Please please PLEASE for the love of God stop with all the MIDI talk. You have no idea what you're talking about. The music is not MIDI. And by that I mean the music is not in MIDI format. It may have been recorded in MIDI but the Tell Tale Engine is in no way capable of playing back a MIDI file unless they added the feature. But they didn't. 80% or more of music in video games today are ALL recorded in MIDI but then converted to a digital audio waveform format. Be it WAV, MP3, OGG, or something else. So the argument that the music is in MIDI format to conform with the restrictions of the Wii limitation is simply ridiculous as all music in video games are converted to a digital audio waveform after they're completed. It doesn't matter if they were recorded/composed in MIDI or with live instruments they both end up as the same digital audio waveform in the end. The Wii isn't even capable of playing back MID files anyway, so again, argument moot.
Again I repeat, the music is not in MIDI format and has nothing to do with the Wii limitation. An audio waveform formatted music file of a recording of live instruments would be the same file size as an audio waveform formatted music file of an NES chiptune.
the Tell Tale Engine is in no way capable of playing back a MIDI file unless they added the feature. But they didn't. ... The Wii isn't even capable of playing back MID files anyway, so again, argument moot.
Actually we did add that feature to the tool, and the Wii is capable of playing midi. The music playing on the Wii is in fact MIDI music playing from a custom sound bank.
Now, the PC release took those original MIDIs as written by Michael Land and then re-recorded them to an AUD file using largely digital instruments.
WiiWare has a 40 megabyte file size limit, so we have to reuse assets when possible. It's this, or reduce the number of characters in our games. We don't really have the resources yet to make design changes or different (major) assets for different platforms, either.
Disclaimer: None of this is an "official" word or anything, and I'm talking about this stuff more as a game developer in general and not an actual representative of Telltale or its position on these subjects. That said, if you all want to put some pressure on Nintendo to raise that 40 meg limit for us, by all means please do.
Actually we did add that feature to the tool, and the Wii is capable of playing midi. The music playing on the Wii is in fact MIDI music playing from a custom sound bank.
Now, the PC release took those original MIDIs as written by Michael Land and then re-recorded them to an AUD file using largely digital instruments.
So was enlightened to me in another thread. That's interesting, actually. I've never heard of actual MIDI files being used in a console video game. MOD-like formats yes. But not simple MIDI files.
Still, sorry to assume things. Just strange to think of video games nowadays using actual MIDI files for their soundtracks. Interesting. So was SBCG4AP done in the same way?
So was enlightened to me in another thread. That's interesting, actually. I've never heard of actual MIDI files being used in a console video game. MOD-like formats yes. But not simple MIDI files.
Still, sorry to assume things. Just strange to think of video games nowadays using actual MIDI files for their soundtracks. Interesting. So was SBCG4AP done in the same way?
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a MIDI file with a custom soundbank, essentially, a MOD-like format?
Not necessarily. A custom sound bank (comparable to a soundfont) could be a separate file altogether apart from the MID files. MOD files have their "custom sound bank" internally within each music file. They also operate under musical loops called patterns repeated in any sequence the composer chooses. Completely different approach to MIDIs which have a beginning and an end and significantly more musical information (other than music notes) that a MOD does not have. Still they both have their strengths. Quite a few old PC games utilized MODs rather than MIDs before digital audio (WAV, MP3, OGG) became mainstream. Crusader No Remorse/Regret were two. Even Unreal and Unreal Tournament's UMX file format is a MOD equivalent.
The character meshes themselves might not be duplicates, but if they're similar enough, we can share animations (including lipsynch), which take up a lot of space (and take time to make).
The character meshes themselves might not be duplicates, but if they're similar enough, we can share animations (including lipsynch), which take up a lot of space (and take time to make).
I understand. That opens a lot of problem... i tought you used a set of "absolute" animations that can be applied to different models. I didnt' know that you had to do lipsynch for every characher, I tought it was the same routine applied to every mouth.
The better would have been a "the sims"-like character animations - they adapt to every body/face.
Don't think it's possible now without reprogramming TTtools.
BTW, thanks to share your opinions Yare! This makes the difference between you and other companies! You make us feel like a family (a quite large one)!
So given that on PC:
1) we have few polygons
2) we have midi music
3) we have meshes used multiple times (like characters)
And yet you must admit, ToMI looks much better graphically than the last Sam & Max season, so they are pushing things further on the PC side despite the compromises. PC is still the lead platform for this, so no it's not a Wii port.
That said, they really should have put it out as a retail disc on Wii, given what a pain WiiWare seems to be. It's the sort of game that could be accepted as a single retail product too.
