Rock Band Blitz – Rumors and Facts

[metalkorn]

I think it would need to be done for the next game in order to future proof it. Assuming it's on Next-Gen consoles and DLC carries over, otherwise we will all be back to square one anyway paying for everything all over again which is an issue in itself.

If it's a game on current consoles I am sure they are looking into a solution if it's viable as they know the issue exists.

[LoopyChew]

Ok, so you agree with me on that.

And then you wander into some magical land of not making sense.

I defer to you--I know the basics about databases, but I don't think I can really say I know anything about database optimization. The basis for my logic, before I went into crazy town, was that they were trying to keep index for the entire library in whatever amount of RAM is allocatable for it and have it stay there, so as to keep the song selection process speedy--even when perusing other menus or playing songs.

I'm presuming you'd start out with a specific query that goes through the song index, brings up a screenful or two of songs and then have it continue loading results from there as you scroll through them, like a "next page of search results" or whatever?

[metalkorn]

I posted a response on this in another thread, forget which one now, probably the 300 limit thread, but it's possible you could do it this way. It would then work like the leaderboards or the rockband store where it needs to load up the next set of content when scrolling, which would mean the scrolling of songs in the song select would not be as fluid as it is now.

Either way the work involved is likely not financially viable in a patch, I don't know how many people are at that 3000 song limit anyway so the patch would most likely be detrimental to my own personal experience with the game.

I recall, and maybe i'm wrong, but can you not see all your songs just by using the filters in the song library? The only thing you wouldn't be able to do is see everything at once but you still can access all your songs can you not?

[Sayburr]

Just added the following to the OP:

Recommendation Engine: This engine is a “pretty big piece of functionality” “that it is totally dynamic and will refresh itself every time you log in to our Rock Central server which, along with other things (not announced yet), runs the following:
----Score Wars: This is a player-vs-player challenge that is suggested to you by our recommendation engine. So, for example, let's say log in to the game, and I see in my Recommendations Feed that [the engine] has suggested I challenge HMXMister_Game (Nord) to beat me at "I'm Still Standing". I decide this sounds like a good thing to do, so I accept, and that will send a challenge message over to Nord in his game's Messages screen. We each have X number of days to get the highest possible score on this song. The message in your inbox will remain and track the number off attempts Nord and I make on the song, and show who is currently winning. If you don't have XBL or PSN friends with Rock Band Blitz, the game will suggest Score Wars with other random players.
----Leader Board: Recommendations Feed will scan your library and say something to the effect of "Hey you should play this song because Pope currently has a higher score than you on it." So then you could pop into that and compete with my score on your friend’s leaderboards, without actually being in a Score War.
--- Recommendations could also say "Hey you haven't played this song yet!" which I find to be IMMENSELY helpful when you either have a really big library, or you buy DLC often. It's easy to forget you have certain songs, so the game will helpfully remind you of that.
--- The Feed will also keep you up to date on new DLC releases that might appeal to your tastes, and if you so decide that, yes, you would be interested in buying that new track, one button press will take you directly to that song's page in the Music Store. Thread

[Meat-Popsicle]

I only play two Facebook games, both of them fairly recent additions: "Angry Birds" and "You Don't Know Jack". Both of them offer powerups that allow you to have an edge in beating your friends' score. Isn't that cheating? No, not if the game lets you (encourages you!) to do it, I guess. So you start out with a few of these powerups for free, but you can earn more by playing regularly. OR, of course, you can lay down real money and buy some directly. Can't play better than your friend? Well, that's OK, you can still beat their score by spending a few bucks on lasers / pinballs / autoplay!

Is that really the model this game is going to use? Huh. If so, then I picture myself using the powerups just often enough to earn all of the trophies that require their use, and then never again. And I would hope that there would be separate high-score lists for songs done without any powerups at all, though I am guessing that will not be the case.

[metalkorn]

powerups are earned through playing not to be purchased with real money from what i understand. this is different to most facebook games that pretty much force you to pay if you want to compete. I think the intent is to earn the powerups then be selective about which song you use them on which will come with experience.

[HMXPope]

powerups are earned through playing not to be purchased with real money from what i understand. this is different to most facebook games that pretty much force you to pay if you want to compete. I think the intent is to earn the powerups then be selective about which song you use them on which will come with experience.

This man is correcto! We're not charging anyone real world money to buy power-ups or anything like that. The game has a "coin" system, which you earn by playing songs and score wars. Those are spent on "buying" power-ups per play. Give us some anti-sleaze credit, Meat-Popsicle!

[Meat-Popsicle]

I wouldn't have been disappointed in Harmonix, so much as "surprised". This system actually sounds ... intriguing. And maybe even addictive. But it won't cost me anything, other than a one-time purchase of Blitz, and maybe some lost days of productivity when I stay up too late playing it.

Oh, and it'll cost me more money to buy DLC, but probably not more than I'm already spending on songs for RB3. But for other people? Aw yeah, the money is going to come flowing in for Harmonix ... fingers crossed!

[Blasteroids]

It would then work like the leaderboards or the rockband store where it needs to load up the next set of content when scrolling, which would mean the scrolling of songs in the song select would not be as fluid as it is now.

I would wager that it can be made to be as fluid as it is now. The lag you see on the leaderboards and store are due to the inherently slow nature of network data storage and retrieval of this type.

The game has a "coin" system, which you earn by playing songs and score wars.

How dare you allow us to accumulate these "coins" for free instead of milking it! What were you thinking???

[www1221]

Blitz will be out before Pax Prime which is August 31st. Confirmed on livestream