The other day in the MCPE Live Feed, Jeb kinda hemmed and hawed about the size of the music files when asked if they were going to put music in MCPE, then mentioned maybe needing a network connection Personally, I've been wanting music in PE since the beginning, but I know putting a few of C418's tracks in there would balloon the size of the app. So here are two solutions:
1) Forget .WAVs and MP3s and use .MIDs. They're a fraction of the size of an MP3 and sound pretty good these days.
2) Allow the device's music app to be accessed from within the app. That way, we can choose our own playlist to play. True, it would be up to the user to supply their own music, but has the advantage of allowing the playing of anything on the host device, and won't cause the MCPE app to balloon. I bought C418's MC soundtracks so I'd be more than happy to set up a playlist with them for PE.
The other day in the MCPE Live Feed, Jeb kinda hemmed and hawed about the size of the music files when asked if they were going to put music in MCPE, then mentioned maybe needing a network connection Personally, I've been wanting music in PE since the beginning, but I know putting a few of C418's tracks in there would balloon the size of the app. So here are two solutions:
1) Forget .WAVs and MP3s and use .MIDs. They're a fraction of the size of an MP3 and sound pretty good these days.
2) Allow the device's music app to be accessed from within the app. That way, we can choose our own playlist to play. True, it would be up to the user to supply their own music, but has the advantage of allowing the playing of anything on the host device, and won't cause the MCPE app to balloon. I bought C418's MC soundtracks so I'd be more than happy to set up a playlist with them for PE.
Thoughts? Other ideas?
While I'm not too crazy about music in MCPE, I like the idea of music being accessed from the device's Music app. In a way, this would actually be a win-win, the developers can add in Music, and C418 gets more money for people buying the soundtracks to listen with MCPE. Everyone's happy!
The solution of using MID files though does sound more doable and probably less work for the developers.
The only big issue they have with music is file size when downloading the game. They obviously don't care all too much about file-size on the device, with worlds taking up a few MB of data (though the difference is, you can manage worlds on your own).
1.) Mid would mean they'd have to waste resources on sounds to actually play the file, or use horrible sounding hard-programmed sounds instead that take away from the game's feel.
2.) I do like the idea of playing your own soundtrack in the game, but you could already do so on most devices anyway. Second, music is played at random in the game, whereas playing C418's music from your music app would be constant repetition and immediate switching.
They could compress resources, but that'd still be a moderately large file. They could also not include music with the game, but have it as downloadable content from their site or as an in-app purchase, so that way it is the users choice to have it or not. I do not know how Apple would tolerate either of those options, or how well users would either, but those are other "solutions" that would work.
The best solution and current solution is to not have music. When in public, you'd most-likely have to wear ear-buds, and when at home, it'd still be a bit awkward to have sounds on and have music playing out-loud without ear-buds. I usually never have sounds on though, so I don't know how others feel.
2.) I do like the idea of playing your own soundtrack in the game, but you could already do so on most devices anyway. Second, music is played at random in the game, whereas playing C418's music from your music app would be constant repetition and immediate switching.
What he meant is that there would be an option in the game to play media from the device, because playing it straight from the music app:
The problem with repitition and immediate switching that you mentioned.
The music's volume is not manageable and, at least on iPod 4, the music plays way too loud over the game.
If there is an in-game option to play media, it would have it's own sorting style and be able to manage it's volume.
1) Forget .WAVs and MP3s and use .MIDs. They're a fraction of the size of an MP3 and sound pretty good these days.
2) Allow the device's music app to be accessed from within the app. That way, we can choose our own playlist to play. True, it would be up to the user to supply their own music, but has the advantage of allowing the playing of anything on the host device, and won't cause the MCPE app to balloon. I bought C418's MC soundtracks so I'd be more than happy to set up a playlist with them for PE.
Thoughts? Other ideas?
While I'm not too crazy about music in MCPE, I like the idea of music being accessed from the device's Music app. In a way, this would actually be a win-win, the developers can add in Music, and C418 gets more money for people buying the soundtracks to listen with MCPE. Everyone's happy!
The solution of using MID files though does sound more doable and probably less work for the developers.
In other words, I'm fine with either option.
1.) Mid would mean they'd have to waste resources on sounds to actually play the file, or use horrible sounding hard-programmed sounds instead that take away from the game's feel.
2.) I do like the idea of playing your own soundtrack in the game, but you could already do so on most devices anyway. Second, music is played at random in the game, whereas playing C418's music from your music app would be constant repetition and immediate switching.
They could compress resources, but that'd still be a moderately large file. They could also not include music with the game, but have it as downloadable content from their site or as an in-app purchase, so that way it is the users choice to have it or not. I do not know how Apple would tolerate either of those options, or how well users would either, but those are other "solutions" that would work.
The best solution and current solution is to not have music. When in public, you'd most-likely have to wear ear-buds, and when at home, it'd still be a bit awkward to have sounds on and have music playing out-loud without ear-buds. I usually never have sounds on though, so I don't know how others feel.
What he meant is that there would be an option in the game to play media from the device, because playing it straight from the music app:
Yeah, I wouldn't want the music to be overpowering. It would take away from the experience.
I agree .mids wouldn't be the optimal option, but it could work. Ideally C418 would provide them too!
I don't know about android devices but under the current MCPE version, while playing music on the ipad, if I load up Minecraft, the music shuts off