EQ and dynamic ambient music?
 

Everquest is (in most aspects) my favorite game of all time. There is very little I can really complain about... but everyone has their gripes and groans about certain parts. This be mine!

What happened to mood setting music? This was, and still is, my biggest disappointment in the game. The music got turned off a heck of a long time ago, and it definitely wasn't very impressive to begin with.

For now, I use good ole WinAmp to play mp3 files while I'm clicking away in the world of EQ. It spices things up a bit, especially loading up a certain playlist during certain activities, such as exploring, fighting, travel, and questing. It gets me by and keeps me from going insane during the more uneventful periods in the game.

Now for what I'm really getting to... something I haven't seen... and been wishing for. Ambient music for EQ! I've been hoping that one of these releases VI might surprise me and come out with a revamp of the horrible midi system it currently employs. I've lost faith, it seems it just isn't in the cards.

But...

Maybe it isn't hopeless after all... a program that was developed for parsing the log file and returning audio feedback in real time caught my attention. Most of you are probably familiar with it, EQWatcher. It led me to ponder if it might be possible to develop a program that takes over where Verant left off. Am I the only one wishing for something such as this?

Via monitoring (in real time) of the log file, would it be possible to create an ambient music atmosphere by setting playlists in WinAmp based on input from the log monitor program? Even better, using your own MP3 files if desired? Oh how I would love that!

Using EQWatcher, I managed to accomplish this - in a manner. Setting keys to certain events, such as autoattack being engaged, the death of a mob, etc. It was certainly interesting, but not quite effective. Due to limitations of the program, and the use of sync/non-sync sound events - the result was choppy at best.

The question/challenge I'm setting forth is; can this be accomplished? Is there someone out there with the knowledge, and desire to make this daydream a reality?

Discussion, comments, and ideas are more than welcome.

I'm quite happy with my Winamp playlist going on and on as it is. What you're asking to do would be .... interesting to say the least, but after a while it may start to get a little annoying =\

Good music would be better....
 

Id have to agree with you on this topic... the music is very 'annoying' and my god the ticking in Ak'anon (its no wonder why there is shadowknights and necro's there.. it drove them insane and made them start raising the dead to end it.. diff topic..) but seriously.. the main reason that I can surmise as to the reason they use midi style music... size. It is a very small file and therefore takes up less space on disc rather than mp3 (as any good 'napster downloader' can agree upon), or wav (eek), or any other format (too many to list individually here). Oh granted there are a few formats which press down the file size to nearly midi size, but those too sound tinny (sp?) let alone cheap sounding. Midi is an all around solution as most (if not all) systems are capable of playing midi formats without any problems, and once again the primary player here is file size. But i do have to agree with you, they seriously need to update the music style or at least the format. Too many locations share the same song too many times... and to paraphrase an old quote "I want my MTV"... (the old MTV that is)... just me 2pence...

/vent off

Bummey, how could it get annoying? I'm not understanding.
I think it would be great... the ability to load up a playlist based on in game events would be the ultimate.

You could use some good 'fantasy' music, classical, etc. Heck, you could even crank up a set of your favorite aggressive tunes for when you are attacking! Metallica, Disturbed, etc etc...

I'm not talking about loading up one specific song, that would be better for a while, but then you'd get bored of it. I'm proposing that it loads a playlist of a distinct mood of music to set a tone. Best of all, the playlist could be changed/edited at whim, so it never gets repetitious.

---

I've been doing some more fiddling, and using a crossfader directsound output in Winamp I was able to get much smoother transitions. The only functionality I am missing is the ability to load playlists on the fly - and have begun discussion about it with the author of EQWatcher. The program should, I believe, have enough flexibility and robustness to handle fairly complex sets of triggers to handle 'mood' alterations due to in game actions.

In the least, it will be interesting to see what comes of it. Incidentally I was informed that VI is doing some minor revamping of the music/sound system on the test server in the near future. Nothing close to what I'm attempting, but it will be nice to see what they are up to.

I actually enjoy the music, but the times it stops jumps, etc... it got too annoying. And most hunting grounds don't have any music. I would be satisfied with them getting music to play constantly.

Well.. in the spirit of modding etc... they should have made the system mp3, not midi, and opened up for us to add our own music to the game instead of the predefined.

Re: Good music would be better....
 

They raised the bar for computer specs a long time ago and everyone followed, I'm sure changing the format of music to MP3 wouldn't make them raise it again.

