Please read this sticky post before asking questions. Thank you. :) It is an attempt to explain exhaustively the features, and clarify some of the "flaws" of the game or the mod.
Generalities N'Tak' Music is a lightweight mod that changes the volume of the music dynamically. To achieve this, the regular music volume setting (in menu -> Options -> Audio) is overridden by the mod according to how you configured it. That means that you shouldn't use the in-game vanilla setting if you use the mod, because it will be overwritten at some point. You have to use the mod music volume setting instead (in menu -> Options -> Mods -> N'Tak' Tweaks -> Music ).
The states system
Spoiler:
Show
The states system allows to make the volume of the music respond dynamically to the different states defined in the game, by defining in the mod options, for each state, a 0-100% multiplier value. But... the game-states are not specific enough to be able to detect the value of each possible state at the same time (e.g. there is no "focus while sailing at night" state). Below is the list of game-states the mod uses: Exploration / ExplorationNight / Focus / FocusNight / Combat / CombatMonsterHunt / Dialog / DialogNight / Underwater / FocusUnderwater / UnderwaterCombat / FocusUnderwaterCombat / Boat
To give that list some consistency and make it easier to manage and understand for everyone, I chose to split the game-states in two distinct categories, in which only one state could be active at a time: 1) The player states : Exploration, Focus, Dialog, Sailing, Combat, If you focus during a combat, it will use only the combat state. 2) The environment states : Night-time, Underwater. If you are underwater at night-time, it will use only the underwater state. -> Due to the game-states list, there are some exceptions to my own rule: For example, for sailing and combat, night-time cannot be detected.
As a result, the states system takes the music volume set in the mod, and multiplies it by both the player states and the environment states. Example: music volume is 80, focus multiplier is 50%, night-time multiplier is 50%... Using focus at night, volume is set to 20.
The cycle system
Spoiler:
Show
The music in the game is nice, but as there are not many tracks, it can become repetitive. The cycle system is trying to reduce that feeling by creating an alternance of music and silence mainly during exploration. In the config' menu, you can choose how long the music lasts, and how long the silence lasts - using real-time minutes. You can also configure how long it takes to switch from one to another, and even set some other states to also use the cycle.
What the mod does: As there seems to have no way to pause the music in the game, when in silence phase, the music fades-out - volume goes to zero. That means that the music continues even if we can't hear it. So, when going back to the music phase, the volume will rise back but the music won't restart from where it had stopped. ( I don't think that is an issue, as I won't remember the exact moment when the music faded-out anyway !... :P )
How the game works - what I cannot tweak: Exploration got a music track, combat got an other. So, if you switch from exploration to combat or combat to exploration, as the track changes, it will start from the beginning. This is managed by the game and it seems we can't do anything about it. We cannot choose from where to start a track. It would be feasible to prevent the game from switching track in combat, but that means that we'll never hear the combat music. That's not something I find interesting, but let me know if you would like to have such a feature.
Known "flaws" - If you leave the game while in the silence phase, as the music volume is set to zero, there will be no music in the menus the next time you will open the game. The volume will be restored only after the cycle is set back to the music phase (so, after loading a saved game). I'll may try to prevent that behavior at some point. - This mod will not mute the music from the street artists. Their music is rendered throught the Audio -> Effect Volume parameter in the in-game configuration menu. It seems logical, as it is not a background music, but an environmental effect. - Let me know if you find another flaw ! :)
A well-known issue causes the FPS to drop drastically during the fading process of the volume. ( I do not experience it myself, and we cannot find the exact cause of this issue. )
2 solutions can be used so far : 1) Reducing “Fade Duration” to 0. No fading, no issue, but you lose a nice feature. 2) Stryble seems to have found a solution that reduces the FPS drop for them. You're welcome to comment if that helps on your side !
For the folks that also suffer from huge fps drops from this mod. Try to use cire420siuol's Better Multi Core Usage (TEST) mod. For me that massively improved the stuttering (now ~3-10 FPS from ~15-20 FPS before). Another "fix/improvement" would be to reduce the states systems "Fade Duration (Seconds)", so the transition doesn't take as long.
Nothing ever works for me I swear (frustrated don't mind me)!!!!....OK I installed this mod and now i have NO MUSIC at all. Am i doing this right?? I see it in my game. But no music in game, no music on the front page. Nothing is ever simple in life now days lol
Let me just ask this, do we NEED TO USE script merger in order for this mod to work???
Definitely doesn't work for me. The mod just never switches cycles no matter what. I only want to use it for the silence during exploration at times. But this sadly doesn't work and I don't know why, because I only have a few graphic mods installed + Brothers in Arms. Sad.
I am using this as an attempt to fix a terrible bug with my game: no music in Toussaint. None. Not even for Gwent. NextGen version from GOG, dx12 version launched from W3MM. Tons of mods. I have music in all other map areas. I have completed the Devil's Pit quest. The Novigrad sewers fix did not work for me. Trying a new save file did not work for me. Verify/Repairing the game did nothing. Turning on/off Windows Sonic. Using headphones. This is almost a game-breaker for me. I just did the Tournament and it fell completely flat with no ambient music. You know your way around audio files; if you have a suggestion, please post! I will come back to report if this mod helps. *fingers crossed* Edit: A Music Addition Project fixed problem! Whew. :)
I do remember that bug was a thing at one moment on classic version, it was kind of a save game corruption and we had to reload a game before the bug to correct it. I didn't know it was still present on next-gen.
