Better bards

[Ourla]

Sing about sex and drinking, and you'll be a hit.

One of my first long-lived characters in the game was a Circle bard in Tuluk.  The role definitely has its ups and downs.  I feel strongly that most characters, in Tuluk at least, would be avid fans of the music that bards bring to the taverns and to festivals and gatherings.  Commoners wouldn't get to hear it very many other places. Like someone else said...  Even if you, as a player, despise spammy bards and can't fathom the work the player has put into formatting and composing their songs, chances are that your character just might.  Bards: take your customers with a grain of salt.  Sure, some cultureless commoner swine might up and walk out on your performance, but all it takes is one juicy tip from a noble to make all your hurts go away.  And then you have more fodder for writing songs about cultureless swine.

I love bards.  I'll definitely play one again, and when I'm able I always tip them when they sing IG.  I played a templar whose half-giant guard's knees would go weak when a pretty bard walked into the room.  Even if I, as a player, was too busy to emote my appreciation, my HG definitely did.

[Xeran Van Houten]

When the going gets tough, the bards go drinking.

[My 2 sids]

I thought at one point to make a bard that was more of  Storyteller and a News Monger.  Traveling from place to place passing news and information as he goes about his travels, hoping for tips to survive.  That I would think would make an interesting bard.

probably not.

True, that is the basic concept for being a bard -- however too many rely on spies and secrecy, so I doubt it would ever fly.

[Qzzrbl]

I thought at one point to make a bard that was more of  Storyteller and a News Monger.  Traveling from place to place passing news and information as he goes about his travels, hoping for tips to survive.  That I would think would make an interesting bard.

probably not.

True, that is the basic concept for being a bard -- however too many rely on spies and secrecy, so I doubt it would ever fly.

It is true that many rely on spies to gather news and whatnot.... But what about everyone else that doesn't? It wouldn't be such a bad idea to try and keep the general public in the know.

A good bard would hear a story up north, and put a clever spin on it to make it sound more interesting to southerners, and possibly find a way to make money off of it.

[Synthesis]

I thought at one point to make a bard that was more of  Storyteller and a News Monger.  Traveling from place to place passing news and information as he goes about his travels, hoping for tips to survive.  That I would think would make an interesting bard.

probably not.

True, that is the basic concept for being a bard -- however too many rely on spies and secrecy, so I doubt it would ever fly.

It is true that many rely on spies to gather news and whatnot.... But what about everyone else that doesn't? It wouldn't be such a bad idea to try and keep the general public in the know.

A good bard would hear a story up north, and put a clever spin on it to make it sound more interesting to southerners, and possibly find a way to make money off of it.

Then they would disappear as soon as they returned to Tuluk, because you know, we can't have people spreading rumors about who may or may not have thumbed their nose in the Tooth and stumbled drunkenly to the Sanc shortly thereafter.

[Riev]

I love bards.  I'll definitely play one again, and when I'm able I always tip them when they sing IG. 

This.

Also, don't forget that there are SOME bards out there whose purpose it is to be terrible, or to be "learning". I know that when I -have- attempted a bard, I've been terrible and RPed not being very good strictly because OOCly I cannot handle the rhyming and the dramatic movements and etc etc etc.

The mudslinging, guys, on a thread about bards? Is there a subject where someone -won't- argue just for the sake of argument?

[Lizzie]

I love when people burst out in song in the game. There was a certain half-giant who used to do that all the time. I'd get such a kick out of watching her when she'd do that. Not a big performance, not something that would demand exclusive attention, just..that occasional, spontaneous, burst of roleplayed fun.

On the other hand, when it came time for "bardfests" or "bard contests" or "scheduled RPT performances" I'd need to politely bow out, most of the time. If it doesn't last too long I'm good to go. I remember one time though there was a dance contest and there was so much going on with audience members commenting, and people coming in and out, and refilling drinks, and echoes from spice smoke, and room echoes, that I just couldn't keep track and ended up frustrated rather than entertained. I can't keep up with arena matches in Allanak very well either. I wish I could. But I can't.

[HTX]

Also, don't forget that there are SOME bards out there whose purpose it is to be terrible, or to be "learning".

Yes.

I think some people need to remember that some things can be dealt with ICly, and needs no OOC solution. If the bards are terrible then respond ICly. Hopefully the bard's player will have separated their emotions from their character enough to not take offense.

[Reiloth]

I don't understand why people post when they aren't really answering the thread's question / statement.

For Example:

I think Bards can be the foundation of all Tuluki politics. I think they could even make a dent in Allanaki politics, if played correctly.

As a Noble PC, I supported the Arts in any way shape or form, because every Tuluki should know the Arts seperate the Tuluki from the Allanaki. And its the coolest way to make fun of all your other Noble 'friends' without really being responsible. And when you, the bard, have a super awesome Noble PC backing you, and you are awesome yourself, some of the most fun times in Armageddon can take place. I call attention to the Golden Summer of 2006.

