Bardingling

[Ocotillo]

Hi.

I'm trying to get a feel for playing a bard and very specifically being a tuluki bard, and some of the work and culture associated with it. Without going into exhaustive and largely pointless detail, I was hoping some others could point me at logs, specific songs, and documentation to help me get into the mindset.

I'm starting with the memoirs Rairen put up, and I need somewhere to go afterwards.

[Ourla]

A Bardish Prankster Takes on Kurac

<3 bards.  I spent hours and hours and hours IRL for my one Tuluki bard, writing and rewriting songs.

[Good Gortok]

This advice may seem a little strange, but I would recommend that you avoid being too intrusive.

People play bards, which is great. Sometimes someone's really enthusiastic about their bard, which is cool. But sometimes you get a guy who just really wants to be the best goddamn bard in the city, and whenever more than two PCs gather in a public location, he'll come sprinting in with his banjo and churn out a sea of emotes and lyrics that makes it really difficult about doing anything else. I really like bards and think that they're a vital part of the northern culture, but once in a while one gets a bit too eager and becomes a nuisance. Sit on a street bench and play when someone walks past,  provide discreet background music in the tavern, offer your skills to the rich. There will be plenty of competitions and public events for you to really show off without having to Jack Black the shit out of the Sanc every IC night. People will start ignoring you if you stress them out like that.

[tortall]

Read books where people write about someone playing something, so you'll get the feel for what you can put in your emotes. Coming up with new songs is really hard, so to start with don't worry about that. There's tons of songs already available for you.


Also, wikipedia whatever instrument you use. The mdesc's of them arn't very good at describing what they look like. YouTube your instrument. You can see real people playing what you are.

[palomar]

Check http://www.armageddon.org/general/music/index.html if you haven't already.

[Niamh]

Don't be so worried about annoying people if you're playing a bard.  If you sit around and let that sort of worry discourage you from doing what your bard would do, you're not going to enjoy the character.

If you find that you have any questions that you don't have answers to after reviewing the docs and such, feel free to email the bards staff.

[Rairen]

I'm starting with the memoirs Rairen put up, and I need somewhere to go afterwards.

Though, actually, those are more OOC survival tips than anything.  I should do an IC version that's less sarcastic and profanity-driven.

Anyway, if you've already checked out the main documentation and the Circle clan documentation, make sure you don't skip the "music" section in the Circle documentation *cough* likeIdid *cough*.  It takes you to a link separate to the main submissions page - I don't know why, exactly, the Circle has a separate music page except to make us cooler, but it has some of my most favorite logged performances on it (Anya Konviwedu, I don't know who you were, but I can has your brainz, pls?  kthnxbai.) 

Also, on a quiet night, read back through the longer threads and older posts on the forum.  There's a wealth of information in those, including just some plot ideas.

[Voular]

Playing a mediocre/failure of a bard is a very enjoyable experience. Recommended.

[Delstro]

Especially when you grow from a little annoyance into a major party/political animal.

[Xagon]

Here's a question:

You're a bard playing a purely instrumental piece. You have a sound file in mind that you could never hope to describe in accurate detail through text. Would it be considered bad form to OOC a link to the music, saying your bard is currently playing it?

I think it would be great for solo budding musicians.

[spicemustflow]

Would you think it would be a bad form if I only had a link to a picture in my desc?

[AmandaGreathouse]

I would only think it was bad if the ooc was used instead of IC playing. Now if you were emoting the playing out, and ooced the link to go with it, I think it would actually be a rather nice touch, because, over time, it would lead me to know what sounds the bard's player used what words for, and eventually, I wouldn't need to even use the links, while still having a great idea what the music sounds like.

[AmandaGreathouse]

Would you think it would be a bad form if I only had a link to a picture in my desc?

Yes.
1. It would replace the IC description.
2. It would be constantly OOC.
3. It would be so entirely different from any other description in the game, I would find it jarring.
4. I likely wouldn't follow the link, given the obvious lack of work put in on the players part to even -try- to describe the char.

[Malken]

Here's a question:

You're a bard playing a purely instrumental piece. You have a sound file in mind that you could never hope to describe in accurate detail through text. Would it be considered bad form to OOC a link to the music, saying your bard is currently playing it?

I think it would be great for solo budding musicians.

