Programmable Speaker Override Alert Sounds
Posted: Mon May 25, 2026 8:20 pm
It would be valuable to use programmable speakers to override alert sounds on a surface. For example, the "bweep-bweep" that is heard when alerts such as something being attack occur could be overridden with a speaker sound.
The idea would be relatively straightforward - speaker-specific signals for alerts that fire when the alert audio would be played. If there is any speaker that listens to the alert signal, that speaker plays instead (including multiple speakers taking the alert and playing simultaneously). If there is no speaker, the alert plays normally, if it has a sound.
The signals should be per-surface, so Nauvis' signals would be separate from Vulcanus'. If something is destroyed on Nauvis, only Nauvis would get the alert signal and have a chance to override. The sound override would apply anywhere, however, so if I'm on Vulcanus and something is destroyed on Nauvis, I would get the sound that Nauvis' alerts are configured to play when I get the alert.
This idea could be extended in two ways - first, the ability to set the sound to "No Sound" so that, if an alert comes in for something, you have the option of disabling the sound playing. Second, adding a "Planet Command Hub"-type deal that could output the alert signals. This hub concept could also output other global information on to the network, such as surface the information on the Production Statistics panel, the Science Production Information tooltip, and maybe some other "surface-level" information that I'm not thinking of right now. Perhaps this could also be used to filter alerts, such that if an alert comes in for something running out of ammunition and you don't care about that on this surface, you can just output "nothing" instead of the alert signal, thus no alert even comes through to the player's UI.
Additionally, it would be ergonomic to allow changing Programmable Speaker settings while not connected to a circuit network, since a circuit network is the only way to get usage of the Programmable Speaker anyways.
Practical use:
I'm playing with a lot of modded planets. I don't care that Pelagos has no fuel. I have abandoned it. I don't care that Rubia has a turret that ran out of ammunition. However, I very much care if Gleba has a turret that ran out of ammunition or Nauvis has a train that is out of fuel. I am completely alert-blind due to a combination of being desensitized to the alerts always being present and having no way to know when the alerts are actually important.
The idea would be relatively straightforward - speaker-specific signals for alerts that fire when the alert audio would be played. If there is any speaker that listens to the alert signal, that speaker plays instead (including multiple speakers taking the alert and playing simultaneously). If there is no speaker, the alert plays normally, if it has a sound.
The signals should be per-surface, so Nauvis' signals would be separate from Vulcanus'. If something is destroyed on Nauvis, only Nauvis would get the alert signal and have a chance to override. The sound override would apply anywhere, however, so if I'm on Vulcanus and something is destroyed on Nauvis, I would get the sound that Nauvis' alerts are configured to play when I get the alert.
This idea could be extended in two ways - first, the ability to set the sound to "No Sound" so that, if an alert comes in for something, you have the option of disabling the sound playing. Second, adding a "Planet Command Hub"-type deal that could output the alert signals. This hub concept could also output other global information on to the network, such as surface the information on the Production Statistics panel, the Science Production Information tooltip, and maybe some other "surface-level" information that I'm not thinking of right now. Perhaps this could also be used to filter alerts, such that if an alert comes in for something running out of ammunition and you don't care about that on this surface, you can just output "nothing" instead of the alert signal, thus no alert even comes through to the player's UI.
Additionally, it would be ergonomic to allow changing Programmable Speaker settings while not connected to a circuit network, since a circuit network is the only way to get usage of the Programmable Speaker anyways.
Practical use:
I'm playing with a lot of modded planets. I don't care that Pelagos has no fuel. I have abandoned it. I don't care that Rubia has a turret that ran out of ammunition. However, I very much care if Gleba has a turret that ran out of ammunition or Nauvis has a train that is out of fuel. I am completely alert-blind due to a combination of being desensitized to the alerts always being present and having no way to know when the alerts are actually important.