A theory on random sounds

[Firebeibe 2]

Hai

 

The following guesswork theory may or may not be the most hideous nonsense you've ever laid thine eyes upon, based completely on my personal observations, but here it is:

 

 

We all know about the random zombie moans that's been happening since at least two and a half eternities, and as far as i know the devs have no idea where it stems from, so here are a few points i've observed;

 

• they only seem to manifest when in or around places where zombies spawn, therefore unlikely to be global
• the duration of the audio itself is also varying, usually only the first 0.5-1 seconds are played, then it gets cut off
• audio volume seems constant
• never noticed it on small/empty servers

 

For me these random moans seem to be a clear indication that there's a player in my vicinity who happened to aggro a terminator with thermal vision zombie, and the part of the moan that actually plays seems to be related to the distance there is between me and those less-than-intelligent moving corpses, so i've come up with the theory that instead of applying a modifier to the volume of the audio file to simulate distance, under some circumstances the sound engine applies the modifier to the lenght of the audio, resulting in weird, seemingly-random cutoff zombie moans. I do not possess any actualy knowledge regarding how the sound engine really works (or not), but this theory correlates well with my observations.

 

Do you guys have anything to reinforce or debunk this?

 

 

 

[barnabus 1708]

It does happen on low pop servers, but, it seems to happen with much more frequency on high pop servers.  In fact on a 100 pop server the more people on the more often the sounds happen, not just zed sounds either.  We get the eating sound, the pop opening sound, the bird crys (I thought originally they were zed noises but now I think they are meant to be seagulls, albatrosses and crows/ravens).  It seems to be more related to the syncing of the desynced than anything else.

 

I have no issue with this so called sound bug, as people we think we hear stuff all the time anyway so I figure it's something like that and helps me keep my head on a swival.  Adds to the experience of being alone in a hostile world.   

[shinjuru 114]

It's a problem with the handling of audio, in general.  It's not only zombie sounds that are sometimes heard globally.  It's also item sounds, like opening soda.   Action sounds, like eating food or drinking.  Player sounds, like in-game voice communication.   Working with other team-mates on Vent, we all heard all of these types of global sounds at the same time.   The most entertaining being a random player telling the entire server he's heading to Berezino.

 

It's really annoying and consistent on full servers.

[TIC 1050]

I always thought it had something to do with the network bubble..

[trev186 389]

It plays most often when somone leaves or joins a server.

[cartire 55]

Its actual sounds happening to someone around the map that for some reason we pick up globally. 

 

Thats the issue.  I dont know where you heard the devs dont know where they come from.  I mean, the issue obviously has to do with the zone around the audio source and it sometimes, for whatever reason, goes globally. 

 

They may not know hot fix it, but they know the audios arent random. 

[freethink 984]

I always thought it had something to do with the network bubble..

 

I used to think that but I've been on (steam) voice chat with people who aren't in the same bubble as me and they hear the same sounds (bullet splitting/opening cans) at the same time. 

[Firebeibe 2]

I rarely hear any 'random' sounds other than the zombie moans (granted, i play on servers with 20-30 people max), but do you guys also experience the sudden cutoff like after a second or so? Especially with the zombies, and it never happens when the source of the sounds is close enough to legitimately hear it, e.g. when i'm the one being aggroed.

Edited August 9, 2014 by Firebeibe

[LigerRider 82]

I could be wrong, but I thought they were placeholder sounds? As in eventually maybe you'll hear wind through the trees, but atm that sound is a zombie growl. (alpha and all)

[applejaxc 2500]

This has already been answered. By the dev team.

[Bororm 1156]

I could be wrong, but I thought they were placeholder sounds? As in eventually maybe you'll hear wind through the trees, but atm that sound is a zombie growl. (alpha and all)

 

No, it's a bug that the devs have acknowledged but can't figure out either so far.

Edited August 9, 2014 by Bororm

[Firebeibe 2]

This has already been answered. By the dev team.

 

Care to explain? All i've read here so far is that they know about it, but the exact cause remains unknown.

[q.S Sachiel 470]

Care to explain? All i've read here so far is that they know about it, but the exact cause remains unknown.

 

You'll need to use the search engine for prim source, there are multiple of these threads and there was a dev release, but that may have been on twitter feed...

