Matrix Games Forums

I'm just breaking in the game, but the first blarring ommission is the lack of radio communications! Audible radio chatter would add so much to this game...I'm sure this has been discussed...is there a mod for this out or in the works?

thanks...

Right on Jarhead,

I've just finished my first long session on this game. Brilliant! But I agree, radio chatter would add to the combat atmosphere. Giving orders to your wingman and not getting any audible feedback lets the game down a bit (just insert verbal of what the text reads). Also what about warning sounds for sensor lock-ons, enemy missile launches and damage etc etc??

My only query so far is where is the altimeter when flying in-atmosphere?

Invisman

The problem with audible radio chatter is that all of the radio chatter is concocted dynamically on the fly based on the names and locations of the ships in the mission. Creating audible chatter for this is a P.I.T.A. to deal with when you have a fixed list of assets, but becomes impossible when the player can create custom missions with new ship and location names.

That said, it is something that I would like to add. The only way I can see to do it is to strip down the communications to more basic forms. Instead of saying: "Jarhead 4, this is Jarhead 1. Engage Reezafratzis! Vector 204 for 40 km." You would see and hear something like, "Four, this is Lead. Engage current target!"

Hopefully that would be an acceptable compromise.

Oh, and the altimeter should be in the upper left corner of the center hud reticule when you are airborne. It's just above the airspeed and just below the G-load indicator. The altimeter will normally show you barometric altitude above "base level" (i.e. MSL). If you are less than 1000 meters above the local ground, it will automatically switch to a radar altimeter. So if you are flying over a mountain, the altimeter may suddenly switch from "5.2 K" to "R 320" - meaning that you are still 5200 meters in the air, but the top of that mountain is only 320 meters below you.

Another sound request Milo, have you considered a bitchin' betty for the fighters and bombers?

ORIGINAL: Incendiary Lemon

Another sound request Milo, have you considered a bitchin' betty for the fighters and bombers?

IL: ????

Milo: Maybe some thing like "enemy bombers" or "missiles inbound"?

ORIGINAL: John DiCamillo

Instead of saying: "Jarhead 4, this is Jarhead 1. Engage Reezafratzis! Vector 204 for 40 km." You would see and hear something like, "Four, this is Lead. Engage current target!"

Hopefully that would be an acceptable compromise.

That would be a more than acceptable compromise...in fact, its not a compromise at all...the addition of even generic chatter would be awesome...

Let me know if you need any voice actors! [:D]

ORIGINAL: Duken

ORIGINAL: Incendiary Lemon

Another sound request Milo, have you considered a bitchin' betty for the fighters and bombers?

IL: ????

In modern jet fighters the computer plays an audio warning for various faults and conditions. Should you fall below a given altitude you may provoke a warning. Its called a bitching betty as it only complains (coms failure, landing gear failure...) and betty as its the voice of a woman. Its a very calm and even attractive voice, quite useful if your eyes are occupied and you can't check the warning gauges.

Ahhhhh. That would help.

Thanks for the reply.

I can see the problem with the radio chatter within a dynamic campaign. I agree with Jarhead, your compromise would be more than acceptable - it would add even more ZING!! to the game!
Don't forget those warning sounds as well or "bitchin betties" that Incendiary Lemon suggests (like in a F-16 or F-15??)

Aaaah! found the altimeter thanks!! (stupid printer not working so cannot print out manual at present, playing the game by feel - LOL!)

Invisman

ORIGINAL: Incendiary Lemon

In modern jet fighters the computer plays an audio warning for various faults and conditions. Should you fall below a given altitude you may provoke a warning. Its called a bitching betty as it only complains (coms failure, landing gear failure...) and betty as its the voice of a woman. Its a very calm and even attractive voice, quite useful if your eyes are occupied and you can't check the warning gauges.

Oh yes, I remember something like that from MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries (PC game, not RPG). Very useful. Also laughs and braggings from fellow MechWarriors (when they kill enemy) is great. Something like that would not be too bad for SS. Maybe it could be done with events: ally under attack, play help.wav

Hey all,


Falcon 4.0 had that when you were in the cockpit or in the command screen. You got to hear all if the chatter good or bad and it was kewl cause you kinda got a feel for how tense situations were during the battles.

"She's coming apart! NOOOOOO!!!"

"Ashes to ashes..."

"Foxtrot uniform." [:(]

LOL! Radio chatter adds atmosphere



Nick "Paradox" Parker

Today I got used X-Wing Alliance for cheap and I've played it past 6+ hours... My eyes hurts! Anyways there is some chatter which seem to be played from audio files depending the situation. There are few different voice actors and overall chatter really increases atmosphere.

ORIGINAL: Matti Kuokkanen
<snip>

Off Topic: You should really check out the X-Wing Alliance Upgrade Project (Here)

On Topic: Since SS was done with dynamic campaigns, all we could really hope for are generic (maybe 3 or 4 for a situation max) respones; which should come after bug fixes (& the battleships [;)])

ORIGINAL: Duken

ORIGINAL: Matti Kuokkanen
<snip>

On Topic: Since SS was done with dynamic campaigns, all we could really hope for are generic (maybe 3 or 4 for a situation max) respones; which should come after bug fixes (& the battleships [;)])

No idea on what Milo would budget but, voice actors aren't terribly expensive. The roles wouldn't require much talent either. I may be incorrect on this point but I believe most people are capable of projecting at least three different voices.

"Voice actors are pretty cheap, actually. Austin was great for cheap talent. $200-300 an hour, one hour minimum, most parts were done in two hour sessions. Even with a large cast you aren't looking at a ton of dough. I'm of the opinion that varied sounds and voices add a lot to the feel for the game, so IMHO it was money well spent." - CJ Martin (formerly of EA Baltimore, his quote refers to Janes F-15)

Also one person's voice could be edited so it sounds different. Make few versions and you have plenty of different voices to hear [:D]

I'm sure most of us would only be too happy to send Milo a few .wav files for free. I would. [:D]

Not that I'd discourage the community banding together and creating a 'voice pack' for SS, there's a problem with it: The recording quality would be all over the place. I have a relatively decent mic on my headset, but other people might have professional quality mics they would be using and others (most) would be using those cheapie free mics that come with computers. Those are fine for VoIP, but not great for use in a game. Even if those recordings were 'alright' on their own, they would sound so very odd when compared to the nicer recordings.

You raise a good point. However, I would suggest that most anything (provided it could be understood) would be better then the current state of affairs. I find breaking my attention away from the action to read wingman responses to be extremely distracting and detracting from the "you are there" feeling.

suggestions for chatter:

Fleet orders (in the news for campaigns) could be done with voice.

You could probably do the 'bitchin' betty' think for capital ships; things like "Point Defense Battery offline" or "Generator Damaged" or "Quantum Drive engageing" etc etc are sufficiently generic.

Just thoughts.

enemy ship detected would be a verry usefull one, for those long patrols where you have goten distracted...