Leviathan music shouldn't kick in before the leviathan notices the player

The music does capture the “alert” theme really well imo and it creates a lot of tension, but it playing with respect to proximity is immersion-breaking. Change leviathan encounters like this:

1. You hear its screech/growl from far away before it notices you
2. It notices you, shows it with a big roar
3. PDA goes “You’re being hunted”
4. Music kicks in

The music activating from almost 300M away does break the illusion a bit, as well as makes it quite easy to avoid the leviathans all together

I like the music, as soon as you hear it first few times you look around like oh no…

But yes, too soon, even when you are not tarhetted and far away. I think it should be like, it targets you, it roars, screen shake, small stun, sparks in ship, then a second later music ramps up as it dashes to you.

Or something

Conflicted on this one, while I agree that it can be a bit immersion breaking, I think removing it would also remove a big part of what makes leviathans so scary, that being the tension. I’m often more scared of the fact that there IS something nearby than of the thing itself. Not knowing if whatever is nearby is actually hunting you or not really puts me on edge, and having an indicator that “oh something is chasing me” would maybe lessen that overall tension as it provides better information to the player. On the other hand, having no ambience means you could be completely unaware of something being nearby which leads to it being less “scary” and more “startling” due to that lack of build up

I’d go even further and say there should not be a leviathan music at all, and if there has to be one - it should only play when the player has already been physically attacked by a leviathan.

Having the leviathan music activate when near a leviathan, before the player has ever spotted it kills the atosmphere of the game. You are now a ∗∗∗ who always knows wether you are in danger or not. No music = no danger. Music = run away before you even see what you are running away from.

The constant music is especially a little annoying since I built a base near the hydrothermal border, so instead of any other music track, the milisecond I leave base I’m blasted with the threat music no matter where I’m headed

The leviathan music has been the worst part so far. I appreciate the effort and thought but it is genuienly annoying hearing the same track start over and over again. It’s even more annoying when trying to move around the green lake. The music is CONSTANTLY going in and out and in and out and every time I look up it’s just swimming, has never come after me once but has triggered BUH BUH BUH BUH BUH - BUH BUH BUH BUH BUH 100 times. I would vote for no music, I think silence is way scarier and immersive.

I am not sure if I like music at leviathan encounter at all to be honest, similar music was present in first game only when your submarine was burning, not when you entered Reaper or Seadragon territory
it was way scarier, which should be probably purpose of leaviathans, when only announcement were roars of those or them literally appearing in front of you, which was huge power of first game, I was lucky to see leviathan appearing before music as it came close to cliff and I was so impressed by size and design, I dont know yet how it is called but I call it Cthulhu because it looks like it is fitting name, but later music telling you “there is danger now, get ready” dont fit to this game, it isnt shooter where action sequences should be clearly action sequences and since this leaviathan dont kill you at instant (at least not in submarine), its presense should be not revealed by music
but if having music at all.. ye, I guess it should kick in only after you get attacked or only extremely close to it

If the issue at hand is strictly the playing of dramatic music, then I am in agreement that this could come closer to an actual attack.

But absent some terrifying howl/screech/growl, the music provides plenty of tension for me now when I can’t see the thing but know its out there, somewhere and might be coming after me.

So as long as there is something to replace the music at the same timestamp (and I believe that is what the OP is proposing), then I am down with this suggestion.

I want the boss music completely gone tbh. I can not take the leviathan seriously when the music is going “dum-dum-dum dum-dum-dum” like a bad discotheque xD

I love the added sense of panic that the music induces, but it is a sixth sense detecting danger, akin to what a certain arachnid superhero has. I suggest gating it behind a danger sense biomod! That way we can choose between being warned in good time, and being chased in complete and terrifying silence.

Honestly I get the reasoning for this but I believe it helps with the tension, if the music played only when the leviathan seen you it would spoil if they are coming up from behind you. Although I think the music randomly kicking in keeps you guessing.

Said this on the other suggestion post, would really like this to have a toggle/slider in the audio settings. I like the music and respect those who want it, but for me it ruins the experience.

agreed on this. I wandered into a walled-in area with no idea there was a leviathan about 250-300 meters above my head, but the music kept changing back and forth because I was riiiight on the border of the music trigger distance. It had me spinning around in circles wondering if it was a bug because I was probably 100-150 meters too deep to even start to see the thing. Did several trips into that area going “yeah, yeah, spooky canyon, I get it.” before I finally wandered high enough to see that it wasn’t actually a bug

I’m actually not a fan of the “boss music” at all. You see, the first game was a master class in setting mood with it’s sound design and music. Much of the time you just didn’t know if a leviathan was close until it was too late or near enough to scare the b’jeebers out of you, which made progressing into unknown areas all the more enthralling and horrific. This cheap boss music is essentially a get out of jail free card. The moment it starts playing, you know you can take evasive maneuvers, or just back up a few feet, to skirt the threat.

Maybe it would help if the Collector wasn’t confined into a zone box and could actually keep pursuing you into other biomes/areas, or it would turn around if you outrun it, like the leviathans in Sub 1 did. But no, the second you exit it’s little patrol box, you’re safe. Or at least the zone box was more random and organic, not such a sharp invisible wall. I actually hope they improve this in further updates or 1.0. I hear the Collector Leviathan actually isn’t even destined to be in that first trench area, but I think the devs were really eager to introduce him to us in this Early Access, so I can forgive them a little on that account. I just wish the boss music wasn’t there.

I built my base next to the tower, and the “leviathan is in this biome but has not seen you” music is playing constantly INSIDE the base!