Musician Archive
Thread: More songs, flourishes, and effects coming; other dev feedback
Thanks NewJedi, it is great news to here anyone in authority even talk about us 
/denyService is going to fundamentally change the entire game for Entertainers too 
I'm excited by them even mentioning new songs, instruments and techniques too. Something somewhat-tangible to look forward too. I'd rather have them spent time on writing new songs than giving us the tools to do our own though. Copywrite issues aside, writing 16 track music that uses 8 different instruments each with their own unique backbeat and 8 different flourishes eachis just not something many are going to tackle after the "oh cool new shiny!" affect wears off.
If they allow us to trade ingame sheetmusic it just gets worse, legally. SOE could be held liable for allowing the trafficing of copywrited material. We know people would bring all sorts of out-of-character stuff like Stairway to Heaven or Bohemian Rhapsody.
What I would like to see is a halfway step. Let us all use our computer keyboards as synthesizers, and pluck notes individually. This sets up a nice tool for realtime creativity. There's still a question of who'd bother, but there's a big difference in approachability between that and having to learn Finale
But in lieu of that, I actually think flourishes per song per instrument do have a good detail creativity already, particularly if you get about 10 or more folks together interested in generating new "songs".
it was a given that they would have to put in new instruments and songs over the life of the game. Things for a musician would be pretty stale if they didn't. I guess our question should be when are the first ones coming and how many can we expect? 
Sounds like some cool stuff is coming for musicians.. hopefully some new ideas and changes will get rid of that "what the heck is the point of being a master" feeling.
Deny service will be useful for dealing with the pricks and opposing factions.. If some musicians think they can use this to extort tips out of other players then they will have a shock.
If they fix terminal missions that would be the best. Have it scaleable depending on the musicians level, give us Masters a reason to stay in the Cantinas.. since right now there is no reason for me to be there.. if I want to socialize I don't have to be in the cantina, as well if I want money hoping to get tipped isn't going to fill that need either.
It would be cool to see some other ideas as well for Musicians/Dancers perhaps an additional faction system, where you gain points towards become famous. Have it setup like rebel/imperial stuff and the more missions you do or the more people that watch you in different cities/planets. You can spend points to get better ranks for higher paying missions and the whole time it keeps you in the Cantina where you are playing for other players.
Get our income out of the hands of other players.. give us control over our finanical situation.
Just so I know... how many people out there are musicians/dancers to the complete exculsion of everything else?
I mean come on! Ive done the math, you go full on ME/MM/MD and you still have enough points to pick up a weapon skill and go a bit into its advanced profession.
As long as you are using public facilities you really have nothing to stand on when complaining about 'others controling your income'.
Just pick up marksman, go pick up some destroy missions and stop complaining about your lack of income.
Second Leutinent Laramee
Master Entertainer
Master Musician
Aspiring Sniper
Skyshar wrote:
Just pick up marksman, go pick up some destroy missions and stop complaining about your lack of income.
The point of focusing on Entertainer is so as to not need to get into combat to make money.
I mean honestly you wouldn't tell a movie start to go out an mow grass to make a living would you? No Entertainers should have some means to make money with out having to go into combat. Sure the tips exist but it would be nice if we didn't need to rely on them. Isn't whinning, just wanting more play options.
You missed the point Skyshar.
We shouldn't have to pick up a gun just to get money, Especially once we are Masters, but that is exactly what we do since there isn't much to keep a master playing in the cantinas once we don't need the exp.
By having better paying terminal missions the masters will want to stick around in the cantina because there will be incentive for us to do so, because right now unless you really love being the selfless healer or your a bot the masters don't stick around much.
Faydra,
Sorry its takin a while to responde.
I belive what Holo said was he 'Did try' (done allredy) but was shoot down.
This was Way back when the game was first in development.
Now, We might get a 'System' that you can compose songs with Pre-determined stanzas.
But, Sony ( The Great Entertainment Conglomerat) willNever everlet you input popular songs a note at a time.
After all , we are talking about Sony. The largest privet suporter of copyright laws.
And, Most people would agree, We don't want to hear your rendition of 'Stairway to Heaven' in a starwars game.
I'd like to hear a song suitable for all the exotic dance because I feel very sorry for the dancers who perfom it on our current songs...
Moreover I'd like an other song like the Waltz where Mandoviolin sound like a violin (nice) but Nalargon sound in it like a piano and not like an electronic organ (so pity)
Gaptia.
Epidap wrote:
Faydra,
Due to Copyright laws that will never be put in game.
I don't know... I don't think this was actually an excuse used, but merely a perceived obstacle.
What's stopping me from typing the first chapter of Harry Potter in spacial chat? Nothing stops me from /singing the lyrics to my favorite Zeppelin tune.
The copywrite thing comes up periodically. Here's my take:
If SOE created tools for us to generate music and then trade our creations, then they'd be legally bound to ensure we didn't trade copywrited material. Otherwise, like Napster (which didn't create, host nor charge for anything), SOE could be held liable for the trafficking of copywrited material. We know alot of hacks would pull every bit of sheet music they have to replicate it in 16 track MIDI.
Which leads to my next position:
Who exactly is going to create 16 track MIDI music (some instruments use multiple tracks, and I'm assuming 16 for future expansion), with unique tracks per 8 instruments and 8 unique flourishes for those 8 instruments? Many will want to, but few will actually do so. And fewer will do it well.
I just don't see this as a critical feature right now. We already have the finest music generation system in MMORPGs. I run into people who don't quite understand how creative it can be.
If it was going to come in someday, I would take this approach:
Realtime Music Generation
Using the computer keyboard as a synthesizer, players can play notes one at a time off of their equipped instrument. This is done in other music programs and would work here. It might be too "twitchy" for some, and not everyone has musical acumen anyway, but that's why I would leave the flourish system in place.
- The way "sheet music" would be traded would be how flourish sheet music is now: email. Sequences and timings are sent out as keypresses.
- This should absolve SOE from legal involvement.
- We're not trading sheet music. We're not even generating sheet music in the same way that it is done.
- The entire playing of a song requires the person do be good at the keyboard, and for entire bands, will likely require a Conductor to keey them on key and time.
- It is easier to code than Finale
Instruments i'd like to see(and might bring more people going entertainer):
Drum Set, Stand Up Bass, Big Tuba type thing....who knows what the might add 
Darniaq, that's a great idea, but with server lag it would be impossible to play together as a band.
Thanks Waho, but lag is the reason I think this is the "safest" approach SOE can take legally. It would take alot of practice for a band to sound good, just like real life. Lag isn't the only issue either. There's AFK, bio breaks, family emergencies, random CTDs and other discons. Bands irl have it easy by comparison
But that's why I have this as a system that includes flourishes. The flourishes would remain and be the pendulum. Players would tie their twitch-activated notes to a "mood" set by the song itself. In this way, even if an individual member messes up, other parts of the song sound fine. Sorta like an orchestra.