Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Storyboard: Talk this way]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/23/storyboard-talk-this-way/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/23/storyboard-talk-this-way/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/23/storyboard-talk-this-way/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Nobody is talking in this picture. Ironic?
One of the great problems presented to roleplayers is the challenge of presenting audio via text.

We don't think about it all the time because most of the time it's easy to construct the sound of something from context. Sure, simply saying that your character sighs could mean any number of things, but contextually it's usually obvious whether it's meant as a gesture of exasperation or a sign of relaxed contentment. "Yes, I'm sure your new weapon will make a huge difference in the war" could be sarcastic or serious, but there are generally enough clues in the situation to make the difference obvious.

But there's one obvious case in which that breaks down, and that's in the matter of accents. After all, people from two different regions shouldn't quite sound the same... but there's also no effective way to communicate how one voice or another sounds different. And the most common solution is essentially a matter of making your character's words borderline unreadable in the hopes that you convey a sliver of your intention.

Continue reading Storyboard: Talk this way

MassivelyStoryboard: Talk this way originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accentsdialoguediscussionfeaturedopinionrantsroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpsoundsstorystoryboardvoicewhat-is-this-I-cant-evenFri, 23 Mar 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[WildStar gives players a taste of the sound of the world]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/28/wildstar-gives-players-a-taste-of-the-sound-of-the-world/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/28/wildstar-gives-players-a-taste-of-the-sound-of-the-world/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/28/wildstar-gives-players-a-taste-of-the-sound-of-the-world/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Well, my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle.
It's hard not to find something familiar in WildStar's fusion of the wild west aesthetic with the exploration of an unfamiliar planet in deep space. That having been said, most people anticipating the game would likely find nothing to fault with that combination in terms of visuals. But what will the game sound like? That's what this week's WildStar Wednesday addresses, with a piece by Jeff Kurtenacker about composing the music you'll hear in-game.

As Kurtenacker puts it, the biggest challenge as a composer is to create music that combines the game's diverse thematic points into a unified score, producing the right mixture of wonder, adventure, and a bit of old frontier exploration. But if all the technical discussion of composition is a bit beyond you, the post also includes two sample tracks from the game's soundtrack, a chance for players to get a sense of what to expect from the finished experience. The tracks are brief, but they're certainly the sort of thing that gets you in the mindset of the game -- and that's just what they're there for.

MassivelyWildStar gives players a taste of the sound of the world originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audiocarbinecarbine-studiosJeff-kurtenackermusicncsoftpreviewssoundssoundtracktracksupdateswildstarwildstar-wednesdayWed, 28 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What in-game sounds drive you bonkers?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/19/the-daily-grind-what-in-game-sounds-drive-you-bonkers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/19/the-daily-grind-what-in-game-sounds-drive-you-bonkers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/19/the-daily-grind-what-in-game-sounds-drive-you-bonkers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Way back when I first started playing City of Heroes, I became enamored with the Defender archetype. I made Defender after Defender until all my slots were full, and then deleted some to make even more. But the one powerset I'd never choose, even on the pain of death, torture and Arby's, was Force Fields. Why? It's really quite simple: the sounds.

Oh, those high-pitched whiny sounds that set my teeth on edge! I hated grouping with anyone who had those turned on, and for years I deeply wished that NCsoft would allow us to disable some game sounds while retaining all of the others.

But I don't mean to pick on just City of Heroes here. Every game has sounds that annoy and grate on our ears, and today we want to hear about your most-hated in-game noises. Which sounds do you wish developers would change or eliminate altogether?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What in-game sounds drive you bonkers? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arbyscity-of-heroescohforce-fieldforce-fieldsin-game-noisesin-game-soundsncsoftnoisesopinionpowersetpowersetssoundstdgthe-daily-grindTue, 19 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New Darkfall video highlights environmental sounds]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/13/new-darkfall-video-highlights-environmental-sounds/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/13/new-darkfall-video-highlights-environmental-sounds/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/13/new-darkfall-video-highlights-environmental-sounds/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Asking a room full of MMORPG enthusiasts what the word Darkfall brings to mind isn't likely to net you many serene responses. The game and its associated tomfoolery certainly don't trigger tranquil thoughts or conjure idyllic fantasy scenes complete with beautiful deserts, atmospheric forests, and stoic mountain terrain. No, the sandbox title from Aventurine is most famous for its cutthroat FFA full-loot PvP implementation, which makes a new video designed to show off the game's stunning environmental soundscapes all the more curious.

This isn't the first time Aventurine has experimented with environmental sounds, but it is the very latest iteration of how Agon is seen and heard.

