The Xyco

No kidding. I've seen three high DPS classes attempt to gank a druid in Gadgetzan while in bear form. They were in the 48-55 level range, the druid was 46. Though the druid didn't stand a chance, he lasted ALOT longer than anyone could've expected. It wasn't until a hunter laid down an aimed shot that he went down. You'll jump for joy when you get cat form. The difference between bear and cat DPS is remarkable. The biggest drawback is that you'll lose that incredible survivability. However, if you self-cast rejuvenation prior to engaging any mobs, you'll last alot longer. What I've found with a solo druid is that switching between cat, bear, and normal forms are key to surviving. The first character I seriously played was a druid. I liked it alot, until I got to level 20 or so and realized that, to groups, I was nothing more than a healer. I really wish these types of games would have less dependence on healing classes, because they are always few and far between.

It's quite different. The only system difference between a PvE and PvP server is that you are always PvP-enabled in contested territory on a PvP server. While in friendly territory (which accounts all the newbie zones up to level 20 or so) you're PvP tag will be disabled, although you have the option to enable it and disable it at will. However, in enemy territory, you will be PvP-enable while the opposite faction will not be, which allows them to attack you at will. The same goes for enemies in friendly territory. Naturally, you won't see a difference between a PvE and PvP server until around level 20, and even then, the contested areas you'll be fighting in (Wetlands, for example) generally won't have very many players of the opposite faction running around killing everyone. The real differences start to manifest themselves around level 30, where you'll be leveling in zones where Alliance and Horde flightpaths and towns that are in relatively close proximity to each other (Arathi Highlands, for example), OR zones with neutral cities where both factions have direct paths to (Booty Bay in Stranglethorn Vale initially, and later on Gadgetzan in Tanaris). From what I've heard, most players that moved from PvE to PvP thought that PvE was boring and lacked confrontation... almost as if there was no need for there to be two factions. I only played up to level 12 on a PvE server before my friend convinced to join PvP. Being on a PvP server feels more of a liability than it does an actual conflict. On a PvP server, you've got to accept the fact that you WILL be ganked by players much higher level than you, and it WILL be frustrating at times. However, it also makes the game feel more exciting. It's one thing to be running from an angry raptor in STV, but it's a completely different feeling when there are 2 or 3 horde players chasing you down the road. I distinctly remember my early days in STV, and how scary the place was with a flightpath directly from Orgrimmar being so close. I'd also like to add that being on PvP server makes grouping much more fun. Like I said before, it's one thing to group together to kill an elite quest mob, it's another thing to group together because there's horde lurking nearby...

Any day that a zircon mix is posted is a happy day for The Xyco. The atmosphere is great here, the percussion and strings really bring out the mood of the source tune. Five months of work shows itself. Of all the ReMixes and tracks I've heard from zircon, this one sounds significantly more crispy and clear. zircon continues to flex his musical muscle, spitting out awesomeness after awesomeness. Keep it, I always love to hear more.

That ReMixer list is sweet. See you in six months.

Jeremy Robson has one hell of a knack for fine arrangements. His ability to manipulate music is fantastic. His only weakness I've ever found are some of his brass samples, particularly on the lower notes. For this ReMix, however, the brass sounds significantly better, and serve as no detriment to the fantastic arrangement here. I'm not familiar enough with Russian composers to make any statements regarding the themes used here, all I can say is that this is yet again a very lively and well-pieced orchestral ReMix from Jeremy Robson. And given a name as familiar as his, what else could you expect?

