From the original Hardcore Sounds by The Legendary Frank.
Ash Aaarghhs courtesy of Justin C Sherrill.
Grenade Fire 2 by D Aguero, from his first-class Aliens map, Noah’s Ark.
Enforcer Fire and Rocket Flybys from Brutal Sounds.
Grenade Blast from Doom 2. Tch, eh?
128 of 146 sounds replaced.
72 sounds recorded and edited by Scarlet himself using Alberto Ricci’s fantastically great Sound Effects 0.9.1. Even the one that isn’t in the game. What comprehensiveness.
Wasp sounds retained because Scarlet became quite fond of its deceptive squeaks.
Sound installer by Brian Durand.
Perfunctory testing by James Grenier (“Bit busy with work, you know how it is”), Zy Burger (“Ho yus” in manner of Deryck Guyler, “Yak yak yak,” in manner of Sid James) and James Dugan (“Aaarghh!”).
Hey kids! If Scarlet has absent-mindedly used one of your sounds without credit, contact him to correct this ghastly oversight.
Hey Scarlet! Why should I use Hardercore Sounds?
Because Bungie’s originals are weedy saplings. As The Legendary Frank said in his introduction to Hardcore Sounds, “Everything sounds like it hurts a lot more now.” Except now even more than that.
Hey Scarlet! How do I use Hardercore Sounds?
Make a copy of your original Sounds file and use the Hardercore Sounds Installer on it. Rename your original Sounds file “Sounds/o” or something, and Hardercore Sounds to plain “Sounds.” Now drop it in the Marathon folder and start the game as usual. Scarlet strongly recommends selecting “3 sound channels” from the Preferences menu. Do not select “Sample Quality 11.127khz” or many samples will fail to play, Marathon will probably crash and you’ll have to replace your original Sounds file for it to run again.
Hey Scarlet! Marathon crashes as soon as it runs!
Give Marathon at least 4411K. If you can’t, use the Hardercore Sounds Installer to switch off the title music by double-clicking on the name “Startup,” which Scarlet has craftily arranged to appear at the top of the list. (You can play the sound directly from the installer should you be annoyed at missing it in the game. All hail Marathon Sound Transporter. Scarlet reminds his readers that to use this ingenious feature to examine the file beforehand is the act of a funk and a rotter.)
Hey Scarlet! Marathon is being erratically jerky!
Yes. It is grabbing the next sound from your hard drive. It then keeps the sound in memory. That’s how the game works. This should not, however, be noticeable unless Hardercore Sounds is horrendously fragmented. Use Norton Utilities or a similar utility to defragment your hard drive if such is the case. Incidentally, if you aren’t already, Scarlet suggests using Sound Manager 3.2.1 and Quick Time 2.5. Or later versions, of course.
Hey Scarlet! What if I don’t like a particular sound?
Use the installer program to load just the sounds you want. You wretch. Of course, Hardercore Sounds can only be distributed in full, for no material profit and with this document and the M1 Sound Breakdown file attached. You are quite welcome to take any of Scarlet’s sounds for your own non-commercial use; just pop in a credit somewhere. (And spell the name right, folks.)
Hey Scarlet! What’s this M1 Sound Breakdown file?
It’s a list of sounds in M1 should you wish to go about adding your own. The descriptions are of the originals, obviously.
Hey Scarlet! Will Hardercore Sounds work over the network?
Of course, you duffer. Merely equip each player with a copy.
Hey Scarlet! Is there an equivalent of Hardercore Sounds for M2?
Yes. Prepared alongside this file, it is called Hardestcore Sounds. It replaces 191 of 295 sounds, and has vastly more interesting Bobs and extremely loud monsters. It also has a companion volume of six alternative introductory music tracks under the umbrella title Hardestcore Music. Both should be available where you found Hardercore Sounds; contact Scarlet direct if not for a suitable address.
And for M3 when, for example, it’s released?
Undoubtedly.
Hey Scarlet! Isn’t that a sample from that film with that chap? And those from that movie with those people and that thing?
Yes. For the five or six of you who care, Scarlet has a complete list of sample sources, because you’ll never spot them all.
Hey Scarlet! Is that all I need to know?
It is. Be off with you, you young shaver.
Hardercore Sounds is software. If you use Hardercore Sounds for more than thirty days, you probably quite like it, and are obliged to say, “I probably quite like this,” or perhaps grunt in a complimentary manner if you can’t be bothered. Scarlet accepts no responsibility, explaining how he has the time to do this sort of thing.
