Vanguard - Nino posts about how they are designing music for areas

[Templor]

Originally posted by Braen
Sodami was being sarcastic and extreme. heh

I do not believe there is "anti-camp code", though a bonus system like DAoC might be interesting.

Oh dear god, thanks.

I was like "wow this game sounds cool", then I read that and got my hopes bummed a bit.

Sodami, you god damn liar!

[Nino]

There will be options to turn off various elements of the music system. Obviously one main component of that will be the combat tracks. I played EQ for five years so I know how repetitive and aggravating the combat music was and I have gone to great lengths to avoid a similar situation. Whereas it will be true that spending any length of time in an area will cause repetition, I am working on a way to swap out music after X amount of time has elapsed to try and keep things fresh.

[Eomer]

Templor, while there won't be "anti-camping code" or something, Aradune and others have been adamant that camping will be a thing of the past in Vanguard. If that's what you want to do, you're probably best sticking with other games.

Me personally, I hated camping. Especially as a cleric. Every two or three minutes I'd stand up and toss a complete heal to the tank, then go back to reading a book. Every 30 minutes or so refresh buffs, etc etc. It got to the point that I'd run around and fuck around with lull spells seeing if I could split pulls etc. The group always loved that.

[Dynalisia]

Even just a bonus that encourages a certain style of gameplay wouldn't do. Why can't developers simply stop trying to control everything the players do?

Yes I've read there won't be anti-camp code, but that doesn't make this concept any less existant, it exists at large in WoW even now(and perhaps EQ2?).

Freedom is one of the main attractions of MMO's, but all I've seen developing lately seems to focus more on making these games some sort of interactive movie than really an open-ended experience.

If I want to sit somewhere and kill the exact same bat that pops from the exact same spawn over and over again for 5 weeks and farm a million batwings, why shouldn't I be able to? A normal situation nowadays would seem to be that some kind of "coolness protection code" would kick in and force me to do something more natural and realistic and something that "you would do if you were REALLY in the game".

If I want to play the game as if it was a random number generator with some buttons and output windows, why should that be bad?

If I don't like stories and lore and realism, but really LOVE to kill bats for their wings, I'm gonna be shit out of luck because that really isn't all moody and role fitting enough eh?

[Teclisen]

Originally posted by Dynalisia
Even just a bonus that encourages a certain style of gameplay wouldn't do. Why can't developers simply stop trying to control everything the players do?

Yes I've read there won't be anti-camp code, but that doesn't make this concept any less existant, it exists at large in WoW even now(and perhaps EQ2?).

Freedom is one of the main attractions of MMO's, but all I've seen developing lately seems to focus more on making these games some sort of interactive movie than really an open-ended experience.

If I want to sit somewhere and kill the exact same bat that pops from the exact same spawn over and over again for 5 weeks and farm a million batwings, why shouldn't I be able to? A normal situation nowadays would seem to be that some kind of "coolness protection code" would kick in and force me to do something more natural and realistic and something that "you would do if you were REALLY in the game".

If I want to play the game as if it was a random number generator with some buttons and output windows, why should that be bad?

If I don't like stories and lore and realism, but really LOVE to kill bats for their wings, I'm gonna be shit out of luck because that really isn't all moody and role fitting enough eh?

I agree with you that freedom and non linear gameplay can be one of the most attractive elements to MMOs. But I'm not sure I really see the trend you're describing in recent MMO design.

In WoW, you can sit around and kill something 10 million times if you so desired. There's even an ultra rare chance at being handsomely rewarded for doing so. But obviously if your goal is to progress and advance within the game world that isn't the best course of action.

Are you penalized? In theory, yes, but you're inflicting that penalty upon yourself. I think it's pretty standard in game design to create "rewarding" situations, AKA dungeons and bosses and challenges that offer more than what killing 10 million bats does.

[Dynalisia]

Well I'm not saying that it reached the height of the example I started my post with yet, just that even in WoW there are already examples - be it minor ones - of the developers trying really hard to make you do things their way and no other. The whole Conquest MC fiasco was something where this was mentioned often for example.

[Duhulk]

Sound Cards need APUs.

[Dynalisia]

Hehe I remember the time when people argued that soundcards didn't need more than the ISA slot

[Surlok TP]

There will be options to turn off various elements of the music system. Obviously one main component of that will be the combat tracks. I played EQ for five years so I know how repetitive and aggravating the combat music was and I have gone to great lengths to avoid a similar situation. Whereas it will be true that spending any length of time in an area will cause repetition, I am working on a way to swap out music after X amount of time has elapsed to try and keep things fresh.

I agree that the EQ combat music was annoying and was quite happy in luclin when they finally gave us the opportunity to turn that off.

That said,for some people,and especially for myself,Music is a great way of reminding us of past time spent in places and whatever both in real life and in games.

For instance going somehwere like the Wakening lands and hearing the music there afte not having been there fora year or whatever was very cool for me,very nostalgic.

Having a somewhat Dynamic music selection to an area kinda takes away from that experience and I feel it is important to retain it to some degree,it becomes part of the zones identity.

No different than driving in my car and hearing some song on the radio I ahve not heard for years and it bring back all sorts of memories and warm fuzzy(or negative) feelings of those times.

I assume however that by Dynamic Soundtracks will still be based off the basic theme introduced in the initial soundtracks,just food for thought I guess.

[Neric]

Certain zones should have soundtack themes. While Kelethin is arguably the best, one should also mention Aviak town in South Karana, Neriak, Felwithe, West Karana and Tox. Rivervale was kinda annoying but original also.

PoP had some good music also, but LLoY for example or later expansions were terrible. No music, just sound effects to describe the mood within a dungeon.

[Cybsled]

Vanguard has an anti-camp code.

This magic code was beta tested on the top floor of Unrest manor!

Anyways, despite some of the WoW hate we've been seeing, they do have a pretty good progression system in one sense. The questing makes sure you move around to different areas, thus you never really linger in one area for too long unless it is by choice.

[Dyvim]

Sweet, had no idea Nino was a sound designer.

This sounds really, really, really nice.