# R5 — Audio System Deep Dive

Ground-truth port plan for acdream's audio subsystem, derived from decompiled
`acclient.exe`, cross-referenced against ACE (server), ACViewer (dat loader),
holtburger (client protocol), AC2D (C++ client), and DatReaderWriter (dat
schema). Backend for the port is **Silk.NET.OpenAL**.

---

## 0. Executive summary

Retail AC audio is a thin wrapper over three Microsoft APIs:

| Retail component | Windows API | Dat source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCM / MP3 playback | **DirectSound 8** | `Wave` (0x0A) | Per-sound secondary buffer, primary buffer for mixing |
| MIDI music | **winmm midiStream** | Loose `*.mid` files on disk | 16 channels, streaming with 6-buffer rotation |
| Compressed decode | **winmm ACM** | Wave data (MP3 body) | acmStreamOpen/Convert wraps decompression |

Everything on top — `SoundTable`, ambient rolls, priority eviction, distance
falloff, the volume slider stack, footstep selection — is retail-authored
C++ logic on top of those three APIs. The retail 3D model is a **custom
inverse-square falloff computed in software** that lands at a final
`IDirectSoundBuffer::SetVolume(dB)` call; retail does **not** use
`IDirectSound3DBuffer` at all. This is critical to faithful port — OpenAL's
native AL_INVERSE_DISTANCE model doesn't match retail; we do the math
ourselves and only use OpenAL's raw gain.

Only **16 concurrent sound slots** (3D SFX). New sounds with higher
computed volume evict the quietest currently-playing slot. Master slider
multiplies all SFX. Dedicated ambient, interface, and music channels exist
separately.

**Well-known SoundId range:** 0x00 (Invalid) to 0xCC (`SkillDownVoid`).
Enumerated in full in section 3. Each creature `Setup` carries a
`DefaultSoundTable` (DID ref to 0x20xxxxxx), and AnimationHooks trigger
sounds by SoundId through that table.

---

## 1. `SoundTable` dat layout

**Dat range:** `0x20000000` – `0x2000FFFF` in `client_portal.dat` (first-byte
tag `0x20`).

### 1.1 On-disk format

From `references/ACE/Source/ACE.DatLoader/FileTypes/SoundTable.cs` and
`DatReaderWriter/DBObjs/SoundTable.generated.cs`:

```
SoundTable (Id = 0x20xxxxxx)
  uint32  Id              // = this dat file id
  int32   HashKey         // (aka Unknown in ACE). Same across files; salt for hash fn?
  int32   numHashes
  repeat numHashes times:
    uint32 soundId                  // Sound enum key
    SoundHashData {
      float Priority
      float Probability
      float Volume                   // 0..1 (relative to base)
    }
  int32   numSounds
  repeat numSounds times:
    uint32 soundId                   // Sound enum key (matches numHashes entries 1:1 practically)
    SoundData {
      int32 numEntries
      repeat numEntries times:
        SoundEntry {
          QualifiedDataId<Wave> Id   // 0x0A000... dat ref
          float Priority
          float Probability
          float Volume
        }
      int32 Unknown                  // always 0 in observed data
    }
```

### 1.2 Semantic model

A `SoundTable` maps **`Sound` (enum) → list of candidate `Wave` DIDs**. When
you "play the Attack1 sound on this creature," you:

1. Look up `Sound.Attack1` in `Sounds[]`.
2. From the candidate list, **select one randomly, weighted by `Probability`**.
3. Effective play volume = `baseVolume * entry.Volume * masterSlider`.
4. `Priority` is used for eviction when the 16-slot 3D voice pool is full
   (lower priority = evict first). See section 11.

### 1.3 The decompiled pick function

From `docs/research/decompiled/chunk_00550000.c` at `FUN_00551290` — the
random-sound picker:

```c
// __thiscall SoundTable::GetRandomSoundData(this, soundEnum, outSlotPtr)
if (soundEnum && FindHashEntry(this, soundEnum, &local)) {
    uint count = *(uint*)(local + 0x7C);   // numEntries
    if (count != 0) {
        uint idx = rand() % count;         // uniform pick; weighting via probability roll later
        SoundEntry* e = (SoundEntry*)(*(int*)(local+0x80) + idx * 0x10);
        out->waveId   = e->Id;
        out->priority = e->Priority;
        out->prob     = e->Probability;
        out->volume   = e->Volume;
        if (out->waveId != 0) return LoadWave(out);
    }
}
```

The stride is `0x10` = 16 bytes = exactly (uint waveId + 3 × float) = one
`SoundEntry`. The per-sound `SoundHashData` acts as the **default** values
when you call a sound type directly with no override (e.g. ambient roll uses
those three floats, not the SoundEntry ones).

Random pick is **uniform over the array**; the per-entry `Probability` is
checked *after* picking (`FUN_00550cf0`): `rand()/RAND_MAX < entry.Probability`.
If that coin flip fails, the sound is silently dropped. This is how retail
avoids ALL spatter variants firing on every hit.

### 1.4 Where it lives

Each creature `Setup` (dat 0x02xxxxxx) has a `DefaultSoundTable` DID
(`references/ACE/Source/ACE.DatLoader/FileTypes/SetupModel.cs:41`). The
engine resolves that at PhysicsObj construction
(`PhysicsObj.cs:670`, `SoundTable = (SoundTable)DBObj.Get(qdid)`).

Common tables (from dat inspection and conventions): drudges, golems,
humans, elementals, tuskers, each have their own `SoundTable` with
appropriate `Attack1/Wound/Death` samples.

---

## 2. `Wave` dat layout

**Dat range:** `0x0A000000` – `0x0A00FFFF` in `client_portal.dat`.

### 2.1 On-disk format

From `ACE.DatLoader/FileTypes/Wave.cs` and the generated
`Wave.generated.cs`:

```
Wave (Id = 0x0Axxxxxx)
  uint32  Id
  int32   headerSize
  int32   dataSize
  byte[headerSize]  Header   // raw WAVEFORMATEX (+ extra for compressed formats)
  byte[dataSize]    Data     // raw sample bytes
```

There is **no RIFF "RIFF/WAVE/fmt " wrapping** in the dat. To play the blob
via DirectSound, retail:

1. Allocates a `DSBUFFERDESC` with `lpwfxFormat` pointing at `Header`.
2. For AC-compressed variants, runs `Data` through `acmStreamOpen` →
   `acmStreamConvert` to get raw PCM, then feeds PCM to the secondary
   buffer.

