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[Seagoon]

Sound is a major element that is missing from dwarf fortress, however producing actual sound effects is way too much effort to go through at this stage of development. So instead of having a sound effect play when an action is preformed close to the center of the screen (or on screen any where) you would have a small onomatopoeic text bubble near where the sound was produced.

To enhance the text, things like size, colour, gramatical symbols and font could be used, and sounds off screen that are particularly loud (like a landslide or somthing) would be placed at the edge of the screen in the direction they are coming from.

This would not only add alot of interesting details and emmersion to fortress mode, it would also be a very usefull function in adventure mode, since you could then hear the opponent even if he is outside visual range or ambushing.

This could also be extended to small phrases that the NPC's could say, such as greetings or blessings and battle cries.

To reduce the chance that it might cover up somthing important, you could toggle this function with a keybind, or through the init.

[Razoric480]

When full graphic options are implemented, maybe this sort of thing could be possible. Till then, though, I don't think the engine as it stands could make something like it. It could be charming, though.

[Davion]

I like this idea. I am all for more visuals, especially if they do a decent job of conveying what is going on without having to scroll through announcements and other text, though that should probably always remain an option, I suppose.

[Mike Mayday]

Sound is a major element that is missing from dwarf fortress, however producing actual sound effects is way too much effort to go through at this stage of development.

There are so many free sounds on the internet though...

[Seagoon]

It would be quite hard to find a sound for every action that could happen in DF and keep it of a high quality. To be honest, I think that it would be quite annoying to hear the same sound effects over and over especialy if there is alot going on in a busy fortress, doubly so if the sound is either not quite fitting for the action or of a low quality.

Having onomatopoeic text instead keeps things consistant as you are already using your imagination to create the scenes portrayed by the ASCII art. Soundeffects on top of the current display of ASCII might dstrupt this image produced by our imagination where as text would be absorbed in the same way as the ASCII thus maintaining the players immersion.

[Tack]

True. If you had actual sound effects, there's no knowing what could happen.

First the endless knock-knock-knock of a carpenters warehouse in action, then a ting-ting as a miner mines, and a scree as a lever is pulled. I mean, that kind of sound can get horribly overwhelming. And what about trading? Do we have to deal with - every time a screen opens, a poncy elf-voice going *Meer Meer Meer Meer*.
Not to be condescending, but that's the usual voice of characters with no voice, or who have speech in text anyway. The best implementation of that I've found so far is *crazy dave* from plants Vs zombies.

But anyway. That would be cool, and could also give the game a cutesy look, to fit with quite a few graphic packs. The only problem is impelmentation.

[Warlord255]

Personally, I can do fine without sound effects, but some more music would be nice. I think we've been hearing snippets of new music in the DFtalks, but no word yet on how far that music goes.

It should also be noted that sound effects as text or symbols would work a lot better in an isometric tileset with a definite "forward" or "above", which DF does not have.

[HammerHand]

The problem with sound effects as text is actually very much like the mess that Tack mentioned.  How many sound effects will clutter up my screen when I need to SEE something?

Of course, when it comes to speech-bubble sound effects you don't need anywhere near as many, but it still might get way out of hand.

I'd prefer to keep it to background music, and toss in a few sound effects for important things, like ambushes or dragon attacks or fire... or... something.  I don't know if the Metal Gear Solid "Exclamation Mark Noise" for ambushes would be hilarious or annoying.   

[Bricks]

I'd prefer the implementation of sounds as graphics/text, as long as it could be disabled and didn't get too busy.  (Some toggle would be nice, like "No sound/All sound/Noise only/Conversation only")  In addition, there should be a way to "listen" at any tile in your fort, so you can get an idea of what it sounds like for both the sake of bedroom placement and curiosity.  This could be implemented as just a text description, though if Toady finds some way to develop sounds for the game, god bless him.

Sounds (audio, not text) in adventurer mode would be weirdly staccato and jarring, however.  I'm not sure I support anything that would only apply to one mode.  An elegant way to converse in adventurer mode without switching to a new screen would be nice, too, as things could continue to happen around you, and conversations would be difficult to carry out in the middle of a battle/while trying to remain stealthy.

[Razoric480]

One method would be to have sound when things are examined, kind of like when a building is clicked on in Starcraft, or when a city is chosen in Civ IV.

So when you'd examine the dwarf working in the workshop or the workshop, you'd hear a brief 'clang, clang, clang...', or similar.

[Niveras]

The problem with sound effects as text is actually very much like the mess that Tack mentioned.  How many sound effects will clutter up my screen when I need to SEE something?

Perhaps the text bubbles could also be hidden when designating or placing building. Perhaps toggle them when the game is paused, but this prevents stepping through actions and viewing the relevant sounds.

[dafinchy]

True. If you had actual sound effects, there's no knowing what could happen.

First the endless knock-knock-knock of a carpenters warehouse in action, then a ting-ting as a miner mines, and a scree as a lever is pulled. I mean, that kind of sound can get horribly overwhelming.

Y'know, I think that would be quite absorbing. To actually hear activity, it would make the fortress come to life, in my opinion. The hiss and clang of the forges, the bubbling of magma, the cheers and song of a party... a slow drip, drip, drip near a damp wall, the roar of a waterfall, the scream of a falling goblin... . Personally I'd like that on permanently, but at least while loo[k]ing at a tile, for a taste of the dorfish life.

[Ironhand]

The problem is, you're not going to get procedurally-generated cinematic ambient noise.
You're going to get a "ting" that becomes completely unbearable after you hear it for the hundredth time.

[GoldenH]

How about if it just made sounds at the top or bottom of the screen, like announcements?