WindStrike

The problem with engis with small numbers started with me when I started getting obsessed with being an assault engineer on dustbowl. Trust me, with anything below 5v5 (or 6v6), a really good engi can be pretty cheap. However, IMO, that rule should really only apply for offense, because on defense, you really need the extra turret a lot, regardless of the numbers. If you're wondering how I did things, I'd typically come around from behind and kill someone with a shotgun or a wrench when the enemy was preoccupied with the turret. Even if the turret dies, I've already killed them and am building another one. No, I'm not a master wtih engi, but I'm good enough to get Bahamut to set a ban on small numbers.

Definitely completely unexpected considering the game, and you've done a really good job with it. The whole groove is cool and has enough variation without getting ridiculously repetitive (except at one part). The lyrics, which seem to be at a minimal, fit the song perfectly and are well spaced out. The only major gripe I have is at 2:57 when the theme comes in with that... whatever it is. It's got a really cool effect, but it's also painful to listen too with the high pitches that stick out. Additionally, the background groove at that part cut the guitar, so it loses the support. Maybe you could add something else that keeps that same support there. The general beat does get a little repetitive after a while, but it's cool enough to let it pass for now. Even so, I'd suggest finding something else you could add just before the 4:00 mark so that it's not a complete repeat as the beginning. Great job with it thus far. I look forward to seeing this completed... sometime (saying "soon" would assume "rushing it").

Better idea. How 'bout we have two different gametimes a day? Lets some people with different time zones play at one time and others at another. Granted, both probably won't be active everyday, but it'll let a few people that are spaced 5 hours off to get a chance with everyone else. A gametime starting 3-5pm EST might work... and then there's the typical 9:00pm EST some hours later.

Any chance you might add Badlands to the map list in the future? I've always found that map extremely fun... not to mention how much I slaughter using scout, heavy or engineer... depending on the situation. Also, what's a decal? I might have missed this earlier if you already answered it, but I'm feeling lazy right now.

Sorry, my dad got me Mario Kart Wii today (found out not long ago), so I'll be playing that in a bit. However, I'll come around on the server tomorrow or another time. Actually, I won't get as much time this week until Friday... and then I'll be able to snipe someone's head off or be a complete psycho with the scout.

Maps... well, I'm personally for 2fort, Goldrush and Hydro. Anything else (except Granary) will be fine with me, too.

I was gonna watch it today, but I was there at the wrong time for a Digital screening of the movie. So I'll be watching it in approximately 12 hours and 20 mintutes. Hooray for digital awesomeness!

Too short? Not really... I mean, you could extend it, but being a little over 3 minutes is fine for a remix. Black Winged Metamorphasis - perfect example. As for the repetition... it's fine up until a little past halfway, where it just goes through the same thing over and over with some changes in the guitar line, right up until the end portion. Yeah, originality would help in this case. Rather than just having the guitar lines change on the second time through that theme... change the whole thing at that point so that it strays from original song's structure. However, stylistically, keep it similar, whether it switches back to acoustic or keeps the same rock feel. After that, feel free to do whatever you want. Only other thing I can really dig into is the electric guitar line itself. Up until it changes on the repeated section, the part is actually kind of repetitive in itself. Additionally, it sticks out a little bit over the main choral leads. I noticed it replaces the original piano part, but it's naturally a much harsher instrument, and it's not like it's an acoustic guitar that'd better support the line. So change that entire line such that it's similar to what the piano part was, but put some more originality into it. Considering this is a rock arrangement, it should be more like either a harmony or a counter-melody. Right now, it's a support... which makes no sense (that is, up until the repeat). There's some other issues in the arrangement as a whole, but I think it's best to work on all the larger flaws you have right now before centering into those (besides, I'm not good at pointing those out in rock style music). It's a really cool approach at this theme and something I never expected to see out of it. So work primarily on the repetition and originality issues. Too short? That's never a problem in the early WIP stage. I'd really like to see this well refined and eventually finished at a high quality in the near future (or maybe a little later... depending on how long it takes you). Keep up to good work! *reads first remix* Wait, seriously? I've heard a LOT of first remixes... and this is one of the best of those. Kudos to ye on a great job thus far.

Out of the OCR people that I recognize thus far, I've only seen one in my time playing TF2, which I've had since Christmas, and I don't remember who it was. I may have played with other OCR members, but unfortunately, I only recognize a handful of people here from the music I listen to. Of course, I'll get to know more people around... and hopefully more that play TF2. In the meantime, I'll just stick with TheVille servers, I and VII (moreso VII) and whatever else you guys play on. Username in TF2 is the exact same as my username here and I'm typically seen playing Scout (beware of my insanity) or Sniper (beware of me on Goldrush and Dustbowl). Occasionally, if no one is filling the spot, I'll be another class... except Spy, because I just can't play them well at all. ... for the record, I officially hate chains of 4+ Medics complete with Demomen, and because of the unlockables, I see that way too much.

