Bay 12 Games Forum

Other Projects => Other Games => Topic started by: MaximumZero on July 31, 2014, 07:33:41 am

Title: Rocksmith
Post by: MaximumZero on July 31, 2014, 07:33:41 am
So, I know I'm not the only Rocksmith/RS2014 player on this here forum, so I decided to make a thread dedicated to wanna-be guitar players like myself. :P

What's your favorite song? Most frustrating part of a song?
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: jhxmt on August 13, 2014, 04:32:47 pm
I just bought this the other day.  My fingers hurt.

I've been trying the opening riff of Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" on Riff Repeater (that's the thing, right?), and have levelled it up a fair amount, but I need to actually learn the damn sequence rather than fumbling around and simply reacting to what's on my screen.  The zen-like approach of 'live in the moment' doesn't work here.   :P
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: MaximumZero on August 13, 2014, 07:02:39 pm
Congrats on the purchase! What kind of guitar are you playing?
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: Kaje on August 14, 2014, 04:01:39 am
I own an electroacoustic guitar that I bought a few years ago, with the notion of one day learning. I still haven't got around to taking a lesson yet, and I'm wondering whether Rocksmith might be the way to go for a while? How easy is it to learn using Rocksmith?
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: jhxmt on August 14, 2014, 03:44:05 pm
Congrats on the purchase! What kind of guitar are you playing?

It's an old (and slightly rickety) Squier stratocaster that I bought off my younger brother years ago for what was, in effect, pocket change.  A couple of the pickup selector settings don't work (I suspect an iffy wire somewhere) and it has a tendency to rattle a little when it's feeling irritable.  It is not the height of musical technology, but it serves.  :P

Quote from: Kaje
I own an electroacoustic guitar that I bought a few years ago, with the notion of one day learning. I still haven't got around to taking a lesson yet, and I'm wondering whether Rocksmith might be the way to go for a while? How easy is it to learn using Rocksmith?

I'm finding it fun (two days in), but I have yet to really work out how best to use it as a learning tool.  It starts you out nice and easily with some of the songs, but as they get harder you rapidly find that you need to be using the correct fingering positions or you're not going to make it...and since it doesn't exactly pause and let you get your bearings, the first time you run into a new chord or position is an exercise in, "oh good, I've got this one down, now I...what the hell is that!?  Oh, oh god, where do I put...aargh!" followed by a series of alien-like out-of-tune squeals from your guitar as you attempt to relocate your four fingers to nine different places simulaneously.  :P

Which is to say, it's fun!  It has a lot of learning material built in, if you delve into it a bit - the chord book is useful (and shows 'correct' fingering positions for them), and it's a good feeling once you start to notice those chords (or parts thereof) in songs that you were previously struggling with, and realise that if you've got your fingers in the chord position then it's so much easier to hit the notes than trying to see them as individual dots and simply reacting to them.

I doubt it'll ever equal the benefits of having an actual teacher, and it doesn't forego the need for practice, but it makes some forms of practice fun.  It's a bit like Duolinguo and similar tools - it takes a subject that is traditionally a pain to learn, puts it inside a game-like environment with a rewards system, and thus tricks you into thinking you're having fun while picking up the material.  Which you are.  It's win-win.
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: Kaje on August 14, 2014, 04:28:43 pm
That's a great post dude, thanks! I think I'll grab a few one-to-one lessons but then buy the game as an extra practice tool!
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: scrdest on August 14, 2014, 06:10:38 pm
I bought RS1 last October, switched over to 2014 'demo' after it was released, now I have both. Unfortunately, I have a fuckton of cDLC (player-made songs, requires a modified .dll to access debug mode on startup, look for them HERE (http://customsforge.com/)).

Favorites... I used to really love Peace of Mind, some of the unlockables are pretty cool too. And Judas Priest. Damn are those things fun to play. I also feel obligated to bring up Rush because THEY ARE RUSH, GODDAMMIT, but the songs tend to be really technical.

