Sound Design Doc - Master List

[Wijitmaker]

3.1 Environmental Sound Layer

• Wind Loops and single-shot gusts (10 to 20 sounds).

• Rain Loops with varying intensity (5 to 10 loops).

• Single-shot thunder claps varying in pitch, length and intensity (5 to 10 sounds).

• Natural Disasters (tbd).

• More details below.

3.2 Ambient Sound Layer

• Birds

o Night Birds (Nightjars, Nighthawk, Owl, Lark, etc) (10-20 sounds).

o Daytime Birds (Wren, Seagull, etc) (10-20 sounds).

• Random Animals

o Dogs, Wolfs, Deer, etc…

• More details below.

3.3 Building and Construction

• Construction sounds will be generic and dependent on the type of material and structure being built.

• Wood construction will consist of hammering and sawing.

• Stone construction will consist of picking, hammering (rock), hoisting (straining rope and winding sounds), and rock/stone manipulation (a huge rock being hoisted on top of another).

• Metal construction will consist of metallurgy sounds – billows, steam, hammering steel, winding cranks, etc.

3.4 Select Building

Each type of building will have a unique sound when selected or scrolled over (and when construction is finished):

3.4.1 Civil Buildings

Very similar people-oriented sounds: chatting, shouting, babies crying, etc.

• Colony.

• House.

• Tent.

3.4.2 Agricultural Buildings

Farm animal sounds, soil being worked with tools, grain/seeds being thrown, winding of a mill (depending on animation), etc.

• Farmstead.

• Field.

• Orchard.

• Corral.

• Stables – Similar, but only horse sounds.

3.4.3 Resource Buildings

• Lumber Mill - Sawing wood, wood being dropped onto a pile, etc.

• Mining Camp/Mining Shaft - Picking, rocks being thrown into a pile, etc.

3.4.4 Market Buildings

People shouting, traders haggling, livestock making noise, carts/wagons moving around, bells (?), progress…

• Trade Centre.

• Caravanserai.

3.4.5 Naval Buildings

• Dock – Water, bell (dark reverb), seagulls, etc.

• Shipworks – Same as dock, but with occasional hammering and building sounds.

3.4.6 Manufacturing Buildings

Similar to metal-working sound, billows, very specific steel-working sounds, steel sharpening (grinding wheel), etc.

• Blacksmith.

• Armoury.

3.4.7 Defensive Structures

Gates will have unique opening/closing sounds, certain selectable buildings (towers, etc) will have specific sound when they are empty or full with units… TBD

• Stone Tower.

• Stone Gate.

3.4.8 Military Buildings

Since the “Barracks” is a universal military-unit creator, it will need to be comprised of all sounds of war – swords, bows, spears, etc. This one will be tricky to get right.

• Citadel.

• Barracks.

3.4.9 Siege Works

Heavy machinery sounds, straining chains/ropes, winding, etc.

3.4.10 Academy

TBD. Something “scholarly sounding”?

3.4.11 Temple

Perhaps some vocal or awe inspiring sounds? Mystical.

3.5 Resources

3.5.1 Foraging and Gathering

100% foley. These sounds will consist of unstrung audio-tape, leaves in a bag, papers being shuffled, objects being dropped in a container, etc.

3.5.2 Wood, Stone and Gold

Axe chopping, tree falling (TBD), pick-axe sounds (hammer hitting cement and various surfaces), etc.

3.5.3 Fishing and Hunting

Fishing-Action TBD, hunting will consist of arrows being shot (TBD), animals being hit and dropping (sack of potatoes being hit, objects being dropped on carpeted surface, etc), granary sounds (animals/fish being skinned – onion being peeled, celery and lettuce being ripped apart, wet sponge being hit with a mallet, etc).

3.5.4 Farming and Herding

Grain/Meat being dropped in granary (when harvesting is finished), sheep/goat bleats, animal death sounds, cows being slaughtered, etc… Foley tbd.

3.6 Sounds of War

3.6.1 Ground Troops and Cavalry

• Various weapon sounds will include axe, sword, spear, javelin, bow, slings, etc.

• Horses stampeding, galloping, charging, dying, etc.

• “War Cries” will include yelling, grunting, screaming, possibly culture-specific taunts in native language. TBD

• Death sounds will be both individual, and accompanied with specific weapons (ie male-death1.wav, sword-death 1.wav, axe-death 3.wav, etc)

• Certain units will have specific sounds, such as Noise Makers.

