In what is possibly one of the strangest “competitions” I’ve seen lately, Stronghold: Warlords is asking players to scream their lungs out to be in the game.
I should explain. The east Asian castle-building RTS has had some difficulty getting people into the studio to record screams because of the current pandemic. As such, developer Firefly Studios is turning to the public to assist.
That could be you screaming while on fire. But, uh, not in a creepy way.
Primal scream
Rather than trying to drag people into a studio to record screams for Stronghold: Warlords, Firefly wants you to record them yourself. If you have a decent quality microphone, a quiet room, and some recording software like the free Audacity, then you’ve got everything you need. The video below gives a solid overview of the whole thing, with a second example video showing both what to do and what not to do. Still, it sounds like pretty much anything goes, from strangled death screams to the sound you make when someone hits you in the stomach with a hammer.
From there, Firefly will listen to the assorted grunts, shrieks, and screams that players submit, and will do any necessary editing to include the most pained and immersive ones in the game. Note again, though, that you do need a decent quality microphone – a webcam mic or a cellphone isn’t going to cut it. But considering the ubiquity of streaming and podcasting, plenty of people will likely have a chance to submit.
If you want to try this out, head over to the Stronghold: Warlords Discord server to find further instructions. That’s also where you’ll need to submit your wailing.
Stronghold: Warlords is due out later this year. It moves the enduring series to east Asia, with Mongol, Chinese, and Japanese armies and fortifications all represented. You can grab a few more details about the Screams of Stronghold competition on the official website, or get some thoughts on how the game is shaping up by checking out our hands-on preview from last year.
