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Track 14
This is a good track which creates and underlying concept of the BioDome's usage. It's a little story in itself and that's what makes it different. Your track perfectly creates what I felt was like a radio show which was really fun! The story is great, because at the start its states that everything is good, and all fine between us and the Martians, but as the story continues we find out that they are actually out to take control and cut our civilization down. It sounds like a kids tv show, especially with the voice acting be so illustrative of a characters thought process, and not really how we talk, kiddies shows tend to be like that. The kids TV genre makes it easy to be believable as you also have the simplicities of he just simply left without a care in the world but purely because he was curious. So to me it's fun and light hearted. The music is a nice addition and under played to suit the dialogue, most of it being ambient gives consistency throughout the entire track with sparingly musical melodies added when needed to continue the progression.

It worked well and the balance of the music was done in an appropriate manner. I think there could have been some crescendos here and there which would have illustrated more what had happened, and the grand scheme of things. It would have also made out that his decisions were not easy decisions to just simply leave. When he finds out the aliens are trying to poison they track stayed subtle. This is pretty major, and so I think the music should have followed the ideas. When a bad guy appears and reveals he has to do his part I felt the music was too upbeat, there should have been a change here, dark tones and signature sounds to provide accurate gestures to his character. The voice over was good because it stood out, it was always used on top of the music, and the music was never dominating over it. At the end I didn't know what to think, did he kill him? Did he put him to sleep? Because the music said to me he's okay, but the dialogue suggested something else. It seemed that there was a mismatch in music and dialogue at this point, not perfectly complementing each other.

Overall it's a good track. I think if you had some Aliens also walk up with the bad guy you could have had some entertaining sounds to spice up the overall depth of the track, and made it feel like the antagonist is truly crossing the line. Some variation in track would have been good but the music is enjoyable and light hearted when needing to be it just somewhat lacked on the tension side of things. So some contrasting sounds would have really worked too. The mixing is quite good and theme is extremely apparent through the use and choice of instruments. The subtle sound effects also help keep things interesting and maintains continuity throughout which was original and dynamic.

Track 15
This is a good track and I think the audio illustrates some nice moments I can really enjoy however parts do feel a little scattered and it takes us a while to get to somewhere I we can settle. The sound effects are a nice addition and good how are played in hints to tell us what is going on.

The instrument choice works from time to time. I think the harp sounds a little too natural and a choice of alternate instrument would have been a better take on it, the same with the guitar, it just doesn't seem to fit right within this science-fiction vision. Especially from the 1:15 mark, it became somewhat spaghetti western. The 2min plus mark you seemed to recover slightly but only slightly, the flute was graceful and guitar seemed to work better at this point, the harp unfortunately did dominate a little too much for my liking as I felt this just didn't sit. The cello/bass was good but made its début at the final quarter which I felt was a little late. The instrumentation though is a bit puzzling because from what you used I expected to see an over growing marvel of foliage, complemented by a friendly robot.

The melody when it came was good, but it took a little too long to get there. The melodies surrounding didn't seem to complement each other either, the western edge from the first minute in seemed to not be part of the same concept as say the last final minute. This left me wondering what is happening and how were things progressing through this track for the first 3 minutes. Simply put the 3rd minute is when things seemed to come together and make perfect sense and it's only then that we get the full concept of the BioDome. The bangs is what gave me that robot stomping sound as it sound like something was walking with great mass, which would be fitting in another scenario but not for the BioDome.

Overall I thought it was good, but scattered. Some parts were enjoyable and some of it escaped the concept of BioDome which I feel didn't stay true to the theme. I think the track is good though, and I don't want to miss that it may be pure sci-fi but it's passionate, broad and warm. Although it might not be the best suited piece to the theme in round 2 I cannot overlook the unquestionable positive appeal this track has. The acoustic intricacies bring the score alive and could provide perfect narrative backing for a visual that needs that gentle edge with tender moments that arrive to affectionate conclusion.