3.6.2 Siege Weapons

All siege weapons will have multiple stage sounds: Transportation (various intensities of rolling-loops over terrain), weapon-prepare (grinding and cranking sound of weapon being drawn back and prepared for attack), weapon attack TBD…

More details in the unit section.

3.6.3 Destruction

(40-50 sounds+) - Explosions occur on multiple levels and will be tailored to specific circumstances; an explosion for each type of siege-weapon firing, for buildings reaching zero hit points, bridges being destroyed, etc. One very important aspect of explosions is appropriate debris sounds – a collapsing metal structure will have a different debris sound than a stone or wood structure. We will also need a few different fire loops with varying levels of intensity.

3.6.4 Naval Battle

Multiple ship-transportation sounds, based on size and speed of ship. Naval-specific sounds will include ramming, boarding-ship-to-ship, multiple alarms, and multiple destruction/sinking sounds. Specific attention should be placed on various ramming sounds, based on ship speed, angle, and size. More details in the unit section.

3.6.5 Miscellaneous War Sounds

More miscellaneous sounds below.

3.6.6 Menu/Interface Sounds

TBD

3.7 Unit sound list:

3.7.1 WORKERS / ENGINEERS / PRIESTS / TRADERS

(Note: Econ units and Engineer units will share all ‘clicked on’ voices, unless otherwise mentioned. They will also share random death sounds)

3.7.1.1 Male and Female Workers:

Voices when tasked to a job. Depends on civilisation. Clicking and moving.

• Going to cut wood.

• Going to mine.

• Going to farm.

• Going to attack.

• Going to build.

• Going to repair.

• Going to fish on boat.

• Going to hunt and going to shore fish.

Sound of building and repairing (hammering).

Sound of chopping wood with an axe.

Sound of attacking with weapon.

Sound of mining (digging but not with shovel).

Sound of gathering (dragging stuff with hands from a place? Dunno).

Sound of shorefishing (dropping fishnet? still don’t know how shorefish will be in the game).

Sound of hunting (bows and arrows, possibly shared with military bowmen).

Sound of fishing on boat (sea sound?).

Sound of farming (working the land with a farm tool).

Weapon depends on civilisation (bows & arrows, dagger, sword...) and as weapons are different so are sounds, but for size's sake, just use normal military units' sounds for arrows, swords, etc.

3.7.1.2 Civil Engineer and Combat Engineer

Voices when tasked to a job. Depends on civilisation. Clicking and moving. SHARED with male worker voices.

• Going to attack.

• Going to build.

• Going to repair.

Sound of building roads and bridges (Civil Engineer) may differ from the normal building sound.

(Combat Engineer) Sound of capturing a building (maybe a trumpet sound or something).

3.7.1.3 Siege Engineer

Voices when tasked to a job. Depends on civilisation. Clicking and moving. SHARED with male worker voices.

• Going to attack.

• Going to repair.

Sound of going to operate land or sea siege equipment (machinery? winding up?).

Sound of attacking: He lays a torch on buildings.

3.7.1.4 Helmsman

Voices when tasked to a job. Depends on civilisation. Clicking and moving. SHARED with male worker voices.

Possibly a new repairing sound for reparations onboard ships (which workers cannot do).

3.7.1.5 Priest/Medic/Druid/Priestess

Voices: Priest-only voices for clicking, moving, and healing.

Sound of healing; think about it.

Sound of dying, as they are not normal units maybe we can use Priest-only sound for dying.

(Note) Germanic Priest is a woman, so keep that in mind; also Priestess-only sounds.

3.7.1.6 Traders

This depends on the civilisation. Some get camel units, others foot units. Voices would like workers for foot traders and camel buffs for camel traders.

New camel dying sound for the other one.

3.7.1.7 Caravaneer

Attacking sound: since this unit carries a short sword but it is sheathed (not drawn unless attacked), the sound should be special, like drawing a sword, and then add normal shared sword sounds.

3.7.2 GENERIC MILITARY

(Note: Plain military units except armed workers, officers and heroes all share voices when clicked or moved, unless otherwise mentioned. They will also share random death sounds)

3.7.2.1 Standard Bearer

Possibly an extra sound, due to the special nature of the unit (such as a flapping cloth sound).

