Surround Sound...
- Thread starter Krollin
- Start date
Being able to hear sounds from left and right and also distinguish if it's coming from behind would be a huge benefit to immersion and situational awareness. Something that could also be explained by their inclusion of the ship sensors replicating sound for your benefit and immersion.
I wouldn't even bother to buy if it doesn't support surround sound, having at least 5.1 is the difference between spacial awareness and not in 3D combat, especially 3D combat where your views are restrictive!!
Its hearing the shots coming from behind that first alerts you to an enemy behind you, its hearing the another ship pass to your sides and rear that gives a feeling of space, i seriously couldnt imagine playing any game without my 5.1 speaker set-up.
Its hearing the shots coming from behind that first alerts you to an enemy behind you, its hearing the another ship pass to your sides and rear that gives a feeling of space, i seriously couldnt imagine playing any game without my 5.1 speaker set-up.
I guess that since most sounds are generated artificially by the craft, the smaller craft might only have three speakers (unless it was a fighter) but you could upgrade to more so that you would get a better idea of where the attack is coming from. A large trader might want the full surround sound as there is space inside to implement it and might want to know where to flee to in an emergency.
Given that this immersion is desired, I guess that FD will give the option of up to 7.1 depending on your speaker set up at home but if you are stuck in an interplanetary shuttle you will probably only get mono unless a passenger behind you starts to talk.
Given that this immersion is desired, I guess that FD will give the option of up to 7.1 depending on your speaker set up at home but if you are stuck in an interplanetary shuttle you will probably only get mono unless a passenger behind you starts to talk.
You hear your ship's rendition of it. The ship's sound system is simply another sensor interface, just like the radar screen.
The idea is the ship is equipped with a sound HUD that generates the sounds as though they were in an atmosphere from information passed from its sensors. This is actually fairly reasonable I think because it gives you an audible warning that you are close to a large ship (the computer simulates its engine sound) and when you are being shot at.
Frontier have said we will be able to adjust the sound HUD settings, but without sound the game has "less of an impact"
I think this is a perfectly reasonable excuse to have pew pew lazers! in the world. My car has a breaking sensor and it beeps when I'm near a wall, I don't turn it off. It isn't completely unreasonable that spaceships might have sound-cards!
Michael Brookes
Game Director
I use a pretty standard configuration of ASUS Xonar sound card + Creative 5.1 speakers, good to hear 5.1+ is being supported, a must for any game these days.
Im not with the reality people who question sound in a space game, it needs sound for atmosphere, and big basey sounds for large ships, its a game after all and not a lesson of space science.
Im not with the reality people who question sound in a space game, it needs sound for atmosphere, and big basey sounds for large ships, its a game after all and not a lesson of space science.
Aha!...support for 5.1 AND 7.1 further down the line, that's good news. 
Once the 'Planet Expansion' pack becomes available I would imagine surround sound might be even more relevant as regards immersion.
Jack
Once the 'Planet Expansion' pack becomes available I would imagine surround sound might be even more relevant as regards immersion.
Jack
I will use the Supreme FX sound chip of my motherboard Asus, and I'll connect the computer to my AKAI amplifier 2 * 80 watts (of 1977) and my boston speakers 2 * 100 watts (of the early 2000s)