Categorizing UMC music by moods

[egallager]

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exploration.ogg			Calm, Normal?

Argh, I'll have to give this one some more thought...

Had a re-listen - first time was a bit rushed and as I'd heard this track before I maybe didn't pay as much attention as I should've
On reflection I can see why you'd put sad second, I think the slightly upbeat section after the first minute probably caught my attention too much.
So, no problem with calm+sad (and drop normal).

OK, so just calm and sad it is, then.

[Spannerbag]

...OK, so just calm and sad it is, then.

We got there in the end

Just had a first listen to MB08 and yes, there are a lot of excellent tracks that work very well for BfW and certainly warrant inclusion.
Trouble is there are quite a few that I really can't decide which mood(s) they would work best in.
I'll have to listen again and try not to enjoy the music so much and focus on the emotional response they engender.
Nice problem to have

Cheers!
-- Spannerbag

[Spannerbag]

Wow, some great but tricky to categorise tracks here.
I've tried to keep to no more than 2 moods per track but some vary a lot in melody, style and even the instruments used so can be either:

• Included into many moods for that reason, or
• Excluded because they don't stay in one mood for long enough...

So with that caveat, moods below.

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Track				Mood(s)			Comment

A_Land_of_Adventure.ogg		Battle, Normal/Epic	Leaning towards Normal but could live with Epic

Adventure_Theme.ogg		Battle			Promising, but at ~56 sec too short?

Climactic_Contemplation.ogg	Normal, Battle?		A bit "lighthearted" for battle?

Epic_Race.ogg			Battle			Not quite enough gravitas for epic?
							 (swap tambourines for something with more bass elements?)

Far_to_fly.ogg			Normal

figght.ogg			Battle			Shortish, ~70 sec

flanger.ogg			Creepy, Underground?	Bit monotonous?  ~90 sec

Forested_Vista.ogg		Calm, Normal		Alternates between calm and more lively...

fragments_of_time_cut.ogg	Battle?			Really tough call, Also Normal? Even has Calm elements!

Leave_none_alive.ogg		Battle			Another promising but short track of ~54 sec

MoleMan.ogg			Battle

old_english_march.ogg		Battle, Normal?

reunion.ogg			Normal, Calm?

strings_wings_and_things.ogg	Underground, Calm?	Another tough call...

the_silver_tree.ogg		Calm, Normal?		Fairly short ~76 sec

theme_of_a_new_order.ogg	Battle			Melody and instruments vary a lot

through_the_gates.ogg		Battle, Epic?

I won't be surprised if you disagree with some of these, I kept changing my mind...

Cheers!
-- Spannerbag

[egallager]

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Track				Mood(s)			Comment

A_Land_of_Adventure.ogg		Battle, Normal/Epic	Leaning towards Normal but could live with Epic

I had this one as just Epic (due to how I remember it being used in AtS...)

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Adventure_Theme.ogg		Battle			Promising, but at ~56 sec too short?

I had this as just "adventurous" (which I guess isn't really a mood)

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Climactic_Contemplation.ogg	Normal, Battle?		A bit "lighthearted" for battle?

I had this one as Sad/Epic (mostly due to how I remember it being used in IftU...)

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Epic_Race.ogg			Battle			Not quite enough gravitas for epic?
							 (swap tambourines for something with more bass elements?)

I said "I guess it's kinda epic-ish..." and then "ah there we go, just takes a bit to kick in" and then "yup, epic confirmed"

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Far_to_fly.ogg			Normal

My comments here were "a bit epic, more normal though" and then "(wow, it's wild having such a streak of songs that fit the "epic" mood, but don't also fit the "battle" mood too, or at least not as much...)"

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figght.ogg			Battle			Shortish, ~70 sec

My comment here was "battle/epic/normal I guess"

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flanger.ogg			Creepy, Underground?	Bit monotonous?  ~90 sec

My comments here were "creepy/foreboding" and "tense" and "normal" and "calm" and "actually kinda boring" and "interesting how it can be all of those at once though" (for such a monotonous track) (it's used in ANO for story parts before battles, IIRC)

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Forested_Vista.ogg		Calm, Normal		Alternates between calm and more lively...

