Dynamic Procedural Music Generation from NPC Attributes

Abstract

Procedural Music Generation in Games (PMGG) can enrich the playing experience by providing both entertainment and communication to the player. We present a system that generates unique procedural thematic music for non-player characters (NPC) based on developer-defined attributes and game state. The system responds in real-time to the dynamic relationship between the player and target “boss” NPC. We create a multiplayer 2D adventure game using and evaluate the music generation system by means of user study. Subjects confront four NPC bosses each with their own uniquely generated dynamic track. Results indicate the generated music is generally pleasing and harmonious, and players are able to detect a relationship between themselves and the NPCs as reflected by the music, even if they can not decipher the exact details.