Alarm Sounds Not System Sounds?

[RobynDaBank]

Posting this after a tiny amount of testing: when BGM while inactive is enabled the alarm definitely rang, but when I disabled it, there was no sound when the time came around.

So for the first time, I set an alarm to track Grade 3 Thanalan Topsoil spawns while I'm tabbed out. I mute all sounds except system sounds (instance pops, tells) for when the client is not active. Now for some sad reason, alarms do not count under system sounds, but rather BGM. Now FF14 music is great, but while I'm watching someone's video or studying, the constant loops are a tad intrusive. I'm AFKing at the sanctuary closest to Hammerlea where it's not silent.

Would like to request that Alarms either be moved to System Sounds, or chat sounds include an option to set a notification for Alarms. Or heck, just make them their own thing for people who don't want anything else but alarms tabbing them back into the game.

(I was able to dig up an old thread regarding this from 2018 but 1. didn't want to necro it, 2. it was in Insufficient Information which is likely a subforum for moderators to move threads into, not for conversation. https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/375241 )

[Rongway]

(I was able to dig up an old thread regarding this from 2018 but 1. didn't want to necro it, 2. it was in Insufficient Information which is likely a subforum for moderators to move threads into, not for conversation. https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/375241 )

Forum: Insufficient Information is where they move bug reports that don't follow the stickied bug report template or don't do a good job of explaining reproducibility or expectation. If you file a bug report (Forum: In-Game Bugs) using the template and be explicit about how you expect it to work and how that differs from how it actually works they might consider it.

For example, clearly state something like

1. In System Configuration, Sound Settings, enable Play sounds when window is not active.
2. In System Configuration, Sound Settings, under Play sounds when window is not active, disable BGM.
3. In System Configuration, Sound Settings, under Play sounds when window is not active, enable System Sounds.
4. In Alarm, Add Alarm and set an alarm for a time one minute in the future with a Reminder of 0.
5. Alt-tab to a different window.

Expected outcome: The alarm sound is audible when the alarm triggers.
Actual outcome: No sound plays when the alarm triggers.

1. In System Configuration, Sound Settings, enable Play sounds when window is not active.
2. In System Configuration, Sound Settings, under Play sounds when window is not active, enable BGM.
3. In System Configuration, Sound Settings, under Play sounds when window is not active, disable System Sounds.
4. In Alarm, Add Alarm and set an alarm for a time one minute in the future with a Reminder of 0.
5. Alt-tab to a different window.

Expected outcome: No sound plays when the alarm triggers.
Actual outcome: The alarm sound is audible when the alarm triggers.

Only after you've explained that in excruciating detail, talk in plain English about how you expect the alarms to fall under System Sounds rather than BGM.


It's possible that making alarms part of the BGM group instead of the System Sounds group was a conscious decision; if it was, it's a bad one, and you'd be right to bug report it. Worst case scenario, they move it to Forum: Working as Intended and then we continue the discussion here hoping it gains enough traction to be noticed. Bug reports get their attention a lot faster than discussions here though.