After a discussion in #srb2fun where several people informed me they'd be interested to see this, I decided to sit down and discuss Sonic: Emerald Quest, the RPG Sonic Team Jr. was going to make some time ago.
Most of what I'm going to discuss is music-related. I wanted to talk about more, but there's a lot about the game I don't remember, and in order to talk about it, I'd have to contact Sonikku and see if he still has the age-old devdocs for the game.
From what I remember, S-EQ:RPG's storyline was based around a sub-species of Mobians called "The Dark Ones" appearing on the planet and trying to take it over for their own reasons. Meanwhile, Eggman is taking advantage of the ruckus they're causing to do his own thing. (I think there was a possible "Let's team up! ::plot behind each other's backs::" kind of thing going on too) Counting the regular random monsters you'd encounter across the world for battles, that was three factions of enemies you'd come across at any given time.
The full plot, I don't recall. It was significantly epic though. The playable character roster was also rather large.
With that out of the way, here's the soundtrack, in both MIDI and IT module formats (PS: don't listen to the IT's, they suck), and explanations of what every song was for. Where applicable, I'll also list where that song's currently being used in SRB2. For some of the SRB2-used songs, there are new versions available that AJ has the midis for, but that haven't been put in the game yet as he hasn't made the matching Oggs yet. I'll link those as well, for your listening pleasure; most of those were made in the last year, while all the originals were made back in 2000/01. Titles in quotes are the "official" titles for the song, rather than generic event/location names as most of them have. Some of the filenames don't match the titles I give; just ignore the filenames in that case. I'm not up to renaming them at the moment.
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- Beach - Midi - Module
Generic beach song, based on Crusader of Centy's tune. Mystic claims SRB2 used it for an old version of Mystic Realm, but some people in the chat claimed otherwise.
- "Cavernous" - Midi - Module - NEW MIDI
Generic cave tune, intended to be used for the type of caves like the one in Final Fantasy VII just out of Midgar. Currently being used in Hydro Plant Zone.
- Deep Rooted Fear - Midi - Module
The theme song for the Dark Ones, which would play whenever they appeared during a cutscene.
- Dark Ones Battles - Normal Midi - Normal Module - Boss Midi - Boss Module - Super Boss Midi - Super Boss Module
One of the neat things I liked about Ku's design for this RPG was that there were three factions of enemies you could fight from (counting random monsters) as I mentioned before, and in each situation, you could do normal fights, boss fights, and what I called super boss fights, but were probably more similar to final or secret boss fights that you wouldn't do often. Each of the nine possible fights got its own tune, though the ones sharing the same source of enemy were remixes of each other. These three songs were for Dark Ones fights.
- "Dark Runaway" - XG Midi
Because every RPG has to have one character who abandons their evil organization's path to join the good guys.
- Eggman Battles - Normal Midi - Normal Module - Boss Midi - Boss Module - Super Boss Midi - Super Boss Battle
Eggman's fight tunes. Unlike the Dark Ones fights, which were mainly comprised of humanoid/anthropomorphic animals, these would naturally be all robot-based battles.
- "Empyrean's Channel" - Midi - Module
Possibly my favorite song from the soundtrack. At some point in the game, the heroes would gain access to a city in the sky of sorts, and this song was to play during their trips there and back. Currently being used in Airborne Temple Zone. There's actually a new version of this on the way, which is even longer than the original (and will sound better with XG effects instead of rampant echo simulation that's hell on certain sound cards).
- The Grand Eggship - Midi - Module
In S-EQ:RPG, Eggman would've had access to a flying craft similar in design to Sonic Adventure's Egg Carrier, and this would be the song playing as you explored it. However, this song is actually one of two tracks from this game that originally came from something else entirely that I just shifted over. At the time I was composing all these songs, I had been coming up with ideas for a MMX spin off game ("Mega Man X Alpha" I was going to call it). I don't remember the names I gave the various enemies, but I do recall that this song was to be used for a desert stage with a phoenix-based Maverick at the end. So now you know why this song, though appropriately epic, sounds nothing like what you'd hear inside a mechanical aircraft.
-Icy Tundra - Midi - Module - NEW MP3
This was the other song that originally came from that MMX fangame. Just like S-EQ, in the MMX game it was going to be used for an icy forest sort of area, with a wolf Maverick as the boss. Currently being used in Midnight Freeze Zone. I'm particularly proud of that updated MP3 compared to the original, so give it a listen.