### 2.2 Header format detection

- **`Header[0] == 0x55`** → MP3 (MPEGLAYER3, `WAVE_FORMAT_MPEGLAYER3`).
  Retail funnels these through ACM (`acmStreamOpen(...,piVar3[1],local_18,...)`).
- **`Header[0] == 0x01`** → linear PCM (`WAVE_FORMAT_PCM`). Feeds straight
  into a DirectSound buffer.
- **`Header[0] == 0x02`** → ADPCM (observed rarely; handled like MP3 via ACM).

ACViewer's export code (`Wave.cs:32-72`) just prepends a stock RIFF/WAVE
header at export time using the first 16 bytes of `Header` as the `fmt`
body, which is standard — the AC dat header *is* a standard WAVEFORMATEX,
just without the file-format wrapper.

### 2.3 Observed format conventions

From the DirectSound primary-buffer initializer
(`chunk_00550000.c:4119-4124`, `FUN_00554930`), the **primary mixer** is
configured as:

- `cbSize       = 0`
- `wFormatTag   = 1` (PCM)
- `nChannels    = 2` (stereo mix)
- `nSamplesPerSec = 0x2b11 = 44100 Hz`
- `nAvgBytesPerSec = 0xac44 = 176400` (44100 × 2 × 2)
- `nBlockAlign  = 4`
- `wBitsPerSample = 16`

Individual Wave samples may be 11025 Hz or 22050 Hz mono; DirectSound
resamples into the 44.1kHz stereo primary buffer transparently.

### 2.4 Playback object

Retail allocates a 0x20 / 0x24-byte structure per playing sound (see
`FUN_005df0f5(0x20)` + `FUN_005df0f5(0x24)` in `chunk_00550000.c:577,3274`):

```
SoundPlayInstance (~0x24 bytes)
  +0x00  vtable                     // &PTR_FUN_007cbd18 etc
  +0x04  IDirectSoundBuffer*        // the secondary buffer
  +0x08  IDirectSoundNotify*        // completion notify
  +0x0C  byte[] pcm                 // decoded PCM (freed after buffer built)
  +0x10  size of pcm
  +0x14  ?
  +0x18  flags
  +0x1C  sourceWaveId               // 0x0A000xxx, for dedup cache
  ...
```

---

## 3. Well-known SoundIds

From `references/ACE/Source/ACE.Entity/Enum/Sound.cs` (exact hex values
match the dat enum). Grouped for the port's `SoundId` C# enum:

### 3.1 Voice / creature lifecycle (0x01 – 0x1D)

```
Speak1=0x01  Random=0x02
Attack1=0x03 Attack2=0x04 Attack3=0x05
SpecialAttack1=0x06 SpecialAttack2=0x07 SpecialAttack3=0x08
Damage1=0x09 Damage2=0x0A Damage3=0x0B
Wound1=0x0C  Wound2=0x0D  Wound3=0x0E
Death1=0x0F  Death2=0x10  Death3=0x11
Grunt1=0x12  Grunt2=0x13  Grunt3=0x14
Oh1=0x15     Oh2=0x16     Oh3=0x17
Heave1=0x18  Heave2=0x19  Heave3=0x1A
Knockdown1=0x1B Knockdown2=0x1C Knockdown3=0x1D
```

### 3.2 Weapon / combat (0x1E – 0x36)

```
Swoosh1=0x1E Swoosh2=0x1F Swoosh3=0x20
Thump1=0x21  Smash1=0x22  Scratch1=0x23
Spear=0x24   Sling=0x25   Dagger=0x26
ArrowWhiz1=0x27 ArrowWhiz2=0x28
CrossbowPull=0x29 CrossbowRelease=0x2A
BowPull=0x2B      BowRelease=0x2C
ThrownWeaponRelease1=0x2D
ArrowLand=0x2E
Collision=0x2F
HitFlesh1=0x30    HitLeather1=0x31
HitChain1=0x32    HitPlate1=0x33
HitMissile1=0x34  HitMissile2=0x35  HitMissile3=0x36
```

Hit sounds are selected by **target armor type**, not weapon. Retail plays
exactly one of HitFlesh/Leather/Chain/Plate on damage based on the struck
body part's armor.

### 3.3 Movement (0x37 – 0x3C)

```
Footstep1=0x37  // soft/running
Footstep2=0x38  // heavy/walking
Walk1=0x39      // unused in the late client (was first-person walking)
Dance1=0x3A Dance2=0x3B Dance3=0x3C
```

Footstep selection: see section 4. There is **no per-surface SoundId
variant** — the SoundTable's Footstep1/Footstep2 slots are expected to hold
the correct per-creature foot sample, and surface type picks *which* slot
to trigger, not which sample.

### 3.4 Interaction (0x3D – 0x45)

```
Hidden1=0x3D Hidden2=0x3E Hidden3=0x3F
Eat1=0x40    Drink1=0x41
Open=0x42    Close=0x43
OpenSlam=0x44 CloseSlam=0x45
```

### 3.5 Ambient (0x46 – 0x4E)

```
Ambient1=0x46 Ambient2=0x47 Ambient3=0x48 Ambient4=0x49
Ambient5=0x4A Ambient6=0x4B Ambient7=0x4C Ambient8=0x4D
Waterfall=0x4E
```

These are **played from the region-level `AmbientSTBDesc`**, not from a
creature SoundTable — see section 7.

### 3.6 Character lifecycle (0x4F – 0x5D, 0xCA – 0xCC)

```
LogOut=0x4F   LogIn=0x50
LifestoneOn=0x51
AttribUp=0x52 AttribDown=0x53
SkillUp=0x54  SkillDown=0x55
HealthUp=0x56 HealthDown=0x57
ShieldUp=0x58 ShieldDown=0x59
EnchantUp=0x5A EnchantDown=0x5B
VisionUp=0x5C  VisionDown=0x5D
// "Void" variants for Shadow buffs
HealthDownVoid=0xCA RegenDownVoid=0xCB SkillDownVoid=0xCC
```

### 3.7 Magic (0x5E – 0x68)

```
Fizzle=0x5E    Launch=0x5F    Explode=0x60
TransUp=0x61   TransDown=0x62
BreatheFlaem=0x63  BreatheAcid=0x64
BreatheFrost=0x65  BreatheLightning=0x66
Create=0x67    Destroy=0x68
```

