2020-09-12 13:25:51

Hi,
Firstly don't worry, I'd say this thread isn't old. Last post was July of this year, so that's nothing. We only get worried if a thread is very old indeed. Heck, even with the Odin Sphere thread which is 4 or so years old we haven't done anything because when that was revived, it was quite relevant. We've had people reviving 8 year old threads and such though and I do tend to agree it's a bit much when you go that far back.
Anyway, onto the game, at the moment it doesn't really show you what world you are in, so I'm hoping he'll add some sort of status menu in the future so we can find that out.
The worlds are randomly generated each game. So you could spend quite a lot of time in one area.
I also have something to report, the latest update still stutters and such for me, so I'm starting to wonder if my computer can't handle it at higher render distances. How can I find out my CPU and troubleshoot the issue, as higher render distances means more audio which is awesome.

2020-09-12 19:19:52

If you go into the run dialog and type msinfo32, you'll be in the system information dialog where you can see ram, CPU and other things.
Iirc, earlier in this thread you said you were on Windows 7 with 4 gb of ram? That, should, be enough, but the dev has said CPU speed is more important for this game as the realtime synthesis is taxing. I'm not sure what the minimum win7 CPU speeds are, but when I checked the manual yesterday, the game did look a little CPU heavy. I had no problem with it, but only because I have a fairly expensive machine now which I got for music production. My old machine which had Windows 7 on it might've had trouble though; it was from 2012 and was pretty cheap.

Make more of less, that way you won't make less of more!
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2020-09-13 13:04:54

Im experiencing the same as 76. The audio stutters a lot for me and im on windows 10 with an I7.

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2020-09-13 20:55:54

If you press f11 it works better

i am the best bread in the world.

2020-09-13 23:12:18

@76, 78

I'm sorry that you're still experiencing issues with audio stuttering. If you could capture a recording of what you're experiencing and send me a link, I'd be happy to investigate further. If you haven't already, please try the desktop build, and lower your settings from the performance screen.

I'm aware that there's an issue with the latest Chrome that causes occasional clicking sounds when ran in the browser (it will be fixed in November with Chrome 87). Those can be avoided in the desktop build. Other issues could be indicative of not meeting the hardware requirements, or possibly things to address in the next patch.

Running the game is a lot like producing an electronic music song with dozens of simultaneous tracks. In its most complex scenes it can be extremely intensive. Personally, my machine is built specifically for that (8-core 4 GHz CPU, 16 GB RAM, USB3 audio interface), so I haven't run into any problems since the v1.0.2 update. Unfortunately I don't have access to any other hardware for testing purposes, so its minimum and recommended hardware requirements are only my best guesses.

In my postmortem I discuss some of the technical limitations of the web platform and why achieving optimal performance for such a game is a difficult task. If you work with code or web technologies it should be an insightful read. Without simplifying the game, which I won't do for creative reasons, there are only two paths forward: providing more performance options for you to downgrade your experience, or waiting for the platform to mature in future browser updates so it can better handle what the game is trying to do.

I want as many folks as possible to enjoy the game, so I'm actively working on both.

Thanks for understanding.

2020-09-13 23:13:01

@79

When you press F11, are you entering or exiting fullscreen?

2020-09-13 23:47:41

Sorry for the triple post. It's easier for me to address things as separate thoughts. This one is just a general update about the game and a roadmap for its future. Here I'm speaking unofficially with no timelines or promises.

Currently I'm making some improvements to my game engine. I've learned a lot since making three more games with it (Audo, Kaleidophone, and most recently S.E.A.). Most importantly it will now support full 3D audio. Ideally I'd like to patch all of my games with the new code. For the free ones, this will mostly be to align their source code with it, so other folks can reference them for their own projects. For soundStrider, this will open up interesting avenues for future updates.

I have quite a few ideas for the next minor update. It will be a little bigger than the last one. Previously @aaron and I discussed a status screen and a journaling system; this will be added in some form. With the upgrade to 3D, I want to rework a few objects so they're positioned above you (like seagulls). Other engine changes will make it easier to add more performance options (like a sound limit). And ideally I'd like to expand some of the environments with new sounds (like tumbleweeds in the desert).

After that, there's a lot of possibilities, like more sounds, quests, or instrument presets. It depends on how much time and energy I can dedicate to the project. Because...

Quietly I'm also planning a new audio game that's similar in scope to soundStrider. I can't reveal much about it yet, but it's aiming to be an open-world zoology simulator that's influenced by monster hunting games. Expect a blog post when there's more to say.

2020-09-14 00:40:08

@75

Oops. Quadruple post. Sorry that I missed you, musicalman!

Thanks for taking a risk and checking out the game! What I can say about the game and its intended experience is to explore at your own pace; you'll take away from it whatever you put into it. It intentionally has no obstacles, objectives, or achievements. I wanted to create something that provided a relaxing escape that could be played after work, before bed, or between more intense gaming sessions. It's about the journey.

