Categorizing UMC music by moods

[Spannerbag]

...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:...

Heh, thanks for that, I did start TEG but due to real life getting in the way I've kinda stalled on the whole campaign.
I also found some parts of it quite tough going (not the campaign's fault; just my usual impatience and failing to think through a proper strategy before I start hitting things ).

Will probably start over (my old PC finally died recently and I haven't migrated everything over yet).

Cheers!
-- Spannerbag

[Spannerbag]

A few good/familiar tracks here too.

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Track				Mood(s)			Comment

Note: Telaron's tracks (* 3rd, harp, overland_1&2) not included in main [music] but are credited.
No idea if this is intentional or not.

* 3rd.ogg			Calm, Normal?

acherontic.ogg			Underground, Creepy	Either or both (IMHO fits Underground slightly better)

Arkenstoned.ogg			CUE Happy? or Normal	Cheerful, upbeat, folksy

Camel_Soup.ogg			Calm, Normal?		First 1:18 very calm then pace slightly picks up

Flight_of_the_Drakes.ogg	Battle, Epic?		Good track, pity it cuts off slightly at end

* harp.ogg			Calm, maybe Sad?	Short; 50s

Merry_Monsters.ogg		CUE Happy? or Normal	Cheerful, upbeat, folksy

* overland_1.ogg		Battle			Did consider Creepy but more menacing than Creepy?

* overland_2.ogg		Normal			Starts Calm, maybe Saddish then becomes more upbeat

Scurvy_Dogs_Yarr.ogg		Normal			Short; 44s

solstice.ogg			Calm			Overall, has a few brief livelier bits

The_Longest_Night.ogg		Normal, Calm?		Bit lively in places for Calm IMHO

To_Pee_or_not_to_Pee.ogg	Battle?			16s and cuts off - wouldn't use IMHO

Toad_Stool.ogg			Calm, maybe Sad		I'd go for Calm but think Sad might work too

Trite_And_Wrong.ogg		Battle			Short; 50s

zhaytee_tragedy.ogg		Sad, Calm		Either or both (IMHO fits Sad slightly better)

Cheers!
-- Spannerbag

[egallager]

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Track				Mood(s)			Comment
* 3rd.ogg			Calm, Normal?

Agreed on Calm, I guess I could see Normal, too, but I already have enough listed as Normal as-is, so...

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acherontic.ogg			Underground, Creepy	Either or both (IMHO fits Underground slightly better)

Agreed on Underground, I guess I can see Creepy, too... (my notes were "gloomy/underground/atmospheric" and "ambient")

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Arkenstoned.ogg			CUE Happy? or Normal	Cheerful, upbeat, folksy

My notes here were "rhythmic/normal/festive" and "kinda Irish"... a bit too long for a CUE, but yeah it is kinda happy...

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Camel_Soup.ogg			Calm, Normal?		First 1:18 very calm then pace slightly picks up

Oops, I think I skipped this one; didn't realize it was in this book... (I do know it from certain campaigns, though...)
Edit: agreed on Calm and Normal (and on it picking up around 1:15-1:18-ish)

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Flight_of_the_Drakes.ogg	Battle, Epic?		Good track, pity it cuts off slightly at end

My notes here were: "kinda epic-ish, maybe a bit more on the normal end"

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* harp.ogg			Calm, maybe Sad?	Short; 50s

Yeah probably one of those; I'm not really sure...

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Merry_Monsters.ogg		CUE Happy? or Normal	Cheerful, upbeat, folksy

My notes for this one were: "oooh I like this one" and "kinda got a fun classic JRPG adventurous feel to it" and "also kinda Irish-ish, too"

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* overland_1.ogg		Battle			Did consider Creepy but more menacing than Creepy?

I was wondering, isn't this just Overlive from the previous book again?

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* overland_2.ogg		Normal			Starts Calm, maybe Saddish then becomes more upbeat

I just said "a bit tense" but idk really what mood I meant by that... I guess Normal works...

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Scurvy_Dogs_Yarr.ogg		Normal			Short; 44s

I said: "adventurous/epic/piratic/normal"

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solstice.ogg			Calm			Overall, has a few brief livelier bits

Agreed.

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The_Longest_Night.ogg		Normal, Calm?		Bit lively in places for Calm IMHO

I think this is just the previous one (solstice.ogg) again?

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To_Pee_or_not_to_Pee.ogg	Battle?			16s and cuts off - wouldn't use IMHO

Despite my comment of "it's actually kinda epic, lol" I agree that it's too short to actually use.

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Toad_Stool.ogg			Calm, maybe Sad		I'd go for Calm but think Sad might work too

I was thinking maybe Normal, but yeah Calm and/or Sad would probably work better, now that I'm giving it a second listen... idk...

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Trite_And_Wrong.ogg		Battle			Short; 50s

My first impression was Epic, but yeah I guess just Battle could work, too

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zhaytee_tragedy.ogg		Sad, Calm		Either or both (IMHO fits Sad slightly better)

Yeah...