### 3.8 UI and chimes (0x6A – 0x8A)

```
UI_EnterPortal=0x6A         UI_ExitPortal=0x6B
UI_GeneralQuery=0x6C        UI_GeneralError=0x6D
UI_TransientMessage=0x6E    UI_IconPickUp=0x6F
UI_IconSuccessfulDrop=0x70  UI_IconInvalid_Drop=0x71
UI_ButtonPress=0x72         UI_GrabSlider=0x73  UI_ReleaseSlider=0x74
UI_NewTargetSelected=0x75
// Ambient chimes played via UI channel
UI_Roar=0x76  UI_Bell=0x77
UI_Chant1=0x78  UI_Chant2=0x79
UI_DarkWhispers1=0x7A  UI_DarkWhispers2=0x7B
UI_DarkLaugh=0x7C      UI_DarkWind=0x7D  UI_DarkSpeech=0x7E
UI_Drums=0x7F          UI_GhostSpeak=0x80
UI_Breathing=0x81      UI_Howl=0x82
UI_LostSouls=0x83      UI_Squeal=0x84
UI_Thunder1..6 = 0x85..0x8A
```

### 3.9 Inventory / containers (0x69, 0x8B – 0x97)

```
Lockpicking=0x69
RaiseTrait=0x8B
WieldObject=0x8C   UnwieldObject=0x8D
ReceiveItem=0x8E   PickUpItem=0x8F   DropItem=0x90
ResistSpell=0x91
PicklockFail=0x92  LockSuccess=0x93
OpenFailDueToLock=0x94
TriggerActivated=0x95
SpellExpire=0x96   ItemManaDepleted=0x97
```

### 3.10 Generic triggers (0x98 – 0xC9)

`TriggerActivated1 … TriggerActivated50 = 0x98 … 0xC9` — 50 generic trigger
slots that level designers wire into specific effects per-dungeon (pressure
plates, door opens, lever pulls).

---

## 4. Surface-material footstep selection

**Retail does NOT have a surface-material → SoundId table.** Instead:

1. Every creature's `SoundTable` contains entries for `Footstep1` and
   `Footstep2`. Different creatures have different samples (drudge footstep
   ≠ human footstep ≠ tusker footstep).
2. The **animation's frame hooks** declare which footstep to play at each
   step (left-heavy vs right-heavy, run vs walk).
3. The **surface byte** in terrain affects which alternative sample is
   picked from the Footstep1/Footstep2 `SoundEntry` list. Each human
   `SoundTable` has 2–4 entries per footstep slot — "grass step",
   "stone step", "dirt step". Selection is by `rand() % count`, but the
   per-entry `Volume` and `Probability` are used to keep the most
   appropriate sample dominant.

Retail's actual "which surface am I on" lookup lives in the terrain
subsystem: `LandBlock::GetSurfaceType(x,y)` returns the dominant terrain
type byte for the cell (documented in r04 terrain deep-dive as the
per-vertex terrain-type encoding that also drives texture atlas choice).
The **audio subsystem does not consume surface type directly** — it's
embedded in the SoundTable design. We can faithfully port this by:

- Keeping the SoundTable's full per-footstep entry list.
- Letting the animation hooks pass the current surface hint into
  `SoundTable.Play(SoundId.Footstep1, surfaceHint)`.
- Falling back to uniform random when the SoundTable has only one entry.

The 2-slot `Footstep1`/`Footstep2` pair is **left-foot vs right-foot**, not
soft vs loud — alternating based on the animation frame that fires the hook.

---

## 5. 3D positional audio — the retail falloff

**Retail does NOT use `IDirectSound3DBuffer`.** The entire 3D effect is
computed in software and applied via
`IDirectSoundBuffer::SetVolume(dB)` + `SetFrequency(pitch)` on a plain
stereo secondary buffer. Verified from decompiled code:

- Grep for `IDirectSound3D*` in the decompiled chunks: **zero hits**.
- The only DirectSound API surface used is `DirectSoundCreate`,
  `CreateSoundBuffer`, `SetFormat`, `Play`, `Stop`, `SetVolume`,
  `SetFrequency`, `SetPan`, `QueryInterface(IDirectSoundNotify)` (all seen
  in `chunk_005D0000.c` imports).

### 5.1 The falloff function — `FUN_00550c30`

Decompiled, annotated:

```c
// returns 1 if audible (volume above floor), 0 otherwise.
// out: param_3 = final volume in ad-hoc units fed to SetVolume conversion
// param_1 = distance to listener
// param_2 = base volume (0..1)
// param_4 = channel type: 0 = SFX/ambient, 1 = interface
int FUN_00550c30(float distance, float baseVolume, int* outVol, int channelType)
{
  const float MIN_DISTANCE = _DAT_007cbc64;   // ~1.0f in world units
  const float DISTANCE_K   = _DAT_00870414;   // reference-distance falloff
  const float MAX_VOLUME   = _DAT_007938c0;   // cap (1.0f)
  const float VOLUME_FLOOR = _DAT_00795610;   // ~0.0001f  threshold for "inaudible"
  const float DB_SCALE     = _DAT_00870418;   // dB scaling constant
  const float DB_UNIT      = _DAT_007cbd00;   // convert to SetVolume hundredths

  float v = baseVolume;

  // 1. INVERSE-SQUARE distance attenuation (only beyond MIN_DISTANCE)
  if (distance >= MIN_DISTANCE)
      v = (DISTANCE_K * baseVolume) / (distance * distance);

  // 2. Cap at MAX_VOLUME
  if (v > MAX_VOLUME) v = MAX_VOLUME;

  // 3. Apply channel master volume slider
  float slider = (channelType == 0) ? g_SfxMasterVolume   // 0..1
                                    : g_InterfaceVolume;  // 0..1
  v *= slider;

  // 4. Check audibility
  if (v <= VOLUME_FLOOR) {
      *outVol = DS_VOLUME_FLOOR;     // -10000 hundredths of dB == mute
      return 0;
  }

  // 5. Convert linear 0..1 to DirectSound hundredths-of-dB
  //    0.6931472 = ln(2)  →  log2(v) = ln(v) / ln(2)
  //    final = ceil( log2(v) * DB_SCALE * DB_UNIT )
  int finalHdB = (int)ceilf(log2f(v) * DB_SCALE * DB_UNIT);
  *outVol = finalHdB;
  return 1;
}
```

**Key properties of the retail model:**

- **Pure inverse-square** between 0 and some "max audible distance"; no
  rolloff-factor parameter like OpenAL's `AL_ROLLOFF_FACTOR`.
- **No doppler.** Retail does not touch `SetFrequency` based on relative
  velocity. Pitch is static per-sound (there's a `param_2 * 100` pitch
  shift in the hundredths, but it's fed by the SoundEntry's base, not
  runtime doppler).
- **No direction cone.** All sounds are omnidirectional. There is a
  `SetPan` call in the secondary-buffer path to handle stereo positioning,
  but only for 2D/L-R based on relative bearing, not HRTF or cone.
- **Stereo / mono toggle** in the options panel (`ID_Sound_Stereo` /
  `ID_Sound_Mono`) disables the pan computation for mono output.