 

but i'm pretty sure that devs said it's mostly due to animals ie: pig goat rabbit using a similar sound file as the zombie squeal/half water bottle/ammo combine as a place holder.

[hothtimeblues 128]

Way too much deep thinking for the simple fact that sounds are just totally broken so far in DayZ.

[applejaxc 2500]

Care to explain? All i've read here so far is that they know about it, but the exact cause remains unknown.

 

It's caused by the current implementation of the server bubble system.

[DeatHTaX 1217]

I think the random noises are just the outcries of the damned, wallowing in the torment of the evil deeds of their past lives. As they reach out to the living to warn them of the anguish that they face they are frustratingly mistaken for nothing but random noises. So they continue their fruitless endeavor as they desperately try to warn the souls of the adventurers walking Chernaurus to turn away from their evil deeds and walk the path of the hero.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...or maybe its just a bug or some'in.

[chodeofwar 145]

I have no issue with this so called sound bug

 

So what are you trying to say?

 

The definition of so called is something that is alleging to be something you are not sure it is.

 

So are you not sure it's a bug?

 

Because I'm certain it is and over 700 votes on one issue cant be wrong....http://feedback.dayzgame.com/view.php?id=153

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/dayz/comments/2c65z2/fixing_sound_files_playing_randomly_needs_to_be_a/

Edited August 9, 2014 by chodeofwar

[q.S Sachiel 470]

I think the random noises are just the outcries of the damned, wallowing in the torment of the evil deeds of their past lives. As they reach out to the living to warn them of the anguish that they face they are frustratingly mistaken for nothing but random noises. So they continue their fruitless endeavor as they desperately try to warn the souls of the adventurers walking Chernaurus to turn away from their evil deeds and walk the path of the hero.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...or maybe its just a bug or some'in.

every time someone posts a 'why dayz is lacking x thread' in general, a zombie screams throughout chernarus.

Edited August 9, 2014 by q.S Sachiel

[Grimey Rick 3417]

I rarely hear any 'random' sounds other than the zombie moans (granted, i play on servers with 20-30 people max), but do you guys also experience the sudden cutoff like after a second or so? Especially with the zombies, and it never happens when the source of the sounds is close enough to legitimately hear it, e.g. when i'm the one being aggroed.

 

You never hear soda cans, people eating/drinking, people splitting ammo, people reloading? Really?

 

It's just other people around the server doing normal post-apocalyptic stuff. Unfortunately, the audio is not entirely squelched before reaching us from time to time.

[pilgrim* 3514]

Hai

 

..//..

• they only seem to manifest when in or around places where zombies spawn, therefore unlikely to be global
• the duration of the audio itself is also varying, usually only the first 0.5-1 seconds are played, then it gets cut off
• audio volume seems constant
• ..//..

 

I've heard other players say it happens when players are close to your location. Seems to be more frequent when there are more than 10-15+ players online. When there are very few players you don't hear it.  I'd say it is probably not related to proximity, but others are sure it is.

 

It is not related to zombie locations. I have heard these sounds in the far NW where there are no zombie spawns at all... (as far away from zombie locations as you can be on the map)

 

Can it be animal related ? Like the sounds the rabbits made in earlier patches ? And where have the rabbits gone ?

 

(this is totally 116%  wild speculation and has no connection to reality, RL or RP or Virtual, based on being alone too long and talking to my friends the undead rabbits, but now they have ...  ... gone .. gone off to drink cans and ... count bullets somewhere and .. left me?)

 

tell them you saw me

 

Hai !

Edited August 9, 2014 by pilgrim

[nl 986]

Hai

 

The following guesswork theory may or may not be the most hideous nonsense you've ever laid thine eyes upon, based completely on my personal observations, but here it is:

 

 

We all know about the random zombie moans that's been happening since at least two and a half eternities, and as far as i know the devs have no idea where it stems from, so here are a few points i've observed;

 

• they only seem to manifest when in or around places where zombies spawn, therefore unlikely to be global
• the duration of the audio itself is also varying, usually only the first 0.5-1 seconds are played, then it gets cut off
• audio volume seems constant
• never noticed it on small/empty servers

 

For me these random moans seem to be a clear indication that there's a player in my vicinity who happened to aggro a terminator with thermal vision zombie, and the part of the moan that actually plays seems to be related to the distance there is between me and those less-than-intelligent moving corpses, so i've come up with the theory that instead of applying a modifier to the volume of the audio file to simulate distance, under some circumstances the sound engine applies the modifier to the lenght of the audio, resulting in weird, seemingly-random cutoff zombie moans. I do not possess any actualy knowledge regarding how the sound engine really works (or not), but this theory correlates well with my observations.