Thanks for sharing your solution ! I'll add MAP to the recommended mods, nice to see that it fixed the problem. :)
Thanks for the heads-up, I didn't know if the issue was still here ! Anyway, I have never experienced the issue myself. If you happen to have any idea or lead, let me know. :)
Yeah, it's really strange why it impacts performance in this way. Really can't say what may be causing it or if it is possibly happening when using this with a certain combination of mods...even stranger that you are not having the problem at all? Could maybe be hardware related? Who knows...
I started looking for it because me and my wife find the music at times overwhelming and we were hoping to find something that could lower the music when "menu windows" are open (ie when there is a readable up on screen, I often have to mute everything otherwise I feel overwhelmed).
Do you think it would be possible to add something like this as a new feature?
I do like your suggestion ! I need to look about it... but if there is a way to know if something is displayed, I'll surely try to implement that feature !
119 comments
It is an attempt to explain exhaustively the features, and clarify some of the "flaws" of the game or the mod.
Generalities
N'Tak' Music is a lightweight mod that changes the volume of the music dynamically.
To achieve this, the regular music volume setting (in menu -> Options -> Audio) is overridden by the mod according to how you configured it.
That means that you shouldn't use the in-game vanilla setting if you use the mod, because it will be overwritten at some point.
You have to use the mod music volume setting instead (in menu -> Options -> Mods -> N'Tak' Tweaks -> Music ).
The states system
The states system allows to make the volume of the music respond dynamically to the different states defined in the game, by defining in the mod options, for each state, a 0-100% multiplier value.
But... the game-states are not specific enough to be able to detect the value of each possible state at the same time (e.g. there is no "focus while sailing at night" state). Below is the list of game-states the mod uses:
Exploration / ExplorationNight / Focus / FocusNight / Combat / CombatMonsterHunt / Dialog / DialogNight / Underwater / FocusUnderwater / UnderwaterCombat / FocusUnderwaterCombat / Boat
To give that list some consistency and make it easier to manage and understand for everyone, I chose to split the game-states in two distinct categories, in which only one state could be active at a time:
1) The player states : Exploration, Focus, Dialog, Sailing, Combat,
If you focus during a combat, it will use only the combat state.
2) The environment states : Night-time, Underwater.
If you are underwater at night-time, it will use only the underwater state.
-> Due to the game-states list, there are some exceptions to my own rule:
For example, for sailing and combat, night-time cannot be detected.
As a result, the states system takes the music volume set in the mod, and multiplies it by both the player states and the environment states.
Example: music volume is 80, focus multiplier is 50%, night-time multiplier is 50%... Using focus at night, volume is set to 20.
The cycle system
The music in the game is nice, but as there are not many tracks, it can become repetitive.
The cycle system is trying to reduce that feeling by creating an alternance of music and silence mainly during exploration.
In the config' menu, you can choose how long the music lasts, and how long the silence lasts - using real-time minutes.
You can also configure how long it takes to switch from one to another, and even set some other states to also use the cycle.
What the mod does:
As there seems to have no way to pause the music in the game, when in silence phase, the music fades-out - volume goes to zero.
That means that the music continues even if we can't hear it. So, when going back to the music phase, the volume will rise back but the music won't restart from where it had stopped. ( I don't think that is an issue, as I won't remember the exact moment when the music faded-out anyway !... :P )
How the game works - what I cannot tweak:
Exploration got a music track, combat got an other.
So, if you switch from exploration to combat or combat to exploration, as the track changes, it will start from the beginning.
This is managed by the game and it seems we can't do anything about it. We cannot choose from where to start a track.
It would be feasible to prevent the game from switching track in combat, but that means that we'll never hear the combat music. That's not something I find interesting, but let me know if you would like to have such a feature.
Known "flaws"
- If you leave the game while in the silence phase, as the music volume is set to zero, there will be no music in the menus the next time you will open the game. The volume will be restored only after the cycle is set back to the music phase (so, after loading a saved game). I'll may try to prevent that behavior at some point.
- This mod will not mute the music from the street artists. Their music is rendered throught the Audio -> Effect Volume parameter in the in-game configuration menu. It seems logical, as it is not a background music, but an environmental effect.
- Let me know if you find another flaw ! :)
A well-known issue causes the FPS to drop drastically during the fading process of the volume.
( I do not experience it myself, and we cannot find the exact cause of this issue. )
2 solutions can be used so far :
1) Reducing “Fade Duration” to 0. No fading, no issue, but you lose a nice feature.
2) Stryble seems to have found a solution that reduces the FPS drop for them. You're welcome to comment if that helps on your side !
Let me just ask this, do we NEED TO USE script merger in order for this mod to work???
Thanks
Edit: A Music Addition Project fixed problem! Whew. :)
I do remember that bug was a thing at one moment on classic version, it was kind of a save game corruption and we had to reload a game before the bug to correct it.
I didn't know it was still present on next-gen.
Thanks for sharing your solution ! I'll add MAP to the recommended mods, nice to see that it fixed the problem. :)
Anyway, I have never experienced the issue myself. If you happen to have any idea or lead, let me know. :)
I started looking for it because me and my wife find the music at times overwhelming and we were hoping to find something that could lower the music when "menu windows" are open (ie when there is a readable up on screen, I often have to mute everything otherwise I feel overwhelmed).
Do you think it would be possible to add something like this as a new feature?
Thanks again
I do like your suggestion !
I need to look about it... but if there is a way to know if something is displayed, I'll surely try to implement that feature !
Cheers,
Takit