100 replies to this topic

[Orzorn]

We've all heard it, we all love it (well, you'd better!). The music of Mechwarrior 2 and Mechwarrior 2 Mercenaries (And hey, let's not forget about Ghost Bear's Legacy) is some of the best music I'e ever had blessing of touching my eardrums.

The music of a game sets its entire feel, style, and atmosphere. Bad music can ruin the feeling of a game, while good music can intensify any situation. If there is any Mechwarrior game that attempts to completely immerse the player, it will have to be MWO (we already get immersed every day while seeing the ISN feeds, talking crap to the other Houses on the forums, and discussing the mechs). Music will be critical to the feeling of MWO.

So what's it going to be, gents? Do you have a preference for the music that we're going to hear? Do you have a prefered composer?

Personally, I want a good mix of the style of music we heard in Mechwarrior 2 (And Mercs).

Music like this sets me in a trance, and pulls me into the game unlike any other game has ever managed to do (Besides Morrowind and Doom). I put on a serious face, but my mind is totally at ease. Like I said, the music is almost trance-like.

Then we go to the other extreme of the Mercs music.

Much of the music from Mercs was hard hitting and awesome. It got your heart pumping and made you feel like a god on a throne made from autocannons and slabs of armor. You really felt like a gritty mercenary tearing his way across the battlefield for a couple of c-bills.

I'd like to hear both styles in MWO, and I would love if Jehuun Hwang (The composer of all the Mechwarrior 2, GBL, Mercs music) made a return for the project. I think he truly put his mark on Mechwarrior forever. When I think of any Mechwarrior game, his music instantly comes to mind. Striding through the sands of Colmar just wouldn't have been the same.

[HanaYuriko]

It's difficult to pick any type of music. I sat here for a while thinking about it. Perhaps DeadMau5 or Skrillix. 21st century music for a 31st century game. But pure electronica can become really annoying real fast.

The hard part is you need to write music that fits the pacing of the game. Just as the music itself sets the mood of any given scene. It's why in most movies you have the music track composed after filming and editing is (mostly) complete.

For MWO we're going to be looking at different environments. There'd have to be music tailored to each environment type. Plus we have little idea of how the pacing will be. One of the Devs tweeted a while ago that it takes a long time to cross a map in an Atlas, so it's a good bet that we'll be in lumbering, walking tanks. Howerver movement is only part of the pacing. How about weapon cycle times? The size and scale of the interactive environment? These and a few more aspects of the game will come into play before good audio track can be composed.

Also for music to set the mood, it'll have to change depending on what's going on. The tone set by the music would be vastly different from when you first load up on an alien world to when you spot your first enemy contact, to the point that you're in the middle of a heated battle. That's at least three scores to compose. The different 'mechs you can pilot could also effect the music playing in the background. Will they need to have a score for walking fortress like the Atlas and a different faster paced piece for the nimble Jenner? What kind of sounds would best suit a support 'mech like the Catapult? Each individual unit doesn't need its own score, but there are basic elements that are shared by a number of designs. And if it isn't the mech you're piloting, what about the 'mech you're TARGETING? Could the music suddenly change when your system detects something a lot more dangerous than you are?

[autogyro]

I'd rather have no music than something like dubstep. It's not about what's popular music now - this is exactly how you'll get dated music in about 3 years time.

MW2 had great music because it fit the style really well. I don't want any commercial stuff in Mechwarrior. Orchestral and tribal are proven winners. That's what we should stick to, if we are to have music, in my opinion.

[Orzorn]

HanaYuriko, on 27 January 2012 - 09:25 PM, said:

Perhaps DeadMau5 or Skrillix.

I threw up in my mouth a little.

Quote

Also for music to set the mood, it'll have to change depending on what's going on. The tone set by the music would be vastly different from when you first load up on an alien world to when you spot your first enemy contact, to the point that you're in the middle of a heated battle. That's at least three scores to compose. The different 'mechs you can pilot could also effect the music playing in the background. Will they need to have a score for walking fortress like the Atlas and a different faster paced piece for the nimble Jenner? What kind of sounds would best suit a support 'mech like the Catapult? Each individual unit doesn't need its own score, but there are basic elements that are shared by a number of designs. And if it isn't the mech you're piloting, what about the 'mech you're TARGETING? Could the music suddenly change when your system detects something a lot more dangerous than you are?

