New (gameplay) video of Epic...three person band fails...

[Magnet]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag8nVOqRE94

The guitarist drops out twice (he's only playing on Hard). The first time he's saved immediately, but the next time it eventually leads to the band failing.

I guess this is the $64,000 question:

Can anyone figure out why the band failed? After the guitarist dropped out, the health icons for the singer and drummer stayed pretty high I thought. I can't figure out the precise reason why the band failed at that moment.

[TheRocker]

This is an awesome video i am going to play guitar and sing.

[BiffMan]

Dunno, certainly wasn't the other band members failing. Maybe there's a finite time to save folks and if any one member stays out for too long, that fails the band?

[TheRocker]

It takes skills to play and sing i think he wasnt used to the Start so he had to look down to see wich fret buttons to hold

[Oxyplox]

I remember reading somewhere you can't fail out twice or something like that..
Or maybe it was you can only be saved twice?

Hmm, don't know.

[Chris_Gonzalez]

It looks to me like if someone fails, you only have a certain amount of time to bring them back in. This makes sense, because the band shares an overall rock meter, and if part of the band can't play at all anymore, the band is going to fail unless they get that guitarist in fast.

[GrenadeJumper]

Well im puzzled....I'm gonna have to guess maybe he was out to long? Btw you can se the three strike think when he fails out. That guy also sucked pretty bad.

[Apples]

I saw that video myself and was wondering about the failure.

[TheRocker]

Its the first full Length video i've seen

[Ultrace]

When one person fails out, the band's overall meter turns red and starts to count down. If 2 players can't bring him back in time... Failure. Once you're out three times, you can't be brought back at all.

This makes it especially dangerous if 2 people drop out because each one has to be brought back individually from what I saw at the tour... So, the two remaining people would have to play their butts off and get lucky for the band not to be eliminated.

[Ultrace]

It looks to me like if someone fails, you only have a certain amount of time to bring them back in. This makes sense, because the band shares an overall rock meter, and if part of the band can't play at all anymore, the band is going to fail unless they get that guitarist in fast.
This is correct... However, it doesn't matter how well the band was doing before the wipeout, the band's meter drops to about a quarter of its max and starts counting down from there.

[undertow]

Looks like there are Guitarist and Drummer Icons along the Green vertical meter. You want to keep that meter in the green as much as possible. When the guitarist failed the first time, the drummer was able to keep it in the green and bring him back. After the guitarist failed the second time, that green meter turned red and continuously dropped. Not sure if it drops simply at a rate designated by time or if the room for error is dramatically lowered, and thus the drummer was not able to keep the bar from declining.

Discuss! :)

[undertow]

This is correct... However, it doesn't matter how well the band was doing before the wipeout, the band's meter drops to about a quarter of its max and starts counting down from there.

If this is true, that means once the count down begins failing is inevitable? Unless of course the song will be over prior to the count downs completion?

If this is true, that doesn't seem fair as you'd be at the mercy of anyone who failed twice and have no chance of surviving.

Though, if they were going for realistic, you wouldn't want to continue if the guitarist failed and walked off stage I suppose. Perhaps, after the second fail and the red meter is depleeted (sp?) they should allow for the free-for-all part to appear, that way you're sort of covering up for the guitarst leaving, doing it freestyle before being kicked/boo'd off stage! :)

[Zidane]

Looks like my friends have to work hard so we don't fail.

[mobhit101]

Awesome video. Probably one of the better ones that I've seen. It's longer than 30 seconds!!!
I like what happens in the background when you fail and then get saved: FAIL! SAVIOR!
Awesome. Can't wait!

[sporkBrigade]

Looks like there are Guitarist and Drummer Icons along the Green vertical meter. You want to keep that meter in the green as much as possible. When the guitarist failed the first time, the drummer was able to keep it in the green and bring him back. After the guitarist failed the second time, that green meter turned red and continuously dropped. Not sure if it drops simply at a rate designated by time or if the room for error is dramatically lowered, and thus the drummer was not able to keep the bar from declining.

Discuss! :)

Actually, it turns red the first time too, and it had nothing to do with the Drummer. The singer is the one who actually activated his Star Power right at the moment the guitarist fell out, and that's what brought him back. The second time he fell out, no one had any star power, so the meter just ticks away until it's gone and the band fails out.

