Pathfinder Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous Beta Thread [GAME RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

[Delterius]

jeremy soule must be stopped

 

[AwesomeButton]

They are generic video game music, but it obviously has themes. They are not compositions but very rare for games to genuinely compose. Best you can expect is good tracks like so:

How is this a music piece for a fantasy themed game?

What I mean by good theme music is for example Dragon Age Origins - it has a number of good renditions of the same theme across the soundtrack. That was good music with themes that stick. Hitman 2 Silent Assassin had good and memorable themes. The Kingmaker main menu theme is also good theme music.

Classical music, example of memorable themes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgfadn40tLg (Scheherezade) , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ziyKXHI4ww (Dick's Maggot)

Notice that it gets you from the first bars. And no, you don't have to be Rimsky-Korsakov to compose a good theme, catchy themes are produced all the time. I think games are doing it this way by design, and I don't understand why.

 

[Delterius]

trickster theme screams circus + a nightmare before christmas

aeon, the guy with space time powers, is a metronome that imposes the stillness of the monad

demon is the hell march

how are these not themes wtf bro

 

[Daidre]

nd since majority of the RPGamers are boys, they tend to be very competitive about being coolest Men in the story and feel annoyed and/or subconsciously threatened when someone else constantly shown as too capable, smart or sexy for their comfort zone (which varies wildly from player to player).

You can see this design philosophy in generations of Bioware's character-heavy games - for male character to be competent in what in essence a power trip for the player, he should have some prominent defect: evil like Sarevok and Canderous, childish and crazy like Edwin or just too alien in face or culture to compete - like Sten or Garrus. Strange enough, dwarfs are usually allowed to have some healthy measure of masculinity (shorties?).

So yeah, we were stuck with a male-half-party of whiners, forever-betas, pretty boys and spineless immature idiots long before developers started sucking up to SJWs (may those rot in hell).

Yeah right, and Keldorn is a piece of shit that nobody liked, right?

With all my sympathy for him and his busted Dispel, now is a right time for a mandatory reminder that Keldorn is, in fact, a cuckold.

That is the length Bioware needed to go to disqualify man with Sean Connery's face.

 

[AwesomeButton]

With all my sympathy for him and his busted Dispel, that is a right time for the mandatory reminder that Keldorn is a cuckold.

That is the distance Bioware needed to go to disqualify man with Sean Connery's face.

It's not a tragedy that befalls him that defines him, it's how he reacts to that tragedy and overcomes it.

 

[Desiderius]

Thank you for the info lads! I was planning to make a Steelblood Bloodrager build (Steelblood because I like how armor looks), possibly as a Two-Hander / Reach build, but I'm not extremely familiar with the class. What's a good setup that would allow me to have decent AC while dishing out damage with self-buffed weapon attacks?

It kind of takes care of itself. Just read the various options as you level. Hybrid classes don’t really need splashes and are the most hurt by them so just stick to your class.

Armor Training let’s you get the most bang for your buck with Heavy Armor and you can also cast Shield and Mirror Image in yourself so should probably go two-handed. The Glaive you get early should last you for awhile and Seelah wants Shield.

 

[AwesomeButton]

trickster theme screams circus + a nightmare before christmas

aeon, the guy with space time powers, is a metronome that imposes the stillness of the monad

demon is the hell march

how are these not themes wtf bro

Ok, I admit the trickster theme was the only one that stood out, and I still think they were overdoing it somewhat, but ok. It's good and I can return to it and listen it again and still like it.

 

[FreeKaner]

How is this a music piece for a fantasy themed game?

What I mean by good theme music is for example Dragon Age Origins - it has a number of good renditions of the same theme across the soundtrack. That was good music with themes that stick. Hitman 2 Silent Assassin had good and memorable themes. The Kingmaker main menu theme is also good theme music.

Classical music, example of memorable themes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgfadn40tLg (Scheherezade) , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ziyKXHI4ww (Dick's Maggot)

Notice that it gets you from the first bars. And no, you don't have to be Rimsky-Korsakov to compose a good theme, catchy themes are produced all the time. I think games are doing it this way by design, and I don't understand why.

