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Dragon Quest's (US) lack of orchestrated soundtracks is my #1 most disappointing thing in gaming.

Elfforkusu

Elfforkusu

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Oct 25, 2017
4,098
re: DQ7, It's not even that it's "midi", it's that it's just not very good as midi.

I hesitate to call it bad, but there are lots of good midi soundtracks and DQ7 is just not one of them. It is just there, might as well play on mute. From what I've heard of 8's and 11's, they're no different. Going-through-the-motions versions of orchestrated tracks.
 
Vishmarx

Vishmarx

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
5,043
Itd bother me more if i gave a shit about dq's music. Ill just try and see if i can turn off all of that music and overlay it with something better.
Why cant they at least sell that orchestrated track as dlc tho if its about that scumbag being greedy
 
R_thanatos

R_thanatos

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,491
Vishmarx said:
Itd bother me more if i gave a shit about dq's music. Ill just try and see if i can turn off all of that music and overlay it with something better.
Why cant they at least sell that orchestrated track as dlc tho if its about that scumbag being greedy
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Because that way , part of the money would go to The platform holders and to square-enix.
and that guy want all the money , 100% of the money
 
Siyou

Siyou

Member
Oct 27, 2017
874
Wow... I had no idea Dragon Quest XI's music was going to be all midi... That actually might be what makes me not purchase the game. I felt weird about the battle system seeming hollow, but knowing that the music is also on the hollow side, too, it kills me. The music just feels... Flat.
 
Bman94

Bman94

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,559
I don't even play the Dragon Quest games, but I just want the soundtracks. Please just sell them all in the US so I can buy them and not resort to illegal downloads and expensive ass imports.
 
entrydenied

entrydenied

The Fallen
Oct 26, 2017
7,701
Bman94 said:
I don't even play the Dragon Quest games, but I just want the soundtracks. Please just sell them all in the US so I can buy them and not resort to illegal downloads and expensive ass imports.
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The prices are quite reasonable as far as cd prices for soundtrack goes. Shipping is also fair. But then again I'm also accustomed to Japanese CD prices after buying for almost 2 decades.
 
Mauricio_Magus

Mauricio_Magus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,142
Siyou said:
Wow... I had no idea Dragon Quest XI's music was going to be all midi... That actually might be what makes me not purchase the game. I felt weird about the battle system seeming hollow, but knowing that the music is also on the hollow side, too, it kills me. The music just feels... Flat.
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I'm hoping that the orchestrated OST gets modded into DQXI on PC.
 
Terraforce

Terraforce

One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
18,954
Guess that's one of the few blessings of not having an ear for music. Personally I couldn't care less and probably wouldn't notice unless I paid close attention.

So in for the CE day uno
 
potentialtodisplease

potentialtodisplease

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Mar 17, 2018
2,927
Can't you put something on the media player and just here the voices or something if you really hate it that badly? Like cut the music and only have voices and whatever music you want?
 
potentialtodisplease

potentialtodisplease

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Mar 17, 2018
2,927
Vishmarx said:
Itd bother me more if i gave a shit about dq's music. Ill just try and see if i can turn off all of that music and overlay it with something better.
Why cant they at least sell that orchestrated track as dlc tho if its about that scumbag being greedy
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Honestly, I never have the music blasting in ANY RPG game lol. I just hope the atmospheric stuff is good. Like in Witcher 3 I don't have music but at the lowest levels in the background. They have fairly nice atmosphere in that game and others. I don't think this is going to kill me, and I think people might overlook anything good about the soundtrack. There is always a lot of hyperbole around this game and its music.
 
glasiche

glasiche

Avenger
Feb 12, 2018
474
I'm getting DQ11 and I'm getting it on the very first day it's released

best of luck in you guys' efforts to get them to include orchestral music for the overseas versions
 
Shan

Shan

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Oct 27, 2017
7,987
Eeesh..I forgot about this..hopefully it won't impact my enjoyment of the game too much. I'll just hope the OST grow on me eventually.
 
Encephalon

Encephalon

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Oct 26, 2017
5,888
Japan
I'm pretty sure "MIDI" isn't the issue, and that most games use synthesizer music. They just have better "instruments" (soundbanks, synths, etc).




Synthesizer doesn't have to sound bad.

I loved DQXI, but it seriously brought the game down. The thing is, it's probably more important for DQ music to use high quality instruments than any other JRPG series. It's a huge shame. I think they need to find a new composer, who can create tracks that are reminiscent of Sugiyama's distinctive style. Regardless of how important his music is for the series, right now it's being wasted.
 
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eXistor

eXistor

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Oct 27, 2017
12,400
Sword Familiar said:
I think I'm definitely in the minority here, but I vastly prefer the midi soundtrack of the original PS2 release of DQVIII over the western orchestrated tracks. They just felt off to me.
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It sounds like someone with a tape recorder recorded it from a mile away. I think it sounds really bad actually. If properly recorded it wold make a huge difference, but if the sound quality is like the video in the op, then I'm not sure I prefer it tbh.
 