And if what was said earlier was true, and third time out is final, you better hope your third fail is within 10 seconds to the end of the song.

[sporkBrigade]

When one person fails out, the band's overall meter turns red and starts to count down. If 2 players can't bring him back in time... Failure. Once you're out three times, you can't be brought back at all.

This makes it especially dangerous if 2 people drop out because each one has to be brought back individually from what I saw at the tour... So, the two remaining people would have to play their butts off and get lucky for the band not to be eliminated.

Are you sure about this? Previous videos have shown 2 people being brought back by 1 surviving member activating his star power. However, those may have been older builds then what's on the tour.

Personally, I hope it's the way you describe. Up until this point, I was starting to feel that this game was going to be too easy. Having star power only revive one member at a time would definitely spice things up. :D

[Ultrace]

If this is true, that means once the count down begins failing is inevitable? Unless of course the song will be over prior to the count downs completion?

If this is true, that doesn't seem fair as you'd be at the mercy of anyone who failed twice and have no chance of surviving.

That's exactly the case--I believe failing is inevitable when a person wipes out their third (not second) time unless the song runs out before the timer. Is that fair? Well if a person wipes out and gets revived twice in a song and then wipes out again, then tough luck for the band--encourage that person to try a lower difficulty. It's at least easier than GH, where as soon as a person wipes out once, it's over. Unless someone is playing way over their head, the worst that could happen is that they might get wiped out on a hard solo and then revived to play more.

[Ultrace]

Are you sure about this? Previous videos have shown 2 people being brought back by 1 surviving member activating his star power. However, those may have been older builds then what's on the tour.

Personally, I hope it's the way you describe. Up until this point, I was starting to feel that this game was going to be too easy. Having star power only revive one member at a time would definitely spice things up. :D
I admit I was caught up in the excitement of the moment a lot at the tour--but I actually thought that two people had to use star power to bring back a single bandmate. This may not be the case (as you'd never be able to revive anyone in a 2-player game); if it does in fact bring back everyone, then yes, the game will be far too easy... At least to beat. Excelling with good scores on high difficulty may be another matter.

[Feigned]

Only one person needs to activate star power (er...Overdrive) in order to revive someone, which can be done only twice. Once one person fails, the entire band will fail a short time after if they are not revived.

Is this a good feature? Definitely! In a real band if one person really sucks, they are going to make the whole band get booed off the stage. The game is all about working together as a band, and this really pushes that point.

[Rock_Starman]

I'm more puzzled about this:

"acid1one (1 hour ago)
I don't think this guy has ever played any of the guitar hero games. Those guitar parts were not difficult at all.

diebritney (58 minutes ago)
that's funny he works for Harmonix XD"

Maybe he was trying to do something else while playing cause it's hard to think someone at Harmonix is that bad at their own game.

[army_of_me]

I agree, the gameplay makes sense. If they didn't have this feature, that means as long as one person could hang on in a song, the band will always win.

The way it is now adds some challenge and encourages teamwork.

[sporkBrigade]

Only one person needs to activate star power (er...Overdrive) in order to revive someone, which can be done only twice. Once one person fails, the entire band will fail a short time after if they are not revived.

Is this a good feature? Definitely! In a real band if one person really sucks, they are going to make the whole band get booed off the stage. The game is all about working together as a band, and this really pushes that point.

I'll probably call it Star Power until the end of time. :D

While I love and enjoy the musical philosophy injected into everything Harmonix does, there's still a part of my brain that will always be that of a gamer. So for that part of me, there is such a thing as making the game too easy to pass. So while I love the save your bandmate feature, I do hope it's power is limited.

Also, there's always people who play way over their heads. It's actually one thing I liked about Guitar Hero being a little less on the forgiving side with failing. It kept people a little more honest on what difficulty level they played. Some of my least favorite GH playtime has been with people playing face off going way over their own level. Nothing fun about an entire song of 'plunk plunk plunk'.

[Keebler]

So, let's go over something:

You have to have Overdrive and activate it to bring back a saved player. Guitarists can do that pretty easily - all they need to do is go vertical with their Strats. But how do the vocalists and drummers do that? Don't vocalists activate Overdrive by singing their free-form sessions and drummers by hitting the crash symbal at the end of a fill? What if those pre-determined parts are not within the "countdown time" of a player's failing out? Will their Overdrive just not get used or will the game automatically use it right away?

