Natural Ambiance?

[Shadsie]

This is something that I was thinking about as I took a walk tonight - twilight walk.

In the Legend of Zelda, all the games, whenever you go into any area, there's always some kind of background instrumental music playing, some kind of theme. You might not even notice it, but it's there, lending a mood.

Listening to the sounds of the summer woods while walking down the quiet road I live on, I got to thinking about how nature is like that, too. Right now, in my area, nature actually is downright *loud* at any given time of the day - insects, frogs. I think I notice this especially strongly because I didn't grow up in the forest. I grew up in a desert, where the only sounds were a bit of wind sometimes, and, at certain times in the summer, the hum of locusts. It wasn't nearly as noisy as the eastern US woods are. In fact, during my move out here, during a stop in Memphis, I was "What IS that sound coming from the trees?" - even in the city. My fiance' replied "Critters." You see, I'd never heard nature itself being so LOUD and varied... I was blown away by it. So, now, when I hear that same natural cacophy in the woods where I currently live, I really, keenly notice it, because it's not something I had all my life.

Anyway, I got to thinking... what if in a future Zelda game, there were actually some areas, some patches of woods and whatnot that were rendered with purely naturalistic sounds? *No intrumental music,* JUST sounds like insects and frogs, loud and varied like in an actual wood?

That's not to say I'm in favor *at all* of getting rid of the musical score completely (it's definitely needed to set the mood for battles and dungeons), I'm merely thinking "A few specific areas of completely natural soundscape" - just to remind players that "nature really does have its own music," and for the sake of immersing into a "real" kind of world.

What do you think of this? Would you like to see (hear?) that or no?

 

[linkman8]

I've seen games that do that, but only for certain parts of the game, and it usually ends up nicely as long as it's not too prolonged. I know what you're talking about though; living in the woods in Wisconsin, you learn to notice the sounds of nature. Ambients are a nice touch to games because it adds that little level of realism.
I believe Halo 3 had nice ambient noises on certain levels, but I only heard that, I don't know for sure.

 

[dur.i.am]

I much prefer the Instumental sounds, I like listening to them and I don't mind hearing them constantly over and over again, I actually really like some of the wood areas music like Saria's Song.

I think if they replaced some of this with natural sounds that It would start to annoy me to the point of playing the game without sound which annoys me, I don't like sitting there playing a game with no music/some sort of song playing.

Maybe is they got a mixture of the two without to many constant bug sounds and such I could listen to it and enjoy it, If though it was just insects and maybe some wind (like moving through the leaves), I would just have to play a random song in the background while I play it.

 

[basement24]

I liked how they did this in parts of some Zelda titles, such as OoT at night, but really, the excitement builds again when the music starts up come morning. Sometimes atmosphereic elements alone can be effective, but generally they become boring in time. I tend to like my gaming experiences to be that of a movie-like experience, so I want to hear a fantastic score to set the mood.

I think I would prefer dynamic music that works with how you move, like in TP how the Hyrule Field theme slowed down and quieted when you stood still, and became more exciting as you ran or rode Epona. I do like ambient music like the quiet, almost non-music of the caves in TP as well. This all isn't to say great sound effects aren't appreciated, but alone I find them to not be exciting enough.

Essentially, if I want to hear nature, I will go out into nature, (which I often do) but in a game -- especially Zelda -- I want some fantastic music to set the mood.

 

[Anthony]

The Noise of Natural Ambience, would be a nice touch to the series. I have only heard this used in a few games, and this was very affective and sounded great.

Nintendo should definitely consider this for future games in the series, but maybe not for prolonged instances.
It can get quite irritating if they use the wrong noises, such as the constant chirping of crickets.
Also, if there was a wonderful song to accompany this Ambience, it would be far more Dynamic and interesting to listen to.

As a final statement, I would like to see the use of Natural Ambience in future Zelda games, but, a song should be there to accompay it, so the Ambience does not remove the mood of the enviroment.

 

[Shadsie]

The Noise of Natural Ambience, would be a nice touch to the series. I have only heard this used in a few games, and this was very affective and sounded great.

Nintendo should definitely consider this for future games in the series, but maybe not for prolonged instances.
It can get quite irritating if they use the wrong noises, such as the constant chirping of crickets.
Also, if there was a wonderful song to accompany this Ambience, it would be far more Dynamic and interesting to listen to.

As a final statement, I would like to see the use of Natural Ambience in future Zelda games, but, a song should be there to accompay it, so the Ambience does not remove the mood of the enviroment.

Actually, Zelda already has that. Things are soundscaped. If you want to listen to some good examples without turning on one of your games, go to ZERO and click on their Soundscapes collections. I personally think one of the best is the Ikana Canyon one - the music is fairly subtle, creepy, and punctuated by the wind and the cry of a hawk.

I was talking more like having some areas where there's no music at all, just the sounds of nature... birds, frogs and the like. Not for very long, but just some patches of wood where it sounds ... like a wood, not wood plus ipod.

