CGIAC Game Quality Forum 2020

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在2020年12月16日举办的中国游戏产业年会的“游戏精品化”分论坛上，米哈游网络科技有限公司《原神》的音乐制作人陈致逸，以原神音乐设计理念与制作心得分享为主题，以讲述游戏音乐创作的幕后故事的形式，发表了演讲。
At the "Game Quality Improvement" sub-forum of the China Game Industry Annual Conference held on December 16, 2020, Chen Zhiyi, the music producer of miHoYo's *Genshin Impact*, delivered a speech in the form of sharing the behind-the-scenes stories of game music creation, focusing on the design concept and production insights of *Genshin Impact* music.

陈致逸向大家介绍了《原神》配乐的主体风格基调，分享了登录界面、城镇、野外探索、战斗、剧情对话和宣传PV的不同音乐。他表示：《原神》的配乐由中国人创作，再邀请世界各地乐手协作，象征中国文化开放与包容，也体现了中西文化的融合碰撞。
Chen Zhiyi introduced the main styles and tones of the music in *Genshin Impact* and shared different tracks for login screens, towns, outdoor exploration, battles, dialogue, and promotional PVs. He stated that the music in *Genshin Impact* is composed by Chinese musicians, with collaborations from musicians around the world, symbolizing the openness and inclusiveness of Chinese culture while also showcasing the fusion and collision of Chinese and Western cultures.

以下是其演讲全文：
大家好，我是米哈游《原神》这款游戏的作曲与音乐制作人，首先简单介绍一下我自己。入职米哈游前，我有相当长时间的影视配乐制作经历，之前代表配乐作品有电影《中国机长》、《建军大业》、《京城81号》、《澳门风云》系列等。近年一直负责上海市的形象宣传片的配乐工作。我非常热爱音乐创作，记得第一次接手《原神》这个游戏项目时非常激动，这是非常艰巨的一个挑战。
Here is the full text of the speech:
Hello everyone, I am the composer and music producer of miHoYo's game, *Genshin Impact*. First, let me briefly introduce myself. Before joining miHoYo, I had a considerable amount of experience in film and television music production. Some of the representative works I composed for include movies such as *The Captain*, *The Founding of an Army*, *The House That Never Dies*, and the *From Vegas to Macau* series. In recent years, I have been responsible for the music production of promotional films in Shanghai. I have a great passion for music composition. I remember feeling incredibly excited when I first took on the project of *Genshin Impact*. It was a tremendous challenge.

先介绍一下《原神》这一个游戏，它是一款开放世界的游戏，游戏地图非常大，玩家可以在游戏世界任意自由探索移动，接任务、冒险、战斗等。《原神》世界有七座城邦，每一座有不同的文化特色，美术设定。目前已经公布两个城，一个是"璃月"，一个"蒙德"，"璃月"有东方风格的特色，有美丽的祖国山河风景，连绵石林，奇俊的山峰等等。蒙德是象征着欧洲的自由风，像欧洲小镇中世纪建筑风格。
First, let me introduce the game *Genshin Impact*. It is an open-world game with a vast game map where players can freely explore, undertake quests, embark on adventures, engage in battles, and more. The world of *Genshin Impact* consists of seven city-states, each with its own unique cultural characteristics and artistic design. Currently, two cities have been revealed: Liyue and Mondstadt. Liyue showcases an Eastern-style aesthetic and features beautiful landscapes with majestic mountains, winding stone forests, and stunning peaks, among others. On the other hand, Mondstadt represents a sense of European freedom and features architectural styles reminiscent of medieval European towns.

