Could we please get the 1.0 version of the song playing during "Desires Untold" back?

[Packetdancer]

I just always felt like, the arrangement and mastering of the majority of the 1.x tracks was... pretty poorly done. Especially the battle themes.

Granted, more than just Uematsu composed for it and (more importantly, to me), not all of the arrangement and mastering was done by the same guy, either, but... there are definitely some tracks that feel like their melodies could have done a lot more if not for the same flat-sounding (not of pitch, just fullness/punch) guitars.

What has always bemused me is that in 1.x, my favorite zone was Thanalan... but I didn't care for the zone music. Whereas, as zones, I found La Noscea to low-key annoy me (mostly because of Limsa's terrible loading tunnel) and even the memory of the 1.x Black Shroud still fills me with lingering salt... but I loved their music. (I still have "On Windy Meadows" playing in my FC apartment, and hearing "Whisper of the Land" make a return in Shadowbringers gave me joy.)

Post-ARR I find Thanalan a less vibrant zone somehow than it felt to me in 1.x, whereas I really like some of the Black Shroud and La Noscea environment... but man, of all the starting zones, the Thanalan ARR music is my favorite.

[Shurrikhan]

the Thanalan ARR music is my favorite.

Into the Sun is... great, yeah. On Windy Meadows and Whisper of the Land were up there, too, though, for me. I actually liked both music and zone of the Black Shroud in 1.x far more than I do in ARR (especially missed old Nine Ivies, Sorrel Haven, and Turning Leaf), though Mor Dhona and Coerthas still beat it out for me.

...Damn I miss Mor Dhona being a full-sized zone (or, comprised of 3-5 zones, in ARR+ terms).

[Packetdancer]

I actually liked both music and zone of the Black Shroud in 1.x far more than I do in ARR

*horrified look, quietly backs away with a whispered "you monster"*

More seriously, I will give them some serious points for the 1.x Black Shroud genuinely feeling dangerous and threatening and like... the "Dark, Forbidden Forest" out of European folklore.

However, I will then deduct even more points for anima budgets placing a limit on teleportation and making it obligatory to traverse the zone sometimes, combined with the fact that it felt like the entire forest was like four clusters of trees copied/pasted at different rotations which made it extremely easy to get lost in areas. And there's a difference between "these paths are tangled, but if I pay attention I can find my way" and "these paths are tangled, and because they used four trees for the entire forest I HAVE NO LANDMARKS AAAAA".

The one saving grace, from my standpoint, was that the music was really good.

(I miss south Silvertear Lake too, though. On that, we agree.)

[ReynTime]

I think trashing Uematsu's music for sharing motif across 2 tracks each is rich when Soken is guilty of making 20 variations of the same 2 expansion songs every expansion.

Here's the trailer version.
Now here's the tragic string version.
Now here's the slower tempo sad piano version.
Now here's the first butt-rock version
Now here's the second butt-rock version.
Now here's the version going down a scale or two with ominous chorus in the background.
Now here's a dungeon or maybe two with their own versions of that song again.
Now here's the version that will play when characters are talking about fighting back/scheming a plan.
Now here's a version of the song that will play in one of the major cities.
Now here's ANOTHER version of the song that will play in the other major city. It's different from the above because I changed the instruments and tempo, see.

But 1.0 is terrible with its leitmotifs. Because Twilight Over Thanalan shares motif with Desert Moon Defied, and actually sound like two different songs instead of Grant Kirkhope'd remixes.