Topic: D2x-XL Audio problems

[Eagle131]

An of you ever had choppy audio problems with D2x-xl?  It's like when there are too many SFX playing, it cuts out.  Almost like there's a noise gate that's too sensitive...

[Kaiaatzl]

Wouldn't a noise gate not let any sound through until the sfx reached certain levels?
You need to download and install the rest of the hires sounds from the D2X-XL website, and make sure they're enabled in d2x.ini.  Or look at my loading screens .  The game comes with some hires sounds but the others need to be installed separately.
Support for standard sounds broke a few years ago and never got fixed -- probably something to do with there being another project that is meant to emulate non-hires Descent.  But I'm not sure about that part.  The hires sounds are... higher res... anyway.   Improves the experience.  And you can do cool scratches with them.

[TechPro]

I leave out all of the hires sounds.  Marginal (IMHO) benefit using the hires sounds.

[Kaiaatzl]

Well you must be lucky not to have this problem then.  Single most common problem reported on the XL forums, always this same solution.

[NUMBERZero]

I think that the sound problem is the dumbest thing ever. The majority of the people complain (like myself) and they have to do the fix. It is apparently a "standard bug."

[DarkWing]

I agree with TechPro, it (the hires sounds) is not really needed... and I'll tell you why.

1. The original game... did the sounds do that?  No.  Never.  As was, the sounds were great and worked VERY well to set the mood, fit the things going on, and (at the right times) surprise the nee-bee-jee-bees out of ya (can you say "Driller Surprise"?).   There was, truly, no valid reason to change the sounds other than to 'tweak' or alter the game.

2. What is the usual "fix" for this 'standard bug'?  Install the rest of the hires sounds.  ... So, apparently D2X-XL introduces some (not all) of the hires sounds and then doesn't even handle the right ... unless you a) installed the remainder of the hires sounds and b) turn on using the hires sounds.  ... And it sucks if your systems isn't hi-end enough to use the hires sounds.

This is why I use D1X-Rebirth and D2X-Rebirth.  The sounds WORK and don't have this 'standard bug' ... and I can run it on a hi-end system or a low-end system if I want ... and I get the same game experience, which (by the way) is still very true to the original.  Sure, you can tell D2X-XL to run in "Nostalgia" mode, but if you're using D2X-XL... why would you want to?  Clearly you didn't want to play the game for the original style of game experience, so why bother?  Besides, you'd still get the audio bug in the "nostalgia" mode anyway.

There.  I've said my peace.  I'm probably going to get flamed.

[Kaiaatzl]

Seriously people, it's a few extra minutes and a few extra megabytes.  Anyone who gets turned off of D2X-XL by this and this alone needs to seriously examine whether what they actually want is D2X-XL -- with the gameplay enhancements and hires textures and etc -- or just a way to play the game.  I'm not the type to say this as an accusation but it's silly.  If you want to play original Descent and D2 in high definition with the extra effects and different gameplay it's still worth it.  If you don't, that's your opinion but don't force it on other people.  Some of us like D2X-XL's gameplay better.
 
D2X-XL's main package includes the hires sounds that are needed for any kind of extra FX that weren't in the original game.  All of the hires versions of the original sounds are in the separate download -- and it's a separate download for the same reason that the hires textures are a separate download, to make updating D2X-XL easier and faster.  Because once you have it installed you do need to update it a lot.  Just like an operating system .

@DarkWing your "why bother" comment is offensive.  It's not your place, or anyone else's, to dictate what "experience" others should want.

[Eagle131]

yeah I ran D1x and D2x Rebirth for years....time to up the ante lol.  I really like all the features of D2X-XL anyways.  Thanks, I guess I didn't search hard enough for a fix!

Edit:

So I downloaded the extra files, moved sounds2 into the D2X-XL directory.  And in D2x.ini, changed hires_sound to 2, and sdl_mixer 1.  I still am having the same issue....am I not doing this right?

[Kaiaatzl]

Well maybe this is the time to sign up on the forum and ask for help?
This is new.

[Scyphi]

I thought it was Diedel's intention these days to try and make D2X-XL adaptable for any audience, and not force any hi-res anythings on them that they didn't want, in an attempt to appeal to the Rebirth gang.

This is not adaptable.

