Eclectic I

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Audio Arts Wk2 'Morrowind'





Watch Elder Scrolls Morowing on YouTube.

The Audio in Elder Scroll's Morrowind is an extremely detailed. I will give a brief overview of the sounds used within the game. All sounds and music in the game would appear to be a mix of real audio and synthesised sounds. I have taken an educated guess as to which I think is which.

Music

It is orchestral music which utilizes real instruments and synthesised sounds.

The game begins with a very grand introductory piece which fades out at a particular point. Then at another point in the game a new ambient a calm piece is introduced which is based on a particular theme, yet as you move between certain area's and points within the game different elements of the music is taken away and added to change the mood of the game.

At key points within the game, the music will fade out and introduce more dramatic music to suit what is occurring in the game. After which the music will fade out and revert back to normal.

Because the music utilises a very ambient feel it is very good at sitting in the background and adding effect without being highly noticeable.

NPC

Voice actors are used for all of the NPC's in the game. It is quite obvious that the people used are professionals.

Each type of character (race) has a distinct type of voice as well as age portrayed and emotion portrayed.

Environment

The environmental sounds are highly detailed and layered.

Rain - different degrees of heaviness. -synthesised
Water noises from a river. synthesised
Sounds of moving in water. (walking across a river) - synthesised
Wind noises - varying degrees of strength. synthesised
Caverns etc have reverb added to movement noises. - reverb

Object Sounds

There are sounds for that of different doors opening. - audio
Chests opening. - audio
Objects being picked up - synthesised

Character Sounds (NPC sounds included)

Footsteps and clothing noises can be heard wherever the main character walks. The characteristics of these steps change depending on what the character is wearing and surface walking on/through . eg. armor boots on pavement. bare feet on dirt.

NPC also utilise the same type of footsteps and clothing noises and detail has been placed on varying volume levels of them getting closer or further away.

There are sounds of someone throwing a punch and missing (hitting air) and sounds of them connecting (hitting an NPC/Main Character) synthesised?

Grunts etc when a character is hurt/hit. - sample of voice

There are individual weapon sounds. - sample

Specific Sounds for when magic or a magical item is used. - sythesised

Sounds of fireball through air. - synthesised - possibly pink noise.


UI

Clicking sounds - synthesiesd
Consuming Sounds - Eg. drinking a potion selected in UI will result in swallowing noise and bubbling noise. - Synthesised
A piece of paper selected will result in the sound of paper rustling - audio
Weapons and armor being equipped or unequipped have specific sounds also - synthesised

Reference:

Haines, Christian. ‘Audio Arts - Wk 2 – Game Audio Analysis.’ Lecture presented in Tutorial Room 408, Level 4 Schultz building, University of Adelaide. 31st July, 2007.

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