Music theme for the civilizations in CIV 7

[Lord of War N02]

In Civilization 4 and 6, each civs have peace theme for group era like 1 for ancient and classical, one for medieval and renaissance, one for industrial and modern and one for atomic, information and future era while in CIV 4 does not have future era theme which use Industrial and Modern eras variant and no civ theme during war time but with generic war theme in 3 variants (Ancient, Medieval and Industrial).

In Civilization 5, each civs have single peace theme during peace time and single war theme when you have war with that civilization.

 

[Naokaukodem]

I didn't care too much about music in past two Civs. I usually desactivate it completely. In 6, the menu theme is horrible for multiplayer waiting sessions.

What I do remember having the greatest musics is Civ3. I remember playing zulus, and building impies and moving them across the jungle, there was a neat music representing nicely what I was doing, and the art (unit animations) helped. I have to admit that I have nostalgia of the Civ2 war theme too, although it was getting on my nerves obviously, but it was hypnotical to the point i nowadays still sing it or beat it some times.

So I hope we could choose our style in Civ7, even if that means resurrecting old musics.

 

[Zaarin]

Era music was a good idea, but the execution means that there's just too little music. I'd like to see Civ7 adopt a single theme for each Civ and then have a lot more variety in ambient music.

 

[pedropavani]

I would love some nod to the old themes that existed between civ 1 up to civ 4. Though that would probably be more of an easter egg.

 

[Evie]

I miss the real world music soundtrack of Civ IV. Bring back The People are the Heroes Now!

 

[Kimiimaro]

I would like to see Civ VII revisit the peace and war system, with ambients reflecting whether your kingdom is at war or peace. Era music is nice, but Civ VI's lack of any musical reflection of state of war pales with the mood Civ V pieces like Field of Poppies or Ellipse, or, well, war themes of the main Civs, set - and while Civ VI does have darker pieces - take Mongolia or Scythia - it also has very jolly themes that guarantee to disrupt any combat mood, like Brazil or Kongo. We're also missing on some interesting instruments with eras - harpsichord, for example, is too early for medieval, but too late for industrial. It was, however, present in English war theme of Civ V.

But in the end, I'll be fine with whatever Firaxis throws at us. Haven't played Civ IV or any earlier game, but both Civ V and Civ VI brought us great pieces, and I'm sure Civ VII will follow that, whatever theme model they choose

 

[HorseHead]

In 6, the menu theme is horrible for multiplayer waiting sessions.

I actually really like the menu music to be completely honest.

 

[Naokaukodem]

I actually really like the menu music to be completely honest.

It's just horrible especially when you have to wait undetermined time. (usually long)
Same as with the voiced texts before each game, they are awful when you heard them a hundred times before. One time, a joker said "from the first stirrings of life beneath water, to the big beasts of the stone age...", another guy said STFU and another one laughed. I agree with three of them. (and it was random people)

 

[frutiemax]

Civilization 5 music offered a lot more variety than Civilization 6, that's all I can tell.

 

[9gkj548hkm20vk79dj689bnj4]

I like (most) of Civ 4's era themes (I don't like the modern stuff), Civ 5's regional ambient music, and Civ 6's inclusion of more traditional and/or folk music.

I just wish Civ 6's music wasn't so annoying at times, like that pulse-pounding Inca theme which I didn't particularly like or the Zulu singing be a little too excessive and grandiose for my tastes...

If I was planning another game, I would include more ambient music, but begin combining more modern instruments as the game goes on, starting with drums and such, ending with synths, and only play leader music when visiting them on the diplomacy screen. Or if you want to hear all of their music all the time, then play as their civilization.

 

[Naokaukodem]

^I quite agree with that. There's something annoying in most Civs with music. If I'm correct, in Civ6 they often play the music of the other civs that are in the game too, and I feel it's completely un-immerging. Hearing modern Australia or America themes when you are an antiquity civ has something wrong.