Track 16
This track has an impressive intro, and really captures the feeling of the BioDome. Later on I'm not so sure as the track becomes a bit upbeat. I loved the piano part you had it just filled with loads of emotion and sense of reality. The further that we went on it seemed to stray from BioDome. It became less Sci-fi and more conclusive celebration sounding. Like things are fantastic for some reason, it just seemed to pull away from what you initially begun with and although the track somewhat came out of it again, it was for a brief moment. The upbeat moment had made things a little too perfect and where I in fact think BioDome couldn't be considered a good thing, it shouldn't be considered as a perfect solution because it's nothing more than pure isolation for a massive race. It also should make you think, where the heck did the rest of the humans go? As a track put aside from this concept I have no problems with it being completely upbeat and think does work fittingly for the surrounding parts of the track.

The instruments that were used were very good, although not entirely always fitting to the theme, such as the acoustic guitar which I didn't think it would have much place in this round but have been surprised at the number of people that still used it, especially with other choices out there. The piano was stunning, and I think this was the forte of your track. It worked seriously well with the pads and rain sound effects, although I thought the rain was a bit too overkill comparing it to the rest of the track. The use of storm drum was good, but I felt the choice in strength of these instruments at the intro were way too hard. You should have left them out completely in my opinion, they didn't seem to add anything or be there for a reason. The blending to the upbeat transition was nice, and the sysths used were dreamy and captivating. The use of instruments in the theme was great. They blended really well together and the balance was well executed. To have a stepping stone to the climax of the track with the piano and pads was great, and hearing it without the percussion was what I wanted to hear it was just so eloquent and fascinating. The climax of instruments was nice it was upbeat and had a certain charm which maintained my full attention.

The melody you had was brilliant, I think it really progressed throughout the track and complemented the upbeat composition. The piano's theme was magnetic for me, just loved hearing it and the more built on it the better it got.

Overall the track is brilliant. I think you have something special here. The instrument choices made, combined perfectly with the melody and timings is sign of good composer. Compositionally the track is great too, it has perfect rises and drops. The only thing I found which faults in it is that BioDome concept although initially illustrated completely begins to evade the rest of the track. It just seems to be pushed aside arriving deciding to go with what feels more appropriate for the tracks sake. But when looking in this in a no contextual perspective I can overlook this and sit back and just simply relax and enjoy.
---------------------------------------------

Pheww!!! Done

At 6/9/13 11:14 AM, PeterSatera wrote: Pheww!!! Done

Best Step 2013.

.

Also, on an unrelated note, since there have been no teams until this round, we've decided that the "even divide" voting split is a bit unfair. Instead, we'd like to put forward this: The people who collaborated on a submission will each individually receive the submission's number of votes -1.
For example, under the current system: If two people work on a submission and the submission gets 4 votes, each person who worked on it will get 2 votes in their individual score. (4/2=3)
Under the new system, each person would get 3 votes in their individual score. (4-1=3)

With your permission, we'd like to implement this immediately - only because it would not have had an effect last round and the current way is truly unfair.

Also also, we're working on a webpage for the NGMT! It'll have ALL the submissions posted along with their respective owners and votes, as well as all the rules, bios of all the hosts/contributors to the creation of the contest, a FAQ, and the artwork. Basically everything you want or need to know about the contest. Hopefully embeds will work from there!

Absolute Divo! And Thanks Step.

Apologies for the massive 30 minute wait between half of them, Newgrounds only allows you to post so much in a single thread in a half hour.

I just started writing and before I knew it I had went in-depth. But once I had done it for 2 or 3 of them, I thought I means well carry on. I'll be honest and say I must of spent quite a few hours writing over the course of 3 days. It took me a while because I kept writing things and going back and changing it. But I figured I didn't get the time to do a track, so I means well give the time back through reviews. I apologize for the some bad grammar, I've already spotted some of it.

