What is your criteria for choosing title screen music?

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Sonomi
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What is your criteria for choosing title screen music?

#1 Post by Sonomi »

I'm curious how everyone decides which song they'll play in their main menu. A lot of visual novels have a softer piano that loops round (I feel like this is the golden standard, but I'm not very good at piano). EDM, rock 'n roll, and ambient tracks are among the other styles I've heard.

How do you know which one is best for your game?
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Re: What is your criteria for choosing title screen music?

#2 Post by Imperf3kt »

It depends for me.

My current project is a horror, so I've opted for a mysterious piece that feels creepy without being too driven.

I'm considering having the song change from a happier one to its current one, once a player reaches a certain point.in the (currently kinetic) novel.
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Re: What is your criteria for choosing title screen music?

#3 Post by Mammon »

Sonomi wrote:A lot of visual novels have a softer piano that loops round.
Huh. I did not do that on purpose, but I did exactly that. I guess that the author just wants a piece that invites the audience and fits most generally. Although I did eventually change the one title song to 5 different songs depending on the endings the reader got. So using the below, you could switch it up if you'd like. Make the song a bit more hype once an ending is reached if you feel that it's too conceided to use it right away, or add a horror tone after a bloody twist is reached.

Code: Select all

    ## Music that is played while the user is at the main menu.
    
    config.main_menu_music = "music and sounds/The_Shoes_They_Wear.mp3"    
    if persistent.pervect_end == True:
        config.main_menu_music = "music and sounds/tricks.mp3"    
    if persistent.Murderer_end == True:
        config.main_menu_music = "music and sounds/Awaken_From_A_Nightmare.mp3"
    if persistent.Guilt_end == True:
        config.main_menu_music = "music and sounds/Ash_Gray.mp3"
    if persistent.Unknown_end == True:
        config.main_menu_music = "music and sounds/Balloon_Waltz_Memory.mp3"
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Re: What is your criteria for choosing title screen music?

#4 Post by Sonomi »

Imperf3kt wrote:It depends for me.

My current project is a horror, so I've opted for a mysterious piece that feels creepy without being too driven.

I'm considering having the song change from a happier one to its current one, once a player reaches a certain point.in the (currently kinetic) novel.
Oh. That definitely makes sense for a horror themed game. The last one I made had only a couple of instruments and lots of open space to compliment the atmosphere. But wow. I had no idea you could change the title song after certain things happen. :O I downloaded Ren'Py last year but I didn't tinker with the code too much.
Mammon wrote:
Sonomi wrote:A lot of visual novels have a softer piano that loops round.
Huh. I did not do that on purpose, but I did exactly that. I guess that the author just wants a piece that invites the audience and fits most generally. Although I did eventually change the one title song to 5 different songs depending on the endings the reader got. So using the below, you could switch it up if you'd like. Make the song a bit more hype once an ending is reached if you feel that it's too conceided to use it right away, or add a horror tone after a bloody twist is reached.

Code: Select all

    ## Music that is played while the user is at the main menu.
    
    config.main_menu_music = "music and sounds/The_Shoes_They_Wear.mp3"    
    if persistent.pervect_end == True:
        config.main_menu_music = "music and sounds/tricks.mp3"    
    if persistent.Murderer_end == True:
        config.main_menu_music = "music and sounds/Awaken_From_A_Nightmare.mp3"
    if persistent.Guilt_end == True:
        config.main_menu_music = "music and sounds/Ash_Gray.mp3"
    if persistent.Unknown_end == True:
        config.main_menu_music = "music and sounds/Balloon_Waltz_Memory.mp3"
Right. I guess I'm just trying to figure how to mesh the music with the general idea of my game, and have it be inviting as you said. Maybe it's also a matter of what sounds best on an endless replay. Thank you for the example. That'll certainly prove useful if I really can't pick just one too. Aha
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Re: What is your criteria for choosing title screen music?

#5 Post by Imperf3kt »

@Mammon: There's one issue with that example: what happens after you get two endings?
Technically, two of the options are True but I don't see how you plan to tell Ren'Py which one should be playing.

I'd use a persistent variable instead so that the last ending reached sets the theme to play.

@Sonomi
The piece I am using while I develop my VN is called Anguish by Kevin Macleod
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgyQ0nBJOvw

I was previously using Ghostocalypse 4 - Temptress
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8evNovzi5iI
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Re: What is your criteria for choosing title screen music?

