Update - 'Combat sounds have been improved'

Spellcasting audio issues have been in the game since release - noticed it the first time I equipped a HoD sword on an Ele. As far as I know, they've always been bugged.

The bug can be summed up as follows: whenever anyone deals any armor respecting damage, a 'hit' sound is played. Which hit sound is played depends on only two parameters - the weapon type equipped by the character dealing the damage, and the armor weight of the character recieving the damage. If I have a bow equipped, everything that I do that deals armor respecting damage will play bow sounds, whether it's actually shooting someone with the bow or casting Deep Freeze. Hence, while weapon attack sounds always make sense, caster hit sounds only make sense if you are equipping the appropriate attribute's weapon type. If you have a water wand or staff out when casting Deep Freeze, it sounds fine. But if you have out an air staff, it sounds like an air spell, if you have out a bow, like a bunch of arrows landing.

As far as I know, the only armor respecting spell that doesn't have this problem is Deathly Swarm, which has its own custom sound effects (and might be silent as far as weapon hits go). DoTAoEs don't play any hit sounds. Everything that does play a hit sound, however, sounds terrible if you're creative with your weapons at all. Practically, that means that Elementalists and Channeling Ritualists, though it affects a few Death spells as well.

Since I end up playing ele more than anything else, I'm used to the bugs by now. Actually I'm used to running around with four different weapon types a lot of the time, so I can tell what weapon set I'm on by what sound my spells are making. But yeah, it's just a dumb bug that's been around forever, and is suddenly more obvious with the changes to the sound effects. Kinda like the RoF/SoD graphic bug, it's been there so long that it's almost a running joke.

Peace,
-CxE

I find the new sound of a bow releasing to be unnerving.

I know how to shoot a bow in real life, I was just shooting one a few hours ago. I know what a bow sounds like when you release it. The new sound, is nothing like any bow I've fired.

Now, I'm not saying they suck, they're just a lot more "fantasy" than the old sounds.

The daggers have a real nice slice and dise sound now. Expecially when you go against a warrior and hear the ring of metal on armor.


and arrows sound liek they're really wistlin through the air. DOnt use axe much and I'll test it out.

The new dagger and scythe sound effects are great!

While a few of the new effects aren't 100% realistic, I don't mind that. If I wanted something totally realistic then I'd be using real weapons on real targets (and probably end up being arrested by a real police officer as a result).

The whole "twonk... thud" sound of real bows isn't exactly inspiring.

New sound effects sound bit stupid because they no way match with animation. Scythe is one good example. Assassin's Slashing damage weapons just hurt my ears sometimes (way too high pitched and only causes headcache).

Well, I wast just attacked by a bunch of Avicara Brave, who were bashing my head in with their swords. The weapon sounds resembled the striking of a forgehammer on an anvil, *clunk* *clunk* *clunk*. This would have been a nice improvement of their swords hitting armor, if I wasn't playing as a monk, wearing only cloth armor. It would be possible I blocked the sword attacks with my staff, thus giving metal-on-metal sound, but now it all seems a bit... off really.