You guy are so f@$%&ng AWESOME!
I don't care if I win something or not... Just participating here against all of you is so much fun!! And the submissions... OMG!!! so much talent! I can only say, that it's an honor for me just to be heard by you guys.

At 6/9/13 08:54 AM, SkyeWintrest wrote: For those who haven't voted, you are highly encouraged to send in a vote!

@alternativesolution

I'm trying to make a good decision, dammit! D:<

After listening to all the submissions again and again, it has become extremely difficult to judge based on what fits the theme, what sounds good, and just what I really like.

There have been many takes on this one:

1) The outside-looking-in view
2) The inside-looking-out view
3) ^-- A combination of both of those
4) Lyrical; movie-like in nature; straightforward, to the point
5) Taking the listener around different parts of the whole dome; a tour; another combination of 1) and 2)
6) Dropping you into the middle of the plan; giving some hints at its origins
7) Cinematic; listener is not part of that world, but is watching it from afar
8) Cinematic; listener is part of that world; delving into their inner fears, and feelings
9) Ignorance is bliss ( a delicate one that needs to be able to sidestep the outside hostility while not completely ignoring its existence )

It's really hard to judge on "what fits the theme", because every single one of these submissions has fit the theme, but to their own unique perspective. And that is just really amazing.

Skye I will get back to you...eventually...and then I will cry over my vote...because feelings...

At 6/9/13 11:49 AM, DivoFST wrote: I used to think i made fairly useful reviews...but then i took a PeterSatera to the knee.. xD
Dude those were incredible reviews..when the voting is over can you copy paste it to my actual song ill upload in NG?

...i second this

At 6/9/13 12:20 PM, PeterSatera wrote: Absolute Divo! And Thanks Step.

Oh my God those reviews. You make me embarrassed for only writing a few sentences.

Would also like some feedback on the idea for collabs that I asked about. I'll implement it if there are no objections.

At 6/9/13 11:39 AM, SkyeWintrest wrote: For example, under the current system: If two people work on a submission and the submission gets 4 votes, each person who worked on it will get 2 votes in their individual score. (4/2=3)
Under the new system, each person would get 3 votes in their individual score. (4-1=3)

I suppose this seems alright..

mathematically slow today
no sleep

Implementing right away, if it's okay with everyone else, makes sense since there has not been any collaborating until now

webpage for the NGMT!

This sounds very cool !

At 6/9/13 02:24 PM, SkyeWintrest wrote: Would also like some feedback on the idea for collabs that I asked about. I'll implement it if there are no objections.

The idea seems fine, but what happens if the collab goes no votes?

At 6/9/13 03:47 PM, johnfn wrote:

At 6/9/13 02:24 PM, SkyeWintrest wrote: Would also like some feedback on the idea for collabs that I asked about. I'll implement it if there are no objections.

The idea seems fine, but what happens if the collab goes no votes?

The people don't get any votes. There aren't negative votes.

At 6/9/13 03:53 PM, SkyeWintrest wrote:

At 6/9/13 03:47 PM, johnfn wrote:

At 6/9/13 02:24 PM, SkyeWintrest wrote: Would also like some feedback on the idea for collabs that I asked about. I'll implement it if there are no objections.

The idea seems fine, but what happens if the collab goes no votes?

The people don't get any votes. There aren't negative votes.

They should get -5 because despite they worked together they still suck! No not really. Just 0.
I'm fine with the -1 vote for each of the individual collaborators. Though I feel a little odd about this, because collabs change the scoring system so much. Perhaps in would be best in the future to not allow collabs, or to allow collabs only if they remain a team throughout the entire competition and they'll have to share the prize. No divisions of the score of subtractions. A team is treated as an individual contestant. Those are my ideas for the next N G M T.

Yikes! Where have I been these past few days? Amazing feedback and discussion taking place here. My apologies for not joining in, providing feedback or casting a vote yet! My internet connection quality has been absolutely piss-poor these past couple of days and so it's been ridiculously hard to get anything done. Rest assured that I will do my duty and feedback is on the way!

