Deciding the Next Special Update (Summer 2021)

[Libera]

Back in February we finished off the previous special update, and after having a few months to relax it is now time for the next one!  We'll begin by taking suggestions from our users for themes for this update.  Each user can suggest one theme in this thread here.  Nominations will be open until next Friday evening (roughly 2200 GMT, Friday 9th July).  The restrictions are the same as last time:

• The theme cannot be limited to a single game/series or musical style.
• No duplicates of previous themes (food/cooking or replacements)

You can see a list of the themes that were suggested last time but didn't win here.  The best suggestions are ones that can be applied to many different types of video games and musical styles.

Different from last time is that after the nominations period has ended, the updaters will be drafting a shortlist of these options first, prior to voting.  This is to ensure that the options are the ones that are the most viable for being the focus of a special arrangement project, and also will make the voting simpler for all of you.  After the shortlist is announced, voting will be open for approximately 4 days.  After that, we will announce the chosen theme and submissions will be opened up for two weeks.  More exact details will be posted after the voting has concluded.

[mastersuperfan]

I'd suggest nighttime themes again, except now I have a different idea...

Colors! Anything with a color or a color-related reference in its name could be arranged. For example:

• Streamer battle themes from Origami King
• Rainbow Roads from Mario Kart
• Scarlet Forest from Deltarune
• Red Canyon from F-Zero
• Blue Skies and a Battle from Fire Emblem: Three Houses
• Black Tower and White Treehollow from Pokémon Black 2 / White 2
• City of Color from Splatoon and Color Pulse from Splatoon 2
• Remixes of Green Greens from later Kirby games

...and so on.

[Rubikium]

I'd like to nominate the theme of arrangements. This can include:

• multiple arrangements of the same theme (differences on instrumentation, meter, scales,...)
• tracks that use the same (leit-)motifs or musical ideas
• tracks that fits other meanings of "arrangement" (plan, ordering,...)

For the first two options, arranged sheets should be in sets. Arrangers can collab and work on a set of sheets together, and sheets that form a set with on-site sheets are also okay for submitting.
"Special Arrangement Update" :kekdog:

[Whoppybones]

I think it would be fun to do royal themes. Royal isn't quite the word I'm looking for, as it makes it seem specific to kingdoms, but leader themes is too broad. Hopefully my examples clear up what I mean. Royal themes would include:

• Themes of royal characters (Princess Peach, Zelda, Edgar (FF6), etc.)
• Themes of royal castles (Bowser's Castle, Hyrule Castle, Chozo temple, etc.)
• Themes of royal battles (Mother Brain Fight, King K. Rool fight, In the Final (Dark Bowser fight), etc.)

There may be other subtopics, but as someone who hasn't played a large variety of series, this is all I can think of.

[Bloop]

Maybe "Dark" could be a fun theme? This could include:

• Nighttime themes (like mastersuperfans idea)
• Underground/Cave themes
• Characters or bosses related to darkness (shadow something, twilight something)
• Space themes (possibly)

[BlueKirby]

hmm, maybe a "Hot/Cold" theme? because in half the world, it's summer, but the other half, it's winter! So sheets of songs that have to do with either the hot or cold (or maybe both!)

Hot:

• Scorching Desert - Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
• Phoenix Mountain - Kid Icarus Uprising
• Red Canyon - F-Zero

Cold:

• Kingdom of Tantal - Xenoblade Chronicles 2
• Iceberg Ocean - Kirby's Dream Course
• A Bell is Tolling - Secret of Mana

(sorry for not elaborating on this, brain has been blanking atm and probably will for a bit)

[Atcero]

In commemoration of this beautiful hot weather we're having at least in the northern hemisphere (I hope you people in the south are doing better than us), I'm proposing a Day/Heat theme!

