OCC Thread

[Vargr1105]

The party is heading to where the mountains suddenly give way to nothing. Since the terrain there, as far as the party can see from their position, does not continue it is assumed there is a cliff there dropping down maybe with an access to the lower reaches.

Judging from the progress the party as made so far and the distance still left to cover, you expect the trip to the edge of the cliff to take somewhat over an hour.

[Ra the monk]

Im pretty sure the dwarf isnt covered in blood.

He has a bat carcass strapped to his pack to dry... If that doesn't imply covered in blood I don't know what does, at least in Oz' opinion.

Judging from the progress the party as made so far and the distance still left to cover, you expect the trip to the edge of the cliff to take somewhat over an hour.

Ok that sounds good. I guess we will decide what to do then, and grab some lunch.

[Stonjuz]

Overhearing this Oz quips "Wouldn't do much good to be invisible when you smell like that.

Now THAT was funny.

[Vargr1105]

And now for something completely different...sort of.


I assume everyone has noticed that every so often a GM post on the Action Threads bears a "Musical Theme" entry with a link to an MP3 file. This was something I decided to do when I took it upon myself to run a PbP, and I wondered why no one (to my knowledge) had thought of using music for ambiance on a PbP before.

I am slightly surprised that, so far, no one has commented on this feature, either positively or negatively. I do not know if folks are listening to the musical themes on the posts, or even if the mp3 upload host service works for everyone.

What do you folks have to say about this feature of our PbP game? Notice I am not requesting sycophantic adulation here, I just want everyone's honest opinion whether it is "having music is nice", "it's a meaningless distraction" or "your musical tastes are crap"

[Ra the monk]

I for one have enjoyed the music a great deal. However since I usually post during my down time at work, while not on the clock mind you, I usually cannot listen to the music when I post. I try to go back and listen to it when I get a chance.

This is only my second PbP but I have been loving it. The characters have been vivid and the descriptions spectacular. I am excited every time I log on. This group is really great. Keep up the great RP everyone!

Just a question where is this music coming from? My wife really likes the music for the cliffs, and I have been enjoying a lot of the other stuff. Especially the one for the rock bug monster thing, that was good. Seems to be either video game music, anime music, or some sort of ambiance trance stuff. I like it.

[Sir Clarence]

I honestly admit that I only listened to the music once and not again thereafter...

[Buzz]

I think the music really sets the mood. It is enjoyable.

[Sheldomar]

I think the music (and the graphics) add a depth to the adventure that makes the overall experience more enjoyable.

[zebediah]

You can't go wrong with a Saint Seiya theme.

[Stonjuz]

I dont dislike the toons, but i usually have Malmsteen or Wakeman cranked when doing any listening while gaming.
On the other hand, if you PREFER that we listened, thinking that it may influence somehow....i will.

comment : The Cliffs :
the slow/careful descent is given a sense of danger due to the moderate/fast tempo. Nice one.

[Vargr1105]

Just a question where is this music coming from? My wife really likes the music for the cliffs, and I have been enjoying a lot of the other stuff. Especially the one for the rock bug monster thing, that was good. Seems to be either video game music, anime music, or some sort of ambiance trance stuff. I like it.

The music is coming from a selection I started making before joining Unseen Servant. Originally it was supposed to be the OST (or un-Original ST) for a Humanspace Empires PbP I was trying to get off and running at the OD&D Discussions forums, but died stillborn (the minimum of players failed to materialize). Sadly, about a lot of the original music selection was too modern/spacey/synth to use on a AD&D game; so I gathered some more while UK5 was being set up.

Let me see the tally so far...

"Hardway Mountain" is the intro music to the Vampire Hunter D movie. "Defying Gravity" is also from that movie.

"The Climb Down Hardway Mountain", "Creature from the Cliffs", "Descent into Icy Valley" are all from the 80's Frech-Japanese cartoon Ulysses 31.

"A Hole in the Sky" is from the scene in the Lensman movie where Kimball Kinnison recieves the Lens.

"Elf vs. Bat" is the 3rd movement of the Phoenix theme from the Saint Seyia 80's anime series.

"Cliffs" is the Electric Remix of the intro music to the Commodore Amiga game Shadow of the Beast III.


Of course, I could have taken the lazy way and just get songs from Neverwinter Nights, Guild Wars and the Lord of the Rings, but that would sound a bit lame (pun intended) as most people are familiar with those.

