Hello Everyone!
It's been a while since I have played Neocon consistently. Have a look at my biography for more of that..
Neocon is doing a lot of cool things and I personally believe this is a game that is not only a classic but should also be made brand new and full of life! The community development team is taking a lot of time and effort to bring new life into this game and I think that is amazing.
I am graduating with my bachelors of science this upcoming October, in Music Production.
This technical degree covers everything from film and game sound design to full orchestral writing and scoring, on into audio video editing, post production and implementation with WWISE specifically. We also had to touch on a lot of the modern game creation engine with emphasis on the unreal engine and WWISE for implementation.
I am currently seeking to obtain my WWISE Certification, which will make me an expert and sound and audio staging an d implementation into any video games with industry standard tools.
What I am proposing is a full re-design of all NC2's current Sound Elements. Foley, Sound FX, and so on. As well, with a more modern addition of Dialogue for NPC chats and backstory from Voice actors. We will cover Everything from the bestiary to the general footsteps and weapon sounds. Essentially remaking the entire asset libray of Neocron with High Fidelity and appropriate sounds.
What about the Music? I believe more elements of the game could use thought provoking and engaging, immersive music in areas that either lack it or have ambiant soundscapes in it's place. I do believe there is plenty of room for soundscapes, but as well, I believe there is a need to have sound tracks in other places. Like the Gaia mine for instance, Or the fire or poison caves and other locals. Some music we may not want to touch at all. Like Tech Haven. Some we may want to remake, remix, or make more vibrant like the military base or clubs.
With that brings the question of legality:
While we design and implement NEW assets, signing on to this volunteer project will give neocon and all affiliated personnel and entities a non exclusive, royalty free license to use, modify, lease, sublease and sell all of the audio assets created therein. Where it pertains to utilizing and implementing copyrighted material, such as modifying and utilizing existing compositions and scores; The project manager (me) will obtain a written license from any owner of copy written material before any work or modification will take place. The written permission will be displayed publicly in this or any other appropriate forum.
Having a working knowledge of music business and how to find and obtain legal permission from owners of creative works and intellectual properties, I feel that this task, however monumental can be carried out effectively and without any legal mishaps or questions of legality.
Anyone who joins the project and attempts to use copy written material without permission will be dismissed. Everything must be original except where we choose to get appropriate permission to use and modify the assets we like currently in game.
This project will be volunteer in nature and have timely milestones for completion. I understand we all have lifes outside of the game. We don't have to beat ourrself's up and produce, produce. In fact we are in no immediate hurry. Milestones will be used to satisfy that volunteer members to this team are in fact completing work and not just loafing around!
I took an opportunity to work on the Elder Scrolls community "Re-Development" Team in the sound arena and acquired a decent knowledge on how to organize and implement a project of this scope.
We will use a Sound Design discord channel for communications purposes. We will use Trello to implement project "cards" for design assets. A card could be a general item pickup and drop sound design. A weapon SFX of certain footstep Foley's. Wheen a members takes a card, a date will be assigned not for completion, but rather review of your current progress oin the card. Assets that are deemed complete and approved by the Neocron community development team will be moved to an implementation folder and await implementation. We will use Google Drive to share and catalogue our collective works as a team. We will formulate an asset naming standard and have lots of fun! We will start small, working or remaking the current sound assets as NEW Assets. Once implemented we can focus on implementing assests that are non existant such as new soundscapes and/or Music and dialogue in places that do not have it.
This will not be a cheap-o-matic project.
This team will need persons with a background in sound and design and music. The assets we create will be professional and worthy of delivery to this game as though it were a brand new game hitting the shelves. The audience must be convinced these sounds fit and are real and convincing to the brain. When you fire a plasma cannon, the player must believe it's a plasma cannon. When you are being hunted by a launcher cyclops or a warbot, the player must fear that enemy as though it were real
What do you all think?