OCTOPATH TRAVELER Q&A: Part 2

Q: I’m studying Japanese, so I’d like to try asking a question in Japanese even though I’m not very good yet! (Sorry about the bad Japanese!) What is your favorite piece on the OT1 soundtrack (in musical terms)? Which one did you put the most effort into?

A: In OT1, I am fond of “Among Stately Peaks.” The piece I put the most effort into is probably the main theme!

Q: I would like to know how different the volume of information and requests you received was while making the character themes for OT1 and OT2. In the OT1 themes, I feel a sense of place, but in the OT2 themes, I feel a powerful sense of person. (Ochette and Hikari have a deep connection to their homelands, so in their case the sense of place is strong.)

A: In terms of information volume, I don’t think there was much difference between OT1 and OT2. If forced to compare the two, I would note that OT2’s travels take place across a broader world. Ochette is a beastling, Hikari’s homeland has an Asian feel to it to it, and Partitio’s story has strong Industrial Revolution vibes. The music also resonates with those aspects, which might create a different atmosphere from OT1 in that sense.

Q: I assume that “Unshakable Resolve” in this game corresponds to “Determination” in the previous entry in the series, but the former track feels more forward-looking, with a sense of rousing oneself to action, while the latter feels more sorrowful, with a painful sense of being forced to press on despite setbacks. I would like to ask how you achieved this differentiation through instrumentation and arrangement and so on!

A: “Determination” in the previous game had a simple arrangement, which might be why it gave you that impression. To my mind, “Unshakable Resolve” in this game is made possible by the existence of “Determination” in the previous game, in a sense. For example, the arrangement has a slightly more complex sound (there are parts where the sub-melody is more prominent than the main melody, and this is possible because the melody for “Determination” is already firmly in the listener’s head), and there are repeated key changes. For these reasons, as you say, it has a certain forcefulness to it, as if it were urging the protagonists onward.

Q: It seems to me that the normal boss battle music and the Extend tracks have the same tempos in this game as they did in the predecessor—is this a coincidence? For example, if Tressa’s “For Treasure” led directly into this game’s “Critical Clash II,” I think it would sound incredibly natural...

A: Heh heh heh… It might just not be uncoincidental! But the tracks are in different keys, so even if the tempos are the same, to join them properly you would have to prepare a special transition.

Q: There are many vocals in OT2, but when they are in an invented language, which comes first, the lyrics or the music? I imagine that the words in the night version of each piece of field music might be crafted to match the main melody of the day version? Also, you mentioned that you left inventing the actual words to the singer, but can you share any more about the sort of discussions you had about it?

A: In OT2, the music always came first. The lyrics were added later, based on whatever sounded catchiest against the melody. You can’t really do this when the lyrics are meaningful, so this is one benefit that only an invented language can offer.

As for the feel of the actual words, for the field music, I wanted something that was as unobtrusive as possible, but not just “La la la,” as then the expressiveness would be lost entirely. I requested something in between.

For Agnea’s lyrics, I asked for a word-feel reminiscent of Celtic music.

Q: In the tracks that have a Japanese feel, were there any special scales or other techniques you used to achieve this, other than bringing in Japanese instruments?

A: There is a type of scale called pentatonic that can be used to create an Asian feel, and I did make use of this when it seemed to fit. If this topic interests you, I urge you to research it more deeply!

Q: Each of the traveler’s themes highlights a different instrument. I would like to know what you had in mind when choosing the instruments for each traveler. Also, in Hikari’s case, is the instrument the erhu?

A: My instrument choices were completely subjective, so they’re difficult to put into words, but as you say, Hikari is a character with an Asian feel, so for his theme I used instruments like the erhu and xiao. Partitio has a cheerful gallantry to him, so he got the saxophone; Castti got the gentle strains of the flute; Osvald is a deep-voiced giant, so he got the cello; and so on. Writing them out like this, I feel like I did a pretty good job with my choices!

Q: The warrior Hikari’s theme conveys not only his kindness but also a certain tragic sense of valor that reflects the fate he bears. In the previous game, Ophelia’s theme was similar in that it conveyed her kindness, but in her case it also expressed her inner strength. Both have a kindness to them, but did you depict this in different ways?

A: Yes, Hikari nurtures highly complex feelings about his country, his family, and his friends, but personally I feel that he has a kindness and strength that embraces all of this together.

Translation: Matt Treyvaud