June 9, 1999

Interviewed: Matthew Hanson-Weller <Anvil.Chorus> /  Weapons Factory

Date: June 9, 1999

Weapons Factory (WF) is a multi-player, team oriented mod for Quake 2. It builds on the standard capture the flag (CTF) game patch from id Software, incorporating features from the popular Quake I mod Team Fortress and its own unique features:

• Ten player classes - Each with its own array of weapons, grenades and capabilities:

1. Sniper - Deadly Sniper Rifle with lasersight.
   
2. Recon - Can fly and drop Cluster Bombs.
   
3. Cyborg - Grenade launcher with Plasma Bombs and Sentry Killer rockets.
   
4. Marine - Homing Rocket Launcher, Proximity and Turret Grenades.
   
5. Nurse - Infected Dart Launcher, Health Depot and BioSentry.
   
6. Arsonist - Flamethrower, Guided Napalm Rockets and Flaregun.
   
7. Spy - Can disguise as an enemy player and stab them in the back with Knife.
   
8. Mercenary - Pistol, AK47, Pipebombs, Stinger anti-air missile, breathes underwater.
   
9. Engineer - Builds Sentry Gun and Supply Depot.
   
10. Gunner - Heavily armed. Carrys Mega Chaingun and Laser Defense.

• Spawn fully armed in your own fort - Makes sense to most players. This differs from standard CTF where players spawn all over the place and have to hunt for weapons.
  
• Two Teams - Fight alongside your team mates against a common enemy. Coordinate defensive and offensive tactics.
  
• Variety of map goals - Version 4.0 offers a variety of goals possible in each map. For example:

1. 2Fort - Two opposing forts. Goal is to steal enemy flag and capture it at your flag location.
   
2. 1Fort - Two opposing forts. Goal is to fight over a center button that will grant captures every few minutes.
   
3. Keys - Captures are achieved by using keys to gain access to either flags or capture buttons.
   
4. Flag Hunt - Flags and capture points could be anywhere on the map.

• Map voting - Players choose what map they play on next. At anytime during the game, simply type "vote" in the console to select possible maps from a menu.
  
• Custom sounds - Taunt others around you with creative insults. Laugh in the face of death.
  
• Radio System - Communicate with team mates only with custom radio messages for each class.

It was the custom sounds and radio system that first caught our attention with Weapons Factory.  The following description was taken from the Weapons Factory website: "Weapons Factory has a large bank of audio clips built into it. These sounds were added to the game to facilitate communication between players. As such, they naturally break down into two categories: sounds you direct toward your teammates (strategic information -- we call them radio sounds), and sounds you direct toward the enemy team (taunts, epithets, editorial comments). We've organized the sounds for your reference here using these categories, although in actuality, you can use any of the sounds in any context."

All this, and the fact that they will be doing a Weapons Factory for Quake 3: Arena and the potential for 3D sound was enough for us to hook up with Weapons Factory sound guru <Anvil.Chorus>  to get more details on their current and future plans for Weapons Factory sound.  So lets get on with the interview!

3DSS: Thanks again for taking the time to do this interview. Perhaps you can start out be telling our readers a little about Weapons Factory and your background and your current role with Weapons Factory?

Anvil: You're welcome. Thank you for your interest in Weapons Factory and its sound department. I am known as <Anvil.Chorus>, but you can call me Anvil. I am the current head soundman for Weapons Factory Staff for the Quake 2 release and the soon to be released Quake 3!!!

3DSS: Thanks! Are we correct in assuming that Weapons Factory for Quake 2 uses the standard audio engine that ships with Quake 2 and therefore is just stereo?

Anvil: That is correct. We currently work with that which the grace of the Gods and id Software have bestowed upon us.

3DSS: You have done some neat things with the audio in Weapons Factory for Quake 2 with custom sounds and a radio system that allows players to actually communicate with teammates only with custom radio messages for each class. Can you talk a little about the challenges of this undertaking?

