Changing ambient music?

[jez9999]

 I hate all the ambient music other than the Gaian, so I tried an experiment - I overwrite the University's ambient music uset2.amb with the Gaian's gset1.amb file - however when I load then game and play as the University, the ambient music is mostly silent. It seems the game treats the .amb files differently? Is there a way I can get the Gaian ambient music to play when I play as another faction, for example the University?

[Mart]

Ambient music is more complex, I noticed what you do on the map influences sound pieces. If you leave the game without moving units or entering bases F screens etc., the music fades away, or maybe rather plays the same tune all the time.

One way to do it, is to record sound without sound effects (can be turned off, as I recall). I once did it for like 1 hour. Then play it as background music turning off the music in-game.

PK have the same ambient as Gaians.

[jez9999]

Yeah but come on, there must be a way to get it to play one ambient music for another faction.

[Mart]

May be, that several files need to be replaced. Bad thing would be, if the files do not match a scheme, I think it is possible, cause I tried replacing years ago. I remember something did not work then too. But I do not remember details.


Maniac did some sound work for his civ 4 mod. But it might be discussed on other forums.

[Maximus Thalos]

If you are using a custom faction replace aset1.amb with whichever one you want. just rename it to aset1. Make sure you back them up tho. sorry if this response is late.

[[email protected]]

-workaround-
what I have done with my game is

pick any ambient style music file you want - can be hours long. I'm using an hour long ambient oblivion ost video i found on youtube.
open in audacity , change sample rate to 22050hz. split the stereo track. delete one track - bring the mono track balance to the center.
then change speed of whole song to 200% (double the speed of the music or it wont work, will sound super slow)
save as the file as "CPU please don't go.wav"
we are going to use this as the trigger to play the music.
open the game, put music volume to 0 .
press escape - usually it says "don't go the drones need you" but instead it plays your music . press oops nvm - play game with custom background music.
it will even stop playing during a secret project movie sequence and then resume after the cinematic stops.

I'm attaching what i use for ambience. you can do the above steps to make your own
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y4z0DDiMnz7RdBFT8IHxP7UrdaLp6Sqr/view?usp=sharing

[bvanevery]

That's a fabulous amount of workaround just to get some sound.  I think you're almost worthy of an installation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  But only if you stand stock still while attempting to explain your changes to the naive.

[[email protected]]

take it or leave it

[bvanevery]

I'm supposing we don't share the same sense of humor, about either SMAC or software development.  Oh well!


On the serious side, I've always wondered about replacing music in games with one's own music.  I've seen games that were explicitly designed with that functionality, that expected you to do it.  I've never understood why someone would.  Seems way easier to just turn on a stereo with whatever background music one wants.  Maybe it's about not having to have a stereo, I dunno.

I also am biased by not minding monotonous music loops over and over and over again.  I think a big offender in this regard was either Panzer General II or People's General.  I would just make up my own lyrics for their marching music:

Don't you mess with
My Billie Dean sausage
Don'tyoumesswithit!