Will you play with music on?

[Non-Sequitur]

But not appropriate for HL2 in my opinion. Hmm, shooting alien bugs and combine soldiers to a classical piece of music just doesn't seem right to me in any way at all.

Hey, it worked for plenty of sci-fi/action movies and other first person shooters. Electronic beats don't seem to fitting either. Personal taste right?

 

[Raziaar]

The music in a game has to be very good for me to listen to it while playing. Most games I never play with music on. I dont even know what the music was life in half-life 1, cause I never listened to it. Chances are I will for half-life 2 though. Lineage 2 is an example of a game that has tremendously good music... none of that dull, repetitive final fantasy style consolish stuff.

 

[Dsty2001]

I'll play with it off at first than I'll play with it on. The game is so much funner/tense with the music off.

 

[Max35]

Definitely on. btw, I read on one of the previous posts that some people think the music isn't appropriate for the game, too "techno" or whatever, well maybe in some instances I might agree, but I thought the music was generally cool. The soundtrack in the coastline vids was highly appropriate, and it got better towards the end. I also liked the music when Gordon was dropping the crane on the combine soldiers, that was pretty awesome.

Hmm, does anyone remember the track from that pre-e3 2003 vid?. The 11 MB one that started with a scene on the docks and proceeded into City 17. Now THAT was good music IMHO.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

100% on, I loved the original HL soundtrack, the second seems to follow through with the same coolness as the first.

there were a couple new ones at this E3 (when he saves the buggy from falling off the cliff with the Manipulator, and when they show CS:Source) that made me wanna puke, but all the previous ones rocked.

yeah i can't wait!! :cheese:

at first when i read the thread title i thought the question was referring to other music besides the in-game music, but definitely i'll be wanting in-game music for the first time through the game.

after that i dunno..

 

[chimpmunk]

Yea, that one was good.

 

[Mac]

off for me, I always turn the music off in games.
I'm the type that likes everything to be realistic and music just doesnt seem realistic to me.

though i dont listen to music much in general, so that may be another reason.

 

[Cyanide]

I'd have it on. The music has much influence on the mood of the game and the players emotional response to it.

 

[deathryuu]

ill probably have the in-game music on for SP, then when i start playing MP ill have winamp going in the background

mmm...Slayer + Source MP=yumm

 

[The Mullinator]

Play through it with music on, any developer that thinks of music as a feature instead of an after thought usually means it will add alot to the game.

HL1 proved to me that Valve thinks of music as a feature that should be used to maximum effect.

 

[Apos]

As I understand it, the music is almost PART of the sound effects, so dividing them up would take a lot of the fun out of it. The music adjusts and emphasizes important events and incorporates sound effects into the music. If so, you'd be missing out without it.

 

[SubKamran]

Yes. I will, they sound great...pump you up.

 

[umop]

I voted before I read the post, I thought you meant "will you play hl2 with an mp3 playing in the background?"... I meant to say "Yes, I will listen to the HL2 music!"

 

[goldenboi]

duh I'll play it with everything default, but I clicked no because I thought you were talking about playing MP3s from my comp :frog:

 

[Mountain Man]

Music on, no question. It's pretty jazzy!

 

[Antic2]

Interesting question.... I usually play games with the music off, as "immersion" in the game means hearing what's going on, not like watching a movie with music telling me what I should be feeling about it.

But in HL2 I get the impression that there's music - then there's an ambient "soundtrack" as well.... are the two things separate? In the demos, there's a lot of ambient sound - not actually music per se, but it's not environmental sound either.

Is this classed as the "music" in the game? Valve seemed to indicate that the ambient music was a major part of the experience, yet people like me tend to just want to hear what's "real" in a game...

 

[fluffhead]

Well I play the game with the music on? Hell yes! Half-life has always been about getting you involved with the story and surrounding you with the half-life atmosphere, and the music is just another element of that atmosphere. I cant imagine half-life without the small and tiny in between spurts of crazy techno tracks that get me pumping for whatever lies ahead. And I am sure that in half life 2 there will be more tracks that will come out of nowhere then there were in the first one. Yes to the music!

 

[groovy]

awww crap, i thought you meant mp3's, i clicked no

i'd listen it with mp3s when i'd be playing it like the 5th time, other wise the half life music is excellent, didn't work very well in half life 1, wasn't enough of it, but hl2 should be packed with suspense music

 

[Frank]

I don't really know...I would rather listen to some dark ambient spooky kinda music, than that ****ing drum'n'bass kinda thing that was playing in the E3 this year. It seems so ****ing hectic! I love drum'n'bass, but there are different kinds of drum'n'bass, but the one they played during the E3...well......ehm....me not like!

 

[Logic]

I'll definately play without music. I've never been a fan of electronic\techno music in games (or movies for that matter), and HL was such an incredible experience without the music, I think playing the game with music (even though it's designed for the game) would risk spoiling some potential unexpected reactions to things, and detract from the sense that you're right there experiencing what's going on. On a side note I think an orchestral soundtrack COULD work, if it's mood and style was carefully constructed to compliment the game, and I'd probably play with the music on in that case simply because i'm a sucker for a good orchestral score , but I still think a game like HL\HL2 is best experienced without it.. sometimes those eerie near-silent moments are what create the most tension and anticipation.

Edit: it's my understanding that the soundscapes are separate to the music, so I'm sure we'll be able to play the game with those but not the music. That's what I'll be doing.

 

[Non-Sequitur]

On a side note I think an orchestral soundtrack COULD work, if it's mood and style was carefully constructed to compliment the game, and I'd probably play with the music on in that case simply because i'm a sucker for a good orchestral score , but I still think a game like HL\HL2 is best experienced without it.. sometimes those eerie near-silent moments are what create the most tension and anticipation.

My thoughts exactly.