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“Frostbite 2 is a humongous and über complex engine with mind boggling flexibility. Nobody will ever know everything about it,” said Tomas Danko, voice-over producer at DICE, on his Twitter account late last night. The improvements over Frostbite 1, used in Battlefield: Bad Company, and Frostbite 1.5, used in Battlefield: 1943 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2, seem to be vast indeed. DICE wants to make sure that their new engine, debuting in Battlefield 3, delivers on all fronts – graphics, gameplay and sound design. We’ve seen what Frostbite 2 is capable of in terms of graphics and gameplay via the latest trailers, but today we will be focusing particularly on the sound, something DICE’s engineers have been known for excelling at.

When asked if any of the sound engine improvements have been officially listed, Danko responded, “that would be a ridiculously long list, so no. But we are slowly documenting it. I’ll document my VO System next year.” Fans also curious about the music of BF3 were assured that “hopefully [DICE] will release a BF3 soundtrack post launch.” He continued, “…it’s all original music. We should release a CD afterwards, we usually do.” It was also asked if some of the music would be heard in the multiplayer. Danko answered, “there will be some music in MP, but not vehicle related. The new music is less irritating.“

Voice-overs in Battlefield games are extremely important for communications, especially if players really want to work together as a team. Not everyone plays with a headset, so it’s important that there are different in-game audio cues for each situation that a player could run into. Players need to know if a nearby enemy has been taken out by your teammate, or if someone on your team needs ammo (if you are playing as a class that can supply ammo) for example. If you’d like to know roughly how much time and energy is put into DICE’s VO design, Danko revealed that they “have 170 medic-related, 190 medkit-related & 227 revive/heal-related VO lines for MP in BF3” alone.

In-game voice overs are also very important for spotting enemies or enemy vehicles. You may not always be paying attention to the mini-map enough to see that your teammate has spotted an enemy. That’s why DICE has made sure that you can at least hear when an enemy or vehicle has been spotted. For example, jets are now a flyable vehicle in Battlefield 3 again and Danko assured us that “yes, you can spot a jet and hear corresponding dialogue (‘jet’ or ‘fast mover’).” Danko also commented on the differences between spotting in co-op mode, and multiplater. “Spotting in COOP is only over radio, unlike MP by the way.” By the way, check out our article on how spotting has been fixed in Battlefield 3.

Some players were put off by the offensive, or just plain silly comments said after a soldier died in BFBC2. Danko assured us that this issue has been addressed in their next game. “[Soldiers] sound pro & focused now, and none of that “boo-yah!” s*** & derogatory cheering when people die. I don’t want that in BF3.“

When asked what Danko’s favourite VO line was so far, he replied, “ ‘I’m getting my s*** pushed in!’ is one of my all-time favorites in MP.“

What’s yours?

Check out DICE talking snipe rifles, other weapons and spawn beacons. Don’t forget to keep an eye on our Battlefield 3 section for all the latest news. Remember, we’re also looking for writers. If you’re interested, check out our write for MP1st page.