[R0ck3r]

So, let's go over something:

You have to have Overdrive and activate it to bring back a saved player. Guitarists can do that pretty easily - all they need to do is go vertical with their Strats. But how do the vocalists and drummers do that? Don't vocalists activate Overdrive by singing their free-form sessions and drummers by hitting the crash symbal at the end of a fill? What if those pre-determined parts are not within the "countdown time" of a player's failing out? Will their Overdrive just not get used or will the game automatically use it right away?

Yes that is how you activate "Overdrive". I don't think you can activate them at any other time though but they still have the bassist that can activate Overdrive at any time... I guess the only option then is don't get a bassist and guitarist that suck unless your willing to work with them.

[sporkBrigade]

So, let's go over something:

You have to have Overdrive and activate it to bring back a saved player. Guitarists can do that pretty easily - all they need to do is go vertical with their Strats. But how do the vocalists and drummers do that? Don't vocalists activate Overdrive by singing their free-form sessions and drummers by hitting the crash symbal at the end of a fill? What if those pre-determined parts are not within the "countdown time" of a player's failing out? Will their Overdrive just not get used or will the game automatically use it right away?

Correct on the activations. For Vocalists, this isn't a huge deal. As soon as you have enough star power to use it, those free form sections appear between every pause in singing. It seems very very common, so behind guitarist and bassists, they're a close 3rd for savior action. Drum fills, on the other hand, I'm not so sure. Seem pretty spread out to me. So I guess the rule of thumb is don't put the fate of your band on your drummer's shoulders.

Hey, just like real life. O.O

[Xzyliac]

That was such a beautiful pain.

[Bakkster]

I'm more puzzled about this:

"acid1one (1 hour ago)
I don't think this guy has ever played any of the guitar hero games. Those guitar parts were not difficult at all.

diebritney (58 minutes ago)
that's funny he works for Harmonix XD"

Maybe he was trying to do something else while playing cause it's hard to think someone at Harmonix is that bad at their own game.

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/youtube.png

[agar_agar]

I saw this in said youtube comments, but not addressed here...

I'm pretty sure the drum difficulty is on easy in that video. I played it on medium, and there was way more kick pedal than that.

[toymachine]

ahaha wow you guys are on the ball- I was coming to post the video and there's already a 3 page thread.. and Yes I think the guitarist was trying to sing with me.. He also seemed like he enjoyed the open bar :D

No comments on my singing? Didn't I do well? XD

and yeah I should've gotten moar video sorry guys..

When a band member drops out the bar at left drops down until the member is overdrive'd back into the mix- if they aren't then it's FAILCITY

rockband is so much fun!

[jonfitzsimon]

i am jealous. I really want to play, but the closest the tour is coming any where close to San Antonio before the launch, so i have to wait...

[Desensitized]

I'm pretty sure the drum difficulty is on easy in that video. I played it on medium, and there was way more kick pedal than that.
Really? That's awesome. I expected easy to be easier than that.

That means 'Epic' will be... EPIC on expert.

[toymachine]

lol does anyone know who I was playing with (the harmonix employee) he had blonde short hair and was about 5'10 I think

[WingsOfSteel]

I didn't think Easy would have the kick pedal, but I thought it looked a bit easy for Medium. Guess that answers my question...

[Ultrace]

I didn't think Easy would have the kick pedal, but I thought it looked a bit easy for Medium. Guess that answers my question...
Easy uses all four pads and the kick-pedal. That's one of the things that makes drums much trickier than guitar, especially on the lowest difficulties.

[Bakkster]

I didn't think Easy would have the kick pedal, but I thought it looked a bit easy for Medium. Guess that answers my question...

It looks to me like easy doesn't use both kick and snare. It uses kick, just not when you have to coordinate it with your hands.

[Nazriel]

Bakkster,

I salute you on your use of xkcd's thoughts on YouTube comments.

[Bakkster]

Bakkster,

I salute you on your use of xkcd's thoughts on YouTube comments.

Favorite webcomic ever :D