The PCReMix Initiative ~ Let's put the PC in OC ReMix!

But if you've come here to arrange the music of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Sonic, Super Mario etc., turn around now, vile demon! This is not the thread for you.

The Tracklist (moved to the top of the post for your convenience!)

If you want to 'claim' a track, just state the game and the song you'll be arranging. If possible, provide the link to the original. Some songs might not have official names since a lot of old games had no official soundtrack release. If that's the case, just describe where in the game one can hear the track.

Duplicate tracks are allowed, meaning that two ReMixers may choose to arrange the same song from the same game. However, we encourage diversity! You may end up being the only ReMixer with an arrangement from a specific game. How cool is that?

Make sure you do your very best with the arrangement! Our goal is to have as many posted ReMixes as possible.

List of claims

ReMixer - Track (Game) ~ State

Draconiator -

(Jill of the Jungle) ~ Substantial WIP (WIP thread)

Archangel - Snow Theme (Heroes of Might and Magic III) ~ First WIP (WIP thread)

evktalo -

(Deathtrack) ~ First WIP

Groboclown -

(Little Big Adventure) ~ First WIP (WIP thread)

Groboclown, evktalo -

(Star Control 2) ~ First WIP (WIP thread)

Archangel - Sea Theme (Heroes of Might and Magic II) ~ Claimed

Sockpuppet5 -

(Jazz Jackrabbit) ~ Claimed

Sockpuppet5 - Medivo Theme/

(Jazz Jackrabbit I & II) ~ Claimed

evktalo - Menu Theme/Mission 1 (Traffic Department 2192) ~ Claimed

Magellanic -

(Tyrian) ~ Claimed

Brandon Strader -

(Diablo 2) ~ Claimed

GuitArbitrary -

(Rescue the Scientists) ~ Claimed

mk_97 -

(Lode Runner) ~ Claimed

IsolinearMoogle - SuvwI' van bom (Star Trek: Klingon) ~ Claimed

Esperado -

(Might & Magic V: The Dark Side of Xeen) ~ Claimed

Argle -

(Hocus Pocus) ~ Claimed

Trism -

(Command & Conquer) ~ Claimed

Archangel -

(Ultima VII: Serpent Isle) ~ Claimed

Dj Mokram - Medley (Deus Ex) ~ Claimed

DusK - ??? (MechWarrior 2)

Amphibious - ??? (Warcraft 2) ~ Claimed

Mykah - ??? (Ultima Online) ~ Claimed

XPRTNovice - ??? (Quest for Glory 2) ~ Claimed

(First WIP - Substantial WIP - Almost done - Finished)

Finished tracks

Archangel -

(Eye of the Beholder II) ~ Finished (WIP thread) [submitted: 28 January 2012]

evktalo -

(Deus Ex) ~ Finished (WIP thread) [submitted: 12 October 2012]

Magellanic -

(Tyrian) ~ Finished (WIP thread) [submitted]

Flexstyle -

,

(Starcraft) ~ Finished (Final version)

I encourage you to wear these in your signatures to help spread the word. =)

(made by Doulifée)

(made by Doulifée)

PC-game music, where art thou?

It has come to my attention that OC ReMix is seriously lacking in arrangements of old PC (DOS/Windows) game music. I noticed that the first time I came to this site in 2002 (give or take a year), and I have to say I was somewhat disappointed. It is now 2012 and the situation hasn't changed much, even though ten years have passed!

Let's take a look at some numbers, shall we? I'm a linguist, but even I know numbers do not lie.

The OC ReMix archive currently lists 21 DOS games with 29 ReMixes, and 70 Windows games with 100 ReMixes (which also include games like Minecraft, Skyrim, World of Warcraft and so on—those don't count for the purposes of this thread, because they're relatively new).

And then there's SNES, which currently has 645 posted ReMixes. Chrono Trigger alone has 108 (!!!) Remixes—more than the whole Windows bundle, and almost four times as many as the poor DOS group.

This madness stops NOW!

Have you finally gone insane, Archangel?

Yes. But before you start trolling and going all Salem-witch-trials on me, let me tell you that this is not just a whining rant. I'm planning on doing something to remedy this horrible, horrible, shameful situation.

With the resurgence of abandonware, game remakes, and DOS emulators (DOSBox being the most prominent one), the demand for PC-game nostalgia has risen dramatically. Sadly, OC ReMix, despite all its brilliance, is not the place for PC gamers looking for musical memories.

It seems really strange to me that musicians here express almost no interest in remixing PC-game music. Haven't you people played any of those awesome games from the 90s?

Commander Keen, Hocus Pocus, Mortal Kombat, Blackthorne, Heretic, Hexen, King's Quest, Quest for Glory, Heroes of Might and Magic, Might and Magic, Betrayal at Krondor, Indiana Jones, Discworld, Ultima, Diablo, Master of Magic, Eye of the Beholder, Dungeon Master, Menzoberranzan, Ravenloft, Blood & Magic, Command & Conquer, Lords of Magic, Prehistorik, The Secret of Monkey Island, Flight of the Amazon Queen, Day of the Tentacle, Full Throttle, Sam & Max, The Legend of Kyrandia, Age of Empires, Civilization, Warcraft, Wacky Wheels, Ski or Die, Doofus. The list goes on and on and on.

