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Music in Destiny

by Xenos @, Shores of Time, Saturday, June 08, 2013, 14:19 (3984 days ago)

I was just thinking about music in Destiny. In previous Halo games we had quite a bit of music, but we were talking about games that take around 10 hours to finish. How do you guys think they'll do it in Destiny? Is Marty making a huge amount of music so we get random musical interludes during gameplay, or do you think music will mostly be limited to specific places (AKA the City) and events (AKA key mission moments)? I'm hoping there is music that will play somewhat randomly, but in that case I may actually agree with what previous people have said and hope the music can be turned off.

How do you guys feel?

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Music in Destiny

by ZackDark @, Not behind you. NO! Don't look., Saturday, June 08, 2013, 16:18 (3984 days ago) @ Xenos

Halo had a dynamic music playback, in which it adapted to whatever was going on. I wouldn't be surprised if Marty did that again. In fact, I'm pretty sure he did.

The greatest part about dynamic music, production-wise, is that you don't have to make an absurd amount of music, since it basically patches and stitches itself in various orders, effectively multiplying the number of songs you have.

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Music in Destiny

by Jillybean, Saturday, June 08, 2013, 16:39 (3984 days ago) @ ZackDark

Halo did? Are you sure?

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Music in Destiny

by uberfoop @, Seattle-ish, Saturday, June 08, 2013, 17:01 (3984 days ago) @ Jillybean

Halo never had a completely random music selection system. It's all based on scripted triggers. Particular songs play in particular places and sync their parts and progress to particular events.

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Music in Destiny

by Jillybean, Saturday, June 08, 2013, 17:05 (3984 days ago) @ uberfoop

Yeah that's what I thought! There's a track in CE (if I remember correctly) which loops forever and ever for bug reasons.

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Music in Destiny

by zumphry ⌂ @, Saturday, June 08, 2013, 17:09 (3984 days ago) @ uberfoop

Halo never had a completely random music selection system. It's all based on scripted triggers. Particular songs play in particular places and sync their parts and progress to particular events.

Interview

Martin O'Donnell: Well, what you're describing is the approach that film composers take when scoring movies. Of course making this happen during an interactive section of the game rather than just during the cut scenes does take some extra thought and work. I sat with the level designers and "spotted" the level as though it was a movie, with the knowledge that the music would have to be malleable rather than static. I had a system that would allow the game to trigger the start, the stop and a transition within each piece of music. I tend to write and produce linear music, pieces that have a beginning, middle and end. Sort of like almost all other music ever written perhaps? All I needed was a way to extend, contract or vary the middle section in real time.

Most pieces could be dissembled and remixed in such a way that would give me multiple, interchangeable loops that could be randomly recombined in order to keep the piece interesting as well as a variable length. I also would make alternative middle sections that could be transitioned to if the game called for such a change (i.e. less or more intense). If I needed a bigger contrast I could always start a new piece and have it either interrupt or cross fade with the piece already playing. Since I could have more than one piece playing at a time, I also made "stingers" that could just be laid over the top of another piece. It was important to experiment with all the possible combinations that the game might come up with to ensure no horrible, unintended clashes. Most of the time it worked pretty well.

(Plus here's a GDC talk from 2002, both found on Wikipedia, sorry)

Music in Destiny

by kapowaz, Sunday, June 09, 2013, 09:47 (3983 days ago) @ zumphry

Martin O'Donnell: Well, what you're describing is the approach that film composers take when scoring movies. Of course making this happen during an interactive section of the game rather than just during the cut scenes does take some extra thought and work. I sat with the level designers and "spotted" the level as though it was a movie, with the knowledge that the music would have to be malleable rather than static. I had a system that would allow the game to trigger the start, the stop and a transition within each piece of music. I tend to write and produce linear music, pieces that have a beginning, middle and end. Sort of like almost all other music ever written perhaps? All I needed was a way to extend, contract or vary the middle section in real time.

The results were at times spectacular, and really contributed to the epic feeling of being part of an extraordinary narrative. One moment always stands out for me, and I'm sent back to it whenever I play the piece ‘One Final Effort’ from the soundtrack. As you come to the conclusion of level 8, you are confronted by two scarabs; as you destroy the final scarab the music rises to match. Just brilliant.

Here's hoping we'll have similar signature moments in Destiny.

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^This is what I referring to

by ZackDark @, Not behind you. NO! Don't look., Sunday, June 09, 2013, 09:48 (3983 days ago) @ zumphry

Not exactly what I thought he had said when I wrote that, but yeah.

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Music in Destiny

by Pyromancy @, discovering fire every week, Monday, June 10, 2013, 00:42 (3982 days ago) @ Xenos

Recent social posting from MartyTheElder: "Market research: If you enjoyed 1 min of new music, how about 50?"

This could be in regards to anything, not necessarily Destiny. You decide.

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Music in Destiny

by General Vagueness @, The Vault of Sass, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, 14:59 (3967 days ago) @ Xenos

I want to at least be able to turn the music off; I'd prefer low/med/high/off settings for music, voices, and SFX
oh, customizable controls while you're at it >_>

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Music in Destiny

by Kermit @, Raleigh, NC, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, 15:13 (3967 days ago) @ General Vagueness

I want to at least be able to turn the music off; I'd prefer low/med/high/off settings for music, voices, and SFX
oh, customizable controls while you're at it >_>

I'm not rehashing this debate with you, but I trust the audio team at Bungie completely. Part of the reason I buy Bungie games is for the superior quality of the aural experience. In other words, the mix is not a customizable option--it's part of the art we're buying.

