[Confirmed]Ability to Change Soundfonts/MIDI Output In-Game

[JWingWangWong]

Ok this is a complicated suggestion, but I've been trying to make this happen for the longest time.

 

From the looks of it the new music system uses a modified utility called the GBAMusRipper. The description reads:

GBAMusRiper allows to rip music and sound font from games using the “sappy” sound engine, which is extremely common among commercial GBA games.

This program rips data in a set of MIDI (.mid) files and a Sound Font 2.0 (.sf2) file. Using a playback device which supports sound fonts, it’s then possible to make the MIDIs sound exactly like the original song, sometimes even better.

 

 

What this means is that the new music system is dependent on midi files and soundfonts to emulate sound (unless you turn this off). The way your computer emulate sound varies on the soundfonts it uses. To clear up what the "sappy" sound engine is here's some documentation from the introduction of the "sappy" sound engine:

This documentation contains info about the "sappy" sound engine that the vast majority of commercial Game Boy Advance games uses. This engine was named "sappy" because of a program that could rip the music of some GBA games and convert it to MIDI. Then another utility called "saptapper" was able to rip music from a GBA Rom to GSF format, applying to games using this sound engine.

 

All info in this file was figured by my own by hacking games. I am not involved in any way with the authors of the sound engine nor the authors of the "sappy" or "saptapper" program in any way.

 

Video game developers probably prototyped their music in standard MIDI files or tracker modules and used tools to convert the music to the "sappy" format. The format contain many similarities to MIDI, like key on, key off and delta-time values, but it is stored in a different (more efficient) way, and was made for video games so they could also play sound effects, etc...

 

So knowing that MIDI was now used in the current update for emulating music "better" I tried finding ways to make it sound "better". I did a bit of research and came across a program called VirtualMidiSynth (http://coolsoft.altervista.org/en/virtualmidisynth) which allowed a user on windows to emulate different soundfonts using its virtual output device. The good news was it worked for Windows Media Player, but the bad news is it didn't work for anything else unless you had the option to chose Midi playback devices. 

 

So what do I want?
Well one of two things:
The ability to use different soundfonts by changing them like you would with GUI via data folders.

The ability to select Midi playback devices.

 

I prefer the first one but either or would be appreciated. I just need to know if said suggestion is even possible.

 

TL;DR If this suggestion is approved there leaves more room for more music options.

[Eggplant]

A bit hard to follow but I thought of something like this just today.

Anything to improve music gets a +1 for me, music is like, the soul of a game. It's what makes me redownload the shittiest MMO every year.

People will say maplestory is childish and boring, but it has good music :p

My concern with this though is, say we are able to replace the soundfonts and get realistic-sounding samples, depending on what you got. But that's all it does, right? It won't help the problem about different tracks within the same song being completely unsynchronized.

So it'll just sonud like a first-time-practice high-school marching band.

 

What I'm saying is, the off-beat gets to me more than the soundfonts and it needs fixed faster.

[JWingWangWong]

A bit hard to follow but I thought of something like this just today.
Anything to improve music gets a +1 for me, music is like, the soul of a game. It's what makes me redownload the shittiest MMO every year.
People will say maplestory is childish and boring, but it has good music :p

My concern with this though is, say we are able to replace the soundfonts and get realistic-sounding samples, depending on what you got. But that's all it does, right? It won't help the problem about different tracks within the same song being completely unsynchronized.
So it'll just sonud like a first-time-practice high-school marching band.

What I'm saying is, the off-beat gets to me more than the soundfonts and it needs fixed faster.

The reason why their sounds are unsynchronized is because they have not fully emulated the "sappy" sound engine and channels (instruments) from songs are missing. If that gets fixed the midi songs will get fixed.

Sound fonts are like fonts: they do not change the words in a sentence but they change how it looks. Sound fonts just change how a midi file sounds. I'll link a video of soundfont comparisons when I get home.

[Kababs]

Because sound is the most important thing PokeMMO needs

[Mariah]

If you want different music, why not disable the music in the game and play your own? 

[JWingWangWong]

If you want different music, why not disable the music in the game and play your own? 

I don't want different music I want to be able to make my MIDI playback to work better. Read OP.

[Mariah]

I don't want different music I want to be able to make my MIDI playback to work better. Read OP.

