Antique toY #08, Music in games, "The Star Heritage": Platforms of generations .

Cinematographic of music for games. About subject communication between cult Adventure " The Star Heritage: the Black Cobra " and other cult game " Elite ". About that as music for ZX Spectrum was written and game PC versions " The Star Heritage " are told by the author of the scenario, the composer and the founder of Creative Group STEP, Yuriy - Matthias - Matveev .

At a microphone: Yuriy Matveev/StEp Creative Group, Siril/4D (a.k.a. oisee).

Tracklist:

00 . Yuriy Matveev/StEp - STEP-intro
01 . Yuriy Matveev/StEp - The Star Heritage, the Introductory roller (ZX)
02 . Yuriy Matveev/StEp - Walk on an unknown planet (Island" About ") (ZX-> PC)
03 . Yuriy Matveev/StEp - Escape (Continent) (ZX)
04 . Yuriy Matveev/StEp - the Country house (PC)
05 . Yuriy Matveev/StEp - Returning to island "O" (ZX)
06 . Yuriy Matveev/StEp rmx Siril/4D rmx Dmitry and Ekaterina Kuzmenko - Tempor (ZX-> RMX-> PC)
07 . Yuriy Matveev/StEp rmx by Pavel Filimonov - Invasion RMX

Greetings, on air of the eighth release podcast " Antique Toy " about music created for 8-bit computers ZX Spectrum . At a microphone Siril/4D .

The theme of this release - music in games. More truly in two reincarnations of the same game - " The Star Heritage - a black cobra ", left on a ZX Spectrum in 1995 and in 10 years on PC.

Music in games often differs from the usual. The matter is that it has an accurate mission, - to create certain mood, to influence, straight feelings, to create atmosphere. Its this role leaves on the foreground in subject and adventure games for this reason it so is cinematic and reminds soundtracks to films in which music function is similar.

" The Star Heritage " is game in genre Adventure it has been let out in 1995 by creative group STEP and quickly became cult. Genre it is connected with other cult game in other genre, unforgettable fantastic " Elite ". On younger platforms its lineal descendants, continuers of traditions, successors of game " X " and " EVA Online " are now known and popular.

And now we can learn all first-hand. With some excitement I represent you the editor-in-chief of the first electronic magazine for ZX Sprektrum in Russia " Spectrofon ", the author of the scenario of game and the composer, one of founders " The Star Heritage " the founder of creative group STEP - Yuriy Matveev .

Siril: About communication with "Elite".

Y.M.: Well the basic theme at us " The Star Heritage ", therefore about communication with Elite. Certainly " Elite " game of all times and the people has influenced many Speccy fans on me including, I not an exception. Red eyes, the sleepless nights spent behind this game in attempts to reach of a rating " Elite ", fights, researches, space, an unforgettable short story accompanying this game " The Dark Wheel ". It certainly adjusted all on a certain harmony, as they say, has got on a fertile field. Meaning that I the big fan of a fantasy, itself wrote fantastic stories, was engaged in astronomy. Here this space world which was inaccessible to me in a real life, here these fights, flights, spaceships, a virtual reality which has laid down on such soil that I was. How to tell, it is idea was mine, certainly.

Game has found the admirer, the fan to the core. Even when we steels to let out magazine about games " Spectrofon ", we did not reject never thought that sooner or later we will ripen what to make game for this purpose. It is idea always soared somewhere in air while we worked over magazine. It was comprehended, reinterpreted. That rose, receded, but in what that the moment somewhere in heavens stars have converged and the idea with The Star Heritage was splashed out in the kind realised already. We have understood what to make game, not simply game and to devote to its world of other game, to continue an epic (you remember planet Raxxala so anybody and has not found) to give this dream, to continue history. In general if all it to connect together it will turn out that “ The Star Heritage ” as the idea has been initially conceived so that we continue. Show must go on. It would be desirable to continue history, to develop this world, conjectures that remains behind brackets, behind game frameworks " Elite ". Well and accordingly to tell the loaded word in the game world.

