[SOLVED in 0.206.5] Discovery music in Black Forest pops in and out too often and too abrupt

[chriskringel]

The music soundtrack is absolutely beautiful and gorgeous, like all of Valheim's soundtrack. Kudos to its composer(s)! So please do not get me wrong on this isssue I have since yesterday's smaller update:

This creates an issue with stone towers in Black Forest, that the games plays the new "discovery music" (for stone structure, skeletons, burial chamber entries in Black Forest), everytime when I visit my base. (I claimed and built a home in a skeleton Stone Tower in Black Forest.) Or when I just go in and out of my base and my entry door. Far too often, too many music switches inside Black Forest now.

This is a bit of an immersion killer. (And Valheim is one of the most immersive games for me, very well done so far!) Also sometimes the Black Forest just cuts to silence and does not cross-fade or fade out to the new "discovery music". While all others music nicely cross-fades into each other.

So I have the Black Forest music, I approve my stone tower base in Black Forest, the new "Discovery music" plays for its short duration, abrupted by going inside and its "Resting music".

Music is all very beautiful, but the "discovery music" (while a great piece) is yet(!) just too much. It also plays seemingly randomly when going into Dungeons and burials chambers. When the above ground has a Stone/Skeleton Base structure. But as a player I was thinking: What is happening? And there is nothing.

IDEAS AND A SUGGESTION HOW TO FIX

1.) Do not let the new "discovery music" play, when a work bench, a chest or a bed is ultimately near. Some interior stuff indicating a player's base.

2.) Do not let it play every single time when going near to another (same) stone Tower in Black Forest. Only once per game session. Or play it only once per individual Tower, per individual Dungeon, when firing up the game. For each session. Do not play it every single time repeatedly for ALREADY discovered stuff in one game session. The music is so beautiful and a great addition. But it plays far too often. Maybe just keep it to the dungeon entries and not the towers.

Some ideas for you, devs. :) THANKS! :)

And thanks for this great game. Helped me through 2-3 very difficult weeks I had personally. (All good again.)

[Mharr]

So you have a personal theme song like a sitcom character!

[A. Crow]

Until the feature is possibly changed in an upcoming patch I'd consider playing with the music volume slider turned all the way down. The game is still very fun without music and arguably more immersive. Just a suggestion.

[Draconifors]

Noticed this today, but I didn't mind.

[chriskringel]

@Luward You made me laugh. Honestly. xD Yes, this is sort of a "bug report". I'm on Linux since over a decade (btw Vulkan version works absolutely great, only broken overlay) so we are really used to write something like this (style). It's in our blood.

Just as a feedback for Early Access though. I think Valheim is more like Beta or beyond Beta in terms of mood setting and the overall atmosphere. It's really near perfect already in that.

I will record a short video today. Just played again. And the new discovery music played already 10 times for me. When I first heard it (Badalamenti reference?) I was really in awe. Because it is so great and ominious and mysterious. While now it is playing too often. It wores out the theme/music. A bit.

I have a (claimed) stone tower base. With a small wooden shack outside and a workbench. Just in front of it. And the new "discovery music" plays everytime one my doorstep.

I am really kinda in love with Valheim. And really sensitive to details and atmosphere. And just this game is perfect in that regard. And the idea of the new music is great and works. It (imho) just is a bit too roughly implemented yet. It plays everytime I touch some stone structure. Again and again.

[chriskringel]

To anyone, is there a good or proper or recommended way to reach the devs for feedback? Thanks!

I will record a small video to showcase this. Would be best. Maybe it is just chance, that it plays so often in my Black Forest area. So a video would really help. BRB. (well, could take a day)

[chriskringel]

Originally posted by Dark Furniture:

Until the feature is possibly changed in an upcoming patch I'd consider playing with the music volume slider turned all the way down. The game is still very fun without music and arguably more immersive. Just a suggestion.

Good suggestion. Thanks!

