RPGDot Network    
   

 
 
Pirates of the Burning Sea
Display full image
Pic of the moment
More
pics from the gallery
 
 
Site Navigation

Main
   News
   Forums

Games
   Games Database
   Top 100
   Release List
   Support Files

Features
   Reviews
   Previews
   Interviews
   Editorials
   Diaries
   Misc

Download
   Gallery
   Music
   Screenshots
   Videos

Miscellaneous
   Staff Members
   Privacy Statement

FAQ
Members
Usergroups
Sound
  View previous topic :: View next topic
RPGDot Forums > CRPGs General

Author Thread
Stiletto
God Emperor
God Emperor




Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 312
Location: Orlando, Florida
   

Do most new games take full advantage of surround sound? I was thinking about getting a set of Klipsch to get the surround sound experience, but I was wondering if new games are really using it. Running through these various worlds, do you hear things all around you or is it still mostly a front speaker thing? Not much point in buying a new speaker set and running wires through my attic if they are not going to be fully taken advantage of!

_________________
Stiletto
God Emperor
Post Wed Aug 22, 2001 1:12 pm
 View user's profile
Rendelius
Critical Error
Critical Error




Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 16
Location: Austria
   

I wish I knew. I know that EAX is fun with most games, but I don't know much about Surround...

_________________
Rendelius
former Senior Editor RPGDot
now at http://www.theastronomers.com
Post Wed Aug 22, 2001 4:24 pm
 View user's profile
Moriendor
Black Ring Leader
Black Ring Leader




Joined: 19 Jul 2001
Posts: 1306
Location: Germany
   

Most new games support EAX. EAX addresses 4-speaker systems (4.1 = 4 speakers + 1 subwoofer) and will therefore give you 4-point-surround sound. I bought a Creative Sound Blaster Live! Player 1024 and a Creative FPS 2000 speaker set back when Creative was offering a special rebate deal. I really don't want to miss it anymore. It's really great to hear sounds from behind you. It all depends on the implementation of EAX into the game engine, of course. Some few games support EAX w/o making much use of its features or it simply doesn't work correctly.
But even non-EAX games can be a better experience on a 4-point-surround system since it's quite nice to have the game music come from all 4 speakers.

"Real" surround sound support (5.1 = 4 speakers + 1 subwoofer + 1 center speaker) is very rare in gaming. I think some of the Wing Commander titles had "real" Dolby 5.1 surround sound and a very little number of other games. If you're watching a lot of DVD's on your PC I'd say go for a 5.1 surround system. Else, it's not worth the extra money for games. Get a decent FPS system and you should be very happy with it.
Post Wed Aug 22, 2001 8:32 pm
 View user's profile
Stiletto
God Emperor
God Emperor




Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 312
Location: Orlando, Florida
   

Well I fancy myself somewhat of a sound enthusiast. I don't see the point of a 5.1 system for a computer. Two decent speakers make a sound stage that should cover the range between them. Some speakers can create such a great stage that you can hear everything in between them as if there was something really there. Its pretty neat, just go listen to a set of B&W 801s, or comparable speaker. With such small speakers that computers have, there really is not a problem putting them in a location where the right and left are about equidistant from the monitor to either side. Stereo imaging comes from hearing the left and right sound from the left and right at the same time, you hear it coming from directly in the middle. When you start getting into bigger speakers that you can not necessarily place well is when you get into needing a center channel speaker. Even watching DVD's, unless you got a hell of a monitor, you are practically going to be wearing your computer speakers like headphones. The center speaker is really just to localize the sound in the center when you have no other way of creating that image.
Post Wed Aug 22, 2001 11:50 pm
 View user's profile



All times are GMT.
The time now is Wed Apr 10, 2019 1:37 am



Powered by phpBB © 2001 phpBB Group
 
 
 
All original content of this site is copyrighted by RPGWatch. Copying or reproducing of any part of this site is strictly prohibited. Taking anything from this site without authorisation will be considered stealing and we'll be forced to visit you and jump on your legs until you give it back.