We need more Classic music and latin music(with Choir) in RPG and in Video games in general

[Lyric Suite]

I hate the mandatory epic orchestral themes of high fantasy RPGs. I rather would like a RPG with the soundtrack from the opus of György Ligeti.

And here comes the retardation.

Imagine playing the prologue in Icewind Dale to this fucking shit:

I see that your brain is not enough developed to appreciate contemporary classical music.

More like you don't even know what you don't know.

Compositional ability is only half the story. Ligeti's micropolyphonic work is good only for one thing: horror space music because that's the only kind of feeling that music can actually evoke.

Art is not just a vehicle to prove the ingenuity of a given individual. It doesn't matter that Jeremy Soule is a mere dilettante compared to Ligeti the art of the latter, devoted as it is to expressing the inhumam or infra-human, simply isn't appropriate for the kind of experience the game was going for.

 

[Darth Canoli]

I hate the mandatory epic orchestral themes of high fantasy RPGs. I rather would like a RPG with the soundtrack from the opus of György Ligeti.

And here comes the retardation.

Imagine playing the prologue in Icewind Dale to this fucking shit:

I see that your brain is not enough developed to appreciate contemporary classical music.

I can only answer you this:

Spoiler

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Spoiler

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[Bruma Hobo]

Ah shit, here we go again.

 

[Casual Hero]

I hate the mandatory epic orchestral themes of high fantasy RPGs. I rather would like a RPG with the soundtrack from the opus of György Ligeti.

I definitely feel this. Orchestras have their place of course, but I do wish more modern RPGs tried to break that pattern. Even just the use of a smaller ensemble gives things such a different tone (think of Arcanum with its string quartet).

 

[Lyric Suite]

The problem is that you can't get away from Romantic music in fantasy settings because the latter were inspired by the first and not the other way around.

You have two options: use period music which is often incomprehensible to people today, or use Romantic music (the real kind) because it was intended for this kind of thing right from the beginning. To wit: Wagner.

Hell, fantasy is basically Romanticism in fiction in the first place. The neo-gothic revival of 19th century is the origin of modern fantasy and 19th century music fits into that:

 

[rusty_shackleford]

use metal music because nerds are losers lmao

 

[Dycedarg]

About the OP, I think there are plenty of options besides classical music, even though it could possibly work. You even mentioned two games whose soundtrack you liked, but neither has either classical or latin music. I would also add that most squaresoft games have pretty good soundtracks, with Chrono Cross being one of my favorites with pieces like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG7fr4CYer8
or this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDbfOdvFBrA
or this one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoEMaWrQBQM

I think a good first to making a good soundtrack, be it for videogames or movies, is trying to convey some kind of emotion with the pieces you are composing. This might seem pretty basic, and some people with more knowledge about music may think I'm way out of line, but many western games seem to be aiming for something else. Like they are trying to make the music not stand out at all. And it can't be simply a matter of budget, since YS games have great soundtracks all around.

 

[Atrachasis]

You have two options: use period music which is often incomprehensible to people today, or use Romantic music (the real kind) because it was intended for this kind of thing right from the beginning. To wit: Wagner

Third option, which is what most people in this thread are actually thinking of when they mistakenly speak of Classical music: use ambient music with orchestral textures. Actual Western Classical music (esp. that of the Romantic age), being based on progression of themes and harmonies and patterns of tension and release, is ill-suited as background soundtrack, which requires a fairly constant mood, consistent with the game state.

If you are really serious about Wagner as an option for a game soundtrack, you'd better design the game to fit the music. "Tristan and Isolde, the RPG"? Let's pitch it to Iron Tower!

Can't really think of too many succesful examples in games beyond short snippets in isolated situations. Loom made fairly good, consistent use of some lighter bits of Tchaikovsky, though.

 

[fantadomat]

use metal music because nerds are losers lmao

 

[warcrimes666]

I agree that Arcanum had some very evocative and expressive music. Also much of what has been posted is excellent. Currently for me, I'm often just playing my own mix in the background depending on the game and that's never been easier given our level of access today. There are so many variables involved with game production with the final variable being each player's subjective experience that I believe it's quite difficult to achieve a uniform excellence and near universal acclaim.