As far as a tool for learning... well, I'm playing guitar for six years now, and the couple months after I got Rocksmith I found more improvements  than over the past three years. Although part of it was also looking up theory on the web. It's a massive leap forward too, but it's easy to dive in waaaaay too deep and just confuse yourself horribly.

The Lessons is a godsend, it basically condenses every trick you need to know and then some, though it's slightly lacking at teaching you things like holding your pick right - it's basically described in general, plus 'whatever feels good', and this might lead to some problems that only surface at tougher parts (whether speed, accuracy or whatever), but hey, there's internet for that.

Also yeah, it lacks theory, and you WILL want to learn that at some point, but for training the more physical skills involved, it's great.
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: hemmingjay on August 14, 2014, 08:38:41 pm

As far as a tool for learning... well, I'm playing guitar for six years now, and the couple months after I got Rocksmith I found more improvements  than over the past three years. Although part of it was also looking up theory on the web. It's a massive leap forward too, but it's easy to dive in waaaaay too deep and just confuse yourself horribly.



This, so much. I have played for 18 years on and off, in a band for four years at the bar gig level(but still terrible). I always had great feel and could riff/jam with anyone and catch on and lead a song, but I lacked the fundamental rhytm and chops until RS 1 and now 2014 is so much better. As far as what is the hardest on me, Avenged Sevenfold and Trivium(CDLC)

And I am playing an ESP LTD 1000 EC Deluxe with EMG 81/60 active
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: scrdest on August 15, 2014, 06:27:34 am
I guess that's behind it makes you step out of your comfort zone. Even if your mother was a neurosurgeon and your father crushed rocks between his fingers, and a freak accident turned you into Elasto-man, you still have to learn to keep up with what's going on on the screen in Learn a Song and Session Mode trains you to keep track of rhythm and changes.

That said, I am not a fan of Session Mode. After the initial wow factor wore off, it turns out to be rather primitive. Notably, for all its modes, it lacks Locrian which, while dissonant as hell, could be useful for more metal sound and more importantly, makes it harder to notice a veeery important thing about how scale shapes work (RS points it out for you in one of the later Session mode missions, but it's easy to miss).

Oh yeah, and gear - nothing to brag about. I'm using one of the Ibanez GIO models, I think it's GSA60, basically the equivalent to Fender's Squier series, so a cheap-ass beginner guitar (although Ibanez's are better, because while manufacturing is Chinese with all that entails, they own up to making those and so have quality control, and it's actually very good for what it is).
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: Ygdrad on August 15, 2014, 06:45:53 am
I also own this game, but no guitar, I play on a cheap Squire J Bass by Fender. How does this cdlc thing work, can it work in multiplayer?
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: scrdest on August 15, 2014, 07:12:12 am
I also own this game, but no guitar, I play on a cheap Squire J Bass by Fender. How does this cdlc thing work, can it work in multiplayer?

Yeah, the game treats it like any other song and IIRC, the only multiplayer is on the same machine.
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: Ygdrad on August 15, 2014, 09:13:09 am
I tried various cdlc's and was rather disappointed. I don't know if they usually get the lead guitar right, but the bass was usually pretty bad with some odd or missing notes. Probably because the bass was added by people without a good ear for it. If this is what I get on the popular downloads, then I'm not expecting much at all from the more obscure ones :(
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: scrdest on August 15, 2014, 09:45:01 am
I tried various cdlc's and was rather disappointed. I don't know if they usually get the lead guitar right, but the bass was usually pretty bad with some odd or missing notes. Probably because the bass was added by people without a good ear for it. If this is what I get on the popular downloads, then I'm not expecting much at all from the more obscure ones :(

