another complication i've noticed during recent playtesting is queing combat music when the player draws a weapon near animals - as if they were about to go hunting. its possible to get an encounter, but no visual on the target, then draw you weapon and wander around. when you get close to the animals, the hunting music starts, letting you know you're close, even though you still don't have a visual on the target yet. so starting music when the player looks like they're about to attack won't work - it can be exploited as a "cheat".

i'm planning to rework the encounters so it notifies you when animals enter the area (IE you get an encounter), but it doesn't stop whatever action you're doing. if the animals approach (within 20 feet or so), you'll get a second message that animals are approaching your band member, and they will stop the current action and the AI will go into combat mode (until you takeover manual control of the band member). at that point combat music would start.

another issue i've discovered is avians who fly so fast they fly beyond "turn off combat music" range just doing a flyby before they turn for the next pass. so the music plays for a few seconds as they attack, then stops as they fly off. then they turn and attack again, starting the music again for a couple seconds before they fly out of range again.

another issue i've discovered is avians who fly so fast they fly beyond "turn off combat music" range just doing a flyby before they turn for the next pass. so the music plays for a few seconds as they attack, then stops as they fly off. then they turn and attack again, starting the music again for a couple seconds before they fly out of range again.

Perhaps it might help to have the music play based on the state of the combatants, rather than its proximity to the player. Thus an attacking avian produces battle music whether it's near or far; similarly, a stalking cat might not change the music at all, while a fighting cat would produce battle music. I would imagine that the condition might be either party entering an "open combat" state, while, as implied above, "stalking" or other "stealth" states wouldn't trigger it. (Although you could perhaps have a separate set of music for a player-character in a "stalking" state, providing appropriate atmosphere for stealthy players.)

Perhaps it might help to have the music play based on the state of the combatants, rather than its proximity to the player

yes, i've been considering that for follower AI as well. but that's what makes Lydia take off across the map chasing some critter in Skyrim... and makes it so you can't fast travel until you're miles from hostiles in Skyrim.

i'm sure there's an answer, but apparently its not that straight forward. a human onlooker could at any time easily say "yes music should be playing" or "no there shouldn't". but just what those rules are as to when it should and shouldn't play will take a bit of thinking. somewhat like the rules for follower behavior, and when they should engage and disengage targets.