Brit Sound Mod?

[Boche]

has anybody compiled a sound mod for the brits? the one I have only covers the US weapons cheers!

[Erwin]

I have one or two downloaded from the repository IIRC.

[akd]

version 1.2 of my sound mod supports all modules, including the Brit module.

http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=314&func=fileinfo&id=868

[Boche]

Roger I found it earlier and downloaded it thanks!

[Apache]

AKD: Just checking (plan to install your mod today) does 1.2 mod a whole range of sounds? Reason I ask is I downloaded it to my Mac and had a look in the folders but there did not seem to be that many files?? Perhaps the sound works different on this game as I'm used to seeing a gazillion .wav files in CMBO etc.

One stock sound I really dislike (and for all I know about modern weaponry it might actually be accurate) is the sound of the Marder 20mm firing. Almost sounds like a robot woodpecker or even someone drumming their fingers on a car roof. I can never work out if it's one of mine (or an enemy) gun firing or my IFVs getting raked by MG fire. It may of course just be a demo thing (which until about an hour's time is all I have access too).

[akd]

AKD: Just checking (plan to install your mod today) does 1.2 mod a whole range of sounds? Reason I ask is I downloaded it to my Mac and had a look in the folders but there did not seem to be that many files?? Perhaps the sound works different on this game as I'm used to seeing a gazillion .wav files in CMBO etc.

One stock sound I really dislike (and for all I know about modern weaponry it might actually be accurate) is the sound of the Marder 20mm firing. Almost sounds like a robot woodpecker or even someone drumming their fingers on a car roof. I can never work out if it's one of mine (or an enemy) gun firing or my IFVs getting raked by MG fire. It may of course just be a demo thing (which until about an hour's time is all I have access too).

Version 1.2 is packed in .brz files. You would have to "explode" the .brz files using the CMSF Mod Tools to see the individual .wav files. Be sure to read the ReadMe before using the mod.

The only broad categories not replaced in v1.2 are music, background tracks, soldier movement and soldier voices/shouts (there are other mods for most of these). There are some exceptions but generally all the other sounds are replaced and in some cases have additional variations.

The Marder firing sound is indeed replaced. I hope you will find it an improvement. Quite a few weapons share the same sound file so in many cases it is difficult to tailor sounds to particular weapon systems. The Marder cannon, for example, shares its firing sound with the ZU/ZSU-23 cannons.

[Apache]

Thanks. Will have a play tomorrow. I suspect I'll try out the main collection first. Don't have the file to hand on the PC but assume they all go in the same place as you put the main .brz file but you just pick and choose the 'extra' (I think that's what they are called) for any specific situations/missions you may get.

[akd]

mmm...sort of. Definitely take a peak at the ReadMe.

[Apache]

All installed and (I think/suspect) all working fine as most sounds are much better. Am I correct in assuming that I should (or even could) actually create a folder in the Data folder with the same title (e.g. Z_AKD Sound Mod) and install all the files there? It's mainly so I know what should be there with the vanilla CMSF and what I've added. Also, presumably to go back to originals it's just a case of removing any of the 'far' modules?

Out of interest do your 'far' ones overwrite sounds which your own main brz file puts in or do they deal with completely different sounds in separate packages (e.f. if I remove 'small arms far' do I revert to a sound you have created with your main file or the CMSF vanilla?). Sorry for all the questions, modding this is different to that which I am used to.

Currently trying to find out how you install graphics mods??? CMBO was easy, .wav and .bmp. I have the NATO icons for instance but can't find where the ones to be replaced live.

[Erwin]

AFAIK you never have to go in and delete anything that is part of the original game.

Folders/files in the Z folder automatically take precedence over original sounds or graphics.

I think the system reads and uses those in a folder with a name that comes last in the alphabet... hence it's called a Z folder.

Yes, it seems a lot more complex and takes more work than CM1. Only a programmer or someone with the mind of an accountant could love this new system of mods.

[Apache]

Thanks very much. Did wonder if I was missing something LOL!!! I noticed when I installed this mod I actually had no Z folder at all, just the 'Data' folder. I did create a 'Z_AKD Sound Mod' folder, with other mods do/can/should I create ANOTHER similar folder (e.g. 'Z_Scipio Icons') OR would I be better just creating one folder called 'Z' and put all such mods (including the AKD sound one, deleting the Z_AKD Sound Mod folder)?

[Mord]

It's actually much simpler than CMX1 just seems people make it more complicated by over analyzing it. In CMX1 if you put a mod in the BMP or wav folder you overwrote the originals and had to spend a crap load of time finding them and re-replacing them if you didn't like the mod. That doesn't happen in CMX2.

Create a Z folder inside the data folder.

Place mods in Z folder.

Don't like mod remove it from Z folder...everything is back to normal.

Best thing to do in my opinion is make separate folders for all your mods regardless of what format they are (brz, bmp, wav)...name the folders; Fred's Abrams Mod, Mike's Grass Mod etc. etc...that way you have a good idea of what types you have installed.

I know at a glance, going through my z folder, what types of mods I already have that way I almost never have a conflict with another mod of the same type.

It is really a lot better. Just for some reason no one reads the part in the manual or the readme in the mods folder about the mods. We need some kind of Sticky to shout it to any new players without it being over explained.

Anyway, have fun, Modding is the game within the game.

Mord.

[Apache]

Thanks for the info. In all honesty I totally missed the Mod section in the manual partly because with the CMBO/BB/AK games IIRC there was no modding section in the manuals and because the section is bundled closely with scenario design/editor stuff which is something I don't dabble in so a quick (too quick in this case) skim read of the section led me to pass the info by.