Anvil: Thank you. The radio wavs turned out a lot better than I would have imagined. It was a trial to say the least. With 8 different people and a talking computer to play all the roles, and to recite as many wavs as they all did, it was a great strain on my sleeping habits for about a month. We had so many script changes, retakes and hardware failure during that time that I was wondering if I was even going to DO them. The Cyborg was the biggest pain in the Arse! His voice was derived from a Text 'Ole program and I couldn't directly record from that program into wav format. My sampler broke down and I had recently sold my Multitrack cassette, so to get the voice of the Cyborg off my computer and then back on it in wav format I pumped it into a shelf unit cassette deck and back to the computer. It turned out OK, but the more I hear it the more I laugh. He really sounds like he is getting goosed about every other syllable. He he.

3DSS: :)  How long has Weapons Factory Arena Quake 3 been in development and when do you anticipate its release (realizing that the timing of the release of Quake 3 will impact on your own release)?

Anvil: It has been mulled over for a long time now, hard to give an exact time when we all got stirred up and ready for its release. And as far as us releasing product for Quake 3 when it's GOLD, all I can say is that we will be there. We will deliver.

3DSS: We can't wait!  We understand that you will be implementing 3D support for WF Area Quake 3.  We have some specific questions around 3D audio to ask you now.   First off is the 3D audio support contingent on John Carmac implementing it directly into the Quake 3 Arena engine?

Anvil: Yes, whether or not Weapons Factory applies 3-D positioning to its sound source is dependant on the next release of Quake supporting it out of the box or through patches.

3DSS: How long have you had a personal interest in 3D audio?

Anvil: Positional audio has been something that I have always been very very interested in. Not so much in games, but in music. A 3d field is an incredible, aural experience. I can't say that any game has influenced me at all in this respect. Many musicians and performances have influenced me, though, and some of the music that I am currently producing at home are taking advantage of stereo and 3d fields. The results can be amazing.

3DSS: If Quake 3 were to support 3D audio how would you see it benefiting game play in WF Area?

Anvil: I don't know if benefit is the correct term I would use.

3DSS: Interesting that you would say that.   We are starting to hear things from some people that with a competitive multiplayer game like WF Arena Quake 3, allowing people to take advantage of 3D sound cues while others cant because they don't have the hardware is an unfair advantage. Others think that advanced features like occlusions can actually be a disadvantage as they may not hear things that a player using stereo playback will hear. These discussions are very similar to the early days of 3D graphics with owners of 3Dfx cards been singled out as having an unfair disadvantage. What's your perspective on this and is there anything like server controls of audio feature that you might implement to address any of these concerns?

Anvil: Positional audio can be a hindrance to some people, too much information at once can confuse a player.  There is also a finite number of sounds the ear can pickup and distinguish at any one given time.   Sometimes nuances will be lost in heavy combat. You know there is nothing wrong with a typical L-R stereo field, it isn't like it is OBSOLETE.  I seriously hope that these people who posted concern about an "unfair advantage" aren't going to lose sleep over it.  If their current soundcard and two speakers do the job and blurt noises found in the game or MOD pak file, then they are doing better then those who don't.   As far as controlling sound options server side that might be more code than it is worth, but then we at Weapons Factory Software release and continue to hone it. So you never know what may be in store.

3DSS: With all the custom sounds you have to work from in WF Quake 2 you have a good base to start from in doing WF Arena Quake 3. What type of special audio effects will WF Arena Quake 3 utilize to emphasize these environments?

Anvil: First off let me say that each and every wav that will be Created for WFA will be 110% original material, no manipulated wavs, no audio clips from cartoons or media of any sort.  I am revamping my studio and recruiting some talented studio engineers out there in quakeland to aid me.   There will be many a new map environment sound, a huge palette for map makers to chose from. Many new radio wavs, big, bolder, better.  There will be many new voices in the cast and some of the old ones, too.  Much more music will be coming out, both for Weapons Factory and on my own, and I am sure there will be more contributions from talented players out there. And there are some surprises in store...

3DSS: Sounds great!!  So how are you generating all of your sound effects?

