Interactive Instruments & Quests -- (Dev) Replied

So, with a good topic being thrown in the chat and Link_of_Hyrule showing off somebody playing the Ocarina, I had the idea that what if we had quests, or puzzles, that required us to play an instrument. As RelExpo suggested, " if you had enough "Bardsmanship" or equivalent skill that could only access certain areas by using an instrument. You figured it might work there because you read a tattered book that had clues towards that."

Well I say we step it up and put "Bardsmanship" as something that could be used inside the dungeons/quests themselves. Make it like something from "The Goonies" where to access a secret spot of a dungeon that you had to be skilled enough to play en instrument. Also, how cool would it be if we needed a group of people playing something akin to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRv8gnBMiWM

 

I can't agree with this post enough!

 

I've certainly played games where you can to do this. I thought were was a place in an Ultima where you had to play "stones" to open something.

They can put something like this is game, but for puzzles like this there needs to be a "mercy rule" for people who just can't get it.

 

@PrimeRib, you needed to play Stones to open the door to the sandalwood box in Lord British's observatory.

 

Sooth the savage beast with music to avoid violence

 

Well I seem to remember a game, not sure what it was called. It had a Bard College in it. What could it be?

Barding could be a progressive set of missions like the guild quests in Skyrim.

Quest 1: Find/make an instrument for this old forgetful Bard. He can then give you a hint about how to join the Bard's College

Quest 7: You must use your epic Bard skills to distract a guests at a party long enough for your partner to seduce the lord's mistress.

Quest 18: You must use your Bard skills to pacify a ornery dragon, giving enough time for a group of gypsies to pass a road the Dragon is guarding.

The quests not only teach you mechanics about the different musical instruments, but they also give you perks and items to help you perform for other players. Eventually at the end of the Bards College quest you get the title: Minstrel.

 

Great ideas and examples. You can expect musical instruments to hide some secrets in the game. One big reason for adding them is the more interesting puzzles it allows us to create.

 

Interactive music in video games has always been a favorite past-time for me. Ultima VI was one of the first for me. I also remember a Lucas Arts title 'Loom' that had you learning all sorts of song-spell-weaves, and it was always so satisfying to hear a tune, then be able to pull out an instrument in-game and repeat the tune for a puzzle using the number keys..

In a dungeon there could be a dragon bone pipe organ rigged up with booby traps, that when played correctly opens a secret door like in Goonies. .

One thing I want to chime in on is that one's lack of musical ability in real life shouldn't keep their avatars from being great bards in-game.
I do think that those with musical ability should be rewarded with the ability to explore their creativity and showcase it, but the basic skills involved with being a bard and playing music in-game should hopefully be simple enough for everyone to do who's interested, without having to take a real-life course in music theory.

 

I think this is a cool idea. Not one I would likely ever explore myself, although you never know I guess. But I just wanted to say that, even for someone who isn't all that excited one way or the other about interactive music in a game, this sounds like it could be fun. How difficult would the UI have to be for something like that though? Could it be made simple for someone like me to use, but still feel like a fully featured musical system to someone that's more into it than I?

 

Going along with this, it might be interesting if there was a way to collect different songs to play in game. For instance, the bard in X town knows these songs. You go there and listen and play with said bard and acquire the tune. Then you can teach it to others who may trade you a tune from another land. May not be possible but would be interesting.

 

I like the idea of a music skill in the game. And it being based of how much I put into practicing it in game. But I only have a basic level of music knowledge. So I would fail any games that would require me to play stones perfectly.

Although I did want to learn to play stones. Perhaps this will be the game to teach me. ^_^b

 

Music puzzles? Yes PLEASE! Oh the possibilities. It's one thing to have interactive instruments just for RP purposes, but to extend this as functional objects required in some quests and puzzle solving? That's awesome.

 

Whatever they come up with for a music puzzle system, it should be put in our hands, in game, so we can make our own music puzzles for RP purposes. The Poets' Circle would have endless uses for a feature like this.

 

Musical passwords

 

Did y'all see the amphitheater in the last PotA? Crystal or bone pipe organ would fit that setting well

 

Lol. Yes! Like Willy Wonka.

 

Wow...you want me to play the intro to Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro" to solve a puzzle?

*shakes his head, sighs, and signs up for some music classes*

 

No no no. We want you to sing Mozart's Queen of the Night aria from The Magic Flute Opera. Better start working on your upper range...

 

Mordecai, if yourself, @Koldar, @rild, @smack, everyone else who has participated in this thread and myself were in a dungeon and it fell upon me to sing Mozart's "Queen of the Night" aria to save our lives...there will be a single moment that I would turn contemplative. In that moment, I would wish that all of you have put your affairs in order. That you told your loved ones that you truly loved them. That you found it in your hearts to forgive your enemies and if not, you made arrangements to make them suffer. And that all of you had lived your lives to the fullest and your realized dreams out-weighed your regrets.

Because ladies and gentlemen...we are going to be dead. Passed on. No more. Ceased to be. Expired and gone to meet our maker. Bereft of life. Pushing up the daisies. Kicked the bucket. Shuffled off this mortal coil. Run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisble. We...shall be ex-adventurers!

Maybe I should bring a Norwegian Blue with me...well, as long as he isn't nailed to his perch...

 

Knoxinn lol. I have to say we would be in the same boat if I needed to bust out an instrument. I think the idea is very cool, but in reality, I would be horrible at it. I think I could master the 5 note sequence from close encounters, but that too would take a good deal of practice.