Destroyed vehicle audio (fire) is so loud it prevents hearing nearby enemy vehicle movement. This creates a tactical disadvantage: passing by destroyed vehicles becomes a liability because audio masking removes your primary detection method.
Example
I relocated to a destroyed teammate’s wreckage to investigate an intruder on my left flank; the wreckage had loud fire sound effects; enemy BMP-3 approached from 50m away, completely undetected because fire audio masked movement sounds.
I’m a skilled audio player (squadron mates even confirmed this in the past. I can pinpoint enemy units effectively by engine/gun sounds alone). I’ve used both 7.1 surround and stereo headphones. Normally this worked reliably until recent patches.
The issue: destroyed vehicle fire audio is exceptionally loud and masks directional information. Additionally, sound directional cues have been noticeably reduced in recent patches, compounding the problem.
Questions
- Could destroyed vehicle audio be reduced or made directional so nearby movement sounds aren’t completely masked?
- Is there a gameplay intent to punish for getting close to wreckages, or is this an oversight?