In the past, I've always wanted to record my own music with the mandolin that I own, and link it to what my player emotes.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to keep a bard PC alive long enough to do so

[spicemustflow]

Would you think it would be a bad form if I only had a link to a picture in my desc?

Yes.
1. It would replace the IC description.
2. It would be constantly OOC.
3. It would be so entirely different from any other description in the game, I would find it jarring.
4. I likely wouldn't follow the link, given the obvious lack of work put in on the players part to even -try- to describe the char.

I was trying to say that I feel the same about a bard linking to a sound file.

[AmandaGreathouse]

how so if it were in complement to the roleplay and emoting?

[Ampere]

how so if it were in complement to the roleplay and emoting?

Thanks for answering your own question:

Yes.
1. It would replace the IC description.
2. It would be constantly OOC.
3. It would be so entirely different from any other description in the game, I would find it jarring.
4. I likely wouldn't follow the link, given the obvious lack of work put in on the players part to even -try- to describe the char.

[Ampere]

Here's a question:

You're a bard playing a purely instrumental piece. You have a sound file in mind that you could never hope to describe in accurate detail through text. Would it be considered bad form to OOC a link to the music, saying your bard is currently playing it?

I think it would be great for solo budding musicians.

In the past, I've always wanted to record my own music with the mandolin that I own, and link it to what my player emotes.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to keep a bard PC alive long enough to do so

Not trying to be a bitch. I think it would be cool on the submissions page, very cool --- but this game is a written narrative and I suspect most would find the flipflop in formats detract from, more than add to, their immersion.

[tortall]

Here's a question:

You're a bard playing a purely instrumental piece. You have a sound file in mind that you could never hope to describe in accurate detail through text. Would it be considered bad form to OOC a link to the music, saying your bard is currently playing it?

I think it would be great for solo budding musicians.

In the past, I've always wanted to record my own music with the mandolin that I own, and link it to what my player emotes.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to keep a bard PC alive long enough to do so

Not trying to be a bitch. I think it would be cool on the submissions page, very cool --- but this game is a written narrative and I suspect most would find the flipflop in formats detract from, more than add to, their immersion.

Gotta agree here. I know several of the songs on the submissions page are modified from real songs. Likely more than I know about. I'd suggest to anyone submitting a song that if it's based off a real song to link it. There's mini's of nearly every song out there, or even youtube it.

[Taven]

Not trying to be a bitch. I think it would be cool on the submissions page, very cool --- but this game is a written narrative and I suspect most would find the flipflop in formats detract from, more than add to, their immersion.

I'd agree with that. However, remember not to send copyrighted stuff that isn't your own to the Armageddon Submissions page. I think, however, if you link or mention the title of a RL song it's modeled after in your submission, or suggest where to go to a soundfile if the reader wants further reference, that would be awesome (for those of us unable to play instramentally out the songs, and this option wouldn't work for sheer music songs.) I'd also say that you should really always say in a submission if a song is based of a RL one, because that's just a common courtesy.

But, please, no OOC links. The only time I'd think a link in any situation should be given in the game, even OOCly, is links to Arm Topics or Docs for new players you're helping out, and if at ALL possible, in a private, secluded area.

[SMuz]

Hmm.. I wouldn't like OOC links. Heh, pretending to be a music person in a text-based game is weird, impossible to emote, but no links, please. I've heard music students describe a tune well; if you really like, you could look more into music theory & music appreciation, just don't use jargon

I do love bards IRL, but the fact that music is almost impossible to describe by words is what makes it a great challenge. If you could do it, I'd have a huge amount of respect for you, and even toss you a kudos (heh).

[Niamh]

I would really rather not see OOC links used as a substitute for IC actions.

[Synthesis]

The burly, ape-like man says, out of character:
     "That kick looked sort of like this:"

[Malken]

The burly, ape-like man says, out of character:
     "That kick looked sort of like this:"

You think you're kidding, but a couple of years ago I was in a clan, and the person that would train my PC used to OOC me links of cheaply made videos of some sort of karate clips, or something, and she'd tell me that this is her in it, and I'm the other guy, and that's how we were training, ICly..

I didn't even know that person ooc'ly, she'd just pop in OOCly and link me to youtube and her homemade karate clips.

[Delstro]

Hah Hah.

When I was once a young Bynn Runner and a no Karma Noob of three weeks, I was told to watch a bunch of combat clips on youtube and that they would help me in my emoting.