Official forums for BZFlag.org

How about you make a plug in program that can add music from your computer and place it on your server. Also having sometype of plug in file of music so you can access the file from game play having options of next track, play, stop, shuffle, pause, and previous track.

How is it impossible to do? Is it the way the server and the computer talk to each other or could it be because of copy rights?

The bzflag client does not yet have any method for downloading music files. Plugins CAN play sounds, but only those in the bzflag directory. Unfortunaltely, BZFlag also only works with WAV files, which are waay too massive for a piece of music. However, the devs might make bzflag work with MIDI or MP3 and add downloadable music if you whine enough.

BZflag inner workings aside, streaming music would require quite a bit of bandwidth. Especially server side. Imagine streaming music to 20 players.

One thought that occurs to me is that it could be done the way that Unreal Tournament does it. You either have the map with all the accompanying textures and sound on your computer already, or you download the pertinent files from the server when you go to sign on. This, of course, would put a load on the server too. Also, having signed on to a friend of mine's UT server, some of those files are HUGE (like 28 megs)! It's a drag to sit down all ready to play, only to have to wait while the map downloads. My buddy just sends us an email before hand telling us which maps he's going to use for the evening so we can go online and get them before game time. UT uses .ogg files btw.

If bzflag uses .wav files already, perhaps a short, repeating, (but hopefully not monotonous) piece of music could be downloaded ahead of time. Kind of a drag, but a way of life for those who play more graphics/sound intensive games.

well you could use a low quality .mp3 file like 28kbs that would be a bit better but it would sound like crap

1) damn ... old post.
2) a plug-in can't do anything to the client. We don't have a compressed music format, at all. So it's all moot.

this could not happen untill the audio system completely changes.

o i see

how old is the post it was @ the top of the list

MIDI filer are very small, and the dont need to be simple music. I'v gained some public domain MIDI files, and their very good and very small (even on dialup).