{"id":259,"date":"2026-01-11T04:32:53","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T04:32:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/mfm2g24\/?page_id=259"},"modified":"2026-01-11T04:40:45","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T04:40:45","slug":"week-9","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/mfm2g24\/week-9\/","title":{"rendered":"Week 9"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How Sound Shapes Play<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In games music subconsciously connect audience to the game world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Functions of game audio<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Anchoring \u2013 Keep player connected to the game world\n
      \n
    1. Immersion >> believability<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Informing \u2013 audio communicates info about the game and setting to the player
      1. Feedback & reward. E.g. pressing a button again after pressing it should make a different sound to inform the player that it has been pressed<\/li><\/ol>
        1. Direct the player\u2019s focus<\/li><\/ol>
          1. Evoke mood & emotion<\/li><\/ol>\n
              \n
            1. Accessibility. E.g. vibrating controller when you get too close to the road edge, like in Forza Motorsport<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            2. Branding\/identity  
              1. Product\/studio brand<\/li><\/ol>
                1. Game identity<\/li><\/ol>\n
                    \n
                  1. To be iconic<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                    Categories of Game Audio<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    Sound<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      \n
                    • Ambience<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • UI\/UX<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • SFX<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • Silence<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                      Music<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        \n
                      • Diegetic (within world)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • Non-diegetic (characters can\u2019t hear it, we can)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • Custom<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • Licenced<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                        Speech<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                          \n
                        • Narrator, voice over (VO)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        • Dialogue<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        • Group chat<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                          Dramatic dissonance can be used to create contrast between what\u2019s happening and the music. E.g. disastrous event + slow mellow sad music<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                          Examples of what classifies as in or out of the world<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                          Diegetic<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                            \n
                          • Car radio<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                          • Weapons\/spells<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                          • Character dialogue<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                            Non-diegetic<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                              \n
                            • Menu sounds<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            • Underscore<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            • Narrator<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                              IEZA Model<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                              4 conceptual domains of communication: interface, effect, zone, affect<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                              \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                              Figure 8 Huiberts & van Tol, 2008<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                              Audio for non-linear media<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                \n
                              1. Interactive\n
                                  \n
                                1. Player >>> Game<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                                  Press button > footsteps<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    \n
                                  • Reactive\n
                                      \n
                                    • Player >…..> Game<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                      Trigger comes from indirect action of the player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                      E.g. whistle >\u2026..> NPC makes a sound in response<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                        \n
                                      • Adaptive\n
                                          \n
                                        • Game >>> Game<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                          Trigger comes from conditions of states within internal games systems<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                          e.g. game clock, heartbeat when low health<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                          In Luigi\u2019s Mansion 3, a loud and distracting heartbeat sound plays when reaching low health throughout. This isn\u2019t good as it distracted the player from the gameplay, and they have to listen to it the entire time they\u2019re on low health. However, despite this being an example of bad use of Adaptive sound, I thought about whether a consistent annoying and distracting sound could work for my game, where the player has to fight through anxiety to remember their grocery list and finish their shopping. In my game, the circumstances of the character are the reason she struggles to remember her list, so it could work, however it could be a little too distracting considering all the distractions that there are already.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                            \n
                                          • Dynamic\n
                                              \n
                                            • Sound >>> Sound<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                              Real time mixing of individual sounds and music<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                              E.g. spatial positioning and distance<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                              Ducking music for important dialogue<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                              Prioritising\/culling audible sounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                              Hear a missile coming at you from behind more than anything else<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                              Audio direction framework<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                \n
                                              • Direction \u2013 what? Why?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                e.g. recording from other games, like a sound moodboard<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                  \n
                                                • Operation (style) \u2013 What programs, etc<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                • Tech \u2013 Who\u2019s doing that?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                  At the end of the lesson I spoke with Dave about the possible sounds that could be in my game. I told him what my game was about, and he said I could make the sounds be louder or more overwhelming according to the anxiety and that the anxiety could rise up consistently as you spend time inside the store, meaning the sound would shift in a linear way. This was helpful and made me more confident that my concept idea was very clear, because I was considering something like that as well, for instance I was thinking that the sounds of the NPCs would become louder and any other sound would be overtaken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                  Controllers, Audio & Embodied Play + catching up<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                  Practical Checks for Your GDD
                                                  \u2022 Can every mechanic be remapped? (motor accessibility)
                                                  \u2022 Is essential info colour-independent? (colour-blind
                                                  modes)
                                                  \u2022 Is the mapping similar to other games and easy to
                                                  learn?
                                                  \u2022 Are UI fonts readable at small distances? (console &
                                                  handheld)
                                                  \u2022 Is difficulty tied to input pressure\/timing?
                                                  (adjustable?)
                                                  \u2022 Do you provide alternative inputs? (tap vs hold, toggle
                                                  vs press)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                  What is game UI and what makes it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                  \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                                                  Firewatch mostly operates withing the Diegetic section. The map the player uses is within game world and the 3d game space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                  \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                                                  Non-diegetic UI<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                    \n
                                                  • Ring menu \u2013 spin through resources or actions<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                  • Life meter<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                  • Level map \u2013 small map showing the entire layout of a level<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                    Diegetic UI<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                      \n
                                                    • Futuristic UI overlays \u2013 e.g. built into the helmet the character wears, displaying vital stats and information<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                    • In-game gadgets<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                    • Physical limitations \u2013 character is physically hindered after sustaining damage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                      Spatial<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                        \n
                                                      • Selection Aura<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                      • Racing lines \u2013 highlighted line that indicates the path to follow<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                      • Object text labels<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                        Meta<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          \n
                                                        • FOV colour filters \u2013 indicates a change of state through full screen filters<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                        • Grime \u2013 materials such as blood, dirt or broken glass, only exist in 2d plane<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                                                          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                                                          UI should change accordingly to the device it is on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          Workshop Activity: Player-Centric UI Layout Lab<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          \u2022 Goal: Create UI layouts informed by attention flow, hierarchy, and player needs.
                                                          \u2022 Each group will design the UI for a shared game scenario.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          With my teammate we made a UI layout for an action RPG. We simply ended up putting most things at the corners and tried grouping together UI components we though worked together. We didn\u2019t do a very good job, and we didn\u2019t even realise we could draw the UI until we had to swap sheet with another team for feedback, we just assumed we had to stick them down for some reason and just figure out the locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                                                          The feedback we were given by the other group said, \u201chealth bar usually on left side\u201d, \u201cskill icons common for RPG\u201d (probably mentioned because we didn\u2019t draw anything), and \u201cmaybe draw a draft\u201d. We did not redo it, but I will keep in mind to draw out the UI.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                                          How Sound Shapes Play In games music subconsciously connect audience to the game world. Functions of game audio Categories of Game Audio Sound Music Speech Dramatic dissonance can be used to create contrast between what\u2019s happening and the music. E.g. disastrous event + slow mellow sad music Examples of what classifies as in or out […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-259","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/mfm2g24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/mfm2g24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/mfm2g24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/mfm2g24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/mfm2g24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=259"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/mfm2g24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/259\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":272,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/mfm2g24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/259\/revisions\/272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/mfm2g24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}