RFCA Music overhaul

[freethink]

Hello everyone,

I am a novice at modding, but I am looking to change some of the music for RFCA, to be both more historically authentic, and enjoyable. Some of you recall complaints from years ago about incessant "tabla drums" for example. I also found music in the later tracks to be completely 21st-century representations of music from the region rather an attempt to formulate what the music was. For now I am leaving Diplo-music alone, and focusing on ambient tracks instead.

What I am hoping to achieve here, is that the new soundtrack can to a certain point, follow the evolution of music from Asia up until 1500 and when that is not possible to follow the rise of musical traditions in certain nations. In any sense music for the final era of RFCA will be more diverse than the first.

Idea:

What does everyone think about music being split into two sections? RFCE and SOI for example as far as I know only have one soundtrack. RFCA has a larger time-frame, but given that our goal is immersion and enjoyment for the player I am not sure if sticking strict to 'music per era' makes sense. Truly music for the first era should be primitive if very immersive for 'Asia', but I am also dissatisfied that modern Chinese Classical Music- as beautiful as it sounds makes sense for the very start of the game.

Early Music:

Everything until the conquest era? (Before 1200?)

Late Music:
Conquest and Imperial era? (After 1200?)

Its also possible that we could have a three era system, and start with the "First Empires Era"



Now, I am not totally discarding the current music, some of it will be reused, but in those cases the rea in which the song is played may still be changed. For now I am thinking that each era will roughly have a 60-90 minutes long. (this may not be the case for the first era)

Gathering music for East Asia is by era is going to be far easier, than that of India. Let's start posting ideas here.

 

[freethink]

In addition to music, I am also looking to adjust some soundscapes to make them more Asia-specific. For staters on this I am looking at Wikimedia, but I also suggest that Soundcloud and Freesound may have sounds from the natural parts of Asia. This includes the sounds of animals and that of landscapes (when it makes sense). I realize that soundscapes are likely something overlooked by game-players, but I hope the immersion could make RFCA feel more like 'Asia' if it has a soundscape especially made for this.

This means off the top of my head, changed sounds, for forests, jungles, and deserts. Coasts/Oceans could also seem the inclusion of Asian birds (again when it makes sense). This may mean completely new sound loops for some terrains.

When the soundtrack and new 2d/3d sounds are compiled I'll the appropriate XML files accompanied with the audio, and upload it (to git-hub maybe?) I am thinking then the changes can be installed by simply overwriting the present assets files.

To this particular package, there will be no other changes, see this as an ambiance patch. I am posting here so that there can be suggestions and ideas on what can be included. None of this is to imply I am taking ownership or management of mod development, I am just looking to make an already good RFCA even better!

 

[freethink]

Early East Asian Music
The oldest recorded music in East Asia was from the Tang Period though, I will be looking for nonsinging pieces starting with this album.

Xian Drum Music

Entrance Hymn for the Emperor

Solitary Orchid

Guangling San

Gagaku
https://youtu.be/BoLELpddXw4?list=OLAK5uy_mYXEDuGU9GK76MhK3HsAGZKyXHGKLpAic
https://youtu.be/VV6KxqLtFCs?list=OLAK5uy_mYXEDuGU9GK76MhK3HsAGZKyXHGKLpAic

Early Indian Music

Finding and designating pre-Mughal music that is also appropriate for game-play is indeed difficult. Might need to make some compromises. So much of the Vedic music was ritual singing, which could be distracting for players.

https://youtu.be/UcOH7mrrDi8
this as a short piece inspired by the Maryua era Natya-shastra tradition could be used.

Not sure is this should go in early or late. In fact, Carnatic music (South India) diverged around the same time that North Indian music here, but Carnatic is mostly singing. This instrumental tribute to Krishna may be ok for early Indian music.

https://youtu.be/jM9b2Qo5qwM
Sample of Carnatic Music using the ancient saraswati veena instrument

https://youtu.be/8xQBt_HxvF4
'OM', the oldest known meditation. Not sure if this is appropriate for civ either, but its a small three minuet sample representing the chanting tradition that was early Indian Music

https://youtu.be/TXSb_OIMNQg
A modernized mashup of Classical Indian Music.

I am also thinking of piggybacking off of some of the South Asian music from the Dawn of Civilization, as the music is not distracting, mostly 'chill out' music.

 

[freethink]

Late Music

South Asia:

(Mughal Court Music)

(Raga Bilaskhani Todi)

(Not really historical, but this can still represent Iranian influences in Mughal India

China:

The title says Tang Dynasty, but actually, the melodies resembles that of the Qing

 

[freethink]

I will continue to edit the two posts above. The Late era is going to contain, Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian music. However, I am also thinking about the right sounds to adjust the audio scripts.

Civ IV 2d audio scripts, work in two ways, there are background sounds that last are looping and shorter individual sounds that occur at varying frequencies
Ill be looking to find (or to get a suggestion) for looping sounds for the forest, farms jungles, the desert (maybe the coast/swamp as well), and at least 8 short sounds for each of these. It does not have to be birds, it can also be other animals as well if such sounds can be found.