Thursday, December 12, 2019

Composing for a Visual Novel (part 3)


After sampling a number of different VN's, I realized that in most cases, the music loops after about 1:30 or 2 minutes. Though many of my guitar compositions are longer, I decided to try writing additional shorter pieces for specific scenes. Keeping in mind that the music would loop, the resolutions were usually the beginnings of the pieces, which in classical music is known as an “elision” (when the last note of a phrase is also the first note of a phrase.) I've managed to write several short compositions specifically for the Star Legation visual novel in just a couple months, and I'm happy with how things are turning out. Though it would be my preference to have music only set the tone during certain moments in the game, I do understand why visual novels keep it looping—it becomes less immersive when you play the game in silence, hearing only the occasional clicks of your mouse to advance the text or make a choice. There is a possibility that I will be able to design the VN more cinematically, however, if I can manage one thing...

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