My comment here was "grandly normal"

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fragments_of_time_cut.ogg	Battle?			Really tough call, Also Normal? Even has Calm elements!

This one I had as just Epic, due to certain cues where it kicked in in ANO to indicate that things were getting serious
(edit: but, I guess since in there, it's technically in "Battle", I can put it there here, too)

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Leave_none_alive.ogg		Battle			Another promising but short track of ~54 sec

I had this one as "epic-ish/normal"

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MoleMan.ogg			Battle

I had this one as "epic/battle" (due to the tradition of UMC using it for boss battles)

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old_english_march.ogg		Battle, Normal?

I had this one as just Normal.

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reunion.ogg			Normal, Calm?

I had this one as just Calm and "a relaxing respite" (although, upon replaying it, there's a bit of tension at the beginning that isn't quite so relaxing, but that's only at the beginning)

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strings_wings_and_things.ogg	Underground, Calm?	Another tough call...

I had this one as just Calm (I mostly remember it being used from ANO, where there aren't any underground scenarios...)

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the_silver_tree.ogg		Calm, Normal?		Fairly short ~76 sec

My comments here were "calm, peaceful, wistful, nostalgic" and "happy with a hint of sadness... like you just won a great victory, but at what cost?"

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theme_of_a_new_order.ogg	Battle			Melody and instruments vary a lot

My comments here were "threatening" and "creepy" and "battle part kicks in around 40 seconds" and then "epic-ish"... I think I might skip this one here, though, since it's the theme for a different campaign...

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through_the_gates.ogg		Battle, Epic?

Lol, I had this one in the same moods, but reverse order: "epic/battle"

[egallager]

Oh, one other thing to note: the "Akladian Music" add-on has a bunch of tracks that are also in the UMC Music Books, and it puts some of them in subdirectories, which correspond to moods:
In "battle" it has: ambuscade.ogg (UMCB07), battlecry.ogg (UMCB01), fragments_of_time_cut.ogg (UMCB08), gameplay06.ogg (UMCB01), onethousandsuns.ogg (UMCB03), and through_the_gates.ogg (UMCB08)
In "peaceful" (which I guess would correspond to our "calm") it has: exploration.ogg (UMCB07), reunion.ogg (UMCB08), and the_silver_tree.ogg (UMCB08)
In "suspense" (which... I guess might correspond to our "creepy", but idk?) it has: dark_passage.ogg (UMCB07) and flanger.ogg (UMCB08).

[Spannerbag]

Just realised why I struggled with these tracks so much: my quite a utilitarian approach to backing tracks.
For me I prefer them to have a single overall mood rather than changing from one to another.
This is why I really struggled with several tracks; I couldn't "pin them down".
That's not to say I didn't like or enjoy them, just that in the context of BfW I found it really awkward to categorise some of them.
I've also realised that my two "default" categories are Battle and Normal; things I'm not sure of tend to end up in one of these...

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A_Land_of_Adventure.ogg		Battle, Normal/Epic	Leaning towards Normal but could live with Epic

I had this one as just Epic (due to how I remember it being used in AtS...)

Yeah, I can live with Epic.

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Climactic_Contemplation.ogg	Normal, Battle?		A bit "lighthearted" for battle?

I had this one as Sad/Epic (mostly due to how I remember it being used in IftU...)

Hmmm, doesn't say Sad to me, the melody is quite lively and upbeat, the piano has a bright sound and for me the key it's in doesn't sound mournful.
Epic... mmm... doesn't really sound "serious" enough (but then as I've said I've a very high bar for Epic).
Just listened again (twice) ... there are maybe a few segments where it's less upbeat but to me that's kinda "drawing breath" rather than sad...
That said it's a good tune and is kinda "wasted" in Normal... which is why I opted for Battle... if I had to pick one of Epic or Sad I'd go for Epic I guess?
But then although I like the tune I struggled to find mood(s) for it

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Epic_Race.ogg			Battle			Not quite enough gravitas for epic?
							 (swap tambourines for something with more bass elements?)

