How to improve Shell Bells ?

[ADM]

Don't get me wrong, I like Shell Bells since there were no other way to play customisable music in Don't Starve before. I just think they need some improvements so they would be easier and better for player to use and innovate, which is kinda hard right now.

Have a look for instance at this video made by @DeusNUST who recreated Rocket Jump Waltz (rip Rick May) with the actual Shell Bells :

I would say that this is distinguishable from the original song but there is some problems that are obviously not from our friend but the Shell Bells themselves.

 

As now the biggest issue is the "absence" of sound variety and volume, I'd be surprised to see more items using this similar reaction (get close, boop!) with diverse instruments so we should focus on what we have right now and make music precisely with shells only.

 

Right now, I ended up with an idea fixing all of the problems, no more shell-y sound limitation and configurable volume !

It's all about turning Shell Bells in 1 item containers with something like that :

 

Place an item inside and the shell's sound will be replaced with the instrument the item is related with (from tables).

If there's no item inside, the default (and actual) sound will be played instead.

Since we have 3 sorts of Shell Bells, it would be better to have a lower volume on the smaller ones instead of a slightly different octave intervals, I believe this will be more useful to us since we can't have more distant sound for now.

 

 

I also have an additional (and optional) concept to allow players to augment the player detection range from the shell, I've tried to play with those previously and I wish I could have something to make them play from a longer distance at some moment, I think the best solution would be to allow stacks in the shell's slot, the bigger the stack is, the larger is the range. I just don't know if this should be calculated from the stack percent or total, cause some item have a different max stack size... not sure about this.

 

That's all I had in mind for Shell Bells, and tbh I don't think this will be hard to do except for the sounds creation, but I think the community will be really appreciative to have a complete music maker tool so I can only hope for this to be approved.

Before I go, I'd like you to suggest some instrument the Shells can play from item tables. I've already some suggestion but I'm sure there could be more interesting sounds.

Accordion :

Bass :

Banjo :

Bell :

Clarinet :

Chime :

Drum :

Flute :

French Horn : (range from %)

Glass Harmonica : (Thanks @Steamerclaw)

Guitar :

Harmonica : (Wilson sounds ?)

Harp :

Kazoo :

Lead :

Lithophone :

Maracas :

Organ :

Pan Flute :

Piano :

Rock Guitar : (range from %)

Something Squishy :

Cymbals :

Theremin : (y'all love this instrument)

Trumpet :

Violin :

Xylophone :

Special Sounds :

Spoiler

: Similar to the bass but... spookier

  : Is someone screaming ?

: Like a squicky dog toy when you press it

: Play a annoying mosquito sound

: Had to ask a friend for this one ""... You know, Glommer's sounds ?

: War Horn

: EXPLODE ! /s

: Default Bell Shell sound, but only if you want to increase the detection range

(Keep in mind that using perishable item may not be a very good idea)

[Steamerclaw]

Quote

 : I couldn't get the name of that instrument that play like crystal sounds with some echo

You mean the glass armonica ? 

 

[Pixil]

I was thinking the same thing when I came across the shells, but I wouldn't even have thought of these suggestions!
Don't know if there are shells that play multiple different notes, but they could make it so. Dunno if it'd get bashed on by Minecraft for whatever reason but being able to hit the shell in game to change notes like note blocks would be nice (Unless its already in the game, haven't messed with shells much.
If my post is confusing ignore it, haha. Just woke up

[Rafi.]

20 minutes ago, Pixil said:

I was thinking the same thing when I came across the shells, but I wouldn't even have thought of these suggestions!
Don't know if there are shells that play multiple different notes, but they could make it so. Dunno if it'd get bashed on by Minecraft for whatever reason but being able to hit the shell in game to change notes like note blocks would be nice (Unless its already in the game, haven't messed with shells much.
If my post is confusing ignore it, haha. Just woke up

Yes you can hit the shell bells to make them having a higher note. The same way as noteblocks.

[Pikapikap]

Although I don’t know much about the music mechanism you said,But I think this is a good suggestion.

[Spaartan]

yes pls i need this, I must recreate orchestra music in dst!

[Maxposting]

9 hours ago, Spaartan said:

yes pls i need this, I must recreate orchestra music in dst!

a full on megalovania recreation

[bobdemei]

I would love this to be in the game.

