In Mercenaries, Pandemic was focused on integrating the sounds into the game, which gave me the opportunity to focus on content creation. I began by reading the design documents and playing games with a similar style. Most importantly, I've been playing Mercenaries from the very early stages. From the beginning, I wanted to become immersed in the world of North Korean combat so that I could imagine the sounds before we produced them. I found myself asking the team questions such as, "What does it take to blow up a tank?"
Right from the start it was clear that weapons and vehicles played the most important part in the sound design for Mercenaries, so we needed to capture the authenticity. There is a lot you can do with a lavaliere microphone bought at the local electronics store, including cars from people at work and a friend of a friend's Hummer, but there is nothing more exciting than working on a project with a producer who already knows the value of quality sound and music in games.
We went to Travis Air Force Base, in Fairfield, CA, to record the C5 cargo airplane hydraulics, landing gears, and generators. To my knowledge, the C5 is the largest airplane in the United States. Thanks to my friend Captain John Brennan, at Travis AFB, we recorded in the hydraulic system training facilities, where they have the landing gear, flaps, emergency horns, and cargo door systems in a sound-proof hanger. They're the exact systems used on the aircraft, minus the aircraft. They are used to teach Air Force personnel how the systems work and how to repair the individual components. We were allowed to view and record these systems! This facility was absolutely amazing. You will hear the sounds recorded at Travis Air Force Base in the opening sequence of Mercenaries.