I said "I guess it's kinda epic-ish..." and then "ah there we go, just takes a bit to kick in" and then "yup, epic confirmed"

Starts well (for Epic) and builds up to what seems to be a big climax at ~39s ... then we get drums and tambourines which took me away from Epic.
But... I did at least consider Epic... it's very borderline for me, but if you feel that Epic is the best place for it I won't argue

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flanger.ogg			Creepy, Underground?	Bit monotonous?  ~90 sec

My comments here were "creepy/foreboding" and "tense" and "normal" and "calm" and "actually kinda boring" and "interesting how it can be all of those at once though" (for such a monotonous track) (it's used in ANO for story parts before battles, IIRC)

Agree it fits Creepy best though it's not one I'd want to use too often, unless you want lots of repetition.

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Forested_Vista.ogg		Calm, Normal		Alternates between calm and more lively...

My comment here was "grandly normal"

I'm OK with Normal

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fragments_of_time_cut.ogg	Battle?			Really tough call, Also Normal? Even has Calm elements!

This one I had as just Epic, due to certain cues where it kicked in in ANO to indicate that things were getting serious
(edit: but, I guess since in there, it's technically in "Battle", I can put it there here, too)

In my earlier reviews I did put down Epic as an option.
Had a re-listen and those elements still come through, but I found this one hard to land
Am OK with any combination of Battle and/or Epic.
... Just realised (I think) why I struggle with Epic: I want "Epic mood" music to convey the idea of a battle that is of much more significance in some way than a regular battle, so the music needs to be "Battle mood on steroids" and/or convey a do-or-die situation... but then all battles are significant and most are do-or-die... so not sure that helps...
Hence I tend to defer to you for Epic

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Leave_none_alive.ogg		Battle			Another promising but short track of ~54 sec

I had this one as "epic-ish/normal"

(Epic + Normal)/2 = Battle ?

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MoleMan.ogg			Battle

I had this one as "epic/battle" (due to the tradition of UMC using it for boss battles)

Fair enough for Epic, it is a good tune so if you want either or both that's fine with me.

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old_english_march.ogg		Battle, Normal?

I had this one as just Normal.

IMHO it works well for both, so Normal's OK.

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reunion.ogg			Normal, Calm?

I had this one as just Calm and "a relaxing respite" (although, upon replaying it, there's a bit of tension at the beginning that isn't quite so relaxing, but that's only at the beginning)

It's odd how different people pay attention to different aspects and parts of tunes.
I hadn't really thought the opening particularly tense but after a re-listen I can see what you mean, though I don't get that.
What took me away from calm is the ending sequence from around 01:26 onwards which I found uplifting and even a bit rousing.
That said, I'm OK with Calm, it was my second choice.

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strings_wings_and_things.ogg	Underground, Calm?	Another tough call...

I had this one as just Calm (I mostly remember it being used from ANO, where there aren't any underground scenarios...)

FWIW I think it would also work for Underground - depends on whether you have enough Underground tracks I guess

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the_silver_tree.ogg		Calm, Normal?		Fairly short ~76 sec

My comments here were "calm, peaceful, wistful, nostalgic" and "happy with a hint of sadness... like you just won a great victory, but at what cost?"

Or maybe the type of music you might use at the end of a campaign or book/chapter of same?
But yes, we agree on Calm.

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theme_of_a_new_order.ogg	Battle			Melody and instruments vary a lot

My comments here were "threatening" and "creepy" and "battle part kicks in around 40 seconds" and then "epic-ish"... I think I might skip this one here, though, since it's the theme for a different campaign...

I found it very tricky to categorise and given that it's another campaign's theme I won't argue if you leave it out, though it is an interesting piece.

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through_the_gates.ogg		Battle, Epic?

Lol, I had this one in the same moods, but reverse order: "epic/battle"

Happy with either

Will start MB09 in due course - also, would you like me to go through MB01-03, or are you OK with those?