### 5.2 Stereo panning

`FUN_00553970(soundInst, pan, volume)` (chunk_00550000.c:3140) clamps pan
to `-0xF..+0xF` then calls `IDirectSoundBuffer::SetPan(piVar1, pan*100)`
(offset 0x40 in the DirectSound vtable). Retail multiplies the final
float by 100 to convert to the hundredths-of-dB unit DirectSound expects.

The pan value itself is computed by taking the vector from listener to
source, projecting onto the listener's right axis, normalizing by some
reference distance, and clamping. This is visible in the call sites for
`FUN_00550d80(inst, listenerRelativeVec, volume, attrFlags)` — the second
arg `param_2 + 0x48` is a WorldObject's position frame, and there's a
`FUN_005364a0()` (likely `Vector3::Dot(up_vec)` or similar) in the call
chain that produces `fVar4` → `FUN_00550c30` as distance.

### 5.3 Priority-based eviction (the 16-slot table)

Retail has a **fixed 16-slot voice pool** for 3D positional sounds
(`chunk_00550000.c:527`, `FUN_00550ad0`):

```c
// pool of up to 16 active sounds
static SoundPlayInstance* g_pool[16];     // @ DAT_00870520
static float              g_poolVols[16]; // @ DAT_00870524
static uint32_t           g_poolNext;     // @ DAT_008703b8 (round-robin cursor)

void PlaySound3D(SoundInstance* inst, pan, volume) {
    // First pass: find a free or stopped slot.
    for (int i = 0; i < 16; ++i) {
        uint idx = (g_poolNext + i) & 0xF;
        if (g_pool[idx] == NULL) goto use_slot;
        if (!IsStillPlaying(g_pool[idx])) goto free_and_use;
    }
    // Second pass: evict slot whose current volume < our volume.
    for (int i = 0; i < 16; ++i) {
        uint idx = (g_poolNext + i) & 0xF;
        if (g_poolVols[idx] < inst->volume) goto free_and_use;
    }
    return; // nothing quieter than us → drop

free_and_use:
    StopBuffer(g_pool[idx]);
    DeleteInstance(g_pool[idx]);
use_slot:
    g_pool[idx]     = CreateBufferFromInst(inst);
    g_poolVols[idx] = inst->volume;
    g_poolNext      = (idx + 1) & 0xF;
    ApplyPanVolume(pan, volume);  // → FUN_00553970
}
```

This is the classic "sound hardware had 16 voices" DirectSound-era
hardware-mixing constraint, but the AC client kept it even for pure
software mixing. **Port target:** 16 simultaneous positional sources.
Plus the music (MIDI) and UI channels, which don't share this pool.

---

## 6. Music system — WinMM MIDI, not PCM

**Music is MIDI**, streamed through `midiStreamOpen` (not DirectMusic, not
PCM). Evidence: `chunk_00550000.c` contains:

- `midiStreamOpen(&DAT_00870a70, (LPUINT)&DAT_00820294, 1, 0x554120, 0, 0x30000)`
- `midiStreamProperty`, `midiStreamRestart`, `midiStreamStop`, `midiStreamClose`
- `midiOutShortMsg(hmo, ...)` for per-channel volume (controller 0x07) and
  pan (0x0A).
- `midiOutPrepareHeader`, `midiOutUnprepareHeader`.
- MThd/MTrk chunk parsing at `FUN_00555150` (0x6468544d = "MThd", 0x6b72544d = "MTrk").

### 6.1 Architecture

```
+-----------------------+         +----------------+
| *.mid on disk         | ──────▶ | MIDI parser    |
| (loose files, not dat)|         | FUN_00555150   |
+-----------------------+         +----------------+
                                          │
                                          ▼  6 × 1024-byte buffers
                              +----------------------+
                              | midiStreamOut rotate |  ← "Wait For Buffer
                              | DAT_008707c0[6]      |     Return" event
                              +----------------------+
                                          │
                                          ▼
                              Windows default MIDI device
```

- 6 buffers, each `0x400` (1024) bytes, rotated via an event named
  `"Wait For Buffer Return"` (`chunk_00550000.c:3743`). Classic double-
  (or N-) buffered streaming; when a buffer finishes, Windows sets the
  event, the worker thread refills it.
- **16-channel GM pan / volume arrays:** `DAT_008709b8[16]` (current
  volume per channel), `DAT_008709f8[16]` (default volume per channel,
  initialized to 100). Tempo / pitch-bend goes through
  `midiOutShortMsg`.
- **No MusicTable.** Tracks are identified by file path; retail has
  `lstrcpyA(&DAT_00870770, param_1)` storing the current track filename.
  Track selection is **by the game code calling PlayMusic("path/foo.mid",
  loopFlag)** — driven by region/area rules, not by a dat table.

### 6.2 What this means for the port

- `ACDream.Audio.MusicPlayer` is distinct from the SFX engine.
- Since `midiStreamOpen` is Windows-only, we replace it with a .NET MIDI
  library (NAudio.Midi or a minimal SMF parser + our own synth) or skip
  MIDI entirely and use the available `.mid` tracks converted to `.ogg`.
  Retail's decision to use MIDI was because 1999 CD bandwidth made PCM
  soundtracks infeasible; acdream has no such constraint. **Recommended:
  convert MIDI to OGG offline, use a single OGG streaming source.** This
  departs from retail but is indistinguishable to the ear and removes a
  whole OS dependency.
- Fallback: if users want exactly-retail music, we can implement a tiny
  SMF player driving a soundfont.

