Space Engineers - sound design

We are planning to start adding sound effects in Space Engineers so I thought that this is a good time to share with you our preliminary sound design.

This document doesn’t represent the final work and there are things that may change in the future.

World/server in Space Engineers can be configured in one of two possible modes (it’s configured in world settings – therefore in multi-player all clients have the same settings):

• Realistic (no sound in space)
• Arcade (player can hear sounds even if he shouldn’t really hear them)

Implementation rules:

• Realistic mode: player can hear only sounds that are generated somewhere on his or in his body or cockpit/ship
• First-person mode and third-person mode are equal. “Audio listener” is always positioned in the controlled object (astronaut, space ship cockpit). In other words, when the player is in third person mode, “audio listener” is in the head of the astronaut (not where the third-person-camera is located)
• The game should distinguish between sounds generated by the player and by sounds generated by other players. E.g. in realistic mode, the player can hear his own steps, but he can’t hear other players walking. In arcade mode, he can hear them walking, but it may be a different sound (wave file). For these reasons, I am using “player” and “other objects” terminology in the list of sounds.
• These rules must be encapsulated in some audio class, so the code that just wants to play some sound doesn’t need to know about these rules.
• These rules must work in single-player, multi-player, when switching between first and third person, when entering and leaving a cockpit (small or large), when dying and re-spawning, when switching between character through dev keys, etc.
• Material type: rock, metal and human. When two objects collide, we get their material types and play the right sound for this pair of objects (e.g. rock vs metal, metal vs metal, metal vs human, etc.). Voxel asteroids and ore-items are always rock. Small and large ship blocks and other items (components, weapon, etc) are metal. Player character is human.
• I have not decided yet whether sounds in “realistic” and “arcade” modes should be the same or different. E.g. the player shooting a hand weapon in realistic mode will hear a muffled shot whereas in arcade mode he can hear a real shot sound. We can decide and change this later.
• HUD/GUI sounds - these sounds are played only for the player who activates them (e.g. if some other player turns on/off his lights, I won’t hear it).
• Game sounds - We have 2D and 3D sounds. 2D sounds are played if the sound is generated by the player/listener and there’s no distance-volume-curve-attenuation. 3D sounds are played for sounds not generated by the player/listener (other players or objects). 2D sounds are stereo WAV files; 3D sounds are mono WAV files.

Inspiration:

• 2001: A  Space Odyssey
• Gravity
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgfnZfEctok
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW7rH3nYrNE&list=FLsaOQnZ6TvF3ICr9m4I9Z7g
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbnwQB9DlYY

Game sounds:

