Casanunda

Let's think about this.

-Verant is working on the sound engine.

-They have issued a statement that the SB card series isn't great for the game.

-The two major, distinctive soundcard brands out there (that I know of) are SoundBlaster and Aureal

-I have an Aureal card. It doesn't sound pretty on it, either.

Hypothosis: EQ Supports no sounds cards
--Inferred: EQ's sound engine sucks goat anatomy. They're working on it. For now, just bite your lip and turn it off.

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-Casanunda, Dwarf of Brell Serilis
Level 51 Cleric, with m4d sk1llz
Dragons of Nightshade
Fennin Ro"The Forgotten Server"
Go Kicky Fast Okay!

Lovaelihn

I must say...

I would love to hear some music in-game that is not only dynamic, but better quality than midi.

After playing this game since beta, you can imagine just how annoying the fight music is to me. Some of it is ok, but I just can't deal with the autoattack.

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Lo'Vaelihn Kr`Vohn

Assassin of the House Kr`Vohn

nato1099

I use winamp 3 in the background of EQ and I am able to control it using keyboard buttons(i have the natural keyboard pro). WA3 doesn't support it by its self, but there is a plug in I downloaded that let me bind the extra keys on the keyboard to basically anything I wanted in winamp. RM-X General Purpose Control, to be specific.

Lovaelihn

Yah... I tried downloading that "everamp" someone mentioned, but it doesn't seem to work. Might be because my EQ directory has been moved 10 million times... lol

I have one of those old "media" keyboards, but I am not sure how to get it to recognize the buttons.

I'll take a look at that program you mentioned, nato.

Zantaklawz

ROFLMAO Casanunda... Very well put... Very well put indeed!

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Zantaklawz

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Tellgar

Holy cow! I saw that .mp3 download in the patch... was it real?
Is EQ going MP3, finally?! The new theme is sooooo much better than that midi junk. This may be something to look forward to!

Casanunda

From an interview on GameSpy:

GameSpy: Final Question: what's the one thing you want our readers to know about this expansion?

Robert: Well, you should know (if you don't already) that PoP will have:

Thousands of new weapons and items
20 new zones
More than 70 new NPC models
100s of new trade skills and recipes
New multi-grouping system (raids) that allows up to 60 players to team together New quest system that allows unprecedented depths of gameplay
A huge quest that ties the entire expansion together
In game MP3 music
Planar hub for easy travel between areas of Norrath More than 100 new Alternate
Advancements More than 100 new spells

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I emboldened that one point of interest so you would notice it. Aparently verant is being EXTREMELY cryptic about this for some reason. You'll note that nowhere in the patch messages or features lists of PoP, on the official website or otherwise, is this "in game mp3" smidgeon found. Only a few other things hint at it:

-For those of you lucky bastages who preordered PoP early enough to get the special offer to buy the "everquest CD soundtrack" for $5 before the supplies ran out (And really, who didn't see that coming? ), you're probably clever enough to know that mp3s are the format of choice on CDs. I don't know what's on the disk, because practically all information about it anywhere on the official site has dissapeared.

-The file (mp3index.txt), as you pointed out, is a simple listing. It is a listing of the mp3 filenames EQ is allowed to load. It is as follows:

bothunder.mp3
codecay.mp3
combattheme1.mp3
combattheme2.mp3
deaththeme.mp3
eqtheme.mp3
hohonor.mp3
poair.mp3
podisease.mp3
poearth.mp3
pofire.mp3
poinnovation.mp3
pojustice.mp3
poknowledge.mp3
ponightmare.mp3
postorms.mp3
potactics.mp3
potime.mp3
potorment.mp3
potranquility.mp3
povalor.mp3
powar.mp3
powater.mp3
solrotower.mp3

You'll notice, if you're minutely clever, that those all have to do with PoP zones. Nothing else. SO, my comrades, it looks like, for now at least, the only place you'll be hearing snazzy non-crappy format mp3 music is in the PoP zones. Will they be adding more? Is that "Everquest Soundtrack CD" what contains the mp3 versions of the already existing musical tracs (which, by the way, is quite nice if they were in a good format)?

