How does cross-save-game band formation work for multiple local players?

[tbradshaw]

Hopefully this is an easy question that any HMX employee could answer.

On the 20th, I'll be unleashing Rock Band on a house of 6 gamers with aspirations of both solo and cooperative glory. How will band formation work with regard to save games on the XBox/PS3?

Can a band only be formed with characters found in the save state for the current gamertag/PSN username? Can my band, with it's progress contained in the save state associated with my gamertag/PSN username, contain characters my roommates have created in their respective save state?

Thanks for you time!

-- Travis

[Clutch414]

That question is deep.

[Reaper0563]

I think you can only use characters/gamesaves on the hard drive in the xbox/ps3 that you are playing on. no ps3 => xbox 360 and no xbox 360 => ps3.

[AdamBomb629]

Hopefully this is an easy question that any HMX employee could answer.

On the 20th, I'll be unleashing Rock Band on a house of 6 gamers with aspirations of both solo and cooperative glory. How will band formation work with regard to save games on the XBox/PS3?

Can a band only be formed with characters found in the save state for the current gamertag/PSN username? Can my band, with it's progress contained in the save state associated with my gamertag/PSN username, contain characters my roommates have created in their respective save state?

Thanks for you time!

-- Travis

I'm pretty sure the only thing that is set is a band leader, other than that members can come and go as they please.

[toefer]

I think you can only use characters/gamesaves on the hard drive in the xbox/ps3 that you are playing on. no ps3 => xbox 360 and no xbox 360 => ps3.

Adding to that I would assume that all characters are on a single console, unless there is an easy way to copy them over. But even then, if you copy a character named Bobert from your PS3 to your friend's PS3 (or 360 to 360), and then play for a few hours, you'd have to then take this updated Bobert, copy him/her again, and bring it back home. Which seems like a hassle.

I'm not sure how 360's work, but with a PS3, you can have multiple user accounts, and I'm wondering if the save data from the game will be shared across all user accounts, but I assume this is not the case, because it hasn't been the case in any other game to date (as far as I know).

Granted, we should just wait for someone from HMX to answer this, instead of speculate.

[JackBNimble]

Adding to that I would assume that all characters are on a single console, unless there is an easy way to copy them over. But even then, if you copy a character named Bobert from your PS3 to your friend's PS3 (or 360 to 360), and then play for a few hours, you'd have to then take this updated Bobert, copy him/her again, and bring it back home. Which seems like a hassle.

I'm not sure how 360's work, but with a PS3, you can have multiple user accounts, and I'm wondering if the save data from the game will be shared across all user accounts, but I assume this is not the case, because it hasn't been the case in any other game to date (as far as I know).

Granted, we should just wait for someone from HMX to answer this, instead of speculate.

I dont think you can do that ,at least not on the ps3.It would be easier to just make a character at your buddies place and us that when you visiting.

[Apples]

I'm pretty sure the only thing that is set is a band leader, other than that members can come and go as they please.

Pretty sure this is the correct answer.

[TK-757]

Pretty sure this is the correct answer.

I just want to make sure I'm clear on one thing:

The Band Leader determines what is locked & unlocked, right?

IE - If I've been rocking out on my console at home, save my drummer on my MU, then head over to my friend's pad to play with his band, we'll be limited to what HE has unlocked.

[tbradshaw]

I'm with you guys on the speculation. As of now, I can't think of a game that reads from more than one save game. But I don't know if that's because there's a deliberate API limitation that prevents it from happening systemically, or if no game developers have seen it as a valuable addition to their game.

For those that are coming to the thread and giving things a thought, here's the basic premise (I'll use GH2 on XBox 360 for this example).

When a gamer tag is created and a game is launched with that gamer tag, a save game state is created for that player and that game. As each gamer tag plays the game, another independent save state is created. So, take the example of GH2 at my house, where myself and my roommate are playing GH2.

Myself
[My Bands, My Unlocks]

Roommate
[His Bands, His Unlocks]

You can tell that the save are completely separate, because the unlocked content and career mode bands are completely separate. So then, the test comes when we play cooperative mode. I log in and start GH2, my roommate logs in to the other controllers and we start ripping through Can't You Hear Me Knocking.

We both end up getting the 1000 note combo achievement, which persists at all times. However, our high score ONLY gets written to my save game and the unlocked bass guitar only goes to my save game.

Overall, not a big deal. The top scores are fun but not critical and so the separation of game state is no big deal. However, with Rock Band it's a whole new ball of wax, because you actually have an identity with your Rock Band characters.

With this new background, let's replay the scenario.

I log in and play the solo career with my wicked sweet metal guitarist. After my session ends, my roommate logs in and plays the solo career with his ridiculously indie drumming savant. This will leave us with two independent save games:

Myself
[Metal Guitarist]

Roommate
[Indie Drummer]

Next, myself and my roommate strike a deal to join forces into the most indie metal band ever. I create a new band on using my save state.

Can my roommate use the Indie Drummer from his save state to join my band?

[tbradshaw]

Also, to be clear, I'm talking about multiple characters in separate save games on the same physical console.

