Show Notes & Discussion Show 61

[Musco]

Intro
---- What we did this week

This Week in SWTOR
---- Blood of the Empire #7
---- Music of The Old Republic > discussion
---- Sounds of The Old Republic > discussion (Orion Kellogg - Audio Producer, LucasArts)

Discussion of the Week
---- Music of The Old Republic
---- ---- 5.5 hours of original music
---- ---- All of the KOTOR music and Jon Williams films
---- ---- Corellia
---- Sounds of The Old Republic
---- ---- Over 50 species in the game
---- How important is music/sound in an mmo

Hot Topics
---- Is not running back to your corpse a good or bad thing? (medical station respawn)
---- The Comic-con contest

Mailbag/Q&A
---- Would Bioware want to make podcasts accessible in game? (Pyrofox)
---- Is "Story" little more than a time-sink? (Nomez)
---- Do you think that Punxsutawney Phil's Spring decision will effect when BW will release TOR? (MJimiD)
---- We know there'll be things such as Stun Darts for Bounty Hunters, but did you guys see any indication that Trooper can change the settings of their guns (IE: "Set for stun") to be used for crowd control (other than the incendiary grenade launcher we've seen)? (Wraith)

Announcements/Closing
---- Fo's Article
---- ---- DBSI . . . Raids are small
---- Book club - Fatal Alliance
---- KOTOR Club
---- Live Show questions

Closing statements

We will be consolidating discussion posts to the show notes posts. So this will be the show notes/discussions.

---- Do you think that Punxsutawney Phil's Spring decision will effect when BW will release TOR? (MJimiD)

Usually when I'm leveling, at least in WoW and other MMOs I play, I listen to things outside the game and turn all sound off. Even sound effects, because the spell sounds annoy the hell out of me. However, I think in this game it will be different. Mainly because if the leveling process is really that immersive then the music will be a big part of that. I also don't really listen to music specifically in Endgame Raiding, though I have the rest of the sounds on. Mainly because the music distracts me from Vent Chatter and stuff like that. However like Musco said, I need those audio queues.

Also, when you first heard this song how could you say it wasn't awesome?'

Edit: Oh yes, and I am very excited for Corellia, mainly because I am a big fan of learning more on that planet since there is precious little on it. The main thing that excited me was its description in that short story by Rob Chestney about Hylo Visz. The SWG depiction was dreadful as Fo said, and I have an educated opinion considering I still play the game O.o. I just look forward to what BioWare does with it.

-Dark

WTH is that reverb!?

PS Samm, it's supposed to be pronounced 'Kye-oh-ken'. The other is supposed to be pronounced ha-doh-ken.

PPS The music has to be 'epic' because the story-telling alone leaves you feeling nothing.

KOTOR's music was a bit background-oriented, but it all stands out in my mind. Although, that may be because my mind has a super-databank of all the music I've ever heard--Especially game themes. I could hum most of the Street Fighter II songs on call if you'd like.

Corellia is alot like Earth, which is so much more special than those other uni-climatic planets.

GTA radio stations always put me in the zone. Bumpin' 80s tunes in Vice City, or San Andreas's many colorful stations, or even a portion of IV's stations are where it's at when I'm cruising. I don't play those games to get from point A, to point B. I play to immerse myself in the atmosphere of it all. It actually drives me crazy when I can't find something cool to listen to. In Lost & Damned I was always listening to rock and metal, and in Ballad I wouldn't listen to anything else, but either the spanish or club-music stations.

I can understand someone turning off stale music... But I cannot understand turning music off straight-away, without ever listening to it. Music plays such a huge role in games, and it's such an important part that to turn it off is to deprive yourself of part of the gameplay experience. I'd go so far as to say that music should be considered one of The Pillars.

I mean you guys named off a couple songs from video games that you've remembered, you obviously understand how much of an impact it can have on the game, and on you. Some of the best music I've heard is produced for video games... The Elder Scrolls, Warcraft, LOTRO, Mass Effect- just to name a few.

