Question About Music

Bkeela

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I'm curious about the music. I've heard some music that is ambient, atmospheric, unobtrusive and suitable for a science fiction strategy game.

But then I heard this, which in my opinion is way over the top, and more suited for the score of a Hollywood blockbuster like Lord of the Rings.

Is the above just custom music, or is there wild variation of themes from ambient tracks to highly dramatic themes?
 
I'm curious about the music. I've heard some music that is ambient, atmospheric, unobtrusive and suitable for a science fiction strategy game.

But then I heard this, which in my opinion is way over the top, and more suited for the score of a Hollywood blockbuster like Lord of the Rings.

Is the above just custom music, or is there wild variation of themes from ambient tracks to highly dramatic themes?

We've heard several pieces of music from the game so far and there does seem to be some nice variation. The devs have promised that the music will have variety based on biomes and affinities.
 
Grant Kirkhope did some of the music. He's got a good track record, having also written for Donkey Kong 64, Golden Eye, and Banjo Kazooie.
 
Well, it is not worth arguing about the taste for music. Don't like it tune it down/turn it off.

For me, what I heard so far: this is the best music for any civ game ever.

Opening sound track is something special. I would like that the actual game always start with this, however, most probably it will be just for menu (or download).

Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys0d4DrZDv4


And there are more, assumed picked from firaxis let's play sessions;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYRzcuHw3KU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTX0KzedTEM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_jUuvEIOAE

One of the reasons I cant wait to play this game is music.
 
Despite my fondness for Civ3's modern era music, and of course Civ4's Baba Yetu, yes, the Civilization series has largely featured generic, forgettable soundtracks.

In my eyes, Beyond Earth is the first one to develop true, memorable signature music. It is true, however, that a tune or two seem a bit too high-profile to play in the background of the average game, when they would be more at home within an introduction or some other medium in which music can have more protagonism.


PS: I also loved Colonization's music. It was great for its time, or at least very catchy. :p
 
Well, it is not worth arguing about the taste for music. Don't like it tune it down/turn it off.

For me, what I heard so far: this is the best music for any civ game ever.

Opening sound track is something special. I would like that the actual game always start with this, however, most probably it will be just for menu (or download).

Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys0d4DrZDv4


And there are more, assumed picked from firaxis let's play sessions;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYRzcuHw3KU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTX0KzedTEM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_jUuvEIOAE

One of the reasons I cant wait to play this game is music.

It's worse than I expected. Turning off the music is one option, which is a shame because I get such a hit of nostalgia from hearing music from games like Alpha Centauri and Master of Orion II. Music that didn't demand attention to itself, but just remained in the backgroud adding a rich atmosphere. What's more it was soothing. Some of this music evokes in me emotions far from soothing.

I don't necessarily think there is anything wrong with the above music, but to me orchestral music is definitely not suited to a science fiction game.

Hopefully there is some robust custom music option to select and deselect the tracks I want to play.
 
I agree that some of them are very loud and epic, but I personally don't mind.
Just like with Civ V, I know I'll be listening to these tunes outside the games as well.

I wouldn't count on any options to turn specific tracks on or off.
As a last resort you could always delete the files from the game folder.
 
The loud/epic pieces are probably war themes - intended not to soothe, but to get you riled up. (So if you don't want to hear them don't DoW anyone and make sure all the other factions are friendly towards you.:p)

I personally think the music is fantastic, and fits the game very well.
 
I will not comment on Babu Yetu again :rolleyes: (which I still just did), but how is this generic and forgettable?

(snip)
They are. They're well-done and nice to listen to, but they don't really stick around in my head. They're not memorable.

And it doesn't help they're single tunes which only play if you're playing a specific civ in a specific situation. Not much exposure unless you've played dozens of hours with each and every civilization.
 
They are. They're well-done and nice to listen to, but they don't really stick around in my head. They're not memorable.

And it doesn't help they're single tunes which only play if you're playing a specific civ in a specific situation. Not much exposure unless you've played dozens of hours with each and every civilization.

And Baba Yetu does... Well... I loathe your musical taste, but you already knew this. ;-)
 
And it doesn't help they're single tunes which only play if you're playing a specific civ in a specific situation. Not much exposure unless you've played dozens of hours with each and every civilization.

Ah, so you're just not playing enough!

Just kidding :lol:

I guess you just can't please everyone with the music selection. I absolutely love the music in Civ V, and I could hum every leader's theme if asked. It's probably best you just turn off the music and play something else while playing.
 
