The recent Star Citizen live Q&A provided an in-depth look into the ongoing and upcoming audio developments within the game. The audio team addressed the return of the iconic flyby sounds, explaining that these sounds had been temporarily reduced to improve performance but will soon come back with enhanced quality, immersion, and distance presence. They are working on realistic audio modes that will make players feel vibrations and environmental effects more authentically, aiming for a cinematic and immersive experience that goes beyond current standards like Dolby Atmos.
The team is also focusing on expanding in-game dialogue and ambient sounds, including more engaging distress calls, ship horns, and potentially radio stations unique to planets and space areas. They plan to elevate ship audio by adding personality and presence to all vehicles, with sounds dynamically changing based on ship status, location, and damage. Voice over IP (VOIP) is slated for a backend overhaul to support larger player counts and server meshing, with future possibilities like ship speakers to enhance communication immersion.
Environmental audio is receiving attention as well, with plans to diversify rain sound effects based on surface materials and intensity, as well as dynamic weather support. Air traffic control chatter is in early development, aiming to provide immersive and context-specific communication for stations, landing zones, and outposts. The team is also addressing legacy audio issues, prioritizing updates for ships first, then other sounds like weapons and ambient effects, supported by doubling the audio department’s size to accelerate progress.
Star Audio, the middleware system, is being developed to connect sounds contextually and enable realistic interactions like vibrations affecting other objects and sounds in 3D space. This system supports advanced features such as sound blending for distant environments and options for stereo and surround sound configurations. Footstep sounds and other interactive audio elements are being refined for accuracy and immersion, and there are hints of upcoming content including new ships and improved capital ship audio to better convey their massive presence.
Finally, the team encouraged community engagement to help guide audio development by reporting bugs and sharing ideas. They shared some interesting tidbits, such as personal sound effects inspired by real-life experiences, and teased upcoming events like the ship showdown and major updates from the Montreal studio. Overall, the update highlighted a strong commitment to enhancing the auditory experience in Star Citizen, making it more immersive, dynamic, and integral to gameplay.
