Have a Sound Contest

[Edymnion]

Okay, so we all know that the game would be better with more sound effects, music, etc. Most of us also realize though that this is basically window dressing and that the priority focus is on making the game functional right now, and then later on we can put the icing on the cake.

However, what about a stop-gap method that would require no effort or expense from the StarMade dev team?

We've already had public contests for people to build stations that got added to the game, and I can only assume that those people didn't get paid for it and aren't going to be receiving fat royalty checks for the rest of their lives, they just get the street cred of having their build be in the game for everyone to see.

Fans are a diverse lot. Surely we have some armchair mix artists and musicians here, some budding foley artists, etc. Why not have a contest to submit original music and sound effects the same way you did for station and ship builds? Winners get their stuff added to the game at least until we get to the point where more professional stuff can be put in (or if it ends up being really great, keep the fan submission and give them a line in the final game credits).

Just make all the legal "submissions become property of..." type disclaimers up front and see what happens.

 

[CyberTao]

I think the main reason we don't have sounds is because we need a properly working sound engine, I mean even the Cannons and sounds we do have don't work right most of the time. That needs to be fixed before I'd really think a sound contest would be worth it.

 

[FullMetalFox]

Also, since i did sound designs for mods and worked with other people doing this, most "private" sounds design features in stuff like mods, is audio mashups from various sounds from other games, or just simply stolen files.

So with each sound file from a hobby sound designer, you run the risk of using stolen (be it in its original state, or slightly changed/mixed) material.

 

[Psy_commando]

Like FullMetalFox said, this might be a little complicated to do legally.

[...]Most of us also realize though that this is basically window dressing and that the priority focus is on making the game functional right now, and then later on we can put the icing on the cake.[...]

I tend to strongly disagree with that. Sound is much more than just fluff.

In a game, you have 2 ways to appeal to the player's senses. Through images, and through sounds.
Visuals, text, and UI are nice, but there is only so much you can show someone at a single time, before overloading them, and basically having them miss on important info.

Using sounds to take part of that load off is much more important than you'd think. We're wired to react to sounds, and any clever developers will know to take advantage of this.

Just think for a minute what kind of information sound can convey:
If you're getting shot at, you can hear it. And realize much more quickly you're being shot at. You can even have a good estimate of the distance of the shooter, the direction of the shots, and even know what kind of weapon it is from a single sound! While that would have taken 2-3 UI elements to put that info on the screen, and longer for your brain to process!
And sound can convey even more depending on how its used.

 

[FullMetalFox]

I tend to strongly disagree with that. Sound is much more than just fluff.

Oh yes, so yes. I have a lot on my suggestion list regarding sounds, alone for the HUD/GUI audio clues, for example:
- Being targeted
- Getting locked on by missiles
- Missiles chasing you (Even make the beeping faster the closer the nearest missile gets, helps with evasive manauvers)
- Locking onto a target with your missiles
- Collision Warning
- Shields Low
- Shields Failure
- Structure HP Low
- Heat Level Warning

And the possibilities with the sounds of entities themselfs, are even larger and more diverse. (I could write hours about this :x )

 

[Psy_commando]

Oh yes, so yes. I have a lot on my suggestion list regarding sounds, alone for the HUD/GUI audio clues, for example:
- Being targeted
- Getting locked on by missiles
- Missiles chasing you (Even make the beeping faster the closer the nearest missile gets, helps with evasive manauvers)
- Locking onto a target with your missiles
- Collision Warning
- Shields Low
- Shields Failure
- Structure HP Low
- Heat Level Warning

And the possibilities with the sounds of entities themselfs, are even larger and more diverse. (I could write hours about this :x )

You should look into the game sound folder then! There are sounds for a lot of those things and even more ! They're just unused. XD
There's even a "level-up" sound.
I'm curious whether some of the things those sounds are related to, are still planned.

 

[Visitor]

As Psy_commando mentioned, we do have already lots of sounds, including ones for mechanics, items and effects that don't even exist yet.

While potentially more could be made, I don't think the contest like that would work without considerable risks. Building stations in-game, based on provided resources is one thing. Creating assets, however, leaves a lot of space for people who could mix or simply rip things from obscure places - a thing, now I see, FullMetalFox mentioned as well - thus infringing upon copyrights, with Schine being none the wiser till they'd get set up with some cease & desist or lawsuit letters.

Right now, they are at least more or less certain that whatever assets get into the game are made by them - and probably in many cases they can prove it. They wouldn't get the same assurances if the assets would come from third party.