Make combat/monster music localised to the monsters. This means less annoying, mood shattering, loud PANIC music and it also means the player has a little bit of a challenge to pan around the map honing in on where the action is with their ears. This would be very useful as an alternative locator, as I’m sure many players already are forced to use the notification system to find the trouble which can be a little fiddly and annoying if you missed the initial popup.
When the player camera zooms out to the maximum, give the music/sound a muted sort of filter, and throw in some wind/high altitude sounds. The Anno games did this on the maximum zoom out (along with lovely cloud layer) and it was a fun and immersive element.
Is there any hope for “layered” music? Like the Banjo Kazooie games, where the music would change depending on what kind of workshop you are looking at, or even the camera level. Having sparse, simple music missing many elements when there’s only a few villagers, then busy music with all the backing tracks when you’re zoomed in on a bustling town.
Oh man the blacksmith really goes to town on those ingots. Reducing his hammering rate would sound much more natural and pleasant, currently he goes at it like an industrial powered hammer!
Really loving the new music in the game, some of the tunes are really head boppingly catchy! Overall it makes me think of the brilliant Anno games, and how the music would go from rustic and simple at the start to grandoise and bustling as your cities became larger and more complex!
Thank you so much for the kind words. I’m Raj, the music composer for Stonehearth, and I appreciate the post! Perhaps I could reply to some of your points here
The combat music is still a work in progress because combat is still a work in progress so we’ll definitely tune and adjust and try different ideas until we get it just right. Apologies if the pacing feels off now now since the current battle song is more about envisioning what the battles could be, as well as what they are. I hope you get what I mean. Great suggestion regardless!
This is a very cool idea. Worth looking into at the very least!
Layered music was an idea we were looking into at the beginning but I’m afraid you have me and Doug to thank for nixing the idea. Stonehearth is heavily inspired by 16bit era aesthetics and feel and, more importantly, classic RPG music. Layered music is something a bit more modern and, although it’s really lovely when it works, it tends to side more towards atmosphere and immersion. What Doug and I wanted to do instead of just composing an atmosphere was compose a story; it’s important that each song in Stonehearth’s soundtrack tells a story. There’s a beginning, middle and end, there’s a sense of place, time and (hopefully) personality and character! I felt that was something that would be sacrificed when making music that changes focus depending on the context of the situation; I wanted music that had its own form that you adjusted your thoughts and imagination to, rather than one that adjusts to you. Again, much like the music in classic RPG’s that we grew up with; music that stood on its own feet. I hope you understand my reasoning
I’ll certainly forward this suggestion to @Doug to have a look at! Thanks for the tip!
Again, thanks for the kind words and suggestions! I hope you look forward to the final soundtrack and I can’t wait for everyone to hear what me and Doug do with it!
(And yes, I went overboard with the happy faces. I can’t help it. I grin when I get compliments )
Instead of rambling on with my response, I’ll just say that if you’ve not played one of the modern (3D) Anno games… please endeavor to do so! Back in the late naughties (heh) I was searching for something that recreated the great city builders on the 90s. After trying a couple of garbage games (including the latest 3D Settlers game) I stumbled on Anno 1701 and was blown away by the utterly gorgeous visuals, sound design, gameplay and wonderful NPCs. But the sound design is certainly a lesson for all city builder audio designers. Whether you’re listening to the hustle and bustle sounds and classy music of an advanced city, or listening to the beautiful “new world” style music whilst watching a pristine unsettled island complete with wild animal sounds, or looking at the hilariously stereotypical “pirate island” with rousing typical pirate music, the series is an auditory gem. Which is where two of my suggestions here, the “maximum zoomed out audio layer” and “gradually more complex and bustling music for bigger cities” come from!
(whoops, I rambled on… I’m just such a fan of these creative and atmospheric games! And the latest tunes in the game are just head bopping catchy and are such an amazing mix of modern synth and retro, really good stuff! Not to mention wonderful little details like the music for graves or sleeping hearthlings!)
That music certainly sound interesting and I’ll definitely check it out, thank you for the recommendation
I will add that “gradually more complex and bustling music for bigger cities” is definitely a dynamic we’re pursuing. Right now, there’s a little bit of everything in there just to keep things interesting but as the game becomes more structured with seasons and progression, the music will definitely reflect that! Not so much layering on top of a tune but rather the music changes to a different song (but stays within the context and sound of that season). I’ve thrown leitmotif’s in all over the place to keep things recognizable and connected but I’m very excited about the final product and how you guys will very much feel the difference as your little settlement grows to a town and a kingdom
As for the audio layer, mouse tracking idea, I’m very much a fan but that depends more on writing, implementing and executing it so it’ll certainly be a discussion!
Thanks again for the kind words and, as a fellow rambler, ramble away!
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