Reply to Re: MP3s for d-mods?
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Thanks to all for responding. You have all raised valid points and I now have a good idea where the community's head space is at.
I would repeat just a few things, knowing that the counterarguments have been given. Comment on this post if you'd like to, but I think most of the salient points have been raised (but obviously I disagree with them
). Fundamentally, this tread seems to be a policy vs. mechanism discussion.
1) File size of MP3s. It's true that MP3 files are typically a couple of orders of magnitude larger than MIDI files. It's true that this will bloat downloads. It's true that a large dmod size will dissaude a certain population of Dink users from experiencing that adventure.
However, this argument as it pertains to MP3 support is a red herring. Sprites are very large and there's no limit to the numbers that can be included with dmods (see Pilgrim's Quest).
The choice about a dmod size should rest in the hands of the developer, who must accept the responsibility for that design decision and all others.
2) MIDI files are a background, but influential element of the game. Sound sets the mood for the story. MIDI offers very little control of the types of sounds and effects that appear in such background.
MP3 files allow for very granular control over the kinds of sounds heard by the player. The directly affects the kind of experience the player has.
Can you even imagine playing Fallout or Starcraft to crappy MIDI files? I sure can't.
At issue here is that most on-board synths found on commerical sound cards are lame. I'd like to deliver the sounds I hear directly to the player with as little comprimise as possible.
Sound is an important aspect of a user's experience of the game. MIDI is a very crude tool to use for this aspect of game design.
3) OGG vs. MP3. I was asking a more general point and would be happy to have either OGG or MP3 support. The main issue is that I want to create WAV files of specific sounds and would like a compression mechanism for easier distribution of those sounds.
You really can't argue that MIDI is "good enough for everyone," but you can say "it's good enough for me." I submit that while MIDI may be sufficient for many dmods, Dink can do better. Why reduce the tools available to dmod makers?
Thanks again,
--Joe
I would repeat just a few things, knowing that the counterarguments have been given. Comment on this post if you'd like to, but I think most of the salient points have been raised (but obviously I disagree with them
). Fundamentally, this tread seems to be a policy vs. mechanism discussion.1) File size of MP3s. It's true that MP3 files are typically a couple of orders of magnitude larger than MIDI files. It's true that this will bloat downloads. It's true that a large dmod size will dissaude a certain population of Dink users from experiencing that adventure.
However, this argument as it pertains to MP3 support is a red herring. Sprites are very large and there's no limit to the numbers that can be included with dmods (see Pilgrim's Quest).
The choice about a dmod size should rest in the hands of the developer, who must accept the responsibility for that design decision and all others.
2) MIDI files are a background, but influential element of the game. Sound sets the mood for the story. MIDI offers very little control of the types of sounds and effects that appear in such background.
MP3 files allow for very granular control over the kinds of sounds heard by the player. The directly affects the kind of experience the player has.
Can you even imagine playing Fallout or Starcraft to crappy MIDI files? I sure can't.
At issue here is that most on-board synths found on commerical sound cards are lame. I'd like to deliver the sounds I hear directly to the player with as little comprimise as possible.
Sound is an important aspect of a user's experience of the game. MIDI is a very crude tool to use for this aspect of game design.
3) OGG vs. MP3. I was asking a more general point and would be happy to have either OGG or MP3 support. The main issue is that I want to create WAV files of specific sounds and would like a compression mechanism for easier distribution of those sounds.
You really can't argue that MIDI is "good enough for everyone," but you can say "it's good enough for me." I submit that while MIDI may be sufficient for many dmods, Dink can do better. Why reduce the tools available to dmod makers?
Thanks again,
--Joe