Each morning, I pray for a return to battle and so these two particular pieces form a cornerstone for anything whereby many must fall by the sword. Currently with Battle Brothers where they work very well:





I will also share this channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRu51EOh8ZT6HQL2UV0z2OA which is a very well curated selection that I use often when playing things like pathfinder.

Also, deus vult.

 

[The Jester]

We need games with Orthodox Cherubikon.

 

[Lyric Suite]

You have two options: use period music which is often incomprehensible to people today, or use Romantic music (the real kind) because it was intended for this kind of thing right from the beginning. To wit: Wagner

Third option, which is what most people in this thread are actually thinking of when they mistakenly speak of Classical music: use ambient music with orchestral textures. Actual Western Classical music (esp. that of the Romantic age), being based on progression of themes and harmonies and patterns of tension and release, is ill-suited as background soundtrack, which requires a fairly constant mood, consistent with the game state.

If you are really serious about Wagner as an option for a game soundtrack, you'd better design the game to fit the music. "Tristan and Isolde, the RPG"? Let's pitch it to Iron Tower!

Can't really think of too many succesful examples in games beyond short snippets in isolated situations. Loom made fairly good, consistent use of some lighter bits of Tchaikovsky, though.

I wasn't suggesting actual classical compositions, was talking about the style.

Orchestral music has become generic only because it is made generic by unispired composers. But there is a reason why Romantic music works so well with fantasy which has i said has to do with the fact this music was intended precisely to evoke the feelings of ancient castles, neo-gothic themes and virgin nature and all that kind of stuff the Romantics were obsessed with:



The soundtrack of Arcanum is no exception since the style is that of late Romantic quartet writing:



Fantasy music nowadays is only has uninspired as fantasy itself and has to do with modern devs being retards and not the style having become tired in itself.

 

[Lyric Suite]

use metal music because nerds are losers lmao

Retarded.

 

[Tavernking]

Ancient music too, please

Yeah that was cool and all but the first thing I did when I played that mod was replace the music with the original game's soundtrack. You just can't beat it. No game has topped it.

 

[vazha]

No game has topped it eh? Go play the FIRST Medieval: Total War, my sweet child.

 

[Tavernking]

No game has topped it eh? Go play the FIRST Medieval: Total War, my sweet child.

Ah that's also great. Can't believe they stopped using Jeff van Dyck.

 

[Lurker47]

You guys are gay.

 

[Tavernking]

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Fantasy General did it right.

 

[PirateScum]

We need a reincarnation of Kirill Pokrovsky!




Some noteworthy others:

 

[Tavernking]

The problem is that you can't get away from Romantic music in fantasy settings because the latter were inspired by the first and not the other way around.

You have two options: use period music which is often incomprehensible to people today, or use Romantic music (the real kind) because it was intended for this kind of thing right from the beginning. To wit: Wagner.

Hell, fantasy is basically Romanticism in fiction in the first place. The neo-gothic revival of 19th century is the origin of modern fantasy and 19th century music fits into that:

I'm just envisioning using Wagner music in my game now. This coupled with the fact that I only have white people in my game because multiple races are unnecessary and time consuming, and the fact that males get a strength bonus compared to females because I think it'll make for some interesting playstyle variations, is painting such a bad picture. I think I would die if anyone knew my irl identity

 

[Rincewind]

I am a bit surprised no one has mentioned Heilung yet. Their music would be the perfect soundtrack for some nordic/viking themed game (or any barbaric/tribal/shamanistic low-fantasy setting, for that matter). That actually reminds me, why don't we have more low-fantasy/low-magic games taking place in barbaric universes? Strangely enough, the general atmosphere of Planescape Torment and Fallout comes closest to what I have in mind...



The whole show is worth watching, it literally reprograms your mind!

 

[fantadomat]

Heilung

Yeah,they do make a good show,same as wardruna,korpiklaani and faun. But non of them is a fucking classical music,educate yourself peasant.

 

[Rincewind]

Heilung

Yeah,they do make a good show,same as wardruna,korpiklaani and faun. But non of them is a fucking classical music,educate yourself peasant.

Sure it's not. But we kinda started talking about music in general here. E.g. gregorian chants are not classical neither many of the game OSTs posted here. Just sayin'. Also, if you wanna be that strict about it, most of the works posted here are symphonic, but not actually "classical"... 99% of symphonic movie & game soundtracks have actually very little to do with proper classical music.