[DISC] NeoLemmix sounds

[WillLem]

NeoLemmix Sounds Wish List

With namida's approval, the following changes will be made at some point. Please feel free to make any suggestions in this topic and I'll add them to this list:

Sound name	In-game use	Suggested change
chain	Pillar chain trap	-
changeop	Panel selection	Turn volume down
chink	Hitting steel	-
die	Off-screen lemming death	Turn volume down
door	Hatch open	-
electric	Crystal electricity trap / Various teleporters	-
exitopen	Locked exit opening	-
explode	Bomber pop	-
failure	Postview level fail	-
fire	Fire trap	-
glug	Water drown	-
landmine	Landmine trap	-
letsgo	Level start	-
mousepre	Skill assign	-
ohno	Bomber/nuke pre-pop	-
oing2	Button being pressed / Pickup being collected	Turn volume down
slurp	Rock vine/lizard trap (vine/lizard)	-
splash	Swimmer entering water	Turn volume down
splat	Splat fall	-
success	Postview level pass	-
tenton	Dirt ten-tons trap/Snow icicle trap	-
thud	Dirt rock trap	-
thunk	Various traps	-
timeup	Alarm for time run-out	Turn volume down
ting	Builder brick run-out	-
vacuusux	Bubble sucker trap	-
weedgulp	Rock vine/lizard trap (lemming)	-
wrench	Disarmer wrench	-
yippee	Lemming exit	-
zombie	Lemming becoming a zombie	Turn volume down

Other suggestions/new sound ideas

The icicle trap needs its own sound as tenton doesn't really suit it.
The button press needs more of a "click" sound; one has been suggested here.
The pickup collection needs its own sound; one has been suggested here.



Dullstar noted here that some of the existing game sounds are "harsh on the ears".

I agree that, whilst most of the sounds are great, a handful of them could probably be improved to something a bit better/less harsh. Since NL is being moved towards its final version, it might be worth addressing them. If nothing else, a separate "sounds" zip could be made available as an alternative to the default. Although, obviously, it would be great if a consensus could be reached to modify the default sounds themselves.

@Dullstar - Could you elaborate on which ones in particular you find "harsh", just to help open up the discussion?

[Dullstar]

The most common problem in my opinion is sounds that are too loud relative to the UI sounds.
- Swimmers entering water
- Several traps
- I'd also argue the drowning sounds could be made a little quieter, though it's not too bad

So you might be like, okay, selecting skills is a comfortable volume, and the swimmer just be like SPLORSHSD;LFGHKJ

Later I can go through and create a more exhaustive list, particularly for traps, and also less common elements like teleporters where I don't remember what they sound like off the top of my head. There's a specific trap noise I have in mind but I don't remember exactly which trap makes it.

[Simon]

Skill select (changeop.wav) is too loud, consider to make quieter.

Reason: I select skills with hotkeys and I need a quiet confirmation at best. I've just deleted changeop.wav altogether, but that shouldn't be standard. Rather than confirmation when it works, I have a weak preference for an error sound for when I'm trying to assign a skill that is is n/a or zero.

Moreover, changeop.wav contains an obstuse plastic click near the beginning. Such is nearly impossible to fix, but it's one more reason to make changeop.wav quieter.

Agree that swimmer-enters-water is a tad too loud.

-- Simon

[WillLem]

Here are quieter versions of splash (swimmer sound) and changeop (skill select sound), for those that prefer these.

@Simon - I've also faded in the start of the changeop sound to reduce the "plastic click" at the beginning.

More generally, a full list to work on would be good at some point, consider these quick "for now" fixes, just because it was very easy to do and will hopefully help/show what's possible with a bit of feedback.

[Minim]

I'm glad someone's had the courage to bring this topic up for NL, as I unknowingly created a similar kind of thread for Lix. (And that these new FX can be downloaded too)

I must mention that the pickup skill sound is also noticeably loud and needs quietening down. That would be at the top of my wish-list.

