ARMA II - UH-1Y Venom In-Game Sounds

[maruk 80]

Maruk, again. Thank you for your feedback to my previous post about ArmA II UH-1Y Venom in-game screenshots .

As you are already familiar with visual style and quality of Arma 2, I want to give you preview of another important aspect of the game, sound, that will probably be not getting that much attention from various popular gaming media sources (which I am confident will be providing a lot of coverage in coming months about Arma 2).

I admit that sound was not very strong asset in first Arma (and in fact, the sound system used in Real Virtuality 2 engine didn't change much from OFP, except moving from DirectSound3D to OpenAL) but we are aiming to change it dramatically this time. Sound improvements wasn't too obvious from our GC live demos (partly because of the loud environment on the show and partly because the sound part of the game is not really complete yet).

Two audio samples attached, as usually, these are genuine in-game sound recordings - my word for it . (Note that this sound fidelity is result of real-time combination of 44 different audio samples just for the engine/rotor take off and landing sequence of UH1, using our brand new flexible and powerful sound system implemented in Arma 2)

* UH-1Y exterior mp3

* UH-1Y interior mp3

[berghoff 11]

Wow, now we hear two whole different engine sounds from choppers compared to where you stand?(birds are nice too)

Hope Creative and Hardware accel/EAX related issues are history aswell in ArmA 2.

[Messiah 2]

a marked improvement over ArmA, very nicely done. My experience in helicopters is limited to a trip in a sea king and a squirrel, but purely from the point of view of a gamer, it sounds great

will you be demonstrating more vehicle sounds over the coming weeks, or is this just a one off to demonstrate the improvements? The sound that really frustrated me in ArmA were the wheeled vehicles and the vacuum cleaner jets.

On a vaguely related note, I recorded the sound of my 110 Land Rover for our land rover pack (start up, idle, shut down), so if the land rovers are back in ArmA2, or a vehicle that uses a similar engine, you're welcome to the recordings. (Much as I doubt you'll be interested, but no harm saying)

[Spoock 3]

oh, sweet jesus  

[xnodunitx 0]

Oh I love how we now get sounds for interior and exterior, I hope this can be done with weapons as well.

I don't quite expect helicopters will sound different as to where you stand or where the nose is pointed, basicly letting you hear the rotors far louder or more silent....Of course if this is done then there is still the problem of overcomming the obstacle that different rotor setups sound different, four rotors sounding like a fan and two rotors sounding..well you know how to those sound.

Either way this sound enhancement will certainly improve ambience if it is subject to all vehicles.

[Commando84 0]

awesome sound changes!

[NeMeSiS 11]

Nice, especially if i turn up my volume a bit, then it becomes really atmospheric!

Just a question though, the weapon sounds still sounded the same as in ArmA, no matter what kind of soundsystem you will use it will always be kinda crappy if the soundfile itself isn't that good. WIP or..?

[SaBrE_UK 0]

The links keep failing on me. When they're hosted on other sites I'll have a look. But I really like the idea of different sounds for different distances (not confirmed?), interior and exterior.

I agree with xnodunitx, it'd be cool to see this system working with weapon sounds. Even if it's not implemented on weapons from the start, I hope to see it possible for modders?

[Average Joe 0]

Im Glad you've heard the voice of the masses Maruk, the sound in ArmA2 im sure you know will be something that will really immerse old and newcomers to the game all the more.

[sandzibar 0]

thats great. some small gripes aside.. what im seeing for Arma2 just gets better and better.

Thanks Maruk.  

now you just need to implement better command voices. that. arent. as. robot. ic.

oh and russian ones for the russians ala Red Hammer.

[SaBrE_UK 0]

OK I've heard them now and they do sound really good, although I haven't a real life experience of it to compare to. The sheer number of layers to that just makes it all the more immersive!

[4 IN 1 0]

this sounds great, at less 100 times better then the old one

[ArMoGaDoN 0]

Some would say I'm nit-picking as they do sound good, but for for better immersion and believeability please consider the following thoughts as suggestions not gripes:

In the external sound file, two things: The blade slap volume and tone would in reality increase as you increase collective/lift, not with engine speed, and secondly while it's in the shutdown phase: the jet-whine and whistle keeps fading in and out - this doesn't sound so realistic IMO.

In the internal sound file, the gearbox noise 'drone-ing' is easily heard while the engine is starting up, but then disappears once the engine gets up to speed - this isn't right - the drone/low whine of the gearbox and slighter whine of the engine should stay audible in the cabin while flying.  The blade-slap volume increasing with collective also holds true inside the cabin.

This video below is the best example I could find to illustrate my ramblings above, although it's an old single-engine huey with a two bladed rotor...

and this one illustrates clearly the blade-slap volume and tonal changes, although the recorder misses much of the jet-whine due to it's low-quality:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o7QPpZl90o&feature=related

While the sounds you present here are a vast improvement over most, if not ALL, helicopters I've ever heard in a game/sim those small things mentioned above would bug me a bit after a while, purely because the rest of the sound quality is so good that the missing bits become noticeable!

