Zen's mental bank

One can do better. Or worse.

2010-01-20T19:27:00.000-08:00

Not much time today, so this post will just be a quick explanaition of my view on something, which ill happen when the time isn't as much as necessary for a whole post.

Fate is a fickle mistress. And it's not because fate makes you have ups and downs in life. It's one self's fault to let fate pull the strings of each person lifes.

Putting it bluntly: I do believe there is such thing as fate, but it's not absolute. Not by far. Fate is a guideline, the script of one's life. And if Hollywood and Broadway and any sort of adaptation has teached us, is that a script can be modified to fit one goals and desires.

What determines one's fate... that's a story for another post, if I ever feel like doing it. In the end, what truly determines our future is our own actions... and the actions of others too.

Eternal Sonata, part 2

2010-01-19T18:13:00.000-08:00

Since I only seem to manage to focus long enough for 6 songs, updates will be a bit more frequent, since the original plan was to analyze double the amount of songs. Also it's better to make it daily, that way it will be part of my daily routine, which has been increased to include going to the gym.

Two ends of my doze

Game over music. Now, while a GM shouldn't be afraid to kill the PCs, it doesn't mean that he should kill them enough to use this kind of music as frequent as it was planned on it's original use :P This kind of piece, specially due to its short length means that it's more up to the GM on how to use it best. Seems like a good introductory music, since it has a sad, melancholic tune.

Introduction, sad, melancholic.

Reflect the sky, bloom of life

Similar to Relaxing place from the previous post. However, the tune is different enough to give it a slightly different use: travel music. Fits the same places than the previous music, but when traveling in such an area.

Travel, peaceful, relaxing.

A faint light grasped in the hand

This title reminds me of a VP2 track, but that one was quite different. Kind of at a loss here. Been thinking between adding it up dramatic, and renaming dramatic to narrative, or make them separate categories. Separate will be, for the time being. Strikes me as a song made for a conversation, again, in a nice, relaxing place. Guess all the music from the start is kinda the same huh.

Narrative, peaceful, relaxing.

The mediocrity sought out by everyone

With a name like that, one would think this one would be different no? City music, but not for a bustling city, or a debauchery filled area of the city. More likely to be used at a moment where the city is in a calm state, like in the morning.

City, peaceful, relaxing.

Underground for underhand

You know this game is heavily stylized when this is the music for sewers. Adding a subcategory for this one feels almost unnecessary, since it's pretty much generic dungeon music. If adding a subcategory is needed however, and since it do is kinda the point of this blog, it would be a mountain dungeon. Not a cave inside a mountain, exploring the mountain itself would be the dungeon. Specially fitting to have a dragon at or near the top, no?

Dungeon, mountain.

Rapid fire

Dramatic, for sure. Sometimes can pass as a sort of dungeon music but the high parts ofit make it better suited for a dramatic moment. Like, for example, pre-boss dialogue.

Dramatic, pre battle.

Only took hour and a half now, yay.

Eternal Sonata, part 1

2010-01-18T19:57:00.000-08:00

Been going through my mind with a lot of stuff, and part of that stuff was about how you could just use music from a single game and that way you wouldn't have to use a big list of music, like this blog intends to, right? But that would mean looping trhough music a lot if you are not running something particularly fast, or get stuck for whatever reason. More music = better. Besides, one could just take the favored tracks of such a compilation and ignore the rest. Kinda obvious, but sometimes when you think too much you overlook the obvious. I know it happens to me :(

Let's begin with Eternal Sonata. Like it, hate it, there is one thing that it's almost a fact about this game: The music is great. Among the best pieces scores of Motoi Sakuraba, who has made the music for other RPGs like the Valkyrie Profile and Star Ocean series.

A thing about this soundtrack is that the general feel of the soundtrack might not fit with others if you go with RPG soundtracks (or something else, been thinking about checking up the BlazBlue OST). You could use the music for a specific part of the game setting, or use it only for a specific roleplaying game and not for all. For any use you might have, here's the analysis of the first tracks of Eternal Sonata.

After a brief analysis of the song, will be written the category(es) for it. Regular wiritng is for the basic category and italics will be for sub categories, which are subjective.

Pyroxene of the Heart

Nostalgic, sad, and the music rises for a taste dramatic flair. Definitely for a dramatic scene, but what kind? Feels the right way for some background exposition, the discovery of the cause of something that is affecting the campaign.

Dramatic, sad, plot exposition.

Think of me

Intro music makes good intro music. Intro music? Well, introduction music can be used when introducing an NPC, describing a landscape or important geographical point, when the PCs enter an imprtant building, what have you. Now this particular piece feels right for a tranquil, quiet place, a sanctuary of some sort.

Introduction, serene, sanctuary.

Raindrops

A Chopin piece. Kind of at a loss here, it could be used for a dramatic scene, but it could also be used for a location. Either a palace or well preserved ruins.

Location, palace, regal ruins.

Relaxing place

Kinda self explanatory. Makes perfect for a small village, particularly anyone that might be a good vacation spot: by a lake, on a forest glade, IN THE MOUNTAINS. Not the beach, beach music, even if relaxing, it's more rythmic. Think the Costa del sol music from FFVII.

Village, peaceful, relaxing.

Leap the precipice

Battle music is delicious. Good music, but doesnt the the "oomph", the kick, what say you to make it anything else other than regular battle music. However, it can be argued that it fits some places more than others. Would say fits more a battle in a field or an open plain.

Regular battle, plains, field.

Well-done

Insert cooking pun. Fanfare music. Not much can be said about it, other than it should match the battle music when possible.

Fanfare, plains, field.

That concludes it for today. I need to learn to make this faster, got distracted and took me 2 hours.

Surely you can see the utility of it all.

2010-01-15T20:13:00.000-08:00

This is the first blog entry, of what will be the first of many for this blog. The name comes from wanting to have a record of some things that pop into my mind from time to time. Also from wanting it to have a name other than "Zen's log".

This small project has been on my mind for a while, and this is a good time to start as any other. No project or precise goal is on my mind at this time, so this blog will be used as a test to my focus on a personal project. Also it will be written fully in english to practice it.

While the blog will probably be about whatever pops into my mind from time to time, there will be a main type of log that will be uploaded, at least in the beginning.

Music for roleplaying sessions: No time for roleplaying for me yet, and no books, but a musical compilation for roleplaying is something that I've always wanted, and always think about when hearing good music from a videogame. Posts will be about the music from a certain game and to which category would they fit best (battle, field, dungeon, plot exposition, with what will be several subdivisions like dramatic battle, snowy field, volcanic dungeon, dramatic tension, the like). Particular pieces will be posted for discussion on what type would they fit best.

By slowly working on this project it will be assured that it won't be rushed, that it won't burn me out, and that a good progress will be done by the time a campaign starts with my group of friends, so win-win, me thinks.

Expect at least 3 updates a week, or I will personally slap myself in the face. At night, after 11 PM Mexico Central time.