As you say, a sticky entitled "How to Mod CM:SF - Instructions" with the text merely referring people to read pp 150 -153 of the manual would be a good idea. Some may think this shouldn't be needed but in all honesty I was very surprised to see anything on modding. In fact IIRC I even saw the chapter header and, as it was bundled with editor/design stuff, thought it must relate to something else.

Like you say though, much easier to manage than CM:BO bmp and wav files!!! MUCH!!

[akd]

Thanks very much. Did wonder if I was missing something LOL!!! I noticed when I installed this mod I actually had no Z folder at all, just the 'Data' folder. I did create a 'Z_AKD Sound Mod' folder, with other mods do/can/should I create ANOTHER similar folder (e.g. 'Z_Scipio Icons') OR would I be better just creating one folder called 'Z' and put all such mods (including the AKD sound one, deleting the Z_AKD Sound Mod folder)?

The mod is not structured to place the files in particular location. I specifically did not include a folder structure so that the user could use the .brz files with their personal setup for mods.

The "Z" folder is arbitrary. It could just as easily be the "W," "X," or "Y" folder. The important thing to remember is that folders and .brz files are always loaded in alphanumeric order. Creating a "Z" folder just ensures that anything inside this folder will be used over the game's data files, which all start with "V" (Version XXX.brz). Since the .brz files in my mod all begin with "Z," they will always be used over the game data files whether they are in the "Data" folder, a "Z" folder, "Z AKD Sound Mod" or some other folder with a name alphanumerically subsequent to the last game data file (Version 131.brz). Just remember that alphanumeric precedence applies to folders within folders so you have to pay attention to mod folder names if you have multiple mods that modify the same files. If you look at the AKD Sound Mod v1.2 .brz files you will see they are intentionally named to take advantage of this.

"ZB" is the prefix of the base mod file, which precedes

"ZM," the prefix of the modules, which precedes

"ZX," the prefix of the extras.

The .wavs in "ZB" overwrite the game data files. Adding a "ZM" overwrites some files in "ZB." Using a "ZX" will overwrite a few specific .wavs in "ZB" and "ZM" .brz files. This allows you to easily add and remove files as you wish to tailor the sound mod to your preferences. But there are no "required" files. If you used a "ZM" .brz file without the base mod file, the contained .wavs would also be used over the game data files.

[Apache]

That's great, thanks. Your mod had a good read me so was little problem, even less so had I seen the chapter in the manual. The ZB files it seems then 'take precedence' while they are in the data folder (anywhere) but unlike with CMBO there is no replacing on a permanent basis and reverting to stock sounds is as simple as just removing the relevant brz/mod. For ease of keeping an eye on what I have I think I'll just have a 'Z' folder and put your brz files in a folder just called 'AKD Sound Mod' in there. It was mainly getting my head round whether mods in the z folder would work if they were in sub folders and if they could be called anything you like, or if they needed to be prefixed with Z etc. Brill mod.

Just one question now, as I finish getting my head round how the sounds are modelled by the game. Your module that does the small arms 'far', does that actually re-model ALL small arms fire in the game so they all sound far or does the game itself have close/far or whatever and this just alters the far ones? Same with the explosions, is there just one set of sounds in the game for explosions and therefore the mod mods them all or again, are there 'far' and others and the far ones just does the far?

[akd]

ZBase overwrites stock sounds, including small arms firing sounds. If you then add the far small arms module, the small arms firing sounds in ZBase are overwritten with sounds that are more "distant" in nature. The sound engine itself does not use different sounds for different contexts, it only scales the volume.

Try the mod with the "ZBase" file only first, then add the modules one at a time and see how it changes the feel.

[Erwin]

"In CMX1 if you put a mod in the BMP or wav folder you overwrote the originals and had to spend a crap load of time finding them and re-replacing them if you didn't like the mod. That doesn't happen in CMX2."

I used an efficient system of keeping the old mod files in a named folder until I confirmed I liked the new mod. If I didn't, it was very easy to recover the original files.

My problem is that while there are far fewer mods available in CM2 than in the CM1 games, the modders do not have any consistent method of "publishing" their mods. So, some are neatly in folders with clear instructions, many others provide just graphics files with no instructions.

I freely confess that I am a mod slut. So, I have dozens, probably over a hundred mods. The result is that my Z folder is a mess of folders, .brz files and "raw" graphics files which are all mixed up and it's had to tell which file gives what result.

In addition, even some of the "good" modders who provide mods neatly in folders may also have numerous SUBFOLDERS in which (I think) one has to select which mod details one wants to display with the "main mod."

So, for me it's utterly exhausting to figure all this out. In CM1, I could look at each graphics file and see immediately which was an improvement over the original and which I didn't like and select the file I wanted.

So, while I would have an ORIGINAL BMP folder I would create an "ideal" BMP folder with all the best mods (and this was the one the game would use). When another mod came along I could immediately compare the new graphics files with the ones in my "ideal" bmp folder and could immediately see if the newer mod was worth keeping or not.

With the new CM2 system and .brz files etc, you have to 1) start the game to check on the current mod. 2) Put the new mod file in the Z folder. 3) Restart the game to see if you like the effect. 4) Try and remember if that is better or worse than the old mod.

It's kinda like in XP I was used to going thru my directory map to get to folders. With Win 7 it's assumed I am an idiot who can't do that, so the system tries to "protect" me from figuring out where files are being stored. Of course I still want to see the directory tree and so in Win7 I seem to have 2 or 3 duplicate folder for MY DOCS etc which completely baffles me...

I think my brain functions in a certain way that made the old CM1 mod system make perfect sense and I knew exactly what I was doing.