Cheers!
-- Spannerbag

[Spannerbag]

... "Akladian Music"...moods:
...In "peaceful" (which I guess would correspond to our "calm") it has: exploration.ogg (UMCB07), reunion.ogg (UMCB08), and the_silver_tree.ogg (UMCB08)
In "suspense" (which... I guess might correspond to our "creepy", but idk?) it has: dark_passage.ogg (UMCB07) and flanger.ogg (UMCB08).

Interesting, I've not checked but assume we more or less agree with the above (except me and reunion.ogg )
Yeah, I'd lump creepy and suspense together, you don't want too much granularity in moods IMHO.

Cheers!
-- Spannerbag

[egallager]

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Climactic_Contemplation.ogg	Normal, Battle?		A bit "lighthearted" for battle?

I had this one as Sad/Epic (mostly due to how I remember it being used in IftU...)

Hmmm, doesn't say Sad to me, the melody is quite lively and upbeat, the piano has a bright sound and for me the key it's in doesn't sound mournful.

The key it's in is a minor key, though. I checked with my dad who is a musician, and he said that the key it was in was "A Minor" (although he says he'd put it more as "moody" than "sad", though, since apparently "major"/"minor" don't actually map perfectly onto "happy"/"sad", since things like tempo have to be taken into consideration, too...)

Epic... mmm... doesn't really sound "serious" enough (but then as I've said I've a very high bar for Epic).
Just listened again (twice) ... there are maybe a few segments where it's less upbeat but to me that's kinda "drawing breath" rather than sad...
That said it's a good tune and is kinda "wasted" in Normal... which is why I opted for Battle... if I had to pick one of Epic or Sad I'd go for Epic I guess?
But then although I like the tune I struggled to find mood(s) for it

Well, going back to my dad for a moment, he says it sounds more like you're still kind of just questing around and exploring, more so than any sort of "climax", so that would kind of agree with your initial assessment of "Normal"... I dunno, though, I just still like "Epic" for it due to the cutscenes I've heard it used in...

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Epic_Race.ogg			Battle			Not quite enough gravitas for epic?
							 (swap tambourines for something with more bass elements?)

I said "I guess it's kinda epic-ish..." and then "ah there we go, just takes a bit to kick in" and then "yup, epic confirmed"

Starts well (for Epic) and builds up to what seems to be a big climax at ~39s ... then we get drums and tambourines which took me away from Epic.
But... I did at least consider Epic... it's very borderline for me, but if you feel that Epic is the best place for it I won't argue

OK well I still think it fits under "Epic", so...

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flanger.ogg			Creepy, Underground?	Bit monotonous?  ~90 sec

My comments here were "creepy/foreboding" and "tense" and "normal" and "calm" and "actually kinda boring" and "interesting how it can be all of those at once though" (for such a monotonous track) (it's used in ANO for story parts before battles, IIRC)

Agree it fits Creepy best though it's not one I'd want to use too often, unless you want lots of repetition.

OK, so just "Creepy" it is, then.

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Leave_none_alive.ogg		Battle			Another promising but short track of ~54 sec

I had this one as "epic-ish/normal"

(Epic + Normal)/2 = Battle ?

Eh, not necessarily; I think it's possible to have a track be "Epic" without necessarily being for a "Battle"... for example in a cutscene, or when a character makes a particularly dramatic declaration, or your party is traversing some particularly impressive-looking vistas (think of all the traveling footage used in Lord of the Rings, or finding a secret lookout in one of the Xenoblade games)

also, would you like me to go through MB01-03, or are you OK with those?

I've already completed those (or rather, Anonymissimus had already completed MB01 before I took over maintenance of TEG, and then I completed MB02 and MB03 myself)

[Spannerbag]

...(Epic + Normal)/2 = Battle ?

Eh, not necessarily; I think it's possible to have a track be "Epic" without necessarily being for a "Battle"... for example in a cutscene, or when a character makes a particularly dramatic declaration, or your party is traversing some particularly impressive-looking vistas (think of all the traveling footage used in Lord of the Rings, or finding a secret lookout in one of the Xenoblade games)

Ah... I had a completely different conception of "Epic"... explains a lot.
OK, will bear the above in mind from now on.


