Looking at the team, are there plans to get a dedicated sound engineer on board? Sound design for games is so important. I think New World is a great example of sound design done right, for all its fault, the sound in that game was top notch. The world felt alive, you could hear a resonating sound when other players were chopping wood or fighting enemies, which really added a level of immersion. Harvesting had extremely satisfying sounds which made it addictive. Then the ambient sounds and music just was the layer on top of the sound cake. This guy did a good video on it: https://youtu.be/lluRT4cJnAw
Thinking back on it, the sound of New World and beauty of the world is what made me want to come back and play, unfortunately the gameplay did not match it at all. Great sound design really can add a next level to an mmo. I hope its not going to be a sidelined.
Just a reminder - I know voice acting is off the table for cost reasons. But there are arts and music high schools where one might be able to get reasonably well trained people to do the job for very little or even nothing at all. Interlochen in Michigan is the one I know since my daughter went there.
Legal issues may foreclose this - not an area of the law I ever knew.
For the record - daughter graduated over 10 years ago and neither she nor I have any interest in the school - I mention it by name only because it is the only one I know.
dorotea said:Just a reminder - I know voice acting is off the table for cost reasons. But there are arts and music high schools where one might be able to get reasonably well trained people to do the job for very little or even nothing at all. Interlochen in Michigan is the one I know since my daughter went there.
Legal issues may foreclose this - not an area of the law I ever knew.
For the record - daughter graduated over 10 years ago and neither she nor I have any interest in the school - I mention it by name only because it is the only one I know.
It would be a vast improvement to have just voiced 'welcomes' and 'goodbyes' and the odd incidental and that would be much cheaper than 'full' voice acting.
In LOTRO, NPCs that just have a few racial hellos when you talk to them really helps the immersion.
I haven't played it for years and can still hear the "Sweelide melon" (or whatever it really was - someone will tell me!) that elves greeted you with.
dorotea said:As I recall it was hello, friend. In Sindarin.
Just did some Googling and the greeting was also "Mae govannen" which I remember now... More Googling to find out what the "sweelide melon" was that I remember!
EDIT: Found it! "Suilad mellon" means "hello friend" - which is what you told me hehe. Confused? Me? Eh?
Either way, it would be great to have some 'flavour' voice acting. It would give... well... flavour :) But be much cheaper than voicing everything or even just main quests.
dorotea said:Just a reminder - I know voice acting is off the table for cost reasons. But there are arts and music high schools where one might be able to get reasonably well trained people to do the job for very little or even nothing at all. Interlochen in Michigan is the one I know since my daughter went there.
Legal issues may foreclose this - not an area of the law I ever knew.
For the record - daughter graduated over 10 years ago and neither she nor I have any interest in the school - I mention it by name only because it is the only one I know.
If nothing else, crowd murmurs for ambient sounds, like crowded areas in towns and in enclosed places like taverns.
High quality sound design is a must have to make darkness a proper thematic experience. You need to hear the various sounds coming from the unknown, all the things you can't see but can hear. A game's music can do wonders to introduce areas or draw attention to the dangers or lack there of, but quality sounds of the world trigger that base response. Fearing the unknown by not knowing what is in the dark but knowing something is out there and having educated guesses is an amazing feeling. Going by the sound you can think there is a beetle or a scorpion in the darkness because you know it doesn't sound like a skeleton, a panther, etc. The main problem I see is all of the different environments which Pantheon will have as a huge focus will need different sounds. They don't need to be sound beacons on a loop, but should sound unique moving around and simply existing. Hearing a pack of wolves surround you then seeing a single creature edging closer is something I hope Pantheon strives for.
Sounds also make the mundane feel special. OP mentioned harvesting in new world and the sound design there and the pacing of the strikes was certainly nice. Th same sounds also aid dramatically in areas like caves progressing towards the sound of NPCs that are more enemies or possibly enslaved and need to be freed or even players willing to risk drawing in multiple local enemies by making tons of noise mining.
Joppa's work is really good. I want him to stretch and reach more when I listen to his music. (Think Cait in Britannia trying to run off the cliff to fly).
BrunuhVille is an artist I really like too.
Primary music composers in MMOs are so vital to the overall concept but I have to say that the ambient textures and background sound design are also just as important.
Also, I feel there has to be a good balance of wicked, dark, heavy music and sound to balance the typical elevated, joyous music you hear so much in MMOs.
Kilsin said:This is an area that we're passionate about and will find the right person for the job when it's appropriate to do so :)
Lovely answer. I too was amazed how impactful those sounds of the world around you were on my gameplay experience.
It would be really nice to strawl into a dungeon with a group and hear another player mining in the distance (above or below you).
Perhaps depending on what emote/sound effect is going of the sound can go a certain distance. That way you don't have to make all combat sounds go for miles but only the most teasing ones.
I posted a question similar to this topic awhile ago about the sound engine design. I'm encouraged to see that sound is going to be a big deal in this game and not an after thought. I consider myself an Audio enthusiast or audiophile if you will...and I was really hoping for this. Immersion is huge in MMO's and typically I am one who does not mute the game music if it is actually good!
If the Pantheon team would ever like any assistance in audio testing the sound design I would love for that opportunity. I've got a whole YT channel dedicated to audio and tech :)
Everytime I watch a video update I love to hear just the short intro music. It's an identifier for Pantheon!
Nothing against some good, catchy in game music but where the real impact is, is adding sound effects wherever you can (when appropriate). Owl hooting in the distant night or that noise little rocks make when you are going up a steep hill. Weather noises and cave sounds. They just add so, so much to the immersion that the same song on repeat just won’t do.
Also, variation goes along way. If you are buying stock animal noises splurge on getting multiple. Having the same dog bark across the entire world in every situation is not as good as a few different ones. I can’t imagine making five water drops dripping in a cave is much more work than making just one.