The MMORPG smash hit of 2021 is now a soundtrack of far-off lands, dangerous vistas, and bewildering secrets. To navigate this New World, the Battle Bards have disembarked onto the shores of this score to see what wonders they can pillage.

Episode 204 show notes

• Intro (feat. "A New World," "Discovery," and "Heart of Corruption")

• "Embark"

• "Cutlass Keys"

• "Everfall" 

• "Sunset Ballad"

• "Monarch Bluffs" 

• "Brightwood"

• "Homeward Bound"

• Which one did we like best?
• Listener notes from George and Minimalistway
• Jukebox picks: "Yara Para Todos" from Far Cry 6, "Deep Thoughts" from Tales of Crestoria, and "Engineering" from System Shock 2
• Outro (feat. "Sea of Trees")

• Talk to the Battle Bards on Twitter!
• Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Pocket Casts!
• This podcast is produced using copyrighted material according to Fair Use practices as stated under Section 107 of the 1976 Copyright Act.

For this week's episode, the Battle Bards turn their attention to an oft-neglected realm of MMO music -- that of mobile titles. Will Steff walk into a pole while playing Pokemon Go? Will Syl instantly recognize an old musical favorite? Will Syp use the word "cacophony" at least once this hour? You'll have to listen to find out!

Episode 203 show notes (show page, direct download)

• Intro (feat. “Take the Lead” from AdventureQuest 3D, "Diagon Alley" from Harry Potter Wizards Unite, and "Track 7" from MapleStory M)

• "Main Theme" from Order & Chaos Online

• "Walking" from Pokémon Go

• "Main Theme" from Another Eden

• "Glish" from Black Desert Mobile

• "Royal Fight" from Mobile Royale 

• "Title Screen" from Epic 7 

• "Airship Theme" from Stella Arcana

• Which one did we like best?
• Listener notes from Friendly Necromancer
• Jukebox picks: "Volcano" from The Flintstones SNES, "Dance of Illusions" from Castlevania Symphony of the Night, and "Into the Labyrinth" from Final Fantasy Brave Exvius
• Outro (feat. "Bad Reputation" from Hearthstone)

• Talk to the Battle Bards on Twitter!
• Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Pocket Casts!
• This podcast is produced using copyrighted material according to Fair Use practices as stated under Section 107 of the 1976 Copyright Act.

Piggybacking on a historical lifeline, Silkroad Online has enjoyed a long run in the MMORPG market. But how is its music? To find this out, the Battle Bards begin a long trek through desert and rainforest to discover the truth of Silkroad's soundtrack.

Episode 202 show notes

• Intro (feat. "Karakorum," "Roc Battle," and "Donwhang Cave")

• "Jangan Town"

• "Togui Village"

• "Constantinople Town"

• "Samarkand"

• "Festival Event"

• "Alexandria/Egypt Field Delta"

• "Jupiter Temple"

• Which one did we like best?
• Listener notes from Katriana and Bullwraith
• Jukebox picks: "The Finest Scenery" from Behind the Frame, "Security Breach" from Angry Video Game Nerd II, and "Befriending Spirits" from Kena: Bridge of Spirits
• Outro (feat. "Hotan Kingdom")

• Talk to the Battle Bards on Twitter!
• Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Pocket Casts!
• This podcast is produced using copyrighted material according to Fair Use practices as stated under Section 107 of the 1976 Copyright Act.

Have you stood in the fire? Did you start the fire? Are you on fire at this very moment? Then stop, drop, and roll your way to this episode of the Battle Bards, where the crew put out the flames of music tracks from fire zones, volcanoes, and the like!

