Hi Tom.
To be honest, the problem does not just seem lack of finances. AFter all,
indi developers, while not having the cash for huge, fullmotion 3D graphics
have created some amazingly atmospheric and workable games, (just go check
out the charts on a site like gamehippo and you'll see what I mean). The
problem seems more one of the limitations of audio.
If your an indi developer and you want a wall dripping blood in your game,
well you find a pixel artist to draw you one, then animate it, ----- indeed
many indi companies are a pixel artist plus a coder.
With the sort of animation software freely available to handle sprites, it's
quite possible to get a game that looks as good as anything produced in the
mainstream 10 years ago, and of course since your artist can just draw you
stuff from scratch, well you pretty much have no content limits.
Want a slavering monster? fine! want a wall dripping blood? also fine! want
an undead zombie cammel spitting clouds of poisonous gas, ---- well that
might take a little creative drawing, but still the right person and the
right animation software and there you go!
This is just not possible in audio simply because you can't create sound
effects from scratch.
However one thing I've always wondered is why don't audio sound designers,
instead of perchicing expensive libraries turn to the sorts of techniques
people like the Bbc used to use 50 or 60 years ago.
For example, you want a sticky sound of footstpes in blood? Well if you
can't find an expensive library, why not just fill a small bole with mud,
position your mike (probably in a waterproof container), next to it and
dabble your hand forceably up and down.
Since the vast majority of noises the human ear detects are essentially
identified more by context than by absolute, instant identification such as
images, then the context will fill in the blanks, ---- I know some devs have
done this, such as Ryan strunk and his use of splitting raw onion to
simulate bone cracks.
Lastly, regarding actors, well I've heard far too much good quality internet
indi produced audio drama to convince me that you need to pay massive
prices, not to mention having met several amazing ameter actors myself, ----
heck, I'll admit I'm myself working on a voice acting project at the moment,
(though admitedly it's not precisely for an audio game).
If a person's acting skills aren't up to the task, well that is why you hold
auditions, and also your responsability as director, ---- heck I learnt more
about acting myself by stage directors just telling me "I want it done like
that" before I even had one class in performance, and even though I have
studdied performance a little, I'd still considder myself primarily a
singer. That however doesn't stop me voice acting.
While I am quite aware just how expensive things like sound libraries are
(I've checked myself), at the same time, since there is no way in Hell an
audio game developer is ever going to get their hands on a free million or
so for development we, and that's as much the community as the developers
should really start thinking a little more creatively, --- -and not just
with writing code.
As I said, I've voice acted myself and would be happy to do it again. I also
wouldn't mind doing monster or animal sfx.
While I don't personally have skills in sound editing or really any
recording devices that would do well with anything bar voice, such is not
true of others, look at all the topics in the offtopic room of
audiogames.net about sound editing and sound creation.
So if we have some people who act, and some people who sound edit and some
people who write code, ---- well isn't it a little stupid not! to make use
of all of these people's tallents?
And lastly it goes without saying that tools like Philip's new music creator
will be great aides to anyone in such endeavours.
I know this point has been made before, but sometimes I just feel a little
frustrated with a discussion yet again ending with "if we only had the cash
and there's nothing we can do about it"
Well we're not going to get the cash, but maybe we, as a community could! do
something about it.
All the best,
Dark.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Thomas Ward" <[email protected]>
To: "Gamers Discussion list" <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, October 06, 2013 3:01 PM
Subject: Re: [Audyssey] More Halloween type games.
Hi Dark,
Very true. I've been thinking of some horror type games for a long
time, perhaps something like Silent Hill, but I don't have the
finances to create a truly horrifying audio experience. Just something
as changing the sounds of the footsteps from a slosh to a sticky slush
probably would cost more than I have to spend. Then I'd ave to have
the dialog that has the character identifying the substance as blood.
On top of that then add in the musical score and its beyond the budget
of a blind audio game developer.
All I can say is we could probably do a lot with audio as you said,
but we need a bigger budget to start with. Plus we need a bigger
market to finance such games. There is a reason audio games seem
cheaply made, and that is because there is not much money to be had
from creating audio games. No money means no big budget horror
thrillers like Silent Hill for the blind.
Cheers!
---
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