 

I did read it, i just didn't really understand what you meant. But even with that, why? I don't see how or why this is something that's needed. Personally I just turn all my sounds off. Lol 

[JWingWangWong]

I did read it, i just didn't really understand what you meant. But even with that, why? I don't see how or why this is something that's needed. Personally I just turn all my sounds off. Lol 

There's a thread in customization that allowed someone to make different music in-game and what he did was took advantage of what the Midi player was capable of. If I'm correct, if custom soundfonts were allowed this would widen his usage to use different instruments for playback. This suggestion was approved it would help expand the customization community and I'm down for more customization in this game.

[Eggplant]

Because sound is the most important thing PokeMMO needs

To me, it is  o;
That and selling.

 

No really, music is half the criteria of what game I decide to try out, and the reason I'll stick to one.

If a game is bad it's never because of the music. I can't name a single bad game with good music. Because good music automatically makes the game good ;D

 

But yeah it's super important.

[Mariah]

There's a thread in customization that allowed someone to make different music in-game and what he did was took advantage of what the Midi player was capable of. If I'm correct, if custom soundfonts were allowed this would widen his usage to use different instruments for playback. This suggestion was approved it would help expand the customization community and I'm down for more customization in this game.

 

Sure customization is nice, but I like to think there's other things that should be developed first before things like what you're suggesting. Such as being able to customize your character beyond "create a character" customization and adding more in game buyable vanities such as what's offered in Celedon Department. I can see why what you suggested would be a good idea, I don't know, like I said, it's a good idea but I feel like it's not the time for customization like this, not yet atleast. 

 

 

Like I said, people who want different music in the mean time can easily turn off the sound in the game, and listen to their own music. 

[JWingWangWong]

Sure customization is nice, but I like to think there's other things that should be developed first before things like what you're suggesting. Such as being able to customize your character beyond "create a character" customization and adding more in game buyable vanities such as what's offered in Celedon Department. I can see why what you suggested would be a good idea, I don't know, like I said, it's a good idea but I feel like it's not the time for customization like this, not yet atleast. 

 

 

Like I said, people who want different music in the mean time can easily turn off the sound in the game, and listen to their own music. 

Well yea I'm not expecting this to be the suggestion they should work on right away.

[Dannnno]

Sure customization is nice, but I like to think there's other things that should be developed first before things like what you're suggesting. Such as being able to customize your character beyond "create a character" customization and adding more in game buyable vanities such as what's offered in Celedon Department. I can see why what you suggested would be a good idea, I don't know, like I said, it's a good idea but I feel like it's not the time for customization like this, not yet atleast. 

 

 

Like I said, people who want different music in the mean time can easily turn off the sound in the game, and listen to their own music. 

 

This is such an awful way to respond to suggestions, I've said it before and I'll say it again. Nothing about suggestions in general (or this one specifically) implies a greater 'importance' or 'urgency' of a certain desired feature compared to other desired/planned features. Saying that something is 'less important' does nothing to advance a discussion over the merits of a suggestion, it just means you can't think of a better way to criticize a suggestion.  Suggestions are things we'd like to see in the future, and the future is anything after now. And now. And now. etc.

[Mariah]

This is such an awful way to respond to suggestions, I've said it before and I'll say it again. Nothing about suggestions in general (or this one specifically) implies a greater 'importance' or 'urgency' of a certain desired feature compared to other desired/planned features. Saying that something is 'less important' does nothing to advance a discussion over the merits of a suggestion, it just means you can't think of a better way to criticize a suggestion.  Suggestions are things we'd like to see in the future, and the future is anything after now. And now. And now. etc.

 

Are you kidding? There's some suggestions that should be taken into considering before ones like this. There is absolutely suggestions which are of greater importance, because those particular suggestions can benefit the game greatly compared to ones like this one. Such as I would think implementing other regions would be done before things like sound customization, sure they can all be added eventually in the future. But like I said, there's others which should be taken into account beforehand. All I was trying to say. 

[Dannnno]

Are you kidding? There's some suggestions that should be taken into considering before ones like this. There is absolutely suggestions which are of greater importance, because those particular suggestions can benefit the game greatly compared to ones like this one. Such as I would think implementing other regions would be done before things like sound customization, sure they can all be added eventually in the future. But like I said, there's others which should be taken into account beforehand. All I was trying to say. 

 

yes I recognise that some things are 'more' important than others. But saying so isn't a valid criticism of a suggestion, especially one like this.  It does nothing to attack, support, or question the main ideas of the suggestion, etc, etc.

