Online Etiquette

[Thrashdragon]

The other day I tried Rock Band online for the first time and joined a random band. Ironically, the singer in the first band I joined was HexCoda from the boards here. What are the odds?

Anyway, after playing in a few online bands over the last few days, here are some thoughts:

If you're playing guitar, offer to switch off every other song. Some people like to play bass. Some people don't. I don't mind playing every other song on bass, but if I have to play bass on every single song, I'm going to leave. If you're not using chat, then after you finish a song on guitar, wait for a second on the selection screen and give the other guitarist an opportunity to select the guitar.

Turn your headset microphones off during the song. Yes, some of us are grownups with families, but no one else wants to hear you constantly yelling at your kids while they're trying to nail a solo.

Difficulty is irrelevant. So you can beat every song on Expert and the other guitarist can only play on Medium. This does not mean he should be relegated to bass every song because of your uber mad skillz. Sadly, I have seen this argued over. The points don't mean anything. Just because I'm playing guitar on Expert doesn't give me any more right to dictate terms than the guy playing on Easy.

Don't play above your level. It's really, really irritating to the other players when someone constantly fails out of a song. If you have to be saved a time or two, no problem...but if you can't handle the song at that level then don't try it when three other peoples' games are going to be affected by your failing. Again, the difficulty you choose is irrelevant to anything other than your personal preference. Pick one that you can handle.

Communicate. If you are the leader, ask other band members what they want to play. If you really, really dislike a song, then tell the leader instead of just dropping out of the band.

[Nate Finch]

Sounds like a very reasonable set of guidelines. Of course, the hoards fo 16 year old boys out there aren't likely to be very cooperative, but I guess you just have to find some regulars to play with. you're lucky, at least you have the opportunity to have headsets and actually communicate online. On the PS3 we can't do anything. Leader gets to pick, and no one gets to say anything. Big fat bummer.

[Thrashdragon]

Of course, the hordes of 16 year old boys out there aren't likely to be very cooperative.

True, but maybe if they read this they will at least know why everyone keeps quitting out of their bands.

[HeXcoda]

Hello! *waves* ^_^

Agreement in full, and here's a few dollars more:

I'm actually WORSE at bass than at guitar, for anything over the mid-level of difficulty. Typically later songs have the bassist going strumstrumstrumstrum... high speed repeaters. I'm hideously bad at those. Give me a series of offbeat harmonic notes to hit and I'm fine, but I'd actually sink the band if you put me on bass. So I typically shoot for guitars... but I do agree in principle that people should mix it up and should absolutely communicate.

Communication is something not a lot of onliners seem to get. Yes, when you have local guests playing with you they can't talk, but as party leader you can, and you should so you can relay their wishes to the rest of us. And once the song starts... well, I've heard some fun chatter during a song, but if your mike is a mouth-breather or you have a lot of background noise, absolutely mute that sucker. I wish there was a push-to-talk mode for guitars...

Difficulty is COMPLETELY irrelevant. I've been in some bands that are really into waving the e-peen and egging people into doing Expert all around, but this results in problem number two there, playing above your level. This is why on vocals, I stick to Hard... it's better for the team if I'm getting 97% on Hard than getting 80% on Expert. It means better combos, higher scores, and more consistent Overdrive / Star Power application. There's absolutely no shame in dropping the diff down if it keeps you in the mix. This is not BWT where you have to tell your friends they can't play anymore because you can't get past the fan cap. *cough* :)

Hope to play with you again! ... but, er, I may not be playing much due to a pending family funeral. *awkward pause* Ah. ROCK ON! Okay, better.

