, I really hope that if Pantheon goes this route, that we're able to toggle between that mode and continuous repeat to suit our preferences.
Because I'm one of those people that will put it on continuous repeat, because I love the music that much :)
Razafrak75 said:Never been too keen on combat music, but the ambient and loading music can be agreeable. Combat music I find a tad distracting and overpowering.
Agreed, I am glad combat music has it's own seperate volume slider.
I absolutely love the merchant music in EQ.
Ya, I'm not a huge fan of combat music either. I do like ambient sound in the wilderness and cities. BUT, there are times where all I'll have on are the other sounds (weapon strikes, spells, etc) and mute everything else if I have my own music or netflix on another monitor. :)
Kilsin said:How important are in-game sounds and music to you, do you play MMORPGs with the sound on or off and why?
I play with the sound off, thats how bad the everquest music was.
There is a reason why YouTube videos of EQ music and sounds are still being played and commented on with great nostalgia 18 years after the game came out.
The sounds and music to a great MMO is a huge part of its identity and effect in establishing mood and environment, just like how important it is to epic movies like The Lord of The Rings and Star Wars.
Kilsin said:How important are in-game sounds and music to you, do you play MMORPGs with the sound on or off and why?
One game I play called project zomboid lets you make your character def in exchange for a large benefit, which I like because it lets me play with my music on.
Besides that, yea, I like having accurate game sounds, it lets me hear the stuff around me (which is useful from a gameplay/skill prospective) , and makes the game immersive.
In game music rarely impresses me. If you aren't spending a ton of resources on it, like a game called Shadow of the Collosus, chances are I will turn the music off.
EQ2 Soundtrack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duuRAomjxNI&index=2&list=PLF7E7D9BCA292570D
EQ2 Soundtrack Soundcloud
https://mmos.com/music/everquest-2-soundtrack
Almost each zone had its characteristics designed into the music, I only turn off the music because most of the time the game music is generic and doesn't add any immersive element nor tied into the environment effectively. By far the most memorable music for me was EQ2. I surely do hope the music aspect in Pantheon is not gimped, the music is what mostly keeps me immersed into the game.
The music should be able to describe the type of environment/community your in, without needing to visually see it.
Check this out https://soundcloud.com/pantheon-rotf
Edit: with this kind of music that Chris does VERY he's is awesome
For me very important, as long as well done and its not distracting. I do tend to turn combat music down low but not off unless its really bad as I find it can grate a bit after a time. But I love music that reflects the area you are in I feel its a big part to setting the scene and the atmosphere of the areas and gameplay.
Big sound no noes for me are looping npc voices recently tried Black Desert Online "was bored" had to turn the npc voices off they where awful. Game was much improved, but not well enough to leave it installed :D
I used old school combat music (what is Kael arena ambient music) in a fun way to pace between lelee abd fighting when I first started playing and didnt kinow my clas, this is where mages didnt get elementals untill 4 and then every 4 thereafter (which was good, toughened you up! lol).
So, dieing ot trash up to 4- and getting somewehat discouraged, I made a game of thinking maybe the music wsa trying to teach me somehting and I would melee untill a certain point and when I heard the sprinkling downward arpeggio- that is when I would cast a DD spell- it would take about as long to cast as that bit of music ran.
I agree with all here as far as ambient area music. I feel it is very important as it sets the tone/ mood of the area and impacts my emotion.
Hello everyone. How important is ingame sound and music? Sound plays a very large role. A lot of the sound I have heard from viewing the videos brings back memories of EQ days. Game purpose, i think sound is important because it let us hear when mobs/npc approaches us. It let us hear the special effects from crafting or harvesting/gathering resources. Sound of water splashing when you are fishing. Sounds of birds and frogs/crickets, etc in background while you exploring gives sense of lore and feel of the game that you are there (until we can perfect virtual reality gaming) (then again...are we in one right now?) But really, sounds is very important to me in gaming. It helps alert of approaching danger, makes battle worth paying attention to, helps find wayward points (when we are lost, if we hear something familiar we will head to taht direction and hopefully its the town we left or a town we are going to). As long as we (me) can hear some of those sounds from EQ, spells being cast etc, that would be a plus...oh wait they have it already. Sounds in a game is important.
As for music, in certain areas would be ok, in some parts of town, in taverns, near marketplaces, begining of game logging in, or logging out. Maybe soft or low background music while exploring, but when battle is engaged, it gets turned off (maybe optional or not). Music for some area of the game, have option to turn it on or off. Using discord and ingame voice activation should have option to turn off when talking to group/friends.
