:: Updated by Hannar @ 01/20/04 07:42 pm ::

36. Music and Sound


Wed Aug 20, 2003 12:29 am
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=67429&highlight=#67429

Moorgard wrote:

Our score was finished last week, I believe; it was recorded by an orchestra in Prague. Not sure if I can release the composer's name yet, as marketing might want to do something with that info, but suffice to say we had a real professional handle the music and it came out *very* well.

Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2003 10:38 am
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=67697&highlight=#67697

Moorgard wrote:

You're right, we did mention it in an interview and it's on her website. The composer is Laura Karpman, and she did a fantastic job.

Thu Sep 04, 2003 11:33 am
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=82241&highlight=#82241

Moorgard wrote:

The real stuff wasn't in place yet.

1/29 11:36am
http://vnboards.ign.com/message.asp?topic=63424717&start=63436648

Moorgard wrote:

We have a team of sound designers dedicated to making the world come alive with ambient noises as well as all kinds of scary creature sounds. We have no intention of neglecting the audio quality of this game.

:: Updated by Hannar @ 03/15/04 10:11 am ::

Sat Mar 13, 2004 11:46 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=236534&highlight=#236534

Moorgard wrote:

Ulrick28 wrote: I know EQ2 has a guy dedicated to making the sounds work well in EQ2. No, we don't. We have a woman named Heather and her most excellent crew of sound people. Our audio team is cranking into high gear adding all sorts of cool ambient sounds to the environment. The other day while taking screenshots I got next to a hyena. One of its idle animations is to paw at the ground and sniff at it. Well, I did a double-take when I realized that I wasn't just seeing the hyena sniff, I was hearing it as well--timed perfectly with the animation. Very, very cool.

:: Updated by Hannar @ 07/03/04 03:27 pm ::

03-30-2004 06:34 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=general&message.id=25034#M25034

Moorgard wrote:

The voice pipeline is mostly parallel in nature, meaning it has dependencies that are separate from other elements like code and design. So no, voiceover did not cause a major delay in our release. As to whether the feature is something you'll be interested in, it's one of those things you really need to see in action before you decide. When I first heard the idea I was skeptical too, but now I can't imagine our game being played without it.

03-30-2004 06:49 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=general&message.id=25077#M25077

Moorgard wrote:

Is it a lot of work for our audio team? Yes. Heather is putting a ton of effort into this feature. But we all agree that the payoff is going to be tremendous. And yes, it does raise the bar for games that will come after us. Because once something like this becomes standard, players will definitely notice its absence.

03-31-2004 03:31 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=general&message.id=26390#M26390

Moorgard wrote:

You don't hear other people's conversations with NPCs because that would get crazy if multiple players hailed the same one. However, there are plenty of NPCs who talk to each other or walk around saying things aloud that everyone can hear. Voiceover is not just for one-on-one conversations.

3/31 3:17pm
http://vnboards.ign.com/message.asp?topic=66713328&start=66719463

Moorgard wrote:

Quote: 1. Will we be th only ones that hear it when we talk to an NPC (or will we hear everyone else's too)? You only hear your own conversations. It would drive everyone crazy otherwise. Of course, many NPCs don't wait for you to hail them to say what they want to say. Quote: 2. Will all NPC's do this? Every NPC that says something will have a voice. Quote: 3. Can we shut it off? I can just imagine having to hear something for the 400th time.... Yes. You can also click a response so that you don't have to sit through the whole dialogue. Voiceover doesn't slow down the pace of the game. Quote: 4. Will we still get the text? Yes, you still see text if voiceover is on.

03-31-2004 07:01 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=general&message.id=26727#M26727

Moorgard wrote:

When you interact with an NPC, you see them gesturing and talking to you. Someone else standing next to you could be having their own conversation with the same NPC and they will see their interaction from their own perspective. So no, there won't be lines of people waiting to talk to a given NPC.

03-31-2004 11:17 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=general&message.id=27139#M27139

Moorgard wrote:

Nope. Every NPC that has dialogue will have a voice. Guards, merchants, townspeople, trainers... everybody. We aren't doing this halfway.

:: Updated by Hannar @ 07/03/04 04:12 pm ::

03-31-2004 11:25 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=general&message.id=27150#M27150

Moorgard wrote:

We have the resources. Just like EQ, we will be adding quests on a regular basis. When we do, they will have voiceover. It's not reserved for select or special NPCs. Everybody who talks, talks. Every one of them. Every word. We have screenwriters creating dialogue and copy editors going over it. This isn't some small aspect of gameplay that we take lightly. Voiceover is a *huge* element of immersion, and we intend to make the most of it. I can't wait until you folks see it in action. Anybody coming to FanFaire?

06-12-2004 10:32 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=general&message.id=131593#M131593

Moorgard wrote:

We're making sure you want to play with the sound ON. The audio team has been hooking up all kinds of cool ambient effects and music. When you get the game, try this: go for a swim on the Isle of Refuge around the docks. Listen to the difference when you're above water as opposed to below it. Then listen to what happens when you have your head above water under a dock. It's really cool. The other main goal of the audio team is, I think, to creep you out. Go into spooky places like Nektulos Forest and check out the ambient sounds. *shudder* But my favorite is the combat stuff. All the different sounds they're hooking up for the various kinds of hits (sword on steel, sword on leather, sword on flesh, etc. etc.) are amazing. There is every bit as much attention being paid to sound as there is to all the other aspects of gameplay.

07-02-2004 09:28 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=general&message.id=145284#M145284

Moorgard wrote:

Yep. That's exactly why we couldn't let players write in their own tunes. The minute one bard played "Freebird" in public, we'd get charged for it.

:: Updated by Hannar @ 08/01/04 04:24 pm ::

07-18-2004 11:10 AM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=Newbie&message.id=17034#M17034

Moorgard wrote:

There is no limit or point at which we stop. Every NPC that speaks aloud will do so with a voice. New quests get voices. New expansions get voices. As has been stated before, you can turn all the voices off if you choose and just read what they have to say.