Still having a busy time here, have started MB09 but it's slooow.
Apologies, lots of demands on my time & energy just now

Cheers!
-- Spannerbag

[Spannerbag]

Finally got this done!

Like book 8, found some of these tricky to categorise - probably me, life has been... interesting recently and I've been busy/distracted

Anyway, FWIW here's book 9...

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brwydr.ogg			Sad			Alternates sad/battle(/normal?) but more sad IMHO

Exploration_T.ogg		Normal			Maybe also Battle but very much a second choice

No_name.ogg			Battle, Underground?	Bit short ~69 sec

Overlive.ogg			Battle, Normal?		Bit short ~66 sec

Prologue.ogg			Normal, Battle?		Battle mood mainly in second half

Regular_Battle.ogg		Battle			Sounds familiar but can't think from where

Returning_in_Time.ogg		Calm

Run2.ogg			Creepy, Battle?		Mostly Creepy then picks up near end, short ~48 sec

Ship_from_the_FogV1.ogg		Normal			Couldn't think of anywhere better...

Snow_on_a_Castle.ogg		Calm

Terradorians_Theme_Song.ogg	Normal, Battle?

The_Kings_Crowning_V1.ogg	Normal, Calm?

The_Passing_of_an_Age.ogg	Calm?/Normal?		Can't put everything in Normal...

Western_Theme2.ogg		Battle			Difficult to classify; other moods in there too (e.g. opening sequence)

WIP_Fast_Paced_Theme.ogg	Battle, Normal?		Another tricky one; also Epic-ish elements?

Zedarian_Theme.ogg		Battle, Underground?	Opening creepy/menacing then gets more battle-y?
							(Too overtly menacing for me to label it Creepy
							 hence Battle)

Edit: Just setting up music book 10 and noticed that Telaron's tracks (3rd, harp, overland_1&2) not included in main [music] but are credited.
No idea if this is intentional or not...


Cheers!
-- Spannerbag

[egallager]

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brwydr.ogg			Sad			Alternates sad/battle(/normal?) but more sad IMHO

I had this as "kinda normal-ish" and "maybe also battle (but like in the run-up to it)" and "tinged with a bit of sadness" (so, kind of an agreement about all 3, with a question remaining as to which to emphasize...)

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Exploration_T.ogg		Normal			Maybe also Battle but very much a second choice

I had this as Normal and "epic-ish" so I guess just Normal, then... (although ForestDragon says "sort of mysterious/epic hybrid?" so maybe I will include it in Epic, too, after all, then?)

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No_name.ogg			Battle, Underground?	Bit short ~69 sec

I said, "kinda epic/threatening; invokes a mood of dread" (originally), but yeah I guess I could see Battle/Underground instead...

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Overlive.ogg			Battle, Normal?		Bit short ~66 sec

My comment was "epic/threatening boss music" (since a lot of add-ons use it for boss fights)

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Prologue.ogg			Normal, Battle?		Battle mood mainly in second half

"starts kinda sad"... idk, the part with the battle mood doesn't really kick in soon enough...

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Regular_Battle.ogg		Battle			Sounds familiar but can't think from where

I thought this was just Overlive again... try playing the two simultaneously and you'll notice a lot of overlap (second one goes on a bit longer, though)

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Returning_in_Time.ogg		Calm

My comments were: "kinda sad/calm" and "nostalgiaful" and "starts to pick up a bit more energy around halfway through" and "still generally sad, though"

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Run2.ogg			Creepy, Battle?		Mostly Creepy then picks up near end, short ~48 sec

My comments were: "creepy/threatening" and "horror" and "something starts chasing around 0:25-0:30" (but then it just ends before it can really build to a proper resolution, though)

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Ship_from_the_FogV1.ogg		Normal			Couldn't think of anywhere better...

My comments were "calm/mysterious" and then "starts to get exciting around 0:21"

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Snow_on_a_Castle.ogg		Calm

Agreed.