3.7.2.2 Officer/Commander/Hero

• Voices: SHARED - Clicking, moving, and going to attack. CUSTOM - Some sounds, for the Formations and Strategy Tab. For example, you click on “Square Formation” and the officer might say some word or maybe military drums/music or something. Details yet to be worked out.

• SHARED - Sound of attacking: depends on the unit and its weapon; swords would share with swordsmen swords, spears with spearmen and so on.

• Battle cry, like in Empire Earth. Also, it is civilisation or culture specific. That is, 12 battle cries (for twelve civs) or 4 (for four cultures). As for the battle cries, we are not sure what each one would be.

3.7.2.3 Noisemaker

Noises: The noisemakers make big noises toward enemies to make them lose morale, so sounds are important here. There would be 4 noises (4 cultures):

• Greek/Roman/Macedonian: Trumpets, fanfares.

• Carthage/Persian/Parthian: Trumpets (different).

• Goths/Huns/Dacians: Horn – Bull horn?

• Gauls/Iberians/Britons: Carnyx Horn, Unique sound. http://www.carnyx.musicscotland.com/carnyx.htm

http://www.carnyx.musicscotland.com/audio/...est/Fanfare.wav

3.7.2.4 Armed Worker

SHARED - Sound of attacking: Depends on civilisation. Romans and Celts: Short sword; Germans: Axe; Middle-East: Bow.

3.7.2.5 Sword Military Units

Short swordsman / Broad swordsman / Long swordsman / Heavy swordsman / Fanatic / Roman legionary / Heavy Legionary / Gallic nobleman / Caetratus / Falxman / Huskarl / Falxman

• Attack sounds: Maybe 2 or 3 sword sounds are okay. Sounds like clashing, slashing, stabbing, etc.

• Possibly - (Additional shield sound) a shield sound for shielded units plays randomly when a unit is involved in an attack. There would be 2 types of shield sounds: wooden and metallic, though wooden would be predominant.

3.7.2.6 Spear Throwing Units

Javelineer / Legionary / Light Gaesata / Heavy Gaesata / Numidian Mercenary

• Attack sound: Javelin throwing.

3.7.2.7 Spear Melee Units

Spearman / Adv Spearman / Elite Spearman / Inmortal / Heavy Phalangist / Hoplite / Spartan Hoplite / Samnite Infantry / Hypaspist / Praetorian

• Attack sounds: Spear sounds, about 2, sounds like stabbing, thrusting.

• SHARED - (Additional shield sound) Same as swordsmen.

3.7.2.8 Slinger Units

Slinger / Advanced Slinger / Rhodian Slinger / Balearic Slinger

• Attack sound: sling sound and then shoot pellet. Maybe we could add some ricochet sounds for the pellet impacting wood, stone or iron.

3.7.2.9 Bowman Units

Shortbowman / Adv Bowman / Welsh Bowman / Sakae archer / Cappadocian Bowman

• Attack sound: a bow straining and shooting an arrow. Also there should be sounds for fire arrows, because some archers have the option of firing them.

3.7.2.10 Cavalry Units

Scout / Adv Cavalry / Elite Cavalry / Median Cavalry / Clibinarius Cavalry / Companion / Tarkan / Sarmatian cavalry / Gallic Heavy Cavalry / Numidian Cavalry

• Moving – horse hooves trot.

• Attack sound: Cavalry units will have either a spear or a sword. So the sounds might be swords and spears mixed with horse background (neighing, snorting).

• Special: Maybe a fast gallop sound for the "cavalry charge" special feature.

3.7.3 SPECIAL UNITS

(Note: Special Military units share voices with appropriate Generic Military units when clicked or moved, unless otherwise mentioned.)

This explains sounds for special units that share little or none of other generic unit’s sounds.

3.7.3.1 War Elephant

• Elephant noises for click-select (about 2 sounds).

• SHARED - sounds of 2 javelin men shooting from elephant for ranged attack sequence (about 2).

• Sounds of angry elephant rampaging and trampling the enemy with tusks and legs for close combat sequence (about 2).

• Sound of elephant and men onboard dying - big crash (1 or 2).

• Sound of elephant stomping the ground hard for click-move (1 or 2).

• Sound of elephant walking furious + voices of men for click-attack order (about 2).

