A Layman's Thoughs on Game Music

[DerVVulfman]

A Layman's Thoughs on Game Music
by DerVVulfman

Welcome readers.  I admit that I am neither a musician nor one who studied musical theory.  However, I believe I have an ear for music and have some thoughts on what I have seen (or more appropriately 'Heard') in music scores in games over the years.  I write this hoping it gives some game developers ideas on what to include or to avoid when scoring their game.  Afterall, a good music score can aid in immersing the player in the game, give subtle hints and warnings of upcoming danger or evoke an emotion the game designer wishes.

Part 1:  Decisions... Decisions...

Using music you hear from other sources is a common occurrence.  There have been many an RPGMaker game that I have heard that used music from other games, be the origin Final Fantasy, Suikoden II, or the like.  And if you used the older game engines from 2000, you almost always used .midi formatted music from sources like VGMusic.   While most scoff at the notion of using Midi music now, the format offered the game developers a couple of benefits.  First, every song played used the same set of instruments based on the player's PC; no differences so no apparent mix of musicians or bands.   And second, midi formatted music tended to loop easier, so lengthy gameplay could outlast the initial song length and the player wouldn't notice.

With newer game engines, it is now preferred to use digital formats such as .MP3 now, so one now has the ability to use actual music rather than a synthesized alternative.  Unfortunately, this has a share of drawbacks.  Primarily, you may hear a pause or split-second of silence if your game engine isn't up to properly handling digital music.  In some instances, it may be that the music has a second of dead silence at the end of the track, so it would be up to your audio editor to properly trim away the silence(s) from the track itself.  Or, one may look to an alternative to play the audio within the game by way of an edit to the game engine's music system, a script, a php plugin or the like.  If neither is possible, the only alternative would be to edit your music to have slow fade-ins and fade-outs in order to camouflage when the music actually loops.

Part 2:  I like that!  SNAG!

Unless made strictly for fun and for sharing, game developers try to use original music.  That is not to dismiss the RTP (Run Time Package) that you are licensed when you purchase a game development system.  Some RTP packages offer an excellent collection of themes and pieces.  But many developers wish to have a more-original sound and have either acquired royalty-free music or commissioned music to use in their game.  In fact, they avoid the RTP itself because of it being a recognizable resource seen as overused and could cause ridicule among some critics.

But there is a tendency at times to use already existing music from various other sources.  This is advised against for your typical legal reasons unless you are somehow adhering to the 'fair use clause' of the copyright act.  But along with that, there could be many issues with using ripped music.  Take for example, Nintendo's actions to remove a development package that was made so others could make Pokémon Fangames. They exercised their rights to have it removed and declared illegal as the package ripped many resources that the company owned.

And just remember. If you do own a license to use a Run Time Package, it is solely for that engine or for the engines owned by the creator of that package.  The license for a GameMaker RTP package does not cover or permit the use of the package within a Unity game.

Part 3:  I like that!  PASTE!

As I mentioned before, using music you hear from other sources is a common occurance.  But does it fit?  Does it make sense to be in your game?   I have played a number of games and found some that used whatever they could find, using "Rappers' Delight" from the Sugarhill Gang for maps while a cutscene uses "Goku's Theme" from Dragonball Z, and then using Suikoden II's "The Chase" for a battlescene.  The effect was entertaining, but reminded you it was merely an amateur game.  (Author's note:  It was a fun amateur game).   Now if the game developer used music solely from 70s R&B titles, there would be a bit of music continuity.  Sure, the music this game dveloper chose would individually have matched their related maps, scenes and features.  But the overall music score or soundtrack for the game was a mismatched patchwork at best.

This might work in Quentin Tarantino movies, but...

But there is something worse than using a collection of mismatched pieces, and that is to use try and  use music that was never intended, designed or recommended for looping sequences.  It was fine enough to use the theme from Dragonball Z for a cutscene to show a hero saving a girl from four or more renegade soldiers, but it is another to use Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" which changes its tempo halfway through and again 3/4ths into the song.  And if the music has some form of opening flourish, the game player will likely notice the point where the music loops.  Music that cannot have a seamless loop, changes its tempo or includes some form of crescendo or flourish will likely distract the player and break the immersion of the game in general.

Of course, these concerns are meant towards looping and continuous music.  Pieces meant for cutscenes or small sequential events that the player merely watches may have some fun heightened moments with music to match.

Part 4:  Sore Throats

How many professional games have you heard actual singing?  Other than cutscenes or opening/closing credits, one will likely never see an RPG game using a piece of music with lyrics.  Choirs in a piece of music can give a scene a epic scale.   But appearing within an RPG game is a rarity.  Perhaps in a credits scene, never really while walking around town in a map unless some random sidestreet performer is playing, and not expected to be scene in battle.