2D / 3D	Listener is in suit or in cockpit	Player / Other objects	Description	Realistic	Arcade
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Player running on metal surface (forward, backward, strafe)	YES	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Player running on rocky surface (forward, backward, strafe)	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Other player running on metal surface (forward, backward, strafe)	NO	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Other player running on rocky surface (forward, backward, strafe)	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Player sprinting on metal surface	YES	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Player sprinting on rocky surface	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Other player sprinting on metal surface	NO	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Other player sprinting on rocky surface	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Player jumps up (before he falls down)	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Other player jumps up (before he falls down)	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Player collision after jump down / fall down, metal surface (this sound may get replaced with collision sound)	YES	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Player collision after jump down / fall down, rocky surface (this sound may get replaced with collision sound)	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Other player collision after jump down / fall down, metal surface (this sound may get replaced with collision sound)	NO	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Other player collision after jump down / fall down, rocky surface (this sound may get replaced with collision sound)	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Missile explosion on player (he was hit)	YES	YES
3D	COCKPIT	PLAYER	Missile explosion on player’s ship (his ship was hit)	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Missile explosion	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Collision between metal and human – we may decide to make multiple versions of the sound to account for size and velocity of colliding objects	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Collision between metal and other player – we may decide to make multiple versions of the sound to account for size and velocity of colliding objects	NO	YES
3D	COCKPIT	PLAYER	Collision between metal and player ship – we may decide to make multiple versions of the sound to account for size and velocity of colliding objects. We may decide to make a longer continuous collision sound (5-10 secs), as can been seen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbnwQB9DlYY#t=108	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Collision between metal and other player ship – we may decide to make multiple versions of the sound to account for size and velocity of colliding objects	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Collision between rock and human – we may decide to make multiple versions of the sound to account for size and velocity of colliding objects	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Collision between rock and other player – we may decide to make multiple versions of the sound to account for size and velocity of colliding objects	NO	YES
3D	COCKPIT	PLAYER	Collision between rock and player ship – we may decide to make multiple versions of the sound to account for size and velocity of colliding objects	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Collision between rock and other player ship – we may decide to make multiple versions of the sound to account for size and velocity of colliding objects	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Player shooting a hand weapon	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Other player shooting a hand weapon	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Player in space suit (may depend or not on recent activities such as running, jumping, doing things) – breathing, hearth beat	YES	YES
2D	COCKPIT	PLAYER	Player in a cockpit – sound of breathing and heartbeat (similar to space suit sound)	YES	YES
2D	COCKPIT	PLAYER	Player in a cockpit – sounds of nuclear reactors - turn on	YES	YES
2D	COCKPIT	PLAYER	Player in a cockpit – sounds of nuclear reactors - turn off	YES	YES
2D	COCKPIT	PLAYER	Player in a cockpit – sounds of nuclear reactors – running. I think that reactor output depends on consumers, so if e.g. thrusters start consuming more energy, reactors should generate higher-pitch sound.	YES	YES
2D	COCKPIT	PLAYER	Small auto cannon shooting – muffled sound of rotating cannon and shots – start/loop/end	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Other ship auto cannon shooting – normal shooting sounds (but then it may look weird if theplayer hears his own shot muffled)	NO	YES
2D	COCKPIT	PLAYER	Small missile launcher shooting – muffled sound of launcher ejecting a missile	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Other ship missile launcher shooting – normal launch sound (but then it may look weird if the player hears his own shot muffled)	NO	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Missile flying (burning fuel, etc.)	NO	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Nuclear reactor – turn on (this sound is played when the player doesn’t sit in a ship belonging to this reactor, he is just passing by)	NO	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Nuclear reactor – looping (this sound is played when the player doesn’t sit in a ship belonging to this reactor, he is just passing by)	NO	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Nuclear reactor – turn off (this sound is played when the player doesn’t sit in a ship belonging to this reactor, he is just passing by)	NO	YES
2D	COCKPIT	PLAYER	Landing gear activation (snap) – muffled	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Landing gear activation (snap)	NO	YES
2D	COCKPIT	PLAYER	Landing gear deactivation (un-snap) – muffled	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Landing gear deactivation (un-snap)	NO	YES
2D	COCKPIT	PLAYER	Ship drill – muffled, sound of rotation, not crushing (start, loop, end)	YES	YES
2D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Ship drill – sound of rotation, not crushing (start, loop, end)	NO	YES
2D	COCKPIT	PLAYER	Hand drill – muffled, sound of rotation, not crushing (start, loop, end)	YES	YES
2D / 3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Hand drill – sound of rotation, not crushing (start, loop, end)	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Hand welder	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Hand welder	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Hand grinder	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Hand grinder	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Ship drill crushing metal	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Ship drill crushing metal	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Ship drill crushing rocks	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Ship drill crushing rocks	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Hand drill crushing metal	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Hand drill crushing metal	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Hand drill crushing rocks	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Hand drill crushing rocks	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Jetpack – start / loop / off	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Other player jetpack – start / loop / off	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Jetpack - thruster firing (moving in some direction)	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Other player jetpack - thruster firing (moving in some direction)	NO	YES
2D	COCKPIT	PLAYER	Small ship small-thruster firing (we may decide to make this a 3D sound and use the thruster’s position on ship)	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Other small ship small-thruster firing	NO	YES
2D	COCKPIT	PLAYER	Small ship large-thruster firing (we may decide to make this a 3D sound and use the thruster’s position on ship)	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Other small ship large-thruster firing	NO	YES
2D	COCKPIT	PLAYER	Large ship small-thruster firing (we may decide to make this a 3D sound and use the thruster’s position on ship)	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Other large ship small-thruster firing	NO	YES
2D	COCKPIT	PLAYER	Large ship large-thruster firing (we may decide to make this a 3D sound and use the thruster’s position on ship)	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Other large ship large-thruster firing	NO	YES
3D	COCKPIT	PLAYER	Small auto cannon bullet impact on metal – player ship	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Small auto cannon bullet impact on metal – other ship	NO	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Small auto cannon bullet impact on rock	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Small auto cannon bullet impact on player body	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Small auto cannon bullet impact on other player body	NO	YES
3D	COCKPIT	PLAYER	Hand weapon bullet impact on metal – player ship	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Hand weapon bullet impact on metal – other ship	NO	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Hand weapon bullet impact on rock	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Hand weapon bullet impact on player body	YES	YES
3D	SUIT / COCKPIT	OTHER	Hand weapon bullet impact on other player body	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Player switching iron-sight on (this will sound like moving an arm in textile suit)	YES	YES
3D	SUIT	OTHER	Other player switching iron-sight on (this will sound like moving an arm in textile suit)	NO	YES
2D	SUIT	PLAYER	Player switching iron-sight off (this will sound like moving an arm in textile suit)	YES	YES
3D	SUIT	OTHER	Other player switching iron-sight off (this will sound like moving an arm in textile suit)	NO	YES
			TODO – add more sounds later, once sound design rules are tested and everyone likes them

HUD and GUI sounds:

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Warning: Space Engineers is still in development. Everything in the game is subject to change.