PacifistButLikeWarGames Posted August 28, 2000 Share Posted August 28, 2000 Up until a day ago, my $@#%ing sound card hadn't been working for about 6 months after an install. I FINALLY tracked the problem down to an IRQ setting that was the problem... So I had been playing CM without sound ever since I d/l'd the demo in February. After hearing it with sound, I have to say I now think that the immersion level of a game depends largely on the aural experience. Graphics are great, but actually hearing things makes a game come alive. Hearing the artillery pounding is incredible. Up loud, the 240mm is genuinely terrifying. Just some thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanco Posted August 28, 2000 Share Posted August 28, 2000 You said it! Sound is the great unsung hero of video games. Who says, "Great sound!" when talking about a new video game? Hardly anyone, it's always great graphics, great gameplay, etc. HOWEVER!!! If 1 sample is a bit too loud, or a bit too repetitive, or a bit too far up in the mix...it can ruin the whole game, can't it? Hehehe... Yep, the graphics guys are gettin all the glory, while the humble sound is sloggin' away, steadily, surely, takin' care of business, making sure that you enjoy the OTHER PARTS of the game to their fullest, while calling very little attention to itself per se. Selfless devotion to duty...that's good sound. You can say what you want about Diablo 2, but I think it's a masterpiece of video game sound engineering. Not only does everything sound good, but it's perfectly mixed too, which I think is as great an achievement as making the original samples. DeanCo-- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hiram Sedai Posted August 28, 2000 Share Posted August 28, 2000 Amen! I plugged my sound card into my stereo, so I have a very realistic sound field going on in my living room. Kudos to BTS on the sounds and the realism. I was frightened a couple of times and had to turn down my stereo. ------------------ -Work Hard -Type Fast -Save Often Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tailz Posted August 28, 2000 Share Posted August 28, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by deanco: You said it! Sound is the great unsung hero of video games. Who says, "Great sound!" when talking about a new video game? Hardly anyone, it's always great graphics, great gameplay, etc. HOWEVER!!! DeanCo--<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I had soldiered along with PC speakers for my entire gaming life. (I remember the debate over AdLib or Soundblaster!) For my anniversary, my wife bought me a PC subwoofer with satellites. OH MY GOD!!! PC sound systems have to be the most underrated piece of hardware ever. Why worry about squeezing a few more T & L textures, when you can really get game IMMERSION with good sound!! Best 100 bux Canuck ever spent!! If you're running PC speakers, dump'em and get a subwoofer setup... cheaper than a new video card, and changes the immersion factor dramatically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMcGuire Posted August 29, 2000 Share Posted August 29, 2000 A favorite topic of mine. So-called PC sound systems are NOT where it's at. They're typically built using cheap paper speakers that never cost more than about ten cents (even the units that cost as much as $100). I highly recommend you do yourself a favor and buy at least a medium-quality consumer-grade stereo amp. My spare machines all recently got new Pioneer amps (a decent-sounding VSX-D409 runs maybe US$180 at Best Buy) and various reputable home stereo speakers (current favorites are Yamahas, although Fishers have nice punch for those too-close-to-home arty strikes). Avoid paper cone speakers like the plague. Avoid Sony, and avoid Kenwood. If you have the cash, go for REAL stereo equipment. My main machine runs through my main home stereo, a Harmon-Kardon AVR-45 with a pair of Platinum Audio PT-808's, a Klipsch sub, and a PA center. I could literally break windows with these things. You can pick up an older HK AVR-40 for about $80-$120 on eBay, a great place to score powerful older stereo equipment. You won't regret it. And now you understand why I so vehemently supported the request to fix the maximum-volume "feature" in the original CM releases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guachi Posted August 29, 2000 Share Posted August 29, 2000 I've got two pair of speakers - S2 Midiland 4100s up front and S2 Midiland 4040s in back hooked up to my SBLive! These babies put out a tremendous amount of power and have great sound! I found JMcGuires's comments about PC speakers that cost "as much as $100" amusing. The S2s aren't cheap. $300 for the rear and $150 for the front. Some friends of mine built speakers and were surprised at how cheap paper cones were. And how little more good cones cost. Anyway, Midiland has new 5.1 speakers out that have gotten good reviews for their $200 and $300 5.1 systems. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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