You'll notice that it's just a text file, brought by the patcher into the *main directory*. Not only does that mean we cannot legally edit it, but it will be overwritten by the patcher if we do. So you can't replace, say, "powar.mp3" with, say, "Everlast - Who Got the Hooch.mp3" and expect it to let you slide. Even if you edit it after the patcher, or if you're crafty and rename one of your favorite .mp3's to one of the ones on the list, I'm guessing it has some kind of checker--since the music files will likely be in the main directory also, because there's no new folder--for the date edited, or file size, or what have you.

My speculation: The folks at veran..err, sorry, Sony Online Entertainment have put some time into making brand-spankin'-new mp3 format music for their new expansion, and these files will be included with the rest of the expansion on the disk. The other songs, however, are either not finished yet, or not ready for the public by whatever devious schemes verant is planning, OR are already included on the "Everquest Soundtrack CD" that some of you lucky bastages will be getting, and the rest of us will have to wait for verant to restock it and PAY THEM to get the new music files. Which kind of makes sence, in a backwards sort of way. I won't know more to speculate on untill i've actually installed PoP and my sexzay Firiona Vie collector's edition figurine is firmly in my grip. I'm guessing a lot of you will be doing the same thing.

-Casa out.

Edit: Glancing at my patcher, i noticed this file: eqtheme.mp3
When the servers come back on, you all will be treated to a masterpiece. It is awe inspiring. It nearly brought me to tears.
Okay, it wasn't that amazing, but after 4 years of listening to old junk midi format sound batches, it was extrememly pleasing to the ears.
You will all go, immediatly, into your patches folder, arrange the files by date, find and run eqtheme.mp3. Now! Go and be pleased! I cannot wait until i get my PoP disk now. Have fun, kids.

ReallyLongTypist

If you play as a bard (as I do) the ambient music changes depending on what instrument and song you are playing. (The song must be of the same type as the instrument)

But they are horrid songs, and have been off for years.

Zantaklawz

MP3... BOUT BLOODY TIME! WOOT!

/wrings hands with an evil grin... ahhh the musical possibilities to make my ingame music something better... though the intro music was rather nice, better than the tinny one before... Yeaaaa!

Zantaklawz

tadashya

the sound is still pretty dingy... sitting here listening to my hubby play on the other puter and his shammy occassionally sounds like 'bear in the bathroom' with that hollow echoey sound.

havent played in ages but running the patch just so I can hear the new MP3

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Casanunda

There aren't new mp3 music yet, tada. That's only the intro theme. The other songs still sound pretty lame because they're still the same old format; they just sound [i]different[/b] because SOE ALSO updated the sound engine with the last patch and didn't mention it. Never fear, though, i'm sure we'll get fully orchestral mp3 versions soon. or something

aviendha101

You guys might find this crazy...


But I really like the MIDI soundtrack in EQ.

I have a SB Live card and I play EQ on Windows ME. (I also use Windows XP, but as many of you know the sound is screwed in Windows xP for EQ)

Now, when I load EQ in Windows ME, even the starting theme sound sounds wonderful! Not tinny at all! Very rich and full, like an actual orchestra. That was the reason I bought the SB Live card in the first place.

Now, I will say that the new mp3 intro sounds pretty nice, and it ran pretty well. But I really hope they maintain some of the midi that is currently out there..

Last night I went shopping at a merchant. And I couldn't leave! The music was sooo nice! They patched the sound engine you say? It made a HUGE difference for some of the midi songs. The music sounded so peaceful.... it was just nice. Again, not tinny.

So what I hope they do with mp3s is allow user customization. (Like many of you have said). They really ought to just extend the UI directory for the sound as well. Users can already change basically EVERYTHING about their interface. Why not the sound?

Anyway, just my 6 sp.
:P

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tadashya

yep I know.. I dont even own PoP yet. I may only get it for the new zone artwork but only after the patch craze is over.

I had to hear the new theme.. gotta say its not bad.

Zantaklawz

Hey at least its a start with the theme. Better than the tinny crackly one they originally had. At least its deep and theaterical sounding. Plan on purchasing PoP today. Was pretty weird to see the book on the pedestle near the newbie zone in Everfrost (take a left when you first enter the newbie zone after the ramp).. there it sits alone along the wall. Gonna be interesting to see the new stuff. And finally get some decent music.. (though Im gonna change a few songs probably).

Zantaklawz