A growing problem with sound direction in Shadowbringers & Endwalker

Like many fans of FFXIV, the music has been without a doubt one of my favorite aspects of the game. Since I really started getting into this game around the launch of Stormblood, I've been continually amazed at not only the sheer quantity of music tracks this game has, but also their quality and variety of styles. Hearing the new music tracks added to the game every patch is a delight.

However, during Shadowbringers MSQ I ran into an issue. During the second half of the Kholusia zone (chasing Vauthry to Mt. Gulg) the normal zone music was replaced with the solo duty track "High Treason". Now don't get me wrong, this is a fantastic song, but after listening to the same high energy track for an extended period of time questing through the zone I got very tired of it. After a while I had to lower the BGM volume. Then I had to lower it again. Then I eventually had to mute it entirely, what was once one my favorite tracks from the expansion I was now just completely burned out on.

I know I wasn't the only one to have this issue either, many of my friends had the issue and watching streamers play through the MSQ I've seen many of them experience the issue too. An otherwise minor blemish on what was overall a fantastic game experience.

Unfortunately in Endwalker the Devs didn't seem to learn from this issue and did it again. In the second half of the Labrynthos zone, the zone music gets changed to the track "From Below". Again, a fine music track for a high energy solo duty, but one which gets really old listening to it for the entire duration of questing through the zone. This time I just muted the BGM early before I completely burned out on the song.

Endwalker also sort of repeated this problem in another area with the final zone. The zone music "Close in the Distance" slowly builds up to the full track while questing through the zone, which was really a fantastic and emotionally resonant experience playing through the MSQ. However, after finishing the MSQ the zone music stays at the full "high intensity" track. Every time I have to go to the zone to do some gathering or run some tribe quests the zone music is at 110% like I'm walking alone to face the Endsinger. I have to mute the BGM so I don't get burned out on such an important track.

My plea to the Devs (in the off-chance this post somehow reaches their attention) is in the next expansion to stop reusing the solo duty theme in the lead up to the next zone. It would also be great if you'd consider addressing the existing issues of this in Shadowbringers/Endwalker in a future patch.

Masayoshi Soken is the main composer and the game's sound director so he's the one most directly responsible, and, speaking as another who loves FFXIV's OST (as I do FF music in general), I agree that he has made some unusual choices when it comes to the use of music in the game in the past however (not the style, just some tracks have indeed been question marks as to why they were used in that way). Having said that, he's a very humble man who has shown in the past he's more than willing to change music based on player feedback as he genuinely wants to craft the game's soundtrack in a way that is enjoyed by everyone, so this sort of thread is encouraged. :D

Personally, as far as the use of From Below when running around Labyrinthos before departing for Ultima Thule, given the sense of urgency of the story, I can sort of see why he chose that, but yeah, it did get grating after a while. I disagree with Close in the Distance becoming the 'default' Ultima Thule theme though, it's an amazing song that is one of my favourites - no different to hearing a song played on loop on someone's Orchestrion to be honest. Maybe having it fade out for a little bit before starting again might make it less annoying (but then he did that before in the past and players complained that songs didn't loop directly - in particular the dungeon theme for Pharos Sirius - so he changed tracks to looping from then on.).

But that's just my own opinions so your criticisms are just as valid.:)

I agree that simple, looping, high-energy or "pathos-filled" themes are a poor choice for zones where you may be questing for a prolonged period of time. It's just basic sense that the human mind will burn out on that kind of music if forced to hear it on repeat for 2-3 hours on end.

The Tempest was quite sensible about this — the haunting, slow, atmospheric music both set the mood, remained memorable, and also blended comfortably into the background even after hours.

Likewise, zones like Azys Lla and The Lochs struck a good balance between "epic-sounding" and "complex and drawn-out enough to not become obvious to the brain or dominate attention during primary activities".

Upper Kholusia and Ultima Thule, in contrast, made me go numb to any impact those themes might have had, and eventually just /bgm.

