In-Game music - do you like it??

[BlueKojiro]

I think you're missing the point of this entire conversation. This isn't an argument because music is entirely down to personal taste. What could I possibly say to convince you that the Yanxia theme was written by Satan to torture mortals? If it doesn't bother you, then it doesn't bother you.

The only thing I came in here to figure out was if my tastes are really just *that* different from the FFXIV fanbase, if I just haven't gotten to the good stuff yet, or if people just tend to forget the map/cutscene music once they've been farming mounts for more hours than they spent on the MSQ originally. From what I can see, it seems that most of the soundtrack really is that forgettable because the only songs people talk about are boss themes and final cutscenes/credit rolls. I see some sparse mentions of map themes here and there, but overall my suspicions about the uptick in quality post Stormblood as well as the concentration of quality in boss themes seems to have been right.

The only place where my opinion seems to greatly differ with people is that not that many people seem to have individual songs that really annoyed them. For me, Safety in Numbers from Heavensward, Othard Camp and Yanxia Theme (Day) from Stormblood (had to look up the names because it was taking too long to describe them each time) are bad enough that I actively avoid going to those areas if I can (which I couldn't any time the MSQ took me there. At the very least I would never ever AFK there and would always leave before opening the menu to look at something or sort my inventory, etc). I've never played another videogame before where I purposefully avoided an in-game area because the music actively irritated me.

And just to throw you some more bones, I really liked the map themes from the sky islands from Heavensward (Cloud Sea I think?) and all the Coerthas music and the Heavensward credits theme was absolutely amazing. I also like the Kugane theme (the second half, not the first half), and I actually really love the dungeon boss theme in Stormblood. I don't really remember any of the trial themes off the top of my head except for Shiva's where I distinctly remember thinking "holy shit" when she uses diamond dust, the whole arena freezes over, and then this electric guitar kicks in. I sat up in my chair real quick at that point.

I'm not some prude who insists that music not composed the "same way as classical music is" is "not good music." You'd know that if you actually read my entire comment though, specifically where I said I thought the trials music was really good. That's my problem with this community in a nutshell, though. You guys get so f***ing defensive any time someone doesn't think the game is a 10/10 experience. Like just chill dude. Fastest way to convince someone not to play your favorite game is if you purposefully ignore what they're saying and argue against a strawman instead. Doesn't really matter though since I'm gonna keep playing anyways.

[SannaR]

From Mud leans into its distortion effect, which makes it a weird pick for a dungeon theme since that can kinda blend uncomfortably with clearer sounds playing over it, it can make it hard to 'figure out'; I actually really like the song, but it's an awkward fit for a dungeon. I noticed the same thing when I tried to use Echoes in the Distance for one of my videos; that song's amazing for field music since it gets the chance to stand alone and be deciphered, but it was a flop when used as backing for speech and narration, it just came out as noise.

Yeah, it's the distortion that made me not like getting the dungeon in roulette when it first came out. I normally don't dislike a dungeon for its music, but that one made my brain have fits due to there being a distortion combined with the clearer sounds. I feel as though the distortion is at a slower speed. Or it felt like that at the time.

[SannaR]

Snips

I'm not sure what you were expecting? You necro a thread and right away go full on attack of the game's music and then ask if anyone likes the Pre Shadowbringers music. Then move the goal posts when people go yes we loved Soken Pre Shadowbringers. To disclude dungeon and trial music cause zone music is the only thing that matters. And when people again push you on it you again go bro no it sucks and field music should be bangers. All of your tastes are trash. I only brought up the other poster due to how you are coming off. That no matter what we say you react like a child sticking their fingers in their ears going "La la la. Can't hear you and your taste in music is still trash no matter what you say".

[Eisi]

I don't like Soken's insistence on leitmotifs which is so forced, it borders on zealos ideological commitment to it come what may. There are several songs that are actively ruined by being dragged into known melodies, with Innocence's theme being a prime offender. The song starts out insanely promising only to immediately disappoint you with the same trite old notes you've heard a billion times before that never got any better than their already perfect incarnation in the ShB cinematic/Hades fight.

On the flipside, the Werlyt theme is absolutely amazing. It's creative in it's use of the Garlean theme to the point where you might not even notice it and when you do the song gets all the better for it.

I also have a problem with not knowing who did which song. There is a lot of work in this game that I love that Soken probably doesn't deserve the lion's share of credit for.

[BlueKojiro]

You're just continually proving my point. At no point did I attack any actual *person* who likes any particular kind of music. I've repeatedly made clear that everyone's taste is their own, and maybe you weren't aware of this, but I have every right to call any song garbage whenever I want. If you think that's a reflection of what I think of YOU if you happen to like that song, then you have a serious identity crisis that you need to talk to a therapist about. It's a song, dude. It's not YOU I'm attacking. I'm saying that when I hear that song it makes me feel strong negative emotions. What does that have to do with you? Did you write the song? No? Then stop getting butthurt on behalf of an inanimate object. Not once did I say "your taste in music is still trash" but you have now outright said that to me, so we are 0-1 on calling peoples' opinions trash.

