Composing a Soundtrack for a game

[BiggusGeekus@Work]

I'm not asking for specific songs, I'm asking how you'd do it in a meta sense.

I'm guessing that people would want something they could just leave on, but at the same time cue up to certain tracks (e.g. the battle music). Yes? No? Both?

How would you compose a D&D soundtrack?

 

[Desdichado]

First option; I've got enough to worry about as a GM to add "DJ" to the mix. I made up a CD of tracks I ripped from various movie soundtracks I own, put the thing in the mp3 player, hit shuffle and turn the volume down enough that it doesn't distract.

 

[der_kluge]

We've used, at least somewhat successfully, sound effects CDs, but haven't ventured into the realm of actual music.

The soundtrack stuff adds flavor to the scene, but doesn't detract from it. I'm not sure I want to use actual music, because I'd be constantly flipping CDs back and forth, searching for the right track, and I just don't want that complexity. It would take too much away from the game.

 

[Bleys]

I've mainly done the whole "background" music thing, though I have had one or two times where there was music only used at specific points in the game.

Overall there are some movie soundtracks that are just perfect for playing as background music for the entire session (Conan, Hunt for Red October, etc).

And just because you ask so nicely in your sig, here's some java code

private String[] stringDelimiter ( String inputString
, char delimiter )
{
Vector tokenStrings = new Vector();
for ( int i = 0; i < inputString.length(); i++ )
{
StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer();
while ( ( i < inputString.length() )
&& ( inputString.charAt(i) != delimiter ) )
{
sb.append(inputString.charAt(i));
i++;
}
tokenStrings.addElement(new String(sb));
}
String ret[] = new String[tokenStrings.size()];
tokenStrings.copyInto(ret);
return ret;
}

 

[Arnwyn]

Specific tracks, never just "background music on all the time".

I use tracks exactly how you mention in the poll - battle music, town music, spooky music, etc. Further, music is only played in relatively "important" scenes. A random encounter while travelling does not get battle music, but a big fight against some nasty cultists does. Buying supplies in a kingdom's capital city does not get music, but seeing the city in the distance and approaching the massive gates and penant-covered walls does get music (sometimes a specific track for a specific city, if I deem that city "important" enough).

Thankfully it's pretty easy for me, due to a good set-up. Just a remote in hand and a many-many-disc CD player. It all flows nicely, and the players often don't even notice I've selected a track until it's too late.

 

[BiggusGeekus@Work]

I use tracks exactly how you mention in the poll - battle music, town music, spooky music, etc. Further, music is only played in relatively "important" scenes. A random encounter while travelling does not get battle music, but a big fight against some nasty cultists does. Buying supplies in a kingdom's capital city does not get music, but seeing the city in the distance and approaching the massive gates and penant-covered walls does get music (sometimes a specific track for a specific city, if I deem that city "important" enough).

Hmmm. Thanks for that.

And thanks to Bleys, you're the first to put in some java! now my boss thinks I'm hard at work (muh-ha-hah!)