 

Do you guys have anything to reinforce or debunk this?

I've heard the random noises also in the North where there are no zombies so it doesn't seem spawn related. And yes, it seems related to other players, hardly ever hear the noises in low pop servers. My theory is that the noises are made by other players but get (partially) directed to the wrong client.

[LeeVanSpliff 156]

The following theory ...

Your theory is nonsense! NONSENSE!

Everyone knows that the random sounds are the angry souls of n00bs, haunting the coast of Chernarus.

Sometimes, when a n00b dies, burning rage keeps his soul from entering the heavens, and it will for-ever be stuck between the two forms of existence. These lost souls try to communicate with warm-blooded players by following them around, but alas, only garbled zombie-like sounds are heard. The souls of n00bs that died form thirst often materialize inside your backpack, where they try desperately to open your last beer, over and over. They sometimes get bored too, and sort your ammo over and over - often bugging your backpack slots in the process.

The only fix I know of is carrying a bible.

Anyway, this is clearly not something the programming team can fix - it's the kind of things you need a priest for.

[pilgrim* 3514]

..//..

Anyway, this is clearly not something the programming team can fix - it's the kind of things you need a priest for.

 

Yes the Bible can fix a lot of things. If you carry it in an outside pocket it should stop bullets, as it does in reality and movies.

 

I saw a youtube vid (months ago) where the player climbed on a roof and approached a sniper with his bible in his hand. "I will read to you from the good book," he said, and started reading - and the sniper twitched a bit and died on the spot, stone dead. I can't find this vid anymore, but it is there  "power of the book" or "the word is strength" or something similar ?

 

Also LeeVanSplif is right - it is time the zombie priests from the Mod came back.. they were worth meeting. I have been chased around the church by several of them after a disagreement on fine points of moral philosophy.

 

A zombie suddenly howling right in your ear, when you are in a bush far from anywhere, certainly puts you in mind of the shortness of life and the meaning of it all. It makes you think quite deeply, don't it ?

Edited August 9, 2014 by pilgrim

[Xbow 362]

It does happen on low pop servers, but, it seems to happen with much more frequency on high pop servers.  In fact on a 100 pop server the more people on the more often the sounds happen, not just zed sounds either.  We get the eating sound, the pop opening sound, the bird crys (I thought originally they were zed noises but now I think they are meant to be seagulls, albatrosses and crows/ravens).  It seems to be more related to the syncing of the desynced than anything else.

 

I have no issue with this so called sound bug, as people we think we hear stuff all the time anyway so I figure it's something like that and helps me keep my head on a swival.  Adds to the experience of being alone in a hostile world.   

I think you have it just about right Barnabus. I was on a server today with a pop of 21/30 and I was 2.4 clicks to the North West of Gvozdno near a feed shack looking for a place to punch out. I was hearing zombie sounds for a couple of minutes as if it was close to me and it had me spooked. Perhaps someone was getting chased in Gvozdno and I was hearing it...I dunno. I can live with it without complaint. 

 

Years ago I decided to climb Mount Williamson in the Sierras solo. After the first day I was hearing all kinds of shit at night voices, foot steps random sounds etc. No one climbs Williamson from the East as its one of the most abandoned areas in California...it was all in my head,.I call them aural hallucinations. There was probably not another human being within ten miles of me, contact with the one dangerous animal up there (Mountain Lion) is very, very, VERY unlikely and I slept with my 9mm in my hand. And, that was the end of my aborted solo Mountaineering career.

 

So those random in game sounds are very realistic with respect to how your mind wanders and invents shit when you are alone and isolated.  

 

Mt Williamson 14,380ft  http://images.summitpost.org/original/597184.JPG

 

 

 

.   

Edited August 10, 2014 by Xbow

[LeeVanSpliff 156]

it is time the zombie priests from the Mod came back.. they were worth meeting.

Uhh, I'd almost forgotten about those!

Essential with some spirituality in DayZ. Man can't live on beans alone, can he?

Forgive me father, for I have ... AARRGGH! AARRGGGGGHH! NOT THE GOOD KIDNEY!