Suggestion: Walkable area surface material

[GarageGothic]

I know it's not very important, but I figured that it might be easier implemented now that Chris is re-doing the walkable area and regions-thing.

I think it would be really nice to be able to assign some kind of surface material parameter to walkable areas, to allow for different footstep sounds for the character. It might not seem worth the trouble, because few people use footstep sounds in their games. But I think one of the reasons that people refrain from using the synchronization of sound with walking animation is that it usually ends up sounding like the Zak McKracken footsteps. Whatever surface you walk across it's the same thwack-thwach-thwack. It would just have to be a number, maybe you could have 10 different surfaces that you could assign for the whole game. And then you could let that number change whatever sound was being played.

Please don't hit me if it turns out, that this can already be done through scripting. Ok then, go ahead, hit me then, but not too hard, ok?

[Ishmael]

I was devlopping that kind of thing with script, but stopped working on it some time ago, so I don't khow hosw such thing would work, but it is a good idea!

Trust me. I know what I'm doing. *punch!*

[AJA]

but it is a good idea!

But would you use it? That'll be the most important question for everyone to answer before Chris will even think of trying to implement this... I personally wouldn't unless I was making a commercial game.

[Pumaman]

It's a bit difficult to implement this for technical reasons - however, it has been requested before so I'll add it to my list.

[Ishmael]

function SetWalkableAreaStepSound(int area, int sound);

[AJA]

I'd prefer SetWalkableAreaStepSound(int area, int character, int sound);

Because different characters can have different shoes... Nevermind...

[Ishmael]

Yes, much better....  

[Pumaman]

The problem is that frame-linked sounds are used for other purposes too, so if it overrode all frame sounds with a specific one on that walkable area, it could well be very annoying when you were trying to use the sounds for other tasks.

I'm trying to come up with a clean way of implementing this.

[Hollister Man]

If you have tile and grass, make one set of loops for each, with the same images.  Or even different ones if you want little grass animations on his feet, and tell that walkable area to use a different loop.  Then assign footsteps sound to the tile area animation and you have it.  I couls explain this a little better, but I won't right now.  Imagine using this for swimming, and having a splashing sound while in the water.

[Trapezoid]

Could this be done with Regions and a function using SetFrameSound?

[Pumaman]

Could this be done with Regions and a function using SetFrameSound?

Yes, BUT remember that the interactions don't run if the game is blocking, so if during a MoveCharacterBlocking or whatever, the sound wouldn't update.

[Hollister Man]

I just downloaded the new version of AGS, where are the regions?  Is it only in the beta?

[scotch]

yes, they're new in the AGS v2.55 beta.