A growing problem with sound direction in Shadowbringers & Endwalker

[Enkidoh]

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.

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.