因此《原神》音乐创作也需要寻找与之匹配音乐语言用来诠释丰富的《原神》世界，我们用管弦乐为主基调加入世界音乐元素。比如璃月有中国景色，所以我会选择用中国民乐，古声调式的旋律结合西方的浪漫派的和声支体加管弦乐配签。蒙德城有中世纪建筑，田园诗般乡村风景，音乐创作很自然地借鉴印象派风格的语言与节奏律动，有复合拍子。我喜欢用钢琴，中世纪风格的鲁特琴，艾尔兰哨笛乐器等等。
Therefore, the music composition for *Genshin Impact* also requires finding matching musical languages to interpret the rich world of *Genshin Impact*. We primarily use orchestral music as the main foundation and incorporate elements of world music. For example, in Liyue, which features Chinese scenery, I would choose to use Chinese traditional instruments and melodies combined with Western romantic-style harmonies and orchestral accompaniment. For Mondstadt, with its medieval architecture and picturesque countryside, the music composition naturally draws inspiration from Impressionist styles in terms of language and rhythmic patterns, including compound meters. I enjoy using instruments such as the piano, medieval-style lute, and Irish tin whistle, among others.

将来随着地图开放，音乐会加入中东、中亚、南美洲音乐元素。我们希望用多样性的音乐语言，向世界玩家传递一种信息，《原神》这一款游戏的音乐由中国人创作，邀请世界各地乐手协同演奏录音制作，象征中国文化开放与包容，也体现中西文化的融合与碰撞。
In the future, as the map expands, we will incorporate music elements from the Middle East, Central Asia, and South America. We hope to convey a message to players around the world through diverse musical languages. The music of *Genshin Impact* is composed by Chinese artists, and we invite musicians from around the world to collaborate in recording and production. This symbolizes the openness and inclusiveness of Chinese culture, as well as the fusion and collision of Eastern and Western cultures.

接下来要分享为《原神》游戏量身定制的音乐设计方案，首先放一段实际演算的画面。这是登陆界面的音乐，大家听到的。登陆画面虽然朴实简单，但也暗藏玄机，玩家不同时间段登陆游戏时会发现天空颜色会有不一样的变化，还有对应四首不一样的《原神》主题音乐，用同样一个《原神》主题旋律但配器会有一些不一样。这是女声版本，晚上有安静空旷神秘的感觉。
Next, I will share the custom-designed music for the game *Genshin Impact*. First, let's play a scene from the actual gameplay. This is the music for the login interface that you will hear. Although the login screen appears simple, it holds hidden secrets. Players will notice different sky colors and four different *Genshin Impact* theme music tracks when logging in at different times. The same *Genshin Impact* theme melody is used, but the arrangement is slightly different. This is the female vocal version, which creates a serene, expansive, and mysterious feeling during the night.

接下来分享城镇音乐与野外探索音乐气质区分，首先听一下城镇，这是蒙德城城内音乐。城镇中玩家要收集任务信息，怀着对即将冒险的期待感，所以城镇音乐一般是轻快活泼的。但出了城镇以后就是不一样风格，大家听一下。城外因为需要玩家野外探索解密，所以希望玩家能够冷静思考，感受大自然美丽风景，音乐的节奏趋于平静缓和。
Next, I will share the distinction in the temperament of city music and exploration music in the open world. First, let's listen to the city music. This is the music played in the city of Mondstadt. In the city, players gather task information and carry a sense of anticipation for the upcoming adventure. Therefore, city music is generally lively and cheerful. However, the style changes when you leave the town. Let's listen to it. Outside the town, players engage in wilderness exploration and deciphering, so we want them to be calm and thoughtful, appreciating the beautiful scenery of nature. The rhythm of the music tends to be tranquil and soothing.

接下来分享野外探索音乐关于播放间隔时间的设定。音效设计非常棒，我有时候认为没有音乐也是音乐。随着脚步声，不一样的地形，草地，桥，还可以听到鸟叫，我认为大自然的环境音效也是一种语言，需要避免长时间听觉疲劳，所以音乐不能一直播放。
Next, I will share the music design for exploration in the open world and the setting of playback intervals. The sound design is excellent, and sometimes I believe that even without music, there is still music. Along with the footsteps, different terrains, grasslands, and bridges, you can also hear bird calls. I think the environmental sound effects of nature are a form of language. However, we need to avoid auditory fatigue over prolonged periods, so the music cannot play continuously.