3.7.3.2 Celtic Briton War Chariot

• SHARED - with normal cavalry units’ click-selection voices.

• Wheels squeaking and horse and men sounds for click-move (2).

• SHARED - Sound of man throwing javelin from chariot (1 sound) for long range attack sequence.

• SHARED - Sound of spear thrusting (2) for short-range attack sequence.

• Sound of chariot being destroyed (wood breaking, horse dying, men scream, crash) (1 or 2 sounds).

• Sound for click-attack order, Celtic man/men yelling on horse and chariot background (2 sounds).

3.7.3.3 Celtic Fanatic / German Savage

All voices and attack sounds shared with standard military units but with the addition of a war cry for the click-attack order. Something like a scream or mad yell (these two units are quite mad because they both fight nude!)

3.7.3.4 Hun Looter

• SHARED - Voices and dying shared with normal horse units.

• Attack sounds: This one is special. it needs a couple of sounds of torches:

• One for setting buildings, siege weapons and docked ships on fire, like putting a torch on straw and fire spreads (this sound will automatically switch when attacking as stated above).

• The other one for fighting against normal units, like a club but with fire (this sound would automatically switch when attacking as stated above).

3.7.3.5 Iberian Lannza

• SHARED - Voices and dying shared with normal horse units.

• Attack sounds: Similar in every aspect with the Hun Looter but it uses a flaming spear not a torch. It would need two sounds:

• SHARED – same one as the Hun Looter for attacking buildings, etc (fire spreading).

• Something to do with a heated spear impacting units: hot steel burning flesh.

3.7.3.6 Cavalry Archer Units

Horse Archer / Parthian Elite / Hun Raider

• SHARED - Voices and dying shared with normal horse units.

• Attack sounds: a mix of a bow sound with horse background (gallop, snores, etc).

3.7.3.7 German Axeman

• Voices and dying SHARED with standard military foot units.

• Attack sounds: A couple of axe clashing sounds would be needed, maybe with some addition of grunts (because the axeman guy looks like a wrestler).

3.7.3.8 German Marauder / Berserk

• Voices and dying SHARED with standard military foot units.

• Attack sounds: Two axes clashing fast and ferociously (1 or 2 sounds).

3.7.3.9 Goth Clubman

• Voices and dying SHARED with standard military foot units.

• Attack sounds: A couple of sounds of a wooden club.

3.7.3.10 Persian Scythed Chariot

• SHARED - with normal cavalry units’ click-selection voices.

• SHARED - wheels squeaking and horse and men sounds for click-move (2).

• SHARED - Sound of man throwing javelin from chariot (1 sound) for long range attack sequence.

• SHARED - Sound of spear thrusting (2) for short-range attack sequence.

• SHARED - Sound of chariot being destroyed (wood breaking, horse dying, men scream, crash) (1 or 2 sounds).

• Sound for click-attack order, Persian man/men yelling on horse and chariot background (2 sounds).

• Sounds of blades in the wheels when hitting enemies (1 or 2 sounds).

3.8 Siege Weapons

(Note: Very rough list)

Catapult moving.

Catapult being destroyed.

Catapult being selected. Possibly mixed with voices of Siege Engineers.

Catapult shooting.

Catapult reloading (sounds of stringing ropes and similar).

Siege Tower being selected. Possibly shared with Catapult.

Siege Tower being destroyed. Possibly shared with Catapult.

Siege Tower moving with wheels. Possibly shared with Catapult.

Siege Tower being shot with arrows (arrows hitting wood).

Siege Tower moving ramp or something (when it is connected to a wall).

Scorpion/Ballista shooting bolt.

Scorpion/Ballista being selected. Possibly shared with Catapult.

Scorpion/Ballista being destroyed. Possibly shared with Catapult.

Scorpion/Ballista moving - Don’t know if it will even roll, possibly pack and unpack.

Scorpion/Ballista reloading. Possibly shared with Catapult.

Battering Ram selection. Possibly shared.

Battering Ram ramming (Depends on rammed material: wood or stone).

Battering Ram being destroyed. Possibly shared with Catapult.

Battering Ram moving (Men inside pushing).

Siege equipment being packed for transportation. Possibly without sound, I don’t know.

Siege equipment being unpacked for deployment on field.

Catapult stone hitting wood.

Catapult stone hitting stone.

Catapult stone hitting water.

Scorpion/Ballista bolt hitting wood.

Scorpion/Ballista bolt hitting stone.

Scorpion/Ballista bolt hitting water.

Fire explosions for burning projectiles.

Fire spreading sounds.

3.9 Ships

(NOTE: Another area we are a bit unsure of because ships are quite different from those in other games. Ships are pieces of terrain and you can select the units on them.)

Ship breaking and sinking (1 or 2).

Ship moving with sails.

Ship moving with oars.

Ship moving with sails and oars.

Ship explosions with water splashes (?).

Ship wood impacts.

Ship standing on sea (the typical sounds of wood creeks, the waves, etc).

Ship single alarm. 1 blast of a conch.

Ship double alarm. 2 blasts.

Ship triple alarm. 3 blasts.

Fishing boat fishing sounds (net, etc).

Ship ramming, big crash.

Ship being rammed, wood crush.

Ship in ramming attack speed, like the drum sounds in Ben Hur

Alarm when being boarded.

Boarding sound(s), ship being attached to enemy ship, something like that.

Boat bells and other sounds.

Different sounds (maybe drums or something) could be used in the various ship manoeuvres, although I am not sure if that would be too many sounds, even if it enhances the game’s coolness.

3.10 Environmental Sounds

Sea: Gulls, waves, splashes, waves cracking the rocky coast (when it is rock).

Woods: Owls, leaves in the wind, birds and other animals.

Fields: Wind, crickets, other insects.

Marsh: Frogs, mosquitoes, etc

River: Water running, waterfalls (when there is one), splashes.

Mountain: Heavy wind, rocks.

City: Crowd, horses, market sounds, troop columns moving around, etc.

Farmlands: Rooster, farm animals, dog barking, crops winding, etc.

Weather: Light rain, heavy rain, snow (then no sound ), heavy wind, thunders, sand storms, etc.

Climatic stages.

Spring: Birds, leaves.

Summer: Crickets, louder birds, leaves.

Fall: Rain, leaves.

Winter: Heavy wind, wolves, heavy rain.

3.11 Fauna

Bears, wolves, owls, various bird types, deer, boar, dogs, cows, pigs, chicken, whale, dolphin, horse, goat, musk ox, sheep, elephant, lion, tiger, dragon (editor), polar bear, donkey, crocodile, camel, etc. Many of these animals will be available exclusively from the editor. Many will have to be discarded.

Animals require sounds for standing and being selected, and for dying. Some require attack sounds too, like lion, bear, etc.

3.12 Miscellaneous Sounds

Step on grass.

Step on stone.

Step on dirt.

Step on water.

Step on mud.

Step on snow.

Various bells and alarms for interface and other things.

Sword clashing 1.

Sword clashing 2.

Sword clashing 3.

Spear thrusting 1.

Spear thrusting 2.

Spear thrusting 3.

Bow shooting 1.

Bow shooting 2.

Arrow flying 1.

Arrow flying 2.

Arrow flying 3.

Multi-arrow 1.

Multi-arrow 2.

Flaming arrow flying 1.

Flaming arrow flying 2.

Explosion/crumble 1.

Explosion/crumble 2.

Explosion/crumble 3.

Flag flapping.

Dying foot unit 1.

Dying foot unit 2.

Dying foot unit 3.

Dying foot unit 4.

Dying cavalry unit 1.

Dying cavalry unit 2.

Dying cavalry unit 3.

Fire 1.

Fire 2.

Fire spreading.

Military unit grunt 1.

Military unit grunt 2.

Horse grunt 1.

Horse grunt 2.

Horse whine.

Horse hoofs.

Horse gallop.

Horse breath.

Garrisoning sound.

Worker/Trade unit created sound.

Military foot unit created sound.

Cavalry unit created.

Priest created.

Unit upgraded in Armoury sound.

Hero joined your army sound.

Tech researched sound.

Unit under attack alarm sound.

City/Village under attack sound.

Hero is dead, advise sound.

Morale failure, sound.

Morale boost, sound.

Water splashes 1.

Water splashes 2.

Water splashes 3.

Ally call to location sound.

No resources notification.

Victory notification.

Defeat notification.

New mission objectives sound.

Unit/building turns into your side, sound.

Gate opens.

Gate closes.

Cracks on the wall when under siege.

Menu selections, interface sounds, diplomacy, tributes, etc.