Where music is appropriate

[clannadman]

Let's say you are introduced to a scene and the protagonist is saying his thoughts or has a bit of dialogue so there are no characters on the screen. You have some music used to set the scene. However, you only have a few lines before a character shows up and you want to use different music. Do you just play what little of the scene music you can before the character music comes on or do you just not bother with the scene music? Do you add in more dialogue or choose to leave your story as it is? How important do you find music in your game?

[Aleema]

I'm an advocate of not constantly playing music all the time. It's funny with me. Either I build an entire scene around a music track, or I completely forget to ever implement music and I have to force myself to find something eventually. I think the director (you) should make music incidental like in a movie. Use it when it's appropriate and can help set an emotion. VNs have something of a convention to be constantly playing music, even if it's the same one for forever.

To answer your question, I think I can stick it out for a few lines without music. If you really want both tracks, you can either pace the text better, or not use the 2nd song until further down the line.

[Pyonkotchi]

you can go without music period before the next trrack

something like this. maybe the character, lets call him Bob, is plotting a murder
*music fades out*
blahblahblah dark thoughts...
Bob: With that my plan will be complete.
(Alice walks in)
Alice : hi bob! I was just wondering if you'd go for pizza with us later...Haha I remember...
*appropriate music starts to play* blahblah blahblah

Or maybe after bob stops thinking, fade music out. Alice arrives, talks for a bit about anything, then starts to talk about something weird/funny/significant , and then the second track plays

hmmmm :<

[Greeny]

If the character coming in surprises the protagonist, you could play a music track and then abruptly end it when the character appears.

[pondrthis]

Don't add music for a few lines. If I may be permitted to use an (alliterative!) anatomical analogy,

Musics sets the mood on a hormonal level; sound effects set the mood on an autonomic nervous level; writing acts as the conscious thought.

EXPLANATION: Mood shifts caused by music are powerful and inertial. It takes time for a mood created by music to change, and similarly, it takes a few moments of listening to the music to really feel the mood of it. Sound effects can shift mood suddenly and powerfully, but the effects don't last long. A crashing sound can let you know that something big happened, but if there's cheery music, you won't suspect that anything bad happened. Bloodsplatter can be a terrifying sound effect, but having music playing (even ominous music) will wash out the effect while silence will allow the mood of the SFX to prevail and linger for a while.

Since you're trying to go for a short-term mood, my suggestion is to maybe use a looping, quiet sound effect. If it's indoors, maybe an air conditioner/heater. If it's outdoors, maybe the sounds of crickets or traffic would do nicely. If it's particularly intense, you might use a faint heartbeat. Footsteps work well in any situation.

[Morgan D]

You can leave the scene without music and leave the sound of a clock (or traffic) in its place while the character is thinking somenting ("that girl is too late".... whatever).

[pondrthis]

You can leave the scene without music and leave the sound of a clock (or traffic) in its place while the character is thinking somenting ("that girl is too late".... whatever).

I just said that T.T

[clannadman]

It's hard to get it just right. It's especially frustrating when you need some appropriate music to come in but the segment doesn't last long enough for the song to be of much use. Just adding in lots of lines that don't contribute much detail but make the character seem to think to himself alot more

[Morgan D]

You can leave the scene without music and leave the sound of a clock (or traffic) in its place while the character is thinking somenting ("that girl is too late".... whatever).

I just said that T.T

I'm sorry I finish reading your answer.... =P

clannadman if still you want a melody, uses a very brief one, like this one:

http://www.goear.com/listen/b18aaed/stand-by-short-