Music during the Credits...

[Tyler Johnson]

This is also a question for the programmers. I was thinking, when you click on Credits from the main menu, or when you finish a scenario I think it would be nice to have a better presentation of all the people who have worked hard to make this game possible. As of now, the names just kind of speed by, while the main menu music is playing with a faded backdrop of the Wesnoth World Map. I thought it would be nice to put some music during the Credits and maybe change the way it is presented.

I composed this piece with the thought of it being played during the Credits, but kind of film style where it would be a black background with white centered text or something similar.

Wesnoth Credits

I don't think this would fit anywhere else in the game, since the mood changes drastically twice during the piece.

Let me know what you guys think of this idea, It would be nice if a programmer or two would comment as well, I don't know how much of a pain it would be to change the Credits section since I know zero about coding except that it's a bunch of IF, THEN statements

-Tyler

[Xudo]

Nice music, I think.
Credits is something like campaign. All titles, what we can see, same as screen, where we choose difficulty. Only way to define music through WML is [music] tag. But it can be used only in scenario, not in campaign.
Change background music for titles with
[game_config]
title_music="Credits.mp3"
[/game_config]
will crush game.

I think C++ developers must know how to do this.

[Boucman]

i'm neither music nor credit expert, but it's probably doable...

not sure if we'll fit it in 1.8 though...

Tyler, you might want to create a feature request on the forum so it doesn't get forgoten during the feature freeze...

[West]

Excellent music as always, I love it.

Doesn't strike me as overly Wesnothy though. And I'm kind of puzzled as to why you didn't reprise some of the more memorable themes from the game music -- I actually expected it to contain at least some some familiar stuff. Especially since you have shown considerable skill at picking apart various arrangements and creating piano versions of them.

Not saying this couldn't work as credits music, it just wasn't what I expected.

[Iris]

(overly technical reply moved to Ideas forum thread)

[Aleksi]

I love the Bolero touch to it!

Nice harmonies!

[PPH]

Great music, but I see what West means. It doesn't sound very "wesnothy". However, it's not totally out of place. If Wesnoth were a movie, the music would work, because the movie would be over, and the story would be over. With the story over, the music can be a little different (more optimistic and happy; less martial, in this case) because, for example, the Orcs have been defeated and there are no more wars and people go back to normal, peaceful life. The same applies, I think, if the music is heard after completing the game or a scenario. It has a feeling of "order has been restored". But not if credits are heard when one clicks on "Credits".

[IoN]

I love it. I agree with West that maybe some leitmotif moments (they don't have to be contrived or anything; just subtly worked in) would be nice, but other than that, I think it's perfectly suitable for the Wesnoth credits.

[Tyler Johnson]

Sorry for the delayed response. I recently moved and still don't have internet set up in my house yet. I'm actually writing this from my phone.

I think the "non-Wesnothy" feel comes from the piano. As a pianist, I would love to hear more piano music in-game. If I replaced it with a harp for instance, it would fit better in the game. It's too bad bexause the piano is one of the most versarile instruments, but yet it doesn't fit the fantasy theme that Wesnoth carries.

West, as far as leitmotif goes, I actually have a Wesnoth Medley scored out on manuscript paper but never got around to programming it. I am actually waiting for a certain sample library before I begin work on it. EWQL will solely be to add certain elements to it, but won't be able to complete the entire piece on its own.

This one was a different idea altogether, and it may not sound "Wesnothy" in the gameplay sense, but this is not gameplay music. Like PPH said. Orcs are dead. Peace is restored to the land. Picture this during rolling credits...that's how I envisioned it. If it really doesn't work, no problem, I'll use it for something else. I just thought I'd throw the idea out there, and it never hurts to try.

-Tyler

[PPH]

Sorry for the delayed response. I recently moved and still don't have internet set up in my house yet. I'm actually writing this from my phone.

I think the "non-Wesnothy" feel comes from the piano. As a pianist, I would love to hear more piano music in-game. If I replaced it with a harp for instance, it would fit better in the game. It's too bad bexause the piano is one of the most versarile instruments, but yet it doesn't fit the fantasy theme that Wesnoth carries.

West, as far as leitmotif goes, I actually have a Wesnoth Medley scored out on manuscript paper but never got around to programming it. I am actually waiting for a certain sample library before I begin work on it. EWQL will solely be to add certain elements to it, but won't be able to complete the entire piece on its own.

This one was a different idea altogether, and it may not sound "Wesnothy" in the gameplay sense, but this is not gameplay music. Like PPH said. Orcs are dead. Peace is restored to the land. Picture this during rolling credits...that's how I envisioned it. If it really doesn't work, no problem, I'll use it for something else. I just thought I'd throw the idea out there, and it never hurts to try.

-Tyler

Also, there's no reason, I think, for not using a piano. That a piano sounds out of place in a fantasy soundtrack is a consequence of the fact that most fantasy soundtracks don't use pianos. It's a convention. But conventions change and are a result of usage. If, for example, a piano had been used instead of a harp in the wanderer's theme, I think it wouldn't have been disruptive for the atmosphere of the game.

[Tyler Johnson]

^^^^^^^^^^
That's exactly the point I was making. I was also saying that as a pianist, I wish there was more of a medium for it because it has a connotation to be a relaxing, atmospheric or classical instrument, when in fact that is only the beginning of its true potential.

Back on topic, I think the consensus is the piano doesn't work. But I won't replace it with a harp, it would be a different song then

[West]

I don't really have anything against pianos in Wesnoth as long as it's not piano only music. IMO solo piano pieces paint the wrong kind of picture, they make me think "contemporary drama" rather than "high fantasy". OTOH, using piano as an instrument within the orchestra -- no problem. I've objected against solo piano stuff on a couple of occasions but I don't think I've ever said "sorry, there's a piano in there so we can't use your music". The piano parts in the credits music are excellent, they fit in perfectly and I wouldn't dream of suggesting to replace them with a harp. They were written for piano, they should be played on a piano. Replacing the piano with a harp makes no more sense than replacing it with a Tibetan nose flute.

Personally I rarely use piano in my music simply because I can't really play the piano, and my attempts at incorporating it always end up sounding cheesy and fake (like, say, when a pianist tries to fake a guitar on keys? ). So my personal reluctance towards using piano should not be interpreted as piano not being allowed, in case anybody got that idea.

[IoN]

I'm a fairly decent pianist (I would like to think ) and I know the wonderful versatility of the instrument. I don't think there's a consensus against the piano; has anyone actually objected to it? At any rate, count me in in support of the piano.