[Parusoid]

On 4/20/2020 at 5:06 PM, ADM said:

Don't get me wrong, I like Shell Bells since there were no other way to play customisable music in Don't Starve before. I just think they need some improvements so they would be easier and better for player to use and innovate, which is kinda hard right now.

Have a look for instance at this video made by @DeusNUST who recreated Rocket Jump Waltz (rip Rick May) with the actual Shell Bells :

I would say that this is distinguishable from the original song but there is some problems that are obviously not from our friend but the Shell Bells themselves.

 

As now the biggest issue is the "absence" of sound variety and volume, I'd be surprised to see more items using this similar reaction (get close, boop!) with diverse instruments so we should focus on what we have right now and make music precisely with shells only.

 

Right now, I ended up with an idea fixing all of the problems, no more shell-y sound limitation and configurable volume !

It's all about turning Shell Bells in 1 item containers with something like that :

 

Place an item inside and the shell's sound will be replaced with the instrument the item is related with (from tables).

If there's no item inside, the default (and actual) sound will be played instead.

Since we have 3 sorts of Shell Bells, it would be better to have a lower volume on the smaller ones instead of a slightly different octave intervals, I believe this will be more useful to us since we can't have more distant sound for now.

 

 

I also have an additional (and optional) concept to allow players to augment the player detection range from the shell, I've tried to play with those previously and I wish I could have something to make them play from a longer distance at some moment, I think the best solution would be to allow stacks in the shell's slot, the bigger the stack is, the larger is the range. I just don't know if this should be calculated from the stack percent or total, cause some item have a different max stack size... not sure about this.

 

That's all I had in mind for Shell Bells, and tbh I don't think this will be hard to do except for the sounds creation, but I think the community will be really appreciative to have a complete music maker tool so I can only hope for this to be approved.

Before I go, I'd like you to suggest some instrument the Shells can play from item tables. I've already some suggestion but I'm sure there could be more interesting sounds.

Accordion :

Bass :

Banjo :

Bell :

Clarinet :

Chime :

Drum :

Flute :

French Horn : (range from %)

Glass Harmonica : (Thanks @Steamerclaw)

Guitar :

Harmonica : (Wilson sounds ?)

Harp :

Kazoo :

Lead :

Lithophone :

Maracas :

Organ :

Pan Flute :

Piano :

Rock Guitar : (range from %)

Something Squishy :

Cymbals :

Theremin : (y'all love this instrument)

Trumpet :

Violin :

Xylophone :

Special Sounds :

  Reveal hidden contents

: Similar to the bass but... spookier

  : Is someone screaming ?

: Like a squicky dog toy when you press it

: Play a annoying mosquito sound

: Had to ask a friend for this one ""... You know, Glommer's sounds ?

: War Horn

: EXPLODE ! /s

: Default Bell Shell sound, but only if you want to increase the detection range

(Keep in mind that using perishable item may not be a very good idea)

instead of adding countles of new sounds i simply would want more distinguishable sound of the soprano alto alto and bass shells as well as easier way to position the notes and more importantly adjust their length

[Catteflyterpill]

It also seems like they take up a ton of space with how far you have to lengthen them out, it might be nice to have a structure that you can place them in like a chest and adjust how long it takes to play a bell or something, like a glorified shell piano. 

[ADM]

5 hours ago, Catteflyterpill said:

It also seems like they take up a ton of space with how far you have to lengthen them out, it might be nice to have a structure that you can place them in like a chest and adjust how long it takes to play a bell or something, like a glorified shell piano. 

True, you often have to change directions according to the world shape, but we should be using slowing devices to help reducing the size, like a marble armor or carrying a heavy thingy. But your container idea is absolutely amazing, the shells can keep the notes played in the inventory so it should be working !

[Flash.Jonathan]

Maybe even an addition of allowing the shells to interact with the deeply neglected One Man Band. Something like a new recipe for an ocean themed version of the One Man Band requiring shell shards. Which would be used to tame creatures like merms perhaps, or some yet unknown tamable ocean creatures.

[ArubaroBeefalo]

I want a ocarine to make rain :_(

maybe it could be done with a sell shape

[ADM]

1 hour ago, ArubaroBeefalo said:

I want a ocarine to make rain :_(

I often use the Telelocator Staff to start rain but this sounds like a good idea as well ^^