Download

D2X-XL Worklog

Notes on features and problems from the development of D2X-XL, newest first.

Custom Sounds

D2X-XL now offers two different mechanisms to support custom sounds.

DTX patch files

The first mechanism is via DTX patch files. Originally these were used as templates for a patch program that modified the Descent sound files (*.s11, *.s22). You had to save the original files before patching them, as they were permanently altered, and had to copy the saved files back to revert to the original game sounds. D2X-XL handles DTX patch files like custom texture (POG) files: Each level in a mission has to have its own DTX file, containing the replacement sounds to be used in this level. The DTX file has to have the same name as the level file, e.g. like this:

  • mylevel.hog
    • mylevel.rl2
    • mylevel.pog
    • mylevel.dtx

High resolution sounds

The second mechanism allows to replace the original game sounds with high resolution sounds (44 khz, 16 bit, stereo WAV). This feature is enabled by setting '-hires_sound 1' in d2x.ini. Hires sound files have to be stored in a subfolder of the Descent installation named 'sounds' and have to bear the names of the sounds they are to replace (e.g. 'laser01.wav'). D2X-XL cannot mix hires sounds with the original sounds, so if hires sounds are enabled, there will be no sound for game events the corresponding hires sound file is missing.