Pledges

_Thresh__Thresh_ Join Date: 2008-01-11 Member: 63385Members
edited December 2011 in NS2 General Discussion
<div class="IPBDescription">feedback with teeth</div>Was going to buy another round of "support the team" copies of NS2 for Christmas.

But i've already bought 6 copies; enough "no strings attached" support to do my bit.

Instead i'm going to make a pledge, not a big one, but enough to put some weight behind some feedback.

The sound localization system in NS1 was awesome. A skulk could sit in a vent, hear marines approaching and identify how many, direction and range, then use that information to plan an attack. When attacking, Skulks had to control forward speed- either through crouching or riding the W key- to keep below a threshold: and therefore keep silent. Marines also had speed thresholds on sound that were important for sneaking into hives.

Really noticing the absence of good gameplay driven sound in NS2.

If an update can be made that includes; improved sound localization and speed thresholds, i'll buy another 5 keys.
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Comments

  • IronHorseIronHorse Developer, QA Manager, Technical Support & contributor Join Date: 2010-05-08 Member: 71669Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Subnautica Playtester, Subnautica PT Lead, Pistachionauts
    should give away to expand community, too
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  • B1ackSmokeB1ackSmoke Join Date: 2011-01-25 Member: 78855Members
    Well for the skulk, all you have to do is hold shift to keep silent, become slower, and sneak up on Marines.

    ATM Marines crouch to keep silent and become slower.

    -B1ackSmoke
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  • FloodinatorFloodinator [HBZ] Member Join Date: 2005-02-22 Member: 42087Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    <!--quoteo(post=1890696:date=Dec 18 2011, 05:39 AM:name=B1ackSmoke)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (B1ackSmoke @ Dec 18 2011, 05:39 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1890696"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Well for the skulk, all you have to do is hold shift to keep silent, become slower, and sneak up on Marines.

    ATM Marines crouch to keep silent and become slower.

    -B1ackSmoke<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I don't hear any skulk anymore as marine and that is annoying.
    All the sounds and volumes are a bit messed up.
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  • simon kamakazisimon kamakazi Join Date: 2009-04-28 Member: 67296Members
    we've made some changes to how level geometry obstructs sounds, next patch it will obstruct it alot less this should help u hear approaching enemies. but the sound localisation in ns2 works pretty much like it would in any game. also ive turned the ambient sounds in the maps down quite a bit too so this will help u hear game sounds better. the sound mix and fall of ranges for sounds are still a WIP. and i appreciate the comments on these forums regarding how the current mix is for gameplay, so thanx for your input.

    another factor could be that ns2 has about 3x the number of sounds as ns1 did, so the sound-scape is a lot more dense/ diverse this could make it harder to pick specific sounds out when there is a battle going on(not much that can be done about that). another thing could be just that u need to get familiar with the sounds in ns2. when i play in a public game i use sound alot to find out whats going on, eg. i can hear that a skulk is attacking the powernode even tho the base is being rushed and every one is shooting and biting because im really familiar with the sounds.
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  • ZycaRZycaR Join Date: 2002-11-12 Member: 8263Members
    ... you can play with closed eyes :D
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  • Fluid CoreFluid Core Join Date: 2007-12-26 Member: 63260Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    I would like to see a way to adjust game sounds and voice (of others) individually. Right now NS2 sounds are very low compared to everything else, and the voice usually get covered up in background noise too, making it hard to pick out at times. If they were individual I could atleast turn the game sounds of to hear the talking decently.
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  • HughHugh Cameraman San Francisco, CA Join Date: 2010-04-18 Member: 71444NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Onos, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Developer, Pistachionauts
    Hey thanks for your reply Simon! Are there really three times as many sounds in NS2? That's crazy! Is there a rough number?
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  • _Thresh__Thresh_ Join Date: 2008-01-11 Member: 63385Members
    Thanks for the reply Simon. Sound functioning like in every other game seems to be part of the problem. There aren't many games where you need to track targets reliably through walls as part of core game-play. Moreover, said requirement seems to be throwing up unique problems with respect to how "sound" has changed in games since NS1.

    I'm not sure learning all the new sounds is the problem, it seems more specifically related to footsteps and there isolation. I've tried raising the sound to uncomfortable levels on some $200 headphones, but the problem is categorical and needs a design level fix.

    But it's good to know you're aware of it and have a gameplay focus. Will post in the gifting thread when the pledge is satisfied.

    cheers
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  • simon kamakazisimon kamakazi Join Date: 2009-04-28 Member: 67296Members
    thresh, tell me what u think of the footstep sounds in the next patch also it should be alot better., we also added in sprinting footsteps which are much louder and heard further away than regular ones.



    hugh, theres around 1.5k unique waveforms in ns2 right now, this may sound like a lot, but consider something like crysis 2 has over 7000
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  • QuovatisQuovatis Team Inversion Join Date: 2010-01-26 Member: 70321Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    Yeah, the sound information in NS2 is currently really lacking. I can't hear skulks at all in the current build, but a few patches ago the skulk was ridiculously loud. The fade and lerk still have no sounds associated with them (that I can tell), so you can't hear them approaching at all. NS1 played some random screeching/growling from aliens that were moving. I'd like to see a return of that.
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  • TechercizerTechercizer 7th Player Join Date: 2011-06-11 Member: 103832Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1891201:date=Dec 21 2011, 12:40 PM:name=Quovatis)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Quovatis @ Dec 21 2011, 12:40 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1891201"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Yeah, the sound information in NS2 is currently really lacking. I can't hear skulks at all in the current build, but a few patches ago the skulk was ridiculously loud. The fade and lerk still have no sounds associated with them (that I can tell), so you can't hear them approaching at all. NS1 played some random screeching/growling from aliens that were moving. I'd like to see a return of that.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    You can hear fades blinking in from halfway across the map.
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  • QuovatisQuovatis Team Inversion Join Date: 2010-01-26 Member: 70321Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    <!--quoteo(post=1891205:date=Dec 21 2011, 01:24 PM:name=Techercizer)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Techercizer @ Dec 21 2011, 01:24 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1891205"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->You can hear fades blinking in from halfway across the map.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Obviously I meant non-blinking, walking fades. In NS1 you could hear them, but not in NS2.
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