The reason for the MIDI based engine is obviously size, as has been said before. But now verant is realizing that, while their game has come leaps and bounds in graphics technology and gameplay, its sound engine is still hobbling along, sometimes working sparingly, sometimes not working at all.

So they're revamping it.

Although the last patch made the sounds a bit "worse", in my opinion (simply meaning that the midi music is more jumpy and, as a gm i talked to recently put it, very "ethel murman-esque"), they're obviously working on it--and as they said, it will be a long road.

There's no excuse in these days for music in a high tech game to be lackluster and barely work. And verant recognises it, and fortunately, they're at least trying to do something about it. I've got a feeling that before it's through, we'll see much better ambient sound (a3d?) and perhaps a whole music system overhaul--though i doubt that they'd re-release the midis in a more dependable format simply because it would be such a huge file, they may do so in an expansion.

I'm sure that, if we wait a while, things will get better, and much more so. The actual tunes in the game are very nice; if only it had a system to make it shine. I'm holding out, because I think Verant will come through--eventually.

I really like the EQWatcher idea.. 't would be a reason for me to install that program again..

Other than that, I just hope the "new" or at least overhauled music engine will bring some positive changes. :) I don't think I've ever even heard the ingame music.. Turned it of straight away after hearing the midi-sounds in the installation. :)

Argh!
New patch totally screwed over my sound, don't know if its just me. I submitted a bug report with system hardware and specs, along with the problems. Those problems are, cut-out of sound in general, crackling/popping, sudden changes in volume, ambient sounds (IE: rainfall) totally overpowering other sounds, changes in form (horses/illusions/wolf-form) cause character movement sounds to become either totally overpowering or nonexistent.

Alright, I can deal with that... but... they also broke the /note function as pertains to EQWatcher! /panic
So the work I was doing is on hold pending fixes to the program and/or /note function. :(

Alas my friend
 

No your not the only one... hell in the load up screen just when I thought my sound was repaired near the end it starts to pop and crackle like an old vinyl record and a bad needle (gah showing my age here!)

I personally dont think that the revamping is going to be a new format, but merely and updated midi.. there have been some improvements in the midi format lately to give a more realistic sound to it, but yet it still sounds like the one we've all grown old with. True that Verant has finally seen the music (so to speak) and realized that it needs tuning... but if they plan on using the same format, all its going to be is a New Shine finish (as per the commerical). The old car may look brand new, but its still an old car. It would be nice if they could go to MP3, but I can just imagine the patch on that... my god and you thought the last mega patch took a while... gads just one mp3 song with the updated mp3 format would be murder! You'd see hell run rampant on that day... its going to be interesting to see what Verant is going to come out with... Come on Verant! You work with Sony (a music industry top) lets see something good!!

Well... solving the patching on the mp3 switchover wouldnt be too hard. They could solve that by implementing over time. However, a better, and perhaps more userfriendly solution would be to upgrade the /mcicontrol command to be more userfriendly. That way they could provide an alternative, instead of a replacement of the midi system. Perhaps with the use of .m3u, you could get remotely the feel of an ingame system, controlling the music with socials, e.g /mcicontrol combat.m3u (I havent, by the way, even tried to figure out the /mcicontrol system. Too complicated and ackward to use at the time being... at least for my taste)

A second way would be to just implement support for the mp3 format for the time being, and then supplying the actual audio material bit by bit over the future patches. So, that in the meantime users could add their own "enviromental" music.

I am ofcourse just tossing around ideas here, but solutions is there.

Aye
 

Good points indeed! Though lets just take a big look back at Verants patchwork... everything they have done is always on a big patch. Guess they dont look at it as you and I, one little patch here, and another one here (though they do quite a lot of patch here and there).. but for the most part all their patches are HUGE one time deals (time saver for them i suppose). But I do agree with your idea of the occasional patch, do the primary MP3 format download and gradually add music patches a few days at a time, or allow people to add their own musical score to the list by merely changing the name of the song. As for the MCI program.. I have messed with it, and my god... the first time I used it.. the music came blaring over my speakers (had to do some volume tweaking on that one and quick!) But unfortunately you just cant stop the music (anything short of actually pausing or stopping the music manually) when you leave an area or change it when you want combat music (unless again you do it manually)..

Well.. this idea is sort of ripped from the setup of the Sims sound system, but how about enabling folders to control the different soundscores?

Aside from direct zone related music, there could be folders where you put the music to be played in that situation.

e.g:

/combat
/city
/sea
/plains
/spooky
/forest

etc... etc

Tossing ideas again, btw. Not that I even for a second think that Verant will ever see this, or regard it as a plausible solution. Allowed to dream arent I?