Yes, certainly, " The Star Heritage " this generation of game " Elite ", cast by it. Well it is final not only " Elite " as I have already told, being engaged in astronomy, dreaming of long-distance space flights, inventing stories fantastic, I have certainly brought many the, attitude, the representation in this world. As it developed further, it would be desirable to be beyond, offered by script writers, founders of game " Elite " more and more, it would be desirable to make this world even more sated, more interesting. Therefore there were also same Artangs.

Siril: About influence to space and fantastic subjects on game and music atmosphere.

Y.M.: Actually to tell about influence to space and fantastic subjects on atmosphere of game and music, understand that here, certainly genre, the conditions, conventions even I would tell. And during too time here all is uniform and is interconnected. Music, well as without music a la group Space which was one of the most my favourite groups in those days. Without this space romanticism musical, well and so on. Therefore music was created for The Star Heritage from within, somewhere inside it sounded always. It was to write easily enough actually. As it was inspiration, it was something such, on that space wave. Being for far a galaxy, somewhere it already sounded, there was a sensation that only it is necessary to hear and write down it on ZX Spectrum the musical editor. In tracker, to tell the truth, the name which even already also I will not recollect, has passed years so much. Sound Tracker can be? I do not know. Who continues to work now on a ZX Spectrum with music, probably, me will understand.

Siril: Music in an introductory roller to game, and a introductory roller - a new word in game developement on a ZX Spectrum.

Y.M.: I would not tell that this what that new word. An introductory roller on a ZX Spectrum executed in the form of an animated cartoon of the falling ship... Well probably yes, then it has made impression. But after all disk drives all the same were already accessible to us, accordingly to load for 10 minutes from the cartridge a roller it was necessary to nobody. Therefore, great volumes and fast data reading have allowed us here and so will be developed, in that 94th - 95th years. Game left in August of 95th.

Naturally music was written under a roller, and the roller before its creation already turned in a head, that is, the picture that it already was, it was necessary to transfer only its words to the artist as it about all sees to me. For now the artist drew, music it is possible to tell itself has come up from emptiness, this most space.

Siril: How many and what episodes in game with corresponding music?

Y.M.: it is difficult to tell. Actually game that became about a year, became gradually. At first have made " Island ", have let out a demoversion based on events on island. Then while people played this demoversion we went further, created cities " the Pulsar ", " Taran ". Accordingly music lagged behind a little, at first there was a content, there was a game, there was a gameplay, events, characters, the scenario. And music was then imposed as oil on bread. In game has been already created atmosphere, and music it is certain supplemented. Briefly it is possible to tell that when game was already passable, that is in it there were what that lacks, bugs and so on. While last shot of last episode was debugged and appeared, music was written with backlog. That is music was finished while there was a game debugging. Therefore it is possible to tell that music lead up game, grinding what that episodes the atmosphere.

To tell the truth it is difficult to tell as each concrete composition was written. The theme which, plays island was gave easily enough, it is mood music. When the mood is it somehow quickly appears. It as if the person goes also something whistles. It is necessary to write down only.

Continent, development sharp plot this music, yes the situation occurs, when the protagonist has left island, has managed to run away therefrom. It would be desirable to give these feelings of freedom and forthcoming uncertainty. With island like all is clear, and ahead ocean, cities. During too time any pleasure inside bubbles for that that you therefrom were pulled out, from this island. Therefore " Escape " it is a composition " Runaway " playing ZX Spectrum departure versions "glayder" combines, in my opinion, I tried to inform such mixed feelings that the hero as if is glad and during too time understands that ahead uncertainty. And these two lines in music intertwine.

The Composition " the Country house " I would tell that it the most tragic, playing during a meeting with the spy. There any unjustified hopes, attempt to bring something between human mutual relations when between people there is that that such when and it is a pity that has occurred and at the same time it is tragic. It is difficult to explain it words, listen to music. Most brightly it is possible these moods are expressed in PC to the version. There music more humanised, not such fantastic, is closer to human feelings.

