Music in Open-World RPGs: From Dramaturgy to Technology

No matter how well a music is composed and produced, if it does not reflect the world, story, gameplay, and technology of the game, it will realize only a fraction of its potential. This requires a careful design and implementation but also a tight connection with the rest of the development team: Game design, asset development, programming. It is a two-way street: The more the music knows about the game, the better it can be and vice-versa. I will discuss an approach to music in large open-world games that addresses both dramaturgy as well as the low-level technical constraints, imposed by the game engine and audio middleware.