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Terradorians_Theme_Song.ogg	Normal, Battle?

Yeah, probably either would work...

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The_Kings_Crowning_V1.ogg	Normal, Calm?

My comments were: "happy/triumphant" and "victory cutscene music" and "kinda romantic; could also work for a wedding" and "the two love interests finally kiss"

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The_Passing_of_an_Age.ogg	Calm?/Normal?		Can't put everything in Normal...

My comments were: "kinda tense/dissonant" and "stressful", but upon relistening, I'm not really getting that vibe anymore, so I guess I could see Calm/Normal...

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Western_Theme2.ogg		Battle			Difficult to classify; other moods in there too (e.g. opening sequence)

My comments were: "tense/threatening buildup to a boss battle" and "actual battle part kicks in around 0:30"

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WIP_Fast_Paced_Theme.ogg	Battle, Normal?		Another tricky one; also Epic-ish elements?

Yeah agreed on the Battle mood, I also said "exciting/hopeful"

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Zedarian_Theme.ogg		Battle, Underground?	Opening creepy/menacing then gets more battle-y?
							(Too overtly menacing for me to label it Creepy
							 hence Battle)

I think this one was just No_name.ogg again...

[egallager]

Also, some stats on the current playlists:

• {MOOD_BATTLE}: used in 8 places in TEG, contains 27 tracks currently
• {MOOD_EPIC}: used in 5 places in TEG, contains 21 tracks currently
• {MOOD_CALM}: used in 7 places in TEG, contains 31 tracks currently
• {MOOD_UNDERGROUND}: used in 9 places in TEG, contains 17 tracks currently (so we need to do a lot better job of adding tracks to this one!)
• {MOOD_SAD}: only used in 2 places in TEG (both in the same scenario), contains 13 tracks currently
• {MOOD_NORMAL}: only used in 4 places in TEG (but they're all kinda near the beginning of the campaign, so a player who gives up part-way through it is more likely to hear them), contains 31 tracks currently, so it probably has enough for now
• {MOOD_CREEPY}: only used in 3 places in TEG, contains 9 tracks currently

So, with this in mind, if a track could fit multiple moods, and "Normal" is one of them, and I'm trying to strip it down to a smaller number of moods, going forwards, "Normal" is probably going to be the first of them to go (get removed)...

[Spannerbag]

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brwydr.ogg			Sad			Alternates sad/battle(/normal?) but more sad IMHO

I had this as "kinda normal-ish" and "maybe also battle (but like in the run-up to it)" and "tinged with a bit of sadness" (so, kind of an agreement about all 3, with a question remaining as to which to emphasize...)

I still get Sad more than anything else but Battle would be my second choice, the melody does veer between sad and battle.
But then... a sad feel in Battle probably works better than a battle feel in Sad?

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Exploration_T.ogg		Normal			Maybe also Battle but very much a second choice

I had this as Normal and "epic-ish" so I guess just Normal, then... (although ForestDragon says "sort of mysterious/epic hybrid?" so maybe I will include it in Epic, too, after all, then?)

Well... if you want to avoid Normal and given I'm useless with Epic, maybe include it in Epic?

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No_name.ogg			Battle, Underground?	Bit short ~69 sec

I said, "kinda epic/threatening; invokes a mood of dread" (originally), but yeah I guess I could see Battle/Underground instead...

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Zedarian_Theme.ogg		Battle, Underground?...

I think this one was just No_name.ogg again...

If you're in need of Underground tracks maybe put it there?

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Overlive.ogg			Battle, Normal?		Bit short ~66 sec

My comment was "epic/threatening boss music" (since a lot of add-ons use it for boss fights)
...

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Regular_Battle.ogg		Battle			Sounds familiar but can't think from where

I thought this was just Overlive again... try playing the two simultaneously and you'll notice a lot of overlap (second one goes on a bit longer, though)

Oh yeah... looked through the previous music books and some campaigns and other music resources... never thought to look in the same music book
Maybe just use Regular_Battle.ogg?
Can't believe I missed two near duplicates - but then time was tight and I was listening to these tracks in small batches rather than all at once so that's my excuse!

