The highest settings on VO don't even compare to other programs I have, like iTunes. I have to set it down to like, half to have a good balance with the game.

It was nicer when the boost-kick-in-sound almost blew your speakers out. Take that, sonic boom.

Coouldn't that be made optional?

The boost sound that made animals deaf? Sure, bring it on!

That sound might be yoda's only defense against other players' cats. :P

Mynt: As far as volume goes, yeah, that is a bit annoying at times... I know that on OSX (running programs as you've listed) you have at least three different volume sliders; one for iTunes, the ones in VO, and the master volume switch which isn't connected to either of those. I usually also have a fourth slider on my headphones as well.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure how increasing the volume of VO's sounds would help--you'd just be moving the sliders around a bit less in iTunes and your system volume settings.

at least they wont be sued for making the children deaf.

[REJECTED]

Miharu, assuming that the sliders extended infinitely, what you're saying would be true. Unfortunately, each slider has it's own limits, and those limits don't seem to match up, so in order to be able to listen to any effects in VO I have to bring down iTunes about halfway. I've got these weaksauce headphones that already play pretty quiet, and I know they can do louder, but since the limit for VO is so low, and I can't turn the master volume up any higher than maximum, I get *pew pew pew* instead of *PIZZOW CHIGGI BRRROOOOOMM!!!!* which I think is more fitting for gameplay of this caliber.

Of course if I just found someway of upping the maximum volume even more, this wouldn't be an issue, but I think a simpler solution (for everyone) would be to set the volume for VO to be potentially higher.

So, what you're suggesting is that the volume slider should go all the way to 11?

yes!

15... no, no wait. 20!

Lemming +5 Spinal Tap.

"I get *pew pew pew* instead of *PIZZOW CHIGGI BRRROOOOOMM!!!!* which I think is more fitting for gameplay of this caliber."

... you'd get that "pizzow chiggi brrrooooomm" if VO's sound effects were of that caliber in the first place. :P

Correct. There's no reason why the amount of volume shouldn't parallel the quality of gameplay.

I think Miharu's point is that the sound effects in VO actually go "pew pew pew" and not "PIZZOW CHIGGI BRRROOOOOOOOMM!!!!!" and will not even at loud volume, I play with VO sounds quite high at times, so I can hear the proximity alert over my music (just to point something out, in Linux at least, I have to reduce VO's volume to get a good balance), and instead of "pew pew pew" I get "PEW PEW PEW".

I just want that turbo BOOMSH! back, not that "psshhhh".

Edit: Maybe I'll just rig a bass booster. Or hook a sub-woofer in addition to my nice externals.

I've set my sub up so it boosts bass like there is no tomorrow. That makes the turbo, both the kick-in and the regular turboing, sound like the engine really is HUGE.

The only problem is that hull impacts now cause my neighbours china to rattle...

That is a problem. It should be causing your china to rattle.

Engine wash from a Constellation would (or ought to, at any rate) be intense if the sounds ever get cranked up like this.

No! Flying by another ship, there is no air between you, thus no sound. But if I'm docked in it, I could hear the cool sound effects.

I should still have the original turbo sound.. somewhere. Not that that's really related to this discussion.

I don't know how volume-meter normalization works across platforms. I think it probably depends on the sound API. Ray/Andy would know. I know it's definitely quite loud on Windows, or can be. The actual volumes of the sounds might also play a part, though.. it might just be that most MP3s are "louder" than VO sounds. But if I boosted the volumes of the sounds, I'd deafen everyone not on a mac. Anyway, I don't even know if that's it, but I'll see what we can find out.

What I do when I play VO (Im on a Mac) is put the VO volume on 10, and set my iTunes volume about 75%. This allows me to listen to my music and still hear the sound effects clearly, but without overpowering my music or vice-versus.

I also suggest try turing on sound normalization in iTunes, that way encodes of different volumes won't give you so much trouble, because unless you encoded all your own tunes and normalized, you're likely to have songs with many different sound levels.

Now, if I could just control iTunes from inside VO in full screen mode, I'd be set...

I've got a method to do that. I'll show you next time I see you in-game.

yeah, of course there's no sound in space, but what's a game without sound?