I think part of the problem is that the developers think only in terms of MSQ — which is relatively brief — and fail to account for the fact that the music is also looping ad-nauseum during Side Quest breaks that the game presents as an obvious option.

It might be better to either stop unlocking giant handfuls of Side Quests in the middle of suspenseful, high-energy story segments... or stop dragging-out the "epic moment" themes over excessive windows of questing.

The "urgent" music in Kholusia was okay but felt very misplaced in Labyrinthos as it wasn't an urgent situation but doing relatively low-key stuff while waiting for the urgent stuff to happen. It also (from memory) meant you got blasted with the urgent music kicking back in as you came out of the soft emotional music from that scene at the Sharlayan Hamlet.

I didn't get tired of the Shadowbringers track playing. It's so good.

I did get a bit drained from the Endwalker one, but I appreciated it "for the experience". It was worse for me as well because I do all of the side quests so I was listening to it a lot longer than most other players. I think not of how it affects me at the time but how it will make me remember the events and the music my mind will think of.

It would help if we had a custom music player for us to listen to, maybe even let us customize what music plays in each zone.
A man can dream alright!?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Enkidoh

I disagree with Close in the Distance becoming the 'default' Ultima Thule theme though, it's an amazing song that is one of my favourites - no different to hearing a song played on loop on someone's Orchestrion to be honest. Maybe having it fade out for a little bit before starting again might make it less annoying (but then he did that before in the past and players complained that songs didn't loop directly - in particular the dungeon theme for Pharos Sirius - so he changed tracks to looping from then on.).

---

Making the vocal version the permanent zone theme was a boneheaded decision. There were already two better versions without lyrics that could've been used without forcing people to /bgm the zone one month into the expansion. And if you really wanted to hear it again, you could just go back to the flower bed.

I agree with most of the points, having a more urgent, rocky version of music is an odd choice for normal music. That said, I LOVE Ultima Thume's default theme, I could spend hours there. I actually have it playing on youtube on repeat quite often when I'm just working on something in my computer.

The most extreme example of music that didn't fit was the Shadowbringers battle theme. It didn't fit at all with the other music and I almost immediately muted it because I couldn't stand it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Wilford111

It would help if we had a custom music player for us to listen to, maybe even let us customize what music plays in each zone.
A man can dream alright!?

---

That would be nice but I would be ok with just having an option to say don't loop in the audio menu.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by VictorSpoils

Making the vocal version the permanent zone theme was a boneheaded decision. There were already two better versions without lyrics that could've been used without forcing people to /bgm the zone one month into the expansion. And if you really wanted to hear it again, you could just go back to the flower bed.

---

I disagree, although I barely ever go back to Ultima Thule anyway, I think the vocals help make that final zone extra special for its place as the "last zone" in the ARR-EW era. Its really just the minor few such as yourself and OP who has this issue as usually the music in this game is more subjective taste than actual legit problems.

So, when Shadowbringers came out there was a complaint about subpar/recycled boss music for sub bosses in dungeons, so they made a new track that was a kinda remix of the main Shadowbringers boss theme.

To me, the actual main boss them with the lyrics is great, a treat I felt the first time I heard it…but with this remix it really diminishes the final boss theme.

Also +1 to what Iscah said; it was really really weird having the panic music in Labyrinthos when I was what.. delivering sandwiches? Asking some guys to meet up somewhere like 50’ away? (why am I still doing that anyway? Don’t they have a linkshell? Or at least a loudspeaker??)

And Ultima Thule; the U2 pop song is good, but it should not have been the zone theme. The final instrumental version would have been fine. It doesn’t matter what song it is, with lyrics I don’t want to hear it on loop 50 times in a row. Personally had to mute all music just to not spoil it for my wife.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kaynide

And Ultima Thule; the U2 pop song is good, but it should not have been the zone theme. The final instrumental version would have been fine. It doesn’t matter what song it is, with lyrics I don’t want to hear it on loop 50 times in a row. Personally had to mute all music just to not spoil it for my wife.

