Original post by Vopisk

Original post by T1Oracle

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Original post by Vopisk I feel personally that cut scenes are most often used as a method of filling in the gaps in the story. Usually these are things that I suppose the gamemakers decided we're too boring to waste my time with, even as they follow and prequel the most important events in the game. So we need to head out and cross the country in our super-jet to meet so and so? Great, it's a long flight... I'll drive! Why should we let the players play out the smaller parts when we can make a mini-movie and then just fast forward the player to more killing, cause we need to kill, kill 'em all!

Two comments:
1) Isn't this a bit like those Choose Your Own Adventure books? Sometimes a lot happens between choices in those books.

2) I see those games differently. I see them as combat games, with a story to justify and reward the combat (even Doom and Serious Sam had to have some story).

And, hey, did you like the Lone Wolf series?

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why can't I just go from point A to point B?

I dislike going from point A to point B. It's boring. I'd rather have a faster (and, even better, skippable) cutscene taking me from action node to action node. (See also: Enough time to play? thread)

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Most who respond to this idea will say, books have no capacity for soundtrack, since our media makes it available, let us use it to the fullest of effects! To this, I say no, just as I say no to purposely pushing graphics cards to the limits simply because we can. My mantra has always been and will always be, I hope, make better games, let the sounds and graphics only polish an already wonderful thing.

There's a difference between "using it to the fullest effect" and "using every trick in the bag because we can". Too often, games are just fancy tech demos (using every trick in the bag because we can), but I don't think that that means we shouldn't rummage through the bag for every trick that'll help us get the effect we want.

I think, perhaps, we're approaching the same solution from different perspectives.

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Original post by Vopisk ... I do think, however, that there are exceptions to every rule. ... I think that a final point on this is that overly much, music and graphics are used as tools in a shock and awe campaign that the game industry believes will lull you into continuing to play the drivel that they produce at mind-blowing prices and speeds. If well-integrated into the game world, so that they seemlessly and not invadingly blend with the gameplay, they can be fantastic features that enhance gameplay and make the game better. ...

I think that these two quotes well enough explain my point that I need no further lengthy arguments. It may have seemed that I argued the complete elimination of music, but that's not the case. Music should not be something noticeable, as most have said, a large part of the time, it should be quiet and merely enhance an already excellently made atmosphere.

When I suggested that music be thought of last, it was not to say "Do not even think of the music at all until the game is already playable." It was instead to suggest that the music itself, like most cinematic soundtracks, should be added after the game to make sure that it does indeed, blend seemlessly into the background and does not over-awe the player. That's not to say that a game developer shouldn't think of what style or types of music they want in their game, merely wait on the selection until they can be sure.

To return to my Splinter Cell example, the music there is non-heard for the most part until the tempo kicks up when you've done something completely foolish, sometimes even if no one is around to hear/see you. This does indeed add to the suspense as you quickly scan for any enemies that you may not have seen, and gives you a sense of relief when in fact, you have not been discovered at all.

My two cents, something to chew on,

Vopisk

Many of the Star Wars franchise games used Williams (or perhaps Williams-esque) musical scores to set the mood. The recent Ultima series used music effectively (e.g. Ultima IX's before-and-after-quest town music was a great example).

For certain, music is a huge benefit to the game and to players!

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If you can't make a game good without the music, then it's just not a good game. As others have said also, music can make a game better, but it should not be one of the featured aspects of the game.

Well obviously us audio engineers with careers in the games industry want to see it the other way around and would argue that point to death. But that's who we are and that's how we think.

I would submit that a lot of programmers would think as you have stated, with the audio being way at the back, last moment decision, not important.

And then there's these people in the middle who are creating something in between and INNOVATING.

Heard of a game being developed called Metronome?

http://www.tarsier.se/metronome/

Man that kind of thing excites me. Shuts up a lot of people too. Sure hope they get a publisher soon!