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Frogboy
Frogboy
Join Date 03/2001
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Tiny coincidences

January 20, 2010 1:06:02 PM from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

Many of you have played Age of Wonders. It’s a fantastic series of games.  I was noticing today that our lead composer (both on Galactic Civilizations II and on Elemental) is the same lead composer from Age of Wonders.

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Frogboy
Cikomyr
Join Date 06/2005
+11
Reply #1 January 20, 2010 1:20:00 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

May I ask what is the musical budget for a game like Elemental (or AoW)?

Because, how many songs do you need? How many variance in soundtracks do you want? Will you make songs randomly chosen from a list based on the player's alignment, gameplay orientation? Questpath?

And how much does each song costs for a video game?

(You may or may not answer any of these questions. It's just elements (pun intended) that somewhat bugs me when I think about the VG business)

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Frogboy
Luckmann
Join Date 04/2006
+132
Reply #2 January 20, 2010 1:32:58 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

And you.. just noticed that?

Wasn't that in a list of "This is the notable stuff I've worked on" or discussed when you hired him?

Isn't it, like, your job to know this stuff?

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Frogboy
Wintersong
Join Date 07/2006
+235
Reply #3 January 20, 2010 1:47:25 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

What for is the Human Resources department if not for such tiny details?

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Frogboy
viperfdl
Join Date 01/2004
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Reply #4 January 20, 2010 2:13:08 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Do you mean Michel Van Den Bos? The musician that also composed some tracks besides Age Of Wonders for Unreal, Unreal Tournament and Deus Ex?

 

COOL!!!

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Frogboy
The_Regicide
Join Date 02/2005
+22
Reply #5 January 20, 2010 2:16:40 PM
from Demigod ForumsDemigod Forums

AoW, Unreal, UT, Civ2 *and* Deus Ex!?
I LOVE THIS GUY!

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Frogboy
ScottTykoski
Join Date 03/2001
+132 sdemployee
Reply #6 January 20, 2010 2:18:40 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

* checks google *

Looks like that's actually AoW2's composer 

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Frogboy
Philocthetes
Join Date 10/2003
+153
Reply #7 January 20, 2010 2:41:12 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

I never expect to see real budget numbers posted in public; that's business stuff.

But I'd be intersted to know if a percentage of the music budget is aimed at designing a dynamic music scheme. No matter how good a fixed sound track is, familiarity will almost inevitably breed contempt, or at least disinterest...

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Frogboy
cephalo
Join Date 01/2009
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Reply #8 January 20, 2010 3:35:24 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

How many composers do you have on this project?

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Frogboy
NoobFukaire
Join Date 01/2009
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Reply #9 January 20, 2010 3:47:49 PM
from Stardock ForumsStardock Forums

You can check out rough project capital figures and other interesting info on GC2 here: http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20060405/wardell_01.shtml

Straight from the horse's mouth, as it were.

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Frogboy
goodgimp
Join Date 12/2003
+21
Reply #10 January 20, 2010 4:12:23 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

That's fantastic, I was always a big fan of AoW's score.

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Frogboy
Hawawaa
Join Date 09/2006
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Reply #11 January 20, 2010 6:06:15 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Heck Ya!

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Frogboy
Scoutdog
Join Date 07/2008
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Reply #12 January 20, 2010 6:34:05 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

This is not "tiny". This is also likely not a coincidence, although I'm not sure by whom...

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Frogboy
Cikomyr
Join Date 06/2005
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Reply #13 January 20, 2010 9:45:03 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

I never expect to see real budget numbers posted in public; that's business stuff.

 

Yhea, but some other questions might be answered. Like "how do you choose how many music you have in a game?"

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Frogboy
Circumstantial
Join Date 08/2009
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Reply #14 January 20, 2010 10:54:22 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Is it just me or does AOW look just like Master of Magic but updated with CIV III graphics?

