Changing Character Creation music

[Kithoras]

Hey, the default character creation music in Homecoming grates on me after 1 billion hours. I've been trying to change it but despite there being various threads about it I can't get it to work.

- Adding -uiskin 1 or -uiskin 2 to the launcher changes the login music, screen and character select which is nice but it still swaps back to the heroes music whilst in the character creation UI. 

- Otherwise I've tried creating data folders within the CoH directory with alternate paths and sound files but can't figure out the right conjunction.  I've tried various combinations of:
 

Spoiler

data -> sound -> ogg -> frontend
data -> sound -> ogg -> N_UI -> Music
data -> sound -> ogg -> Music

 

and 

 

Spoiler

N_MenuMusic_loop.ogg
H_MenuMusic_loop.ogg
H_Music2_loop
P_Music2_loop
N_Music2_loop

 

But unless I've missed a combination none of these work for me.  The character creation always forces the music back to the heroes' theme.
What should I be doing?

[Herotu]

This took a while to track down.

 

The (usually great) list of audio files here, is wrong in this instance. I found another reference to the music files on page 4 but it's not where they said it was either. and they are correct (I read the filename wrong).

I was stumped. I had a look in the Piggs and I found no sign of the files in the above list. 

 

I then remembered that Solarverse has reimagined the music... 

 

I downloaded this music remake and examined the filename.

The file you want is:

city of heroes/data/sound/ogg/frontend/h_menumusic_loop.ogg

 

I don't know what the villain/praetorian ones are called, but I couldn't find them where Oubliette's list says.

Edited July 5, 2023 by Herotu

[Oubliette_Red]

2 hours ago, Herotu said:

This took a while to track down.

 

The (usually great) list of audio files here, is wrong in this instance. I found another reference to the music files on page 4 but it's not where they said it was either. and they are correct (I read the filename wrong).

I was stumped. I had a look in the Piggs and I found no sign of the files in the above list. 

 

I then remembered that Solarverse has reimagined the music... 

 

I downloaded this music remake and examined the filename.

The file you want is:

city of heroes/data/sound/ogg/frontend/h_menumusic_loop.ogg

 

 

 

Odd, the one from page 4 should have been in the chart because I usually add the 'Thanks' response to posts after I've added it.

 

[Herotu]

1 minute ago, Oubliette_Red said:

 

Odd, the one from page 4 should have been in the chart because I usually add the 'Thanks' response to posts after I've added it.

 

BTW I want to say thanks to you, your list has improved my game audio immensely. 🙂 Just an error here or there is understandable - I've done giant laborious project before and my concentration wanes pretty quickly!

[Herotu]

It looks like StarVoid / Captainstar made a mod that changes villain menu music?

 

I can't find an old version of the mod that lets me see where the file goes, though. .. unless I try to find out where the mod manager puts the pigg file then open it in the pigg viewer... if that's possible.

[UltraAlt]

8 hours ago, Kithoras said:

Hey, the default character creation music in Homecoming grates on me after 1 billion hours. I've been trying to change it but despite there being various threads about it I can't get it to work.

 

You can adjust the volume on the game music. You can pretty much turn it off.

Then you can play whatever music you want in the background.

if push comes to shove, you can just mute the volume on your audio output device.

 

And, yeah, I know you are trying to change the music through the game itself. 

Hopefully, someone else will be able to help you on that end.

[Snarky]

it is a little involved and yet real simple. 

pause character design

1)find the volume for your comp. 

1b)turn that down

2)put on tunes you like from 

2a)radio, earbuds, stereo, w/e you got

2b) turn that up

continue character design

[Michiyo]

5 hours ago, Herotu said:

It looks like StarVoid / Captainstar made a mod that changes villain menu music?

 

I can't find an old version of the mod that lets me see where the file goes, though. .. unless I try to find out where the mod manager puts the pigg file then open it in the pigg viewer... if that's possible.

assets\mods in your install directory

[Herotu]

4 hours ago, Snarky said:

it is a little involved and yet real simple. 

pause character design

1)find the volume for your comp. 

1b)turn that down

2)put on tunes you like from 

2a)radio, earbuds, stereo, w/e you got

2b) turn that up

continue character design

Can you type it again, please? I didn't catch it. 

 

  

9 hours ago, Herotu said:

It looks like StarVoid / Captainstar made a mod that changes villain menu music?

 

I can't find an old version of the mod that lets me see where the file goes, though. .. unless I try to find out where the mod manager puts the pigg file then open it in the pigg viewer... if that's possible.

After all that, it seems it's as simple as everybody else suspected...
city of heroes/data/sound/ogg/frontend/v_menumusic_loop.ogg
 

Now what's the praetorian music, I wonder...

Edited July 5, 2023 by Herotu

[Oubliette_Red]

7 hours ago, Snarky said:

it is a little involved and yet real simple. 

pause character design

1)find the volume for your comp. 

1b)turn that down

2)put on tunes you like from 

2a)radio, earbuds, stereo, w/e you got

2b) turn that up

continue character design

 

Personally, I enjoy the hearing the game sounds/music, for the most part. I appreciate all the effort that the Legacy audio team put into enhancing the environment of the game with their music/sfx. There are a few exceptions such as Demon Lt roars, barking dogs, Portal Corp portals, Spines, and MM Bots stomping about.  That's why I am just as grateful that the games allows us to override said audio. Not sure if that was the Dev's original intention or just happenstance, but I'm glad that they did not object to me making demons giggle like 6 month old infants, or Bots squeaking like rubber duckies.

 

[Oubliette_Red]

5 hours ago, Herotu said:

Can you type it again, please? I didn't catch it. 

 

  

After all that, it seems it's as simple as everybody else suspected...
city of heroes/data/sound/ogg/frontend/v_menumusic_loop.ogg
 

Now what's the praetorian music, I wonder...

 

Perhaps here: data/sound/ogg/N_UI/Music/N_MenuMusic_loop.ogg

 

[Herotu]

2 hours ago, Oubliette_Red said:

 

Perhaps here: data/sound/ogg/N_UI/Music/N_MenuMusic_loop.ogg

 

Yay! 

I've made it into a mod for easy use. It's called, wait for it...

Music Character Creator Music Silenced

 

I wanted to put music at the start because that's what people will probably look for, so it's called music twice. And double music is never bad, except when it is. 

 

...

 

I'll get me coat.

[Scarlet Shocker]

turn the volume down and play your stereo!

[Kithoras]

On 7/5/2023 at 12:08 AM, Herotu said:

The file you want is:

Thank you for that bit of digging! It did the trick. How I'd missed that combination I don't know, but upon slapping it all down it worked neatly. 

 

On 7/5/2023 at 2:15 AM, Oubliette_Red said:

Odd, the one from page 4 should have been in the chart because I usually add the 'Thanks' response to posts after I've added it.

And... thanks for that list. I'd missed it somehow in my searching, but I've saved for future use.

[Kithoras]

And yeah, changing music ye olde basic way involves:

1) Alttab

2) Volume Mixer shortcut
3) Open up the by-program mixer because why the shortcut doesn't go there in the first place idk

4) Mute CoH
5) Open foobar

6) Find track

7) reverse operations later

 

Which is, yes, like 10 seconds and of absolutely inscrutable complexity. But considering there's a fluid way to change it in-game whilst retaining the menu sounds, and the fact the game has two or three alternative tracks designed for the purpose which bear (imo) much better to looping...

 

World of Warcraft permits you to bind keys to mute music and sound effects separately. I miss that on many other games.

 

But I like CoX's sound design so much I'd resent muting it anyway.