While information about cross-platform data exchange or portable save content would be cool, it's not part of my original question.

I'm talking specifically about 5 guys and a girl, 6 saves, one single xbox360 (or PS3, we have both, haven't picked which to get RB for).

[Apples]

It strikes me that the purpose of having the "band leader" is to designate the profile that all the band's data is saved under. Thus, it would would look to that singular save file to determine all of the specific properties for the entire band... unlocks, venues, costumes, etc. etc.

Standard disclaimer: this is all just based on my interpretation of the various articles out there (along with my own logical deductions on the matter) and should not be taken as official.

[MartyMcFly]

^^ That makes most sense Apples.

I had this discussion with another member in a thread as well. When you create a Band Profile in Band World Tour, you're basically going to want to be playing on the system of the Band Leader that you choose, as stated, he is the one that is responsible for everything.

You would use that leader's hard drive to save your game, or memory card, and that's what you would go by.

In your Solo Tour mode, your Rocker will have everything you unlocked. But on your system, you will not have the BWT progress automatically saved. Perhaps when you upgrade your Rocker in Solo mode, it can somehow update, or an option to, itself for your Band World Tour.

For example, say you unlock a new guitar or something in Solo Tour Mode, but you already have your member in a band that started BWT. Perhaps there is someway to update that status automatically or by option to reflect those changes.

[toefer]

It strikes me that the purpose of having the "band leader" is to designate the profile that all the band's data is saved under. Thus, it would would look to that singular save file to determine all of the specific properties for the entire band... unlocks, venues, costumes, etc. etc.


I think that may answer part of the question (regarding how stats/unlocks are saved), but the other part of the question, I think, involves loading up characters from multiple gamertags/accounts, to have them play together.

Even if it doesn't save stats to each gamertag's save data, thingy whatever (I don't know what to call it), it'd be nice to be able to have the characters play together, instead of having to remake them on the one person's account.

[SmokaCola]

When you save something on a 360 and then bring it back to your place and update it... You can't get achievements? right? Or because you were on a guest account that's ok? I know if you try to put another save data on your currrent gamertag from the other it won't let you gain any achievements.

[TK-757]

Even if it doesn't save stats to each gamertag's save data, thingy whatever (I don't know what to call it), it'd be nice to be able to have the characters play together, instead of having to remake them on the one person's account.

According to one of the articles posted, and again forgive me because I don't remember which one, they said that you will be able to take your avatar to someone else's console along with all the clothes & such that you've purchased for them.

[AdamBomb629]

When you save something on a 360 and then bring it back to your place and update it... You can't get achievements? right? Or because you were on a guest account that's ok? I know if you try to put another save data on your currrent gamertag from the other it won't let you gain any achievements.

Acheivements occur via gamertag, not by save game. If you load up you're buddies advanced save game (further along in the game) with your gamertag, the achievements will not unlock. THey are usually triggered by the event happening at the time.

[Spraynwipe]

Ahh, a nice meaty technical question I can answer!

The short answer is: you should be able to whatever you're trying to do.

The long answer: On the Xbox 360, you can have multiple gamertags in the same band, as well as multiple characters from the same gamertag in your band playing at the same time. The only restriction is that the leader has to be signed in and playing.

Your song selection is the combination of everyone's progress. So, if I've unlocked In Bloom with a character on my gamertag, and you've unlocked WGFA on yours, they'll both be available to play when our gamertags are signed in and playing together.

If your gamertag is signed in and has a character playing when playing that an achievement is relevant for, then you get the achievement. For example, if four gamertags are playing win a van in BWT, they'll all get that achievement. If one of those players then plays Bass 100% upstrummed on expert, only the bass player will get that achievement (since it's instrument specific)

Did I miss anything?

(I'm being explicit about platform here because it's what I'm most familiar with, I haven't spent as much time with the PS3 version, but whatever restrictions there are there are platform-mandated rather than us-mandated.)

[TK-757]

On the Xbox 360, you can have multiple gamertags in the same band, as well as multiple characters from the same gamertag in your band playing at the same time. The only restriction is that the leader has to be signed in and playing.

Your song selection is the combination of everyone's progress. So, if I've unlocked In Bloom with a character on my gamertag, and you've unlocked WGFA on yours, they'll both be available to play when our gamertags are signed in and playing together.

If your gamertag is signed in and has a character playing when playing that an achievement is relevant for, then you get the achievement. For example, if four gamertags are playing win a van in BWT, they'll all get that achievement. If one of those players then plays Bass 100% upstrummed on expert, only the bass player will get that achievement (since it's instrument specific)

Did I miss anything?


Brilliant!! Thank you so much!! =D

[Spear_of_Destiny]

But where has the rum gone?????

Sorry this kinda like discussing time travel...

[tbradshaw]

Did I miss anything?

I don't think that you've missed anything, thanks for the detailed question. As a follow up to make sure it's clear. When I have multiple gamertags playing locally with me, that includes characters that they have created in their own solo play (on the same xbox but completely unrelated to my play.)?

Thanks a ton for taking the time to respond.