What's with the 48kb/s music?

[Johno]

I just did some hacking around in the xbox version and got the audio off it. All music tracks are all 48kbps mono (no improvement there) but are 44kHz!

[Mark Havel]

The one who did this deserves to die. At least leave the players the possibility to get a better quality score via downloading.

[Lundquist]

I was just about to suggest that.

It makes no sense whatsoever to record it with The Northwest Sinfonia, mixing it at Skywalker Sound - and then put it in the game in this quality.

[Mark Havel]

I'm thinking about mailing LA and Obsidian about this issue. I'll try to be kind. And I'll told them something like "What about testing the game on Ati cards?" too.

[Synaesthesia]

Yeah, 48kbs mono music is a bit ****-house.

[Johno]

It makes no sence really. Especially on the xbox version where they had a DVD they could fit it all on. I really don't think this decision was made due to storage concerns - either someone really screwed up and made a big mistake or a bad decision was made from the get go.

[Mark Havel]

I've just mailed Obsidian about this issue.

[cArnYgE]

Here is what I think we can do. Use the KotOR 1 music for KotOR 2. Granted things might get redundant. But at

least we won't have to put up with Obsidian's POS ability to actually put music into the game, not including that

infinitesimal, half-assed **** that DID make it into the final product.

(I am not talking about music content, only the encoding of the said music.)

 

I also agree totally with earlier statements that say the best way to fix this is either in a patch, (with BF1942

patches being 200MB+ I can't see the problem with a patch that big.) Or a stand alone Music pack.

[Johno]

Here is what I think we can do. Use the KotOR 1 music for KotOR 2. Granted things might get redundant. But at

least we won't have to put up with Obsidian's POS ability to actually put music into the game, not including that

infinitesimal, half-assed **** that DID make it into the final product.

(I am not talking about music content, only the encoding of the said music.)

 

I also agree totally with earlier statements that say the best way to fix this is either in a patch, (with BF1942

patches being 200MB+ I can't see the problem with a patch that big.) Or a stand alone Music pack.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I can't see this issue being patched - we are talking about the whole soundtrack being replaced, not gonna happen. The only way is if someone obtains a high fidelity copy and we transplant it in there ourselves.

 

As anoying as this issue is it will be fairly low down on the list of priorities for LA and OE when you look at the raft of issues for ATI owners (myself included).

[Mark Havel]

It will be hard to use the KotOR I music in KotOR II. The tracks have specific names which are certaintly used by the game to be played. Plus, the tracks must have been done to give a certain ambiance to the current scene the player is. It should give a strange result to hear the Malak Theme Battle while fighting Darth Sion or Nihilius, even if the tracks were renamed.

[swaaye]

LucasArts deserves to go bankrupt.

 

I'm with everyone who says music is half of the experience of a game. It can either make or break it. Jeremy Soule made KOTOR 1 for me. He composed one of the most amazing soundtracks I've ever heard. Mark Griskey has composed what sounds like a highly original soundtrack for KOTOR 2 and we'll never hear it in any decent form.

 

What has game development come to?

 

This game is such a mess that I've completely lost all respect for LucasArts. The KOTOR series is really the only good game series they have and they just blew it all apart with this title.

 

I saw it coming too. KOTOR 2 was developed in like 1-1.5 years at most. That's not enough time..... and this is what happened. Shortcuts, dropped promises.... Obsidian probably did the best they could.........but I think LEC came up with the crazy deadline.

 

I have NEVER used software this buggy in my life. They didn't even have to develop the technology behind it yet somehow managed to mess it up more than it was! I don't see any new features, but sure do see a bunch of cutbacks. How many crash to desktops can you have in the first 2 hours of playing? 5? 10? Hey LEC, ever hear of a company called ATI? Maybe you shoulda tested your crap game on the #1 (in market share) graphics card maker out there?

 

I can't believe this has happened. Absolutely unreal. I'm telling everyone I know not to pay for this game.

 

Hey LEC, ever hear the rule that every unhappy customer tells 20 other potential customers to not buy your product? I learned that in school, did you? You bunch of fools.....

[adrich81]

You know, the fans really have been shafted here - low res movies and music just to save on the number of CDs! It's really not acceptable in this day and age when the porduction costs of stamping another cd are minimal at best. Failing that they have just done the sensible thing and released it on a DVD alla Far Cry. It would be nice if they released a higher qulaity audio and movie download. Let's face, most people who care wouldn't have a problem with a large download. (I would like to know if it was Obsidian's decision or LucasArts, cos this doesn't bode well for NWN2)

[Johno]

Does anyone know if they released the soundtrack to KOTOR 1 seperately to the game. I have seen it pop up on newsgroups and it seems to be excellent quality, it makes me wonder what the source was and if that same source would arise for this game.

[Master Dahvernas]

What has game development come to?

 

Cutting costs at every possible turn, yet expecting windfall profits from said (buggy) products that are released. Kind of ironic (and hypocritical) don't you think?

 

I saw it coming too. KOTOR 2 was developed in like 1-1.5 years at most. That's not enough time..... and this is what happened. Shortcuts, dropped promises.... Obsidian probably did the best they could.........but I think LEC came up with the crazy deadline.

 

I knew KOTOR2 was going to have problems since I own and read about the XBox version prior to the PC release.

 

What amazes me is that because of the development time was so short... You would think that Obsidian really couldn't "screw up" that much considering no real changes to the gameplay (or engine) were made and it wasn't like they were taking on an entirely new project at least from a technical standpoint is concerned. At least, not from the consumer perspective (I am not a coder; this is just an educated guess on my part).

 

Also, there is a debate raging about whether or not Sith Lords really is a stand alone game or an expansion.

 

I consider it an expansion mostly because it is the same engine, same graphics, same structure and a lot of other elements that the first one used. The only real original thing in KOTOR2 is in fact the storyline... And even that is using set pieces -- actual locations -- from the first game, so they are stretching that orignal element out as well.

 

As far as the low-res music (to go along with the low-res movies)...

 

Thank LA for probably putting too many constraints both time wise, contractually and technically on Obsidian and letting Obsidian do what they were hired for: To deliver a top notch RPG with modern-day production values... Such as high quality music.

[swaaye]

I would love to ask the composer what he thinks about what they did to his hard work. Maybe I'll email LucasArts and ask him!

[Adraeus]

Hrm, I'm a professional musician with a pro PC recording system. I have an M-Audio OmniStudio/Delta 66 setup among other things. Honestly, I have no qualms with the music/sound other than the stuttering which occurs due to hardware/software compatibility issues.

[swaaye]

Hrm, I'm a professional musician with a pro PC recording system. I have an M-Audio OmniStudio/Delta 66 setup among other things. Honestly, I have no qualms with the music/sound other than the stuttering which occurs due to hardware/software compatibility issues.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

It's 8-bit, 22khz, mono! Must be optimized for the original Sound Blaster. Lol.

 

It could only be acceptable because it's being played softly as background music.