[Quastor]

.sliaf neht eh hcihW ".em morf olos sediT hgiH dna ssarG neerG eht gnilaets t'nia uoY" esuaceb no eunitnoc ot sesufer taht krej eht teg uoy litnU .tsael eht yas ot erutaef ecin a s'tI .tahw yalp ot steg ohw ediced ylmodnar neht lliw emag ehT .llew sa ti tceles nac uoy ,ti gnikcip speek nosrep rehto eht dna ratiug yalp ot tnaw uoy fi ,eton a sa tsuJ

[Thrashdragon]

Hope to play with you again! ... but, er, I may not be playing much due to a pending family funeral. *awkward pause* Ah. ROCK ON! Okay, better.

Sorry to hear that.

Sorry I didn't say hello, one of my mic adapters doesn't work, and since that was my first online band, I didn't discover it until it started. :o I'll see ya in there.

[HMXJohnlok]

.sliaf neht eh hcihW ".em morf olos sediT hgiH dna ssarG neerG eht gnilaets t'nia uoY" esuaceb no eunitnoc ot sesufer taht krej eht teg uoy litnU .tsael eht yas ot erutaef ecin a s'tI .tahw yalp ot steg ohw ediced ylmodnar neht lliw emag ehT .llew sa ti tceles nac uoy ,ti gnikcip speek nosrep rehto eht dna ratiug yalp ot tnaw uoy fi ,eton a sa tsuJ

This is correct, but non-obvious apparently. Reminder (for those who don't want to read that backwards): selecting the same instrument as the other player will randomize it. I personally think it's the most fair method of choosing instrument.

[Thrashdragon]

.sliaf neht eh hcihW ".em morf olos sediT hgiH dna ssarG neerG eht gnilaets t'nia uoY" esuaceb no eunitnoc ot sesufer taht krej eht teg uoy litnU .tsael eht yas ot erutaef ecin a s'tI .tahw yalp ot steg ohw ediced ylmodnar neht lliw emag ehT .llew sa ti tceles nac uoy ,ti gnikcip speek nosrep rehto eht dna ratiug yalp ot tnaw uoy fi ,eton a sa tsuJ

Okay, you either have WAY too much time on your hands, or that's the weirdest board error I've ever seen.

[Thrashdragon]

This is correct, but non-obvious apparently. Reminder (for those who don't want to read that backwards): selecting the same instrument as the other player will randomize it. I personally think it's the most fair method of choosing instrument.

I was wondering about that. The only time I've experienced both players picking guitar I've always ended up with the bass, so I thought it might give priority to whomever had joined earlier. Good to hear that it is random.

[Xenoburst]

.sliaf neht eh hcihW ".em morf olos sediT hgiH dna ssarG neerG eht gnilaets t'nia uoY" esuaceb no eunitnoc ot sesufer taht krej eht teg uoy litnU .tsael eht yas ot erutaef ecin a s'tI .tahw yalp ot steg ohw ediced ylmodnar neht lliw emag ehT .llew sa ti tceles nac uoy ,ti gnikcip speek nosrep rehto eht dna ratiug yalp ot tnaw uoy fi ,eton a sa tsuJ

The sad part is I read all that...and now have a head ache.

[Quastor]

Okay, you either have WAY too much time on your hands, or that's the weirdest board error I've ever seen.

It was the weirdest error I've ever seen. It looks like Firefox had a memory leak, and it was causing my cursor position to get screwed up, effectively allowing everything I typed to appear backwards, though I was typing normally. After I realize it, it was just too cool not to at least finish up that post. :D

I was planning on going back and adding an edit to explain that, but John took the time to read backwards, which is appreciated.

[Damaged]

Time to take it to the next level quastor..

http://dfs.uh-hosting.co.uk/backchatonly.html

[anubis311]

Turn your headset microphones off during the song. Yes, some of us are grownups with families, but no one else wants to hear you constantly yelling at your kids while they're trying to nail a solo.

Regardless of the yelling, 75% of the people I play with (especially drummers) you can hear the annoying clacking of the drums and strum bars. The little mute toggle button on the headset plug--use it. I play drums mostly and i always mute it as the song is starting because nobody wants to hear rhythmic thwacking which is out of sync by a 0.783 second delay. :p