Oh. Tips.

-Don't be great from the get go. It's a learning process, and much more fun for everyone if you start off terrible. Then people can heckle you and call you a twit from the start, and when they see you progress and start winning competitions, they start to get behind you! They want to be your friend! They want to buy you drinks...And then probably kill you.

-Don't go into people's apartments when they claim to be super-fans.

-Don't trust anyone.

-Have plenty of fruit in 2.pack to throw at competition in the Sanctuary.

Now that wasn't hard, was it!

[Reiloth]

I love when people burst out in song in the game. There was a certain half-giant who used to do that all the time. I'd get such a kick out of watching her when she'd do that. Not a big performance, not something that would demand exclusive attention, just..that occasional, spontaneous, burst of roleplayed fun.

On the other hand, when it came time for "bardfests" or "bard contests" or "scheduled RPT performances" I'd need to politely bow out, most of the time. If it doesn't last too long I'm good to go. I remember one time though there was a dance contest and there was so much going on with audience members commenting, and people coming in and out, and refilling drinks, and echoes from spice smoke, and room echoes, that I just couldn't keep track and ended up frustrated rather than entertained. I can't keep up with arena matches in Allanak very well either. I wish I could. But I can't.

I think we all understand Lizzie. You don't like screen scroll, and you can't get behind bards, as much as you wish you could. In a similar light, you wish you could keep up with Arena matches in Allanak, but can't. I think that's a pretty good analogy within the game.

But I suppose the rest of us can discuss what makes bards better, don't y'think? Or should we just focus on why you can't play around bards, or the Arena of Allanak?

[Rairen]

Oh. Tips.

-Don't be great from the get go. It's a learning process, and much more fun for everyone if you start off terrible. Then people can heckle you and call you a twit from the start, and when they see you progress and start winning competitions, they start to get behind you! They want to be your friend! They want to buy you drinks...And then probably kill you.

-Don't go into people's apartments when they claim to be super-fans.

-Don't trust anyone.

-Have plenty of fruit in 2.pack to throw at competition in the Sanctuary.

Now that wasn't hard, was it!

- Don't be above bribing audiences with alcohol.
- Don't neglect performance arts other than signing.
- Don't forget to watch your stun if you Way people while performing. 
- Do use preposterously hilarious puns.
- Do secretly dream of being a rock star
- Don't hesitate to collaborate with your enemies for the sake of a performance

Also, I almost played a bard once based on this concept:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teMlv3ripSM&feature=PlayList&p=7DE34B7EFE7D5793&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=31

[Gimfalisette]

Do engage your audience in your emoting as you are performing: sing (winking saucily at ~strapping) Blah blah blah stuff that's rhymin', / Blah blah blah with your two-timin'.

Do also use VNPCs in your performances, as audience or co-performer.

Do always have your performance planned out ahead of time so the audience isn't waiting 5 minutes between sing / recite / emote.

Do learn how to properly use the sing and recite commands, with line breaks in the right places.

Do go look up marko's old posts about bards, and my posts about bards...and a lot of other previous threads and posts about bards.

Do ask for further help on barding from me by PM or IM, or probably from other experienced players of bards who have posted here.



Don't not play a bard because some of your fellow players engage in knee-jerk, unhelpful criticism on the GDB.

[Kryos]

It hard when you take something with a natural disconnect and attempt to translate it.  Sounds, sights, and sometimes nuanced behavior is hard to put out in text.  To this end, I think its required that the player base be somewhat indulgent towards those who take on this hefty task.  If you're a bard, its also important to keep this in mind when creating your works.

[Delstro]

I feel strongly that most characters, in Tuluk at least, would be avid fans of the music that bards bring to the taverns and to festivals and gatherings.  Commoners wouldn't get to hear it very many other places. Like someone else said...  Even if you, as a player, despise spammy bards and can't fathom the work the player has put into formatting and composing their songs, chances are that your character just might.  Bards: take your customers with a grain of salt.  Sure, some cultureless commoner swine might up and walk out on your performance, but all it takes is one juicy tip from a noble to make all your hurts go away.  And then you have more fodder for writing songs about cultureless swine.

I love bards.  I'll definitely play one again, and when I'm able I always tip them when they sing IG.  I played a templar whose half-giant guard's knees would go weak when a pretty bard walked into the room.  Even if I, as a player, was too busy to emote my appreciation, my HG definitely did.

I love bards also, but my characters have taste and they enjoy some bard-ery and they dislike some. I would just like to remind people to have tastes and not a general love of all things bard, unless of course, you want to. It doesn't have to be an all or nothing joy/hate.

