Music for Airfights / Interceptions Question

[Destructavator]

I noticed that air-to-air combat is being worked on and might be implemented soon (from another part of the forum) -  Do you guys already have any music for the air combat yet?

If not, would you be interested in something kinda like the original XCOM combat music?  I remember the tune - it had a strong beat and took off quickly, although it was the exact same tune every time (something we wouldn't have to do, it would be nice to have multiple tracks).

I don't have any new completed tracks right now, but I do have some partially finished ideas I could put together that might work, although it would come out with real guitars and instruments instead of the synthetic sounds from the original XCOM.

BTW, while I'm on this topic, what will the air combat look like anyways?  I remember the original game had short and simple fights compared to the ground missions which could get lengthy.

[XCOMTurcocalypse]

I played Ufo AFTERMATH. Its only good feature was the air combat music, which was powerful rock music fitting for pilots, and exciting video footages.

Anyone interested in using some heavy metal combined with fast paced action movies?

[BTAxis]

The interceptions in Aftermath were a disaster. The movies were pointless and the outcome of the interception was completely random. I don't want anything like that to be used in UFO:AI.

[Destructavator]

I know this is an old thread (almost a year - wow, I've been here quite a while!), but it seems relevant now with the developing air interceptions in the SVN version - I've noticed the whole zoom-in thing going on (very cool, BTW), and if it's not too much trouble to code a music change when zooming in, I believe I can make some time in the next few days to come up with some music tracks from some ideas I can think of that would be good soundtracks for air combat.

...And of course, if any of the other musicians here are interested as well, I'd encourage you to offer tracks as well - I remember from the original XCOM that the old game had only one air combat soundtrack, which got tiresome to listen to over and over again.  If this idea is possible to be implemented, I'd think that multiple tracks would be good (for variation), rather than having just one track like the old game.

[BTAxis]

Whent testing the combat zoom I noticed the geoscape music starting over. Possibly stevenjackson already added support for a music change.

Or maybe it's just a bug.

[Surrealistik]

I'd prefer something eerie and tense that simutaneously conveys a sense of urgency and action. The interception score from Terror From The Deep is a good example.

[Destructavator]

Honestly - and this is just my personal opinion - I liked the first XCOM interception tune better, I just wished they had more than one so it wasn't always the same exact tune over and over again.

I do agree that it should be something with "urgency and action," perhaps something faster paced than the geoscape music.  I've already got several basic ideas brewing, but it'll take a few days to see how they come out in a track when I can make the time.

In the meantime, if anyone else is also interested in making such a track, by all means go for it.  Multiple tracks would avoid the problem I mentioned in the first original game.

[BTAxis]

I agree. I preferred the upbeat X-COM 1 tune over the one in TFTD as well.

[Surrealistik]

X-Com's interception music was too upbeat, and broke with the ambiance of menace and dread that was central to the series' atmosphere. TFTD's by contrast, was a perfect fit with those themes.

[Destructavator]

I thought part of the whole point of the interception music in the original was to temporarily break the theme to jump to fast-paced action.  Then again, I don't know what went on in the original XCOM developer's heads.

Also, I'm not aware of any rules that say we absolutely have to follow in the footsteps of the original XCOM/UFO, or that we're required to stick to one monotonous theme without change when things happen in gameplay.

I can see we differ in opinion a little bit here, but I'd suggest that rather than debating such points we wait until some people offer some tracks (myself and anyone else who's interested) and just see what sounds good and seems to fit in the (UFO: AI) project.

I can also tell you as a musician that when composing a creative work, it's better to not try to limit yourself to any self-imposed rules, but rather to go with what sounds good, because in music "what sounds good" is much better than "what fits within rules I made for myself."

Sorry, I'm not trying to start a big argument - why don't we wait until some proposed tracks are ready?

[Surrealistik]

My own take on the inconsistancy of the interception music in the first installment is that the flavour and ambiance of the first game was not as completely defined as it was in TFTD, being more tentative and ambiguous. I think it can be fairly said that UFO, overall, wasn't as eerie and forboding as its immediate sequel.

In any case I don't necessarily want tracks that are consistant with the music of the X-Com series, so much as those that are consistant with the atmospheric themes of the game.

In any case your points are noted though. A range of desired styles has been defined, and debate should wait until tracks respective to these have been composed.

[Winter]

I don't think X-COM's interception track was 'upbeat' per se. To me it was pretty tense and conveyed a sense of danger and uncertainty, but the use of the recurring main chord of the "X-COM theme" gave me a feeling that this was me and my guys getting into some damned action, despite the abstract nature of the game's interceptions.

What I would really like is for us to define a signature 'PHALANX theme' and then see where we can work that into the game's current and future tracks, including interceptions.

Where our particular interception music is concerned, it seems to me like a good idea to alternate the music based on your chances of winning. If you've got the numbers and the weapons, make it nice and punchy. If you're engaging a superior force, make it evil and foreboding, etc. etc.

Regards,
Winter

[BTAxis]

Hmm, I don't know about that. There would be a need for extra routines to judge that, and since it depends on a lot of factors it may not be easy to figure out a way that comes up with an accurate prediction. On top of that, players might use the music as an indication of when to pull back.

I'm all for a recurring PHALANX theme though.

[Destructavator]

I'll keep these things in mind.

I've already got some ideas that might work, I'll just need a little time to record, track, and upload them.

I like the "recurring theme" and "action" ideas, I believe I can work off of that.

Part of what takes time is the fact that although a musician can dream up a musical idea that they think sounds great, often when it is actually implemented the final product plays back very different than how they imagined it.  I know, I've written music on computers for over 20 years, since before many of the DAWs that exist like they do today started coming into the hands of the personal home computer user.  In the last several years the technology has really taken off!

EDIT: Regarding customizing the playback for the odds of winning/losing, what would really be cool would be music that dynamically changed each phrase* according to how the fight went on, although I'd imagine it might be a headache for the coders.  What could be an easier compromise would be a little victory tune if the player wins, or losing tune if not, right before going back to the main geoscape view zooming out.  Personally, I'd rather concentrate on getting some basic tunes for combat that work, first, before adding complications.

[stevenjackson]

The facility is already there to add music, just a matter of finding something suitable.

Stevenjackson