Andor's Trail

Alright. (I have a feeling the developers working on the Google problem will be done by the time I'm done haha. I wish them best of luck so they can work on things they think are fun) I can start dabbling with composition and try to get a feel for each area. And I can post links for feedback on either this forum/thread (for fewer forums/threads), or a new forum/thread (for simplicity), which ever is preferred.

Starting off, here's "Crossglen"! Will post appropriate links and edit the first forum in due time:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=crst2jthl08

What adjectives would you guys use for Fallhaven? Happy? Devious? I was about to write a slow "alleyway" piece for it, but there might be a mood I'm missing lol

Frustrated. At the thieves. At Feygard to a lesser extent.

I'd say Fallhaven has seen better days as a city, formerly important and wealthy. Apart from the thieves the inhabitants are rather stuffy, sometimes corrupt.

sorry that I am rather slow to answer, I have much to do besides Andor's Trail.
We are rather wary with music, because we have no experience with it in the game. It should be possible technically with reasonable amout of work to add sound though.
Here are some of my thoughts about it

We should have background music and sounds (e.g. fighting, drinking). These are completely different to handle:
Sounds are more work on coding than background music. But probably sounds are easier to create or find in internet, so let's concentrate on background music here.
(Both, sounds and background music, can be switched on/off independently. Those who don't like the sounds could just keep them off)

We have some requirements for background music:
- It must be pleasing, because it is played repeatedly for a long time. The music mustn't get on your nerves too soon. Maybe a combination of verses, refrain, bridges, variation?
- Different music for each map type (e.g. wood, road, mountain, tavern, dungeon, cities)
The music needn't change within a map though, just on map changes. And maybe on special occasions like fighting.
You see we can't really specify what we need, but have to try and learn things.
Certainly we could start with music at the title screen, seems the easiest way to begin with.

That were mostly technical aspects. Now about the style of music: (I am no musician, don't weigh my words too much)
Andor's Trail is set in a medieval world and so beeping synthesizer music like Super Mario won't fit.
It should be older instruments e.g. lute, flute, cembalo, plucked guitar, cello. Some for merry mood, some dark.
Would it be possible for you to change the instruments with few effort for trial?

Thanks that you already took the effort to create some songs, so we could get an impression of your style. Here some remarks, not complete nor from a professional at all:
- In 'Andors Trail test' I don't like the instruments, too electronical. The melody isn't bad though - it could be a happy wandering song while on the road. It should be longer, with some variations, before it'd get repeated of course. Never forget players have to 'endure' the music for hours
- 'Boss one' is great work I think. I like it very much, that could be a perfect fighting background.
- 'Crossglen' is nice too. I noticed and do like how you prepare the repeat with the ostinato in the first and last two bars.
- 'The theme of the unknown pirate' with its lovely flute immediatly let me think of sailors. We have none yet in the game but probably will have. The ending should be changed to fit for a loop though.

All of this is just my opinion, I don't want to speak for the other devs here.
First step would probably be a prototype with music just at the title screen. Because we don't have java coders with spare time at the moment, I can't say anything about our time planning though.

Okay so I got the jist of Fallhaven then. Great

Nut these are exactly the specs I was looking for . I agree with you on the two songs I have links to sounding too electronical haha. The reason they sound that way is to simulate 8-bit/chiptune music as I understand we're looking for a way to play music that takes the least amount of data. If you think we'd be able to pull off larger files you got it and I can add more "spice" like in boss one (side note: "boss one" and "theme of the unknown pirate" weren't written for the game, but I can modify it to be so if you/you guys want it).

The biggest hiccup I see is writing multiple deviations at the moment, because of potential data reasons. I'll have to research online to figure out how rpgs of the NES era did it before I try.

Thanks for the feedback to both of you (Antison you made me chuckle). I'll tinker around for a bit and see what I can come up with.

Why did I make you chuckle?

I would like to reiterate what Nut said about the title screen. We could implement music for that even if it's the only music in the game. We would need something that gives a sense of journey and adventure. Long enough that it would not loop within the typical length of time a player stays on the title screen before starting the game.

Antison two reasons: (1) the word "frustrated" was something I didn't fully expect and issued a nose exhale, and (2) it was a way to validate thanks on a similar level as nut, seeing that he/she gave two sets of feedback.

Rijackson741 I'll see what I can do with Andor's trail test to suit this then. I'm going to guess that a long time spent on the title screen would be a minute, so I'll lengthen the tune and tweak it here and there.

(...I don't know how to say this as it's something that needs to be said, but when it's said it sounds obvious/bland, but playing the song only once upon startup would add to the theme, as silence when you go to back to the title menu is the mood most people are going to be in when they return to load a save or watch the title screen animations [i.e. Stardew Valley and Skyrim, I think].)