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Prologue.ogg			Normal, Battle?		Battle mood mainly in second half

"starts kinda sad"... idk, the part with the battle mood doesn't really kick in soon enough...

Agreed, but if you want to avoid Normal maybe put it in Battle?

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Returning_in_Time.ogg		Calm

My comments were: "kinda sad/calm" and "nostalgiaful" and "starts to pick up a bit more energy around halfway through" and "still generally sad, though"

Yeah, the cello does give it a mournful edge and it ain't a cheerful tune, but neither does it seem relentlessly miserable.
I'd be happy with Calm or Sad, I think it would work for either mood.

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Run2.ogg			Creepy, Battle?		Mostly Creepy then picks up near end, short ~48 sec

My comments were: "creepy/threatening" and "horror" and "something starts chasing around 0:25-0:30" (but then it just ends before it can really build to a proper resolution, though)

FWIW I think it works best in Creepy, pity it's so short and the ending's so abrupt though...

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Ship_from_the_FogV1.ogg		Normal			Couldn't think of anywhere better...

My comments were "calm/mysterious" and then "starts to get exciting around 0:21"

I agree that although the opening segment is calm after that it is more lively.
Is it me or does the tempo feel a bit variable?
Not sure where this works best, I'd say maybe Normal but that's full... not really Calm or Sad enough IMHO...
Weird idea: do you think it might possibly work in Underground?

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The_Kings_Crowning_V1.ogg	Normal, Calm?

My comments were: "happy/triumphant" and "victory cutscene music" and "kinda romantic; could also work for a wedding" and "the two love interests finally kiss"

I'd agree with that, a happy conclusion?
It does feel like it would work at the end of a campaign.
Maybe we need another mood; Happy endings
Even though it's full I'd put this in Normal, really can't see anywhere else it would work?

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The_Passing_of_an_Age.ogg	Calm?/Normal?		Can't put everything in Normal...

My comments were: "kinda tense/dissonant" and "stressful", but upon relistening, I'm not really getting that vibe anymore, so I guess I could see Calm/Normal...

Yup, either's fine with me...

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Western_Theme2.ogg		Battle			Difficult to classify; other moods in there too (e.g. opening sequence)

My comments were: "tense/threatening buildup to a boss battle" and "actual battle part kicks in around 0:30"

Happy with that... thought you might've gone for Epic...


Cheers!
-- Spannerbag

[egallager]

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brwydr.ogg			Sad			Alternates sad/battle(/normal?) but more sad IMHO

I had this as "kinda normal-ish" and "maybe also battle (but like in the run-up to it)" and "tinged with a bit of sadness" (so, kind of an agreement about all 3, with a question remaining as to which to emphasize...)

I still get Sad more than anything else but Battle would be my second choice, the melody does veer between sad and battle.
But then... a sad feel in Battle probably works better than a battle feel in Sad?

I ended up cutting it down from Sad/Battle/Normal to just Sad/Battle

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Exploration_T.ogg		Normal			Maybe also Battle but very much a second choice

I had this as Normal and "epic-ish" so I guess just Normal, then... (although ForestDragon says "sort of mysterious/epic hybrid?" so maybe I will include it in Epic, too, after all, then?)

Well... if you want to avoid Normal and given I'm useless with Epic, maybe include it in Epic?

I ended up going with both Normal and Epic

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No_name.ogg			Battle, Underground?	Bit short ~69 sec

I said, "kinda epic/threatening; invokes a mood of dread" (originally), but yeah I guess I could see Battle/Underground instead...

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Zedarian_Theme.ogg		Battle, Underground?...

I think this one was just No_name.ogg again...

If you're in need of Underground tracks maybe put it there?

I ended up putting them both in Underground.

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Overlive.ogg			Battle, Normal?		Bit short ~66 sec

My comment was "epic/threatening boss music" (since a lot of add-ons use it for boss fights)
...