Anyway, I'll happily answer your questions:

1) Strafing is walking sideways. It's just another way to explore. If you strafe left while facing north, you'll continue to face north as objects move from left to right. If you combine strafing and turning, then you can walk circles around an object while constantly facing it. This is easiest with a mouse or gamepad.

2) In adventure mode, the compass is only active when you have an active quest objective. After completing a quest you'll need to locate the next one on your own. Fortunately they're not very far apart (a minute at most). Your strategy of walking in random directions is definitely a valid way to play that I encourage.

3) The worlds are disconnected entities. You may find similar sounds, but no two worlds exist in the same spatial or musical configurations. By using bookmarks you can fast travel between locations in any world. The only thing you can't do is take your progress in adventure mode from one world to another without starting a new one.

Enjoy!

2020-09-14 02:59:32

@81 yes

i am the best bread in the world.

2020-09-14 03:07:09

@Shiftbacktick
It's an unspoken but widely followed rule that when a thread is about a project the OP/devs are in charge of, and the posts aren't just spam, posting as many times as you need is totally fine.
One of those things that makes sense but it's hard to write as a rule without overly wide interpretation.

2020-09-14 03:12:13

Thanks for the clarification, @defender!

@84: I'm sorry for being unclear. Does the problem improve when you are in windowed or fullscreen mode?

2020-09-14 03:28:14 (edited by germanico 2020-09-14 04:00:39)

@86 window mode

i am the best bread in the world.

2020-09-14 03:49:03

I've wanted to do this post for a long time, but since my native language is not English, I have been putting it off until now.
i loved the game. with my friends we called it el caminador, so when you got the racing game and the submarine game we called them rl vottrfot and el nadador respectively
I am a lover of the prosedural generation so for me playing it was a dream come true.
I wish I could dive into the water and see more animals, but I suppose it will be seen in time. but I hope that with the engine update the game becomes less flat
I hope to see more of your work and that the current games get bigger.
ps: the submarine lacked power to launch torpedoes XD

i am the best bread in the world.

2020-09-14 04:16:18 (edited by shiftBacktick 2020-09-14 04:21:18)

@germanico

I'm delighted that you enjoy my work! Procedural generation is powerful and I think there's a lot that audio games can achieve with it. I hope you and your friends enjoy "el cazador" when it's ready to share. I don't know if we will ever go underwater in soundStrider. Unfortunately it might require a new game. I would like to add aquatic animals to S.E.A. if possible. Dolphins and whales would be a pleasant addition. (But let's respect the animals, no torpedoes! haha)

I'm sorry for not seeing our language difference. It makes sense now. Edit: Thanks for the clarification, I can investigate now.

2020-09-14 04:23:01

Yes, it is correct

i am the best bread in the world.

2020-09-14 16:17:37

Hi,
What is Kaleidophone? I haven't heard of that one!

2020-09-14 18:52:10

@aaron

Kaleidophone is an audio toy where you manipulate time to explore ambient soundscapes. You can play forwards and backwards at any speed or even freeze time. It's designed to be a relaxing experience that uses binaural beats to induce a meditative state. For sighted folks you'll see colored squares forming patterns and dancing along to the music. It's free to play and open-source.

https://shiftbacktick.itch.io/kaleidophone

2021-02-06 19:40:15

I only just got around to checking this one out and I really like it. A few things still don't make sense, like the compass for one. I think the doc said something about it stopping when you stop walking, but it doesn't. I don't know if the sound is something I should be walking towards or away from, or even if this is indeed the compass. To me, it sounds like FM synthesis, and as you turn, you hear the modulator go into and out of tune with the carrier as it passes perfect intervals. When you have it centered, it's out of kilter, which kind of tells me avoid this, but I'm still not sure. The silence is when you're faced nearly 180 degrees away from it, so maybe that means you're on the right track?

The explanation of how to control the instrument when using a gamepad is a bit lacking. It took me a minute to figure out that if you wanted to be able to access all 3 notes, you had to go around in a circle. The wider the circle, the louder / more velocity you applied. The smaller the circle, the quieter. Same for the pitch and modulation on the right stick. I noticed that up / down would bend a whole octave rather immediately, and when I started moving in circles, then I'd be able to more easily control the bend. I really like this approach though.

I think more could be added to the controller though, for example, the bumpers could cycle presets, or use the D-pad for that and use the bumpers to select a new scale. I also think that on the instrument screen, you should be allowed to choose how many notes you want populated on the stick. It would sound awesome if you could have two or three octaves worth of notes laid out in pentatonic major or minor. Either way, it's quite a creative way to utilize the gamepad. I still have yet to connect up my MIDI controller, but that's next up on my todo list for this game.

