More Ambient Sounds

[Sin72]

So I went to my office today, and a bunch of machines were beeping. After about 10 minutes, it had thoroughly annoyed me to the point where I turned around and shouted "SOMEONE SHUT OFF THAT BEEPING, THIS ISN'T %*@^ing STAR TREK!" It was at that moment that I realized that something Star-Made could have more of is ambient sounds. In movies and TV shows, producers work hard to fill dead air with sounds that make the scene vibrant and engaging, and the best video games are the same way.

What I'm suggesting is that certain machines or computers should beep, hum, or make some sort of noise to bring life to what would otherwise be a lifeless ship. You've done well with the sound of the core, and the visual effects of the blocks, but I feel that more sound and other effects will help the ensemble really come together.

A few examples:
The overdrive computer (unpaired) could hum, letting you know that it is active.
You could make it so that the more blocks (or hull) you have, the more the ship (or station) creaks.
Cloakers or radar-jammers could make a soft beeping or sonar sound.
Jump drive/warp gate could make a loud sound when charging or jumping.
Bobby AI!
The radar could make beeping noise when things appear on it (or come in range).
The thrusters could create a static-ish sound.
The shields or generators could create a sound when recharging, like in Halo.
(I haven't actually played with the new scanners yet, but I hope they make sounds.)
Sounds when hitting asteroids, stations or planets would be huge!

 

[CyberTao]

A noise to know when some things have cooldowned would be interesting (if you're not in a ship core). I would have to say no to creaking hull though, seeing as hull something you will always be around I figure it should stay silent (minus sounds like footsteps/impact).

But Sound is coming at somepoint, more of a waiting game until it's on the "next patch" kinda thing though.

 

[Sin72]

Imagine yourself in a ship-graveyard, hearing the sound of debris and derelict ships creaking and moaning as particles brush against your hull as you pass.

 

[Deleted member 433088]

Your story reminds me of my job where we had loud fume hoods and ultrasonic washers turned on for hours on end. You would have certainly hated it.

I agree though, StarMade lacks a lot of sounds... I don't know if there are more than three sounds in, actually. The thing is, since the game is quite unfinished and the devs seem to like to focus on one thing at a time, I just assumed it was low on the list of priorities. I'm OK with that... also for some reason silence doesn't really bother me, I tend to fill in the blanks with mental sound effects :D

 

[CyberTao]

Imagine yourself in a ship-graveyard, hearing the sound of debris and derelict ships creaking and moaning as particles brush against your hull as you pass.

Honestly, a slow drift, lots of little bits and a small sound if you bang into something. Other-wards quiet... the silence will get you. The Silent cries of the past crew as the ship was torn asunder echoing through space and the corpses of a once great ship laying in ruin.
I dunno, that sounds better to me. A dead ship is a dead ship, there is no wind and nothing left inside that would make it creak, so it would feel out of place really.

 

[Starlight Walker]

I am going to be the boring person and say that you don't hear sounds in space because sound travels through the vibration of atoms and molecules in stuff like water and air, and last I checked, there is no air in space

Then again, this is science fiction.. Give us all the sounds!

 

[Deleted member 433088]

I am going to be the boring person and say that you don't hear sounds in space because sound travels through the vibration of atoms and molecules in stuff like water and air, and last I checked, there is no air in space

Then again, this is science fiction.. Give us all the sounds!

The "no sound in space" is the most often-used argument in the history of science fiction. Here is the most often used counter-argument in the history of science fiction:

Sounds are simulated based on system readings to provide pilots and crew with sensory feedback.

 

[Lecic]

There are actually quite a few unused sound files, waiting for implementation!

 

[Sin72]

I am going to be the boring person and say that you don't hear sounds in space because sound travels through the vibration of atoms and molecules in stuff like water and air, and last I checked, there is no air in space

Then again, this is science fiction.. Give us all the sounds!

The "no sound in space" is the most often-used argument in the history of science fiction. Here is the most often used counter-argument in the history of science fiction:

Sounds are simulated based on system readings to provide pilots and crew with sensory feedback.

If this were based on reality...
Of the examples I have provided, the only ones you wouldn't hear are creaking noises from nearby ships, and the noise from nearby warp-gates.
All of my other examples have a medium through which the vibration travels. If your ship strikes an object, you would hear said object hit your hull. You would be able to hear the sound of your thrusters firing from inside your ship (but not outside). Almost all sounds would be transferred through the oxygenated interior of your ship, via hull, walls, machines, and the very air you breathe. You would even be able to hear such sounds if your ship was decompressed, granted you were not floating freely, and were touching a part of your ship, even if it was your seat.

 

[jayman38]

I hope ambient sounds, if implemented, will be very limited. I have concerns.

 

[Deleted member 433088]

I hope ambient sounds, if implemented, will be very limited. I have concerns.

You learn to shut it out after a while, don't worry :D
Unless someone reminds you of it, of course. Then you realize what was that little detail driving you crazy that you couldn't quite put your finger on.

 

[Sin72]

I hope ambient sounds, if implemented, will be very limited. I have concerns.

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