Starcraft 2 had a system for this. It had several tracks that were cut up and could dynamically be put back in any order by the game engine. It had a detection system that noticed the flow and pace of the game and changed the music based on that, so that the music would switch to faster, bolder tracks as the game ramped up.

As for tailoring to the environment, Mechwarrior 2 definitely did that. Tracks like

were used for desert environments a lot, while tracks like

were used for slow night missions.

Edited by Orzorn, 27 January 2012 - 09:44 PM.

[FACEman Peck]

If the game music is going to be techno or dubstep, I'm gonna freakin cry, that is the worst music in the world.

[Godzilla Enthusiast]

Most likely I'll end up turning off the default music and replace it with various pop starlets tunes of the day.

[DRevD]

[Tannhauser Gate]

All the music for MW's previous titles were good for those games and those times but, seriously, we expect more now. Sure it would be fun to have a couple of classic MW tracks in the game but Im sure MWO will have its own music that rises to the same level of quality that PGI has set for everything else.

No rock, hip hop, industrial, electronica, or anything thats going to date this game. If you want that, play it yourself. MWO needs timeless, vast, orchestral, theme music. Too bad PGI couldnt get John Williams.

Edited by LakeDaemon, 27 January 2012 - 10:12 PM.

[Edward Radenovic-Espinueva]

I second Orzorn's music selection I still listen to MW2: Merc soundtracks when playing FPS or MMO. I also agree with FACEman Peck, NO techno or dubstep, even though I do listen to techno and trance. It does not go with the feel of mechwarrior mercenary grit, maybe stinky gundams.

[Orzorn]

LakeDaemon, on 27 January 2012 - 10:10 PM, said:

All the music for MW's previous titles were good for those games and those times but, seriously, we expect more now. Sure it would be fun to have a couple of classic MW tracks in the game but Im sure MWO will have its own music that rises to the same level of quality that PGI has set for everything else.

Agreed. I used MW2 music as an example because its the best mech related music I've ever heard, and its also my favorite video game music of all time, even compared to the new stuff. The main point being that if PGI wants to be the best MW game of all time, its going to have to beat the best MW music of all time.

Quote

No rock, hip hop, industrial, electronica, or anything thats going to date this game. If you want that, play it yourself. MWO needs timeless, vast, orchestral, theme music. Too bad PGI couldnt get John Williams.

Like I said, I think Jehuun should be given a second swing. His music for MW2 and all its versions are the quintessential MW music, and he's still in the music industry and has went on to make music for many games and films. The best part of all of this? Mechwarrior 2 was his first real gig in the industry. I think its only appropriate that his career goes full circle, and he comes back to where he started it all.

[HanaYuriko]

Orzorn, on 27 January 2012 - 09:43 PM, said:

I threw up in my mouth a little.

You forgot the sentence that followed what you quoted:

But pure electronica can become really annoying real fast.

-edit-
Not all electronica is Dubstep. And a lot of music from MW2 is electronica. Some techno and trance fusion in the examples that were posted.

Edited by HanaYuriko, 27 January 2012 - 11:32 PM.

[ice trey]

While I don't think that this game will have the budget to really afford any really impressive orchestras, I think that Mechwarrior 2 got the idea right, overall - the music didn't have to be played by an orchestra to be powerful and atmospheric. Hell, to this day, the Mario Brothers' theme song is engraved in the collective consciousness of the majority of the developed world.

But that's just it - orchestrated or not, MWO needs music that fits the setting, and music that is original to this game. I find that music can be far more timeless than graphics, so better to work on making a great soundtrack that sticks with you than breaking the bank to license a song by Limp Bizkit or Korn which doesn't come close to fitting the setting.