Also, "No! No stun! That's Star Trek. That's Star Trek!"

Haters be hatin'.

I can understand someone turning off stale music... But I cannot understand turning music off straight-away, without ever listening to it. Music plays such a huge role in games, and it's such an important part that to turn it off is to deprive yourself of part of the gameplay experience. I'd go so far as to say that music should be considered one of The Pillars.

I mean you guys named off a couple songs from video games that you've remembered, you obviously understand how much of an impact it can have on the game, and on you. Some of the best music I've heard is produced for video games... The Elder Scrolls, Warcraft, LOTRO, Mass Effect- just to name a few.

I understand that some games have sh-tty soundtracks, but some games' music really adds to the mood.

Its funny, I'll listen to the WoW soundtrack and other game soundtracks when I am doing other things, but not when I am actually playing the game. XD

-Dark

That is Star Trek, damn it. ...That's Star Trek.

Omfg, noooooob! /starwarsnerdrage

But seriously, I totally lol'd at Sam. Thanks for putting the question in the show, guys.

Can't believe you guys turn off game music so much, in my opinion it's a part of the experience. WoW's soundtrack was good stuff, probably my favourite game soundtrack so far. Warhammer Online's main theme is probably my favourite track of game music though, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8TXTBDEjE4

I don't see getting sick of the music ever being a problem. If you're watching a movie or playing a game, there's usually enough visual entertainment so that you don't have to focus on the audio much if you don't want to.

I typically don't like turning in game sounds off or listening to other music while playing a game. Just ruins it. But, I will sometimes lower music volume esp when using vent and stuff like that so I can hear voices more clearly etc.

And at least for TOR, sound in SW is so iconic, I just can't imagine turning it off.

[fodigg]

I didn't mention vent but that's another reason I default to no music. I have only heard one song in WoW in all the time I played it because somebody on vent said "oh man, this music is awesome". I paused my Depeche Mode and turned on the in-game music. It was okay. Like the "burning crusade" portal music or something.

my game music all ways on this way if i hear a good song i like
i can go look it up and hear the hole thing
this my fav for now from WOW http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyIliL2Ciss&playnext_from=TL&videos=axlZDMN1R_g
i want to walk into a cantina and hear it's music
i don't know if bioware going to have battle music when you start fighting
thats the one thing SWG has every time you start a fight the battle music started
then when it's over you go back to area music so we will have to see if bioware add that or not
MMO's are timesinks and if there good MMO's you play them longer
from starting to end game stuff you will play them for months till new stuff
comes out
even if end game sucks but you have online friends you like to play with you will still play

Must say good show as always. I enjoy the banter. Music is important as it sets the mood. whether or not it is for a regular game or mmo. With teh way they are trying to pay homage to John Williams I would expect teh music to be top notch. You usually don't get a full orchestra going for a game soundtrack, it is nigh unheard of.

I laughed my head off when the credits rolled and the Autotuned Happy Birthday Deb Shin came on.

Next up? Autotuned Sammboard?

[fodigg]

Why do I echo so much in this one? Probably cause my window is closed. Or god hates me.

Why do I echo so much in this one? Probably cause my window is closed. Or god hates me.

Why can't we have both?

-Dark

[fodigg]

Oh my god yes I just heard the auto-tune. Awesome.

edit: I can't stop listening to it.

I don't like Jeremy Soule's music in general, but he did an excellent job with the music for KoTOR. It wasn't bombastic, as in other games. It was always mellow music that fit well into the background and set the mood. That is, aside from the cacophony of synth that he unleashed in some of the cut-scenes.

I always listen to the music I just tune out what I don’t like

Hey if Corellia is in the game I hope they will have Centerpoint Station in it as well

For those of you that don’t know what it is hers the link

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Center_point

EDIT: oh and I liked Frogs music more then Robo’s

SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMM Did this episode not make it to iTunes?

Favorite song in all of WoW... The Vanilla WoW Log-in Theme aka Legends of Azeroth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqsazZUbt9s