#6 Post by YossarianIII »

Imperf3kt makes a good point -- it's important to find something that fits the tone of your VN. Ambient piano sounds like a great match for a low-key psychological horror VN, whereas for a gory blood-spattering horror VN, you might want something with aggressive electric guitar.

For my NaNoRenO entry last year I wrote a theme song with lyrics that plays during the title screen. If you're a music person with the right equipment (or if you know a music person), you can probably knock something out in an afternoon. It won't sound like Beyoncé, but it's fun -- especially for something like NaNoRenO where the goal is to create something that's a little rough around the edges.

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Re: What is your criteria for choosing title screen music?

#7 Post by Mammon »

Imperf3kt wrote:@Mammon: There's one issue with that example: what happens after you get two endings?
Technically, two of the options are True but I don't see how you plan to tell Ren'Py which one should be playing.
I'd use a persistent variable instead so that the last ending reached sets the theme to play.
My game had a certain series of events that had to be followed. You couldn't get Guild or Unknown before you got Murderer, so this system would work. And if people got the pervect end after Murderer I wouldn't mind no one hearing that main menu song. But if your game is more freely explorable, then such a persistent would indeed be useful.
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Re: What is your criteria for choosing title screen music?

#8 Post by Larry Jones »

What is the overall feeling / mood / theme of your game?

The title theme can reflect that

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Re: What is your criteria for choosing title screen music?

#9 Post by Sonomi »

YossarianIII wrote:Imperf3kt makes a good point -- it's important to find something that fits the tone of your VN. Ambient piano sounds like a great match for a low-key psychological horror VN, whereas for a gory blood-spattering horror VN, you might want something with aggressive electric guitar.

For my NaNoRenO entry last year I wrote a theme song with lyrics that plays during the title screen. If you're a music person with the right equipment (or if you know a music person), you can probably knock something out in an afternoon. It won't sound like Beyoncé, but it's fun -- especially for something like NaNoRenO where the goal is to create something that's a little rough around the edges.
I like the idea of using electric guitars. Did you record the instruments in your song? When I try to record mine, the tone comes out badly. There's nothing wrong with my microphone though. I think I'm just doing it wrong. :lol: Even though I can assure you that I don't sound like Beyoncé at all, singing would be a fun new thing to experiment with. Vocals in visual novels are lovely in my opinion, and I always love hearing them. Your theme sounds great.
LarryJonesMusic wrote:What is the overall feeling / mood / theme of your game?

The title theme can reflect that
My overall theme is post-cyperpunk. At the moment, I'm considering techno, metal guitar involved in some way, or piano (which works well with most projects). In that order.

Thank you for the advice. :) First impressions are everything, so I want to make a good decision.
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Re: What is your criteria for choosing title screen music?

#10 Post by YossarianIII »

Sonomi wrote:Did you record the instruments in your song? When I try to record mine, the tone comes out badly. There's nothing wrong with my microphone though.
Yeah, the guitars were all recorded by putting a microphone up to an amp. (The drums weren't live -- they were software I programmed.)

A lot of things can lead to bad tone. If you're new to recording loud instruments like the electric guitar, the problem might be that you're "clipping" (i.e. playing so loud that the sound is distorted). The best way to avoid clipping is to reduce the microphone's sensitivity so that the microphone is ready to handle louder sounds without distorting.

Other than that, the most important factor for tone is probably where you position the microphone in relation to the instrument. The website Sound On Sound has a bunch of tutorials that are a little complex but very helpful about how to record different instruments/vocals.

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Re: What is your criteria for choosing title screen music?

#11 Post by Sonomi »

YossarianIII wrote:
Sonomi wrote:Did you record the instruments in your song? When I try to record mine, the tone comes out badly. There's nothing wrong with my microphone though.
Yeah, the guitars were all recorded by putting a microphone up to an amp. (The drums weren't live -- they were software I programmed.)

A lot of things can lead to bad tone. If you're new to recording loud instruments like the electric guitar, the problem might be that you're "clipping" (i.e. playing so loud that the sound is distorted). The best way to avoid clipping is to reduce the microphone's sensitivity so that the microphone is ready to handle louder sounds without distorting.

Other than that, the most important factor for tone is probably where you position the microphone in relation to the instrument. The website Sound On Sound has a bunch of tutorials that are a little complex but very helpful about how to record different instruments/vocals.
Okay. Thanks so much for the tips and explanation. :) I bookmarked the website you mentioned, so I'll go through some of the tutorials when I'm able to record my guitar again.
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