Musical Instruments?

[Solfius]

supplement to that last bit:

"Badly" doesn't imply any kind of association with a style, it's referring to how well the instrument is played, not whether you like the music or not. I would hope that anyone can listen to a piece of music in a style they hate, but still appreciate the musicianship/creativity/skill involved in producing it.

[west]

Not necessarily, Solfius.

Imagine there was a type of music that involved rhythmically hitting cats against walls. Perhaps it took tremendous amounts of finesse to hit them against the wall in exactly the right place at the right time to correspond with the sheet music.

Just because this takes musicianship and skill doesn't mean it's something worth listening to.

Although actually that's probably a bad example. That'd be really funny.

[kinvoya]

Well, Mr. West McCrabby-Butt, you wouldn't have to hit the link to listen and, if you did and it was really bad then you would get to raz the musician and singer.

Anyway, I doubt it would work but it would at least be a way for people to have some creative expression (especially if it was the player's own music) which I think is desperatly lacking in Cantr.

[Solfius]

I'd imagine there'd be major copyright issues with linking to files like that, they'd have to be hosted on the server and vetted by staff.

West: the description referred to the *how* the instrument was played, not how much the character liked it.

Regardless of whether you like the sound of hitting cats against walls or not, you can still recognise when someone is good at it.

That is what the description was for, to try and do anything would become far more difficult than what it adds to the game.

[TatteredShoeLace]

I would also like to say that musical instruments shouldn't be used for anything more than kicks, like maybe some other IC things.

[west]

How long do you think it'd be before we were flooded with non-original songs, songs "filking" other songs, etc. etc?

We've already had a problem a couple years ago with someone putting song snippets in a note (elvis I think it was). I don't think music is something cantr needs, especially if it's in actual audio form.

[TatteredShoeLace]

I also don't think real audio is something we need, especially with limited server capabilities for a free game. But I would like to see instruments nonetheless.

[Solfius]

How long do you think it'd be before we were flooded with non-original songs, songs "filking" other songs, etc. etc?

Not long, another good reason not to include song clips in instrument implementation.

Although if you meant from just having instruments more plagarism would happen, that happens all the time already. People lifting government ideas and concepts, morals and the ilk straight form RL. With that kind of influence I doubt the game will ever become a true society simulator, because of all the outside influence other than the "society".

[Surly]

I don't want real music... I want instruments so I can roleplay music without being told "There are no musical instruments in Cantr..."

All I can say is... if you don't like them, don't use them. I think they should be another (visible) object. Possibly you would have to equip them in some way before use, so people can see them, but they could work in a similar way to clothes.

Pure RP value. We don't need actual music...

[west]

Fair enough. I don't think they're a high priority, but it should be (speaking from a strictly non-programming background) possible to create an object class with a "play" button (similar to the use button) that yields on the event page:

1231-1: You hear a man in his twenties play a hollowed-out ramshorn.

Then the only problem becomes, which musical instruments do we bring in from RL, and which don't we?

Do we allow trumpets, which seem pretty universal (the keyless kind)? Horns? Saxophones? Clarinets?

I think cantr instruments, if they're introduced, should at first be primitive: flutes, pipes, horns, lutes or primitive stringed instruments, xylophones possibly, various drumlike things.

Rather than saxophones, clarinets, keyboard instruments, synthesizers, guitars, etc.

[TatteredShoeLace]

I agree...certainly nothing that uses an amp or similar electrical components....my original idea when I started this thread was not for a man in his twenties to sit at a turntable.

[The Sociologist]

How long do you think it'd be before we were flooded with non-original songs, songs "filking" other songs, etc. etc?

Not long, another good reason not to include song clips in instrument implementation.

I agree with the criticisms of this idea. After all, we've had the possibility of "art" for some while and just how many have produced <i>original</i> stuff. Come to think of it, I'm just as big a culprit as anyone there.

[wichita]

The art I introduce is all original. You can recognize it in game because it sucks.

[west]

better that than these GIS'd "portraits" that were floating around.

I mean, sure they were kinda cool, but c'mon. Some of them were lord of the rings characters, and all of them were stolen.

[kinvoya]

I agree with all you guys. Rather than risk bad or filked art we should have no art or creative expression of any kind.