At 6/9/13 04:26 PM, SourJovis wrote: I'm fine with the -1 vote for each of the individual collaborators. Though I feel a little odd about this, because collabs change the scoring system so much. Perhaps in would be best in the future to not allow collabs, or to allow collabs only if they remain a team throughout the entire competition and they'll have to share the prize. No divisions of the score of subtractions. A team is treated as an individual contestant. Those are my ideas for the next N G M T.

Reason for allowing collabs: I want to encourage teamwork rather than flat-out deny it - that's part of why I changed this. (though I also don't want to give them an advantage, hence the -1 point)

Reason for not forcing a team to work as one the entire way through: I don't want to FORCE teamwork. If one member of the team doesn't respond due to having some kind of issue or just being annoying, or they're too busy or something, the other teammate can still participate and the one who did no work isn't going to just get a few points added to their score.

Like always though, if more people want it one way, I will go in the direction of the majority. This is a contest for and by the community. ^_^ I just start the ball rolling and help it go along.

Alright, here we go for round two!

Track 1:

I wasn't expecting something so rock-heavy for this round. Nice guitar work, though there are some notes that sound off. This goes for the brass too. The kick that you used could have used more reverb to give it that extra 'punch'....or 'kick' hoho! I wasn't expecting the song to change as it did, though I liked the second portion of the song much better. There wasn't a clear transition between the two portions of the song, which makes for some mild confusion. However, I can see what you were aiming for (or at least I think so). I see a treacherous landscape where many battles have taken place just outside the biodome. The first portion of the song with those heavy rock elements represent the harsh land/battles, whereas the more harmonious sounds in the latter half represent the biodome itself. That's just my take on it. :)

Track 2:

This piece immediately draws you in with the cool sci-fi FX, and from there it intensifies appropriately. This song feels a lot like a fight theme for a game, so that's pretty awesome! The piano notes are repetitious, and get a little old after a while. Perhaps some variation would work well. Otherwise, the nature of this song brings out the theme quite well.

Track 3:

I was not expecting such a happy-go-lucky song such as this at all. It definitely isn't the typical sort of sound that one would think of when a biodome comes to mind. Your interpretation brings to mind games like Mario or Sonic due to its more upbeat nature. Perhaps your version of the biodome is a place where the inhabitants have found absolute peace. In any case, this song is well-structured and catchy but could use more variation in its notes and layout. Good work!

Track 4:

For some reason I feel that both this track and the one before it could be from the same game (if there was one that is)! I pictured a lush jungle within the biodome setting of this piece, likely due to the instruments and beat you have used. In fact, this song is reminiscent of something you would hear on the Sega Genesis. This song is definitely happy, which isn't necessarily a bad thing...Though it does detract from the theme a bit. Overall, nice work!

Track 5:

Excellent introduction, nice and ominous. I love that chip-synth you have used, it really gives the song a sense of a deep story and background. The guitar work accentuates this further after it comes in as well. A tad repetitive, though the interesting build-up balances that out quite nicely.

Track 6:

Intense introduction, superb production quality, and exciting to listen to all the way through! I loved the synth that you interspersed among the main guitar riff, which was excellent by the way. I did feel that you relied a little too heavily on the guitar in this piece though. When you finally broke out of the guitar portion towards the conclusion of the song, I was glad to hear some of those more futuristic sounds, along with the strings. This is where the 'biodome' feeling really came out. I really enjoyed listening to this song, great work!

Track 7:

Great introduction! Inspiring, mysterious, and that sliding crescendo was truly the icing on the cake. I can vividly picture an environment that would be suitable for a biodome, but not the actual biodome itself. I can't help but feel that the story being told here is not about a place, but rather an experience. In any case, I still feel that the theme was captured in the essence of the song! The quality of this piece is fantastic, and I absolutely love the use of those ethnic instruments. A treat to listen to for sure!