---

## 7. Ambient sounds — region-level, not cell-level

### 7.1 Source

The `RegionDesc` dat (0x13000000 singleton "Dereth") contains a
`SoundDesc` field (when `PartsMask & 0x01`):

```
SoundDesc
  List<AmbientSTBDesc> STBDesc
    AmbientSTBDesc {
      uint STBId                            // identifier/index
      List<AmbientSoundDesc> AmbientSounds
        AmbientSoundDesc {
          Sound SType                        // e.g. Ambient1..8, Waterfall
          float Volume
          float BaseChance                   // if 0, loops continuously
          float MinRate, MaxRate             // seconds between rolls
        }
    }
}
```

From `ACE.DatLoader.Entity.AmbientSoundDesc.IsContinuous => BaseChance == 0`.

### 7.2 Activation model

Ambient sounds are tied to **landblock/terrain type**, not to EnvCell
instances. The retail pattern:

1. On landblock change, the game queries `terrainType` for each corner of
   the current cell and picks the dominant `AmbientSTBDesc` by STBId (the
   STBId is indexed by terrain type or region-specific rule).
2. Active `AmbientSTBDesc` spawns a per-sound background roll:
   - If `BaseChance == 0` → continuous loop on a dedicated voice.
   - Else → every `N` seconds (where `N` = `rand()` in `[MinRate, MaxRate]`),
     roll `rand() < BaseChance` and if true, play the
     `Sound.SType` once at `Volume`, positioned near the listener
     (at a small random offset so it has subtle 3D movement).
3. On landblock change or leaving the region, stop all ambient voices
   associated with the outgoing STBId and start new ones.

### 7.3 Ambient master volume gate

Separate slider (`DAT_008375bc`, default `0x3f800000 = 1.0f`), separate
disable toggle (`DAT_008375b8`). See section 10.

---

## 8. Motion-triggered sounds — AnimationHook dispatch

### 8.1 Two hook types

From `ACE.Entity.Enum.AnimationHookType`:

```
Sound         = 1    → SoundHook        { uint Id }              // play Wave DID directly
SoundTable    = 2    → SoundTableHook   { Sound SoundType }      // play via this obj's SoundTable
SoundTweaked  = 21   → SoundTweakedHook { uint SoundID,           // tweaked with custom params
                                           float Priority,
                                           float Probability,
                                           float Volume }
```

All three ship on frames of `Animation` entries (dat type
`0x01000000`). A walk-cycle animation has `SoundTableHook{Footstep1}` on
frame 4 and `SoundTableHook{Footstep2}` on frame 12, for example.

### 8.2 Dispatch point

Per `AnimHook.Execute` in ACE's physics port (placeholder; the retail
client does it in `CAnimationSequencer::ProcessFrameHooks`):

```csharp
void ProcessFrame(AnimationHook hook, PhysicsObj obj) {
    switch (hook.HookType) {
        case AnimationHookType.Sound:
            // direct Wave DID, bypasses SoundTable
            var h = (SoundHook)hook;
            audioEngine.PlayWaveAtPosition(h.Id, obj.Position, obj.Velocity, defaultVolume: 1.0f);
            break;
        case AnimationHookType.SoundTable:
            // look up via object's SoundTable
            var st = (SoundTableHook)hook;
            obj.SoundTable?.Play(st.SoundType, obj.Position, obj.Velocity);
            break;
        case AnimationHookType.SoundTweaked:
            // one-off sound with overridden priority/probability/volume
            var t = (SoundTweakedHook)hook;
            audioEngine.PlayWaveTweaked(t.SoundID, obj.Position,
                                         t.Priority, t.Probability, t.Volume);
            break;
    }
}
```

The retail `MotionInterpreter` fires hooks **in order within a frame**, so
if two SoundTable hooks coexist on the same frame they both play
(subject to voice-pool eviction).

### 8.3 Our integration point

The acdream `MotionInterpreter` (`src/AcDream.Core/Physics/MotionInterpreter.cs`)
and `AnimationSequencer` (`src/AcDream.Core/Physics/AnimationSequencer.cs`)
need a hook-callback contract. Propose:

```csharp
public interface IAnimationHookSink
{
    void OnSoundHook(uint waveId, Vector3 pos, Vector3 vel);
    void OnSoundTableHook(SoundId id, Vector3 pos, Vector3 vel);
    void OnSoundTweakedHook(uint waveId, Vector3 pos, Vector3 vel,
                             float priority, float probability, float volume);
}
```

The `AudioEngine` implements this interface, and `AnimationSequencer`
receives an `IAnimationHookSink` in its constructor. This keeps animation
code audio-agnostic while giving the audio engine full access to hook
timing.

---

## 9. Server-sent sound — `GameMessageSound` (opcode 0xF750)

### 9.1 Wire format

From `ACE.Server.Network.GameMessages.Messages.GameMessageSound` and
cross-verified against holtburger `PlaySoundData`:

```
GameMessage  (opcode = 0xF750)
  Guid    target      // 8 bytes (object this sound plays on)
  uint32  soundId     // Sound enum value
  float   volume      // 0..1
```

Total payload: 16 bytes after the opcode.

### 9.2 Related opcodes

| Opcode | Name (ACE) | Payload | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| `0xF750` | `Sound` / `PlaySoundData` | `{Guid, uint soundId, float volume}` | Per-object sound via the object's SoundTable |
| `0xF754` | `PlayScriptId` | `{Guid, uint scriptId}` | PlayScript (particle emitter; may have attached sound entries in PhysicsScript) |
| `0xF755` | `PlayEffect` / `GameMessageScript` | `{Guid, uint PlayScript, float speed}` | Canned visual-+-sound effect package (e.g. Fizzle, Launch, etc — full PlayScript enum in section 3 ref) |

The `PlayScript` enum (see `ACE.Entity.Enum.PlayScript`) has 95+ entries
like `Fizzle=0x51`, `PortalEntry=0x52`, `BreatheFlame=0x54`,
`Create=0x58`, `Destroy=0x59`, etc — each is a bundle of a particle
effect **and** a sound. Client resolves via a `PhysicsScriptTable`
(not audio's concern, but the sound portion funnels into PlaySound).

### 9.3 Object-referenced vs anonymous

- Retail always plays sounds **attached to an object** — the object's
  position is the 3D source, its SoundTable resolves the sample.
- There is **no "play at (x,y,z)" opcode**. If the server wants a
  location-based sound, it attaches it to a hidden/ephemeral weenie at
  that location. This matches the observation that non-weenie ambient
  sounds (landblock ambient) are client-driven from the RegionDesc
  entries, not sent by the server.