接下来听一下战斗音乐设计。这是野外战斗，在激昂节奏上会有优美的旋律线条，也是我个人创作的一个特色。我们野外战斗与副本战斗，BOSS战时战斗音乐会不太一样。BOSS战斗的音乐也偏向于情感，因为希望旅行者知道自己不是消灭敌人，而是净化或者随着剧情需要，我们与宿命的一种对抗，也是比较好听的音乐。
Next, let's listen to the battle music design. This is the field battle, where there will be a combination of lively rhythms and beautiful melodic lines, which is a personal characteristic of my composition. Our field battles, dungeon battles, and boss battles have different battle music. The music for boss battles leans more towards emotions because we want the Traveler to know that they are not just defeating enemies, but also purifying or engaging in a confrontation with destiny, according to the needs of the storyline. It's also music that sounds quite pleasing.

接下来向大家介绍一下我们的游戏时间系统，还有关于天气系统的音乐设计。游戏里面有不同天气，无论何时何地音乐会有变化，暴风雨这样大雨时索性没有音乐了。这是一段小提琴独奏。
Next, let me introduce our game's time system and the music design related to the weather system. In the game, we have different weather conditions, and the music changes accordingly no matter when or where you are. For example, during a heavy rainstorm like a downpour, there is intentionally no music playing. Here is a solo violin piece.

接下来看一下剧情任务对话的音乐设计。剧情任务对话配乐很有意思，非常像影视配乐手法。而且《原神》是全程剧情由配音演员进行配音，像动画电影，根据游戏剧情推进游戏当中每个个性化的角色都有不同喜怒哀乐情感，这时候会切换不一样的情绪音乐，比如说紧张，开心，像刚才大家听到的有一些幽默，可爱等等。
Next, let's take a look at the music design for dialogue in the main story quests. The music for dialogue in the main story quests is very interesting and resembles the techniques used in film and television scoring. In addition, in *Genshin Impact*, the entire story is voiced by voice actors, similar to an animated movie. As the game's storyline progresses, each character, with their unique personality, experiences different emotions such as joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. At such times, the music switches to different emotional tracks, such as tension, joy, as we heard earlier, some humorous and cute tracks, and so on.

接下来再分享游戏宣传片PV的音乐设计，游戏宣传片的信息量很大，需要短时间内一两分钟内打动观众，因此相比游戏内音乐，节奏律动会比较重，所以音乐设计通常会加入摇滚、重金属、电子乐元素，希望短时间内可以打动观众，我们展示一下这支PV宣传片。大家可以听到音乐随着画面不同而变换情绪。这里我想谈一谈米哈游自建音乐团队效率，音乐都是我们自己团队完成负责开发的，这是我们米哈游音乐团队特色。
Next, let's share the music design for the game's promotional video. The promotional video contains a lot of information and needs to captivate the audience in a short period of one to two minutes. Therefore, compared to the in-game music, the emphasis is more on rhythm and tempo. That's why music design often incorporates elements of rock, heavy metal, and electronic music, aiming to captivate the audience within a short time. Let's take a look at this promotional video. You will hear the music changing in mood along with different scenes. Here, I would like to talk about the efficiency of miHoYo's in-house music team. All the music is developed and produced by our own team, which is a characteristic of miHoYo's music team.

我一个人光开发游戏内所有音乐已经创作量非常凶猛了，所以对外的这一个PV宣传片音乐本来想外包给其他作曲家。但后来担心音乐风格会有差异，而且外包的音乐团队不是非常了解项目的需求，也许会导致音乐风格不统一。所以后来决定宣传片音乐也由自己完成。
I alone developed all the music for the game, and the amount of composition I produced was tremendous. So, originally, I wanted to outsource the music for this promotional video to other composers. However, later on, I was worried that there might be differences in the musical style, and the outsourced music team might not fully understand the project's requirements, which could potentially lead to an inconsistent music style. Therefore, I later decided to complete the music for the promotional video myself.