If your expectations for themes is Russian romantics, you are going to be very disappointed indeed.

The themes aren't very well composed, but they have themes. Instrumentation selection isn't the only thing that represent themes, modern music can represent particular themes. I chose that track from vermintide on purpose, because it doesn't use "period-appropriate" instruments, (though medieval fantasy games rarely do, pianos and violins aren't medieval).



This for example, clearly communicates an emotion and a space. It represents an invasion and a collapse. It doesn't sound what you expect of "medieval fantasy" (I.E an imitation of Romantic music or sometimes Baroque music). Yet there is clearly a theme there.

 

[Delterius]

trickster theme screams circus + a nightmare before christmas

aeon, the guy with space time powers, is a metronome that imposes the stillness of the monad

demon is the hell march

how are these not themes wtf bro

Ok, I admit the trickster theme was the only one that stood out, and I still think they were overdoing it somewhat, but ok. It's good and I can return to it and listen it again and still like it.

once again, trickster confirmed best path

no discussion required, only a friend reminding another friend of the light of the trickster

 

[AwesomeButton]

This for example, clearly communicates an emotion and a space. It doesn't sound what you expect of "medieval fantasy" (I.E an imitation of Romantic music or sometimes Baroque music). Yet there is clearly a theme there.

I'm only half-joking but if I make all these concessions, why not substitute all of Vermintide's music for Quake II soundtrack? The genre is the same anyway

Edit: I never said fantasy-themed games should have medieval music or use medieval instruments. Symphonic orchestra is fine for fantasy and just as able to present the emotion of a space as a synthesizer, I think.

 

[Testownia]

trickster theme screams circus + a nightmare before christmas

aeon, the guy with space time powers, is a metronome that imposes the stillness of the monad

demon is the hell march

how are these not themes wtf bro

Ok, I admit the trickster theme was the only one that stood out, and I still think they were overdoing it somewhat, but ok. It's good and I can return to it and listen it again and still like it.

once again, trickster confirmed best path

no discussion required, only a friend reminding another friend of the light of the trickster

Trickster, I'd say, is the best aesthetics-wise, in terms of the nimb surrounding him. Accomplishments-wise, though, Aeon is ridiculously ahead of everyone else.

 

[Delterius]

trickster theme screams circus + a nightmare before christmas

aeon, the guy with space time powers, is a metronome that imposes the stillness of the monad

demon is the hell march

how are these not themes wtf bro

Ok, I admit the trickster theme was the only one that stood out, and I still think they were overdoing it somewhat, but ok. It's good and I can return to it and listen it again and still like it.

once again, trickster confirmed best path

no discussion required, only a friend reminding another friend of the light of the trickster

Trickster, I'd say, is the best aesthetics-wise, in terms of the nimb surrounding him. Accomplishments-wise, though, Aeon is ridiculously ahead of everyone else.

no spoilers some people here want to have fun (not me i already know everything but i'll still press citation needed button)

 

[FreeKaner]

This for example, clearly communicates an emotion and a space. It doesn't sound what you expect of "medieval fantasy" (I.E an imitation of Romantic music or sometimes Baroque music). Yet there is clearly a theme there.

I'm only half-joking but if I make all these concessions, why not substitute all of Vermintide's music for Quake II soundtrack? The genre is the same anyway

In both cases it is a baggage you associate, a preference. There is nothing specifically "medieval fantasy" about violins and piano, neither instruments are period appropriate. It's exactly same case when piano and violins were and are used to evoke a "medieval fantasy" emotion as these synth sounds are used. Selection is completely arbitrary, and association is only retroactive and overall an illusion. I like that vermintide theme because it conveys a very particular and befitting emotion, one that evokes varying levels of chaos, disorder, panic and discordance, that it doesn't use violins and piano to do so to be medieval means little when the question asked is if it does a theme. The answer is yes, it very clearly has an appropriate theme.