And what do you mean move the goal posts? My very first comment brought up 3 scenarios that I was investigating: either everyone actually loves the songs that I think are trash, everyone has forgotten about the earlier songs, or the later songs are just so good that they invalidate the prior ones. In my head those were the only three options. Now that I've seen peoples' opinions on the topic, as I've already stated in a prior comment, my perspective has changed to the following, and I quote:

"From what I can see, it seems that most of the soundtrack really is that forgettable because the only songs people talk about are boss themes and final cutscenes/credit rolls. I see some sparse mentions of map themes here and there, but overall my suspicions about the uptick in quality post Stormblood as well as the concentration of quality in boss themes seems to have been right. The only place where my opinion seems to greatly differ with people is that not that many people seem to have individual songs that really annoyed them." Somehow you've performed the mental gymnastics of turning that into "moving the goalposts."

Finally, I never said zone music is the only thing that matters. I said they matter MORE than the dungeon and trial music because most of my time has been spent in zones and cutscenes. How could that possibly not be the case? If I have to spend 3 hours listening to ear torture but I get to spend 15 minutes being in heaven, do you really think I'm going to say that on average it was a wonderful experience? Obviously I'm going to specify that it was a mixed bag with some highs and lows.

But go ahead, ignore everything I'm saying and take the worst possible misinterpretation of my comments and run with it. I'll be waiting.

[Tehmon]

'' So guys, do you ACTUALLY like this horrid putrid garbage trash fire shit? If you do, guess we'll have to disagree then. ''

That's the content of your post, and I'm not exactly sure what you were expecting to happen or how the discussion would go from there.

But yes, I love a lot of the songs from ARR to Endwalker. And the songs I don't love range from inoffensive (and forgettable) to good. Only a few songs are truly heinous, and most of them are just way too overused and that's what makes them annoying.

[SannaR]

I never once implied that you were attacking a single person so no I didn't think you were attacking me personally. Please re-read my post. I said you attacked everyone who likes Soken and his work pre Shadowbringers. You moved the goal posts cause when people brought up trial and raids you practically said oh those don't count cause those aren't zone locations. You have repeatedly called music multiple people enjoy as trash and stating disbelief that they could enjoy such songs. That somehow just because a song isn't a banger or an earworm that implies it must be well trash in your opinion.

Just because I don't have Liquid Flame, The Stone Remembers or even Unbreakable (Duality) on the brain every day doesn't mean they have to equate to being forgettable. You have multiple times been "Oh but why do you guys not remember Cradle or A Father's Pride? They must be forgettable and thus trash cause they're not bangers or fight music".Then you are given an example or two of songs that annoy them and yet you dismiss them. It's also been at least four years if not more since many of us have done Stormblood. Want an area song that everyone probably can hear the opening notes to that probably splits people's opinions? Seven Hundred Seventy-Seven Whiskers. I love Japanese festival music it's normally does its job and gets you in the mood. Yet that song makes me want to drown every Namazu with all the tea. Probably just due to me not liking the Namazu. Yet I still wouldn't call it trash.

[BlueKojiro]

lol and exactly on schedule you just read whatever fantasy was in your head instead of what I actually wrote. I'm done at this point. Literally addressed everything you said in my previous comment.

[Vyrerus]

Hamauzu dick riding

MMO overworld music has different direction depending on the game and zone. The overworld in an MMO has many different overworld themes that all have different criteria compared to a standalone title.

Is it easier to compose one or two overworld themes or half a dozen? How about a dozen in the same crunched time period? Use your brain.

Hamauzu's best work is FFXIII's soundtrack, basically the best thing about that game. And in it and its associated games, he had a full game's worth of development time to compose those tracks, less tracks than Soken does per XIV expansion in a shorter amount of time.

Anyway, your taste needs refinement.

[rainichan]

What I would really love to know from all the Soken fans is this: were you a mega-fan *before* Shadowbringers, or only *after* Shadowbringers?

Since 2.0.

I also enjoy the Yanxia map. Are some overused? Sure. But there's no reason to make a new track for every single cutscene that has a specific direction and one already made would work. I haven't really heard a track I've gotten sick of, either. There are plenty I like less than others - I'm not the biggest fan of Oblivion but I enjoy Footsteps In the Snow a lot, and the acoustic version of Oblivion is really great! But in-game? Nah, it's pretty mid. Not the worst ever, but not the best either to me. Ultima will never not get my hyped to fight an endboss. Heroes is absolutely nuts and I love listening to it, the Dravanian Hinterlands theme is one of my absolute fave overworld themes.

This is just matters of taste, not anything else.