---

## 10. Volume sliders — the stack

From `chunk_00400000.c:1705-1728` (the settings UI init) and
`chunk_00550000.c:875-930` (the options-save path), retail exposes **six
volume controls** plus a focus-gate:

| UI label | Internal var | Default | Semantic |
|---|---|---|---|
| `Sound Disabled` (checkbox) | `DAT_008375b0` | off | Master SFX mute |
| `Effect Volume` (slider 0..1) | `DAT_008375b4` | 1.0 | SFX master multiplier |
| `Ambient Sound Disabled` (checkbox) | `DAT_008375b8` | off | Ambient mute |
| `Ambient Volume` (slider) | `DAT_008375bc` | 1.0 | Ambient master multiplier |
| `Interface Sound Disabled` (checkbox) | `DAT_008375c0` | off | UI mute |
| `Interface Volume` (slider) | `DAT_008375c4` | 1.0 | UI master multiplier |
| `Play Sound Only When Active` | `DAT_008375cc` | off | mute when app not focused |

Plus a stereo/mono picker (`DAT_008375c8`) with values
`ID_Sound_Stereo` / `ID_Sound_Mono`.

**There is no separate music slider in retail.** Music uses its own
WinMM `midiOutSetVolume`-driven master (one hex volume uint, default
0x7FFF per channel) and is controlled by the per-channel
`DAT_008709b8[16]` pan+volume arrays. In practice users typically turn
down music via the default mixer rather than in-game.

### 10.1 Application order

For a 3D SFX sound:

```
finalLinear = baseSampleVolume          // per SoundEntry.Volume
            * soundTableEntry.Volume     // sometimes 1.0, sometimes tweaked
            * falloff(distance)
            * masterEffectVolume         // slider 0..1
            * (masterMute ? 0 : 1)
            * (appFocused || !focusMute ? 1 : 0)
```

For ambient:
```
finalLinear = ambientSample.Volume
            * ambientMasterVolume
            * (ambientMute ? 0 : 1)
            * (appFocused || !focusMute ? 1 : 0)
```

For UI/interface:
```
finalLinear = UiSample.Volume           // usually 1.0 (no falloff, no 3D)
            * interfaceMasterVolume
            * (interfaceMute ? 0 : 1)
            * (appFocused || !focusMute ? 1 : 0)
```

Final per-voice volume is then converted linear→dB and
`IDirectSoundBuffer::SetVolume(hundredths_dB)` is called.

---

## 11. DirectSound API surface

Direct API calls seen in decompiled code (`chunk_00550000.c` +
`chunk_005D0000.c`):

| Retail call | Retail location | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| `DirectSoundCreate(0, &pDS, 0)` | `FUN_00554930` | Create device |
| `IDirectSound::SetCooperativeLevel(hwnd, DSSCL_PRIORITY=2)` | same | Cooperative level = PRIORITY |
| `IDirectSound::CreateSoundBuffer(&DSBUFFERDESC, &pBuf, 0)` | same | Primary buffer |
| `IDirectSoundBuffer::QueryInterface(IID_IDirectSoundNotify, ...)` | same | For completion notify |
| `IDirectSoundNotify::SetNotificationPositions(pos)` | implied vtable slot 0x3C | 1 notify at end of play |
| `IDirectSoundBuffer::SetFormat(&wfx)` | vtable slot 0x38 | Set primary mix format 44.1kHz stereo 16-bit |
| `IDirectSoundBuffer::Play(0, 0, DSBPLAY_LOOPING=1)` | vtable 0x30 | Start primary buffer looping |
| `IDirectSoundBuffer::SetVolume(hundredths_dB)` | vtable 0x34 | Per-voice volume |
| `IDirectSoundBuffer::SetFrequency(Hz)` | vtable 0x3C | Pitch (per-sound random variance) |
| `IDirectSoundBuffer::SetPan(hundredths_dB_LR)` | vtable 0x40 | Stereo pan |
| `IDirectSoundBuffer::Lock/Unlock` | vtable 0x4C | Write PCM into secondary buffers |
| `IDirectSoundBuffer::Stop` | vtable 0x48 | Stop on eviction |
| `acmStreamOpen/Convert/Close` | `FUN_005532f0` | Decompress MP3/ADPCM to PCM |

**`IDirectSound3D*` is not used.** No `SetListener`, no
`SetRolloffFactor`, no `SetDopplerFactor`, no `SetDistanceFactor`, no
`SetOrientation`. All 3D math is in the CPU path.

---

## 12. Mixer thread

Retail uses **DirectSound's internal mixer thread** (running inside
`dsound.dll`). Application code only fires `Play()` and relies on
`IDirectSoundNotify` for stop/complete events.

MIDI is a separate story: `midiStreamOut` is async via
`midiStreamOpen`'s `MidiCallback` parameter (`0x554120` in the call —
offset to a retail callback function) which fires
`MOM_DONE` events on a Windows-owned thread. The named event
`"Wait For Buffer Return"` is signaled from that callback, then the
MIDI parser thread wakes and refills the next MThd/MTrk chunk.

**Port target:** OpenAL runs its own mixer thread internally. We don't
need to manage one. Our main-loop audio tick only needs to:
- Update listener position/orientation from the camera.
- Check for finished voices and recycle slots.
- Poll for pending ambient rolls and schedule their next Play().

---

## 13. Port plan — C# class layout

Target namespace: `AcDream.Audio`. Backend: `Silk.NET.OpenAL`. All files
under `src/AcDream.Core/Audio/` (platform-free) and
`src/AcDream.App/Audio/` (platform Silk glue). Keep dat parsing under
`src/AcDream.Core/Dat/`.

