Sound Design: Kipees, Messab, Fairhaven, and a solution

[tengheau]

Up-front I am opinionated on the topic of sounds. I used to be an audio engineer, I have done some sound design, I can also do amazing kitty cat sounds (I was once asked to make a .5 second cat sound which expressed "surprise then bewilderment" and to everyone's astonishment, not the least of all mine, I got it on the first take). There, that's all the claim to expert I am going to make. Here are the opinions:

The kipee sound is perfectly horrible and not in the sort of way which enhances the game experience, It should be changed, and changed as soon as possible.
It's a car crash mixed with some kind of roar and probably an overdriven male scream, with all but the attack run through a distortion unit. Really it's an okay sound, for a solitary aggro that should make you jump out of your skin when you suddenly hear it right behind you. But to give it to a herd animal is obnoxious and only inspires people to turn off their speakers. And many people I talk to do turn off their speakers, which is the smoking gun of failed sound design.

Messab. Look, that just isn't sound design, that's letting someone's kid brother loose in the sample collection.
It's a backwards sample, no tweaking of the attack or decay, just a backwards sample. Once more given to a herd animal, the worst possible application. Please, fix it or kill it.

While killing things, please kill the Fairhaven music. Kill it and stick it's header on a stake as a warning to would be game music composers.

My last opinion is a solution that would fix everything above perfectly and at minimal cost. Allow an override directory structure for sounds and maybe even in-game music. Let your players develop the sounds for you for free or at least give them the opportunity to act to relieve their suffering.


Calevin

[xtarsia]

100% agree about kipee n messabs lol

[ajsuk]

While Kipees are a pain in the neck the main reason I often turn sound off is because its such a resource whore.

[blaah]

Let your players develop the sounds for you for free or at least give them the opportunity to act to relieve their suffering.

dead Kipee makes no noise

[sehracii]

I'd like to add the player melee attack screams to the list.

I have my sound on, but very quiet for that and the reasons you mentioned....

There are many great background sounds that I don't get to hear because of it.

[rushin]

i turned sound off about a month ago, its quite sad as some of the effects are really nice but the bad ones (as mentioned above) make it a much more attractive prospect to nuke it completely.

What finally pushed me over the edge was my character screaming her lungs out every single melee hit. its unnecessary and fantastically annoying after 2 minutes.

[johnne]

While Kipees are a pain in the neck the main reason I often turn sound off is because its such a resource whore.

Sound is resource intensive? What are you running on, a 486? :-O

[ajsuk]

Sound is resource intensive? What are you running on, a 486? :-O

Don't knock it until you've tried it man, during an OP battle or something.

It shouldn't make so much of an improvment, but is does none the less.

[acridiel]

What annouyes me the most is the fact, that so many MOBS sound alike.
Kinchers yiuse the same sounds as Kipees, Cuttler sound like Ginkos Armas sound like Bodocs... Its kind of sad...

Although I like the Kipee sound Idea, I hate the Messabs and too many Kipees.

Edit: I leave the sound on though.
Because appart from the Race-voices and some Mob sounds, the soundscape is marvelous.

CU
Acridiel

[camillez]

I totally agree... I turned the sound off about one year ago when I used to dig in Tryker lands in the middle of 20 kipees... I put it back on about a month ago cos I kind of missed it, but when i go in the PR I always turn it off otherwise I just go nuts