Not to mention ludicrous. Seeing that the sounds worked perfectly fine before, I see no reason anyone has to be forced to upgrade in order to have a pleasurable Descent experience.

It is partly because of this glitch (and the fact that D2X-XL eventually became a real pain to continually set up and processor unfriendly) that I switched to Rebirth, because at least with Rebirth, I don't have to put up with any this sort of thing.

If Diedal has some legitimate reason for this issue, then I'm willing to hear it out, but thus far, I have seen no legitimate reason presented here.

And it irks me doubly so, because I don't ever really want to trash talk D2X-XL at anytime, because, when functioning well, it's a great mod, and I want to be able to show my full support of it. Unfortunately, so long as this sort of thing happens, that's not going to happen, and the sooner people see that, maybe the sooner it can actually get FIXED.

All of the hires versions of the original sounds are in the separate download -- and it's a separate download for the same reason that the hires textures are a separate download, to make updating D2X-XL easier and faster.

...but I feel obligated to point out that if you DON'T download the hi-res textures, the game still works just fine. It should be the same deal with the sounds. And as it isn't, it feels like the hi-res things are being FORCED upon the player, and nobody likes that.

Also, my two bits, having all of these added features as separate downloads does NOT make it easier and faster, because that means more steps you have to take in order to get everything working, thereby prolonging the set-up of the game, especially when installing afresh. The REAL reason they're all separate, I suspect, is because these add-ons take up space, and not everybody can spare the room (or processing power) to use them.



There, said my bit on this matter too, but I fully expect to be flamed for it, which is a real pity, because I these are serious points that need to be considered, not just dismissed because one doesn't agree with it.

[Kaiaatzl]

I'm not an official liason or anything like that, I just happen to be one person on here who still uses D2X-XL for what it is -- and I happen to be someone who is willing to help people who want to use D2X-XL.  I haven't dismissed anything, only said that if this and this alone turns you off from D2X-XL that you should probably forget about it and use Rebirth.

And to say it again because it didn't get through the first time, if what you want to play is Descent and you don't care about D2X-XL's added elements, then Rebirth is the way you should go.  It's far easier and less troubling.  No matter what Karx tried he was never able to appeal to that group in the same way and this problem came about at about the same point as he realized he couldn't appeal to that audience.  Maybe he was trying to distance himself from it, I don't know.  There could be more possible reasons than the number of living cells on this planet.
If you think this issue is important and needs to be dealt with, Scyphi, and I don't doubt that you do, then I have one question for you.  What do you expect to gain by sitting here discussing it with people who don't know anything more about it than you do?

Eagle, I'm sorry about the way people here are behaving.  You should take your problem to the descent2.de boards.  Describe the problem and be sure to tell them about the fix you've already tried.  You'll get a lot more help and a lot less wasted time.

Serious issues that need to be addressed, I'm not arguing with that, it is not my place to argue with that.  I'm telling you that this thread, whose point is to get help running D2X-XL is not the right place to bring it up, and I have been forced to tell you that for my last several posts, instead of helping Eagle with his problem.  I would have expected better from all of you.

You want to make this crystal clear?  THIS THREAD IS NOT THE PLACE!!!!
Someone lock this thread, please.  But leave it here.  And the next time someone asks for help with D2X-XL on this board, point them to this thread as an example of why you're not fit to give it.

[Scyphi]

Since the thread has not yet been locked, some final points I wish to make...

First off, Kaiaastel, know that you're right, and this isn't the place for this argument, and I humbly apologize for playing a part in furthering that, and apologies in advance for continuing to further it a bit more. But at least I wasn't the one who started it.

Second, also know that I do not like being the enemy on this matter. If I could just stand back and stay out of it entirely, I would, but every now and then it unavoidably comes up, and people start taking sides and both refuse to compromise, and when that happens, I get fed up at the futility of it all and jump in, trying to spark some compromise, or at least get the two parties to see each other's side, or the real underlying issues they typically try to overlook due to the implications they don't always want to face, again, on both sides.

Typically, though, this doesn't work, and this thread is proof of that. You'd think I'd have learned my lesson by now, but I clearly haven't, and again, I apologize for worsening the problem instead of improving it.