---

It's especially grating when you do any kind of activity in Ultima Thule that resets the BGM, so you always only hear the first minute or so of the song repeat over and over again.

I've heard some people complain about Close in the Distance but.. I really like it XD...

Then I did the beast tribe quest, with the remix in it's own zone, and I really love it now. Maybe there could be more inbetweener tracks when there is a vocal track though- to space it out sometimes, I can see that getting to some people. I don't spend loads and loads of time, but so far it hasn't grated on me. In that I could see a general like 'up' 'up' 'breathe' sort of cadence, for those other 'imperative' song moments, so you can have moments to release tension if it's building.

Better mixing between tracks when they take each other over sounds pretty good though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shougun

I've heard some people complain about Close in the Distance but.. I really like it XD...

Then I did the beast tribe quest, with the remix in it's own zone, and I really love it now. Maybe there could be more inbetweener tracks when there is a vocal track though- to space it out sometimes, I can see that getting to some people. I don't spend loads and loads of time, but so far it hasn't grated on me. In that I could see a general like 'up' 'up' 'breathe' sort of cadence, for those other 'imperative' song moments, so you can have moments to release tension if it's building.

Better mixing between tracks when they take each other over sounds pretty good though.

---

There are options! Nier and Transistor have excellent examples of how to utilize music and music layers. You could have an instrumental/high action/low action mode of almost any song by adding/removing instruments/vocals on the fly. No need to change tracks entirely.

So you could have the vocal-version of the song play, but say at the finale-area with the flowers only.

Farming fates in Ultima Thule has to be the worst offender, because you constantly swap between Close the Distance and whatever the EW fate music is called, with the vocals resetting every time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Atelier-Bagur

I disagree, although I barely ever go back to Ultima Thule anyway, I think the vocals help make that final zone extra special for its place as the "last zone" in the ARR-EW era. Its really just the minor few such as yourself and OP who has this issue as usually the music in this game is more subjective taste than actual legit problems.

---

Maybe that has something to do with it. As does the fact that none of the other combat zones have vocals. But anyone doing side quests, tribe quests, FATEs, hunt trains, treasure maps, or any amount of gathering will notice quickly.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by VictorSpoils

Maybe that has something to do with it. As does the fact that none of the other combat zones have vocals. But anyone doing side quests, tribe quests, FATEs, hunt trains, treasure maps, or any amount of gathering will notice quickly.

---

I still did and completed all the tribals there and grinded out the Fates and have already finished the quests. This was long ago, so now Ultima Thule isnt a bother anymore.

I personally found it ok because its still a good vocal song imo. Heck if people are having issues about it, then Id hate to see them play any of the modern Persona games where vocals in songs are mixed in constantly, including battle themes.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Atelier-Bagur

Heck if people are having issues about it, then Id hate to see them play any of the modern Persona games where vocals in songs are mixed in constantly, including battle themes.

---

The problem isn't that Close the Distance has vocals, but that it has them 24/7 on repeat. Metal Gear Rising had vocals in almost all of it's tracks but they only appeared when it was appropriate.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Absurdity

The problem isn't that Close the Distance has vocals, but that it has them 24/7 on repeat. Metal Gear Rising had vocals in almost all of it's tracks but they only appeared when it was appropriate.

---

Persona 5 had that casino stage that played vocals the entire time and it was a banger. So hows FFXIV doing the same thing any different? Its just a nitpick, not a problem I find.

Kinda makes one wonder why it wasn't handled like The Tempest in SHB. Where you have the normal background theme for The Tempest everywhere except in Phantom Amaurot, where you get that theme instead. Would have been easy to put the vocal theme at the bar and up to Meteion's egg, and have the rest of the zone the more subdued instrumental version.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by VictorSpoils

As does the fact that none of the other combat zones have vocals.

---

Do you know la hee?

In fairness I think that probably gets a pass because it’s gibberish/voice as an instrument rather than words