So I heard the TR wanted an audio pass... I'll give you an audio pass

I decided to help steer SOE in the right direction.



Originally posted on Reddit with some success, decided to post it to other PS2 forums. This is by no means a hard guideline, just a concept to nudge SOE into what I feel TR should sound like.

Edit# Before people get confused though, know that these effects are from BC2 (mostly) and BF3 (bolt actions and minigun), not something that I made... As stated above, it's just a concept of what I feel the TR should sound close to.

From my Reddit post:

So....they should all sound alike?

?
Truly? That's the first time I read somebody say that (out all the people that watched it). Do they really sound alike for you? I picked BC2 specifically because each weapon had its own distinct audio

Don't listen to him... great work, I really hope they implement this in-game.

They sound pretty similar to me.

They sound good, don't get me wrong just too similar.

The RAM.50 is the only one that I prefer the original sound of

I approve. This would make it sound like I'm fighting a real military, not a bunch of kids with plastic guns.

Yeah, they all sound alike. With the new VS sounds, and the current TR and NC ones, you can clearly hear whether the gun being fired is a LMG, AR or Carbine, and you can tell which damage tier it is based on the noise it makes.

And your BASR's sounds exactly the same as your battle rifle.

And in what universe is it acceptable to have the Vulcan sound exact the same as the MCG?

It does sound like the TR are shooting paintball guns sometimes and I do agree that they could benefit from some changes in their sound effects.

These do sound like an improvement although I would want to take down the volume on the chaingun and the Vulcan. Not because it doesn't sound better, only that I could see that getting somewhat obnoxious over an extended playtime. I don't want to not grab my chaingun when the situation calls for it simply because I'm starting to get a headache.

Definitely a step up though. Good samples man, hope they hear ya .

I had to turn down the volume a little bit, but they were great samples.
They certainly didn't sound like paintball/airsoft guns, like they do currently.

What the VS guns lacked and what the TR guns still lack (the NC got the better end of the sound design stick, but imo still doesn't exactly have this) is reverb, that cracking echo that you can clearly hear even after you've stopped firing. The VS got this plus non-pew-pew sounds. It's time that change came to the other factions.

NICE. VERY NICE.

For all intensive purposes, the sound design for each faction is already fitting.

NC get bigger bass in their samples, because they shoot bigger or more powerful rounds.
VS get alien/energy sounding samples because... well, they shoot energy bolts and there is no real sound for this in reality.
TR get high pitched pops because their rounds are smaller but are supposed to be more numerous.

What you're suggesting through this video, in my opinion, is simply better sound samples over all. DICE is amazing with it's sound because they often record the REAL thing. There is a reason why BF3 won Sound Design awards. The reality is, after sampling and mixing; true, high def recording have strong base with balanced treble. TR weapons have no bass at all. There is no thud. That is what you're describing to me, again; IMO.
More bass.

Which I could agree with honestly. When I shoot, I wan't to feel that power.

However due note that since SOE want's PS2 to be stamped with MLG, certain restrictions apply. Such as, every gun needs to be plainly audible and distinct so that pro-players can ID the weapon BVR or OVR. You don't want some ****** saying "We only lost that base because I thought the guy was carrying an LMG when it was actually a carbine and he owned me in CQC! It's the game's fault!!!!" (massive over exaggeration, but case in point)
Making a game "Pro Capable" is... very demanding on all forms of "balance" and is super limiting on "creativity". Ugh.

Some do make it past though. BF3 has some good tournies, for example; despite how much Eye candy is in the game.

Just looking at the size of the casings here, those are no small rounds. It's actually funny, even the pistols eject rifle casings. Oh SOE. High pitched pops isn't exactly fitting either. I mean, it's gun-powder. It's loud.

As with all sound design, you eventually learn to identify which weapon is which through experience. The problem currently is it doesn't matter whether you're using the T9 CARV or the TMG-50, their audio is the same with a different rate of fire.

I mean, I can definitely identify what's an LMG and what's an AR in that video. But I guess that's my entire point, you learn to associate what's what in time. DICE made sure that every weapon in BC2 is unique in its audio

Definitely part of the problem. And most of the weapons don't even reflect the kind of round that they use. The RAMS .50 is a good example, but its model and sound don't reflect the fact that it's a .50 cal. It has this pathetic wheeze. Then you have the Lynx which sounds like a toy.

Would love the Rams 50 to sound like this, always loved the sound of the halo sniper rifles, sounds like a heavy sniper rifle

Well, I was listening on stock tablet speakers, so factor that in, but all of the automatics sounded really similar, and all of the semi-autos could have been cloned.

Don't get me wrong, what you have here is way better than in-game sounds as they are (with the possible exception of the MCG and Vulcan), but they all sound very similar to each other.

As far as the MCG/Vulcan go, I'd expect them to make that tearing sound illustrated in the extraction scene of Act of Valor, which is a lot closer to what we currently have in game.

some sound horrible

Iol that T5S sound like its running at 1000rpm cyclic

So, is this in-game, or did you just dub the audio over the video? If it's in-game, what's to stop us (besides the EULA) from having custom audio packs? I'd love to see a complete audio overhaul with more realistic weapon/explosion sounds, aircraft/vehicle sounds, and more pew pew for the VS.

Also, while I understand that you've grabbed some existing sounds, what do you think about situational/environmental audio where the echo/reverb is locationally dependent? It doesn't make any sense to have a long rolling echo when you are firing a gun inside a small room. That's one of the stupidest things about the new NS SMG- it has this trailing echo regardless of where you're firing it.

OK I got a lot to say regarding this subject.

Firstly I appreciate your work, well done mate!

that's the only downer. should of switched the sound overlays of the lynx and the trac5-s for that matter.
Also I find it kind of funny that the OP used the sound of the BC2 Huey Minigun for the MCG/ Vulcan. I honestly couldn't play PS2 like that since I actually played BC2 and it'd probably feel sort of ridiculous . That's not to say that it wasn't fitting.
From a gameplay perspective a serious point of criticism would be the amount of reverb in the OPs video. That's the very reason why I dislike the new NS SMG. You can hear that thing being fired from across the map, which makes a silencer vital. It sounds bad *** for sure, but it sets you at a severe disadvantage against anyone who knows how to play FPS games.

I'm all for a new sound concept, though I'm actually quite satisfied with our current LMG + MCG/ Vulcan sounds. In fact I wouldn't want it to change at all. As far as Carbines and Rifles go, the current sounds are utterly pathetic indeed. Airsoft guns/ firecrackers hits the nail on the head from my pov. Needs vastly more punch/ bass.

Looking at the VS sound revamp however, I gotta say that I'd much rather if we were stuck with our current, at least partly alright weapon sounds for good. Because chances are that we will not be getting absolutely awesome perfectly fitting weapon sounds but a bunch of literally comical ones. This would be the final nail in the coffin for this game for me personally. And I ain't gonna switch to the silly NC.

The OP stated in one followup post that the sounds are taken from Battlefield: Bad Company 2, so they are most likely just edited over the existing sounds. That game had echo on everything so if such weapon sounds were to be implemented, the echo would probably not. And I am salivating for those sounds.

Technically, a gauss rifle should be silent except for the projectile breaking the sound barrier on the way out of the barrel...

Can NC have whisper silent weapons?