I don't remember how the musics were in Civ4 (except the splendid Baba Yetu of course !), does that mean there was nothing wrong with them ?

I remember the modern Civ3 theme, it was getting of my nerves because very heady, but now i feel it as kinda amusing. (same with Civ2 war theme, now that was a thing - I want it back ! Unless I install Civ2 again)

Best Civ music experience is Civ2 and Civ3. (although I struggle to get the themed music in 2, even with ISOs) (it's like the old good rip I got from a school friend, no music ingame except war one)

I loved also the little intermede music of Civ2, at the very beginning of each game, when you had a picture of Earth as an introduction, I can still sing it occasionnally. To me that music depicts perfectly what is Civ, or at least, what it should be. Early eras are the standard of Civ IMHO. The game should make you feel you go from prehistoric ages to future without transition.

There's a lot to discover for Civ series musicians. They can invent Zulu modern music, and ancient civs in general, in a way you feel you still play the zulus, even in 2049 AD. I don't like too much folklore musics because they feel too cliché and put me out of the game completely.

As I already said, players and devs are focusing too much on strategy detrimentally to immersion. Difficulty levels are here if I feel I have gone around the game at a lower DL than Deity, it's true especially with a game with no uniques like Civ1 or Civ2. That may be a wrong feeling, as there are plenty stories to live not taking into account the difficulty level. But it's not obvious anymore. Particularly in Civ6, I don't feel there is cool stories to tell. Even Civ5 was better, especially in regard of City-States that could become a major focus of a given game. (I mean, 1 or 2 city-states) In Civ2 that was blattant : every game was unique. (last try I started alone in huge continent : I think it should still be possible with modern Civs, that focus too much on balance - not much space to develop, early aggressions, etc.- Don't get me wrong, on paper it's exciting but on practice it's disappointing, because you feel cramped with all those impassable or bad terrains. Deserts and toundra in Civ6 are awful, mountains too, not speaking about the absence of fresh water or a peak to build an aqueduct, that are only one tile range unlike Civ4. This is silly. As you see, a lot of frustration. When I look at Marbozir (YouTuber) playing some games, I feel really crappy for him, I wonder how he do to not shout in despair. In my head I say myself : "hey it's Civ6, what did you expect ?")

So, as it seems impossible to marry strategy and immersion, let's go back to immersion shall we ? Creating great stories, and I'm sure the music helps greatly. I don't mean hurt-heady modern themes, they are a humour of repetition to me, as long as they are completely original. I hate above all when Civ takes known classical musics. I even feel native early music that are realistic are not so good - the research and precision for it asks more work than the actual execution - and for what ? Earing other civs musics ? Nah. If we are to keep uniques, the musicians should INSPIRE from each native culture (no more modern folklore in antiquity) and go with free interpretation, provided the result is cocooning enough. Yeah, that's flavor. Aren't the musics flavor ? I want to feel good listening to those musics. Most of them at least. As I said I'm not against a heady and short war theme that turns in circles, as long as it's well done.

Yeah, music is VERY important in Civ IMHO. Developers do not need to do experiences with music (all failed so far at least since Civ5), they just have to do the things right.

 

[Lord of War N02]

I would like to see Civ VII revisit the peace and war system, with ambients reflecting whether your kingdom is at war or peace. Era music is nice, but Civ VI's lack of any musical reflection of state of war pales with the mood Civ V pieces like Field of Poppies or Ellipse, or, well, war themes of the main Civs, set - and while Civ VI does have darker pieces - take Mongolia or Scythia - it also has very jolly themes that guarantee to disrupt any combat mood, like Brazil or Kongo. We're also missing on some interesting instruments with eras - harpsichord, for example, is too early for medieval, but too late for industrial. It was, however, present in English war theme of Civ V.