Anvil: Since the last issue of WF sounds I have totally and utterly redone my sound generations set up. I got rid of the old broken sampler and my old FM synth. I just purchased a new Roland XP-60 synth workstation and a Korg NS5r rackmount sound module. I have a new vocal mic to get the real nuances and articulation of vocals and an Aural Exciter (say that 10 times fast, in the buff, to a stranger) on the way in the mail. And who the heck knows what else I will buy or barter. I have some old equipment for sale. Interested?

3DSS: Hehe not us, we will leave the sound design to experts like yourself :) Perhaps some of our readers might take you up on the offer though!  Will you be doing any of the special effects in software for those people who have not purchased 3D sound cards?

Anvil: I should hope so. Why not!?!?! Sure thing. It can't hurt. I work for the people.

3DSS: Are there any feature that you would like to see added to the 3D sound APIs on the market today?

Anvil: Yes, I need it to fix me breakfast.

3DSS: That's a new one for our wish list :).   In today's 3D soundcards we are seeing hardware 3d channel support ranging from 8 to 32. Has this posed any challenges in the development of WF Arena?

Anvil: Nope, not yet. I can't see it being an issue.

3DSS: What frequency will the audio be recorded/played back at?

Anvil: It seems the format for Quake 3 will support 8bit 22hz, but we are experimenting with some forms of audio compression that might prove very helpful. In the end, if compressed, we would be looking (listening) at resolution that less than 8bit. I'll say 8bit for right now, but that may change too.


3DSS: Will there be a custom sound track associated with WF Arena Quake 3 and if what form will it take and what format will it use?

Anvil: Why yes there will, in one form or another. We have some plans for music in WF, but the details are top secret right now. We strive to make the gaming experience as fun and configurable to the players' needs. Music will play a definite roll in WFA.

3DSS: Still on the sound track questions, personally I find that most of the time, if I am going for a truly immersive experience, I turn off the music so as to emphasize the environmental effects. Can you briefly give the pros and cons of sound tracks as you see it?

Anvil: I used to play with music while I Quaked, but I get interrupted so much of time that someone talking in my ear with Quake and a CD going at the same time drives me nutz. The pros is that you can chose whatever music that puts you in that "QUAKE MODE", or whatever game you are playing, and it's fun and intense. If you lean too much on the soundtrack side of gameplay you will miss out on important and subtle sound cues in a game. Smoking is bad for you, too.

3DSS: Finally, what is it that WF Arena Quake III will offer gamers to distinguish itself from mulitplayer games like Unreal Tournament, Team Fortress 2 and of course, Quake III Arena which will be coming out in the coming months.

Anvil: First off, it is Quake, baby. No contest. All those other games are nice, but this is Quake. All Quakers out there know what I mean by that.  Second, this is the most fun and frustration I have ever experienced in a modification.  With the new plans for WFA being sorted through and passed about within the WFS circle I am getting excited to play it.  The multiclass capability, point scoring and strategy will surpass WF for Q2. And if you are familiar with the current Weapons Factory MOD then you know how it morphs and mutates in time.   The possibilities are endless and it is going to be fun playing another year on a new MOD.

3DSS: Can you tell us anything about your plans beyond WF Arena Quake 3, and more specifically, is continued support for 3d sound in those plans?

Anvil: Yes, I plan on producing my first music release that will print sometime this fall.  I will have a website up soon as well that will delve into my projects, influences and other Quake related realms.  I plan on producing as much quality soundwork as possible, building a portfolio and trekking off to E3 next year to find some paying work.  Anyone out there reading this who hires freelance sound designers for games, HIRE ME! I plan on twiddling with 3d sound on my computer this summer, applying to music and games when needed.  Specifics are difficult to say now since the market always changes and then there is that one new product or platform out there that you have to research and get intimate with. So things can/will change.

3DSS: Thanks a lot for taking the time for answering our questions and we wish you all the best with your endeavors.

Anvil: No problem! Thank you for your interest and the delicious refreshments. Is this the way out?

If you have any question's or comments on this interview please direct them to mark@3dsoundsurge.com.

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<Anvil.Chorus>

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