[Mharr]

It does sound like this needs to be changed so the discovery music only triggers the first time you visit a structure, and honestly, probably just the first time you visit a particular *class* of structure because once you've seen three of those they're really just another kind of big rock with maybe a few coins and some feathers in an old box.

[chriskringel]

Great idea, @Mharr! Just do it for once for an object or class of an object. Per world/savegame.

Yesterday during gameplay I was like: "Oi, oi, mate, yeah, thank you. Appreciate it. I KNOW we discovered this particular tomb stone. 10 times now. Actually just walking by. But yeah, thank you. AGAIN."

While it was also happening near my base in the Meadows, where two skeleton tomb stone are nearby in the Meadow's forest.

And when the music is sometimes playing/triggered, while being *underground* in Black Forest, in the Burial Chambers, it sometimes play because something is *above* ground. But you can't see it. Logically. So the player wonders (I nearly sh*t my pants being the first time in the Burial Chambers) "oh uh... what is happening now?" While in fact nothing is happening.

I think it is way too much on the nose. And it breaks immersion, just therefore because it makes the player go like "yes, yes, I know, I know. Been here before. Thank you." :D

This is the first time anything bugs me in Valheim. While again the composition and the idea is great in itself.

+++ANOTHER PROBLEM+++
The frequency (how often it plays) of the Discovery music, also breaks the awe of discovering a little bit. It is a little nagging. It should add to immersion, not break it (to a degree).

Before the music I was like: "Wow, these creepy skeletons. Where do they come from?" (with the creepy/GREAT Black Forest theme playing) "Uh oh, looks like this is their cave..."

Now it's like: "Ok, ok, Skeleton time." (that is: the new music already is telling you, what is before you. You know what it means, and when it plays, you know what is before you. Or what is happening. It takes away some mystery and consistency during discovery. Too much use of music.)

[PS: One of favorite game series, Half-Life, make very rare and little use of music. But when it uses music, it is super effective. When music plays, you know, something really (singular!) epic is happening.]

My point is:

The new discovery music takes *away* from environmental storytelling. I would like to keep it though. But heavily reduced in how often it occurs or plays.

[Munin]

Known issue and already fixed in the newest (still private) build.

[Mharr]

Originally posted by Munin:

Known issue and already fixed in the newest (still private) build.

Nice!

[Draconifors]

It's been getting a bit annoying because I've been running around Black Forests a lot, so I'm glad to hear it's not only a known issue but fixed too. Looking forward to whatever update will bring the fix.

[Mharr]

Wait, there are two problems here. The excessive repetition, and the proximity error in dungeons where vertical distance is being ignored. Does the fix in the pipe address both?

[Munin]

I think so. If it's not fixed after the next patch, simply comment on my profile and I'll forward it.

[chriskringel]

Thank you! Great to hear!

I ended up playing the game with Music slider turned to zero/off and disabling the option "Continuous Music". It really really bugged me. Especially since I'm in Black Forest all the time in my playthrough right now.

TWO NEW SUGGESTIONS:

1.) How about -besides the existing checkbox/option for "Continuous Music"- including an additional checkbox in the "Misc" section for discovery music? Being able to disable it altogether.

For some it adds immersion while discovering something, for some it takes away the VISUAL surprise of discovering something, because the music already tells you what is or lies in front of the player.

2.) Have you considered how music eventually plays/switches during boss fights? It would be strange e.g. fighting Eikthyr and running past a skeleton grave and the music would flip to the new "discovery music". That would be strange. Haven't yet tested if this could happen. But I guess it likely will.


THANKS for this great game!

Off topic: Steam Overlay + Screenshot ability (F12) broken on Vulkan/Linux. pls fix. :) Think big. Think Steam Deck.

[Saskidan]

Needs to be fixed pronto. Goes off about 4 times during a burial chamber run. I'm surprised they even added it without understanding how annoying it is.