Generally combat music gets turned off or put very low, and this is because it interferes with voice chat. It does add to immersion for me, but only if I’m solo and not in voice chat.
To me, some of the most immersive sounds are the little things. In Thief 1 and 2 it was the idle conversation you would hear as you snuck up on the guards, and the eerie sounds around the graveyards.
As an example, instead of just plain ambient noise of people talking in a tavern, I’d rather hear sounds of patrons Auguring, Fighting ,Belching, Farting or roughing up the bar maids occasionally (potential quest), maybe the bard playing missing a note from time to time.
The original (not remastered) EQ loading theme is such a powerful sound to me. The Ocean of Tears pan flute music as well (that was my alarm clock sound for a decade).
Ambient sounds are crucial to immersion and some mood setting music can be nice.
I find myself turning off combat music, however.
Hieromonk said:Sounds & Music are crucial and very important to any MMORPG.
As music set the tone for the game, adds style and emotion. And sound is the backdrop tapestry to any world...
More can be done in this department, as sound and good use of environment can now be established. (64bit builds)
I hope Visionary Realms pushed the Unity Engine limits when using actual 3d sound, in game. It is the future of MMORPG's... when knowing who is running next to you, based on the sound of each of your friends makes, different from each other, etc.
In EQ you could some times HEAR an orc camp, before you saw it..
From what Cohh mentioned on the technical preview stream, 3d music space will definitely be used in the game. He mentioned hearing crows cawing and the source of the sound muving when he turned. That's a good sign that this will be "done right".
Music: Really important aspect to me is customization. If you insist on combat music, allow me to turn it off or change it. I also feel other music should be in at least two categories. City / Non-city. I like to turn music off or way down outside of cities since ambient sound is much more immersive to me when exploring.
With that said the music and sounds inevitibly ends up off for me as I become too saturated by it.
Extremely important!
While not to dwell in nostalgia too much, I found very often the difference between MMO/RPG's I liked/disliked, was the sound.
NPC's who can talk are a huge immersion factor for me, just the random greetings you hear when walking past, guards warning you to behave, quest givers saying hello, thank you etc. It really makes the game feel alive and breaks up the reading of text only dialogue.
Ambient/combat music are essential too - most of the older MMO's I played that still stick to mind all had fantastic orchestra scores for each zone. Infact, I could can still hum them now despite not having played in over 10 years.
As for a final note - as I know this game has alot of EQ fans, I should mention my first MMO was EQ2 and while I often tried to get into EQ1 - the lack of NPC voices really killed it for me.
The same with Elder scrolls Oblivion, trying to go back to Morrowind was horrible without the voices.
Sounds are hugely important for both immersion and simple game enjoyment. Atmospheric sounds, spell sounds.... it is integral to the game.
Music is very important too, in my opinion, but not on the same level. Still... music well matched to its environment and situation just enhances everything that little bit more; building awe, or tension, or anticipation or whatever.
Not to get too nerdy here, but music and sound for that matter can cause us to release chemicals like dopamine (our bodies happy juice) and increase synaptic response. Not to mention that it adds punctuation to the drama that VR unfolds before us. There is a lot of research that suggests an import relationship between the sounds we hear and the joy we feel as we swath a path with murderous intent through the vast digital worlds that hope to hold our interest. I know that for me personally... I turn down the music when I have to hear people in and out of my digital family. When its quiet in my house and the distractions are gone. I love the sounds of battle and deliberate soundtracks, guiding my emotional state as I immerse myself.
Even though I am an old Sailor I have to agree with the Armyguy, without the in game music and sounds it makes the game drab and bare, just like watching a movie even if you really don't take notice of it, if it was all of a sudden removed you would definitely notice something was not right and it wouldn't feel the same, I for one have a full surround outfit and that really brings out the gaming experience once the sounds from all around are tweaked just right, kinda startling when you are concentrating on a fight or something and all of a sudden you actually hear something coming up behind you or from the side sometime I would catch myself actually looking in that direction before realizing it and moving my camera view .. Lol
I always play with the sound and music on, so for me they are crucial in any game I am playing. For MMORPGs I think there is such a thing as too much music though, music should be used sparingly to emphasize certain areas as you enter them like how EQ did it. The battle music in EQ was a little over the top (every time you hit attack the music began) so maybe keep the battle music to powerful mobs or have different sets of music for harmless and dangerous ones. Dramatic music should not play when you are a lvl 1 clubbing a rat to death.
