Drumming Overdrive

[Thats_Bull]

I am avid Drummer in Rock Band on the PS3, and although I am by no means incredibly awesome, I am fairly decent (top 200 in career score). I am right now tired of trying to beat Dead on Arrival, and so have begun going for Gold Stars on all of the earlier, easier songs. I have mostly five stars on all of them, but the Gold Stars elude me, even when I get 99%, missing only two to three notes.

Therefore, I have concluded that the problem is in the overdrive usage. I usually just use it whenever I have it, but this may be wrong. For example, are you supposed to use it when it is 3/4 full, all the way full? What about the points you lose during the free play sections?

Any drummer who has figured out good ideas on songs can share them... as I have no ideas myself. I thank anybody for any help that they have.

[3Z3VH]

With drums, you can't be nearly as strategic with Overdrive as you can on Guitar, because each time you pass up the opportunity to activate Overdrive on Drums, you are wasting points due to the notes it isn't showing under the fill section, and it will keep giving you constant opportunities if you are at half Energy and refuse to activate it.

[Kinnetik]

Just to clarify, I'm assuming since you're in the top 200 you're talking about playing on Expert right? You can only achieve Gold Stars on Expert I believe.

I only ask because I usually crack the top 200 and fall again when other players improve and I haven't completed but 2 songs in Expert. I'm just constantly improving my skills on Hard and only need to beat Run to the Hills to beat Hard.

I personally use the overdrive as soon as I can too and am curious to hear if there's better scoring strategies out there.

[AdamWill2]

Check ScoreHero (rockband.scorehero.com), there's a forum thread where the gold star score thresholds for all songs are listed.

Some songs have them set *very* high, you have to be within two or three notes of an FC to get one. I believe there's a couple of songs where it's actually not technically possible to get gold stars (the threshold is above the theoretical maximum score).

[Thats_Bull]

By top 200, I mean top 200 career score, as in, the highest combined score for all the songs you have played, not just in expert... but I know you can only get gold stars on expert.

I was not actually unsure about what score the gold stars are at, more importantly when to use one's overdrive as to effectively achieve the gold stars.

[AVC808]

also id imagine youd want to keep the streak going as long as possible to keep your multiplier going. for instance missing only the last five notes in the end probably arent as bad as missing 2 or 3 notes on separate segments of the song breaking your multiplier each time, especially when youre in overdrive.

[AdamWill2]

well, yeah, if you're gonna miss do it at a the start or the end. but I think most people have that much figured out. :)

[futant420]

The best way i've found is to a) be sure that if you miss notes they are not overdrive phrases, and b) do not miss any fill triggers either. This gives you max overdrive time thus enhancing the possibility of gold stars. Other than that... don't miss any notes. I'm not sayin this as a *****, just someone in the same boat.
Edit:try it on a song with no charted fills(i.e. Blitzkreig Bop) maybe without the trickier bits it would be a little easier.
PSN-Futant420
#36 on drum career board