The only exception may be the music played when the hero(es) are fighting a 'boss' enemy or the final battle where one may hear chants or verses in an archaic/ancient tongue, such to enhance the mood of the fight.  One such example would be "FITHOS LUSEC WECOS VINOSEC",  a piece from Final Fantasy VIII where the heroes were attempting a coup against the evil Sorceress during a parade.  But more often, you would find vocal pieces such as Suikoden II's "Orizzonte" or Final Fantasy VIII's "Eyes on Me" used in elaborite cutscenes.

Part 5:  Mood Swings!

Just as that of a motion picture or television series, music conveys feelings in order to get an emotional response.  A triumphant score when the hero wins, the heavy and slow paced set of strings in the minor scale when the villain approaches, a often flighty mix of reed and violin when a bit of comedy ensues, these all attempt to evoke an emotional response.  When a composer crafts music for a motion picture, all the filming has typically been finished and it is up to him to compose music which fits the various scenes.  For him, it is already known when a character dies.   For him, knowing when to cue when a melancholy piano riff needs to occur is a given.  But this is not true when composing music in a game.

Music within a game is emotionally thematic per scene.  Entering an abandoned town, one expects the music for the scene to be slow paced.   Entering a bustling city, the music playing might be something akin to light jazz.  And when entering a darkened cavern, the music hear may be slow and plodding, much like the characters as they watch their step in the dark.

The music heard within the background of your game is meant to convey an ambiance, and is generally a steady and unwavering piece.  This is not only true for locations where the player may visit, but when they are engaged in combat.  Within a game, events may transpire between the lead character and some random NPCs discussing trade or get involved in some calamity.  However, it is by the player's own choices when these actions may occur, and it is this reason why a score with a steady pace is recommended.  And music with a steady pace is recommended when the player is engaged in battle, for the outcome is unknown.  Whether the hero is victorious or is defeated is up to the player.

Part 6:  Doing it with Style

Just as the music conveys an emotion, in some cases the music may be a wholly thematic score.  In this, one may hear recognizable pieces throughout that may subtly touch upon the principle star or action of the scene.  In feature films it is commonplace, such as hearing the theme of Luke Skywalker or the "Imperial March" throughout the original Star Wars Trilogy.  In video games, it is less common, though the classic "Fighting" theme from Final Fantasy VII (Disc 1 - Track 10) can also be heard and recognized in some other tracks. One of the more recognizable pieces using the "Fighting" theme would be the more epic "Jenova Absolute" heard during the final fight in the game.

But there one factor that both traditional feature films and professional games have in common. That factor is that the music heard throughout tends to have a consistant instrument package.  A TV series such as Babylon 5 had a synthesized cinematic score composed by Christopher Franke and performed by the Berlin Symphonic Film Orchestra.  The OST (Original Sound Track) to Ninja Resurrection was composed by Masamichi Amano and performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra.  And the OST to Suikoden II was composed by Miki Higashino for the Budapest Symphony Orchestra.  In all these cases, they kept a constant sound throughout their work for the sake of the feature or game attached.

That is not to say that this is a constant.  Your game may convey a certain style and mood, but there may be a scene or two where someone may do something unexpected.  In the movie Tombstone, a typically drunk Doc Holiday may opt to play Chopin in the local bar.  In the Anime Witch Hunter Robin, a series with a noir-styled score, a computer hacker named Michael may be listening to Heavy Metal Guitar rock.  But these are usually small instances while the bulk of the score stays constant in its orchestration.

Part 7:  Size Does Matter!

When working upon a game, you may have a large number of music files, or a small number.  In essence, it is up to the game developer to determine the amount of music goes into a game.  But does the game need individual pieces of music for every map, or only a handful.  Does the quality of the music need to be set to the extreme, or towards a quality near that of typical CD Audio formats.   Clearly higher quality and massive amounts of music files can bloat the game.

Differences between philosophies abounds with the developer's tastes.  Nobuo Uematsu's score for Final Fantasy VIII boasted over seventy different tracks of music.  This being clearly different from Oblivion's twenty eight pieces, or Oni's sixteen tracks.  And the dungeon crawling music in Oblivion may take roughly one to two minutes of music playback at 192kbps while earlier RPGMaker systems until RPGMaker VXAce used Midi format.  RPGMaker VXAce began using Ogg Vorbis format with Dungeon tracks of roughly the same quality and length.