Track 8:

What an opening! From the get-go I was entranced by the atmosphere this song holds. I was blown away by the attention to detail with this song. You know what you're doing, and you do it well. The variety, and quality of the instruments used here really speak for the song itself. I loved the choir you used towards the end, what a nice touch! I felt that the conclusion itself was a bit lacking, and I wish it was more climactic. Regardless, it's easy to tell that you put a lot of work into this piece, and it's definitely worth listening to. :)

TUNE IN TO THE NEXT EPISODE OF NGMT REVIEWS!

You're all very welcome for the reviews. Hope they help in one way or another.

Now onto the topic at hand. The idea of collab points seem somewhat fair but it could mess up the voting amount. Im trying to think of how it would impact though. In some cases it could be disastrous in a scenario where say:

10 people vote

and the votes go like:
A (collab) gets 7 votes
B gets 2 vote
C gets 1 vote

This means that the collabers get 6 each. And so a round is giving more votes out than possible in total if they went by themselves. As 6+6+2+1 =15. So potentially more points can be gained if you do collab per round. Potentially making it impossible for people who are doing this by themselves to catch up.

Track 9:

What an atmospheric song, I would have to say that it is perhaps the most atmospheric out of all of the pieces. The voice at the beginning of the song really gave me the creeps haha! The effect was phenomenal though. The strings all blended nicely, with the suspended and pizzicato sections creating a nice balance between each other. I enjoyed the peacefulness of the portion following the voice, though when the snare makes its entrance it seemed to throw off the song. It was a little loud and so it became a bit distracting. Otherwise, a job well done! :)

Track 10:

Very interesting beginning, and very different from the other songs which was nice to hear! This song has nice build-up, and creative lyrics to accompany it. The beatboxing was also an interesting touch. The song feels a little repetitive, though it has good structure. That subtle background synth that you use in the chorus really helps the song along, and it really adds another layer to the song overall.

Track 11:

Nice introduction, especially with those melodic piano notes. The first thing I have to get out of the way is the 'airy' quality of the song. It sounds as if it is reverb that is creating this, though I'm not entirely sure. Anyway, despite this airiness the song builds well and it truly makes me think of a biodome. In fact, I picture one that has been utterly destroyed due to some sort of conflict...Definitely an interesting picture, very vivid.

Track 12:

Quite an ominous introduction. This piece seems to take a film-like or cinematic approach which seems to work well for it. The intro leads up to what I think is a full view of the biodome in all of its glory, though that is cut short quickly as the song trails back to the introduction. As many others have said, this piece is a bit anti-climactic due to both its repetitive, and 'distant' nature. I was a little disappointed with the ending as it seemed to be going somewhere, but didn't. The time constraint did not work well for you unfortunately. However, the production quality is great and your choice of instruments seem spot-on.

Track 13:

I laughed a little at the introduction, it was clever and very well-done! Reminded a lot of Fallout. The cool, glitchy effect of the voice really gave it that notion of authenticity. I get the impression of an advertisement for the biodome, and so the theme actually works quite well with this piece. Again, it reminded of Fallout...Maybe even a little bit too much. Regardless, when the music started up I was taken aback! I really enjoyed listening to the charming array of instruments incorporated into this piece. The actual music itself was far too short though, and I was hoping to hear more.

Track 14:

I enjoyed listening to the story of this piece. It was carefully incorporated, and the music and sound effects provide a believable atmosphere to accompany it. I had a hard time keeping my attention on the actual music though, so it created a strange split in attention. Fantastic choice of instruments all the same, and they all were mixed well! Definitely one of the most unique pieces in this round!

Track 15:

I really enjoyed the different themes you have used in this piece. I felt as if I was travelling around the biodome and its many safely quarantined sections. While I think this is an interesting and creative take on the theme, its a little strange to hear a transition happen so often. The harp was a great way to start the song off, and it was quite relaxing to listen to. The ethnic instruments truly add a great deal of culture to the song! Also, those machine-like sound effects were all incredibly incorporated, they create a brilliant atmosphere. Well done!