Here's a general review from yours truly. Very fluffy. Sometimes when I'm listening to music, either at home on my computer or in my car driving from place to place, I'll put on thematic music, often from video games, and play out different movie scenes in my head to go along with it. Chrono Symphonic essentially took this concept from a different angle and expanded on it, tremendously. Needless to say, I've been very anxious to listen to the final product. After some delays, of which are completely acceptable and understandable (<3 Compy), I finally found it on the front page of OCR. Without delay, I got all the songs, burned two CD's, and went for a drive. First of all, I'd like to acknowledge the fantastic direction of this project. Unlike previous OCR projects, Chrono Symphonic's concept is ambitious and clear. Creating a movie soundtrack, for a movie that does not even exist mind you, is no small task, and all those involved in the project deserve a well-earned pat on the back for their efforts. The music is, in the simplest of forms, wonderfully theatrical. I'll admit I haven't yet read the script, but as I listened to the music, I was more than capable of developing the intended themes and images in my imagination (of course, being considerably familiar with the original game's story doesn't hurt either). One of the most impressive features of Chrono Symphonic is the use of character theme song motifs, particularly those of Frog and Magus, which appear several times throughout the production. The recurring melodies, which manifest themselves in different tones and tempos, really exentuate the procession of events and mark times of strong character influence. Other times, the twisting of thoughts and emotions through the music really creates a detailed image for the listener. Darkesword wrote this for track 20 - "Crono's Dream" The script called for Crono to slowly realize that something very wrong was going on, so I tried to illustrate that by using some dissonance and diminished intervals. I think it was pretty effective; as the song progresses, it gets darker and more sinister.” Damn straight it did. I'll tell you it downright sent shivers down my spine. Chrono Symphonic does this again and again, for several emtions. Courage, fear, sorrow, they're all here, they're all presented very clearly, and they're all within context. This isn't to say, however, that Chrono Symphonic is without it's faults. Though most of these could be attributed to personal beefs with some artistic liberties, sometimes there were some musical paths walked down that one might raise an eyebrow towards. From a personal standpoint, I was somewhat disappointed that some previous tracks slated for the project didn't make it. However, it's easily and clearly understandable that some tracks were more suited for the concept than others. Essentially, it's the price you pay for a highly conceptual and specific project such as this, and I have full confidence in those involved that they were the right decisions. It's been a long wait, but it's been every bit worth waiting for. Use the torrents, get the songs, and listen to them all in succession in one sitting. All in all, Chrono Symphonic succeeds any film it could be intended to supplement. Some comments on the tracks I felt really stuck out. Track 07 - "Revelation of Fire": Interesting use of the trial theme here. I like it, both musically and for it's intent. Really gives off the shock and horror of watching the world being systematically destroyed. Track 12 - "Darkest Omen": I remember downloading a previous version of this track quite some time ago. The final product is much more clear and listenable. It's a bit hard to picture this intially as a reminiscence due to this track's kinetic nature, but it does convey that "epic battle" element you mentioned in the comments. Track 16 - "Schala and the Queen": Goes without saying that this is one of the more ambitious tracks of the project, combining several elements and ideas all into one tightly-mixed six-and-a-half minute song. As ellywu2 put it, it came off in several stages, all of which help create a highly dramatic effect, a sort of climax of events. I liked how Magus' theme came on to the scene, giving a strong sense of conflict. The final use of the Lavos Battle Theme in the slower, more heroic tone really helps develop the entire idea of a turning point in the story. By the way, pixietricks, I love your voice. Track 20 - "Crono's Dream": As I mentioned before, this track is very effective at conveying a sense of fear. The shivery sound of the strings initially reflect the sinister forces at work that become more and more present as the track develops. I couldn't fall asleep listening to this and not get nightmares. That about does it for now, I'll put up some more comments as I listen to the project more. Nice work everyone.

David Lloyd has always impressed me with his ecclectic and diverse musical backrounds and tastes, as well as his ability to implement them into his own music as a method of interpretting a certain emotion or as a depiction of a scene with an emotion. As one who has had his share of travels along the Appalachian Mountains through the fall and winter months that seemed to last until the end of time, I can clearly see the concept being addressed here. Kinetic yet relaxed, like a group of close friends on a road trip laughing up their worldly troubles or silently reflecting upon the natural beauty of the ancient mountains around them as they curl around the windy roads that scale the terrain. DJP really has a knack for conveying emotion in a heart-warming way. The strings and piano feel very strong in this sense, with the rhythm keeping things from becoming too dragged down by personal memories that might otherwise arise with such instruments, but rather keep things moving ahead and not taking themselves too seriously. It's a very lighthearted and reflective track that seems to convey the simplistic joy of life and the simple things within it. This track further proves that if life had a soundtrack, David Lloyd would be the composer.

Awesome. All I can say.

Whoa. Jeremy Robson has a knack for fine arrangement. I've listened to his music time and time again, always wondering where his ideas come from. Though I've found some of his instrumentations in the past to possess a bit of trouble, this is a masterful piece. Hit the nail on the fucking head. Listening to this, I feel like I should be walking into a 19th century opera house sipping fancy wine and speaking in an excessively-sophisticated European accent as I bullshit my way up the social ladder. Musically, I liked the strings moreso than the piano. There's a distinct contrast between their sounds which really sticks out at certain moments. The strings seemed to move the piece along as the piano kept things grounded in the original. Regardless, I love the arrangement. Very professional. You really captured the classical aspect of the source. Needless to say, I am once again blown away by an excellent performance by Jeremy Robson. Bravissimo.

The arrangement is there, but the sax sounds pretty fake-ish. Nonetheless, very well done. I liked the intro espeically.

I'm digging the vocal sample motif here, it conveys that ominous, frightening feeling associated with the original. I'm sure that's where alot of people may be turned on or off with this mix. I feel that, although maybe not the best sounding vocals per se, they add a whole new level of tone to the piece as a whole. The rhythm is awesome. Very powerful, teetering on the edge of overpowering, but not yet falling off. Very cool. The end seemed to come kind of abruptly. I was waiting for a second section with the piano, but then it seemed to drift off. Overall, a great mix. The arrangement is solid and cohesive. If anything I'd say all the power built in the second minute doesn't leave room for a big kicker at or near the end. Nonetheless, this mix is totally rad. Very powerful and dramatic. Glad to see such an impressive mix made from such a repetitve track.

