Hail and well met, Neon-Bard! Is this another NGADM review I see before me? Many thanks, kind sir.

I am quite simply tickled pink that you find this so very enjoyable! Happy to bring out that moth-eaten wanderlust, shake the cobwebs out, and give it a new coat of fresh paint. And the fact that you still find this to be an emotional piece despite the lack of added dynamics tells me that you are indeed an adventurer like me. Or at least you used to be, before taking an arrow to the-- HA! I shan't be dragging that tired old meme out of the broom closet where it belongs. That's almost like rickrolling someone in this day and age, for goodness sake. But in all seriousness, your appreciation of this piece really means a lot to me. Tapping into that vein of nostalgia is one of my favorite pastimes, after all.

And the RPG comments continue! Most excellent. ^___^ I never tire of hearing such things, in fact I fairly live for such compliments, so thank you again.

You guys are all making some very legitimate points about the overall composition and dynamic quality of the track. I guess I kind of counted on the dynamic qualities of the instruments themselves too much. It's always such a shame that the individual note velocities mean almost nothing when it comes to most VSTs, but that just means that I need to focus on taking more time working with the channel variables themselves. What I have here is good, yes...and I really appreciate you saying that, but it could indeed have been better. I'll most certainly be putting more time and effort into these subtle - yet incredibly important - nuances in the future.

I can't believe you haven't been following me all this time either! But man, it sure is fantastic of you to rectify that today. I truly appreciate the insights, as well. Bro hug. :D

Hey, Ryan! So many NGADM reviews at once, it's like Christmas...

Pretty to listen to is good. Glad that the orchestral stuff is to your liking, and I would certainly be interested in ways to make the orchestrations sound more realistic. Been doing my best in this regard, but can't say anyone's really offered me any guides or actual insights, so I would be a fool to turn down such aid. PM away, my friend! Please do, and thank you for the offer. I'm here to learn and improve, after all! :D

Ah, well...this is true, I suppose. All the rampant EDM tracks get away with being compressed to the gills, but I can put more effort into the rise and fall of the Roman Empi--er, I mean orchestral instruments. Yeah, those. I guess adding and subtracting layers on a regular basis does not equate to the same thing, so you got me there. Once again, I really love the RPG comparisons, but I definitely don't want the music to seem lacking in emotion. That is essentially the holy grail of the media world, after all.

Happy to follow, man! You're one talented dude. Been enjoying your tracks for a long time now, but sometimes I forget to click that tiny heart. :v

Steppeus Maximus! What can I say? I love getting NGADM reviews from you, man. Always have, always will. It must be because I hold your talent in such high esteem. You blushing yet? Good! On we go...

As you say, I had been enjoying a more Jazz-centric sort of experience recently, but I wanted to go back to those roots that so many are familiar with. Before I continue, I just have to say that I was really hoping to get a review from you on One of Those Days! Not that I didn't get some excellent feedback already, but yeah...figured it couldn't hurt to ask. :3 I really like that this one's giving folks such awesome nostalgia trips. Makes me wish that I'd played a bit of Runescape, myself...

Generic--!? Oh, you! Got a mind like a steel trap, you have. But yes, for some reason the g-word really bugs me...even if it happens to be true. I mean, it's just such a generic comment, don'cha know! ^__~ The fact that you really enjoy this style makes it all worthwhile, and I'll probably be making music of a similar ilk for a long, long time to come. Admittedly, I could have taken a more dynamic approach, but I'm not convinced that even doing that would have secured my spot when I'm up against the ball-busting tag team of LSDem0! And interestingly enough, I agree that it's really been the case with a lot of tracks in the NGADM. Funnily enough, while I tend to see such things so clearly in other people's work, I guess I'm just too close to my own. And maybe a bit too stubborn about some things...but I worry about how many changes from outside sources just end up taking away the instrinsic me-ness of the music. If I make too many compromises, I just don't feel like I'm being true to myself. Foolish pride, no doubt--but there it is.