[Mariah]

yes I recognise that some things are 'more' important than others. But saying so isn't a valid criticism of a suggestion, especially one like this.  It does nothing to attack, support, or question the main ideas of the suggestion, etc, etc.

 

I already agreed that the idea was a good one, as far as future customization goes. I was questioning why it should be worried about now. 

[ChrisChris]

I already agreed that the idea was a good one, as far as future customization goes. I was questioning why it should be worried about now. 

 

I don't think I saw anywhere in this thread anyone saying "This needs to be implemented ASAP, if not right away/now."

 

Its just a suggestion. Just like everything else.

[Mariah]

I don't think I saw anywhere in this thread anyone saying "This needs to be implemented ASAP, if not right away/now."

 

Its just a suggestion. Just like everything else.

 

It's not even that, I just also think it's a pointless installation even if it would be a nice little thing to have. What would honestly be the point in customizing things like your sound, or your music? When you can just disable all of that and listen to your own music. I say it's not that important, and shouldn't be anything considered before the more important stuff is because I think it's just a waste of space, and a tedious implementation. I'm surprised you guy's don't understand what i'm getting at. /:  

[ChrisChris]

It's not even that, I just also think it's a pointless installation even if it would be a nice little thing to have. What would honestly be the point in customizing things like your sound, or your music? When you can just disable all of that and listen to your own music. I say it's not that important, and shouldn't be anything considered before the more important stuff is because I think it's just a waste of space, and a tedious implementation. I'm surprised you guy's don't understand what i'm getting at. /:  

 

Most games have some form of in-game sound/music management system. I think this might actually be a perfectly fine suggestion. Mostly because I'd love to have the "discovery tune" from Zelda upon finding an item for the first time in chests play when a Pokemon evolves/etc.

 

Its just another way for people to customize their game for additional purposes to suit their personality.

[TheFlow]

I think this is absolutely mandatory, we cant make a good game if the basics (like sound) arent completed. And some people(like me)got computers with bad midi, its sounds very bad unless we can use coolsoft midi thingy.

 

 

[Mariah]

I think this is absolutely mandatory, we cant make a good game if the basics (like sound) arent completed. And some people(like me)got computers with bad midi, its sounds very bad unless we can use coolsoft midi thingy.

 

How is this absolutely mandatory!? It has the basic sounds from the actual game. Like I said, multiple times. There's way more suggestions that should be taken into deeper consideration that this one, such as new regions, and in game customization (characters, etc).

[ChrisChris]

How is this absolutely mandatory!? It has the basic sounds from the actual game. Like I said, multiple times. There's way more suggestions that should be taken into deeper consideration that this one, such as new regions, and in game customization (characters, etc).

 

Again, you're taking a single person or two's opinion as if its going to actually happen or that this suggestion if even considered would happen immediately before everything else we need. Just calm down and go through the suggestions and nod along with the cool ones or explain why bad ones are bad ones. No need to try and convince people something shouldn't be done.

[Breeder]

How is this absolutely mandatory!? It has the basic sounds from the actual game. Like I said, multiple times. There's way more suggestions that should be taken into deeper consideration that this one, such as new regions, and in game customization (characters, etc).

The developers are aware of the fact that certain things have priority over other things.

The suggestion box is for suggestions, and that's what this is. A suggestion. No one said this will be implemented before selling and trading money. This person is simply saying they want to change bloody soundfonts.

Anyways, we should not derail this thread any further. I understand what you're saying, and hopefully you'll understand what I'm saying.

 

@OP, I think this is a cool suggestion, and I think it should be considered.

[TheFlow]

How is this absolutely mandatory!? It has the basic sounds from the actual game. Like I said, multiple times. There's way more suggestions that should be taken into deeper consideration that this one, such as new regions, and in game customization (characters, etc).

Well, for you its the basic sounds for the actual game, for us, its just a bunch of static noises. MIDI sucks on older systems, if we cant change it using coolsoft midi synth, we are stuck with extremely bad sound for ever. And nobody wants that D:

[JWingWangWong]

So just read the posts on here and I pretty much am thinking the same thoughts as Chris. No, this is not a suggestion that is demanding priority over other suggestions. This is JUST a suggestion that I like to see in the game. I also would like to know if it is possible too as I do not want to suggest something that cannot work.

[TheFlow]

I'll just post again. I actually think that this is not a priority suggestion, but this could change the music in pokemmo in one way that we could use the ACTUAL pokemon soundfonts to recreate the ACTUAL pokemon music (HG SS, bw, whatever). This would be cool ! :D