Game Title: Medieval II: Total War
Developer: Creative Assembly
Publisher: Sega of America, Inc.
Interviewee: Richard Vaughan, Associate Producer, Creative Assembly

Q1. Could you tell us a bit about your role in Medieval II: Total War and what games you have worked on in the past?
My role as audio engineer is to create the sound effects and help compose the music for the game. I have had the pleasure to work on all the Total War games since Medieval I, and before then on various PC, console and hand-held products.

Q2. Medieval II: Total War is the follow up to some huge hits in strategy gaming both Rome: Total War and the first Medieval one. What kind of expectations were set because of this and how did it impact your design decisions?
We are always of the mind here - bigger and better! Having won awards and nominations for the audio in Rome, we set about improving and enhancing it, in terms of detail and intensity. The game took a massive step up in the graphics quality, so we wanted the audio to follow. Every sound has been remade to be more solid, realistic and intense to really compliment the new animations and graphics. Total War has never looked so good, and now sounds better than ever.

Q3. 3D audio in a Strategy game is always a challenge. How is 3D audio used in Medieval II: Total War and what does it bring to the game experience?
3D audio has allowed us to do amazing things with this game. I think there are very few people who have ever taken part in a massive Medieval battle, but I like to think that our game gives them that experience. When you are down in amongst the troops fighting, and listening via a surround sound system, you truly feel like you are there. In my studio with a 7.1 system I often find myself turning my head in reaction to a sound that I have heard around me. For example when a cannon ball explodes right next to you, or a stray flaming arrow takes down a soldier behind you. 3D surround sound really lets us simulate a medieval battlefield environment in all its guts and glory.

Q4. The music in the original Medieval: Total War had some great diversity with the different factions. Did you do the same for this one?
This was quite important to us, to follow the tradition of having region specific music composed with authentic instruments. We have run with that and expanded on it. With three composers working on the music we have much more music and variation than ever before. From the Arabic, North, South, and East European factions, and all the way with the discovery of the Americas with the Aztecs, we have quite a diverse range of music that the player will experience as he progresses through the game.

Q5. Rome: Total War used EAX ADVANCED HD 3.0 for reverbs in cities and forests. Did you do the same thing in this one or upgrade any of the effects?
Now that we have even more variations in the forests and settlements, that gave us the chance to tweak and add more EAX settings that we had from Rome. In both the Campaign game, Battlemap and even the menus, the EAX settings have been adjusted specifically for each situation. The end result I hope is even more immersion as the player moves around the various areas in the game.

Q6. I noticed that there are elephants again in this Total War. Were any elephants recorded or harmed in the making of this game?
We do love our war elephants in this game. Especially now, when you can attach culverins and rocket launchers to their backs! These beasts would have to be the tough mobile tanks of the Medieval era. Just wait until you hear them trumpet as you fire a cannon ball while stampeding into enemy lines. I reckon the baby elephants say, "Mama, when I grow up can I have a cannon too?"

Q7. There are some awesome sound effects and music in the demo and I really enjoyed it on my 5.1 system. What is your personal favorite music and sound effect?
Glad you liked it! I love choirs and I think my favorite piece of music is Jeff's front-end music. Very atmospheric. I also enjoyed writing many pieces for the campaign map - songs I like to think of as 'the thinking man's music'. When you are strategizing to conquering medieval Europe you might as well have a good soundtrack to do it to. As for the sound effects, I loved working on the new siege equipment - especially the unique ones which are unlike anything we see today - the cannons, trebuchets, ribaults, etc. Those things are great and you have to get quite creative to produce the sound that not only makes sense in a historical setting, but also sounds cool.

Q8. Have you played Medieval II: Total War on a Sound Blaster X-Fi? If yes, how does it sound?
Pleased you asked this, as we use the X-Fi and love what it does for our game. With this card and its increase in performance - the extra channels, memory and grunt - our game sounds awesome. You literally will hear more with the X-Fi, as our game will happily use every available channel you give it. It means that in a full-scale battle it will sound better as more units, engines, weapons, arrows, screams, etc will be able to play and so further the realism.

Pair it up with quality 7.1 surround speakers, and I guarantee you'll be ducking when flaming cannonballs fly over your head, and feel the ground shake when you manage to bring down a castle wall.