It's also a bit odd to consider that Korsakov's string instruments can evoke the emotions of medieval middle-east fantasy that 1001 nights is supposed to be, but modern synth sounds cannot evoke the emotions of medieval European fantasy isn't it?

 

[Heroic Liberator]

What did you think of Disco Elysium's soundtrack, FreeKaner?

 

[NJClaw]

My top priority paths were Trickster, Legend, and Swarm-that-Walks, but now I'm going to play Azata just for the first half of the song.

 

[AwesomeButton]

If your expectations for themes is Russian romantics, you are going to be very disappointed indeed.

Replying to this particularly, I think it's about availability and cost of talent nowadays vs before.

There used to be times where every next RPG would have great music. Baldurs Gate II how about that? Ok, that was a big game, but explain Arcanum? Shoestring budget and excellent music.

 

[AwesomeButton]

What did you think of Disco Elysium's soundtrack, FreeKaner?

Sorry I forgot to mention that, although I wanted to. Shoestring budget again, but pure talent carries the music.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

How is this a music piece for a fantasy themed game?

seems appropriate for warhammer to me
warhammer is not high fantasy.

 

[LannTheStupid]

People with taste in music should be purged from the face of the Earth. Preferably by bears thumping on their heads.

 

[FreeKaner]

If your expectations for themes is Russian romantics, you are going to be very disappointed indeed.

Replying to this particularly, I think it's about availability and cost of talent nowadays vs before.

There used to be times where every next RPG would have great music. Baldurs Gate II how about that? Ok, that was a big game, but explain Arcanum? Shoestring budget and excellent music.

Arcanum is a thematically lucky one, there is no end to era appropriate romantic classic music to emulate. I'll restate though, if Korsakov's string instruments can represent medieval middle-eastern fantasy related to 1001 nights, modern synth can represent medieval European fantasy. I don't see this as a refutation, but as a genuine comment. Symphonic string instruments of 19th century are as removed from medieval middle-east as the modern synth is from medieval fantasy in general.

 

[Heroic Liberator]

What did you think of Disco Elysium's soundtrack, FreeKaner?

Sorry I forgot to mention that, although I wanted to. Shoestring budget again, but pure talent carries the music.

I for one was unaware of British Sea Power, so I'm glad that I discovered the band through the game.

Also, beyond the instrumental in general:

Spoiler

Original song:


Disco Elysium's rendition:

Pure soul.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

the idea that fantasy games must have "period appropriate music" is one of the dumbest things I've read on this site in a long time

 

[AwesomeButton]

In both cases it is a baggage you associate, a preference. There is nothing specifically "medieval fantasy" about violins and piano, neither instruments are period appropriate. It's exactly same case when piano and violins were and are used to evoke a "medieval fantasy" emotion as these synth sounds are used. Selection is completely arbitrary, and association is only retroactive and overall an illusion. I like that vermintide theme because it conveys a very particular and befitting emotion, one that evokes varying levels of chaos, disorder, panic and discordance, that it doesn't use violins and piano to do so to be medieval means little when the question asked is if it does a theme. The answer is yes, it very clearly has an appropriate theme.

It's also a bit odd to consider that Korsakov's string instruments can evoke the emotions of medieval middle-east fantasy that 1001 nights is supposed to be, but modern synth sounds cannot evoke the emotions of medieval European fantasy isn't it?

You keep trying to draw a line between a historical period and the music instruments used. I said Symphonic orchestra because the orchestra is rich in the range of emotions it can show. It's used in fantasy themed music and for WW2-themed for example, it's not associated with any period.

 

[NJClaw]

the idea that fantasy games must have "period appropriate music" is one of the dumbest things I've read on this site in a long time

That's only because you never read other people's posts, rusty. You just skim through the first line and then write a witty response.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

the idea that fantasy games must have "period appropriate music" is one of the dumbest things I've read on this site in a long time

That's only because you never read other people's posts, rusty. You just skim through the first line and then write a witty response.

what makes you think I even read the first line?