First off, you like vanilla gun sounds better, I get it, I don’t, at all, you can move on to another post and not waste your time responding if that’s why you’re here.
I’m looking for information on where to locate the retail gun sound files to copy them to be used in classic wow. With the apparent 8.2 sound file changes I haven’t been able to find exactly how to do it, or where they’re located in the retail folder. I just upgraded to a gun and they annoy me so much it’s putting me off logging in at all until I get it fixed.
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So? You like the sound of blowing a spitwad through a straw for a gun? It’s what makes a gun a GUN. Lucky there are alternatives right now, use a bow or crossbow.
I never understood the reason why they changed the sound in retail.
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I’m pretty sure that’s not allowed.
It is, it’s done by adding sound files to a sub folder that wow is specifically designed to look for in cases specifically like this.
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They changed it because guns are scary .
we will all use crossbows when av drops.
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People still play with sound enabled?
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Guessing it’s related to what they were talking about in this thread: FYI 8.2 seems to be breaking sound mods - #15 by Bluspacecow-muradin
If anything, I’d like to make the gun sounds more robust. Like replace the sound with an M16 or M4 sound. Always loved the bark of those guns.
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Wowhead has a sound database, i think you’re looking for something like this: https://www.wowhead.com/sound=57073/unknown-sound
Those sorry little dart gun sounds they added in what? Cataclysm? Were one of Blizzard’s greatest sins, alongside messing with Druid’s tree form.
I specifically use a gun to tank with because that nice loud boom is a great start to any fight. I also just sit here and revel in it anytime a hunter has a gun out in my group. Thanks for reminding me of another reason I love Classic.
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and this is how you shouldn’t play wow boys, The casual popping off, and then you wonder why people say “my bad” way too often
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I got to lvl 35 before the sound of the guns started to do my head in…
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/Meanwhile with people arguing classic vs retail gun sounds, Bari start’s digging into other games gun sounds.
…Yea i don’t like both, Classic’s is too obnoxious sounding and Retail’s is less impactful sounding. A guide to change this so i can add in my two cents on what my gun should sound like would be neato. 
Classic WoW and Retail WoW use the same data folder:
\Blizzard\World of Warcraft\Data\data\
Unfortunately the folders you used to drag and drop to are now singular files that are likely encrypted so alterations to them will not allow the game to function. If they’re not encrypted then you may be able to alter them using some tech savviness. However this gets into breaching Code of Conduct about altering files.
You might be stuck with the sounds without direct permission from Blizzard.
I have been summoned !
At work right now so a more comprehensive post is going to have to wait.
Cliff notes version -
- Blizzard has been okay with us changing sounds via virtual file system overrides since 2009
- The usual method was mimicking the path that would result when wow loads its virtual file system. When it needed to use the sound you replaced it would load in and use the sound you’ve put in your local path.
- This method was killed by 8.2 for reasons I’ve speculated on in the linked thread
- As classic is based on an 8.1 client with 1.12 bits welded onto it it should in theory still be possible
[19/10 UPDATE : looks like my testing methods forgot to account for Windows 10 not displaying file extensions by default. Proper method of replacing sounds coming soon!]
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One thing ild like to do (once I figure out how)
Is to write a script that takes a listing of every sound in game filtered from a verified listfile then creates a sound replacement path for EVERY sound in classic.
Then go in game and listen for the places where that unique sound plays. Then try to figure out which sound in particular is used where and replace that with a different sound.
Absolutely terrifyingly insane I know but it’s the only way I can think of to comprehensively test a good portion of sounds in game. Especially if I use public domain sounds and upload a copy of this complete sound folder so others can test it too.
You can do pretty much whatever you want with sound files. A lot of addons mess with them because they are fair game such as airhorns or “run away little girl” sound clips playing in boss mods or whatever. I remember there was an addon back in legion that someone used that had Owen Wilson say “wow” every time he crit on his SPriest.
Edit: found the video
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To be fair, addons don’t mess with sounds, but instead add them. You can place sounds in a folder in the addon folder and reference it with a script command in the text chat.