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It's been a very long while, but the Battle Bards haven't fully abandoned you -- at least not without a goodbye! In the grand final episode of the show, Steff, Syl, and Syp gather together one last time to share memories of the show, the reason behind the decision to end it, and a few of our favorite MMO music tracks. Enjoy -- and from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for listening these past 12 years. We had a blast doing it. Episode 234 show notes Songs featured in this episode: "Hamlets of Aquilonia" from Age of Conan "Silus Mountain" from Aion "Fly into the Sky" from Blade & Soul "Freedom Theme" from City of Heroes "Hills of the Shire" from Lord of the Rings Online "Townston Theme" from Dungeon Runners "Below the Asteroids" from EVE Online "Main Theme" from EverQuest II "The Republic of Bastok" from Final Fantasy XI "Tidecaller" from League of Legends "Home Sweet Home" from RuneScape "Alsalvara Light" from Lime Odyssey "Island Village" from Lineage II "Silverwood" from RIFT "Invincible" from World of Warcraft "Traveling Tale" from Runes of Magic "A Golden Field" from WildStar "Lana, The Advisor" from Star Wars: The Old Republic "World Map 2" from The Sims Online "Stones" from Ultima Online "Seascape" from Anarchy Online "Townlife" from Ultima X Odyssey "Bamboo Forest" from Vanguard Outro (feat. "Elwynn Forest" 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.

For Battle Bards' penultimate episode, Syp and Syl explore some EPIC battle music across many MMOs. After all, if we're going to go out in style, that style's going to be loud enough to blast a hole in your eardrums! We also learn that nobody likes the Flute Guy. Episode 233 show notes  Intro (feat. "Epic Raid Boss 4" from DCUO, "Mission Battle" from CABAL Online, and "Boss Fight 1" from Kritika Online) "Flame Incursion" from World of Warcraft "Battle Theme 4" from Atlantica Online "Battle on the Breachmaker" from Guild Wars 2 "Abyss Battle" from Aion "The Copied Factory Boss Theme" from FFXIV "Enemy Territory" from WildStar Which one did we like best? Jukebox Picks: "The Blue Hole" from Dave the Diver and "A Verdant Wind Blows Day" from Octopath Traveler II Outro (feat. "Nasod-King Boss" from Elsword Online) 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.

A small online RPG proves to have a big musical heart with Wayfinder, as Syp, Steff, and Syl discover! These consummate professionals chew through this soundtrack and ask for seconds, only to be denied because they made such a mess along the way. Also, we are the only people in the world who dislike Baldur's Gate 3. Episode 232 show notes Intro (feat. "Call of the Void," "Echoes of the Fallen," and "Skylight") "Awakening" "Wayfinder" "Deepwood Holt" "In the Beacon's Light" "Kragan Highlands" "Blood in the Wood" Which one did we like best? Jukebox Picks: "Fillmore" from ActRaiser, "The Apostle Myrkul" from Baldur's Gate 3, and "Death's Door" from Death's Door Outro (feat. "Raven's Shadow") 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.

Returning to the fertile soundtrack of Caravan Stories, Syl and Syp are rejoined by Steff to give us a fresh take! It's another journey through a charming and laid-back MMO landscapes. Episode 231 show notes  Intro (feat. "Entrust a Will," "Toasting Dance," and "Open the Map") "Foothills of Carvendel" "Enigma Rips the Sky" "Folka Village" "Baldu Pipe Town" "Slapstick Castanet" "Glenmore Fault Valley" Which one did we like best? Listener mail from Minimalistway Jukebox Picks: "Graphorn Ride" from Hogwarts Legacy, "To the Heroes of the Light" from Bravely Default II, and "Subterra" from A Boy and His Blob Outro (feat. "Outpouring of Armaments") 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.