Returning to island " O ". It is a disturbing-nostalgic composition, which as a picture from memory, from the remote past, memoirs on any events. Like such acquaintances and during too time something has changed. Music is passed through human perceptions of sensation de javu. And submitted, in the form of nostalgia and alarm when it would not be desirable to come back there where we already were. Grief about those events. It all the same as if to arrive in 20 years to a city of the childhood, again to see school, street. You see, like all too most, but already other eyes.

Music " Tempor " is an alloy of irreality, mysteriousness and during too time of sensation of approach of the end. I could not get off sensation that we finish game. This theme was written almost right at the end. Certainly it should it will be reflected in the music, like and fantastic, with corresponding effects and during too time it sad. Sensation of the end, again this nostalgia, experiences. In general there too an alloy.

In The Star Heritage different levels of giving of the musical information have the majority of compositions. There an alloy sometimes multidirectional vectors. There can be because of it a music and it was pleasant to fans of game. Because there there was an attempt to reflect sensation of different layers of perception. It is possible to compare PC the version. A remake which did Dmitry Kuzmenko , his wife has perfectly accompanied a voice. The result has turned out very worthy.

Siril: Differences in musical possibilities on PC and ZX Spectrum .

Y.M.: Well to speak about distinctions of musical possibilities. This sky and the earth. Three channel synthesizer on a ZX Spectrum it even any more 60 voice polyphony on mobile phones. As it can be compared. Certainly, self-expression on PC is now much easier. Because possibilities much more. But during too time if to keep spirit which was it is put on a ZX Spectrum to what we and aspired. To try to show, as though it could sound in 10 years. Into the account of a remake I unequivocally understood that it is impossible to do a remake and to leave behind a board original music. Yes, certainly, new compositions have entered. I even consider that we have gone too far in music, 35 compositions have turned out somewhere. Even in official soundtrack we have simply cleaned a part of compositions, the least characteristic. 23-22 compositions it all the same much. There would be a game more. New music perfectly from tens game zones would sound.

Siril: As the version " The Star Heritage " has been accepted PC.

Y.M.: PC the version has been accepted by fans on hurrah. It is Enough to look ratings. Actually game those who did not see any ZX Spectrum have estimated even versions. Game has turned out in own way unique. Such archaic like, during too time madly beautiful. Unusual from the point of view of modern technologies. Like a simple text quest with pictures, by and large. Now such also do not do at commercial level, we here have risked, to make its commercial game. If to consider from the creative point of view, I consider that the remake " The Star Heritage " on PC has gone right. Certainly modern games it already other layer absolutely, it is impossible to compare " The Star Heritage " on PC c modern computer games. It is the author's project which looks absolutely somewhere aside. As a heading "cinema not for all". Attempt to earn on it in general that has failed. But we have introduced the contribution to history.

Siril: About plans for the future. Whether will be " The Star Heritage 2 "?

Y.M.: As to " The Star Heritage 2 " that or it is impossible to tell. These author's projects by and large are necessary only to their fans whom it is a lot of, but all the same it not commercial level. It not that level which can pay back expenses. That is game " The Star Heritage 2 - on that party of the Universe " could be made exclusively on sponsor's money, counting on the investor who can be the fan " The Star Heritage " and has grown on this game. But such, probably for the present is not present. Anybody to us does not come, money does not offer. To do we it meanwhile we do not gather. The question is opened, can be for 10 years. Can always be on.

Like all. So long! I put an end.

Many thanks to Yuriy Matveev for cooperation. All music which remained behind a shot you can hear directly in the game. As in ZX Spectrum versions which in 1998 has been translated in the status Freeware , and accessible to downloading on a site trd.speccy.cz And in PC to the version of game which was released the publisher 1C . On mine it to these is on sale in usual game shops.

The fifth release podcast Antique Toy has come to an end. Bye.