### 13.1 Classes

```
AcDream.Core.Audio
├── SoundId.cs                 // enum matching ACE.Entity.Enum.Sound 1:1
├── SoundDat                   // parses SoundTable dat via DatCollection
│   ├── SoundTable  record     // (uint Id, Dictionary<SoundId,SoundData> Sounds, …)
│   ├── SoundEntry  record     // (uint WaveId, float Priority, Prob, Volume)
│   └── WaveBlob    record     // (uint Id, byte[] Header, byte[] Data, AudioFormat Parsed)
├── WaveDecoder.cs             // WAVEFORMATEX parsing + PCM/MP3/ADPCM → Int16/Float32 PCM
├── SoundCache                 // LRU cache: WaveId → decoded PCM + OpenAL buffer ID
├── AudioFalloff.cs            // static: retail inverse-square + dB conversion
├── AudioSource3D              // one voice, wraps an OpenAL source
│   ├── WaveId, Priority, Volume, Position, Velocity
│   ├── bool UpdateAttenuation(listener) → updates AL_GAIN, AL_PITCH, AL_POSITION
│   └── PlayState { NotStarted, Playing, Finished, Evicted }
├── AudioEngine
│   ├── 16 × AudioSource3D  voicePool
│   ├── AudioListener3D     listener
│   ├── SfxMasterVolume, AmbientMasterVolume, UiMasterVolume, FocusGate  (properties)
│   ├── Play(Guid target, SoundId id, float volume, Vector3 pos, Vector3 vel)
│   ├── PlayWaveDirect(uint waveId, …)
│   ├── PlayWaveTweaked(uint waveId, float priority, prob, volume, …)
│   ├── PlayUI(SoundId id, float volume)       // 2D, no falloff, no pool competition
│   ├── UpdateListener(Vector3 pos, Quaternion rot)
│   └── Tick(float dt)    // advance ambient rolls, recycle finished voices
└── AmbientPlayer
    ├── RegionSoundDesc (parsed SoundDesc)
    ├── ActiveSTBId  (current terrain STBId)
    ├── per-AmbientSoundDesc schedule state: nextFireTime
    ├── Tick(dt, listenerPos)
    └── ApplyRegionChange(STBId newId)

AcDream.App.Audio
└── OpenAlBackend              // ALContext, buffer/source wrappers
```

### 13.2 Key method sketches

```csharp
// AudioFalloff.cs - faithful port of FUN_00550c30
public static bool Compute(float distance, float baseVolume, AudioChannel ch,
                            out float gain, out float pitchMul)
{
    const float MIN_DIST   = 1.0f;
    const float DIST_K     = 1.0f;     // = DAT_00870414 calibrated at runtime
    const float MAX_VOL    = 1.0f;
    const float VOL_FLOOR  = 1e-4f;

    float v = baseVolume;
    if (distance >= MIN_DIST)
        v = (DIST_K * baseVolume) / (distance * distance);

    if (v > MAX_VOL) v = MAX_VOL;

    float slider = ch switch {
        AudioChannel.Sfx       => AudioEngine.SfxMasterVolume,
        AudioChannel.Ambient   => AudioEngine.AmbientMasterVolume,
        AudioChannel.Interface => AudioEngine.UiMasterVolume,
        _ => 1f
    };
    v *= slider;
    if (!AudioEngine.FocusActive) v = 0;

    if (v <= VOL_FLOOR) { gain = 0; pitchMul = 1f; return false; }
    gain = v;
    pitchMul = 1f;  // retail has optional per-sound pitch variance (random ±5%); apply here later
    return true;
}
```

```csharp
// AudioEngine.Play - faithful port of the 16-slot eviction policy
public void Play(SoundId id, SoundTable table, Vector3 pos, Vector3 vel,
                  float baseVolume = 1.0f)
{
    if (!table.Sounds.TryGetValue(id, out var soundData))   return;
    if (soundData.Entries.Count == 0)                       return;

    // Uniform pick (retail: rand() % count), then probability check
    int idx = _rng.Next(soundData.Entries.Count);
    var entry = soundData.Entries[idx];
    if (_rng.NextSingle() >= entry.Probability) return; // sound rolled away

    float dist = Vector3.Distance(pos, Listener.Position);
    if (!AudioFalloff.Compute(dist, baseVolume * entry.Volume,
                               AudioChannel.Sfx, out float gain, out float pitch))
        return;   // inaudible

    // Voice pool: round-robin scan, evict quietest weaker voice
    int slot = AcquireVoiceSlot(gain, entry.Priority);
    if (slot < 0) return;    // nothing weaker → drop

    var source = _voicePool[slot];
    source.LoadWave(entry.WaveId, _soundCache);
    source.Position = pos;
    source.Velocity = vel;
    source.Gain     = gain;
    source.Pitch    = pitch;
    source.Priority = entry.Priority;
    source.Play();
}

int AcquireVoiceSlot(float incomingVolume, float incomingPriority)
{
    // Pass 1: free / finished
    for (int i = 0; i < 16; i++) {
        int idx = (_poolCursor + i) & 0xF;
        var v = _voicePool[idx];
        if (!v.IsPlaying) return AdvanceCursor(idx);
    }
    // Pass 2: evict quieter-than-us using weighted volume (priority tie-breaker)
    // Retail uses pure volume comparison; priority just affects computed volume pre-selection.
    for (int i = 0; i < 16; i++) {
        int idx = (_poolCursor + i) & 0xF;
        if (_voicePool[idx].Gain < incomingVolume) {
            _voicePool[idx].Stop();
            return AdvanceCursor(idx);
        }
    }
    return -1;
}
```

```csharp
// AmbientPlayer.Tick - matches AmbientSoundDesc semantics
public void Tick(float dt, Vector3 listenerPos)
{
    if (_activeDesc == null) return;
    foreach (var s in _activeStates) {
        if (s.Desc.IsContinuous) {
            if (!s.ContinuousSource.IsPlaying)
                s.ContinuousSource.Play();    // loops forever, position tracks listener
            continue;
        }
        s.NextFireIn -= dt;
        if (s.NextFireIn <= 0) {
            // roll chance
            if (_rng.NextSingle() < s.Desc.BaseChance) {
                // play near listener (retail scatters within ~8m box)
                var pos = listenerPos + _rng.InUnitSphere() * 8f;
                _engine.PlayAmbient(s.Desc.SType, s.Desc.Volume, pos);
            }
            // schedule next
            s.NextFireIn = _rng.NextFloat(s.Desc.MinRate, s.Desc.MaxRate);
        }
    }
}
```

### 13.3 OpenAL parameter mapping

Because retail does all attenuation in software, we set OpenAL to
**linear gain passthrough**:

```csharp
// on engine init:
_al.DistanceModel(DistanceModel.None);   // disable OpenAL's rolloff
_al.DopplerFactor(0f);                    // retail has no doppler
// for each source:
alSource.Gain  = computedGain;            // 0..1 from our falloff
alSource.Pitch = pitchMul;
alSource.Position = worldPos;             // informational only (model=None)
alSource.Velocity = Vector3.Zero;         // no doppler, keep at 0
```

For stereo panning of 2D UI sounds, mono Wave files positioned with a
source that has `SourceRelative=true` at `(pan, 0, distFixed)` will
produce the expected L-R balance via OpenAL's minimal spatialization,
or we can explicitly feed stereo PCM into two mono sources with
gain-distributed panning. Simplest path: keep UI sounds mono, set
Source.Position to `(computedPan, 0, -1)` relative, and leave
DistanceModel=None — OpenAL still applies default HRTF/stereo-pan math
for relative sources.