I refuse to believe there's no one here who has played at least one of these games and enjoyed it and its music enough to make at least one musical tribute to it. What should we do about this, you ask?

Fear not!

I hereby solemnly declare the birth of The PCReMix Initiative!

Ah, yes. What?

The PCReMix Initiative is not a project and has no overarching main theme. There are no genre or content restrictions whatsoever. There will also be no deadlines and no directors. The Initiative is just a way to encourage people who love old PC games to contribute something fresh to OC ReMix and make the site a little less console-centered and more PC-friendly. This should draw in a lot more game fans and expand the borders of the already massive OverClocked Empire.

For the love of Peter, how does it work?!

It's all so simple an idiot could have come up with it! (Hm ...)

1) Choose an old, pre-2000s DOS/Windows game for which you have a special place in your heart, and start making a ReMix of a song from its soundtrack.

2) Make a post in this thread "claiming" the track. Since we need at least a little bit of organization to make this work, I'll be the coordinator. I'll keep track of the ReMixers, their tracks, and their progress. Remember, there are no deadlines, but by signing up you make an unofficial promise to yourself and your PCReMix colleagues that you will contribute a ReMix (or sixteen) and help fight this apparently extremely persistent PC drought here at OC ReMix.

3) If you need help with your arrangement, mixing or mastering, your PCReMix buddies will help you. Post your WIP in the Workshop (just like a normal WIP), but make sure you add 'PCReMix' to your thread title. Why is this necessary? I've seen too many threads with obscure arrangements go unnoticed to just let fate decide whether you get some help with your ReMix or not. This way you'll at least get some feedback from some of your fellow PC fighters.

4) When you're done with the arrangement, submit the song to the OC ReMix Judges Panel. Make sure you mention that you made the track as part of The PCReMix Initiative, because we need the publicity.

5) Cross your fingers and hope for the best!

Perhaps not, but that's no way to start a revolution! I'm definitely not expecting any sudden, major trend overhauls with this little micro-organization, but I do hope OC ReMix will get at least a small dose of PC-nostalgia after we're done.

Why even bother? Everyone just listens to Zelda and Final Fantasy anyway!

That is not true!

The PCReMix Initiative has several goals:

• Provide more PC ReMixes to eager listeners;
  
• Give 'obscure' or forgotten DOS/Windows games a chance to shine once more;
  
• Expand the OC ReMix game archive (I hear the primarchs love ReMixes from obscure games!);
  
• Promote PC-game music to console-centered people;
  
• Encourage ReMixers to think outside the box and make a DOS/Windows ReMix instead of arranging Gerudo Valley or Schala's Theme for the umpteenth time;
  
• Give game fans who are currently making modern remakes of DOS games a reason to turn to OC ReMix for their revamped music needs; and
  
• Trailblaze a new type of cooperation here at OC ReMix. Project albums take years to show any results. Initiatives may produce new songs in a matter of days! And the best part is: they may never end!
  

What's in it for me?!

I'm not giving you money if that's what you think!

Nevertheless, you get the chance to honor a beloved game, its music, and its composer with an arrangement, contribute to the growth of this community by helping improve one of its weak spots, and be a part of what will hopefully be a productive group of friends with a common goal.

Why should I do YOU a favor, alien lunatic?!

You are not doing this for me. You are doing this for yourself and the game/music/composer you like. I'm not going to choose your game or your track, and I'm not going to play big bad boss or tell you how to make your arrangement.

I'm simply trying to jump-start an influx of DOS/Windows ReMixes. I've been hearing whispers all over these forums every now and then. "I might make a ReMix of this game someday." "I had so much fun playing this, and the music was incredible!" "I actually have an unfinished remix of this from way back. I might finish it some time."

This is your chance! Don't miss it!

There, I've done it.

I've already 'adopted' three tracks to get things going, hopefully. I'm planning on keeping this thing alive even if I have to do it all by myself!

I'll try to update the thread with some promotional artwork (badges etc.) once I get the time. If anyone wants to pitch in, you're more than welcome to do it!

I will also try to contact a staff member to see if we can create a social group. Provided there's enough interest, of course.

Happy rummaging through dusty games that Time itself forgot! =D

Sounds like a great idea! I'd love to try remixing something from Jazz Jackrabbit. Probably

This is an amazing idea and you can count me in! For what though, I do not yet know.

Also this thread should be sticky and given some proper exposure

If anyone does a ReMix to Sam & Max: Hit the Road, especially the song

Then again, I'd love to see if anyone on OCR can do a better version of "Girl in the Tower" from King's Quest 6...

Haha what Girl in the Tower is amazing. I would totally do it. D:

It seems untouchable though.

It seems untouchable though.

If there was a way to do it while keeping it as conservative as possible...... but OCR doesn't accept sound upgrade remixes... And sometimes adding new stuff to a song that is good as is, is not a good idea :/

A fantastic initiative (and very nice first post!) - I've been thinking about going back to my early gaming history and doing something with those DOS games especially, since they're underrepresented on OCR.. and here's this thread now.

