How Does Music Affect Your Roleplay

[Dat Oni]

So we've established that sex affects a large portion (90%, even) of the roleplay community. In a way, I suppose this is to be expected. What isn't so clear-cut is how something like music affects our roleplay.

 

Basically, the topic is thus: What role does music play in your roleplay? Is it merely for clever leitmotifs, here and there, or do songs actually go so far as to provide the lyrical mold for your character's concept and later creation, personality, and so on?

 

Is it blood pumping through your character's veins, or musical notes from a heart beating in chords...? Is your character merely biological, or did the origins of their design render them a walking symphony? I am curious to find out.

[Aaron]

There's headphones in my ears 24/7. When I was brainstorming a character I was listening to On my own by Ashes Remain.

 

Aaron was born. 

 

Also I find it impossible to role play without music. No headphones means no rp for me. Im kinda drastic with it.

[Kellach Woods]

I try not to let it influence me too much because I have very eclectic tastes.

[Coatleque]

I believe I am the only person in the world who does not listen to music. I leave the in-game sounds turned up at all times.

[Verad]

I believe I am the only person in the world who does not listen to music.  I leave the in-game sounds turned up at all times.

 

You are not alone. Music doesn't do much for me, either in general or during the act of character creation. Most of the music I have for my character as themes are songs that seem to fit the concept after the fact. Even then, it's more a product of something relevant in the lyrics than in the song's melody or composition.

[Jana]

I'll usually put on music to "set the mood" when I'm writing, but I use the in-game music for everything else.

 

I have a nice, long playlist of scenic stuff. EO music is good too.

[Telluride]

The question is rather different for my own applications.

 

I look for songs that catch the mood of my current RP situation, or songs whose moods and lyrics are ripe for application, and use them as influence and materials in my RP, and especially in journals.

 

It's a bard thing.

[FreelanceWizard]

I generally listen to the in-game music, though when I'm RPing, I'll usually stick on a playlist of Square music from several games because the in-game music can get a little repetitive after a while.

 

I can't say I've had a character in XIV inspired by music, though I did play a House Fortunae Hermetic inspired by the song Shape of My Heart by Sting once. When I'm running tabletop games, I generally pull together a playlist to provide background music for what's going on. So, music factors into my RP, just not that much in this game.

 

ICly, L'yhta can sing, but she doesn't do it very often. To be honest, I haven't had music come up ICly as much as I'd like, but it's hard to do so for me, at least, in a fantasy setting. I made a lot more references to music in CoX, CO, and TSW, as they're modern settings and you can actually talk about modern bands and styles. Playing an evil, mad bard in EQ, I got to do a lot of stuff with music, but it was more "music as magic" and less "music for its own sake."

[Aaron]

Most music I listen to are instrumentals such as below

UNSjPn5q8js

 

This

4HLS5lWgaSs

 

And 

IbFBoZmU188

 

 

enjoy

[QueenFrejyalen]

Mm, for me it really depends on my personal mood.

 

Music has a special place in my heart, and if I'm just relaxing at home, I'll turn on a Pandora/Youtube channel I like and move about with it as background noise.

 

When conceptualizing characters or storyboarding I like to listen to music with lyrics, because it helps me get into the mindset of the character.  But if I'm actually writing anything, I do much better work when listening to music without lyrics and it's very themed.

 

While RPing it usually depends on how lazy I am; if I have the energy to bring the laptop from the office to the living room, then I'll turn on some background music, but usually I am way too lazy so I just RP in silence.  

[TheWizard]

I listen to whatever for the most part, though I have chosen some general and combat theme songs for some of my characters.

[Aaron]

Sorry one more. 

tUBeJ-C7xus

 

My personal favorite 8-)

[Bumo]

Music plays a huge part of creating a character for me. I'll typically have an idea in mind for the type of character I want to write, and then I try to find music that fits the 'mood' of that character. Coming up with that themesong (or even a full playlist) for that character helps me focus on keeping the right 'feeling' for that character as I'm fleshing out their details.

 

During RP, though, I don't usually listen to music. I find that, unlike when I'm writing solo, music doesn't help when I'm responding and reacting to what someone else is typing, and can actually be distracting.

[Marisa]

I always have an album or band I listen to any time I'm doing any sort of fiction writing. For Ryoko, it's Kamelot's The Black Halo, because I feel the album very well reflects the struggle to maintain her kindness and innocence while growing up in a land ravaged by death and destruction. 