Ready to get your cozy on? Syp and Syl take you into the relatively new life sim Palia to explore its down-home-on-the-player-farm tunes. Is this a little TOO laid-back and boring, or is there a rural charm to this soundtrack? We'll be the judge of that. Episode 230 show notes Intro (feat. "Home Sweet Home," "Palia's Kilima Village Daytime Theme," and "The Creation") "Daiya Farm Badruu's Melody" "Main Theme" "Chapaa Chase" "Einar's Cave" "Daydreams, Sunsets" "Maji Market" Which one did we like best? Jukebox Picks: "Not Tomorrow" from Silent Hill and "Lost in Random" from Blake Robinson Outro (feat. "Hygge Living and Building") 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.

Come along for a trundling trip through the countryside with Caravan Stories, a 2017-era MMO that charmed Syl so much that she demanded they do a two-part show on its soundtrack! Bring your sympathy for Syp, who has to put up with this nonsense! Episode 229 show notes Intro (feat. "Dubious Person," "In Trials," and "Rallying Man") "Caravan Trip" "Eastern Part of Denon Hill" "Free City of Nero" "Arlosa Mine" "Polka" "Mad Cow Brewery" Which one did we like best? Jukebox Picks: "Chef Saltbaker" from Cuphead and "Save Room Theme" from Resident Evil 2 Outro (feat. "Sailing to the City of Freedom - Elf") 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.

Not every dungeon has to be a drab and dour affair -- a fact which sent the Battle Bards searching for the cheeriest tunes from MMO instances! Join Syp and Syl as they recount a good half-dozen upbeat tracks from online RPG dungeons. If you've got to loot... loot with a smile. Episode 228 show notes Intro (feat. "Commence to Jiggin'" from WildStar, "Brawler's Trial" from World of Warcraft, and "Daring Dalliances" from FFXIV) "Den of Secrets" from Free Realms "Dohn Mheg" from FFXIV "Balzack's Bachelor Boogie" from Dungeon Runners "Ellinia Forest Dungeon" from MapleStory "The Motherlode" from World of Warcraft "Math Dungeon" from Mabinogi Which one did we like best? Jukebox Picks: "The Streets Suburbia" from The Lawnmower Man and "Summer Breeze" from TOEM Outro (feat. "Boom Box Beat" from City of Heroes) 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.

Syp and Syp return to the vast library of NCsoft's MMO soundtracks, with games like Aion, Lineage, and Blade & Soul to keep our ears happy for decades now. With so much new music coming out of this studio on a regular basis, there's always something fresh to experience! Episode 227 show notes Intro (feat. "Glimmer of Hope" from Aion, "A Tropical Getaway" from WildStar, and "Coastline" from Guild Wars) "Corridor of Awakening" from Blade and Soul 2 "The Labyrinth in the Garden" from Lineage II "The Recluse" from Lineage "Greenhollow" from Blade and Soul "Darkened Land" from Aion "Cormans" from Tabula Rasa Which one did we like best? Jukebox Picks: "NCsoft Playlist" and "Shamburger" from Age of Empires II Outro (feat. "SissiRat Theme" from Dungeon Runners) 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.

It's always highly bittersweet when MMO fans sit back and consider the games that never were — the projects that got far along in development but, for various reasons, didn't cross the finish line. But some left behind a melodic footprint that's very much worth examining, which is what our intrepid Battle Bards do today! Episode 226 show notes Intro (feat. "Overture" from Stargate Worlds, "Sentience" from The Repopulation, and "Ancestral Lands" from Glitch) "Town" from Peria Chronicles  "Alpha 6" from EverQuest Landmark "Roobrik and Balzare" from Glitch "Barren Plains" from Ultima X Odyssey "Sunlit Forest 2" from Project Copernicus "West Tumbara Day" from Lime Odyssey Which one did we like best? Listener notes: Katriana Jukebox Picks: "The Way Home" from Terranigma (SNES) and "Main Theme" from Timerborn Outro (feat. "Zingo's Faire" from Project Copernicus) 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.

One of the newer MMOs on the market, Embers Adrift leaned hard into tougher PvE gameplay and the darkest of dark nights. But how does its music support this fantasy game world? Syl and Syp investigate the "living soundtrack" of this hardcore title. Episode 225 show notes Intro (feat. "Adventures Adrift," "Gardens and Ruins," and "Into the Trees") "Meadowlands Melody" "Newhaven" "Newhaven City Theme" "Hunted in the Dark" "Sojourn in the Mist" "Wanderer" Which one did we like best? Listener notes: Thuan Jukebox Picks: "Pizza Deluxe" from Pizza Tower and "Staff Roll" from Super Soccer Outro (feat. "Enigmatic Echoes") 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.