Here's a 'claim' for two tracks. I did a short version of the Death Track track for PRC208, which was a free round (I think I got the melody a bit wrong though). I've also started the TD2192 track already. I have loads of more ideas, but I think I'll only mention them here when I've actually done something. I also don't feel like posting these to the Workshop board quite yet, but any case, I'll be working on these when I can.

Death Track intro/menu -

Traffic Department 2192 menu/mission 1 - source/gameplay - started working on

--Eino

Great stuff, guys! I've added your claims to the tracklist. It's not legally binding or anything, so no worries if anyone at some point decides to drop a track etc.

I was really relieved when I saw that some people actually responded. I assumed the thread was just going to sink into oblivion like so many other threads before it. =D

Good to know that people are interested. Spread the word if you can! =)

Count me in! This should encourage me to finish the tyrian mixes I've started/planned. List me up to do a mix of "Gyges, will you help me please". I may mix it with another source, but I'm definitely gonna do that.

I assumed the thread was just going to sink into oblivion like so many other threads before it. =D

Nah, this actually is a great idea. I'll proly be up to contribute something later down the road.

However, while exhaustive and informative, the OP is a bit too long. This will discourage some folks half-way through.

Try synthetizing your thoughts in less sentences for clarity and maybe put the tracklist with who does what near the top.

Btw, why isn't this posted in 'Recruit and Collaborate' instead of 'Requests'?

However, while exhaustive and informative, the OP is a bit too long. This will discourage some folks half-way through.

Yeah, I think so too, to be honest. I'll definitely move the tracklist to a more visible spot, and I'll see what I can do about the novel-sized description. I'll try to move the important parts to the top to make sure we don't discriminate against people with an attention span of a senile goldfish. =D

Btw, why isn't this posted in 'Recruit and Collaborate' instead of 'Requests'?

Actually, I posted the thread there at first. The moderators must have moved it. I don't know why, though. It just makes it harder for us to get more ReMixers on board.

Yeah, I'm expecting this to be a collaborative effort. For instance, marking WIP threads with "PCReMix" when they're under this initiative is a great idea.

--Eino

If there was a way to do it while keeping it as conservative as possible...... but OCR doesn't accept sound upgrade remixes... And sometimes adding new stuff to a song that is good as is, is not a good idea :/

Who said anything about a sound upgrade? I said the "OCR treatment," which could mean a lot of things, like a genre switch or an emphasis on the cheesy nature of the song that turns it into a comedy track. That's what I mean when I said the OCR treatment would make that track better than it is now.

Actually, I posted the thread there at first. The moderators must have moved it. I don't know why, though. It just makes it harder for us to get more ReMixers on board.

It's not a project; it's not a collaborative effort that's meant to be released in a collection. All it is is an 'initiative,' which boils down to a very elaborate request. It belongs in the requests section. I left a redirect that'll stick around in the R&C forum for a week.

I really wanna do something from MechWarrior 2 or Ghost Bear's Legacy. I'll give those two OSTs another listen.

do hentai games count?

OCR allows remixes of music from hentai games. Considering most hentai games are for the PC, they probably count.

Can I safely assume that this initiative is for PC-exclusive games? I've been planning to do a Rayman remix or two, but that was a cross-platform game when it came out.

PC soundtrack was the best one, though.

It's not a project; it's not a collaborative effort that's meant to be released in a collection.

I want to stress that I don't want to argue with you and that I respect your decision, but I fail to see how this thread is so radically different from all the "Guitar player wanted!" or "Looking for artist!" threads in R&C. We're recruiting people and we're planning on collaborating in the WIP-forums as far as feedback is concerned.

At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter where the thread is. It'll just take a little longer for people to find us this way.

I really wanna do something from MechWarrior 2 or Ghost Bear's Legacy. I'll give those two OSTs another listen.

Sure! Just tell me when you've decided so I can add you to the list!

OCR allows remixes of music from hentai games. Considering most hentai games are for the PC, they probably count.

Agreed. If it's an old PC game, go for it.

Can I safely assume that this initiative is for PC-exclusive games? I've been planning to do a Rayman remix or two, but that was a cross-platform game when it came out.

Well, a lot of DOS games were also available for the Amiga (including Eye of the Beholder II, which I've claimed), so cross-platform games are allowed, as long as they're more PC-oriented. Rayman was originally a Playstation game, but if the PC soundtrack is different from the Playstation one, you're more than welcome to remix it here!

I'm going to have to find a clear recording of this song so I can learn it, but...

0:17 - 1:28

of

Jill of the Jungle.

(Edited to put a better link of the song up)

Cool, Jill of the Jungle! I haven't played this game in years. Such a cool source! =D

I've put you on the list. Start whenever you're ready. =)

I think I, have decided that I, would like to commit to Rogue Encampment from, Fiablo 2.

It's something I've been meaning to cover for about 28 years.

I'd like to remix a song from a really obscure educational DOS game called Rescue the Scientists. I'll have to go through the entire soundtrack first, but I definitely want to do this.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165443/

It's probably Christopher Lloyd's breakout performance.