Music!

Do You Want More Music At Alliance HQ?

  • #1. Music rocks, and I want more of it in the game.

    Votes: 12 46.2%

  • #2. Music is cool, but I only want it in certain areas (i.e. the tavern, the town, the woods, the mo

    Votes: 10 38.5%

  • #3. Music is neat, but I only want it at certain times (i.e. during plot-driven scenes, at the annua

    Votes: 4 15.4%

  • #3. I'd prefer that music be left out of the game entirely.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    26
Khorwyn Brey

Khorwyn Brey

Artisan
I would like to give a special thanks to whomever came up with the idea to bring music back into our LARP. I think it adds a greater depth and ambiance to the game, and would love to hear more of it. Also, I would like to know what we use as our current method of playing said music. It seems like every other time I'm on iTunes, I'm tempted to buy the World of Warcraft: Taverns of Azeroth album, thinking to myself, "Self, wouldn't it be neat to have really awesome tavern music playing in the Black Stag?" I would love to make music a greater part of our game, and would consider donating music and/or music-playing devices, if I knew that it would be something that others were seriously interested in and willing to utilize. Thoughts? I've included a poll. :eek:
 
I'd vastly prefer live music to recorded, though pre-recorded can have its place. No WOW or other video game/movie soundtracks though, it would take me WAY too out of game and honestly bug the crap out of me.
 
I feel like ambient music adds to the atmosphere of the game. This is just my opinion, of course. I dunno, but there's something about appropriately utilized background music, live or recorded, that really gets me that much further invested in a scenario.
 
i am more than happy to play my guitar in any chapter i travel, but i cant play for the entire game.. I think more people should just bring instruments... I know someone was playing a flute or something in the tavern on saturday while i was falling asleep in a chair which i enjoyed immensely.
 
The only problem with ambient music is it makes no sense...

adventurer 1: ahh, what nice music... who's playing it?
adventurer 2: NO ONE.
adventurer 1: AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! <face melts>

if there is a reason it is there then it works better...

adventurer 1: what the crap is that music?
adventurer 2: uhh... looks like we stumbled into some fey. see? A dude with pink hair and horns.
adventurer 1: i am so making deals with these guys.


There is also the problem of the site not really being equiped to handle non-live music. you'd need tons of speakers (bigger than a boombox) and some master control room to run it all. Even when the music was playing for the mons regalis specticle, i was thinking "this would be alot cooler if we had monsterous speakers and a good sound system"
 
The tavern can easily accomodate a decent sound system thats hidden... speakers can be hidden around the tavern with running wires thru rafters out of sight on the beams and connected to kitchen area where a small radio/dock with amp can manage the music there. The speakers can be hidden behind sheer fabrics on the wall edge, which are already used to decorate parts of the tavern to make them our of sight and mind...

the only issue is as Robb mentioned .. where the music is coming from.. and the fey explanation can be cool but thats a dicey at best.....

I guess a little suspended disbelief can go a long way here.
An explanation can be the sound is coming from one of the back rooms where a musical group is practicing and the tavern picks up sound well from that room for some reason...? (just an idea)

Onitt
 
couple of comments about Onitt's post. Quick disclaimer first. I am known for breaking problems down and giving the "why this can't work" list in order to solve that problem. So if I sound like Negative Nancy, I'm not trying to, I'm just saying "did you think about this"

1) who would be paying for all this stereo equipment?
2) who would be installing it?
3) whoever it would be, better do a good job to keep things like wires and speakers hidden
4) who would control the music during an event?
5) ok, so you put on some taverny music in the tavern.... and orcs attack... the music isn't going to change to combat music all MMO-style, it will still be prancy tavern music. That goes the same for when X person dies in the tavern in a dramatic event. we'd have to have someone killing the music whenever it was appropriate to do so.... which takes me back to point number 4.
6) that only covers the tavern.

Don't get me wrong, It'd be neat. I'd love to have eerie music or sound effects going on during a dungeon crawl in the basement, and with the power in the building, it is possible.... but then again, you do that, and what's to stop the guys in the tavern from hearing the music in the dungeon, and vice versa.

I don't think you could do it in the woods without a boom box until we run power out there if that ever happens.
 
In general we've been trying to add sound effects to things where possible and appropriate - keeping in mind that there are times when it's neither.

It's easiest to do so in modules when the occasion calls for it. I did a module for the MWEs over the summer where they were in a hot spring cave, and had a soundtrack of running water in the background running off a single (albeit pretty strong) speaker. That coupled with some lighting and a fog machine made for a pretty immersive environment, however this was a single instance in an easily controlled situation.

If the music really is adding as much from the player end as we hoped, it's generally easiest to put this into modules. It's not always realistic to do so for battles and other outdoor encounters (though I'm very glad everyone enjoyed the war drums), but when it is we'll endeavor to do that as well. I think for the tavern I'd much rather leave it alone. It's one of those things that can quickly become annoying when the mood in the room changes and the music does not, and we have several talented players that I'd rather see play their instruments instead.
 
Ezri had in mind exactly what I wanted to say - certain sound effects or music tracks can definitely add to specific mods; this weekend's barbarian mod was definitely a good example, as the plot called for the use of drums, chanting, etc. and as NPCs and plot crew were already there, I assume that made it somewhat easier to provide. I think that music, used in similar circumstances, can really add to a mod.