So was enlightened to me in another thread. That's interesting, actually. I've never heard of actual MIDI files being used in a console video game. MOD-like formats yes. But not simple MIDI files.
You have and you didn't know it. MIDI is not a kind of synthesizer, it's a format for describing the music to the synthesizer. It may be a complex RAM based wavetable synthesizer with custom samples, or it may be a crummy FM synth like your old soundblaster. Or it may be rendered entirely in software. The same MIDI data will sound different on different devices.
MOD formats haven't been used in games since 90s, really.
MIDI was designed to make a myriad of synths get along...in a kinky, S & M kinda way
Really funny that Midi nowadays is almost forgotten and about 15 years ago it was standard in games and everyone was fighting for the best sound and companies earned a load of cash by providing midi devices for the computer.
You have and you didn't know it. MIDI is not a kind of synthesizer, it's a format for describing the music to the synthesizer. It may be a complex RAM based wavetable synthesizer with custom samples, or it may be a crummy FM synth like your old soundblaster. Or it may be rendered entirely in software. The same MIDI data will sound different on different devices.
MOD formats haven't been used in games since 90s, really.
I know what a MIDI is and how they work. I compose and record with them often. In fact I just explained basically everything you said to somebody else in this very thread on this very page.
Comments
Please please PLEASE for the love of God stop with all the MIDI talk. You have no idea what you're talking about. The music is not MIDI. And by that I mean the music is not in MIDI format. It may have been recorded in MIDI but the Tell Tale Engine is in no way capable of playing back a MIDI file unless they added the feature. But they didn't. 80% or more of music in video games today are ALL recorded in MIDI but then converted to a digital audio waveform format. Be it WAV, MP3, OGG, or something else. So the argument that the music is in MIDI format to conform with the restrictions of the Wii limitation is simply ridiculous as all music in video games are converted to a digital audio waveform after they're completed. It doesn't matter if they were recorded/composed in MIDI or with live instruments they both end up as the same digital audio waveform in the end. The Wii isn't even capable of playing back MID files anyway, so again, argument moot.
Again I repeat, the music is not in MIDI format and has nothing to do with the Wii limitation. An audio waveform formatted music file of a recording of live instruments would be the same file size as an audio waveform formatted music file of an NES chiptune.
Actually we did add that feature to the tool, and the Wii is capable of playing midi. The music playing on the Wii is in fact MIDI music playing from a custom sound bank.
Now, the PC release took those original MIDIs as written by Michael Land and then re-recorded them to an AUD file using largely digital instruments.
Here's a quote by [TTG] Yare -
So was enlightened to me in another thread. That's interesting, actually. I've never heard of actual MIDI files being used in a console video game. MOD-like formats yes. But not simple MIDI files.
Still, sorry to assume things. Just strange to think of video games nowadays using actual MIDI files for their soundtracks. Interesting. So was SBCG4AP done in the same way?
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a MIDI file with a custom soundbank, essentially, a MOD-like format?
Anyway, kinda rambling off topic again...
The character meshes themselves might not be duplicates, but if they're similar enough, we can share animations (including lipsynch), which take up a lot of space (and take time to make).
I understand. That opens a lot of problem... i tought you used a set of "absolute" animations that can be applied to different models. I didnt' know that you had to do lipsynch for every characher, I tought it was the same routine applied to every mouth.
The better would have been a "the sims"-like character animations - they adapt to every body/face.
Don't think it's possible now without reprogramming TTtools.
BTW, thanks to share your opinions Yare! This makes the difference between you and other companies! You make us feel like a family (a quite large one)!
With the quarrels and everything! YAAAAAY!
On that note:
After this, maybe we could go plant a tree, or teach an orphan to read. OR, we could teach a tree to read! Yaaaaay.
I'd prefer to plant an orphan.
And yet you must admit, ToMI looks much better graphically than the last Sam & Max season, so they are pushing things further on the PC side despite the compromises. PC is still the lead platform for this, so no it's not a Wii port.
That said, they really should have put it out as a retail disc on Wii, given what a pain WiiWare seems to be. It's the sort of game that could be accepted as a single retail product too.
MOD formats haven't been used in games since 90s, really.
Word. MIDI = Multi Instrument Digital Interface
MIDI was designed to make a myriad of synths get along...in a kinky, S & M kinda way
Really funny that Midi nowadays is almost forgotten and about 15 years ago it was standard in games and everyone was fighting for the best sound and companies earned a load of cash by providing midi devices for the computer.
I know what a MIDI is and how they work. I compose and record with them often. In fact I just explained basically everything you said to somebody else in this very thread on this very page.