Should(n't) the music pause when the game pauses?

[VanishingPoint]

I'm thinking of posting a bug report to the Gitlab, but I'd first like to hear the community's opinions on the topic, and if and why it thinks this is a good idea/bad idea/coding nightmare/topic for the Bugs section.

Personally, I think the music should pause when the game pauses- in single-player at least. I believe the most satisfying and immersive thing that can happen in a video game is that the music syncing up with game events, whether that be game elements shifting to the beat, or a section of a song aligning with a section of the level (although this would probably only be feasible at the beginning of a level, before the loop point of the song is reached). In SRB2 today, pausing the game in single-player, an inevitable action that could happen for a multitude of reasons, pauses just about everything, including sound effects if I remember correctly, except the music. If there were any music-synced events in the level, unless you unpause just as the song reaches a similar point to where it was before the pause, everything becomes out of wack. Opinions aside, I rarely see games other than SRB2 keep their music rolling even when paused, and I don't know if it was intention or limitation that brought rise to it here.

TL;DR: I think the music should pause when the game pauses. Do you?

 

[Watermelon]

I think the most sensible behavior for video games is to keep music playing when paused (to give an effect of something suspended and keep the feel/vibe of the game instead of complete silence), maybe even at a reduced volume, and either pause or mute the music when minimized/out of focus. I've already noticed that STJr put effort to make music synchronized, for example, before the bridge in Castle Eggman 1. It's brilliant design, the music slowly fades out to silence when you aren't noticing, and then the intense music starts playing when the bridge starts to collapse. It's brilliant design really. And there's the unlockable jukebox that has its animation synced to the BPM of the music.

 

[VanishingPoint]

I think the most sensible behavior for video games is to keep music playing when paused (to give an effect of something suspended and keep the feel/vibe of the game instead of complete silence), maybe even at a reduced volume, and either pause or mute the music when minimized/out of focus. I've already noticed that STJr put effort to make music synchronized, for example, before the bridge in Castle Eggman 1. It's brilliant design, the music slowly fades out to silence when you aren't noticing, and then the intense music starts playing when the bridge starts to collapse. It's brilliant design really. And there's the unlockable jukebox that has its animation synced to the BPM of the music.

If music on the pause menu is really necessary, I suggest pause music that plays instead of the level track (see Pizza Tower as an example). I disagree because there are really only three reasons I can think of as to why you would pause: Taking a break, changing a setting, or cancelling the progress of a level, whether that be through restarting or exiting. In all three of these situations, aside from maybe the settings if there is no pause music, it is unlikely for the stop in music to be jarring. Also, I'm note so sure keeping the in-level music going helps make pausing feel like a suspended state.

As for the CEZ bridge and sound test, the former can be ruined if you happen to pause during the pseudo-cutscene when the intense music starts, which would cause the climax of the song, which would normally occur just as you are able to proceed, to fail, for lack of a better term. Such a thing makes players feel like they're lagging behind, despite the fact the game has waited for them in every other sense. The latter, although not exactly the kind of beat-sync I'm talking about, does bring up another problem with non-pausing music: the sound test becomes redundant.

 

[DylanDude]

I'm thinking of posting a bug report to the Gitlab, but I'd first like to hear the community's opinions on the topic, and if and why it thinks this is a good idea/bad idea/coding nightmare/topic for the Bugs section.

Personally, I think the music should pause when the game pauses- in single-player at least. I believe the most satisfying and immersive thing that can happen in a video game is that the music syncing up with game events, whether that be game elements shifting to the beat, or a section of a song aligning with a section of the level (although this would probably only be feasible at the beginning of a level, before the loop point of the song is reached). In SRB2 today, pausing the game in single-player, an inevitable action that could happen for a multitude of reasons, pauses just about everything, including sound effects if I remember correctly, except the music. If there were any music-synced events in the level, unless you unpause just as the song reaches a similar point to where it was before the pause, everything becomes out of wack. Opinions aside, I rarely see games other than SRB2 keep their music rolling even when paused, and I don't know if it was intention or limitation that brought rise to it here.

TL;DR: I think the music should pause when the game pauses. Do you?

As a mapmaker I very much oppose this.

 

[GS_HD]

Can also add a MainCfg level parameter like PauseMusic =True

 

[Watermelon]

If music on the pause menu is really necessary, I suggest pause music that plays instead of the level track (see Pizza Tower as an example). I disagree because there are really only three reasons I can think of as to why you would pause: Taking a break, changing a setting, or cancelling the progress of a level, whether that be through restarting or exiting. In all three of these situations, aside from maybe the settings if there is no pause music, it is unlikely for the stop in music to be jarring. Also, I'm note so sure keeping the in-level music going helps make pausing feel like a suspended state.

As for the CEZ bridge and sound test, the former can be ruined if you happen to pause during the pseudo-cutscene when the intense music starts, which would cause the climax of the song, which would normally occur just as you are able to proceed, to fail, for lack of a better term. Such a thing makes players feel like they're lagging behind, despite the fact the game has waited for them in every other sense. The latter, although not exactly the kind of beat-sync I'm talking about, does bring up another problem with non-pausing music: the sound test becomes redundant.

Sounds excessively pedantic to me. Most players aren't gonna pause right in the middle of the intense music jumping up, and even if they were to do it, there isn't much of a synchronization between the bridge parts collapsing and sections of the music, so it wouldn't annoy anybody, and even if it go "out of sync" as you describe, that's a very, very minor issue to be so concerned about.

 

[DylanDude]

Can also add a MainCfg level parameter like PauseMusic =True

So few people would use this feature that a map actually using it would be distracting and odd. Just check out some of the other music features that aren’t used anymore.

 

[GS_HD]

Not really, having the option to do it won't hurt, those who don't need it can just not use it.

 

[SnocSock the Hedg]

I think there's a reason for there to be two pauses (albeit, the other probably being mainly for multiplayer). Leaving the escape button for normal pausing (the menu) and the other button (whatever you bound it to) for full-on pausing with the music stopping.
Oh, and sorry for bumping this thread up suddenly.