- Lazy Saturday - Midi - NEW MIDI
Laid back tune I did for some reason or another, though I don't think I did it with any specific S-EQ section in mind. Currently being used in Desolate Twilight Zone. If you're using XG, the new midi will be much less grating on your ears, and when AJ gets around to making the Ogg, he should be able to simulate the wah pedal effect I wanted on the guitar much easier with this version.
- Monster Battles - Normal Midi - Normal Module - Boss Midi - Boss Module - Super Boss Midi - Super Boss Module - NEW SUPER BOSS MP3
These songs were just for the generic random monsters you'd encounter as you walked across the map. The last one's official name is "Dangerous Adversaries", a title I gave it upon finishing that brand new MP3.
- Running Out of Time - Midi - Module
This song would have been used for just what it sounds like. I have my issues with it though; it's too jarring for what I intended.
- Rainy Day - Midi - Module
This track was to be used for dramatic party conversations at rest points and the like, despite it's name. I actually started work on a title screen song from the game, based around this track, including both techno and string influences, but never completed it. Might get around to finishing it someday.
- Tails' House - Midi - Module
I think Tails' house served as a sort of homebase of sorts, though I can't recall for sure. Either way, this was the theme for his pad. The song is partially based off of Sunset Park Zone from Sonic Triple Trouble. Currently being used in Sapphire Falls Zone.
- Underwater - Midi - Module
Another spot where I can't remember the details, but there was definitely going to be some underwater areas in the game. Though how Ku planned on getting away with that with Sonic's hdyrophobia issue, I don't know
- Untitled 1 - Midi - Module
I honestly can't remember what this was for, if anything.
- Untitled 2 - Midi - Module
Supposed to be the theme for a motorcycle racing event/course, much like the one in 2300 AD in Chrono Trigger.
- Untitled 5 - Midi - Module
No idea what I did this for. Before you ask what happened to Untitled 3 and 4, 3 is Tails' House, and 4 is Lazy Saturday. I never renumbered the rest to make up for moving those.
- Untitled 6 - Midi - Module
A random piece that had nothing to do with anything, though I was hoping to fit it in the game somewhere. Used some similar instrumentation to some of the 65m BC songs from Chrono Trigger.
- Untitled 7 - Midi
I think this was an alternate password song for that MMX game, but I'm not sure.
Most of what I'm going to discuss is music-related. I wanted to talk about more, but there's a lot about the game I don't remember, and in order to talk about it, I'd have to contact Sonikku and see if he still has the age-old devdocs for the game.
From what I remember, S-EQ:RPG's storyline was based around a sub-species of Mobians called "The Dark Ones" appearing on the planet and trying to take it over for their own reasons. Meanwhile, Eggman is taking advantage of the ruckus they're causing to do his own thing. (I think there was a possible "Let's team up! ::plot behind each other's backs::" kind of thing going on too) Counting the regular random monsters you'd encounter across the world for battles, that was three factions of enemies you'd come across at any given time.
The full plot, I don't recall. It was significantly epic though. The playable character roster was also rather large.
With that out of the way, here's the soundtrack, in both MIDI and IT module formats (PS: don't listen to the IT's, they suck), and explanations of what every song was for. Where applicable, I'll also list where that song's currently being used in SRB2. For some of the SRB2-used songs, there are new versions available that AJ has the midis for, but that haven't been put in the game yet as he hasn't made the matching Oggs yet. I'll link those as well, for your listening pleasure; most of those were made in the last year, while all the originals were made back in 2000/01. Titles in quotes are the "official" titles for the song, rather than generic event/location names as most of them have. Some of the filenames don't match the titles I give; just ignore the filenames in that case. I'm not up to renaming them at the moment.
------------
- Beach - Midi - Module
Generic beach song, based on Crusader of Centy's tune. Mystic claims SRB2 used it for an old version of Mystic Realm, but some people in the chat claimed otherwise.
- "Cavernous" - Midi - Module - NEW MIDI
Generic cave tune, intended to be used for the type of caves like the one in Final Fantasy VII just out of Midgar. Currently being used in Hydro Plant Zone.
- Deep Rooted Fear - Midi - Module
The theme song for the Dark Ones, which would play whenever they appeared during a cutscene.