 

-YnxGleQt8I

[DreamedReality]

I'm sort of with Croft/Verad on this. (tho i do listen to music) Music does practically nothing for me in terms of writing/RP. I usually have something going as background noise and my tastes are very eclectic. What I listen to is based more on personal mood and present preferences rather than inspiration or to set a tone for something. I can be listening to jigs/reels and be RPing something really dark/sad. *shrug*

 

I don't choose 'theme songs' for characters. I'm terribly bad at it.

[Gabineaux]

I barely have the in game sound on unless I'm doing a primal who's song I like. Lookin' at you Ramuh. I tend to have... different playlists for when I RP with different groups/people. I'm that kind of nerd.

 

I reaaally like the in game music and I know I can just turn off the voices but the biggest thing that turned me off was seeing ooc trolls run up and spam emotes that make loud annoying noises. I know I can just turn the voice off but I kinda liked the little 'mmm' 'nuh-uh' noises characters made.

[Delilah Scythewood]

I barely have the in game sound on unless I'm doing a primal who's song I like. Lookin' at you Ramuh. I tend to have... different playlists for when I RP with different groups/people. I'm that kind of nerd.

 

I reaaally like the in game music and I know I can just turn off the voices but the biggest thing that turned me off was seeing ooc trolls run up and spam emotes that make loud annoying noises. I know I can just turn the voice off but I kinda liked the little 'mmm' 'nuh-uh' noises characters made.

 

I'm like this in the sense my ingame sound in rarely on. If I'm not in Skype or watching TV I have songs going. Usually a playlist of some kind or just trolling youtube for things that sound purtty. I've been liking some older classics like Stevie Ray and some newer bits I've been finding on shows like The Originals and Sherlock.

[Lillini]

Music affects me a lot when I RP and write stories. I usually have very hip-hop/dance/etc. tastes, but I purposefully put on things such as game BGMs or thematic music to set the mood during an RP or a story. Having the right kind of BGM during an RP lets me enjoy it a lot more (and having something completely out of place like electronic dance playing while RPing a touching scene puts me off). I've been listening to a lot of this guy during RP lately because I really like the pieces he puts out. Here's one I really like to play during casual/cute/funny scenes:

 

MzRzL68vk2o

 

However, I don't do character songs because I don't think I can ever find one song that would really fit my character.

[Roswyn]

Mine is kinda backwards....

 

My roleplay affects my music. Like there will be a moment or scene happening and I'll think:

 

"OMG THIS IS THE PERFECT SONG FOR THIS"

 

Then I'll go listen to it be it sexy, emo, angsty, tragic, happy etc.

 

Other than that I also tend to RP with Lil Jon playing.

 

Yup. :cactuar:

[Delilah Scythewood]

Mine is kinda backwards....

 

My roleplay affects my music. Like there will be a moment or scene happening and I'll think:

 

"OMG THIS IS THE PERFECT SONG FOR THIS"

 

Then I'll go listen to it be it sexy, emo, angsty, tragic, happy etc.

 

Other than that I also tend to RP with Lil Jon playing.

 

Yup. :cactuar:

I do this sometimes though usually the forwards to your backwards

[Jancis]

Typically throughout the day there's always someone on an OOC channel that's linking some kind of music to me that I can listen to, so it's pretty random and has nothing to do with what I'm doing at the time.

 

At events I do like to play some kind of music to help me get into the spirit of it.

 

Great example is the music from the Nald'thal event that Vaughn shared, which I listened to over and over (plus I was going nuts at the time so it was really soothing )

 

At events I will play music that's fitting, particularly for tavern and bard-like atmosphere.

 

Here's a favorite:

 

GnJp_s7ow7A

[Lady Rivienne]

Music is a big part of how expressive my writing can become. It has the ability to tug at the heartstrings, lift your spirits or pump you up with motivation.

 

Depending on what is currently happening in roleplay, music can really add to the mood and really bring my personal writing to life.

[LiveVoltage]

most of the music I tend to play during roleplay is during fighting or symbolic moments. Most of it tends to be homestuck music but lately Ive been listening to Hyrule warriors.

 

http://homestuck.bandcamp.com/album/strife

 

I used to listen to alot of two steps from hell and classic music before I moved to Balmung and way before when I started getting into roleplaying, and this is way before my time in FFXIV.

[Aya]

Music often inspires role-play ideas for me, especially scenes of events in the past.  It has, at times, directly lead me to write up particular stories, or ideas, and flesh out characters along the way

[Warren Castille]

I don't have music on during RP unless it's the Grindstone. I do, however, play a lot of music when writing anything for the RPC. That helps me set the mood without worrying about what my RP partner is going to say/do or who might appear and change the course of the narrative.