song for game/feedback

[VaeliusNoctu]

Indeed, more atmospheric music no real music, whether now rap, techno, metal or whatever.
Games like UFO which one plays for hours, you can not bear with traditional music. On the other hand it is so important not because I look eh mostly Star Trek or Hogans Heroes alongside.^^

[Destructavator]

I looked at the encoding at this track, at a glance it appears to be in a good format for the game, which is good because it means it does not need to be re-encoded like some of the others were.

Should it go in the 2.3 branch?

I noticed it is only in the trunk right now.

[H-Hour]

I've added this to the geoscape playlist now, where I think it belongs (not really a battle tune).

[Crystan]

I like this song but iam sorry - there several things which bugs me and led me to the decision to take it out. It would be nice if you can change this points so we can add it to game again:

1. I suggest you rework the whole drum/beat track and change the samples (get rid of the industrial drums). I suggest to orient on the orignal X-Com 1&2 music on this point.
2. Avoid using a stereo enhancer effect (iam sure you used it for the strings/pad at the end?). Instead use it mono and add a stereo pad synth.
3. Exchange the digi piano with a better one or try it with a good vibe synth.
4. Echange the bass vsti or add another additional bass vsti.
5. Echange the oboe with a synth or add one to it.
5. Some passages are too empty. My suggestions:
       -0:29 add a fade in pad here
       -1:10 add a background choir
       -1:50 add a deep bass line or a deep pad or choir.
6. Iam not sure about that background sitar. Probably its better using a different instrument.

I hope youre not angry about this.
May i ask you what program you use?

[H-Hour]

I doubt that Azrael will want to make the changes, but you are sound designer so it is your call what to do with the soundtrack. I saw the IRC discussion.

My only request is that before any songs are removed from the repository, perhaps mattn or someone can get them all into data_source. Personally I don't like your musical choices but I think everyone probably has very specific preferences on the music. Some like the techno stuff, some like the metal stuff, some like the more ethereal tracks, and most (like me) find the mix very jarring. It would probably be best to distribute different musical options as "mods" (it would also reduce the download size of the official distribution). It's very easy to compile a different set of tracks and a new .ufo file and distribute it as a pk3 via the forum.

Then we can have a smaller set of "official" tracks (and I'm happy for you to take the decision on this).

[Destructavator]

I have to agree and side with H-Hour on his points - Musical tastes vary quite a bit, and just one or two developers have NO right to force-feed their own personal tastes down the throat of the player and "straightjacket" them into listening to only one style they might not like and not have a choice.

For a long time I've glanced at reviews of the game on third-party sites, and looked at comments from people who have downloaded and played the game.  When it comes to comments about the soundtrack, not surprisingly some favor it with a "thumbs up" and others really would want something else.  I even recall one player who hated the slow ambient stuff, calling it "electro-jazz" and saying "it puts [him] to sleep..."

I'd also like to point out that many of the tracks that were recently commented out in the .ufo file were already approved a long time ago after much work, and it is counterproductive to development to carve out and remove things from the project to the personal likings of one or two developers every time a new developer joins the project.  This is a perfect example of what Winter was talking about when he came to the project, things constantly being pulled out, put back in, changed back and forth as people joined and left the project.  It stifles developmental progress of the game and creates chaos.

That being said, if the variety is too jarring and consistency is desired, the player should still at least have some choice, with a menu option, downloadable packs, whatever.

I don't make it a secret that I would personally favor a good hard-rock action soundtrack for parts of the game, but I at least am aware that not all gamers like that type of thing, some would prefer other material, and I respect that, I don't try to force my own taste on others.

On a side note, I actually do have much better-sounding air combat tracks and better versions of the old ones I've never uploaded, but I'm putting that off until we get around to starting a branch for implementing 3D air-fight sessions that would use such tracks.  It'll be a while before things get to that though.

[Crystan]

Personal taste was never a criterion for me. I picked out the tracks which fit most to the gameplay (with some "corrections" by MCR). For example: Personally I love metal. But it havnt any business in a turnbased X-Com styled game except for the Airfights (i love your airfight tracks and iam sure - they will really fit). You cant use a metal track for battlescape/geosphere - it just dont fit to it. Sure it would fit as long as there some action on the screen but as soon as youre searching for aliens it will become inappropriate. I also took out the tracks which had bad samples - like drums or synths that dont match a certain point of quality (separate the wheat from the chaff). Ill probably put a finer point on it later (giving a explanation why i removed certain tracks). Right now iam too tired for it. Anyway if there so many complaints about it iam fine if we revert my changes but in my eyes it will be a step backwards (i dont want to annoy anyone).

btw: i came up with the idea releasing a "soundtrack" on our indiedb profile - featuring all the music which were, is and will used in UFO:AI.

[Destructavator]

I apologize - I admit that I can be prone to a "gut reaction" to certain things, and if I came across too strongly I'm sorry.

I'm just a tad bothered seeing long-established/approved works pulled back out of the game like that, especially in such an abrupt and almost spontaneous manner without everyone's input and proper discussion.

Side note:  Sorry for the very late reply, I had a lot happen in real life lately.

btw: i came up with the idea releasing a "soundtrack" on our indiedb profile - featuring all the music which were, is and will used in UFO:AI.

Yes, that would actually be a nice thing to have, I'd suggest releasing it when 2.4 finally gets out.