Audio Question for the Community
CaterP
Posts: 190Developer
Audio seems to be a constant point of criticism and we do want to address it as best able.
To try to get to a common ground of what people think is good vs. bad, what would be an example of a modern game in a similar genre with good audio?
Thanks!
To try to get to a common ground of what people think is good vs. bad, what would be an example of a modern game in a similar genre with good audio?
Thanks!
Comments
My biggest concern is the things like not being able to hear shots or other sounds like grenade blasts sometimes, you just die without a peep. Also not being able to tell where the fire is coming from is annoying, and for some strange reason I can't hear someone approaching me from behind my position, like at all. I just see a pair of arms come around my throat.
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#Support Comp Mode
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN4YhM6jUB2MxVj8i3b9rhw
My Youtube Chanel I AAPG Profile I AA2 Tracker August KILL COMPILATION
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AA3 can be a good example because the guns were based more on real life sounds...more so than AAPG
#Support Comp Mode
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN4YhM6jUB2MxVj8i3b9rhw
On numerous occasions within a 20 meter radius the sound would drop and become very sporadic. Which is the reason for a lot of people getting choked out because they couldn't hear anything behind them.
The elevation factor is pretty self explanatory. The only reason a majority of people could tell if someone was above or below them was from the sound of the surface that the opposing player was on.
There has been a ton of feedback for each of the opt-ins and very little progress has been made. The sound in the opt-ins should resemble the same sound in the open beta but with more consistency and a Z-axis.
Single fire puts out a different sound frequency than auto. Your own character still makes too much noise. Looked like the footsteps got quieter between opt-in 3 and 4. There are still places on maps that do not resemble the surface the pawn is on.
The c4 plant sites on cold front are stupidly loud when the radar moves around. There is just so much inconsistent sound levels throughout most of the maps. I think a lot of it has to do with the occlusion garbage.
We have one week left before release and 1 guy that does the sound. It should be all guys on deck helping out whatever they can for Soundy.
People don't play the opt-ins because the sound is so bad right? What do you think is gonna happen next week when you release this game and get a few handfuls of new players here, and they hear first hand what the sound is like from the U.S. Army. Couple that with PB and watch what happens.
Download Battlefield 3. Put the in-game audio setting to "War Tapes". Join an infantry only TDM mode server such as a 24-32 man TDM Noshahr Canals. Listen to the glorious sound stage that game has... The weapons sound amazing and the sound stage is not screwed up.
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Otherwise, load up some youtube videos and listen closely.
Do you prefer the audio in BF3 over BF4?
BF4 weapons sounds are more dampened compared to BF3 if i'm not mistaken. Wich is a bad thing.
Honestly 10 year old AA2 is still my fav, no comparison.
This is without the EAX effects which added a bunch of weird reverb.
1. Sounds were very crisp.
2. Each sound was very distinct. I could always identify which weapon was being fired. I could always identify what surface was being walked on.
3. I very rarely got confused about what direction a sound was coming from.
4. Every action that could impact me came with a sound cue unless the enemy took extra care to avoid them.
5. The volume of most sound effects was well balanced. No sound seemed unnaturally loud in comparison to any other.
6. The game sound is always predictable and consistent. This is by far the most important point for me and the biggest issue with the opt-ins IMO.
Each opt-in has made noticeable improvement on point 2 which is good. I think the current opt-in is doing OK on point 1 as well. There has been improvement made on 5 as well with each opt-in, but a lot of effects still seem poorly balanced to me. For example, grenades bouncing across the map sound like they are right next to me, but only sometimes. Sometimes the bounce sound seems appropriate.
The first 1:10 of that video SOPMOD posted made a very important point. For multiplayer games where players are hearing the same sounds over and over for thousands of hours it is more important to have crisp/clean/simple sound rather than aggressive/epic sounds.
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1/ Not all audio systems are created equal. Speakers versus headphones, onboard audio versus standalone high end sound cards and standard stereo versus multi- channel Dolby all contribute to the situation. Who uses what and how it impacts the game is as or more important than how the sound was created.
2/ No two player’s hearing is exactly alike. As well, individuals’ subjectiveness will colour their interpretation of in game sounds.
This past weekend we did extensive testing in different Opt-In #4 maps. I won’t get into all the different things we did or the problems I’ll just give you a quick view re 1 and 2 above.
There is a noticeable improvement when using high quality Dolby enabled headphones over standard headsets. It’s possible that some who think the present guns make pew-pew sounds would benefit from upgrading their audio. Similarly, those who dislike what some describe as “Hollywood like” overdone sounds might accept the present sounds if they went into their audio settings and played with the EQ.
To my dismay I learned my hearing is not as good as my team mates. In order for me to detect him at the same distance as he could of me required I turn up the volume until weapons fire was painful. Turned down to where weapons fire was bearable meant that he could tactical crouch up to within choking range of me. Dang old age!
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In terms of sounds and environment, there is just too much going on. I really liked AA2 in that sense.
This one would be closer to the sound blaster z
http://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-e3
and this one would be closer to this
I am willing to help out with a much feedback as possible by having access to the latest build with 1 more person that has a high end card someone like hyperlite. I have no idea if he is willing but I am sure he is and can make time for it because he obviously wants the sound to succeed and reach is true potential just like me. Also I know he knows how to setup his sound.
EDIT:
Also you need to make use of the MaxConcurrentHearSounds default is 32...I am pretty sure most onboard setups now a days can handle 64-128...Also 128 is what most people with sounds cards would use pretty much any creative card out can make use of 128 MaxConcurrentHearSounds or maxchannels...In America's Army 2 if you had an XF-i of any kind and left this at the default of 32 you were losing out on a huge amount of sounds...Just from 32 - 64 made a good difference and when you put it to 128 is was a huge difference. Not sure how you integrate this into the sound engine or if it's already integrated, but this would definitely help a ton obviously you would need to add this into the in game Settings menu...With values of 32/64/128 available for use.
http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-2118909.html
http://wiki.beyondunreal.com/UE3:PlayerController_internal_variables_(UT3)#MaxConcurrentHearSounds
http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1152390&page=55
Also there should definitely be some sort of speaker option that makes a difference ingame...So if you set it to 5.1 speakers, headphones, 2.1 speakers, 5.1 headphones. In battlefield 3 setting your sound to wartapes took full advantage of your sound setup it was amazing bf4 not so much not sure what they did. But all these settings should sound better if your using it. So for example if I have headphones I should notice a pretty big different selecting headphones over any other setting.
I am sure there is more stuff, but it's a little too late for me to continue with this. I gotta get myself some sleep.
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aa2 sound is the absolute best comparison. play a youtube of anything aa2 and you know exactly who what where. but in aapg if you are hearing sounds muffled through walls across the map it is all muffled and reflected so you can't pinpoint that location. i shouldn't have to turn on paint (simulated munitions) to confirm where exactly a grenade exploded... the nade explosion should be heard clearly and its location should not be in question. the sound stage should be clear and precise and encompass the entire length of the map.
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but as far as more modern, if you look at bf3 it does have amazing sound effects for bullets flying by near you, the weapons and explosions sound awesome and with pinpoint clarity. when people fire weapons outdoors in an all outdoor map you know precisely where and what sort of weapon it is (like aa2). you don't need simulated munitions turn on to help you pinpoint that stuff.
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even if there is a wall between me and the source, i'd rather be able to pinpoint that source without the reflection tricking me into thinking the source is anywhere from say 45 degrees left or 45 degrees right of its true location... 90 degrees is not pinpoint.