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Regular_Battle.ogg		Battle			Sounds familiar but can't think from where

I thought this was just Overlive again... try playing the two simultaneously and you'll notice a lot of overlap (second one goes on a bit longer, though)

Oh yeah... looked through the previous music books and some campaigns and other music resources... never thought to look in the same music book
Maybe just use Regular_Battle.ogg?
Can't believe I missed two near duplicates - but then time was tight and I was listening to these tracks in small batches rather than all at once so that's my excuse!

I do actually kinda like this one so I don't really mind if it's duplicated; I ended up putting Overlive.ogg in Epic and Underground, and Regular_Battle.ogg in just Battle (even though they're basically the same)

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Prologue.ogg			Normal, Battle?		Battle mood mainly in second half

"starts kinda sad"... idk, the part with the battle mood doesn't really kick in soon enough...

Agreed, but if you want to avoid Normal maybe put it in Battle?

Ended up going with both Battle and Sad for this one.

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Returning_in_Time.ogg		Calm

My comments were: "kinda sad/calm" and "nostalgiaful" and "starts to pick up a bit more energy around halfway through" and "still generally sad, though"

Yeah, the cello does give it a mournful edge and it ain't a cheerful tune, but neither does it seem relentlessly miserable.
I'd be happy with Calm or Sad, I think it would work for either mood.

Ended up going with both Calm and Sad for this one.

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Run2.ogg			Creepy, Battle?		Mostly Creepy then picks up near end, short ~48 sec

My comments were: "creepy/threatening" and "horror" and "something starts chasing around 0:25-0:30" (but then it just ends before it can really build to a proper resolution, though)

FWIW I think it works best in Creepy, pity it's so short and the ending's so abrupt though...

Ended up going with just Creepy for this one.

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Ship_from_the_FogV1.ogg		Normal			Couldn't think of anywhere better...

My comments were "calm/mysterious" and then "starts to get exciting around 0:21"

I agree that although the opening segment is calm after that it is more lively.
Is it me or does the tempo feel a bit variable?
Not sure where this works best, I'd say maybe Normal but that's full... not really Calm or Sad enough IMHO...
Weird idea: do you think it might possibly work in Underground?

You know, upon giving it a relisten, I think you might be right that Underground might actually be the proper home for it...

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The_Kings_Crowning_V1.ogg	Normal, Calm?

My comments were: "happy/triumphant" and "victory cutscene music" and "kinda romantic; could also work for a wedding" and "the two love interests finally kiss"

I'd agree with that, a happy conclusion?
It does feel like it would work at the end of a campaign.
Maybe we need another mood; Happy endings
Even though it's full I'd put this in Normal, really can't see anywhere else it would work?

So I'm actually creating a new macro, {CUE_HAPPY} for this one...

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The_Passing_of_an_Age.ogg	Calm?/Normal?		Can't put everything in Normal...

My comments were: "kinda tense/dissonant" and "stressful", but upon relistening, I'm not really getting that vibe anymore, so I guess I could see Calm/Normal...

Yup, either's fine with me...

I actually ended up going Sad/Normal for this one...

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Western_Theme2.ogg		Battle			Difficult to classify; other moods in there too (e.g. opening sequence)

My comments were: "tense/threatening buildup to a boss battle" and "actual battle part kicks in around 0:30"

Happy with that... thought you might've gone for Epic...

So yeah, just Battle it is, then...

[egallager]

...also, in case it helps with figuring out {MOOD_EPIC} at all, I figured I'd list the places where it's currently used in TEG:

• S05b, "Unknown Tunnels", which I don't get, as it's just a normal battle/exploration scenario where you're trying to reach the end of a tunnel through the crossfire between fighting trolls and undead
• S07, "The Bridge Is Broken"... this one I kinda get, since the scenario is rather long and involved
• S10, "Old Friends", another underground "moveto" scenario, this time with a randomly-generated map
• S15, "Save the Heir": an escort mission featuring Konrad
• S22, "The Caverns of Flame": the final gameplay scenario, featuring some strong enemies that are kind of boss-fight-ish. Probably the only one that I'd consider to be truly "epic", but I'm not going to second-guess Anonymissimus's original uses of it...