The clip runs for over five minutes and features a multitude of characters traversing many of the terrain types found in the huge game world. The trailer also highlights the upcoming tweaks that link Darkfall sounds to specific locations as well as the continuous randomization of environment sounds and 3-D emitter effects. Immerse yourself in the world of Agon after the cut, or head to the Darkfall Epic Blog to learn more.

Continue reading New Darkfall video highlights environmental sounds

MassivelyNew Darkfall video highlights environmental sounds originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 May 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3d-soundsaventurineaventurine-sadarkfallenvironmental-soundsfantasysandboxsoundsound-emitterssoundssoundscapetrailervideowork-in-progressFri, 13 May 2011 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What game sounds do you like the best?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/05/the-daily-grind-what-game-sounds-do-you-like-the-best/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/05/the-daily-grind-what-game-sounds-do-you-like-the-best/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/05/the-daily-grind-what-game-sounds-do-you-like-the-best/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Sounds may always get the back seat to graphics and animation in MMOs, but in my opinion they're just as -- if not more -- important than what you see. If you'll allow for a bit of cultured snobbery, a game with lackluster sound effects are just so... so... pedestrian. Common gutter trash, even.

I'm always keeping an ear out for great sounds in the games I play, such as the meaty thwack of a sword slamming against a mutated iguana or the sonic boom of a misfired mage spell. One of the things I love about RIFT is how the sounds are muted when you're underwater or near death; it's a small touch, to be sure, but it helps to pull me into the world even more.

Are you somewhat of an audiophile? Then today tell us what MMO sounds you love the best. Are they spells, attacks, NPC noises, ambient sounds, or something different completely?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What game sounds do you like the best? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audiophileopinionriftrift-planes-of-telarasnobberysound-effectssound-wavessoundstdgthe-daily-grindTue, 05 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[RIFT beta 5 introduces public grouping, will be "twice as big" as beta 4]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/24/rift-beta-5-introduces-public-grouping-will-be-twice-as-big-a/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/24/rift-beta-5-introduces-public-grouping-will-be-twice-as-big-a/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/24/rift-beta-5-introduces-public-grouping-will-be-twice-as-big-a/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Ready for their fifth taste of RIFT this week, beta testers will find a host of changes and improvements waiting their assessment. Chief among these is a much-requested feature: public grouping. Because so much of RIFT's dynamic content revolves around spontaneous zone events, players have clamored for a way to quickly group up instead of spending precious time spamming the chat channels. Two UI additions now allow players to connect with public groups as efficiently and quickly as possible.

This news comes from Scott Hartsman, who posted a lengthy preview of RIFT's beta 5 event on the official forums today. Announcing that beta 5 will be "twice as big" as the previous beta event, Hartsman revealed that the team is increasing the number of servers from 18 to 32, which should allow for up to double the amount of players.

Other changes in store for players this week include a better organization of planar currencies, Rogue energy fixes, ranged sound improvements and "significant love" for invasion mechanics. Hartsman also revealed a few items that the team is working on for future updates, such as better racial abilities and master looting. You can read his full announcement here.

MassivelyRIFT beta 5 introduces public grouping, will be "twice as big" as beta 4 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betabeta-4beta-5beta-eventclosed-betacurrenciesinvasionmaster-lootingplanar-currencypublic-grouppublic-groupingpublic-groupsracial-abilitiesriftrift-and-rewardrift-planes-of-telararoguescott-hartsmanserverssoundstriontrion-worldsuiuser-interfaceMon, 24 Jan 2011 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How important are incidental sounds?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/10/the-daily-grind-how-important-are-incidental-sounds/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/10/the-daily-grind-how-important-are-incidental-sounds/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/10/the-daily-grind-how-important-are-incidental-sounds/#commentsFiled under: , ,


One of the things that many people have raised about Runes of Magic as a reason they won't play it is the lack of incidental sounds in the game. These are the noises that we take for granted in many other games; the noise of mining or gathering, hopping on your mount, running across the ground, the sounds of spells, swords clanging, armor ringing - even things as simple as doors opening and closing. While the Runes of Magic team has assured us that they are working on fleshing out all the sounds in the world, we were a bit surprised just how much we missed them in the first place. Most of us tend to play our own music, but realized we leave incidental noises on and starkly miss their presence.

This morning, we thought we'd ask you - how important are incidental, background type noises to you? While you may not pay attention to them (and honestly, you're really not supposed to) do you think your gaming would be missing something if they weren't there? If you've played a game that didn't have them, did you also find you're surprised at how much you miss them? Or do you generally play your music and just turn off all sounds?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How important are incidental sounds? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 May 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>background-noiseincidental-soundsromrunes-of-magicsoundssoundscapeSun, 10 May 2009 08:00:00 EST