Sure can, that's why I started it in Chit Chat forum, as it may or may not be possible but is sure is fun to speculate and throw ideas back and forth. :)

Oooo!
 

Now I like that idea... I dont see anything wrong with sending Verant some feedback on an idea of such.. the worse you'd get from them is "Thank you for your contribution/idea. Our programmers are hard at work trying out new ideas. We respect your ideas/views. As many emails we receive from people like you we can't read and respond to all of them. Your views are important to us. If this is an urgent message, please visit our website at http://eqlive.station.sony.com/support/index.jsp Please do not respond to this email as it is an automated response email and will be deleted. Thank you on behalf of the Verant Programmers and Sony Digital Entertainment Industry." or something like that.. it couldn't hurt...

Zantaklawz

Well.. I am gonna try out the Everamp thing I found on the net the other day. Havent got a clue if it works, but would be neat if it did =)

When i started eq oct 99 the music was how i knew i was no longer lost and the guard would save my butt if i could just get there in time lol..
But.. soon it just would buzz or hang.. choppy so i started playing without sound and turned up the jam box.. which in turn got me doing.. /sings... role with it baby...
i got lots of response out of this and i became well known for bursting out in song.. and ppl started doing the same.. so.. i would like the idea of loading up my own music to listen to..
sometimes the lag mades it hard to type it as fast as its sung though.. have a guildie that will say.. Honey sing me a song. hehe.. now if this gets implimated i hope its easy to input in the game.. <newbie> :cool:

Humm.... perhaps a karaoke plugin would be just up your alley? ;)

I sure hope to god they don't use a3d... I think the only company who produced a3d cards went out of business anyway and I haven't seen a game support it, ever. EAX is definatly the way to go, although It would probably be a waste of time this late in EQ's life to redo the sound engine w/ something that jazzy. Just something that sounds nice would work for me and is always there =)

Oh yeah, i just said a3d by default because I have an Aureal POC (Piece of Crap) Vortex driver in my system. Curse you, dell. EAX is the way to be ^.^

As I understand it, a3d was eaten (acquired) by EAX. hehe
That was my main reason for getting an SBLive back in the day when they were brand new... I saw a3d going extinct.

But a thought
 

Did you all know that the latest version of Windows Media Player will work in the backgrnd as you play EQ? temp fix perhaps and with little customization available, but still. Ambient music as you enjoyed with Winamp before the patch


Lyreist,
56th bard, Seventh Hammer

Hm.. winamp doesnt work anymore??? *calls down a mighty curse upon Verant*

I know winamp 3 doesnt work too well, but 2.x have worked untill now....

I would love to be able to control winamp from a window inside EQ. Now my question is...Is there a way to convert a window to send comands to winamp so you can control it. I.E. a winamp skin window? Of course I dont understand how to do the UI skins and I am prolly way off on my idea but I would use it.

Kiwi

There's already a plugin for WinAmp (at least prior to v3) that you can use to control play from inside EQ or any other program for that matter. It's called Sneaky Amp, just search the plugins for it.

I used to use Everamp until I found Spinner, and now I let it run in the background instead.

sound problems
 

I have exactly the same system as my pall Shadowfrost but she can get sounds ok while I freeze up, stutter, get a high pitched buzzing or just plain crash when i enable my sound :confused:
Maybe my PC is haunted by the dancing banana, it gets everywhere you know:nana:

Well...
 

Unfortunately, EQ and Sound Blaster are not a good mix anymore. In fact the official EQ Website stated that SB Live Series are having issues with their music program. Its a shame too, because I'm sure that majority (if not a large portion of the EQ community) are using SB, if not SB Live series. I dont know... I have a feeling that someone is spiking the doughnuts at the office and getting everyone hopped on Goofballs. If they are going to make changes to any programs, they should test them with the most available cards out. Im sure they dont program and test their game on one computer in some guy's cubical. "Hey Jeff... if your done with your accounting, Mary has to get in there and check her EULA additions and then I get it... I just had an idea for a new zone! And all these napkins with my maps are starting to get confusing."

EQ and dynamic ambient music?
 

Zantaklawz is right, I use an SBlive card and I get sound problems all the time. Often while fighting the sounds will replay over and over again for no real reason. It gets quite annoying to keep hearing "ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh." I often have to turn off my speakers or just turn the sound effects all the way down in the options menu. I wish VI would fix these problems, but I wouldn't hold my breath. With all the crap going on with their CS I doubt they will take the time to fix their sound problems.