Sound text files

(This entire article and the procedures and instructions contained are intended for usage with M2TW 1.1 only. "Archive" refers to dat/idx files.)

The sound text files are used to edit the sound in M2TW. They contain paths and usage instructions for all samples and music in the game, and are indispensable when modding sound and music in M2TW. In their final form, they make up the currently non-extractable (using Vercingetorix IDX unpacker) events archive in the data\sounds subfolder inside the M2TW install folder. As they cannot be extracted from events.dat, an archive containing the sound text files is available here.

Usage

The sound text files available in the above available archive are to be extracted into the data subfolder inside the M2TW install folder, where they are then edited in any text editor to fit the modder's needs.

List of files

Below is a list of all of the sound text files. Click a filename to read detailed information and usage instructions for a file. In general, each of the files listed below is very intuitive and self-explanatory, meaning it won't take anyone a long time to figure out how it works.

• descr_sounds.txt
• descr_sounds_accents.txt
• descr_sounds_advice.txt
• descr_sounds_battle_events.txt
• descr_sounds_engine.txt
• descr_sounds_enviro.txt
• descr_sounds_generic.txt
• descr_sounds_interface.txt
• descr_sounds_music.txt
• descr_sounds_narration.txt
• descr_sounds_prebattle.txt
• descr_sounds_stratmap.txt
• descr_sounds_stratmap_voice.txt
• descr_sounds_structures.txt
• descr_sounds_units.txt
• descr_sounds_units_ambient.txt
• descr_sounds_units_anims.txt
• descr_sounds_units_celebrate.txt
• descr_sounds_units_charge.txt
• descr_sounds_units_collide.txt
• descr_sounds_units_confirm.txt
• descr_sounds_units_fight.txt
• descr_sounds_units_fire.txt
• descr_sounds_units_idle.txt
• descr_sounds_units_march.txt
• descr_sounds_units_reform.txt
• descr_sounds_units_retreat.txt
• descr_sounds_units_run.txt
• descr_sounds_units_taunt.txt
• descr_sounds_units_voice.txt
• descr_sounds_weapons.txt
• export_descr_sounds_advice.txt
• export_descr_sounds_narration.txt
• export_descr_sounds_prebattle.txt
• export_descr_sounds_soldier_voice.txt
• export_descr_sounds_stratmap_voice.txt
• export_descr_sounds_units_battle_events.txt
• export_descr_sounds_units_voice.txt

Loading

Note that the sound text files cannot be loaded by using any special commands such as file_first.io. Instead, the game will, upon launch (i.e. by running medieval2.exe), detect whether a valid events archive exists in the data\sounds subfolder.

• If one exists, and is valid, the sound text files will be ignored.

• If one exists, but is invalid (such as one created using Vercingetorix IDX extractor), or is missing altogether, the game will create a new events archive using the sound text files. Similarily, no changes will be made to valid Music, SFX and Voice archives.

In order to make changes any of the archives, they must be renamed or moved to another folder so the game can't find them upon launch. If the game tries to build new archives, but the sound text files are missing, the result will be 1kB archives and no sound in the game. Note that this will never happen if valid archives are present in the data\sounds folder.