Hope that the links are useful.

[Guest]

Excellent work, I really like these sounds. A great improvement over Arma.

Cant wait to hear some more soundclips (not only choppers)

[xnodunitx 0]

WarWolf @ Aug. 28 2008,18:13)]Some would say I'm nit-picking as they do sound good, but for for better immersion and believeability please consider the following thoughts as suggestions not gripes:

In the external sound file, two things: The blade slap volume and tone would in reality increase as you increase collective/lift, not with engine speed, and secondly while it's in the shutdown phase: the jet-whine and whistle keeps fading in and out - this doesn't sound so realistic IMO.

In the internal sound file, the gearbox noise 'drone-ing' is easily heard while the engine is starting up, but then disappears once the engine gets up to speed - this isn't right - the drone/low whine of the gearbox and slighter whine of the engine should stay audible in the cabin while flying.  The blade-slap volume increasing with collective also holds true inside the cabin.

This video below is the best example I could find to illustrate my ramblings above, although it's an old single-engine huey with a two bladed rotor...

and this one illustrates clearly the blade-slap volume and tonal changes, although the recorder misses much of the jet-whine due to it's low-quality:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o7QPpZl90o&feature=related

While the sounds you present here are a vast improvement over most, if not ALL, helicopters I've ever heard in a game/sim those small things mentioned above would bug me a bit after a while, purely because the rest of the sound quality is so good that the missing bits become noticeable!

Hope that the links are useful.

Probably the best way to do this would be to have seperate sound sources located in different positions and LOD's so you wouldn't gear the inside outside and so on, I'm fairly confiedent this spossible because OWP's Mi-26 addon for OFP had different sounds for the rotor and tail rotor.

http://ofp.gamepark.cz/index.php?showthis=7619 lists its features

http://ofp.gamepark.cz/index.php?showthis=8038 and the final release, it was certainliy a memorable helicopter.

They also showed us that its possible to take vehicle interaction further.

http://ofp.gamepark.cz/index.php?showthis=7312

Near the end of this video you can see the pilot push a button, turn and interact with something else before opening the window and grab the cyclic.  

OFP's animation system was far simpler, leaving very basic movement,  Arma1 and Arma2 on the other hand is more complex in that you can have joints sliding amongst eachother and more.

Mind you this would require aLOT of work considering the complications of having the animation look good, moving fingers, twisting wrists, bending arms, the amount of frames plus given the diversity of the helicopter meaning each one would require a seperate animation I don't really expect to see it (in a way don't want to see it as there are far more important things that can be done) and why I won't be hurt if I don't see any hint of it, I just decided to toss it out there since I was discussing the Mi-26

[Barely-injured 0]

those are amazing nice work  

[Boborish 1]

Sounds amazing! Im glad to see you know how important the sound part of the game is.

One question tho: shooting sounds, explosions, impacts etc - simply, effects, that make sound only once - already "travel" in OFP and ArmA. Means, when a howitzer 2km far from you shoots, it takes approx 6 secs till you can hear the sound. However, this doesnt seem to happen with engine sounds. No wonder of course, it would be kinda complicated, but since youre saying you have a new sound system... would this be possible? It would mean for example that when you see an aircraft that is 2km away, the sound has a delay and is "behind" the aircraft. The effect Id like the most on this would be probably the sonic boom on aircraft that passes by relatively to you in supersonic speed.

On the other hand, I guess it wont be that simple to implement and the time spent by doing so could be spent on something better (AI, physics...). Anyway, wouldnt mind to have this feature.

[mr reality 0]

A massive step in the right direction. If all the sounds are going to be much improved then this is a two thumbs up from me.

[sandzibar 0]

The sound that really frustrated me in ArmA were the wheeled vehicles and the vacuum cleaner jets.

oh god this. jet sounds with bass and ooomph please.

[vojtzech 2]

Sounds amazing!

[LFO 0]

really a much awaited improvement! nicely done, BIS!!

[Alex72 1]

Damn that sounds dope! Interior/exterior sounds It has started to exceed my own expectations of ArmA 2.

Keep it up BIS!

[NGFT 0]

Wow, that sounded so good to me, I didn't even know that it was a helicopter anymore because I've never heard such a good helicopter sound.

[funnyguy1 0]

First of all, big thanks for this nice update. Secondly, the sounds are really great! With WarWolf's suggestions implemented ArmA 2 would have flight sim-like helo sounds, although I don't know if such details are needed, it's a big improvement anyway.

Keep up the good work!

[Praelium 0]

After it downloads I just get a picture with the Quicktime symbol with a question mark in the middle. Can somebody reupload it as WMP or on Youtube, or tell me how to fix it?