Been hanging around with OCR for about three years now, but I haven't really thought of joining as an actual member until recently when I started looking through the WIP forum (for about the last few months). So hello to everyone here and whatnot! Just a little background on myself... I've been playing the clarinet for nearly five years with a marching band season included in there. I have 0 experience with any music programs, so I never use any of that technical jargon that I don't understand - instead, I just use the music language I've been taught with dynamics, balance and whatever I can babble on about. Odds are, I won't really make any music around here as I'm still heavily in the learning process. However, I will stick around and give as much insight and feedback to WIPs and whoever else requires help... and while I'm at it, of course, get to know everyone better and vice versa. Probably an obvious one, but anyhow, thank ye all for your dedication to working with music in creative and helpful ways and kudos to everyone! Fyi, just call me Wind rather than my full username, which is essentially just there to differentiate me from anyone else that may go by "Wind." Or because it's cool..-ish... EDIT: Also, hi and welcome, Sick16, to community! And by actual music notes... well, far as I know, you're using synthesized sounds and not live instruments. But the notes themselves are real. The sounds are created to be as close to the actual instruments themselves (I hope they are... because I know there's some bad ones out there). Hope that clears up your inquery.

Now, why should anything not be worth completing... that is, of course, you've got an idea that's 10x better right behind the one in question. Listening to it right now... repetitive, yes, but it's pretty darn cool. Now something about melodies that repeat. Considering the "techno/upbeat/however you describe this" style that it's in, it's not the same as trance (this piece, that is). What you're doing when you're repeating the same melody over and over in this case is changing or adding one thing in the background/beat every time it repeats. In the case of a trance, I've noticed that's what's done a lot. But because this isn't quite trance and moreso leaning towards the actual melody with support from the beat rather than the beat being the main lead, this repetition of the melody sticks out A LOT. So rather than changing one thing with every repetition, try a different approach with a little more originality, maybe some extensions on the melody itself (via originality), having a quiet section, etc. (the list can go on to what you can do to any music technically speaking). It's cool, but work a bit on making it your own. Any piece is worth completing - no questions asked. If anything, you should be asking about if you're going in the right direction. Currently, in terms of style, yes. Some other things (repetition top of the list), not so much. I'd comment on other things, but work on this problem before bothering yourself so much on other things that you seem to already have a grasp of. Keep up the good work!

*finally gets self to register after hovering about for a few months* Heh... I remember the original version of this from way back when... kinda went dissapointy-like when ya decided to scrap it and save some parts for later... but now I see very clearly that it was definitely a decision for the better. Never played Link's Awakening, so I only know a handful of stuff from there. Anyhow, it seems like you practically mastered the recovered part from the original in the first minute, so that amount is, as far as I can tell, completely solid... unless you intend on adding something, for which I see no reason why you would. When the five bell hits (dunno the exact name) come in at 1:01... I'd personally use a darker sounding bell. Or maybe rather than using the same one five times over, it might transition to a darker sound so that when that fifth one hits, it's not sounding out of place when the... I can't tell what that is when it enters, but it's a pretty dark sound with a bit of depth. With this next section, when the piccolo enters... the blending is fine, but... there is practically no direction in terms of dynamics. Granted, there is an illusion of a crescendo because more instruments are adding in, but the overally dynamic actually stays nearly the same till 1:52. Point is, there's not really any life with it considering the section is (from what I can tell) a build up into the next. Maybe you don't need to go overboard, but I think making slight but noticable variations could help it out. At 1:52... you achieve impacts and then you back it off. There's a hint of a build up before the next impact comes in, but it's not really apparent. I can tell you want these impactful feelings. However, if there's not enough "meat" in between them (a wholesome sound that isn't lacking anything), then there's pretty much a lack of support for those hits. Speaking of which, I think those hits can be a little heavier. Is there a bass drum behind those hits? If there is, I can't tell at all, so if there is, up the volume on it a bit so that it adds depth to each impact. If there isn't a bass drum, you might wanna consider adding one for those parts. The point of these impacts, because of the dark and impending feeling here is to make it feel deep, but even with my bass higher than usual, I just not hearing it. When that trumpet enters, it's getting blotted out by the impacts. I'm not suggesting to lower the volume on the impacts - raise the volume on the trumpet. It's like there is a timid trumpet player there that's getting scared of the hits as if there are explosions threatening to knock him/her off the chair. And about what I said with the crescendos after the hits? See if you can make the trumpet go just slightly (not as much) with it. Ooh... choral section. Not sure if you should do the same thing with the bells as I previously suggested - try experimenting around a bit and stick with whatever fits better I suppose. And quite well done (very remniscient of Jeremy Robson's Kefka stuff along with Derek Oren)... but when all of the instrumental voices come in, they're actually distorting the choral voices so that the lyrics are heard in a slight jumble. Additionally, the lower end string voices that actually have moving lines... are not being heard very clearly... though, I think that might just be a little lack of volume. Cool section nonetheless... also, when the voices cut out... well, that's the problem. They shouldn't cut out abruptly - rather, if anything, they should resonate as if fading away really quickly (not echoing though). Holy crap, something I recognize (aside from Zelda's death-a-by)! It's executed better than that 1:52 section, but it has the exact same problems - lack of build ups, more depth on impacts (actually, you don't need that nearly as much here), and more volume from the lead voice that's buried beneath the impacts. Normally, I would critique on how this section resolves, but it sounds like it's due to "haven't gotten there, WIP, etc.". Last section... well, I know it's supposed to be quiet like but uhh... it's a little TOO quiet. Had to turn my volume up a bit to hear it, quiet. The oboe, even though it's in the high range when it enters, could also use a slight boost on the volume (not as much as the acoustic guitars). And there's my rather lengthy review of this WIP, which already seems well established in what's there - just a bit of nit-picky tweaking here and there to master it and make it sound even awesomer than it already does. Best piece I've seen from you so far. I look forward to hearing what more you could add to it and just outright finishing it. Keep it the great work!