首先由我快速进行旋律主题和声节奏的一个框架设计，其他的编曲混音部分交给米哈游自己的音乐团队。这样工作效率非常高，而且我们可以保证一周可以有一首高质量宣传片音乐产出。
First, I quickly design the framework for melody, theme, and harmonic rhythm. The other parts, such as arrangement and mixing, are handed over to miHoYo's own music team. This ensures high work efficiency, and we can guarantee the production of one high-quality promotional video music per week.

时间关系，大概简单过一遍音乐具体制作流程：首先用钢琴做框架打草稿，确定乐谱与旋律主题。接下来MIDI编曲制作，然后乐谱制作由助理协助我把MIDI信息转换至乐谱，为后续乐队实录做准备工作。接下来乐队实录，录前会制定比较详细的录音方案，邀请怎样的编制乐队，录音过程当中也可以跟乐手沟通。接下来是混音与母带制作，接下来对外发行OST音乐要取名还有相关插图设计。
Due to time constraints, let me briefly go through the specific music production process: first, I use the piano to create a framework and make a rough draft, determining the score and melodical theme. Next, MIDI composition and production are carried out, and then the assistant helps me convert the MIDI information into sheet music, preparing for the subsequent live recording with the orchestra. Then comes the orchestra recording, where a detailed recording plan is developed beforehand, including selecting the appropriate orchestra lineup, and communication with the musicians can take place during the recording process. After that, mixing and mastering are done, followed by naming the OST music for external release and designing relevant album artwork.

接下来放两个乐队实录片段，一个是我们在英国伦敦AIR Studios录音棚邀请伦敦爱乐乐团录制的一首璃月音乐。这个录音棚很有意思，在教堂里面。再接下来是一首跟上海交响乐团合作的，在上海交响乐团音乐厅录制的音乐。这是璃月的地图音乐，这里我想谈谈“化用”的音乐理念，通俗的说，是吸取西方元素精髓化为自己的内功成为自己个人特色。
Next, I will share two recorded segments with live orchestras. The first one is a piece of Liyue music recorded at AIR Studios in London, where we invited the London Philharmonic Orchestra to perform. This recording studio is quite interesting as it is located inside a church. Following that, we have a piece recorded in collaboration with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra at the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall. This is the map music for Liyue. Here, I would like to discuss the concept of "Huayong" in music, which, in simple terms, means absorbing the essence of Western elements and transforming it into our own unique style and characteristics.

前面两段音乐一个纯西方乐器演奏中国调式的音乐，一个中国乐器古筝演奏西方和声语言。古筝乐曲性能不太适于演奏过于复杂的和声，我与乐手商量巧妙借用一个改造过古筝乐曲。大家看到这个古筝是改造过的，可以演奏12音阶，12半音，类似这样的中西文化融合也是以上海为代表的海派文化的一种来源。
The first two pieces of music featured pure Western instruments playing Chinese melodies, and a Chinese instrument, the guzheng, playing Western harmonic language. The performance capabilities of the guzheng are not well-suited for complex harmonies, so I discussed with the musicians and ingeniously borrowed and modified a guzheng piece. As you can see, this guzheng has been modified to play a 12-tone scale, including 12 semitones. This kind of fusion of Chinese and Western cultures represents the influence of Shanghai's Haipai culture.

最后代表米哈游借此机会总结一下，米哈游开发一款游戏是不遗余力，拼尽全力，而且追求极致的一种态度是我们全体米哈游同事们的共同心声，米哈游的音乐也是必须具备这样的匠人精神。米哈游加大研发资金的音乐投入，顺便也带动了世界范围内的音乐行业的发展与文化交流。
Finally, on behalf of miHoYo, I would like to take this opportunity to summarize. Developing a game at miHoYo is a relentless pursuit, a tireless effort, and a commitment to excellence. It is the collective voice of all miHoYo colleagues. miHoYo's music must also embody this artisan spirit. miHoYo has increased its investment in music development funds, which has also contributed to the development of the global music industry and cultural exchange.

最后也希望中国游戏行业蒸蒸日上，蓬勃发展，让更多的精品游戏走出世界，谢谢大家。
Finally, we also hope that the Chinese gaming industry will thrive and flourish, allowing more high-quality games to emerge onto the world stage. Thank you, everyone.