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STO's Music
areikou
Member Posts: 0 Arc User
One of the biggest problems I've had with STO since I first started playing has been the music of this game. I am baffled as to why the music is extremely Un-Trek like. Not a single score in the soundtrack for the game sounds like Trek. It sounds like it was taken from some campy sci-fi movie. I'd wish I knew why they don't use the Trek audio assets from the series and movies.
For example:
-Warping into DS9 should provide the DS9 intro theme music.
-Warping into ESD should play the ESD intro music provided when the Enterprise docked at ESD to be decommissioned in Star Trek III.
-Combat music should be a mix of all of the movies as they all had faster paced music to match the faster pace of the action going on.
-Logging in should be the main Star Trek intro from Star Trek: TMP or Star Trek II.
-Warping into Qo'nos should play the Klingon theme music from Star Trek III or Star Trek VI.
-Beaming down to a planet should play different multitudes of the music used when this was done in the shows. Something that provides the experience of "I've never been here before, let's go see what's here".
-PVP combat between the Federation and Klingons can be accompanied by the music played with the Enterprise went up against General Chang's Bird of Prey in Star Trek VI.
Just a few examples I can think of that would help make STO more like Star Trek and not a sci-fi shooter with a Trek skin on it (There are other things that can help with this, but this is a major one for me anyways). Star Trek has hundreds of music scores to select from that I would think they have access to if they have full access to anything from the movies and series.
For example:
-Warping into DS9 should provide the DS9 intro theme music.
-Warping into ESD should play the ESD intro music provided when the Enterprise docked at ESD to be decommissioned in Star Trek III.
-Combat music should be a mix of all of the movies as they all had faster paced music to match the faster pace of the action going on.
-Logging in should be the main Star Trek intro from Star Trek: TMP or Star Trek II.
-Warping into Qo'nos should play the Klingon theme music from Star Trek III or Star Trek VI.
-Beaming down to a planet should play different multitudes of the music used when this was done in the shows. Something that provides the experience of "I've never been here before, let's go see what's here".
-PVP combat between the Federation and Klingons can be accompanied by the music played with the Enterprise went up against General Chang's Bird of Prey in Star Trek VI.
Just a few examples I can think of that would help make STO more like Star Trek and not a sci-fi shooter with a Trek skin on it (There are other things that can help with this, but this is a major one for me anyways). Star Trek has hundreds of music scores to select from that I would think they have access to if they have full access to anything from the movies and series.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
[Unrepentant] Lapo@overlapo: the problem with space STF
is that you can't properly teabag your defeated opponent
Unrepentant: Home of the Rainbow Warrior and the Rainbow Brigade.
[Unrepentant] Lapo@overlapo: the problem with space STF
is that you can't properly teabag your defeated opponent
Unrepentant: Home of the Rainbow Warrior and the Rainbow Brigade.
Post edited by areikou#8990 on
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Comments
[Unrepentant] Lapo@overlapo: the problem with space STF
is that you can't properly teabag your defeated opponent
Unrepentant: Home of the Rainbow Warrior and the Rainbow Brigade.
Oh, and I /agree with the poster above me.. I have wanted that since the beginning of the game.. nothing better than Klingon musics playin as I blow up hapless kirk wannabe after hapless kirk wannabe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOqoljJ0ees
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPOU-AUuxKw
Yeah, that's right.
[Unrepentant] Lapo@overlapo: the problem with space STF
is that you can't properly teabag your defeated opponent
Unrepentant: Home of the Rainbow Warrior and the Rainbow Brigade.
Some new tracks have been added recently, although these seem to be new pieces (probably costing many dollars). I understand what your saying as regards to the actual IP music, but, I honestly believe we would stand to gain more if we could first get more generalised music in for the non-IP areas like exploration clusters mission play. Royalty/Licence free music is the best option. People think its low quality just because its free. They couldn't be more mistaken.
I was on the Starfleet Academy map for a few hours last night. There was no music at all. Apart from the environmental effects it was dead silent.
I just want to know what the rationale is behind Cryptic's stance on not engaging with music as a valid industry professed gameplay immersion/ambiance feature.
[Unrepentant] Lapo@overlapo: the problem with space STF
is that you can't properly teabag your defeated opponent
Unrepentant: Home of the Rainbow Warrior and the Rainbow Brigade.
{UFP}Thomas45 - Thomas Nixon U.S.S. Majesty Unbound
I just want some good original Trek sounding tracks (Which every other Trek game has done fine) e.g THIS - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux5QCqc_4bg&list=SP1E34D15A932A0537&index=4
While some of these games are really basic nowadays in all departments, the soundtrack is one of the reasons I keep coming back to playing them, if STO had more music like this then believe me, I would play it a loooot more, I would be more immersed and missions wouldn't seem like such a grind which is how I associate the current lackluster tracks we have had for 3 years.
Star Trek Bridge Commander
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIjgE6TJI7s&feature=relmfu
Star Trek Elite Force
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjieBdmdnqc&list=SPB556357DF712FFFB&feature=plcp - Imagine listening to this on board a starbase or your ship, immersion to the max instantly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuIFekq7DMs&list=SPB556357DF712FFFB&index=4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALYq2rpCr6s&list=SPB556357DF712FFFB&index=5
Star Trek Stafleet Command
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MMQvNA_tMc&list=SP0A0060C1F1473AE9&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAP_nakJ5F0&list=SP0A0060C1F1473AE9&index=4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV6sJjA0ZaQ&list=SPE5BBA150F52D8A88&index=7
Star Trek Away Team
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SnHDdTByUo&list=SPDD8479831AF5E03A&index=9
Star Trek Starfleet Academy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of-EqP5kUvE&list=SP1E34D15A932A0537&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi4Rdx3bwus&list=SP1E34D15A932A0537&index=7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YBDT0IXL3E&list=SPB1FCF0A2307315AB&index=5 - One of the better parts of SFC3...