Some Examples

• Day themes or themes that take place during more sunny/day themed levels
• Sky themes
• Fire/Heat Themes
• Volcanos
• oh god everythings on fire

Also I did have this written out before BKs but it looks like I forgot to post like a dumb dumb, so :cri:

[NineLives]

Though it may be a pretty broad topic, I'm thinking, since it's summer, that maybe we could try a vacation theme. Basically, having music from any place in-game that you would choose to go to if you were planning a summer trip. This could include themes from hotels, resorts, beaches, restaurants, parks (amusement or otherwise), airlines, tropical islands, cruise ships, or just any old tourist trap.
Finding games based on vacations might be a bit hard, since there are only a few(i.e. Super Mario Sunshine, Go Vacation, Wii Sports Resort, etc.), but you can try to think of something more personal. Where would you want to go in the gaming world just to relax? Maybe you'd like to travel to one of the many cities from the Pokémon franchise, perhaps you'd want to take a ride on the Daisy Cruiser from Mario Kart, or rest on the seaside of Tortimer Island from Animal Crossing. It's all up to the imagination of the arranger.

[quiggly650]

In the vein of Summer often being "off months" for many people, what about a theme around those moments in games where you aren't necessarily working toward the final goal, but are enjoying a nice detour or break. Those places where the developers put a little extra game in their game, where you could lose yourself for hours (or even a few days weeks months).

I'm talking, of course, about MINIGAMES!!!

So many games have minigames within them. Fishing sections, casino sections, etc. There's even a game series, Mario Party, centered around minigames, for which the site doesn't have many sheets beyond Mario Party 3. And if you want to get crazy, some titles, like Warioware games, are chock-full of minigames most people would never remember, so there's a ton of potential for new content.

This theme offers a chance to show off that one beautiful section of the game you always enjoyed or to get the tune out of your head that you had to listen to for hours for that one collectible (you know the one).

[Kricketune54]

The Sheetastic, Gangtastic, Organized Crime Update. 

Whether it's the main antagonists, a goofy gang of miscreants, or grungy in-game locations these arrangements are meant to capture gaming's seedier side.


Some examples that fall in this category:

-Bowser/Koopa Kid music
-Evil teams from Pokemon, characters/gangs in PMD
-Space Pirates (Metroid), or Kid Icarus I guess haha?
-Redd or other sketchy characters from Animal Crossing
-Dr. Wily (I think lol)
-Kirby Squeak Squad, King Dedede or Meta Knight's groups
-Various Final Fantasy locations/entities
-Kremling Krew or the other groups from Donkey Kong

[Libera]

Just a reminder that you have roughly a day before I'll close the nominations.  If you have any ideas you'd like to suggest, now is the time!

[LeviR.star]

After some thought, I've decided that I like these other ideas so much, that I'd rather leave my ideas off to the side for now. Besides, I'm just happy we're doing a project again.

Yeah, special updates! Go, NSM!

[Libera]

Theme nominations are now closed.  Thank you all for your suggestions!  We will announce a shortlist as soon as possible and the voting will then commence...  Stay tuned!

[Libera]

Voting is now officially open!

Voting will work in the same way it did for the previous two projects, and you can see the details of the method here.  To vote, you need to PM me (using the forum PM system is my preferred method) a ranked list of the options from most favourite to least favourite.  Here is an example vote (using made-up themes).

Spoiler

<username>
1 - Explosions
2 - Music that plays whilst being chased by an alligator
3 - Music for the Sega Saturn
4 - Credits Themes

[close]

In your vote you need to rank every option, with no ties allowed.  If you don't do this, your vote will not be counted.  Also, just like in previous times, arrangers (those with at least one sheet on-site) will have their votes count for double.

I now present the shortlist of options that you can vote for.  If your suggestion didn't make the shortlist, don't take it personally.  There will be plenty of opportunities in the future to suggest themes for projects!  The options here were picked because they represent the most cohesive themes that still allow for a wide variety of pieces to be arranged.

The Shortlist

-Colours
-Dark
-Heat (also see the hot portion of this)
-Vacation

You have exactly four days (96 hours from the time of this post) to send in your votes to me, after which I will announce the winner and open up to two weeks of submissions.  More details as to how submissions will work will be given at that time.  Happy voting!

[Libera]

Voting is now closed.  I will announce the winner shortly...  I got confused about the forum time again.  Voting is still open for another 21 minutes.  If you have any last minute votes, now is the time!