Track 16:

I loved the way you started the song, the rainfall really gives the song incredible atmosphere while providing the instruments with a nice layer to add to. You easily kept with the biodome theme here. I was really drawn into the song until 1:20 or so, and then the synth slowly broke me out of the immersion. From 1:20 to approx. 2:18 I questioned the biodome theme, and then you drifted towards it again where the piano was quite pleasant to listen to. This back and forth is both effective and a little hit-and-miss, but I like it nonetheless. Overall, I think this is a catchy and upbeat piece that could stick to the theme a little better, but I can't help but like it! :)

I really enjoyed listening to everyone's work once again! Obviously I can't say which song is mine, but to be honest I think you have all put my own piece to absolute shame. I was just like "Wow...I really could have taken this approach like track 'x' or maybe I could have done something like track 'y'." The quality of these tracks are outstanding and I can't wait for the submissions from round three. :)

At 6/9/13 07:28 PM, Step wrote: Idea

When Person A and Person B collaborate in Phase X, and their track gets 3 votes, then in the Phase X results, we'd see:
Person A + Person B: 3 votes.

Then Phase Y comes along, and Person B decides not to take part in Phase Y, leaving Person A on his own. Person A submits a track and gets 4 votes. In the Phase Y results we'd see:
Person A + Person B: 3 votes
Person A: 4 votes

Problem solved.

So person A on his/her own and the team consisting of person A + B count as two individual contestants, with their own score? That does sound like a fair solution... There's at least one problem though. It would be kinda sucky for person A's hard work that the votes don't add up. e.g. If another person C gets 2 votes in round X and 3 in round Y, than person C ends with 5 points, and wins against person A even though person A bested person C in both rounds.

At 6/9/13 06:47 PM, PeterSatera wrote: Now onto the topic at hand.

I can see how that could be difficult, but I think it's a fairly fair system - besides which, if a single person creates a piece that gets a large number of votes more than the others, they're still getting a large advantage just like the collabers.

Of course, here's the way I see it - a collab will NOT be twice as good as all the other piece, but on average I would guess that it's something like... 120% what a single person alone could make at that skill level. I think that splitting it 50/50 is a bit much, but so is going 100/100 (as Step said initially in Skype to me).

I think that reducing the individual scores by one will even it out, as it's more likely a piece will get 4-6 votes to win a round, and that will be a 1/4 to 1/6 reduction in the score for the individual.

What with random voting, everything can go out of whack - if you're worried though, it might be better to push it up to -2. However, I think THAT should be implemented next time, when each group that submits is allowed 2 votes.

tl;dr
-Voting can cause imbalance anyway if a person makes a really good piece. In that case they deserve it.
-A collab generally isn't twice as good as a non-collab, but more like a little bit better, enough to give it an advantage.
-I think reducing the score by the amount of votes each person is allowed would be best.

.

I don't think that teams and individuals should be counted separately for the reason that SourJovis said. Their work won't count properly.

ALSO:

@CDMusic and @Malifex, I haven't gotten any message from you about your votes or lack thereof. Just thought I should give one last notification since there are only about 3 hours before voting ends.

We have 13 votes, by the way, and a 3-way tie for second place.

At 6/9/13 08:48 PM, SkyeWintrest wrote: We have 13 votes, by the way, and a 3-way tie for second place.

You said 3-way.

At 6/9/13 08:56 PM, SourJovis wrote:

At 6/9/13 08:48 PM, SkyeWintrest wrote: We have 13 votes, by the way, and a 3-way tie for second place.

You said 3-way.

I'm just gonna take a guess that each of the three in 2nd place holds 2 votes each

it only makes sense
i think

that is a lot of sigs to be making LOL