And Baba Yetu does... Well... I loathe your musical taste, but you already knew this. ;-)
That's a rather rushed conclusion from merely knowing I like a single song you don't.

Ah, so you're just not playing enough!

Just kidding :lol:

I guess you just can't please everyone with the music selection. I absolutely love the music in Civ V, and I could hum every leader's theme if asked. It's probably best you just turn off the music and play something else while playing.
Civ5's music is pretty good, but it's not quite up there, and I think CivBE's is better. That's all I'm saying. I seldom turn off music in games, unless it's really annoying or repetitive. But thankfully those are rare cases, mostly unrelated to Civ games. Though I think it was Civ4's modern era music which was downright horrible, however: either a cacophony of city sounds trying to pass as a harmony, or terribly depressing tunes. I endured it, but during particularly long sessions I came close to turning it off.
 
At Firaxicon there was a panel largely focusing on the music in Beyond Earth. Hopefully the video of that panel will be released soon. One of the main things I took away from that panel was that the soundtrack is really treated as an integral part of the game experience. What you hear will start out fairly simply, but will develop as your faction does. Similarly, there's silence between tracks to let the ambient noises of the planet takeover. On top of musical themes being biome-specific, certain pieces are also tied to certain events. So launching your first satellite will trigger a particular track, for example. I'm not sure what determines the presence of the track the OP links to, but from the panel at Firaxicon and what I've seen so far, it seems unlikely that it's the sort of thing you'll get right at the beginning of the game, and is more specifically related to the mid-game stage MadDjinn has hit when it plays.
 
They are. They're well-done and nice to listen to, but they don't really stick around in my head. They're not memorable.

And it doesn't help they're single tunes which only play if you're playing a specific civ in a specific situation. Not much exposure unless you've played dozens of hours with each and every civilization.

Our reactions to music are more or less unique. For me, I have rarely heard music in any of the Civ games so memorable and as moving as the music found in Civ V. Wu Zetian's music is absolutely, shiveringly beautiful for me and I hear it when I play as China every time I start a game, or if playing as another nation, whenever I enter a dialogue with her. Always a pleasure ma'am.

And Elizabeth's music, a wonderful development of 'I Vow to thee my country' is deeply moving to listen to too.

Take a listen to the following sometime:

Elegy (War Europe)
Field of Poppies (War Europe)
Missing in Action (Either Europe)

Elegy in particular, REALLY sticks in my head.

There are a lot of nice arrangements of classical pieces in there.

But for many, they will just say, 'Meh. Bland and generic. 'X' from <insert game name here>is far better' Who's right?' Neither because beauty is in the ear of the listener.
 
Our reactions to music are more or less unique. For me, I have rarely heard music in any of the Civ games so memorable and as moving as the music found in Civ V. Wu Zetian's music is absolutely, shiveringly beautiful for me and I hear it when I play as China every time I start a game, or if playing as another nation, whenever I enter a dialogue with her. Always a pleasure ma'am.

And Elizabeth's music, a wonderful development of 'I Vow to thee my country' is deeply moving to listen to too.

I had actually never heard (or at least never registered) the last part of Elizabeth's theme. While I agree it's well done, it's rather specialized. I think they'd be better off spending their flavor budget on wonder movies.

Or for Civ BE, spending it on multiple voice actors. But don't get me started on that...
 
I really liked some of the eerie music themes from the early game. Had a lot of that early SMAC vibe (*scout breathing heavily in his helmet*). Sadly, I think BE will suffer the same fate as CIV5: I'll listen to the music one or two games and then turn off all of the sound effects.
 
Or for Civ BE, spending it on multiple voice actors. But don't get me started on that...

I am still holding some hope that it is placeholder VA, the actress sounds like she came straight from a Tropico session or something.:lol:

If it's not changed, voice volume will be muted for ever..
 
I quite frankly go totally insane if I have to listen to repeating sound.

Accidently putting the view over unexplored land, so the constant sound that generate plays, or way to few songs constantly repeating , is to the best of my knowledge official torture methods.

So I always turn it off.
 
I am still holding some hope that it is placeholder VA, the actress sounds like she came straight from a Tropico session or something.:lol:

If it's not changed, voice volume will be muted for ever..
She sounds a lot like Corazón Santiago from SMAC. Though I'm not sure what's the reason to get someone like her to read all the quotes.
 
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