---
title: "Packet 24: PlayAmbientSound"
description: "Starts the streaming ambient GameSound registered by packet 22 and supplies its playback flags, volume, time, position, and attenuation."
canonical: "https://aosplay.net/protocol-168/packets/24"
markdown: "https://aosplay.net/docs/protocol-168/packets/24.md"
last_updated: "2026-07-16"
protocol: "Ace of Spades Battle Builder 168"
packet_id_decimal: "24"
packet_id_hex: "0x18"
direction: "S→C"
family: "Audio"
implementation_status: "Sent"
evidence: "Live-verified"
wire_size: "Variable: name + 7–16 bytes"
---

# Packet 24: PlayAmbientSound

> Starts the streaming ambient GameSound registered by packet 22 and supplies its playback flags, volume, time, position, and attenuation.

- **Decimal ID:** 24
- **Hex ID:** 0x18
- **Direction:** S→C
- **Family:** Audio
- **Status:** Sent
- **Evidence:** Live-verified
- **Wire size:** Variable: name + 7–16 bytes

## Exact wire layout

The application packet ID is the first byte. The remaining rows are in decode order. Byte sizes exclude ENet headers, wrapper prefixes, LZF chunk framing, and compression effects.

| # | Field | Encoding | Bytes | Purpose | Condition |
| ---: | --- | --- | ---: | --- | --- |
| 0 | `packet_id` | u8 | 1 | Always 24 (0x18). | — |
| 1 | `name` | NUL-terminated UTF-8 string | N + 1 | Null-terminated UTF-8/ASCII-compatible string. | — |
| 2 | `flags` | u8 | 1 | Bit 0 looping; bit 1 positioned. | — |
| 3 | `volume` | sign-magnitude fixed16 LE (1/64) | 2 | volume value. | — |
| 4 | `time` | sign-magnitude fixed16 LE (1/64) | 2 | time value. | — |
| 5 | `loop_id` | u8 | 1 | loop id value. | looping flag set |
| 6 | `position` | 3 × fixed16 LE | 6 | X, Y, and Z components at 1/64-unit precision. | positioned flag set |
| 7 | `attenuation` | sign-magnitude fixed16 LE (1/64) | 2 | attenuation value. | positioned flag set |

## Encoding conventions

- `LE` means least-significant byte first.
- `fixed16` is two-byte sign-magnitude at 1/64 precision.
- `orientation16` uses the measured 1/8192 orientation mapping.
- NUL strings consume their encoded byte length plus one `00` terminator.
- Counted arrays repeat immediately in the documented order.

## Related resources

- [HTML packet page](https://aosplay.net/protocol-168/packets/24)
- [Complete packet catalog](https://aosplay.net/protocol-168/packets)
- [Packet catalog in Markdown](https://aosplay.net/docs/protocol-168/packets.md)
- [Protocol 168 guide](https://aosplay.net/protocol-168)