From the earliest conception of computer games, audio has
been used to perform many functions. In early games such as Pong very simple ‘beeps’ were used to
give players feedback about events happening in the game. In modern games, as technology
has improved, audio has become a multi-faceted tool used to perform a growing
number of tasks.
The Taxonomy of Audio for Games (TAG) project aims to
highlight the key areas where audio is used for specific effects in modern
games. One of the areas outlined is the use of audio to promote ‘Mastery and
Autonomy’ for the player within the game environment. These are split into six
main functions:
- Instruction
- Notification
- Feedback
- Orientation
- Rhythm-Action
- Mechanic
In this post I will use an example within a modern game to
demonstrate one of these functions further.
The video below shows a short clip from Deus Ex: Human Revolution. It demonstrates an example of
Notification for the player. One of the key gameplay techniques of this game is
stealth and completing many of the main missions rely on the player’s mastery
of this method.
There are a few devices in the game to help a player remain
unseen by the enemy. Vision cones can be added to the mini map and augmented
vision allows the player to see through walls, highlighting any nearby enemies.
However, the device I found most useful when playing was the verbosity of the enemy
guards. The video shows an example of what happens when the player is seen in
an area where enemies are overtly hostile, in this example, an enemy base.
Notice as I run into the field of view of the guard, he
gives notification that he has seen me and begins to fire. As I hide behind the
wall out of sight he stops firing for a moment until I reappear and he verbally
confirms that he has seen me again. This is a clear example of audio being used
to notify the player that the guard has changed state and is now hostile
towards the player.
Throughout the game
verbal cues are given by enemies to notify the player about their state. If the
player were to sneak into a position where the guard could not see them and
make enough noise to cause a disturbance, the guard would verbally notify them
that he had heard the sound and would enter an increased state of alertness to
future noise and movement. This prompts the player to either leave the area
until the guard returns to his neutral state or be extra careful moving around
the area.
This type of notification is incredibly useful for the
player, especially when they are still learning the fundamental game mechanics.
It allows the player to quickly develop skills that will aid them in mastery of
the game and will decrease frustration at higher difficulty levels.