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Frogboy
Wieke
Join Date 09/2009
0
Reply #15 January 21, 2010 7:22:11 AM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Awesome news, looking forward to the final game even more now (and this should get my friends, all AoW fanatics, more interested).

Quoting Circumstantial,
reply 14
Is it just me or does AOW look just like Master of Magic but updated with CIV III graphics?

That's what it looks like, but if you're a tbs/fantasy fan you should have tried it at least once (found the demo on gamershell).

For those who've never heard the AoW soundtrack: Cloud and Feuds, on youtube, pretty much my favorite age of wonders song.

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Frogboy
Luckmann
Join Date 04/2006
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Reply #16 January 21, 2010 8:15:21 AM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

I'm going to assume that this guy (Michiel van den Bos) is the guy (it even says so in the article, but I never fully trust wikipedia). If that is so, just let me go WOW.

Whilst Unreal/Unreal Tournament soundtracks never really stuck in my head, and I haven't played Overlord enough (and never player Overlord II), Age of Wonders stands out as an amazing soundtrack. In particular, however; Deus Ex (not to be confused with it's deranged abortion of an offspring).

Deus Ex had, and have, one of the absolutely best soundtracks in the entire industry - all categories. I can still go to youtube sometimes and fire the soundtracks up because they're so great in their own right. There is rarely a discussion amongst friends about Deus Ex, where the soundtrack doesn't get mentioned. It was doubtlessly one of the essential' things that made the game so absolutely amazing - even though that game in particular probably could've had no sound at all and still be above average.

The main theme alone blew me away from the first time I started that game up (original / orchestral). I know that Deus Ex is very "futuristic" in it's themes (all themes, including music). But I really hope that we get something as great as that.

My heart just soared.

No pressure.

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Frogboy
The_Regicide
Join Date 02/2005
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Reply #17 January 21, 2010 8:21:16 AM
from Demigod ForumsDemigod Forums

The A51 entry theme is where it's at for me, but the entire soundtrack for that game is absolute perfection.

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Frogboy
cephalo
Join Date 01/2009
+75
Reply #18 January 21, 2010 9:09:55 AM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

I'm not in a position to be sure, but I believe some of the wrong names are being thrown around in this thread. If Brad want's to talk about the composer, he ought to give a name so that people don't misunderstand.

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Frogboy
Tormy-
Join Date 02/2006
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Reply #19 January 21, 2010 9:43:41 AM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Quoting goodgimp,
reply 10
That's fantastic, I was always a big fan of AoW's score.

Same here! Good news!

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Frogboy
Philocthetes
Join Date 10/2003
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Reply #20 January 21, 2010 10:46:42 AM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

The music credits in TA list Mason Fischer (sic) and Eric Heberling. Fisher's site has a February (last year?) news blurb: "Signed on to create SFX and music for Stardock's Elemental - War of Magic."

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Frogboy
Campaigner
Join Date 12/2004
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Reply #21 January 21, 2010 11:08:32 AM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

The Age of Wonders music sure is good. Marsch of the Halflings is really good. Highmen theme was a bit epic as well.

 

But Shadow Magic had a few really good ones like "In the company of Treehuggers Elves" and "Death Song".

Otherwise, Lords of Magic had the best individual song, the Death Song <--- Best fantasy song I've heard.

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Frogboy
Henrikwj
Join Date 06/2008
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Reply #22 January 21, 2010 11:56:25 AM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

I agree with luckmann. How did this not come up during the hiring process?

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Frogboy
Solam
Join Date 03/2007
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Reply #23 January 21, 2010 12:13:35 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

never heard of him  

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Frogboy
Hawawaa
Join Date 09/2006
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Reply #24 January 21, 2010 12:47:39 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Deus Ex music... my god its good stuff ... This will add alot to Elemental... Good choice SD! 

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Frogboy
Seboss
Join Date 04/2005
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Reply #25 January 21, 2010 3:30:18 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

What?! No Jeremy Soule? Outrageous!

j/k of course. I'm glad to hear such a talented composer works on the project

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