OpenAL game sound effects

[Strings]

I am considering looking in to adding some sound effects to the client.

So I have a few questions...

 

1. Is anyone else already working on this?

2. Are the teleports supposed to be making localised sounds?

3. Do you want sound effects that link to animations?

4. How are you expecting to deal with the fact that sound often travels further than the object horizon?

5. Has anyone had any good ideas that they would like included?

 

Ummm, I am sure I have more questions but that should certainly get me started..

 

Strings

[Wytter]

1: No

2: Would be good

3: I do not think this would be necissary

4: See below

5: See below

 

We are currently redefining the map format. I think that we should add music and/or sound effects to that map format, so it wouldn't require client/server interaction + we'd be able to make environmental sound (sound like the sound is coming from i.e. the upper right corner of the screen).

This would require setting the sound source + a radius of which sound volume would be 100% and another which will make the the sound volume would go from 100 to 0%, and then of course the wanted sound, the initial sound volume from that object etc.

[Lhibou]

For what I known about teleporters sound, they are localised with a radius specification.

But, it's the same radius for every teleporters and no care of the obstacles (the player on the other side of a mountain but withing the radius will hear the teleporters).

[Strings]

OK having now looked at the code I have a couple more questions.

 

1. When does the server send PLAY_MUSIC?

2. When does the server send PLAY_SOUND?

3. How many sound sources are going to be used by music that fades in and out?

4. Is there a reason why the NEW_WEATHER uses openAL directly, instead of the EL wrapping code?

5. How many sound sources are going to be used by weather?

6. What about combat noise, is that a good idea?

 

With OpenAL only supporting a finite number of sound sources (16 by the looks).

It seems to me that sound support is actually going to be a lot more complicated than pushing some sound onto some 3D object position and letting OpenAL sort the whole thing out.

7. Am I right, or are we just going to max out after the first 16 sound sources?

 

@Lhibou: A good point, and one that I had not thought of.

However, its going to be really big work load for map makers defining what is and what is not a sound obstruction. It also seems from my quick look at OpenAL that sound obstruction is far from simple.

Therefore, currently I am suggesting that sound obstruction could be delayed until a later version.

 

Strings

[Entropy]

Actually, I might have found someone with OpenAL experience to rewrite/expand the sound engine to allow a lot of new things.

So hold on for the time being, I'll let you know when we know more.