Bug: Sound Source not switching - Fixed in 3.0.

[afarina1]

Pretty weird bug I am experiencing X4 is the only application on my system that has this issue. I change my audio source from my desktop speakers to my headphones depending on the time of day. Basically what happens is that when i need to switch to my headphones from my desk speakers or vice versa, the game sound does not switch as well, it stays on the source it was on when the game was started and the only way to fix it is to restart the game.

[VincentTH]

Pretty weird bug I am experiencing X4 is the only application on my system that has this issue. I change my audio source from my desktop speakers to my headphones depending on the time of day. Basically what happens is that when i need to switch to my headphones from my desk speakers or vice versa, the game sound does not switch as well, it stays on the source it was on when the game was started and the only way to fix it is to restart the game.

I can verify this behavior. There is also another thread about X4 dropping sound source in this forum, and I believe it is manifest of the same problem.
I believe after a save, X4 for some reason pick up the Rear Speaker device, despite the Default device in WIndows 10 being the front speaker (Realtek HD device #2), and wont switch back unless the game is restarted.
I can verify that during the entire process, the headphone was never unplugged from the front audio output.

[-=FL=- UniversE]

I also observed this behavior, but thought that this is normal.

The game uses the output device, that was active, when the game started.

I can also observe this behavior with other applications, like Teamspeak Client.

Open your Windows Settings and look for something like this:


And check what is selected there and if that matches what you experience. If an output device is selected there, but some other output device is used, then it's a bug. Otherwise it is a Windows 10 "Feature".

[VincentTH]

I also observed this behavior, but thought that this is normal.

The game uses the output device, that was active, when the game started.

I can also observe this behavior with other applications, like Teamspeak Client.

Open your Windows Settings and look for something like this:


And check what is selected there and if that matches what you experience. If an output device is selected there, but some other output device is used, then it's a bug. Otherwise it is a Windows 10 "Feature".

That's was my diagnostics too. I believe after an autosave (or save, I am not sure), X4 just reset the audio device to what was Windows 10's default, ignoring the selection the player made at start of game.

[strask412]

I just want to add that this behavior is the same, from my understanding of this thread, on Win7 as it is in Win10. I'm on a Win7 system and have the following issues:

1) I can switch my windows audio device from headphones to speakers or the other way, and the game does not follow the windows default device, it sticks with the device it was using when started. This alone would not be a bug, if the game settings provided an "audio device" drop down to change the selection. But since we can't switch audio devices from within the game, then the game should respect our system-level audio device switch requests.

2) Also I think very closely related: When I start the game using my speakers (which are built into my display), and the display subsequently goes to sleep (from keyboard/mouse inactivity timeout while I'm taking a pause from playing the game), the game seems to lose track of the audio device so when the display wakes back up there is still no audio. Quitting the game and re-starting is required to restore audio operation.

[VincentTH]

I take it all back!!! I found out that my just assembled Case has a loose front panel, and therefore, the headphone jack may have come off during play (kicking the box in frustration !! ).

Sorry for the Fake News (TM) (You got to be an American to smile on this ).

[lplates]

+1 audio not switching when changed in windows while game is running.

This is a pain as I like to switch to headphones as the evening gets late and I have to save and restart the game currently.

[CBJ]

Sorry but this is normal behaviour for most games and many other applications. The sound device used is the one selected at the point the game is started.

[lplates]

Sorry but this is normal behaviour for most games and many other applications. The sound device used is the one selected at the point the game is started.

Are you able to add an option in-game (settings - audio) that allows us to choose once the game is running?
Having to save-exit-launch-load is just a total pain and I have to do this every night when the family goes to bed.

I've noticed that i-Tunes also does this but many other games and apps on my system do not suffer this issue so it seems to be down to the coding of the app and how its implemented.

[strask412]

Sorry but this is normal behaviour for most games and many other applications. The sound device used is the one selected at the point the game is started.

I will debate you on this. It's definitely not a problem with most games (among the set of games I have tested this behavior on). I just tried a few games from my library to see if I'm crazy and I'm definitely not crazy: the ONLY game I could find that has this problem the same as X4 is Stardew Valley. Other games (such as Cultist Simulator and Tangledeep and Stellaris) all behave correctly: If they are using the windows default device, they sign up for notifications and handle the event if the default device changes.

Besides, the fact that a behavior is "normal" for most games and/or many other applications is not super relevant here. What's relevant is the behavior that is most appropriate for THIS game. And I think that for THIS game, which if the forums are to be believed a lot of people leave running overnight sometimes it would be most appropriate to recognize failure to notice sound device events as a bug and schedule it appropriately for someone to fix in ten minutes some time when they aren't busy with more important things.

It's a low-effort fix. It will make the people reporting it as a problem in this thread happy if you fix it some day. Putting it on the list of known bugs someplace will, all by itself, generate good will. "Other games do it badly too" isn't a great counter-argument.

Also: I hope your holidays were good and happy new year!

[strask412]

I have just discovered that this bug is fixed in the 3.0 beta! Thank you Egosoft! <3

For anyone wondering about the details: Check the settings menu under audio, there is now an audio device drop-down that does all the right things. Not only is the bug fixed, but it's fixed in the most correct possible way (that I can imagine).

I wish there was some additional way I could express my warm heartfelt thanks for this fix. Is there any kind of physical gift I could send to your offices that would be appreciated by whomever spent the time to address this issue? I am so happy about this. Thanks again and please do let me know (by PM if appropriate) if there is ANY more tangible way I could express my gratitude.