In regard to music in the tavern or other standard areas, I think that's just an issue that needs to be left to players or NPCs who happen to be around. If you're in the tavern, really want some tunes, and are capable of providing it live via an instrument, go for it! Think about it in a period manner - surely there weren't ALWAYS people hanging out in the taverns playing music; it would have been a come-and-go thing. Taking it from that perspective negates the need to suspend any disbelief in the event of changes of mood, events, etc.

That said, definitely not going to complain about the music during friday's undead attack. Talk about intense!
 
Jorunn said:
Ezri had in mind exactly what I wanted to say - certain sound effects or music tracks can definitely add to specific mods; this weekend's barbarian mod was definitely a good example, as the plot called for the use of drums, chanting, etc. and as NPCs and plot crew were already there, I assume that made it somewhat easier to provide. I think that music, used in similar circumstances, can really add to a mod.
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I designed the sound f/x and music for the barbarian mod, I had cave water dripping f/x with wind howling through the cavern (and the music for the last two events, from the Mons Regalis, to the War Drums and the Halloween ritual music). At the mod, I had the Ghost Tribe NPCs explain that the tribe would supply the drumming and chanting (explaining the sound f/x) and then with the thunder of hooves and drums f/x, that was explained by the PC's minds reaching a spiritual plane in their vision quest.

I have software that let's me design f/x and shape it with music, plus software that I used for my tabletop game that let's me cue sound f/x and/or music at a single mouse click.

HQ has a long history of using cool sound f/x and music--both live and recorded--with great success.

For my Icenia plot back in 1999/2000, when I designed the awakening of King Gareth apMoire, I put together music for the spectacle and the players absolutely loved it. As the coffin opened with the mists (supplied by a fog machine) swirling around and the dramatic music swelled and the king opened his eyes...it totally worked.

For the theft of Glantri's heart town spectacle, in which the players had to sneak into Black Annis' lair, John Finnegan had a heartbeat sound f/x going and, with the dark queen and her many minions lying alseep, it was totally cool and creepy. You could see the oog awe and intensity in the player's eyes as they stared from the gloom toward the scene.

If f/x and music are done right, it works every time.


As far as ambiance music, there can always be an IG reason for the source of the music (I.E. this cursed doll plays eerie music while it generates monsters, etc.)

But, I think a rather more simple IG reason is all that required: I think that, in a realm where the dead can be resurrected or their spirits magically obliterated, where people can actually move their mind and spirit (read: soul) from their physical body into a golem, where magic weapons can be crafted. where people can hurl actual lightning or fire from their very hands, or cure diseases and wounds magically, where there are instantaneous magical transports, Land Bonds, circles of power, wards, etc...it's not really a stretch of the imagination for there to be magical music devices.

Rather, compared to all the miracles above, I think simple magical music devices would be as common as magic weapons and other magic items...meaning if you have the coin and components, you can create a magic music box (back in the day, they were nicknamed "Bard in a Box").

So, for a tavern frequently visited by dukes, barons, knights and adventurers, all wielding incredible magical items and amazing abilities, it shouldn't be unheard of for said tavern to be able to afford a magic music box.

Considering all that, I don't see having unseen music shattering the false reality we create.
 
Robb Graves said:
those are some good points... and probably why you write plot and i don't :)
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Can you try to get Manowar to play at an event for me? ;)
 
I tried man. Joey is a busy mofo. They are actually in the studio right now re-recording the battle hymns album with their current lineup. They pretty much spend all year overseas nowadays because they make so much money off of the festivals over there.
 
Robb Graves said:
I tried man. Joey is a busy mofo. They are actually in the studio right now re-recording the battle hymns album with their current lineup. They pretty much spend all year overseas nowadays because they make so much money off of the festivals over there.
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LOL...I know...can you get them to write a song about the Vansir? :p
 
I love the idea of more music!!! Eeee yay!

Special sounds for the mods sounds really awesome, and I think that'd be the only appropriate place for any recorded stuff.

As far as tavern ambiance, I think there are enough NPCs and even PCs who LOVE music and can do stuff to make it happen! Heck, being a musician is pretty much the largest part of my character history (because she remembers so little else.) (Cough cough-personal plot where I meet someone from my old clan of musicians? NPCs wanna play music with me??! :D ) Also, I know my older sister is a OOG voice major and IG crazy Rom who loves song and dance, so she'd always be up for entertaining!

That being said, I think there would need to be some sort of unwritten understanding among players as to when it is appropriate and when it is annoying/uncalled for. That gets kinda tricky, cause you can't really stop someone unless you have a blanket statement to restrict everyone...

I don't really have this all thought out, I just wanted to put in my two cents and say that I would love to help out by playing recorder/any other non-metal instrument that can be provided to my characet in the tavern! And I KNOW we have a ton of other people who can. We should just set up some sort of system... or ... something. Bah I dunno! But I like the idea of live music! :D
 
Pippin has played his instrument in the tavern before and it was awesome and others also play instruments. Volunteers for the task are always welcome.

Perhaps someone can teach me how to better play this guitaramaphone I've got and we can make a band.
 
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