Part 8:  Location, Location, Location

Wanting that perfect piece of music for your game is always on your mind, so you will be on the hunt quite often.  I've mentioned earlier that there is a tendency to use something heard for their game so as to avoid using the Run Time Package (RTP) that comes wiht your game editor.  The desire for something different is understandable.  Fortunately, there are alternatives to using either the RTP or music improperly ripped or used from a resistant and unwilling copyrighted source.

There are websites one can visit that offer music which can take care of your need.  Sometimes a site can be found with royalty free music while other sites may promote artists for a fee.

Depending upon what gaming software you purchased, your engine's provider may have alternate resources available at a fee.  Rather than using their initial RTP, the game engine's development team may have graphic or music packs for purchase at affordable prices.  This does come with a drawback, that being that the discounted price allows others to use the same resouces, so the game may not be as original as some may wish.

An alternative would be for licensed original work.  While certainly more desirable for a finished product, this is also quite costly.  While a package of music available for purchase at a website may cost $25 to $50 (USD), the price of an original work from a single composer could cost well over $100 (USD) for each track.  Some would argue about the price, but this is an understandable fee for many reasons.  The music, being commissioned, is meant for only one purchaser rather than the masses.  So there is no expected return for the work other than from the one purchase.  And creating music does take some time, so one could argue that this could be an hourly wage job at the very minimum, this not including the resources that the composer neede to purchase nor the price or cost for the education on musical theory or production.

So yes, you could hunt for free resources or look towards music packs that are available for many to use.  Or you can look towards a commissioned work which ensure your music as original, though for a higher price.  The options are available, and the choices are yours.

Part 9:  You got protection?

Dependent upon the game engine you're using, the audio resources in your game may or may not be open and available for ripping.  Projects converted into flash games may have the music encrypted into the same file.  Games made with the RPGMaker line may permit graphics to be encrypted and packaged while the audio itself must remain visible.  And games by Bethesda Softworks allows a format called BSA, or Bethesda Software Archive, to store resources into a single file.

For those that use the RPGMaker line of engines by enterBrain, encrypting their project into a distributable game does not cover the encryption and packaging of their music.  The audio in the game is kept in an uncompressed and sharable format.  But this is not to say that their custom music must be prone to theft.  One may find a means to subtly encrypt their music so it cannot be played outside of their game.  Some have used custom DLL files while others have benefited from the Win32API to alter some nuances in the music or audio files. So while their music appears vulnerable, the developer may find a means to safeguard their work.

Part 10:  So it is written, so it is done.

A number of these ideas I put forth are probably known to many game developers.   Some of the information may actually be a surprise to a few.  And to some, the knowledge that resources and techniques are readily available may be a blessing.  But this was more than just to inform one of resources and tools, but on what to look for and the pitfalls that lay ahead when considering the music for your game.

I have a good ear for music, and an eclectic taste.  But again, this is merely a layman's thoughts.  I am not one who was trained in musical theory nor can play an instrument. But I have hope that this writing may allow for some reflection on what you need and what one should know.

[MetalRenard]

Lovely article, DerVVulfman!
Another aspect of music for games to consider is adaptive music. You briefly touched upon it in "Mood Swings", but it's possible, using systems such as Wwise, to create a soundtrack which changes depending on the situation in which the player finds themself.

For example, you compose complex orchestral piece for fields which has a slow melody, a fast melody, percussion and a variety of different instruments playing each part (strings and brass for melody, small drums and big drums for percussion).
When using Wwise, you tell the program how to play each instrumental layer; always play the strings. Only play the percussion when on horseback, only play brass when near enemies, for example. You reserve the fast melody for transitions between each situation.

The advantage of this is we're no longer limited to just one theme per area. In fact, game music became so much more cinematic once this technology was fully implemented and is so much better for it, in context.

Personally, I prefer the old way for several reasons, however. Firstly, you tend to get more melodic content the old way. Secondly, you can listen to it as a whole piece and enjoy it as it has a start, middle and end whereas music for adaptive OSTs tends to be less structured. Finally, it's what I grew up with and definitely holds some nostalgia for me.

[DerVVulfman]

Thanks for the compliment.

Actually, I know of such music systems, even going back so far as 1993 with the LucasArts game: X-Wing. Yes, a Star Wars game, but a good outerspace fighter simulator that used the iMuse interactive music system that did much of what you said... even with the digitally recorded score composed by John Williams.

Seeing that most game engines that we have access do not have so intricate and beautiful a system, I limited my scope that which can work with the available software. Oh, I inquired years ago if someone could craft an iMuse duplicate, but it would require an extensive rewrite of the music system.

Still, if the only thing you noted missed was an interactive music system that most pre-designed indie game engines do not provide, I guess I was fairly complete.