Perhaps such areas could be... ominous, like, suddenly, the music stops and you *just hear nature* right before some big monster appears, or right before some kind of trap. THEN you get some big, stinging boss/miniboss score.

 

[angelkid]

I like the idea. I'd like to hear it in quite places, where there is no people, no creatures, just Link, then, out of nowhere *moblin* and the music starts up. It'd be like the calm before the storm. I think it would work really effectively and in some cases might make you jump, get your heart beating and give you that thrill and a very small adrenalin rush, which is exactly what you need to make you think 'I'm going to crush this Moblin.'

I also think it'd be quite effective in some peaceful areas, HOWEVER, I'd say that the great fairy fountains are the most peaceful places in the world of Zelda, they are almost soothing, and I think that the music in there is FAR more effective then the gentle drip of water would be. That would just be boring to be honest, and it would spoil the atmosphere of the thing. Personally I have to say this. Zelda is one of Nintendo's biggest projects and they put a LOT of time and effort into it. They try out millions of different techniques to add to the mood and try and make the atmosphere 'right.' My point is, I'm sure they have tried to do this before, and the fact that we have seen it hardly ever in a Zelda leeds me to believe that Nintendo judged it, not a great success.

 

[Zeruda]

I think it'd work, but only in certain areas like you said. The absense of music is usually used in creepy areas or those of impending danger. I think it would be interesting to walk into the Lost Woods, be surrounded by fog like in ALttP, and hear no music- just the sounds of frogs, bugs, the wind in the trees, and the crunching of leaves as you wander through the forest. It'd be perfect for a spooky, woodsy area.

 

[Immortal_One]

Natural Ambiance would be cool in some places, it would bring a level of realism to the games that has been neglected over it's lifespan. I like the night sequence that most of the games have where the only sounds are the sounds of the environment around you, it makes it all a bit...spookier.

I think it'd work, but only in certain areas like you said. The absense of music is usually used in creepy areas or those of impending danger. I think it would be interesting to walk into the Lost Woods, be surrounded by fog like in ALttP, and hear no music- just the sounds of frogs, bugs, the wind in the trees, and the crunching of leaves as you wander through the forest. It'd be perfect for a spooky, woodsy area.

Having parts of the Lost Woods immersed totally in the environmental sounds would alright at parts, but I wouldn't like to see the Lost Woods in it's entirety let go of it's musical score. The Lost Woods has been where some of the greatest Zelda tracks were born. The Lost Woods theme in A Link to the Past is one of the most underrated songs in the series.

 

[Twili Kid]

It would be gret in a spot with some kind of hidden enemy. You hear it breath, what was that, you look around and there it is or it could be a place wtih an unnatural silence. I'll take something from my report on pandas to kind of help.

"It was the darkest night. The silence. The Creature, Leaning over its prey that its really dead. Shut up Bob we are trying to tell a story about pandas." awkward but got me a perfect score.

 

[Zeruda]

Having parts of the Lost Woods immersed totally in the environmental sounds would alright at parts, but I wouldn't like to see the Lost Woods in it's entirety let go of it's musical score. The Lost Woods has been where some of the greatest Zelda tracks were born. The Lost Woods theme in A Link to the Past is one of the most underrated songs in the series.

I agree that the Lost Woods has provided some of the best Zelda music to date, especially the ALttP version (odd that it hasn't really been reused...), but I imagine that the area with the pedestal/Master Sword would be perfect without music. Remember walking up the little path in ALttP, surrounded by bushes on both sides and little animals scampering away? Would be perfect without music, save for the classic obtaining-the-master-sword theme once Link pulls it out of the pedestal.

Or coming across a war-ravaged town (Kakariko, perhaps?). In OoT, the Market was without music, just the wind and hungry, groaning Redeads. That was spooky as heck, and I'd love to see something like that again. Implementing more echo would be great, too, especially if used in desolate areas.

 

[Immortal_One]

I agree that the Lost Woods has provided some of the best Zelda music to date, especially the ALttP version (odd that it hasn't really been reused...), but I imagine that the area with the pedestal/Master Sword would be perfect without music. Remember walking up the little path in ALttP, surrounded by bushes on both sides and little animals scampering away? Would be perfect without music, save for the classic obtaining-the-master-sword theme once Link pulls it out of the pedestal.

Or coming across a war-ravaged town (Kakariko, perhaps?). In OoT, the Market was without music, just the wind and hungry, groaning Redeads. That was spooky as heck, and I'd love to see something like that again. Implementing more echo would be great, too, especially if used in desolate areas.

Yeah, I see what you mean. The no music thing worked pretty well in OoT, and I'm sure it could be pulled off again. I could see it working with the acquisition of the Master Sword also, actually.

 

[Quazaar]

in Oot when you went into hyrule field at night there was no music, just sounds.