Indeed!

Presumtuous?
Perhaps you should have asked if the sounds were unrealistic instead of too loud?
Democracy rules!
Cheers.

Yes, I doubt anyone will want an SE5 to be able to sneak up on them regardless of how unrealistic it is. personally, I might not even go for that but I was testing a mission in MP and noticed I could hear 2 seaters fly by me when within 300-500m I would guess (had no icons). It was kind of corny...helpful though

for true realism though, the other planes shouldnt be audible unless they are in close formation with you.

Yes, but I can understand why people don't want change forced upon them by a few whether it's realistic or not. The question is a little ambiguous and could equally have been 'Is the wind volume too quiet?'.
This thread has become narrowly focused on MP forgetting that the vast majority play SP and have no interest in MP tactics, so perhaps you're getting a protest vote?
Cheers.

This thread has become narrowly focused on MP forgetting that the vast majority play SP and have no interest in MP tactics, so perhaps you're getting a protest vote?

I agree the question isnt a simple yes no answer, but the issue is equally relevant to SP surely?

If I hear a SE5a diving on me 500m away in SP thats unrealistic. Doesnt matter that its AI driven. I suppose though it wont stop the AI from always "hearing" you though.

As long as you have sound cards with the ability to amplify small sounds IE sound blaster cards with the volume control which boosts background noises and quiets forground. You will always have people hearing planes. So even if the planes got quieter its only a matter of checking the little box on the sound card software and poof its loud again. Do I think its fair, hell no and I dont think it should stop people from making more realistic sounds but I just wanted to tell you there will still be those that can hear you coming barring engine off dives.

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I agree, and for even more "true realism"...you'd be wearing ear plugs because wind noise would make ROF not very fun to play without constant visits to your ear doctor.


...hence the developers decide where to draw the line.

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I am just glad my monitor doesnt have a "Hot Castor oil" sprayer on it yet.

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While searching for some for info on the dB levels of WWI era engines, I stumbled upon this bit of info that will help shed some light on the hearing range:



found here

This is an important bit that I had been searching for, but was unable to find until now. I knew that the full range of hearing was between 0-130 dB, but I also knew that there was a smaller range of perceptible hearing, I just didn't know what that range was. I had assumed a wider range of perceptibility (considering how wide a variance we have in normal situations) but as these numbers are specific to a pilot's perception they are probably the most accurate numbers we will find.

The upper range of 25 dB is unimportant for our discussion, but the lower limit of -10 dB shows that if a sound is half as loud as the noise levels in the cockpit, then it falls into the threshold of imperceptibility (a 10 dB change in intensity is perceived as a doubling or halving of the sound level).

And since my earlier numbers show that two planes with 100 dB engine noise are reduced by 20 dB at 10 meters, they could not hear each other even at this extremely close range.

Again, all of this depends on how loud the cockpit noise in a plane is, and how loud the engine noise of the second plane is (engine noise level, throttle setting, air speed, as well as some other lesser factors).

What we need is some dB measurements for these engines. Without that, we can only accomplish a best guess scenario, which is probably what we have in game now.

There is an art, or rather, a knack to flying.
The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.
- The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

Also, the sound of a prop engine is hard to hear from the front, from the rear its easy to hear and below. So it may be moot even if the decible range is high enough the sound coming from these engines should not eminate in a radial patern but more focused rearward.

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