How important are the background visuals (really)?

[mec_os]

they are important for me in that if someone is just watching it's more entertaining than watching the lanes.

when i play i hardly notice what's going on in the background.

[abynormal]

The character customization and background visuals were what won me over to the series for Rock Band 2, so it was a downer to see the animations take so many steps back in Rock Band 3. Still, if there was a "concentration mode" I would never use it, and I don't think I'd play Rock Band without the visuals.

[Dadasaurus Rex]

I would prefer not to have backgrounds. But I think a "switch" to toggle on/off would appease both sides of the equation.

[TheHundredDollarHeadache]

I don't miss the fretboard backgrounds of the Guitar Hero games, especially Guitar Hero III and Aerosmith.

Casey Lynch was the most popular character because her fretboard background was the darkest. I'd really like to have an opaque note highway like GH5 and up did.


It seems many people are voting "Yes (I'd play without a background)" under the assumption that this is an option you can turn on or off - by the responses I'm doubting that this many people would still play if a blank or minimal (see Rocksmith) background was the only option.

[mikeyts]

It's interesting that some 74% of respondents would continue to play without a background, though some would not play as much.

I don't think that I'd want a completely blank background--something calm and relatively static would be fine (I've often wished that I could choose to play for score against the Practice Mode background of my band lounging around in some room). Perhaps something that could be chosen, like the background on your phone or tablet.

If I had other choices I certainly would never use the "band performing on stage" animations. Something more realistic that might not be bad is a view of an audience, obscured a bit by the stage lights, which is what you'd see if you were actually performing (I think I've seen that in clips and screenshots of Rocksmith).

[TheHundredDollarHeadache]

Something more realistic that might not be bad is a view of an audience, obscured a bit by the stage lights, which is what you'd see if you were actually performing (I think I've seen that in clips and screenshots of Rocksmith).

I would actually give that a shot. That way, they can still show off the venues.

[Vitrifried]

Love the venues, but the movie full background screens sometimes are a distraction, including in the fret board area.

I would challenge HMX on making the venues like an Anton Corbijn concert experience and put the music video or actual concert video displays into the venue backgrounds. (my plug for a Depeche Mode concert video on you tube to see what I'm suggesting)

Yep a lot more memory, but you get a little more experience of being the band in the performance.

[TheHundredDollarHeadache]

Love the venues, but the movie full background screens sometimes are a distraction, including in the fret board area.

I would challenge HMX on making the venues like an Anton Corbijn concert experience and put the music video or actual concert video displays into the venue backgrounds. (my plug for a Depeche Mode concert video on you tube to see what I'm suggesting)

Yep a lot more memory, but you get a little more experience of being the band in the performance.

I think the "original video" / "actual concert" things would work great if implemented like the Pro Guitar upgrades.

[JordanJam]

I would still play, even if the blank background was the only ever option.

I personally view game mechanics as more important than the decoration. This is a discussion that comes up a fair bit with my friends, though not about Rock Band.

That said, I wouldn't vote to remove them since so many people people clearly get a kick out of them.

[Bront20]

Part of the appeal is the Rock and Roll Fantasy (we could use that song btw) is having your character rock out. It's part of the disappointment of RB3 in fact (buggy animations and poor interactions with the stage, as well as character customization issues) that it was a step backwards.

I probably would have stopped playing a long time ago without the background visuals.