City Research Online

Abstract

My original contribution to knowledge is a portfolio of 29 compositions written for the open world videogame Apotheon that constitutes an improvement to the effectiveness and implementation of recombinant videogame music. This portfolio was developed in response to the criticisms of multiple authors such a K. Collins, W. Phillips, S. Huiberts, A. Burnt, D. Raybould, R. Stevens, and others on the negative effects of excessive use of looping in video game music. A collaboration between myself and the programmer and game designer Lee Vermeulen brought the development of a new stochastic recombinant music engine that was implemented in Apotheon. The purpose of the engine is to replace continuous linear looping with unique musical variations in key areas of the game in which players might spend large amounts of time. The music in these areas is dynamically recombined in multiple independent layers using weighted probabilities that are altered according to the development of the narrative. The portfolio was inspired by aleatoric techniques found in 18th century musical dice games, and expanded on stochastic recombinant techniques found in earlier videogame soundtracks such as Ballblazer, Times of Lore and Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Publication Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Subjects:	M Music and Books on Music > M Music T Technology > T Technology (General)
Departments:	Doctoral Theses School of Communication & Creativity > Performing Arts > Music School of Communication & Creativity > School of Communication & Creativity Doctoral Theses

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