[WillLem]

OK, I'll start a "wish list" in the OP and detail any changes that people suggest. With namida's approval, when it gets to a point where the list seems fairly enhaustive and nobody is suggesting anything new, I'll make the changes as best as I can and provide a new "sounds" zip accordingly.

[WillLem]

Here's the sound I'd suggest for a button press. It's currently used in Lemminas if you'd like to hear it in context.

If accepted as the default button sound, it can of course be renamed to "button" or just "switch".

[WillLem]

I've noted that most of the suggestions so far are about sounds being too loud.

What I'll probably end up doing is "remastering" all of the sounds so that they're all at a comfortable volume relative to each other. By all means do mention if there's a particular sound that you find bothersome because of its volume, and I'll make sure to address this during the process.

See the current wish list here.

[The Tomato Watcher]

The most bothersome sound to me is the zombie sound. Especially when it plays at the start of a level; I'm never ready for it. I think it could use a quieting down.

[Dullstar]

The most bothersome sound to me is the zombie sound. Especially when it plays at the start of a level; I'm never ready for it. I think it could use a quieting down.

I forgot about this one, and yes, I agree it's quite loud.

[kaywhyn]

I think the falling off the level aah/eep noise is loud, so that can probably be turned down too? Also, something that just occurred to me, and, unless it's already been done and I somehow missed it, that is do you think there should be different sounds for, say, female lemmings like Lemminas and Millas, against the default sounds for male lemmings? Like maybe for assigning the bomber to a Lemmina it can use a more feminine voice saying "oh no" for example. Similarly, probably there might be a more feminine ahh/eep sound for Lemminas falling off the level vs the default "die" sound file. This would definitely give them a distinct personality based on gender. Then again, I think the same could probably be done with changing the sounds of the various ethnic lemming sprites, like the ones Strato came up with, but well, that's probably best left to the creator of the sprites. At the same time, I don't know if this would cause problems with maybe overriding sound files, but then again that's why it's always recommended to back up the sound folder of your NL directory.

As for some of the ones that you listed as "unknown" in the OP, here they are:

thunk - Some traps use this sound, such as the evil flower trap from the Highland tileset of L2, the armor reaper trap with a vertical axe and it comes down at a right angle to kill a lemming from Dexter's Halloween tileset, the spikes trap from the Renaissance tileset, etc.

ting - This is just the sound for the final 3 bricks of a platformer/builder

[WillLem]

The most bothersome sound to me is the zombie sound.

I agree; added this to the list.

I think the falling off the level aah/eep noise is loud, so that can probably be turned down too?

Added this.

Also, something that just occurred to me, and, unless it's already been done and I somehow missed it, that is do you think there should be different sounds for, say, female lemmings like Lemminas and Millas

Indeed, I suggested this a while ago. By all means add to the discussion to give it a bump if you think it's a good idea!

thunk - Some traps use this sound

Thanks! I've updated the list with this one.

ting - This is just the sound for the final 3 bricks of a platformer/builder

Actually, that sound is "chink." I think "ting" is something else (or maybe it's a builder sound from a different game, like L2 or L3?)

[kaywhyn]

ting - This is just the sound for the final 3 bricks of a platformer/builder

Actually, that sound is "chink." I think "ting" is something else (or maybe it's a builder sound from a different game, like L2 or L3?)

I don't think so? I checked and "chink" is actually the sound that plays when a digger/basher/miner hits steel. I also rechecked "ting," and it is indeed the sound for when a builder/platformer is down to the final 3 bricks

[The Tomato Watcher]

The "chink" sound plays for the last 3 builder bricks only in some of the later versions of L1, such as the Windows and PS1 versions (in fact, its high-fidelity equivalent plays for builder bricks as well in all console Lemmings games since PSP L1), so that's probably what you're thinking of. In NL (and most versions of L1) however, "ting" is the sound that plays.

[WillLem]

I checked and "chink" is actually the sound that plays when a digger/basher/miner hits steel. I also rechecked "ting," and it is indeed the sound for when a builder/platformer is down to the final 3 bricks

The "chink" sound plays for the last 3 builder bricks only in some of the later versions of L1, such as the Windows and PS1 versions

Fair enough. Updated the list