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Eino Keskitalo   Members

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Posts posted by Eino Keskitalo

  1. And now Games like Symphony of the Night got their own tag. The leveling system plus exploration in a vast open world is now called 'MetroidVania'. Thus is a blend of RPG and Exploration/Adventure.

    Ooh, but! Consider that in SotN, you get experience points when killing monsters and gain levels that way, while in a typical metroidvania you build up strength and capabilities by finding items. So, SotN is an "RPG" while Metroid is not.

    I know, it's silly. There's a good question in addition to the one in the topic: "WHY to define what games are RPGs", answer to which affects also the answer to the "how" question. For instance, in the blog I linked to, the blogger has that quest to play them all and explore the history of CRPGs along the way. He has action RPGs in there as well, and generally the marginally RPG stuff results in pretty interesting posts.

  2. Here's the source breakdown.

    The long intro:

    0:00-0:07 no source anywhere

    0:07-0:24 The descending pizzicato from Lulu's theme (from the start) is there on the violin to the right, adjusted to major key.. if you'll accept that :)

    0:24-0:41 Pizzicato continues; Lenna's bells from 0:00-0:10 on the chippy synth to the left

    0:41-0:50 Pizzicato

    First "verse"

    0:51-1:24 Lenna's bells + melody (on the fake guitar, different rhythm) from 0:06-0:28.

    Second "verse":

    1:25-2:00

    Bits of Lenna's bells (1:25-1:27, 1:34-1:36, 1:43-1:44, 1:52-1:53)

    Bits of Lenna's melody (1:25-1:27 from 0:30-0:31, 1:28-1:38 from 0:30-0:38 (as if a lower harmony), 1:44-1:47 (0:18-0:20), 1:48-1:51 (0:21-0:24), 1:52-1:55 and 1:56-2:00 are derived from 0:24-0:30 but different, I guess.

    From Lulu, the melloflute melody 0:14-0:25 adjusted to key (& rhythm) at 1:27-1:32 & 1:43-1:49, (0:19-0:25) at 1:37-1:40 and (a further adjusted 0:14-0:19) at 1:56-2:00. These on the organ + chippy synth.

    I think I need to include that bass thing from Lenna's @ 0:39-0:42!

    2:00-2:03 A little break

    First "chorus":

    2:03-2:07 The lead sounds like a hybrid of both bells in Lenna's 0:55-1:01.. I might adjust that to fit the source better. Sounds a bit hyperactive, the source is very pretty and it would give a nice contrast in the piece perhaps?

    2:07-2:11 Lulu's melloflute from 0:14-0:19

    2:12-2:20 2:12-2:14 and 2:16-2:20 you can hear the higher bell from Lenna's at 0:55-0:58 in the background.

    2:21-2:25 The descending pizzicato from Lulu's plays @ 2:21.

    Third "verse":

    2:25-2:59 The Lulu's B-part melody from 1:09-1:34 plays twice I believe. Lenna-bells from 0:06-0:28 on the chippy synth.

    3:00-3:01 a little break

    Second "chorus":

    3:02-3:10 The lower bell from Lenna's 0:55-1:06.

    3:10-3:36 Variations of the previous bit; the original melody is there in the background.

    3:36-3:49 a wind-down.

  3. When I think of the original D&D archetype all of these games are based on, it's not just about rolling a D20 in an encounter or leveling skills on your character sheet, it's about actually fleshing out a character and putting something of yourself into them.

    Actually, I'm under the impression that D&D originally (like, in the 70s) was much more about trying to get your character to survive (and improve) through whatever fiendish testing grounds the dungeon master was capable of devising. Emphasis on story-telling comes much later, 90s even. Both console and computer role playing games (if you want to distinguish between them) start their evolution before that.

  4. My favourite blog is called The CRPG Addict, where the blogger is playing through all the single-player computer role-playing games released for home computers (so console games are excluded from this particular endeavor). The blog uses the following criteria to define an RPG:

    My definition of "RPG" requires the game to have three core criteria: 1) character leveling and development, 2) combats based at least partly on attribute-derived statistics, 3) inventories consisting of something other than just puzzle items.

    Here's some more discussion on the topic; I'm pretty sure there's a later post when the blog had matured a bit, but of course I couldn't find it..

  5. Nice drive in this one! I like the way the arrangement comes back to the main theme or "head" in the middle and in the end, giving the piece a good structure. The first two times the theme is played very affirmatively, the last time it's gentler.

    Strong bass riff gives a good backbone for the two more melodic cellos to start dancing around each ofter after the main theme. After the second one, they're more together in playing a haunting melody. The last iteration of the main theme is more soft, before the ending, which is both strong and left hanging in the air.

  6. A seamless collab! I'm happy to see long-time collab partner Tuberz finally posted (sorry it wasn't one of ours ;)), and ditto for the PRC veteran Chickenwarlord.

    If I had to critisize something, there's a bit of unclear harmony writing between the guitar and piano around 0:50 and 0:56. That's just one spot, on the whole the tune is a very crafty and enjoyable blend between the acoustic guitar and chiptune aesthetic. Nice percussion too! Is there a cajon in there, or is it a regular drumkit?

  7. Been a fan of illusen :) since that first Ecco the Dolphin post on the workshop. This is another case of smart, deliberately employed electronica, and still the organic elements - voice and guitar - end up being the highlights. I like the style of the guitaring, nice to hear this sort of stuff on OCR. Structure is good as well. The vocal harmony in the middle breakdown reminds me of something I used to listen to, quite pleasantly.. I feel like I need to go back to that.

    The EQ is a bit harsh/bright for my ears, esp. on guitar and vocals. I keep checking the ending if my file download ended prematurely, but that's not a crit, it works. :)

  8. I have trouble connecting with this piece. The strings are playing super loud almost constantly, which feels like it was forcing the emotion down your throat (with very much the sensibility of blockbuster epicality). The arrangement is otherwise good, well paced and emotive, and I love the gentleness and tone of the piano.

  9. Final Summoning has in-game audio sampled into it, I think this is verboten by Square-Enix? (I feel bad for pointing this out).

    Zillion source tunes seem to originate from the anime - although the airing of the anime & the release of the first video game are only about a month apart. "Outside Planet" is the closing theme in the anime ("Pure Stone"), and "Inside Planet" appears on a Zillion anime OST as "Break a trap for yourself", though I have no idea if it appears in the anime.

  10. The video was quite nice and made me want to pick up the game to play.

    Some of the percussion and effects stand out from the mix, and should sit better in it. (At least the lo-fi steps around 1:00, the percussion at 1:10-1:56, the crunchy bass drum starting around 5:28).

    There's that synth bass from 2:25-2:48 that stays the same through the part, I feel like it should follow/adjust to the last chord change.

    I'm not sure, but the bell-like trip-hoppy stuff coming in at 3:47-4:02 sound like they were playing in a different key/mode. It's a bit strange, like another piece fading in.

    When the strings get louder during the last two minutes it sound like the volume knob was used to make it louder, instead of the "playing" of the strings, if that makes sense.

    Pretty good work work overall, maintaining interest in such a long piece.. I liked the narrative flow, though some of the transitions feel a bit loose if you're not watching the video. I think you have the basic believable orchestral sound down fairly well, though I'm not by far a good judge of that.

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