[Fathi]

This isn't a jibe at anyone in particular, past or present, but I figure I'd throw in my two cents:

It seems like sometimes, you'll get a few bardic PCs all around at the same time who insist on singing a song or doing some sort of performance every time they show up in a tavern. While my characters usually don't mind the ambiance, I think that this is one of the reasons why some players can get easily burnt out on performances. While it isn't necessarily a bad distraction, it is distracting.

I think part of being a good bard player is knowing both IC and OOC when it's good to stir up some action and entertainment... and also knowing that if you do it too often, it will seem less like a special occasion. I've met some great bard PCs in my day that still acted thoroughly bardic and really held up the culture of their respective Circles even when not performing, simply through their exploits or tales or jokes.

[Cutthroat]

Not really tips on making a "better bard", since any bard player that puts in a creative effort is fine by me. But here are some tips on playing a bard you might enjoy more.

Remember, being a bard is not just about singing and playing music. There's storytelling, theatrical performances, and comedy. Think of all the ways these things can be done, and even combined.

About doing bardic things in taverns and other situations - if you want full attention on your performance, say so, like IRL. If you're content with being in the background, that's fine too.

Bards aren't only for Tuluk. They pop up in Allanak, too. If you're an avid Allanak fan but always wanted to try a bard, but don't want to play in Tuluk, there's always the option of playing an Allanaki bard.

"Bard" doesn't have to be your PC's primary profession. You could be a soldier, guard, thief, hunter, crafter, etc. first, and a bard second. This might be harder in some situations than others though.

[LauraMars]

Methyas Groot once had the great idea of doing ongoing performances in Tuluk of Hero vs Villain.  He wore a mask and a southern templar's medallion and robe, and I would wear a mask too, and chase him around the city with a stick.  We would run into the Sanctuary and have mock swordfights on top of the tables while reciting orchestrated lines at each other.

It was fun and it surprised everybody.  I really don't think you'd need to sing a single song as a bard, if you didn't want to.

[Ourla]

Haha, that's so cool, LauraMars.  I wish I could have seen that.  It's a good example of how diverse bards can be.  I had a lot of fun pulling various pranks with my Tuluki Elkinhym, too.

[flurry]

One thing you just have to accept is that not everyone likes bardic roleplay. That's just the way it is. But you can't please everyone with any particular kind of roleplay. Everyone has aspects or styles of roleplay that simply bug them. But for everyone who's ready to walk out on any bard performance, there are surely people ready to walk out on their roleplay, too. Just the way it is.

My best advice for would-be bard characters is that they have a full enough concept that you could enjoy the character even without the bard stuff.  Kind of like people suggest magickers should be a fully realized person apart from the magicking. Same with bards (and, no doubt, lots of other things). Because if the only thing that defines the character is the barding, then you're going to feel much more pressure to perform or present yourself as a bard, all the time. Your character is more likely to seem flat if all anyone associates them with is trying to sing whenever given half a chance.

I was intimidated about playing a bard, but my one attempt at playing a bard is by far my favorite character ever. The bardic aspect was lots of fun, but most of the time it was secondary to everything else going on.

[Akaramu]

Don't just sing. Ask PCs about their lives, gather tales and stories. Play pranks. Tell stories. Perform in other ways. Find ways to incorporate audiences into your performances. Be a gossip.

This. This cannot be stressed enough, and I was reading through post after post waiting for someone to bring it up.

Having played a rather successful Allanaki bard, who even inspired northerners to cheer for him, I'd like to bold, underline and resize the above statement. I didn't even write many songs. Heck, the bard was a lazy ass who loved to -ponder- doing work while slacking away in his favourite hammock and daydreaming about naked tribals. But he was entertaining, no matter if he was actively performing or not, and people loved to be around him.

[lussien]

I'd like to see a bard that causes mischief and plays prank on people.

[musashi]

I'd like to see a bard that causes mischief and plays prank on people.

Yes, very difficult to do, but awesome when pulled off.

[palomar]

I'd like to see a bard that causes mischief and plays prank on people.

Yes, very difficult to do, but awesome when pulled off.

And it does happen. Sometimes it's intentional, sometimes it isn't. Considering how diverse the Circle is, I'm always surprised there aren't more bards around (in general, as there is the occasional influx). Playing a bard is a challenge, but usually well worth the try.

[AmandaGreathouse]

I don't know if I could ever really get into making a circle bard. But I have had a good many 'performing' pcs. I find that it's more interesting to do things other than singing. I've never had one that sung. I mean, I have pcs which sing, but it's rarely in front of other pcs. Stuff like dancing and playing instrumental music and telling tales is much more interesting, IMO.

[Akaramu]

Bard does not equal circle bard.

There are plenty of other bardic concepts that might be fun to play... how about a gritty travelling warrior/bard mercenary for instance?