It's been an almost egregiously long time since the Battle Bards turned their attention to the EverQuest II soundtrack -- but now that wait is over. Join Syp and Syl as they comb through the expansions for all sorts of delightful musical morsels to enjoy! Episode 224 show notes Intro (feat. "Main Theme," "Landing Zone," and "Darkpaw") "Artisan Theme" "Qeynos Rises" "Stonewood" "Dreadcutter" "Visions of Vetrovia" "Enchanted Lands" Which one did we like best? Listener notes: Zinn Jukebox Picks: "Big Apple 3PM" from TMNT Shredder's Revenge and "A New Land Awaits" from Going Medieval Outro (feat. "Gnomeland Security Headquarters") 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.

The steely gaze and pointy ears of the Battle Bards turns to 2009's Dragonica -- also known as Dragon Saga -- to see what musical treasures might be stashed in this beast's lair. Syl and Syp descend into this all-too-cute realm to find tracks of whimsy and madness awaiting. Listener beware! Episode 223 show notes Intro (feat. "Sky City," "Ferell," and "Haruka's Sushi Restaurant") "Title Screen" "Swamp Area" "Traitor's Ridge" "Port of Winds" "Odelia" "Pinecone Hill" Which one did we like best? Thanks to MMO Bomb for featuring us on its Top 10 MMO podcasts you should be listening to! Listener notes: Bill Champagne, Katriana Jukebox Picks: "The House Cup" from Hogwarts Legacy and "Content" from Age of Mythology Outro (feat. "My Home") 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.

Will our fascination with giant, skyfaring, flame-belching lizards subside? World of Warcraft bets not, as it's currently soaring through its Dragonflight expansion. Will the music also ascend to lofty realms or fall to the earth with a dud? You'll have to listen to the Battle Bards as they figure out the answer to that question! Episode 222 show notes  Intro (feat. "The Dragon's Hoard," "Riverbends," and "The Isles Awaken") "Take to the Skies" "Giants of the Span" "Windsong" "Tyrhold" "Ramparts of Valdrakken" "Gardens of Unity" Which one did we like best? Listener Notes: George and Bullwraith Jukebox Picks: "Encounter Elite" from Sea of Stars, "Jubilife Village Theme" from Pokemon Legends Arceus, and "Density" from Citizen Sleeper Outro (feat. "Life Pools") 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.

The power of the One Ring doesn't just rule them all -- it also brings Steff back from retirement! All three Battle Bards are here today to talk about Lord of the Rings Online's enormous Before the Shadow soundtrack. From Hobbits to swans to everything in between, our radio dial is stuck on Middle-earth for now. Episode 221 show notes Intro (feat. "The Silver Bastion," "Valor of Yore," and "Hidden Hearths") "Before the Shadow" "Cranny and Nook" "Mark of the White Hand" "The Waiting Night" "The Stoors Abode" "The Shadow Rises" Which one did we like best? Listener Notes: Thuan, Zinn, and Katriana Jukebox Picks: "Sunset Breakfast" from Tunic, "Lichdragon Fortissax" from Elden Ring, and "San Francisco Escape By Day" from Driver Outro (feat. "A History Not Forgotten") 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.

Whether or not you like dragons, you have to admit that Guild Wars 2 certainly ended them in style! Join Syl and Syp as they rewind to last winter's End of Dragons and its incredible bounty of soundtrack goodness. Episode 220 show notes Intro (feat. "Daigo Ward" and "Mist Connections") "A Future Carved in Jade" "A New Era of Heroes" "I'm Home" "The Petrified Forest" "Captain of the Aetherblades" "Stroll in the Night Markets" Which one did we like best? Jukebox Picks: "Crystal Garden" from King's Quest V and "Knucklebones" from Cult of the Lamb Outro (feat. "The Empire of Dragons") 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.