Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
all be triggering dif erent sounds on themselves, each other,
the environment, monsters, and/or NPCs all of which could
be generating their own sounds as well. h e environment
itself is unpredictable. It may be night, day, raining, sunny,
windy or still. It may be near an ocean, river, waterfall, in
a forest, or a populated city. h ere may be dozens of NPCs,
herds of monsters, or just one major boss creature all making
sounds. h e environment may include animated props such
as windmills, machines, or vehicles. h is list goes on and
on. What this means audio-wise, is that no matter how well
designed each individual sound is, or how many variations of
that sound are generated in real time, it could easily result in a
huge wall of white noise. On the other hand, it is also entirely
possible that a player could be totally alone with all the sounds
he generates completely isolated and exposed. h e sonic world
is utterly unpredictable. A lot of what we do is aimed at ways
to mitigate this.
Add to these scenarios the fact that MMOs are never over.
h ey are played for hundreds of hours, weeks, months, and
even years. Repetition of the same sound or music can become
not only tiresome but downright irritating (even if you liked
it at i rst). So a lot of what we do is aimed at creating variety
within a particular sound or music category. Perhaps the
biggest challenge in all of this is the mix. Having a system
that can respond to game situations and af ect volume levels,
priorities, ducking schemes, and the like in real time is crucial.
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No Joke—PC Games Get Serious
Games developed on PCs of ered a depth of gameplay not previously
available on limited-memory platforms such as early second-
generation consoles and arcade games. The new possibilities led to the
development of deeper game types.
Strategy Games
Strategy games emphasize skillful thinking and planning rather than
pure physical rel exes to achieve victory. Games in this category focus
on combinations of strategic, tactical, logistical, and even economic
challenges.