Lucreto

Lucreto

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Oct 25, 2017
6,699
It doesn't bother me too much but I would rather the orchestrated version but I will take what I can get.

I am getting the collectors edition which comes with the orchestrated soundtrack so I can wonder what could have been.
 

Deleted member 1589

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Oct 25, 2017
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Like many here, there's nothing wrong with MIDI soundtracks. When it's done well it can be great.

Fuck I follow many chiptune artists for that reason.

DQ11's arrangement is so bad that I can't believe it's a thing. It's like the composer wants to go retro, but skipped the SNES generation, jumped over the NES generation, and settled somewhere near the first generation of Atari 2600 games.
 
Valcrist

Valcrist

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Oct 25, 2017
9,797
Lupin said:
The problem with DQ11 is that, if CDs and concerts are such a focus of his, the songs are going to be composed for the orchestra as opposed to the pleasant, memorable, or catchy MIDI-style tracks from days of yore. In a sense, sabotaged.

So it's not like the IDEA that catchy, MIDI-style stuff still be in games is unsound ... If anything, the DQ11 case is helping to prove that the art of doing it well might be becoming a lost one.

That said, S-E needs to snag the DQ main theme rights the minute they have the chance and jettison Sugiyama if at all possible. But that's just my two cents that none of y'all will read or care about. Enjoy the discussion folks.
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I'd be fine with it if they did it right. Get Ryo Yamazaki to operate the synth. Bam. Instant guaranteed success.
 
Darktalon

Darktalon

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Oct 27, 2017
3,291
Kansas
Offtopic from Dragon Quest, but another patch you are absolutely going to want is the yoshis island 3ds music patch. "new yoshi's island 3ds music improvement"
 
inner-G

inner-G

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Oct 27, 2017
14,473
PNW
I actually like the MIDI or whatever ones. The orchestral ones don't seem to 'fit' as well for me. Plus the synth is kind of nostalgic.
 
asd202

asd202

Enlightened
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Oct 27, 2017
9,753
I'm still thinking what to do, normally I would buy this game day one on PS4 now I'm more inclined to wait for a music patch on PC, upgrade my graphics card and buy it on Steam or something. I may not get the game day one now, it a shame really but I loved DQVIII orchestral soundtrack it was a big part of my enjoyment of the game.
 
Philippo

Philippo

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Verified
Oct 28, 2017
7,975
At least PC players of DQXI will be able to mod their OSTs.

We PS4 players will be stucked to pre-historic Sugiyama bullshit.
 
inner-G

inner-G

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Oct 27, 2017
14,473
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Birdseye said:
People will rationalize anything, lol. 'Doesn't matter, I prefer MIDI anyway', oh my God
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It's almost like that's what the series has always sounded like...

There's a reason they keep the OG SFX in the JP versions. Most Westerners just don't have an attachment to them because they're newer to the series.
 
Choppasmith

Choppasmith

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Oct 25, 2017
6,444
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inner-G said:
It's almost like that's what the series has always sounded like...

There's a reason they keep the OG SFX in the JP versions. Most Westerners just don't have an attachment to them because they're newer to the series.
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I feel like you're half right with this. Yeah there's certainly an attachment to a lot of the aesthetics of Dragon Quest which really have a "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" design philosophy.

But there's two things you're missing.

The fact that a lot of Japanese releases have orchestra music in them and Sugiyama makes it difficult if not impossible for people in the West to experience the same thing because "reasons."

The huge disparity between the lush 3D visuals and the horribly outdated synth soundtrack. There's no excuse that a game made in 2018 should sound like that.

Also, preferring poor midi over live orchestra is a really bizarre take in this case. It's like the musical equivalent of preferring Rob Liefeld over Alex Ross or McDonald's over a high quality steakhouse. DQ compositions were clearly made with orchestra in mind (I mean Sugiyama IS a conductor with experience composing for TV and movies)
 
Dice

Dice

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Oct 25, 2017
22,935
Canada
These GORGEOUS environments....
Dragon-Quest-XI-combat.jpg

....bleep bleep bloop bleep bloop ffsssssshhhhhhaaaaaa (synth strings)

It's really jarring quality difference between what you're hearing and what you're seeing. Reading that others are going for Steam for a possible mod patch is.... actually pretty damn tempting.

Choppasmith said:
VIII had orchestra added for the West by S-E without Sugiyama's approval and he's supposedly very bitter about it.
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Dude sounds every bit of stereotype of an old cranky man.

Really surprised they haven't changed composers. He's alright, but I'm hard pressed a long-standing series that didn't do fine working outside of the box.
 
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Deleted member 19739

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Oct 27, 2017
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Wait, you are telling me DQ games in Japan are orchestrated, but when they are released in the US the music is replaced with MDI version? LMFAO
 
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