- Dark Ones Battles - Normal Midi - Normal Module - Boss Midi - Boss Module - Super Boss Midi - Super Boss Module
One of the neat things I liked about Ku's design for this RPG was that there were three factions of enemies you could fight from (counting random monsters) as I mentioned before, and in each situation, you could do normal fights, boss fights, and what I called super boss fights, but were probably more similar to final or secret boss fights that you wouldn't do often. Each of the nine possible fights got its own tune, though the ones sharing the same source of enemy were remixes of each other. These three songs were for Dark Ones fights.
- "Dark Runaway" - XG Midi
Because every RPG has to have one character who abandons their evil organization's path to join the good guys.
- Eggman Battles - Normal Midi - Normal Module - Boss Midi - Boss Module - Super Boss Midi - Super Boss Battle
Eggman's fight tunes. Unlike the Dark Ones fights, which were mainly comprised of humanoid/anthropomorphic animals, these would naturally be all robot-based battles.
- "Empyrean's Channel" - Midi - Module
Possibly my favorite song from the soundtrack. At some point in the game, the heroes would gain access to a city in the sky of sorts, and this song was to play during their trips there and back. Currently being used in Airborne Temple Zone. There's actually a new version of this on the way, which is even longer than the original (and will sound better with XG effects instead of rampant echo simulation that's hell on certain sound cards).
- The Grand Eggship - Midi - Module
In S-EQ:RPG, Eggman would've had access to a flying craft similar in design to Sonic Adventure's Egg Carrier, and this would be the song playing as you explored it. However, this song is actually one of two tracks from this game that originally came from something else entirely that I just shifted over. At the time I was composing all these songs, I had been coming up with ideas for a MMX spin off game ("Mega Man X Alpha" I was going to call it). I don't remember the names I gave the various enemies, but I do recall that this song was to be used for a desert stage with a phoenix-based Maverick at the end. So now you know why this song, though appropriately epic, sounds nothing like what you'd hear inside a mechanical aircraft.
-Icy Tundra - Midi - Module - NEW MP3
This was the other song that originally came from that MMX fangame. Just like S-EQ, in the MMX game it was going to be used for an icy forest sort of area, with a wolf Maverick as the boss. Currently being used in Midnight Freeze Zone. I'm particularly proud of that updated MP3 compared to the original, so give it a listen.
- Lazy Saturday - Midi - NEW MIDI
Laid back tune I did for some reason or another, though I don't think I did it with any specific S-EQ section in mind. Currently being used in Desolate Twilight Zone. If you're using XG, the new midi will be much less grating on your ears, and when AJ gets around to making the Ogg, he should be able to simulate the wah pedal effect I wanted on the guitar much easier with this version.
- Monster Battles - Normal Midi - Normal Module - Boss Midi - Boss Module - Super Boss Midi - Super Boss Module - NEW SUPER BOSS MP3
These songs were just for the generic random monsters you'd encounter as you walked across the map. The last one's official name is "Dangerous Adversaries", a title I gave it upon finishing that brand new MP3.
- Running Out of Time - Midi - Module
This song would have been used for just what it sounds like. I have my issues with it though; it's too jarring for what I intended.
- Rainy Day - Midi - Module
This track was to be used for dramatic party conversations at rest points and the like, despite it's name. I actually started work on a title screen song from the game, based around this track, including both techno and string influences, but never completed it. Might get around to finishing it someday.
- Tails' House - Midi - Module
I think Tails' house served as a sort of homebase of sorts, though I can't recall for sure. Either way, this was the theme for his pad. The song is partially based off of Sunset Park Zone from Sonic Triple Trouble. Currently being used in Sapphire Falls Zone.
- Underwater - Midi - Module
Another spot where I can't remember the details, but there was definitely going to be some underwater areas in the game. Though how Ku planned on getting away with that with Sonic's hdyrophobia issue, I don't know
- Untitled 1 - Midi - Module
I honestly can't remember what this was for, if anything.
- Untitled 2 - Midi - Module
Supposed to be the theme for a motorcycle racing event/course, much like the one in 2300 AD in Chrono Trigger.
- Untitled 5 - Midi - Module
No idea what I did this for. Before you ask what happened to Untitled 3 and 4, 3 is Tails' House, and 4 is Lazy Saturday. I never renumbered the rest to make up for moving those.
- Untitled 6 - Midi - Module
A random piece that had nothing to do with anything, though I was hoping to fit it in the game somewhere. Used some similar instrumentation to some of the 65m BC songs from Chrono Trigger.
- Untitled 7 - Midi
I think this was an alternate password song for that MMX game, but I'm not sure.