Episode 201 show notes 

• Intro (feat. "Firelight" from TERA, "Molten Core Battle" from World of Warcraft, and "Flow Like Fire" from Warframe)

• "Desert of Fire" from Aion

• "Burning Steppes" from World of Warcraft

• "Sleeping Volcano" from Ragnarok Online

• "Mt. Hotenow" from Neverwinter

• "Flame Mountain" from Dragon Oath

• "Navigating the Crevasses of Orodruin” from Lord of the Rings Online

• "Taimi's Game Part 1" from Guild Wars 2

• Which one did we like best?
• Listener notes from Zinn, Lewenburg, and Psychae
• Jukebox picks: "Hellwalker" from Doom 2016, "Non-Boss Battle" from Eastward, and "CAS and Build Complete 4" from The Sims 4: Cottage Living
• Outro (feat. "Gather Around the C.A.M.P.fire" from Fallout 76)

• Talk to the Battle Bards on Twitter!
• Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Pocket Casts!
• This podcast is produced using copyrighted material according to Fair Use practices as stated under Section 107 of the 1976 Copyright Act.

Can you believe it? The Battle Bards have hit 200 amazing episodes! Join Steff, Syl, and Syp as they take a victory lap around the field of MMO music, sharing their personal soundtrack discoveries and listeners' favorite tracks. It's a Battle Bards Bicentennial!

Episode 200 show notes 

• Intro
• Reminiscing about the history of Battle Bards (feat. "Fields of the Shire from LOTRO and "Tempest Bay" from RIFT)

• Our favorite MMORPG soundtrack discoveries over the past 100 episodes

• Syp: Club Penguin
• Steff: The Division 2
• Syl: Lost Ark
• Syp: Myst Online
• Steff: Lost Oasis
• Syl: Star Stable
• Syp: MapleStory 2
• Steff: Tree of Savior
• Syl: Lineage
• Listeners' favorite tracks
• "Mystery of Wistmead" from LOTRO (Katriana)
• "Title Screen" from DCUO (Friendly Necromancer)
• I Am the Sea" from FFXIV (Lewenburg)
• "Twilight Over Thanalan from FFXIV (Drelkag)
• "Undead Tavern in Brill" from WoW (JinxedThoughts)
• "The Length and the Measure" from Warhammer Online (Thomas)
• "The Rebuilding of Lion's Arch" from Guild Wars 2 (Tishtoshtesh)
• "Knowledge Never Sleeps" from FFXIV (Psychae)
• "First Light" from Star Citizen (IpaMu71)
• Our favorite non-AAA MMO scores
• Fallen Earth (Syp)
• Star Citizen (Steff)
• Dragon's Prophet (Syl)
• Dungeon Runners (Syp)
• ArcheAge (Steff)
• Runes of Magic (Syl)
• Wizard101 (Syp)
• RuneScape Orchestral (Steff)
• Ultima X Odyssey (Syl)
• Outro (feat. "From Protostar!" from WildStar)

• Talk to the Battle Bards on Twitter!
• Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Pocket Casts!
• This podcast is produced using copyrighted material according to Fair Use practices as stated under Section 107 of the 1976 Copyright Act.

At the start and end of a long day of adventurin', the Battle Bards love to kick back with a frosty mug of (ginger) ale or a stein of (root) beer at their favorite taverns. And what watering holes have better music than World of Warcraft, which actually released a full album of it? In today's show, Steff, Syl, and Syp share some more great music from the social hubs of Azeroth.

Episode 199 show notes

• Intro (feat. "Vanilla Tavern," "Deepwater," and "Hunter's Refuge")

• "Kul'Tiran Taverns"

• "Dive Bar C"

• "Slaughtered Lamb"

• "Pig and Whistle"

• "Midsummer Fire Festival"

• "Temple of the Moon"

• "Thunderbrew"

• Which one did we like best?
• Listener notes from Ithirahad and Katriana
• Jukebox picks: "Chinatown" from Katana Zero, "Shooting Star" from Overwatch Animated Shorts, and "Main Theme" from Fantasian
• Outro (feat. )

• Talk to the Battle Bards on Twitter!
• Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Pocket Casts!
• This podcast is produced using copyrighted material according to Fair Use practices as stated under Section 107 of the 1976 Copyright Act.

Return with us to the lands of Vana'diel, as the Battle Bards dip into the ocean of Final Fantasy XI expansion music. While Syl might be chiding Syp over his inappropriate attire, at least these amazing tunes can overcome all hostility!

