In order to further the disussion...
I've been thinking about the various situations and "environments" (including biomes) to which music could be effectively applied in order to create a mood. The list below is far from exhaustive, but is submitted for comment and expansion.
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== Menu (Canned Theme?) ==
- Perhaps each gamemode might (optionally) have its own theme, appropiate to the particular game.
== (Re-)Spawning ==
: Concept :
So, you've just been unceremoniously dropped into this wierd, unfamiliar world. It's a jarring experience, but you're resolved to make the best of it. You're excited at the potential waiting beyond these new horizons, and wary that there are perils and pitfalls waiting, too.
: Keywords :
ambient, tense, hopeful
== (Deciduous) Forest ==
: Concept :
A shady stand of trees and undergrowth. Upon entering, you are enveloped by cool, damp, earthen scents. Picking your way between massive trunks, you tread lightly, feeling inconsequential next to such majesty.
: Keywords :
enclosed (not claustrophobic), serene, woody, natural, primal
== Jungle ==
: Concept :
A dense, steaming rainforest, teeming with all kinds of life. Myriad creatures flit and jump between the giant boughs under a seamless canopy.
: Keywords :
dense, close, dark, wild, primal
== Grassland ==
: Concept :
A gentle wind stirs the grass, causing whispering, green waves to slowly march accross rolling hills.
: Keywords :
peaceful, calm, quiet, wide-open, breathy, pastoral, simple,
== Savannah ==
: Concept :
(Pretty much the same as grassland, but perhaps harsher and more primal.)
: Keywords :
wide-open, wild, tribal
== Desert ==
: Concept :
A sea of sand and shimmering air. Cacti stand like sentenels over the sand and scrub. The wind s oppressively hot and dry, carrying fine grit, and a dusty tang of burnt flint.
: Keywords : open, exposed, harsh
== Beach ==
: Concept :
You stand on the edge if a great, blue expanse stretching to the horizon and beyond. A strong, salt-laden wind whips foam and spray from the tops of the breakers, and rushes heedlessly past you.
: Keywords :
expansive, nautical, adventurous?
== Underwater ==
: Concept :
(Cousteau would be the obvious reference here, but I can find no appropriate quotes, etc.)
: Keywords :
deep, cold, dark, murky/muddy
== Caves/Mines ==
: Concept :
: Keywords :
cavernous (derp), enclosed, echoing, hard, dark
== NPC Villages ==
: Concept :
A friendly, welcoming village.
: Keywords :
tribal, folksy, rythmic, warm,
== Urban "Biome" ==
: Concept :
(It occured to me that built-up areas should have an ambiance different to the generated biome on which they stand. The engine might differentiate by detecting player-crafted nodes, or things like streets:asphalt, or conctrete:concrete.)
: Keywords :
hard, grey, bustling, modern, complex, jazzy?, industrial?