Third, this one problem actually isn't the only problem that turns me off from D2X-XL. I've actually have found a number of other issues that I have regrettably come to have with it (a pity, because I can certainly see the potential, and know from past experience that in it's prime, D2X-XL totally rocks, and if it was always like that, I'd be using it over Rebirth any day. In fact, there was a time when I wouldn't even consider using anything else, but D2X-XL, and how it was managed, was very different back then) but as it's not relevant, I won't bring them up or discuss them much further than this.

Fourth, is that you're right; if you don't want D2X-XL's added elements, then yes, Rebirth is the way to go, and for D2X-XL to try and appeal to the Rebirth crowd probably is a lost cause by now (not just because the supporters won't get along; as I understand it, neither will the creators).

My problem, though, is that I WOULD like D2X-XL's added elements, or at least have the ability to access them, but to me, it's not worth the effort to jump through the many hoops (as it were) to get them, and even if I DO do all of that, there's no guarantee the game will still function properly, to say nothing of the fact that D2X-XL has had a past history of being a resource hog. Even when I upgraded to a near-top-of-the-line computer that by all means shouldn't have a problem rendering the graphics, still did, which suggests to me there's a bigger problem there. As Rebirth has none of these problems, it thereby seems the much more logical choice to go for.

But I'm getting off topic and running the risk of worsening the issue again, so enough about that matter for now.

What it really boils down to is this: Some people are willing to put up with D2X-XL's many issues or have become tolerant of them while others have not, and while potentially problematic, this should be okay with everyone. Thankfully, we can choose between which we want to use, D2X-XL or Rebirth. Theoretically, that should be the end of the matter right there. Yet it is not, people still feel obligated to tear each other down. I can't vouch for the D2X-XL crowd, but I know that for at least a fair part of the Rebirth crowd, their major gripe about D2X-XL is that they can see it doesn't have to be that way. Yet much of the time it almost feels like it's deliberately trying to shun Descent users, and it is my personal opinion that it's hurting itself in the process. There may be times when there are legitimate reasons for D2X-XL to do this, but other times it does not. Again, IMO, this audio problem feels like the latter; like not enough effort is being made to properly fix it, and it's shunning potential players as a result, the point I tried to make in my last post, but arguably did not succeed.

But that brings me to my final point, which is really more your point, Kaiaatsel. No one here really knows with any degree of certainty just what the true story is behind all of this, and it futile for ALL of us to try and discuss it here, of all places. Even if we were to somehow manage to figure it out on our own and come up with a solution we can all be happy with, it'd only do so much good, because the relevant people who would need to know it (the creators of said mods) aren't here to see it. And even if they were, there's no guarantee they'd even pay attention.

So, yes, I know I just dragged this out for one post further than it probably need, for which I yet again apologize, but let's end it here. Now that I have said a few final points that I felt needed some further clarification dealing mostly with my OWN argument on the matter (and also have hopefully put myself in a somewhat better light; again, I didn't say what I said to be mean or make enemies, and would prefer to avoid it as I would rather be friendly than mean) I see no need to drag on this argument any further. I think we've proved that both sides are still too opinionated to make any real progress towards correcting it, thereby ensnaring ourselves in an endless and futile loop, and even then, Kaiaatsel's right; this isn't the place to do it.

Also, Kaiaatsel, praise to you for being the one who had the courage to resist the need to argue, and to try and actually fulfill the true needs of this thread. It wasn't fair for the rest of us to stand in the way of that.

And to clear my conscience one final time, I again apologize for any offenses I personally may have wrought on anyone, as it was not my intent to do so, just to present my views, which sadly can't pander to everyone. 

[-<WillyP>-]

Lets stay a little closer to the original topic please.

Eagle's instal has sound issues. Kai offered a solution in his first reply, which eagle has tried, but apparently Eagle is still having a problem. Eagle, TechPro has offered the solution of removing all the hi-res sounds and using the original sounds... have you tried that? Even if you want to use the hi-res sounds, removing them would at least tell you whether the problem was hi-res sound related, or if perhaps there is some other issue.

[Matthew]

Still don't get why D2X-XL and DXX-R fanboys have to war so much in this community. They're both different softwares build for different purposes. Use what you want, whatever fits what you want to get out of the game. Everybody's happy, everybody gets along, end of story. It's not like it's a popularity contest or something.

[-<WillyP>-]

Well put Matt, but any further off topic comments in this thread gets deleted. Feel free to start a new thread, as long as it isn't inflammatory, to discuss the relative merits or why this topic gets so hot.