I don't know why I find this this so awesome. Maybe because it's so original and eclectic. Everything sounds very abstract but falls together very nicely, like a bunch of completely random sounds that just happened to be played in such an order to create a masterpiece. VERY nice work here Mythril, I greatly enjoy this.

Kefka never sounded better. Zircon, you never fail to make something totally awesome. Keep it up.

Very smooth and creative. I think maybe the reverb could've been toned down a bit on the piano in particular, but everything else sounds just fine. This is a great ReMix, hands down, just great.

More than the recorder I like the subtle yet powerful strings that come up beneath the melody and, as with all the Trenthian stuff I've heard in the past, the percussion, very very nice. I definately sense that Celtic theme, but the recorder obscures it a bit, though that makes it better in it's own, unique way.

All this arguing aside.. I liked all the aspects of this ReMix, with the teeny exception of the percussion, which seems more flawed to me more than the other parts. I'm no music major, I just play an Alto Sax (badly, at that) but the percussion at times seems to conflict alot with the other parts of the track. Most notably would be the cymbal roll around 0:44 that leads into a steady rhythm. It really came off to me as something notably not sounding right. But I'm basing that purely on how it sounds to me, there may be nothing actually wrong with it and I might be tone-deaf. The same roll comes again at around 1:35 (and elsewhere), but the strings overtake the conflicting sounds. I'm not saying that they were used as a cover-up, the strings sounded very natural and fluid, just that something didn't really fit in the puzzle. Other than that, I'd say everything is awesome. Great piece. It sounds to me like somehting they should play at the end of a comic drama movie.

I definately sensed SGX in this mix, if I didn't know better I would say it was a mix by him.

Other than what I will say is the coolest intro I've yet to hear here on OCR, this mix also has some strange, cosmic link to me, as my birthday, incidentally, is November 3rd. Weird. Anyway, this mix has alot going for it. I don't think this is a good song to get people into trance though, as said before, it's an aquired taste. The upbeat feeling is also sort of dimished with the repetitiion, but over all is a good piece.

What amazing work. While not being familiar with the original(s) myself, I am very impressed with what is obviously a very inspired piece. It blends so many genres of music together so tightly that it creates it's own type of sound, without restricting itself to the progressions of any other type of music. The vocals are awesome, simply amazing work. I don't exactly know what Star Salzman was trying to accomplish with this ReMix, but whatever it was, it worked out very, very well.

The techno-orchestral combination has been a favortie of mine since I became familar with wonderful works of Yuki Kajiura. While this, and Triforce Majeure, are of a different fell than her music, they have always sounded incredible, dramatic, epic, and powerful. The strings are just awesome, period. I've heard critics of this genre claim that the orchestral parts of these tracks are added to create a "cheap dramatic effect", but I find them to be an integral part of the song. I hope this inspires even more mixers to create songs of a similar genre, cause in just about every way imaginable, it sounds totally awesome.

Goodness me... I've always loved the combination of modern music (I stray from using the term "techno", as not all electronic music is necessarily "techno") with orchestral instruments, but as I've said before, it's not easy to pull off without making it sound like someone just threw a beat over an orchestral piece. Well, obviously this is an example of the modern/orchestral mix done right. Everything about this song hits where it should hit. "Epic" is a good way to describe it. "Incredible" is even better. My only complaint is that at times the rhythm that plays through most of the song is a little too loud and overtakes the rest of the music, but I figure this was done on purpose to allude to the orchestral explosion at 4:14. That point would've been a good spot to end the song, but no, Disco Dan goes on to prove his mastery of this track by adding another 3 minutes and 8 seconds of total awesomeness.

Awesome. Even if he didn't attach his name to this piece, this song just screams McVaffe at the top of it's lungs. It's everything a great mix should be, showing signs of both traditional and modern music. A combination that requires precise timing and alot of fine tuning. McVaffe has done it again. This is just flat out awesome.

Very professional sounding piece. Strings and percussion are right on, particularly the pizzicato strings that drive the song along. Though the fade out was kind of anti-climatic. I suppose the idea behind that was to keep the piece, which ehibits nothing particularly explosive (which isn't a bad thing with this type of song), from becoming unbalanced. Good stuff. Good stuff. Yep, it gets a super special extra good stuff.

This song makes me want to zoom around the city in my car at night. I love it. Ever since I downloaded this a few days ago, it's all I can listen too. Definately my favorite trance on the site. It captures everything Extreme G was and everything it will ever become.

I intended to get this mix a long time ago. I really did. And I'm really pissed that I didn't. JV did a great drop keeping the track to what it is, didn't stretch it into something it's not. I got this expecting to hear tons and tons of percussion (something like rAAw Battery), but it's pretty close to the original, only amplified by good string use and powerful drums. My only complaint is that the piano section is too loud, and pushes the song a little too much. A minor flaw though. Great work.