Blog6: Exploring Non-linear and Generative Composition in Interactive Media

In recent weeks, we delved into non-linear composition and generative music, focusing on their application in interactive media like video game scoring and use the example of AssassinsCreed to understand how these techniques could be applied and practical in constructing an immersive and interactive gaming experience.

By introducing basic game music characteristics and history, the emphasis on interaction with game abilities, settings, plot and environment, and the immersive experience players feels are identified. While tools like Max MSP and Wwise are powerful for creating adaptive music that responds dynamically to gameplay, we did not involve an in-depth exploration of their capabilities this time. Instead, we adopted a more traditional approach, focusing on spotting and cue-based composition to align music with scene transitions and key moments in the game. Loops were essential for seamless transitions, while a cue list helped synchronize music with specific game events. The cue list here refers to a series of term and concept to denote a piece of music that interact with certain plot of the game (Thomas, 2016), which help mapping the whole music design into every actionable compositions with clearly and detailed notes.

A practices of game scoring has been made, which taught me the importance of modular design with the use of cue list in non-linear composition. By breaking music into reusable “building blocks,” I could create flexible and adaptive soundtracks. In my future work, it would be helpful to explore advanced techniques like machine learning-based composition and delve deeper into the business side of game scoring, such as managing budgets and deadlines. These knowledge and experiences have not only enhanced my technical skills but also deepened my understanding for the intersection of composition with technology of interactive media like video game.

Reference:

Thomas, C. (2016) Composing music for games: the art, technology and business of video game scoring. Boca Raton: CRC Press. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1201/b21203.