But in the end, I'll be fine with whatever Firaxis throws at us. Haven't played Civ IV or any earlier game, but both Civ V and Civ VI brought us great pieces, and I'm sure Civ VII will follow that, whatever theme model they choose

I like CIV 6's era music alongside with war theme in CIV 5. I think civ themes in CIV 5 are more epic and showing the feeling of peace and war stage. For CIV 7, I think each civs should have era themes for both peace and war. It might be like peace themes and war themes for each civs might be separated songs in CIV 7 or should do like war remix of peace song in CIV 5.

I like (most) of Civ 4's era themes (I don't like the modern stuff), Civ 5's regional ambient music, and Civ 6's inclusion of more traditional and/or folk music.

I just wish Civ 6's music wasn't so annoying at times, like that pulse-pounding Inca theme which I didn't particularly like or the Zulu singing be a little too excessive and grandiose for my tastes...

If I was planning another game, I would include more ambient music, but begin combining more modern instruments as the game goes on, starting with drums and such, ending with synths, and only play leader music when visiting them on the diplomacy screen. Or if you want to hear all of their music all the time, then play as their civilization.

I like era music (when zoom out from the city and terrain) in CIV 4 as these songs are memorable to me, I also like regional ambient music in CIV 5 and folk ambient music from each civs in CIV 6 too. For CIV 7, there should be folk music from each civs and also regional music for each regions. For modern ambient music, start from modern era should includes modern genre music like rock and jazz, and also classical music like Mozart, Chopin and Beethoven for maybe industrial ambient music.

 

[Naokaukodem]

OK so I looked for Civ3 on the internet and found out the full soundtrack of Civ3, and strangely there is no Zulu theme. There is 5 themes by era, and I think the one displaying when playing as Zulus was "ancGRfull", maybe GR stands for Greece ? Not very probable, as the music doesn't sound greek and by the way I was playing Zulus so unliky the game would have put this music. Unless it displayed all the ancient musics randomly ?

Here is the link :

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiP-eFDJBu4

 

[ManoftheHour333]

Era music was a good idea, but the execution means that there's just too little music. I'd like to see Civ7 adopt a single theme for each Civ and then have a lot more variety in ambient music.

I agree. Plus you get weird stuff like when certain songs obviously designed/written as orchestral pieces are reduced/added in earlier eras so that just less superior than the originally-written theme. The Maori theme doesn’t get much better in the industrial era and Australia/Canada just sounds hokey in the Ancient era. With one encompassing theme (Assuming we get someone great like Chris Tin or Geoff Knorr again) you really FEEL like you’re playing that Civ. Another subtle way Civ V allowed for more immersive gameplay IMO.

Also, often times the music doesn’t tie too well to the current mood of the game…hence why the war themes of Civ V were kinda nice. It’s always funny when I’m hearing the pleasant and peaceful themes of China or Khmer when at war with 2 civs while I’m in a dark age. The same would be when I’m at peace as the Ottoman’s awesome chant theme comes on. It’s just so incongruous…

 

[ManoftheHour333]

I like CIV 6's era music alongside with war theme in CIV 5. I think civ themes in CIV 5 are more epic and showing the feeling of peace and war stage. For CIV 7, I think each civs should have era themes for both peace and war. It might be like peace themes and war themes for each civs might be separated songs in CIV 7 or should do like war remix of peace song in CIV 5.



I like era music (when zoom out from the city and terrain) in CIV 4 as these songs are memorable to me, I also like regional ambient music in CIV 5 and folk ambient music from each civs in CIV 6 too. For CIV 7, there should be folk music from each civs and also regional music for each regions. For modern ambient music, start from modern era should includes modern genre music like rock and jazz, and also classical music like Mozart, Chopin and Beethoven for maybe industrial ambient music.

I agree this would be the best scenario. I just am not convinced it’d happen since that’s a LOT of music to write. Civ VI sold well but…we’ll just have to see what firscis does for VII. We can only go up from the awesome music of Civ VI IMO!