[Spannerbag]

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overland_1.ogg		Battle			Did consider Creepy but more menacing than Creepy?

I was wondering, isn't this just Overlive from the previous book again?

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solstice.ogg			Calm			Overall, has a few brief livelier bits

Agreed.

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The_Longest_Night.ogg		Normal, Calm?		Bit lively in places for Calm IMHO

I think this is just the previous one (solstice.ogg) again?

Yup, overland_1.ogg[/The_Longest_Night.ogg are a bit longer than Overlive.ogg/solstice.ogg because both have a more lively ending added on (hence less sure about The_Longest_Night.ogg being calm; the ending is a bit of a jolt!).

Personally I'd be inclined to use overland_1.ogg rather than Overlive.ogg because for battle I think the former's more dynamic ending fits better.
Similarly I'd go for solstice.ogg rather than The_Longest_Night.ogg for Calm - even though it's shorter - because the latter's ending fits less well in Calm IMHO.

That said, I didn't spot the similarities in either case!

Not had chance to revisit TEG yet

Cheers!
-- Spannerbag

[egallager]

Oh, by the way, since Book 11 is up next, a word of warning about that one: A lot of the tracks in it are bad. In fact, I'd almost say to just skip the entire thing, but there are at least a few good ones, so maybe just skip all the ones starting with motif* at the very least?

[Spannerbag]

Oh, by the way, since Book 11 is up next...

Thanks for the heads-up, understood

Cheers!
-- Spanneerbag

[Spannerbag]

Finally got through this, been insanely busy recently, both in real life and Wesnoth (trying to finish at least one campaign before Christmas).

Kinda lost the will to live on this one, mainly 'cos I was trying to do too much at once and little brain overheated.

Anyway, here's my thoughts though I should really have trimmed it down.
Barring a few (3 or 4) tracks most of the ones I've commented on don't really work, IMHO, in a Wesnoth setting: I simply wouldn't have any use for them in my campaigns.
(And I don't like saying that when people have given their time and energy for free...)

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Track				Mood(s)			Comment


a_distant_land.ogg		Normal, Calm?		Starts of calm then gets livelier.  Short, 51s

Army_Theme.ogg			Normal? (if anywhere)	Seems too cheerful/upbeat for battle?  Ends abruptly

bitter_fate_acc.ogg		Normal? (if anywhere)	Only 3 instruments but gain (volume) is very high
							  so sounds "jangly" or jarring (especially the
							  harpsichord).
							Not sure where the melody would fit so a track I
							  wouldn't know where to use?
							Had the gain been set to a gentler level it might've
							  worked in calm but as it is I'd suggest the bucket
							  that is Normal? :-)

bitter_fate_v2.ogg		Normal? (if anywhere)	Same melody, different instruments.  Overall (to me
							  anyway) it sounded a little gentler on the ear.
							However still not sure where the melody would work best
							  so again probably couldn't use.

BuildingEvil.ogg		Normal? (if anywhere)	First 11 seconds ... one note.
							Next 10 seconds ... another.
							Then, halfway through the track, the melody starts.
							Too much contrast and maybe too much silence in first half?
							Also short, 50s
							Again, not sure where this track would work so another I
							  probably couldn't use.

filk.ogg			Normal?, Battle?	Lively tune, quite upbeat and cheerful (to me anyway).
							Perhaps too cheerful for Battle so maybe Normal?

Flight_Theme.ogg		Battle I guess		Can't put everything I'm unsure of in Normal!
							Ends very abruptly; inclined to not use for that reason.

ice_drake3b.ogg			Battle (if anywhere)	Not a great fit for Battle, but better there than anywhere
							  else?  Short, 37s, so perhaps don't use?

lament.ogg			Calm, Sad?		Seems more Calm than Sad but could work in either.
							Short, 50s.  Fade out seems abrupt.

light.ogg			Normal			Has some calm, sad and even suspenseful mood elements
							  but Normal overall IMHO.

LunaTower.ogg			Battle? Normal?		Alternates between the two, but Battle overall IMHO.
							Though the instrumentation is a bit "thin" for Battle?

motif*.ogg			--- skipped ---

myjourney.ogg			Normal, Battle?		Maybe a bit too "cheerful" for battle?

Three_Marimbas.ogg		Normal

Undeady_Waltzery.ogg		?			34s of single note piano...

Vibes.ogg			?			61s of some sort of xylophone or similar (I think)...

Cheers!
-- Spannerbag

[egallager]

Right, this reminded me, I haven't even finished putting the ones from Book 10 into TEG's code yet... let me do that first before reviewing the ones from Book 11...

[egallager]

Right, this reminded me, I haven't even finished putting the ones from Book 10 into TEG's code yet... let me do that first before reviewing the ones from Book 11...

...actually I think I'm just going to stop where I am; 10 books ought to be enough...