---

## 14. Integration points

### 14.1 Player footsteps

- `PlayerMovementController` (`src/AcDream.App/Input/PlayerMovementController.cs`)
  drives motion; the `MotionInterpreter` processes `AnimationHook`s each
  frame.
- **Hook into `AnimationSequencer`'s frame-advance callback.** When a
  frame has a `SoundTableHook` with `SoundType=Footstep1/2`, call
  `AudioEngine.Play(Footstep1, player.SoundTable, player.Position,
  player.Velocity, baseVolume: 1.0f)`.
- Surface-type hint (from terrain subsystem) can be fed to a
  `SoundTable.PlayWithSurfaceHint(Footstep1, surface)` overload that
  biases the uniform random pick toward entries whose names hint at
  the material.

### 14.2 Combat hit sounds

- Combat system ports to acdream later (Phase 6+). When `GameMessageSound`
  (opcode 0xF750) arrives from the server:

```csharp
void OnNetSound(Guid target, SoundId id, float volume) {
    var obj = _gameState.FindObject(target);
    if (obj == null || obj.SoundTable == null) return;
    _engine.Play(id, obj.SoundTable, obj.Position, obj.Velocity, volume);
}
```

- Attack swing / bowstring sounds are triggered by `SoundTableHook` on
  the attacker's animation — already covered by the 14.1 path.
- Impact sounds (HitFlesh/HitLeather/…) require the server to decide
  armor type and fire 0xF750 with the right SoundId aimed at the
  struck object.

### 14.3 Spellcasting

- Cast-start (windup) sounds: `SoundTableHook{Launch}` on the caster's
  casting animation.
- In-flight whoosh: either the projectile weenie has a SoundTable with a
  looping `Swoosh*` played each frame, or the projectile PhysicsScript
  fires a continuous sound. We favor the former for simpler state.
- Impact / resolution: server sends `GameMessageScript{Fizzle}` or
  `{Explode}` on opcode 0xF755 (PlayEffect) — PlayScript resolves to
  both a particle + sound bundle.

### 14.4 Ambient loop on landblock load

- `Streaming/GpuWorldState` has a landblock-change event. Wire
  `AmbientPlayer.ApplyRegionChange(newSTBId)` there.
- `STBId` selection: TERRAIN_TYPE byte of the current cell's dominant
  vertex → lookup in RegionDesc.SoundInfo.STBDesc (or use a simpler
  "by terrain-type-byte index" for phase 1; we can refine once
  we match retail behavior visually/aurally).

### 14.5 UI sounds

- `UI_ButtonPress`, `UI_IconPickUp`, etc fire from UI input handling.
- Dedicated `AudioEngine.PlayUI(SoundId)` path that skips the
  voice-pool eviction (UI sounds go to their own small pool or are
  fire-and-forget).

---

## 15. Research gaps / future work

1. **Exact `DAT_00870414` and `DAT_00870418` calibration constants** —
   the decompiled code exposes the function signature but not the
   numeric defaults. Recommended: instrument retail (or a retail-server
   client test harness) to dump them at runtime, or derive from
   listening-distance tests (e.g. "Drudge footsteps audible out to ~30m
   → back-solve DIST_K").
2. **Surface-type-to-footstep-sample mapping** — confirmed as being
   "implicit in the SoundTable's multi-entry lists," but the **specific
   rule** for which entry index maps to which surface type needs a
   sound-table dump + listening test.
3. **MIDI file inventory** — where are the actual `*.mid` files stored?
   They're not in `client_portal.dat`. Likely `<install>/sound/*.mid`
   as loose files. Confirm with a retail-install inventory.
4. **PlayScript sound attachment** — PlayScript effects (dat type
   `0x33xxxxxx`?) each carry a list of frames with optional sound hooks.
   Depth analysis is part of R6 (particles); we link to it at that time.
5. **Pitch variance** — retail has some random pitch variance on
   certain sounds (probably ±5% or so to avoid "identical twins"
   artifacts on rapid-fire Wound1 sounds). Per-SoundEntry flag or
   global? TBD from more decomp.
6. **Stereo pan specifics** — precise projection formula for `SetPan`
   needs deeper grep of `FUN_00550d80`'s caller chain to extract the
   pan scalar computation.

---

## 16. References

- Decompiled retail: `docs/research/decompiled/chunk_00550000.c` (entire
  chunk is the sound subsystem + MIDI + ACM wrappers + options UI
  callbacks; also `chunk_005D0000.c:12314` for DirectSoundCreate import).
- ACE dat loader: `references/ACE/Source/ACE.DatLoader/FileTypes/{SoundTable,Wave}.cs`
  and `Entity/{SoundData,SoundTableData,SoundDesc,AmbientSoundDesc,AmbientSTBDesc}.cs`.
- ACE enums: `references/ACE/Source/ACE.Entity/Enum/{Sound,AnimationHookType,PlayScript}.cs`.
- ACE game messages: `references/ACE/Source/ACE.Server/Network/GameMessages/GameMessageOpcode.cs`
  (opcodes 0xF750/F754/F755) and `Messages/GameMessageSound.cs`,
  `Messages/GameMessageScript.cs`.
- ACE physics: `references/ACE/Source/ACE.Server/Physics/PhysicsObj.cs:3088` (`play_sound`)
  and `Physics/Hooks/AnimHook.cs`.
- Holtburger client: `references/holtburger/crates/holtburger-protocol/src/messages/effects/types.rs`
  (`PlaySoundData`, 16-byte layout confirming ACE).
- DatReaderWriter schema: `references/DatReaderWriter/DatReaderWriter/dats.xml:3751`
  (Wave type, `0xA000000..0xA00FFFF`) and `:3918` (SoundTable type,
  `0x20000000..0x2000FFFF`); generated types in
  `DatReaderWriter/Generated/{DBObjs,Types}/`.
- ACViewer reader (same base as ACE, useful cross-check):
  `references/ACViewer/ACViewer/FileTypes/{SoundTable,Sound}.cs`.
- AC2D client opcode reference: `references/AC2D/cNetwork.cpp:2009-2029`
  (`0xF750` is "sound effect", `0xF755` is "visual/sound effect",
  unimplemented placeholders).

---