Rock Band, Rock Band, I don't understand

[HappyTree]

Does anyone here like this game? Are you good at it? Can I ask how????

I really don't get this game. I should preface this by saying that I am an actual musician. Like, I play instruments and percussion and sing in tune and in time. I've always found making music came naturally to me. But I cannot fathom out the Rock Band games at all.

You have a controller, or a special device shaped like a guitar, drums, bass with buttons. I believe the premise of the game is to press the correct button at the correct time. I had assumed that pressing it in time with the music playing was how you did well.

So why can't I do it?

I find that the on-screen graphics of the coloured "notes" approaching a horizontal line are way off time with the music. I get confused between following my ear for rhythm and following the visual cues. I have to look to know which colour to press, but trying to time it with when the blob crosses the line doesn't get me very far.

I've played games, I have visual timing and hand-eye co-ordination. I play music, I have hand-ear co-ordination. So why doesn't it work with this game? Is it a game that you can get better at as you practise? Why? Surely you're either in time or not.

I could play Parappa the Rapper, that was fun. Kick and punch! It was insane and hilarious. But Rock Band just eludes me. Help!

Parappa The Rappa - Prince Fleaswallow

[Paperlung]

Have you calibrated your controller?

[Mister Six]

Are you a shit musician?


Nah, Paper's probably right - or try the drums, where the connection between what you're doing physically and what you're trying to achieve in-game is more obvious. Otherwise just practice. Or don't bother, if you're not enjoying it.

[Big Jack McBastard]

I only know the Guitar Hero games though I reckon the principle is the same, you do get better as you practice but it can take a while, like months (or even years to topple some of the harder tunes on expert).

I have to look to know which colour to press, but trying to time it with when the blob crosses the line doesn't get me very far.

Try going for just before the line!

Do try recalibrating, there should be an option to do so in the menus.. However, there was a startling difference in the lag shown by Guitar Hero 3 and GH5 on my big telly, 3 played fine and dandy but 5 was a nightmare, couldn't even finish some songs I'd hit 90%+ on using a different TV and no amount of pissing about with the lag settings could get it spot on in that instance.

I still cannot finish Superstition by Stevie Wonder in GH5 on that telly, but I can kick it's arse using the one in my room. It can be a revelation moving onto another telly after being on a laggy one especially where timing is so inherent to a game.

It's a pain but some TVs have a persistent sync problem with consoles, though a lot of newer ones have gaming specific modes to compensate for this.

[falafel]

Also, you do know you have to strum and not just press the buttons, right? Calibrate your controller and do the tutorials, you'll be fine.

[HappyTree]

Ah right, screen lag and calibration. I won't be doing that as I don't own any of the games, I've only played them at a friend's house. I just assumed I could press in time with the music and it would work.

[Jemble Fred]

I bought The Beatles Rock Band set for £50 several months ago, but only actually played it last week for the first time. I fucking hate rhythm-action games myself – half the reason I bought the set was for a replica Hoffner and Beatles drumskin – but thanks to using the microphone for the singing challenges, I completed the whole thing on Expert! Great fun.

[chand]

Also, you do know you have to strum and not just press the buttons, right?

Took me 5 minutes the first time I played one of these to learn this.

I find these games difficult too, it's nothing like playing a guitar really.

[The Boston Crab]

I can switch between time signatures on the drums like the wind changes direction but I can't get into the Rock Band drums for the life of me. I'm much better at the guitar because it's more artificial, I just look at the screen instead of playing along with the music.

[glitch]

If you're playing on easy or medium, a lot of the note lane has no real relation to what you're hearing. Try hard. Anything higher than that is completely wrong too.

[Whug Baspin]

I've spoken to a few musicians who seem to have a grudge against these games, like it's insulting the art of learning an instrument. Bollocks, you don't get people complaining that they are good at driving in real life, but shit at Need for Speed. I love it and unashamedly jump around with my plastic guitar like a ROCK GOD. Alternatively I think they have released one for Rock Band 3 with a real guitar for all the people who actually want to learn something useful.

The Game Mode is quite well hidden on my Samsung telly, but made all the difference, that and configuring the lag in the game have made the harder levels possible again.

[ThickAndCreamy]

I used to love Guitar Hero and play it alone for hours, but then for a variety of reasons (change in musical taste, lost enjoyment of general videogames, not owning a console) stopped. However, a combination of alcohol, friends and a place to make as much noise as possible makes Rock Band terrific.

At first however, with all instruments you need to realise you're not playing the rhythm of the song until you get onto hard or expert mode, so just watch the screen attentively.

[Big Jack McBastard]

glitch and ThickAndCreamy make a good point, though I do prefer expert over hard, some bits are just sheer madness, I'm thinking 'Devil goes down to Georgia' 'Through the Fire and Flames' in GH3 especially[nb]There's video somewhere of one of the developers of GH3 getting 3% of TTF&F done on expert before crashing and burning.[/nb]; though it's generally it feels like you're accounting more more nuances in the tunes that were lacking in lower levels and it's always satisfying to pull off something that actually impresses other people.

The success rate drops off hugely in expert too, I generally knock out 93%+ on the tunes I can finish but the 100%ers are few and far between. The number of times you'll drop one note or accidentally strum and fuck up a whole run is a series of bitter pills for the obsessed .....such as myself.

Is the new Rock Band any cop then?

[waste of chops]

Yes Rock Band 3 is ACE. Gameplay-wise there's little difference unless you plan on buying new instruments (ie. drums with extra cymbals, guitars with more realistic frets, the keytar, and extra mics for 3-part vocal harmonies) but all the stuff surrounding the game -- menus, song list, single-player mode, online leaderboards etc. -- has been streamlined and improved. Even if none of that interests you, think of it as 83 new songs for under £30 -- if that's the kind of thing you'd be into then go for it.

Spoiler alert

Although if you go the route of exporting songs from other Rock Band games to play in RB3, you'll lose a handful of them -- Rock & Roll Star and Hier Kommt Alex from RB1, Battery from RB2, and all the RHCP and Soundgarden songs from RB1 and RB2. You also lose the bonus songs from RB2 but they've now been released as free DLC.

[close]

[babyshambler]

The only song I can't do on expert drums is Painkiller by Judas Priest. They need to release a double bass pedal for that NOISE.

[Papercut]

RB3 supports double bass pedals now! :)