Development Info Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous Kickstarter Update #75: Dev Diary #1 - Recording a Live Orchestra

[Infinitron]

Tags: Owlcat Games; Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous

One of the stretch goals during the Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous Kickstarter campaign last year was for an enhanced soundtrack with selected themes performed by a live symphony orchestra. Today Owlcat published a video about the making of that soundtrack, apparently the first in a series of developer diaries they've produced. It features appearances from their head of publishing, audio director and composers, alongside various staff from the Baltic Symphony Orchestra in Saint Petersburg. They also released a video of the orchestra performing the game's main theme. Both are included in the latest Kickstarter update. The dev diary is entirely in Russian, so be sure to turn on subtitles.

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Some interesting details here, especially from the orchestra's sound director. Also, it's nice to see a game that didn't record its soundtrack at that orchestra in Budapest.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

"well, the companions are all terrible and we keep adding more useless, unfinished classes/archetypes. What should we do now?"
"Time to go hire an orchestra."

 

[Nano]

Waste of resources.

 

[Heroic Liberator]

Waste of resources.

The sound design matters too, chaver.

 

[Nano]

The sound design matters too, chaver.

A good video game soundtrack can be made by a composer just sitting at his computer.

 

[Heroic Liberator]

The sound design matters too, chaver.

A good video game soundtrack can be made by a composer just sitting at his computer.

Sure, but a composer just sitting at his computer cannot replicate the sound of a live orchestra being recorded.

Not that the latter is necessary for a good soundtrack, mind you. Owlcat just picked some Kickstarter stretch goals that were feasible to deliver and which wouldn't go over the budget reached through donations.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Waste of resources.

The sound design matters too, chaver.

The music is already fine.
What's not fine is the fanfic-tier companions and unfinished classes with many unimplemented abilities from the pnp. I don't have high hopes that either of these will be fixed before release.

 

[Heroic Liberator]

Waste of resources.

The sound design matters too, chaver.

The music is already fine.
What's not fine is the fanfic-tier companions and unfinished classes with many unimplemented abilities from the pnp. I don't have high hopes that either of these will be fixed before release.

And do you think that there would've been a change for the better in that regard had they picked some goal related to the game systems rather than some fancy orchestra which is purely outsourced and paid with a set amount of money upfront?

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Waste of resources.

The sound design matters too, chaver.

The music is already fine.
What's not fine is the fanfic-tier companions and unfinished classes with many unimplemented abilities from the pnp. I don't have high hopes that either of these will be fixed before release.

And do you think that there would've been a change for the better in that regard had they picked some goal related to the game systems rather than some fancy orchestra which is purely outsourced and paid with a set amount of money upfront?

I don't think it was a wise idea to make orchestra music a stretch goal at all.

 

[Humanophage]

The quality of companions doesn't really depend on funding.

The orchestra is likely not very expensive, since it's Russia and it has an overabundance of poor classical musicians. At least they get to sponsor some nice intelligent cultured people.

 

[PrettyDeadman]

A lot of decline-infused troglodytes are trying to slander the second coming of rpgchrist.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

A lot of decline-infused troglodytes are trying to slander the second coming of rpgchrist.

I'd place WotR slightly above deadfire.
If the same exact product was being made by obsidian, those defending it would be hating on it.

 

[Axioms]

Imagine making a Pathfinder RPG without Investigator but adding dumb shit like skalds and witches. Absolutely bonkers.

 

[Darkozric]

People that do not know how to read a fucking musical note are judging a whole orchestra...

 

[Spectacle]

Orchestral music just doesn't sound right if the orchestra isn't wearing formal clothes.

 

[underground nymph]

Saw some letsplay recently, gosh it’s boring. Dragons and demons fucking each other at some party. The definition of cringe and immature writing.

 

[covr]

Fuck you all, I love that new sound and choir parts are great. It is clearly a labor of love.

 

[Iluvcheezcake]

You all need Jesus

 

[Nano]

Choir fags.

 

[catfood]

Imagine preferring live orchestra over MIDI.

 

[Roguey]

Amused that the people in the main theme video are wearing the same entry-level Sennheiser cans I have. They hurt my ears if I wear them for more than a hour. :\

As for the theme itself, well it's a fantasy RPG theme all right.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

So has anyone seen any gameplay? TB or RTWP?

 

[The_Mask]

So has anyone seen any gameplay? TB or RTWP?

Both.

The encounters are designed with RtwP in mind, but you can ramp up the difficulty to where you would need to TB to get away with minimal damage.

Everyone is pleased as far as that goes.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

So has anyone seen any gameplay? TB or RTWP?

it's in beta and it's mediocre
owlshills are in deep denial right now, it's looking like deadfire #2

enjoyed my playthroughs of the solasta and BG3 EAs way more

 

[Flying Dutchman]

it's in beta and it's mediocre
owlshills are in deep denial right now, it's looking like deadfire #2

enjoyed my playthroughs of the solasta and BG3 EAs way more

I would pay for you to do more game reviews.