Dungeon Master Forum

Would it possible to extend the sound options in RTC? Currently, it's limited to just creature movement and attack sounds, doors, spells and all the common DM sounds.

I've previously mentioned it would be nice to have support for ambient sounds, but I've been thinking about this some more and have thought that RTC could be a lot more atmospheric if a few other options could be implemented. Here's what I'm thinking (if there's a thread with more detail about it, I've also posted the link):

1) Monster sound on death
2) Ambient Sounds
3) Unique door sounds that can be either 'one shot' or looped (like the current standard door effect)
4) Unique spell casting and exploding sounds. I think it would really add a lot to the overall ambience if for example, a lightning bolt sounded different to a fireball.
5) Sounds for shooters
6) Unique object landing sounds -- currently we just have the 'thud' and the 'dink'-- to specify other sounds on a per item basis would be really cool.

I'm really interested in your views on these things George. Some of these suggestions were originally made two years ago and we've not heard anything from you... It would be good to know, one way or another, whether you intend to extend the engine with these additions.

Thanks for your patience!

Just a breif reply (I've got billions of new messages to read having been away for a while!).

1) Could do quite easily, but would require a change to the file formats
2) Harder to do, not in terms of code but how to specify it
3) Already done (just specify a BUFFERS parameter of 1)
4) Lots of work. Would require opening up the interface to arbitary spells.
5) As (1). Easy but requires a change to the file format.

I'm not familiar with the file format, so my question might be silly, but:

Isn't it possible, to add an option for unique object landing sound to items and have items, which are not written in the new item format but in the old one a default "thud" instead of a unique sound?

I would suggest to define a special sound object:
SOUND_OBJ_1 X=10, Y=8 SOUND_FILE=DRUMS RANGE=15 BASE_VOLUME=16 OPTIONS(THROUGHWALLS=FALSE)

So if you are in a position in the range (approx ABS(10 - PartyX) < 15 a ABS(8 - PartyY) < 15, may be enhanced as circle and not square, you will hear sound DRUMS, with volume at point 10,8 = 16 and decreasing with distance. This sound will be heared only when there is a direct way between party and SOUND_OBJ within specified range.

George, if I understand you correctly, your answer to 3) states that it's possible to prevent door sounds from looping by using BUFFERS=(1). But I'm sure I've tried that before and it didn't work...

I'll have another go and report back...

That' not strictly true, but the effect is the same. The door sound will still attempt to play 4 times, but with a buffer setting of 1, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th play will not be heard as the first will still be playing (remember buffers refers to the number of simultaneous audio channels used to play the sound).

Note, if the door sound is really short then by the time it attempts to play the 4th time, the first might have finished so you'd hear it twice...

All of these suggestions can now be done in V0.35