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Music in Destiny

by General Vagueness @, The Vault of Sass, Sunday, June 30, 2013, 16:23 (3962 days ago) @ Kermit

I want to at least be able to turn the music off; I'd prefer low/med/high/off settings for music, voices, and SFX
oh, customizable controls while you're at it >_>


I'm not rehashing this debate with you, but I trust the audio team at Bungie completely. Part of the reason I buy Bungie games is for the superior quality of the aural experience. In other words, the mix is not a customizable option--it's part of the art we're buying.

It's not about trusting them, it's about everyone not having the same preferences. Besides, if customization is such a big focus, it just makes sense to let us customize the sound and controls.

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Music in Destiny

by Kermit @, Raleigh, NC, Sunday, June 30, 2013, 18:51 (3962 days ago) @ General Vagueness

I want to at least be able to turn the music off; I'd prefer low/med/high/off settings for music, voices, and SFX
oh, customizable controls while you're at it >_>


I'm not rehashing this debate with you, but I trust the audio team at Bungie completely. Part of the reason I buy Bungie games is for the superior quality of the aural experience. In other words, the mix is not a customizable option--it's part of the art we're buying.


It's not about trusting them, it's about everyone not having the same preferences. Besides, if customization is such a big focus, it just makes sense to let us customize the sound and controls.

No, it doesn't.

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Music in Destiny

by General Vagueness @, The Vault of Sass, Monday, July 01, 2013, 09:50 (3961 days ago) @ Kermit

I want to at least be able to turn the music off; I'd prefer low/med/high/off settings for music, voices, and SFX
oh, customizable controls while you're at it >_>


I'm not rehashing this debate with you, but I trust the audio team at Bungie completely. Part of the reason I buy Bungie games is for the superior quality of the aural experience. In other words, the mix is not a customizable option--it's part of the art we're buying.


It's not about trusting them, it's about everyone not having the same preferences. Besides, if customization is such a big focus, it just makes sense to let us customize the sound and controls.


No, it doesn't.

I don't see how, but OK. What about the other part, about people being different? The ability to make small changes can produce a large increase in satisfaction.

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Music in Destiny

by Kermit @, Raleigh, NC, Monday, July 01, 2013, 11:22 (3961 days ago) @ General Vagueness

I want to at least be able to turn the music off; I'd prefer low/med/high/off settings for music, voices, and SFX
oh, customizable controls while you're at it >_>


I'm not rehashing this debate with you, but I trust the audio team at Bungie completely. Part of the reason I buy Bungie games is for the superior quality of the aural experience. In other words, the mix is not a customizable option--it's part of the art we're buying.


It's not about trusting them, it's about everyone not having the same preferences. Besides, if customization is such a big focus, it just makes sense to let us customize the sound and controls.


No, it doesn't.


I don't see how, but OK. What about the other part, about people being different? The ability to make small changes can produce a large increase in satisfaction.

We've been over this. I understand the desire for the features, and you'll have no trouble finding people who agree with you. I also understand the desire of developers to not relinquish control over some aspects of the experience they are building for us. They are hired precisely for their talent in creating spaces that provide these experiences. (Needless to say, for me, the aural space they create is inseparable from other elements.) There's a reason they're making characters customizable--to give you a unique identity, personality, and so on. That reasoning does not and practically cannot apply to every aspect of the game.

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Music in Destiny

by General Vagueness @, The Vault of Sass, Tuesday, July 02, 2013, 12:06 (3960 days ago) @ Kermit
edited by General Vagueness, Tuesday, July 02, 2013, 12:14

We've been over this. I understand the desire for the features, and you'll have no trouble finding people who agree with you. I also understand the desire of developers to not relinquish control over some aspects of the experience they are building for us. They are hired precisely for their talent in creating spaces that provide these experiences. (Needless to say, for me, the aural space they create is inseparable from other elements.) There's a reason they're making characters customizable--to give you a unique identity, personality, and so on. That reasoning does not and practically cannot apply to every aspect of the game.

I didn't say anything about every aspect of the game, just the volume of different things and the controls.
While I'm thinking of it, in single-player, and campaign-type co-op if it exists, it would be nice to be able to save without quitting and quit without saving (along with a "save and quit" option).

Music in Destiny

by Claude Errera @, Tuesday, July 02, 2013, 12:34 (3960 days ago) @ General Vagueness

We've been over this. I understand the desire for the features, and you'll have no trouble finding people who agree with you. I also understand the desire of developers to not relinquish control over some aspects of the experience they are building for us. They are hired precisely for their talent in creating spaces that provide these experiences. (Needless to say, for me, the aural space they create is inseparable from other elements.) There's a reason they're making characters customizable--to give you a unique identity, personality, and so on. That reasoning does not and practically cannot apply to every aspect of the game.


I didn't say anything about every aspect of the game, just the volume of different things and the controls.
While I'm thinking of it, in single-player, and campaign-type co-op if it exists, it would be nice to be able to save without quitting and quit without saving (along with a "save and quit" option).

Um... nobody seems willing to walk away from this, so let me help.

GV - you've made your point; you think we should have control over more audio features than Bungie has been willing to give its users up to this point in its history. Kermit has tried to explain why he's fine with NOT having this control. You clearly don't agree with each other... but everyone else (and probably even the two of you) understand EXACTLY where the other person stands, and what the arguments are. It's not going to be solved here on this forum (or on any forum) - so unless you're going to offer something that HASN'T been offered before (rather than simply reiterating the arguments you've put forth a whole bunch of times now)... maybe it's time to simply drop it.

(The 'quit without saving' option is something Mig has been pushing for for years and years and years; again, this argument has been made DIRECTLY TO THE BUNGIE EMPLOYEES RESPONSIBLE FOR UI - if they continue to release games without the option, it's not because they don't know we want it, it's because they've decided there are other places to spend their time. Continuing to ask the same thing over and over will not endear you to the people you're trying to influence.)

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