Episode 198 show notes

• Intro (feat. "Where It All Begins," "Vana'diel March #4," and "Echoes of a Zephyr")

• "Kazham"

• "Breaking Ground"

• "The Cosmic Wheel"

• "Autumn Footfalls"

• "Bustle of the Capital"

• "Unity"

• "The Sanctuary of Zi'Tah"

• Which one did we like best?
• Listener notes from Katriana and Branden
• Jukebox picks: "The Town of Luncheon" from Chicory, "Sarah's Song" from Tyrion, and "Dolphin Surf" from Tetris Effect 
• Outro (feat. "The Pioneers")

• Talk to the Battle Bards on Twitter!
• Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Pocket Casts!
• This podcast is produced using copyrighted material according to Fair Use practices as stated under Section 107 of the 1976 Copyright Act.

Bow to your king and queens of MMO music royalty, for the Battle Bards have donned the crown, taking up the majestic scepter, and issued a proclamation that all sorts of royal music must be heard through the land! 

Episode 197 show notes 

• Intro (feat. "Behold Tarantia!" from Age of Conan, "The Royal Bodyguard" from Blade and Soul, and "Illusion Castle Radiant Hall" from Cabal Online)

• "To Wear the Crown" from Monarch

• "Krakunta" from Lime Odyssey

• "Royal District" from Project Copernium

• "The Castle of Luteran" from Lost Ark

• "The Grand Duchy of Jeuno" from Final Fantasy XI

• "Royale" from RuneScape

• "Ode to the Queen" from Elder Scrolls Online

• Which one did we like best?
• Listener notes from George Wilson and Katriana
• Jukebox picks: "Letting You Go" from The Sims 4, "Stereo Madness" from Geometry Dash, and "Windward" from Bravely Default
• Outro (feat. "Royal City" from MapleStory 2)

• Talk to the Battle Bards on Twitter!
• Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Pocket Casts!
• This podcast is produced using copyrighted material according to Fair Use practices as stated under Section 107 of the 1976 Copyright Act.

This time around, the Battle Bards cruise into the indie MMO known as "Project Gorgon" to see what musical landscape is being concocted in this usual realm. From dark dungeon crawls to dusty deserts, it's a trip around a world of fantasy, mystery, and deliberate old school musical cues!

Episode 196 show notes

• Intro (feat. "Fae Forest," "SunVale," and "The Spider Crypt")
• "Overture Theme"
• "Quiet Countryside"
• "Eltibule"
• "Delving for Forgotten Secrets"
• "Rakshasa City"
• "Anagoge Magical Island"
• "The Deep Desert" 
• Which one did we like best?
• Listener notes from Katriana and Mark
• Jukebox picks: "Galaxy Map" from Mass Effect, "Main Theme" from Ratchet and Clank, and "Lich is Unbreakable" from Loop Hero
• Outro (feat. "Bard Music")

• Talk to the Battle Bards on Twitter!
• Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Pocket Casts!
• This podcast is produced using copyrighted material according to Fair Use practices as stated under Section 107 of the 1976 Copyright Act.

Attempting to summit the very best of MMO music, the Battle Bards head up, up, up into the mountains with this episode! What musical motifs do the ranges hold in online games? The crew of Steff, Syl, and Syp are going to try to find out -- if the yeti doesn't eat them first!

Episode 195 show notes

• Intro (feat. "Berg" from Drakensang Online, "Snowhorn" from Runes of Magic, and "Mountains" from Valheim)
• "Interdica High Mountain" from Aion
• "Wind-Washed Mountains" from Genshin Impact 
• "The Vista from Mount Crom" from Age of Conan 
• "Steamfront Mountains" from EverQuest 2 
• "Mountains of Past Times" from Elsword Online 
• "Sunqua Peak" from Guild Wars 2
• "The Mountains of Night" from Age of Conan 
• Which one did we like best?
• Listener notes from Katriana
• Jukebox picks: "Welcome to the Academy" from The Slormaster, "Frontier Music" from The Trail, and "A Big Adventure" from Sackboy
• Outro (feat. "Cold Mountain Duet" from World of Warcraft)

• Talk to the Battle Bards on Twitter!
• Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Pocket Casts!
• This podcast is produced using copyrighted material according to Fair Use practices as stated under Section 107 of the 1976 Copyright Act.