You can't go wrong with a Saint Seiya theme.

Ah...I see Zebediah is a connoisseur. Only one movement from a SS theme so far and he recognized it. Hardly surprising, I have heard that Saint Seiya was a *huge* hit in Brazil. There will be more themes from that show used during the game.

I dont dislike the toons, but i usually have Malmsteen or Wakeman cranked when doing any listening while gaming.

Is Malmsteen that Scandinavian guy that thinks an electric guitar is a cello and rips off Beethoven with gusto? Wakeman I've never heard of.

On the other hand, if you PREFER that we listened, thinking that it may influence somehow....i will.

No, of course not. Players should only listen if they want to. I just wanted to know if enough folks where enjoying it to merit the effort. It ain't just about uploading themes, I sometimes have to cut MP3 files to get the right passage of an entire song.

Since the average party opinion is positive I will be continuing putting Musical Themes for scenes which I have a music I consider appropriate.

[Stonjuz]

Rick Wakeman is the keyboard player for the band YES.
He had a few solo records, my favorite is Rick Wakeman's Journey to the Center of the Earth, Live with the London Philharmonic...He also did a concept album about King Arthur, though the name escapes me at the moment.

[Sheldomar]

Your talking about The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. I was given that album by a friend and thought it was some bizarre stuff...until I listened to it stoned and everything fell in to place. Old habits aside, it is still a bit beyond for me.

[Ra the monk]

"Hardway Mountain" is the intro music to the Vampire Hunter D movie. "Defying Gravity" is also from that movie.

I thought those were familiar. Bloodlust I am guessing, or is it from the original D? That original had some awesome gore in it. Bloodlust was good as well, still love Lia's air gun.

[zebediah]

Ah...I see Zebediah is a connoisseur. Only one movement from a SS theme so far and he recognized it. Hardly surprising, I have heard that Saint Seiya was a *huge* hit in Brazil. There will be more themes from that show used during the game.

At a certain point in time I had cassete tapes ( ) with most (if not all) of the original soundtrack for the first season.

It had massive following in Brazil in the mid-90s, I think it was first aired on 94. Looking back at it now I think the soundtrack still stands out to me as being pretty good and I still like that show a lot but I believe ultimately it suffered from poor execution of excellent ideas and themes by Kurumada and his team.

[zebediah]

Wakeman's mandatory albums are the two mentioned by you guys (Journey and Myths & Legends) plus The Six Wives of Henry VIII. All pretty good IMO.

[Vargr1105]

"Hardway Mountain" is the intro music to the Vampire Hunter D movie. "Defying Gravity" is also from that movie.

I thought those were familiar. Bloodlust I am guessing, or is it from the original D? That original had some awesome gore in it. Bloodlust was good as well, still love Lia's air gun.

It is from the original. I have seen Bloodlust, but oddly the music of that one didn't stick with me. Maybe I should revisit it.

[Vargr1105]

OOC: does it look like the group can continue to advance south and reach the next cliff without crossing the waters?

Yes it does. From what the party saw while making their way down the terrain thins a bit as it goes south but appeared to reach the next cliffs.

[Stonjuz]

The idea of TESTING for gold ore will remain in the dwarfs head (of course). Which basic direction would be the birth of the mountain stream? (a spot where the mountain gives off a slow trickle would be ideal for testing).

[Vargr1105]

So the party seems divided about what to do now, between continuing, camping, fishing and sifting for gold or doing several of those.

We are going to need to take vote here before action can continue, so I can know what exactly is happening.

The idea of TESTING for gold ore will remain in the dwarfs head (of course). Which basic direction would be the birth of the mountain stream? (a spot where the mountain gives off a slow trickle would be ideal for testing).

The stream on the valley the PCs are in is born somewhere far to the NE. The party couldn't see the nascent from their position atop the cliff or when they where going down.

The nearest portion of the stream to the PCs is less than a half-mile away. It's the curvature it makes southward on its way to join the lake after getting the waters of the cascade from the upper valley. An educated guess would be this last leg of the stream is not a good place for gold-searching. Any nuggets carried by the stream are bound to be coalescing somewhere around the base of the waterfall.

Edit: crud, I just realized I should have used Stonjuz's derived rolls before providing this piece of information, oh well...