[Morquedeas]

This is a very big issue for me. The music in the mechwarrior 2 games could not have been better.

I cannot stress enough how much it would mean to me if they were to re-hire the maker of the the mechwarrior 2 musics, Jeehun Hwang. I know this guy is still out there and probably wouldn't mind getting hired.

Honestly I do not think anything could be as fitting to the Mechwarrior franchise as the musical stylings of Jeehun Hwang.

Lets make it happen.

Edited by Morquedeas, 28 January 2012 - 01:48 AM.

[Duncan Jr Fischer]

Soundtrack in MW2 was fantastic and I still listen to it quite often! Can't say anything similar about MW 3 and 4, as their tracks were mostly incoherent and boring, for myself I left only a couple of tracks. MechCommander had awesome ambient sound, but music hadn't that much variety and was pretty quickly getting to nerves)
So, if there should be music in MWO, please, aim for the MW2 soundtrack level) Music is a half of the atmosphere)

[VoxeL]

A good option would be to mix of modern electronics, classical and drum parts (as an example - the drummers from "Yamato" and "Stomp"). But please everyone is impossible.

Soundtracks are ideal for commercials, intros, credits, background in the menu, and the other insets. But I would not want to listen to soundtracks during the battle.

Very good soundtrack, which almost did not get bored, have the following producers:

• Michael McCann - "Deus Ex: Human Revolution", "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent" and others. [by the way, he's from Canada!]
  
• Solar Fields - "Mirror's Edge" and others.
  
• Hans Zimmer - "Inception" and moar others.
  
• Amon Tobin — "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory" and others.
  
• Your options are.

Here is a sample video with a similar theme (modern electronics):





By the way, Noisia already have experience with video games ("Gran Turismo 5").


Other examples of video:
Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Cinematic Trailer
Keloid Trailer - A Short Film by BLR

[Undead]

Agree that MW2/Mercs had it right. This game needs an epic orchestral soundtrack with a good stompy beat. Please god no dubstep. Random wub wub + mechs does not mix.

I'm a bit confused by people saying no techno/electronica/industrial though (some of which does make heavy use of orchestral elements believe it or not). About 1/2 the mercs soundtrack could be considered industrial, and even the orchestral tracks in MW2 made heavy use of electronic elements and used a lot of synthesizers. Personally I think electronica is a great fit mixed w/ the orchestral stuff, as it generally has a steady robot-esque drum beat and often uses a lot of mechanical sounding elements, perfect for stomping around in a mech imo.

As long as we get an original score and don't use actual songs from actual bands I think we'll have a winner. I don't want to be in the middle of a tense scenario and all of a sudden here "GYEEEAAAH DAWG BUST A CAP!!!" in the background.

Edited by Undead, 28 January 2012 - 06:16 AM.

[Commraid]

I have not played MW2 but I MUST suggest the main MC2 tune for the intro and dramatic moments.



I think it will work well in cinematics that explain the lore and setting.

Edited by Commraid, 28 January 2012 - 06:20 AM.

[rollermint]

I prefer a fusion of orchestral/tribal and whatever-genre-you-like. It usually ends up pretty damn epic, be it rock, electronica, techno, industrial. We've seen this in the previous MW already so I don't know why some people are against it in this thread but then went on to say they like the MW2 stuffs.

[Der BruzZzler von Wiesndoof]

Hopefully it'll be like this...MW Music must be dramatic and warlike. No metal-crap pls. I like metal, but not in Mechwarrior.
I like the martial and dramatic soundtrack by (G.Alper/J.Hwang) of the old MW2 clan game. It fits perfectly to Mechwarrior. The metal-style soundtrack of MW2 mercs isn't so good in my opinion.
Some examples...

Confrontation (Mission: Armor Veil)


Race against Time (Mission: Arkham Bridge)


Retalation (Mission: Redemtion)
http://www.youtube.c...n&v=85I4YhUt2fo

[empath]

Two words;



Jeehun Hwang








That, or maybe get some Theras and Her Red Deltas going...