Well, I suppose this actually turned out to be more like the music that plays as you prepare for such a wayward journey, as opposed to something that plays during the epic wanderings of an adventurous soul. Still an homage to wanderlust, but only a taste of the beginning. I'll be keeping the idea of a main theme in my mind going forward, and I appreciate that you respect the decision, but it nonetheless didn't do any favours to the composition. Apparently trying things out at crazy times is something that I excel at! But yes, ultimately this falls under the umbrella of "Hey, let's go on an adventure" as opposed to "Wow! This adventure is totally EPIC!"

Really happy to hear that you love the track despite its shortcomings, and all the awesome RPG comments are exceedingly well-received! Thanks so much for the opportunity. I'm sorry to go, and it's been a lot of fun, but I'm damn proud of everyone going on for being so filthy stinking talented. The bastards. :D

Thanks for dropping another NGADM review on me, Geoplex!

Interestingly enough, while I have indeed heard of Runescape and had friends who played it (some of them quite religiously), I never actually did myself. I've tried out a handful of MMORPG titles over the decades, but very few really managed to hold my attention for long. The one I played the longest was Star Wars Galaxies way back in the day, and that one was put out to pasture permanently several years ago. Nevertheless, the impact of such nostalgia is certainly not lost on me, so I'm glad that this song could serve as such a pleasant reminder. :)

Console RPGs are my bread and butter, man! So that serves as quite the compliment to me, and while there are a lot of inspiration sources for my music, it is without a doubt influenced by the gaming culture that I frequently steep in. I can't really complain too much about any background music comments, especially since you don't actually make it sound like such a bad thing. I think that it's an important nuance for any musical artist to be aware of, that sometimes the music has to take a backseat and is not the driving force. Most of the time, actually. And that's just how our media-driven world is. Music with lyrics is at the fore of Pop culture while instrumental pieces are, more often than not, relegated to the background.

More Runescape ruminations! But yes, it is a fact that very little tends to stand out in this composition. But hey, it's all part of my growth process as a musician. I've got to take every little piece of feedback that I get and use it as I keep moving forward, making new tracks and breaking my own personal boundaries, while hopefully knocking down a few musical ones along the way. It is true that there's very little in the deeper range, and that was a conscious decision on my part. Do I kind of wish that I had added a few more touches? Yep. There really is more that I could have done with this, but at the time it sounded really full. And my last reviewer said that things already sound too crowded at times. Damned if ya do, damned if ya don't...y'know? Heh.

I'm glad that you like the music, and while the nostalgia trip wasn't quite as intentional as it may seem, I'm still glad that I could take you on that journey. As for your last sentence, I will take that as one hell of a compliment. :3 Cheers, mate!

Thanks for the NGADM review, MetalRenard!

I so often have people say that they want to hear more going on in my music, more instruments and rich layers of music going on at once, so when you say parts feel too crowded I'm not sure if I'm relieved, frustrated, or simply more confused. LOL! Different people always seem to want different things, so when I try to cater to one side of the equation, something else just ends up getting lost in the shuffle. I guess it's best to make the music that I want to make, for myself; no apologies and no compromises.

I'm glad to hear that the mix has a real warmth to it, and your analogy of telling adventure stories makes me smile. Not sure what to do with the comment on clarity, though. In what way is the mix lacking in clarity? To you that probably makes complete sense, but to me it seems vague and nebulous. I've always thought of you as a pretty harsh critic when it came to mixing in general, but without suggestions and ideas for improvement the feedback feels incomplete. For instance, what could be done to improve said clarity? I know well enough that you're an accomplished mix master, so it seems like you would probably have plenty of wisdom to impart on the subject.

The music feels relatively cohesive to me, but there's that good old subjectivity in motion again. Ah, well. There really isn't some huge central motif much of the time, and that really seems to bother folks, so I guess I can't fault you for saying that it lacks direction. But there is an overall theme that - at least to me - is crystal clear. Of course lacking that main focus through so much of the piece probably ends up relegating it to background music. *sigh* C'est la vie.

I am very happy to know that you find the music charming and my style enjoyable, and I appreciate the critique. I really like the song for what it is, but it certainly isn't the best thing I've ever produced, and I find your comments and scoring to be fair. Keep on rocking.