- Aug 11, 2017
- 802
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I have a short answer for this very elaborated and well presented question of why people don't think too much about the right royalty-free soundtrack for this kind of game: because most end-users don't have your musical knowledge.I'm not sure why you are so fussed with the music for this game, when everything else has been hand-drawn by an artist working for the project, yet the music is not made by any individual working for the team.
It seems that they are largely using music from Kevin Macleod of incompetech fame, likely one of the largest distributors of Royalty-free music. I certainly wouldn't say that the music is ethereal. The music works, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't necessarily say that it is 'tailored' for the game in much the same way that the artwork is. I'd personally say that the vanilla music for this game is 'generic'. "Oh my, the orcs can play synthetic drums can they? I've only heard this nine-hundred and ninty-nine times before."
To my opinion, if you want an experience that really transcends and teleports you into the world, If you truly want an ethereal experience, I would highly suggest playing Wardruna in the background. The more ambient songs such as Urur, Isa, Dagr et cetera are just sublime. Solringen really suits the trial portion of the game where Sabia has to contend with the druid/whatever the-hell-the-guy-is-called, especially around the later-moments of the song. Raido or Naudir also find their occasional moments, as does Tyr, especially for the raiding moments.
Even though Wardruna wasn't tailored for this game, the music that they play has a sort of primal, powerful effect which transcends time and space.
Of course, using Wardruna is not exactly the best example, particularly when the designers might have to rely upon Royalty-free music, and there is a very-low likelihood to find a musician just for the game. But why must they rely solely on Incompetech for all their music?
In which case, I feel that some of the music from CHUR (Of Mount and Blade: Warband music-mod-resource and Europa Barbarorum 2 fame), would fit very well within this world, and likely much better within the game than 'Incompetech'-chosen Kevin Macleod music, which is far too 'synthetic' for my tastes. I believe that the music CHUR has released for several Mount and blade: Warband mods is royalty free, and some of the music tracks would make a great fit to the game.
(Of course, it doesn't help that CHUR is literally an orc. Here, listen. This man is an orc!)
Swadian Infantry, for example would be a great theme song for the Kingdom of Lundar, far-away better than whatever they chose for 'Lundar'. The hurdy-gurdy drone in the background, combined with the drum add a terrifying, thrumming, powerful, but also an air of mystery to the powerful kingdom, and the track shows this. The hurdy-gurdy (Organistrum, wheel-fiddle et cetera) is an instrument that not many people know about, which I feel adds an exoticness and charm to the piece... and since we as the viewers know little about the Kingdom of Lundar, other than that they are a powerful kingdom, the hurdy-gurdy fits (At least from my point of view) because we don't know about this sound. It is new, weird.
If Orcs could hear this coming forwards at them, their ears would flick, their spear, polearm, axe or sword-arms would all be at the ready, panoplies would be worn, shields adorned, war-chants uttered.
Compare that as you would, to what was chosen for Lundar, which you can find in the music portion of the game folder: The whole thing is just the odd synthetic beat with chanting going on, that's the whole song. I certainly wouldn't be afraid of Lundar, if this is supposed to represent the might, power and ferociousness of Lundar, it is a poor representative. If Orcs could hear this coming towards them, they'd be pissing themselves laughing.
Spirits of War would also be more fitting for the camp music, in my opinion, than straight up drums and whatever form of string instrument is playing in the background as of vanilla.
Born in Calradia would be great for when you want your more 'characteristically medieval' sounding music et cetera. Who knows, It might suit Jadk's tavern.
I don't think it would take too much effort to find good, royalty-free music that suits, if you are willing to look out for it, other than relying on Incompetech/Kevin Macleod for the entirety of all your music.
Additionally, most of the medieval-themed stuff that one would likely wish for, given that this game is a fantasy within a medieval-era theme, will likely be encountered via Mount and Blade: Warband mods, and a fair proportion of that music has it's origins in Rejenorst, a user who also made their music to be 'Royalty free', so if you want good medieval-esque music that is royalty-free, you don't always have to rely on Kevin Macleod.
I am of the same opinion.
Though, I have to admit, Having since gotten my bald, well armoured-orc husbando, I would be content if the game was 100%
Sure, it wouldn't be completely 100%, but I'd at least have my husbando.
But, can the game ever be 100%, without a Jadk route? A question for philosophers!
I mean, I'm a simple man, for me the music they put in the game works, I like it. And I wouldn't even ever had noticed those were synthetic drums in the first place, I just suck at hearing music xD
I think that putting some music, although generic for the educated ear, is a good move on their part and I'd leave better music to future Hreinn projects if they keep up the good work and aim to expand. They probably just don't have a person with the right skillset to produce an original soundtrack and it'd be wasteful to pay someone to select your soundtrack from royalty-free stuff.