As an aside, if you ever decided to make a standalone synthesizer that had these features, and let you export the sounds, I'd buy it in a heartbeat if it were reasonably priced and the license was such that any sound I created from it was my own / royally free to use where I see fit. Something like this would be an excellent sound design tool. Either that, or a VST that could work within a DAW. Either way though, I could definitely see myself using a synth with all sorts of creative uses of a gamepad paired with a MIDI controller. That, and I don't really think we have any accessible wavetable synths. We could do with some accessible solutions in this area, as even if every single parameter is automatable, it still doesn't give good access to things like wavetables, mod matrices, etc.

Facts with Tom MacDonald, Adam Calhoun, and Dax
End racism
End division
Become united

2021-02-06 20:47:26

@GrannyCheeseWheel if you have no compass sound, you are on the right track, it's a little odd but also easy to get the hang of once you figure it out. If you're behind the objective, i.e the game thinks the objective is north but you're facing south, the compass will be at it's highest pitch, constantly beeping at you.

2021-02-07 15:20:55

Hi. I played the demo for quite a while, and liked it. However, when I try to buy the full version from the link that's in the first post, the purchase link there does nothing. I do not have steam, so wondered how I could acquire the full version since the other link doesn't seem to work.

To know, and not to do, is not to know.

2021-02-07 15:43:57

It does, but you have to scroll to the very bottom of the page and then start going up again to find the dialog that pops up.

Facts with Tom MacDonald, Adam Calhoun, and Dax
End racism
End division
Become united

2021-02-07 20:05:06

Just gonna quietly say that I also like the game, walking sim, whatever you'll call it. It's just fun to walk around to hear what sounds you hear, though I need to loosen up when it comes to trying to reach quest points. I'll probably buy the game, even if my computer doesn't fully look up to the task, if not just to play with the unlockable instruments. One small nit-picky detail: there's a small typo in the audio glossary entry for instrument markers.

If you for whatever reason wish to contact me, the best way to do so is through Discord (Minionslayer#2980). You'll get the quickest response times, and by extension, a higher priority. I also sometimes post my thoughts (for the better or worse) over on Twitter at @Minionslayer2.

2021-02-07 21:48:09

@shiftBacktick Couldn't you add a spoken notification about the type of quest currently being done and a notification of mission completed?
I ask because sometimes it is difficult for me to identify them

i am the best bread in the world.

2021-02-18 17:18:28

So I'm really wondering if this game has the ability to write some of its own logic code. The reason I'm pondering over this is that I tried two different seeds and got different results as far as a particular thing. Before I elaborate though, did you know that it doesn't just generate stationary ambiences? It makes moving things as well.

Now to the interesting part. I generated a world that had moving vehicles. Not only that, but they sounded very convincing. Yes, they definitely sounded synthetic, but in whatever way synthesized sounds can sound real enough that you just kind of ignore the fact that they're synthesized at all, that's how these are. They sound futuristic, but also, you hear things that sound like big rigs with air brakes.

In this first world, the vehicles took no notion to me, except to beep at me. Yes, you heard this right, they beep at me if I'm too close to where they're driving. If I back off a little and stand there, they go by without honking at me. If I stood in the way, they would just run right through me. However, in the second world I generated that actually contained vehicles, not only did they beep at me, but they stopped for me as well. If I was in the path, they would slow down and stop, waiting for me to go by before continuing. They would also randomly stop, as if signaled to do so by a traffic light or stop sign, but then continue. Without fail though, any time I was in their path, they would stop for me.

So what grants the vehicles in the second world this need or want to stop for me, when the first vehicles would just drive through me. Is this game literally writing some of its own code?

If you want to experience this for yourself and you have the game, use the seed, "fridge-going-out", without the quotes. Which, as an aside, is something that's happening to me IRL so I thought I'd try it as a seed. I don't know if this works in the demo or not. I bought the game outright because I liked every other game that this developer has come up with, so if you have the demo and can't access free roam, or it doesn't let you input a seed, that's probably why.

Facts with Tom MacDonald, Adam Calhoun, and Dax
End racism
End division
Become united

2021-02-19 20:47:14 (edited by shiftBacktick 2021-02-19 21:11:05)

I'm pleased about the sustained interest in this! I've fallen really behind with maintaining it due to work-life balance and newer projects. The to-do list is way too long: refactoring everything to the new engine, improving adventure mode, and countless revisions and wishlist items. All of that is necessary and important. I'm mostly exhausted and distracted.

I don't want to think of this project as a failure. It represents a very specific period in my life. If anything, it's one of the stepping stones toward something more exciting for me. Here we have infinitely generated worlds with objects that live in it. In other games I've experimented with vehicle physics, navigating in three dimensions, and collisions. I'm toying with a few other prototypes that you might get to play.

The main idea is: I want to combine these components into a new game, a mixture of soundStrider and S.E.A., where you can explore an alien exoplanet on foot, or with an amphibious vehicle you can mount any time, with the goal of cataloging its flora and fauna into an audio codex. My goal is to wrap everything up (with S.E.A. mainly) so I can get started. I expect it to be a much longer project than the others. Let me know if that's exciting for you too!