Star Trek Klingon Academy - if you made the Klingon soundtrack more like this then my main would be KDF...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eEeUxlMGhA&list=SP1D2A1D7806104C3C&index=14 - This one is probably one of the best pieces of music in a game ever, made every single battle epic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZnEBT1pAtM&list=SP1D2A1D7806104C3C&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UIQCZVCCDM&list=SP1D2A1D7806104C3C&index=2
I think Star Trek New Worlds shows that you can get rid of the traditional Trek sound and still make a great soundtrack that fits with the Trek universe, New Worlds was a pretty bad game when it came out but the soundtrack was amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATzoBI5k7aM&list=SP3394895A311A015D&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyDMMKZmJwo&list=SP3394895A311A015D&index=7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-sHJ-VDgj8&list=SP3394895A311A015D&index=8
One thing to note is - these tracks aren't all that long or complex, same goes for the current STO soundtrack, it's just that the current soundtrack is rather dull and terrible for a Trek game and to be honest I don't think it fits with anything, it's one of the worst aspects about missions as you have to listen to it(No I'm not going to turn it off and listen to my own music, that doesn't immerse me when I'm doing featured episodes or flying through sector space.)
TL : DR Get more and better music Cryptic.
{UFP}Thomas45 - Thomas Nixon U.S.S. Majesty Unbound
{UFP}Thomas45 - Thomas Nixon U.S.S. Majesty Unbound
In regards to SWTOR, Lucasfilm actively partnered with Bioware. In STO's case, it seems like CBS/Paramount was like just put out a game and don't mess with these guidelines that will cost US money.
{UFP}Thomas45 - Thomas Nixon U.S.S. Majesty Unbound
While Cryptic may not be allowed to use the Themes from Star Trek (which is odd IMHO), it doesn't prevent the STO music director to create music that has that same spirit. And while the original STO music is boring, the recent Soundtracks that were added on recently are really very good.
We just need more Themes that sound familiar.
Klingon Themes on Qo'nos with drum beats, in Space, music starting off similar to the Klingon theme and then going to a higher paced battle theme.
ESD, something similar to the Homecoming music from ST3.
DS9 with a theme similar to the DS9 theme.
If we can get more music that fits Star Trek, the experience in the game would really pick up.
This is because George Lucas made sure he owned all of the rights to everything whereas CBS/Paramount didn't.
Roddenberry used a loophole to get a non-exclusive, 50% royalty rights to the TOS theme and Cryptic has licensed that. That's why you hear bits of it in most Trek projects.
There are a lot of royalty free composers. Cryptic:
- Had a staff composer at one point.
- Traditionally had one set of royalty free music for games. (Which is why the City of Heroes theme started popping up on talk shows like Ellen.)
- Has a subscriptrion to a service for music in trailers.
I tried approaching the album music rights holders for Trek music to see if they'd be interested in contacting Cryptic for virtual album distribution, using the STO client as an interactive music player. I think this approach might work but it would probably need IP lawyers to vet it and lots of approvals from lots of people.
The idea being that Cryptic would sell an album on the website and bundle the album with any disc releases, should there be any. The album intelligently plays within the STO client and possibly out of game in a Cryptic Music player. (Which is basically the FMOD audio engine that they use in the client, with a music player UI.)
I think this idea goes over a lot of people's heads but the basic idea is to treat Cryptic's client as a music player for these purposes and make Cryptic a retail distributor for Trek music rather than a licensee.
The alternative is that they'd need to license music in bundles of time or pay a perpetual license fee, which would be more expensive than it might be for a one off game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpcJPm80TPQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-8D6j5LPho
{UFP}Thomas45 - Thomas Nixon U.S.S. Majesty Unbound
they did a trial run with the Arena music (TOS)
they had to jump through so many hoops and spend so much money to get a single track, that they ditched every effort afterwards.
Its a similar story with voice actors, they only really got Nimoy and a few others onbaord because again, skyrocketing costs they could not justify.
That said now that the game is making money and spending less, I believe it would -seriously- benefit from getting some proper voice overs done and music from the series.
The game is definately cheapened by its decision to not include next to any of the casts.
We have picardo and nimoy, thats about it.
And that is why they should stop trying to get licensed music and instead just make more of their own, that's all I want.
{UFP}Thomas45 - Thomas Nixon U.S.S. Majesty Unbound
[Unrepentant] Lapo@overlapo: the problem with space STF
is that you can't properly teabag your defeated opponent
Unrepentant: Home of the Rainbow Warrior and the Rainbow Brigade.
{UFP}Thomas45 - Thomas Nixon U.S.S. Majesty Unbound
Given that they'd need an ongoing license for it, yes. As in, dropping an employee for each track for some of the iconic stuff.
There are lots of cheaper royalty free tracks from young composers for as little as $5, one time fee, usable in games of any size, that sound as good as Goldsmith, anyway.
The background music from episodes that guys like Ron Jones did might be doable, maybe up to and including stuff like The Inner Light theme and music from The Visitor.
The Klingon theme, DS9 theme, TNG theme, movie soundtracks, etc? I find it doubtful that they could be licensed in a way that wouldn't cost enough that they'd have to lay people off to license them.
All things said, though, I'd much rather have more fitting original music in the STYLE of the shows and if there's budget to be had on audio, get Data or Picard or Riker and Worf or someone big from the shows in the game, voiced, and front and center.