Do you have music playing during a gaming session?

[FunFamilyTimes]

At our house we always have something going in the background while
playing board games, D&D, what have you. It usually consists of gospel
music (kids love dancing to The Gaither Vocal Band) or an OTR (Jack
Benny!) or a gaming podcast.
Do you have anything playing, or is it a distraction to you?

[Brook Gentlestream]

There's usually a little puppy yelping in the background, if that counts.

[FunFamilyTimes]

LOL! No puppy, just a bunch of screaming rug-rats, thus the music and
such.

[pickboy87]

I put on music most of the time. Usually it's just a random playlist of my music on my computer [28k songs] so it tends to vary. Although depending on the game, I'll try to focus the music more [for example, claustrophobia deserves a more dark/brooding atmospheric music].

[Julia Ziobro]

Sure, we often have music on. We turn it off during dinner and if people get tired of it, but otherwise, why not?

Some brain burners are made much more fun with the addition of music that breaks up the tension.

:J::A::Z:

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"Ati sarvatra varja aeth... anything excessive is bad"

[freelunch]

When I'm gaming with family, usually, but not with visiting friends. not sure why, possibly because with guests I usually have more rule-explaining to do (and possibly because guests usually come with kids, who have to be monitored by ear in other rooms)

[frumpish]

I used to, I no longer bother.

On Mar 30, 6:46 pm, FunFamilyTimes <morefunfamilyti...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Mohrlock]

It depends on the game & the audience. Generally not if it's our first play through a game, or with my fiance. When it's with my regular gaming friends though it's normally just on in the background, not too loud but loud enough to hear. Especially when Monsterpocalypse hits the table...

[lprunk]

Just some games. In Starcraft we put some Starcraft (duh!) or Mass
Effect music on the background to spice the mood, in Arkham Horror we
use some playlists with dark ambient music like Nox Arcana and
Midnight Syndicate. But we usually keep the sound off on most of the
games, specially euros. But we also have some friends who don't like
music on euros, they say it distracts the concentration.

[Gatorzzz]

I love to have Radio Rivendell on in the background. They have the
largest collection of video game music, fantasy movies, and themey
instrumentals on the web. It's perfect for almost any gaming session.

On Mar 30, 4:46 pm, FunFamilyTimes <morefunfamilyti...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Boze]

I usually Play Wu-tang in the background. But never loud just as
ambiance

[aramis]

Quiet radio when boardgaming, sure. Never when RPGing - I have a
discrimination loss, and it makes it impossible for me to understand
people.

On Mar 30, 3:46 pm, FunFamilyTimes <morefunfamilyti...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[The_Artful_Dodger]

Oh absolutely yes, I almost compulsively do it...

I think the importance of a soundtrack while gaming is seriously
underrated...
I personally like the "Total immersion gaming experience" so having
the right music is essential...

I try to take the feeling of the game, the theme, the genre, the
energy of the people who are playing, the place itself, anything you
can pick up on with a sixth sense, and make sure the music is working
synergistically with the present situation.

If I'm playing a Cyberpunk themed game, put on some twitchy, techy,
glitchy sounding stuff, that will conjure up images of computers and
hacking and cyberspace in the minds of the players.

If you are playing a Space themed game, put on something ambient and
spacy, that adds "thickness" to the atmosphere, but not distraction.
Something Nebulous...something like a constant low hum, like a Warp
Core, to emulate that lulling feeling of walking around on the decks
of the Star Ship Enterprise.

D & D? Definitely something involving a choir, usually classical or
orchestral, and some good creepy ambiance for dungeon crawling. I
would actually recommend going into the game folders of some of the
Elder Scrolls games, and taking the soundtracks from there for some
nice D&D ambiance. They have great "Cave" sounding music too.
Especially if you're getting sick of burning out the LOTR soundtrack,
haha...

If you are playing something silly, like a game of Clay-o-Rama or
something, I would recommend the Soundtrack to, "The Neverhood" by
Terry S. Taylor. Has almost a goofy, "I'm a seven year old dancing
around in a silly costume at an elementary school birthday party while
playing with play-doh" type of feeling... It's brilliant.

If you are playing a more serious game, like Diplomacy, I usually try
to find any music that reminds me of, "Standing around in some old
mansion / hunting lodge, with a bunch of gentlemen in suits with
pocket watches and top hats, in the study together, talking, smoking
cigars and drinking brandy, all politics and mustaches, leather
chairs, tall bookshelves, a proper English home, and a boars head on
the wall over a crackling fireplace" type of music...

So anyway Yeah. For heaven's sake, put some music on.
I think it will help any gaming session out, in my opinion.
Less awkward silences too, fills all the gaps, keeps people more
attentive, or "keeps their heads in the game" so to speak.
Yep.

Nice Topic.

[BaSL]

Just some radio or maybe television if there's a soccer match on. 

Op zaterdag 31 maart 2012 01:46:51 UTC+2 schreef FunFamilyTimes het volgende:

[FunFamilyTimes]

@Gator...thanks for the scoop on Radio Rivendell...listening now!

@Artful Dodger....Elder Scrolls music is fantastic. The main theme to
Skyrim is my favorite. I would just let the game sit there at the
title screen while the chorus of Dragonborn played. It's amazing how
much music can set the mood, even while playing board games. I also
have soundtrack music, or something I made in Garage Band playing
while doing an art project or something.

On Mar 30, 11:27 pm, The_Artful_Dodger <thistooshallpass...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[S Magnus]

For Arkham Horror, Mansions of Madness, or Elder Sign, I have a
playlist of 30s music- Ink Spots, Billie Holiday, etc.

Playing without the music is significantly less fun.

On Mar 30, 11:27 pm, The_Artful_Dodger <thistooshallpass...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> would actually recommend going into the game folders of some of the
> Elder Scrolls games, and taking the soundtracks from there for some
> nice D&D ambiance. They have great "Cave" sounding music too.

I'm so stealing this from you. Thanks!

> Especially if you're getting sick of burning out the LOTR soundtrack,
> haha...

The soundtrack to the original Conan The Barbarian by Basil Poledouris
is the "Sgt. Pepper", if you will, of fantasy soundtracks. The motifs
contained therein are cribbed liberally by LotR and their ilk (I'm a
working artist, so I *love* plagiarizing, seriously) , check it out!

[SToFo]

Yep, all the people I play with are into alot of extreme metal so we
just run different playlists from Spotify when we're playing.
Works for any type of game. We tend to play a bit more doom or heavy
metal when playing a game with a fantasy theme.
Jex Thoth or Electric Wizard works pretty well for Talisman ;)

On Mar 31, 1:46 am, FunFamilyTimes <morefunfamilyti...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Pheasant Plucker]

After 30 years of playing boardgames I finally found the perfect
background music - Two Steps From Hell and Thomas Bergesen. They are
short pieces that I can only describe as a bit similar to the
Gladiator theme music, but more beautiful. They are perfect for 'epic'
games, fantasy games, or sci-fi.

A fairly typical sample of Two Steps From Hell is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRLdhFVzqt4 or Thomas Bergesen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqNRIM2pdaQ

So yes, I listen to this stuff usually!

On Mar 31, 12:46 am, FunFamilyTimes <morefunfamilyti...@gmail.com>
wrote: