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Anonymous's avatar
Anonymous
9 years ago

Re: Ambiance and mood

Hmm, to me the greatest difference between then and now is that then the OST told the story, and now it doesn't. This difference cannot be fixed with volume alone, sadly. There's also the matter that most of the planets has not a really rich ecosystem, which makes it even more noticeable the lack of ambiance or music on the background. Back then, you would not remain on places for to long to notice much of anything rather than the actual story, the OST playing along with it and the sound effects of shooting, dialogue and some ambiance. But MEA requires you to wander longer in certain environments, so there's a different feel about it, which requires a different solution for immersion. Or so I think.

13 Replies

  • Did you actually try making the music level relatively higher than SFX, Dialog and such?

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    9 years ago

    Back when I was playing yes, tweaked a lot here and there, using and not using headsets, even playing supportive white sounds with it. Why?


  • @PandaTar wrote:

    Back when I was playing yes, tweaked a lot here and there, using and not using headsets, even playing supportive white sounds with it. Why?


    Lowering all the other volume levels except music is a bit counter-intuitive and it made a great deal of difference. Entering the Vault on Eos and the escape of the purge becomes much more gripping.

  • EA_Archi's avatar
    EA_Archi
    Icon for EA Staff (Retired) rankEA Staff (Retired)
    9 years ago

    Hello everyone! 

    As for, I`ve enjoyed Voeld soundtrack much. Cool ambient track, was really snowy and chilly. Vaults music is good one as well, mysterious and moody. 

    Cheers, 

    Archi

  • The issue I have with music/sound/banter/announcements...  Well is that I can hardly hear the music it's too soft, I dont feel like turning down the volume for the other parts in order to make the music louder for fear that I would lose the good banter parts.  The random encounters with people or animals attacking you, those damn announcements from SAM about temperature and sometimes when nearing a quest site Ryder makes some kind of an announcement...  It's really disruptive, interrupting banter especially when they dont repeat.  Can remember during my first playthrough Drack was asking PeeBee her age and I was really interested in that(as in another forum there was a discussion on that and speculation on her age vs liara's) when she wanted to say her line, SAM interrupted me and you cant image how pissed off I was...  It was only on my 2nd or 3rd platthrough that I got the exact same banter again and this time I stopped the nomad and let it finish before I continue on my merry way... 

  • arthurh3535's avatar
    arthurh3535
    9 years ago

    Unless you are playing at max volume on your computer/TV, you should be able to lower SFX, Voice, etc and leave your main and music at max in the game, then turn up the volume on your speakers/OS or on your TV.

  • EA_Archi's avatar
    EA_Archi
    Icon for EA Staff (Retired) rankEA Staff (Retired)
    9 years ago

    I see your point there @VladVonCastein Happened to me on quite a few occasions. Some really fun Peebee/Cora interactions were rudely interrupted. Patch 1.06 removed those regular SAM notifications. So this should not be such an issue anymore.

    Cheers,

    Archi  


  • @EA_Archi wrote:

    I see your point there @VladVonCastein Happened to me on quite a few occasions. Some really fun Peebee/Cora interactions were rudely interrupted. Patch 1.06 removed those regular SAM notifications. So this should not be such an issue anymore.

    Cheers,

    Archi  


    I just had a playthrough after 1.07 was out, SAM's email notifications are reduced at the start, however towards the end it came back.  As for travelling in the nomad, SAM still goes on about the temperature.

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    9 years ago

    I think the "lack of background music" is actually a bug, that it isn't starting correctly.. some games, the music is always there, in others it just never seems to play at all.   Every patch makes it either worse or better. Then worse again.

    As for immersion.. I think that's really down to individuals, if you lack imagination, you won't get immersed.    I have no issues with running around in the game or driving around all the time, in fact, it's only when I start getting tired after maybe 10-12 hours of play that I even use the teleport system via map.

    The Sam reminders have never bothered me, I just acknowledge them, sometimes even saying "thankyou sam" to the screen as he reminds me for the millioninth occasion that I can mine somewhere.. really those prompts should be changed, so when you enter a mineable area for the first time.. you get the notification and then never play thereafter.

    But the conversation exchanges between passengers in the nomad or in the field during quiet moments, much of which is regarding your current plot situation are really immersive and when the music does play, it really does transport you into the world of mass effect.

    I think it's sad that so many people are saying things like the game sucks, there's no story, no background.. when it simply isn't true, everything is there, you just need to wait for it or look for it.   Fact of life that people will hate a game, just because they're hateful people.  And that others will just lie, because they're liars.

    People and editors etc have made a meal of ME:A out of fairly minor details, giving an unfair judgement on the game overall.   There's certainly issues in the game both in physical gameplay and in the mechanics, but overall, ME:A is an amazing and excellent game.  One which has me replaying it over and over, revisiting old areas, that sometimes feel like it's been years since I was last there, when in fact it was only a day or so before.

    Although I do have issues with some lacking aspects of the games mechanics, I still give Mass Effect : Andromeda 11/10.  It will always be, one of my favourite games of all time, just like ME 1 & 2.  3 not so much.

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    9 years ago

    I like the sounds walking around Havarl. It actually reminds me of my very first days in everquest walking around Faydark, very similiar ambience so it was like a Deja vu moment for me.

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    9 years ago

    Ambiance and mood?  i'm really feeling this in multiplayer when the sound cuts out.  (yes i'm banging on about this again) 

    It kills the mood entirely . honestly noone wants to only be able to hear their pc fans when playing this game in multiplayer.. its just a terrible experience when it happens.. and thats regular.

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    9 years ago

    @EA_Archi wrote:

    I see your point there @VladVonCastein Happened to me on quite a few occasions. Some really fun Peebee/Cora interactions were rudely interrupted. Patch 1.06 removed those regular SAM notifications. So this should not be such an issue anymore.

    Cheers,

    Archi  


    Ive noticed that banter doesn't seem to be interpreted like before as well. It over rides almost everything but main quest details. SAM can't talk over banter and the banter continues even if you step out of the Nomad while they are talking.

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    9 years ago

    I like the Draak/Jaal, Peebee/Cora and Peebee/Vetra and some of the Liam/Vetra or Liam/Cora conversations, esp the stuff where Vetra or Cora are usually shutting him down.

    Some of the stuff they say during fights is out of context and it's quite funny just how real to life this actually is.   I've been in some quite bizarre situations in life to have someone make statements next to me that were totally out of context.. like one day fighting a wildfire in a field and my mate is prattling on about his new car.. and the problems he's having with cornering and pot holes..

    If you want an irl situation where I guarantee you'll see this.. Doctors in Surgery.. talking about what the did at the weekend whilst they're operating on my knee.  Or Dentists talking about a movie.. some people say it's unprofessional.. but really it's just natural to witter.. youtube is full of witterers..

    Then you get haters screaming abuse at the game because characters say out of context things.. well, people do to. irl.

    Like in the first main "big" fight, when someone mentions floating rocks during the firefight, I could actually see this happening irl.  It'd probably be me.

    Another thing is this complaint of general lack of immersion, compared to what? ME1? or 2? There was no real immersion in either game, you went, you killed, you left.. alot of ME:A is exactly the same.. turn up, kill everything, shoot some wildlife, scan a few things, maybe talk to some dying fellow, leave.. wait.. it's the same in EVERY game.. go, kill, leave.

    Immersion is about becoming part of the game.. if you get so easily hung up on someone making spelling typos in the writing or context issues.. then likely, you'll never get immersed in a game, because you're always psychoanalysing everything.   Play the game. Ignore the silly little errors and have fun.  I just don't see the point in soapboxing.

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