Anyone using Syrinscape?

[MNBlockHead]

Originally Posted by Cornelius

So I am interested in what others who do use sounds feel that it adds to the storytelling.

For me, most sound effects would be distracting, but "mood music" could work. I really like the Witchwood sound sound effect, a free sample that comes with the Syrinscape demo. Nice, not overly intrusive mood music, with some light "spooky woods" effects. Adding the raining again layer is nice as well.

Good quality sound tracks like this for a variety of scenarios could be quite nice, so long as I don't have to fiddle with software too much during the game.

What I really have little interest in are the special effects that require me to trigger when somebody does something in the game, like "fire spell", "ice spell", "gasp", etc. I don't want to turn my game in to an old-timey radio show and I don't want to play DJ. I have enough to manage during the game.

Another example of what I *don't* want is the "Bugbear Battle" sample. I would like it if I could stip out the vocalizations. I like the battle music and also like how I can switch up the tempo and heighten the mood with the "Defeat is Imminent" option. But the growls and shouts distract. One, because...well, is that how you hear bugbears in your minds ear? No. Too bad. But also...I can just imagine that I'm narrating the battle or discussing with a player what his character is doing only to be interrupted by a loud, guttural, growl. Distracting. There is a no swords option, but there isn't a non-vocals option.

IF Syrinscape has lots of music only and non-distracting background sounds options AND IF I can easily launch this from realmworks with minimal fuss, then I could that it could add to the game.

One additional benefit that I just thought of is that good mood music and REDUCE distraction? How? Well, during more lengthy battles there is often side discussion among players that is appropriate, but creates background chatter. The music may actually make that background chatter less distracting. You would think it would be just another distraction, but at least I find it much more difficult to concentrate in a dead quiet college library with a couple of students whispering to each other a few tables away than I do in a loud coffee show with music playing and lost of normal-to-loud conversations happening around me. Music has away to blend all surrounding conversations into the background making it easier to focus on the one you are having with someone (one reason why restaurants play music, I assume—less distracted by conversations at other tables and by the sounds of people masticating their food).