Just an update for all those interested - AAO for all 3 titles is continuing to move forward. I still intend to complete AAO:CS v1.0, which is building off a lot of info I learned about X-Ray 1.6's audio engine during development of AAO:CoP. The new engine allows for a lot more flexibility with ambient positioning, which can really create more of an ambient feel than was possible with SoC. AAO:CoP will be seeing an updated version in the future as well (probably after AAO:CSv1.0 is released) - although it's "version" is still yet to be decided . . . will really depend on just how much will be addressed. As it stands, I don't intend to have to change a whole lot (although that may change).
As well, AAO:SoCv2.0 is still in the mix - further tweaks and adjustments to the overall ambient schemes for all levels are on the agenda, additionally some more sounds will be thrown in too. If all goes well, I also intend to get further into the SDK and attempt to add additional sound enviornments (EAX) to the vanilla levels . . . and create new sound environments that were not present in the vanilla game. I also intend to place/tweak some additional env_mod sections to prevent ambient sounds from being heard in certain locations (i.e. 100Rads).
Further work on re-commenting all the NPC audio is still slated for all 3 titles . . . and I'm cooking something up to nix all those annoying NPC greetings in CoP.
My goal with the next iterations of all 3 is to make the ambient sounds even more ambient, and further push them back from the forefront - and I also intend to try and make things sound both a bit more realistic, and even more un-nerving . . .
. . . and for the modders out there - I'll start including some resources with releases; tables showing what commenting values were used for which audio sounds (allows for better understanding of how far AI will "hear" them); configs and instructions for activating radios, or adding sounds to physic objects via editing of the .spawn; possibly un-used raw/commented sounds; etc.
So, stay tuned!