Eh? Popular downloads? Where do you get them from? The site I linked just shows the cDLC by most recent update (or upload) by default. And the download page usually has comments on it, so you know what to expect, and the authors often fix the problems with the cDLC in further releases.
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: Ygdrad on August 15, 2014, 09:59:52 am
I tried various cdlc's and was rather disappointed. I don't know if they usually get the lead guitar right, but the bass was usually pretty bad with some odd or missing notes. Probably because the bass was added by people without a good ear for it. If this is what I get on the popular downloads, then I'm not expecting much at all from the more obscure ones :(

Eh? Popular downloads? Where do you get them from? The site I linked just shows the cDLC by most recent update (or upload) by default. And the download page usually has comments on it, so you know what to expect, and the authors often fix the problems with the cDLC in further releases.

You can sort the cdlc's by number of downloads, second column from the right, "DLs". I'm guessing the problem is how few bass players there are and most of the ones playing rocksmith are probably still learning. I'm seeing comments of praise and thanks for those songs that are basically missing 1/5-1/4 of the notes on bass.
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: scrdest on August 15, 2014, 10:24:31 am
I tried various cdlc's and was rather disappointed. I don't know if they usually get the lead guitar right, but the bass was usually pretty bad with some odd or missing notes. Probably because the bass was added by people without a good ear for it. If this is what I get on the popular downloads, then I'm not expecting much at all from the more obscure ones :(

Eh? Popular downloads? Where do you get them from? The site I linked just shows the cDLC by most recent update (or upload) by default. And the download page usually has comments on it, so you know what to expect, and the authors often fix the problems with the cDLC in further releases.

You can sort the cdlc's by number of downloads, second column from the right, "DLs". I'm guessing the problem is how few bass players there are and most of the ones playing rocksmith are probably still learning. I'm seeing comments of praise and thanks for those songs that are basically missing 1/5-1/4 of the notes on bass.

And you do NOT have Dynamic Difficulty on? Because I've been playing around on emulated bass, and did not have any issues with that.
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: jhxmt on August 15, 2014, 02:05:23 pm
Hmm, I can't seem to get the CDLC to work.  I've placed the DX3D dll in the root Rocksmith folder, placed the .psarcs in the DLC folder, and they still don't show up in my Learn A Song list.

I've also tried using the exe launcher (which is the alternative option), but the same thing happens.  Am I missing something obvious?  Whether Steam is open or closed at the time of launching appears to make no difference.

Edit: doh, please ignore me, I'm an idiot.  I'd bought the Smashing Pumpkins song pack and stupidly assumed it included the Cherub Rock dlc.  It doesn't.  *facepalm*

Edit The Second: Day 3.  In an effort to improve my knowledge (an execution) of chords, I have ventured into the Guitarcade section of the game.

Initial (after a couple of games) reaction: this is excellent.  This is where all the physical, muscle-memory-building exercises are truly held, this much is obvious.  But they're in arcade game form, so it doesn't feel like rote repetition, it feels like a challenge!  I'm going to enjoy this!

Later (after many more games) reaction: DAMN YOU, CASTLE CHORDEAD!  YOU AND YOUR GODDAMN ENERGY-BALL-THROWING F5-CHORD-ABSORBING ZOMBIE MONSTER!  I WILL KILL YOU!  I WILL KILL YOU ALL!  Uh...AGAIN!   :P

Seriously, chord-switching is damn tough under pressure.  Muscle memory can't come fast enough.
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: scrdest on August 15, 2014, 04:50:23 pm
Haha, that's nothing. RS1 had another form of Chordead, similar to the space battle thing, and that thing had much worse scaling - you started with like three power chords, but it VERY quickly got to sevenths. Then hit a plateau with barre.
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: Ygdrad on August 15, 2014, 08:18:48 pm
I tried various cdlc's and was rather disappointed. I don't know if they usually get the lead guitar right, but the bass was usually pretty bad with some odd or missing notes. Probably because the bass was added by people without a good ear for it. If this is what I get on the popular downloads, then I'm not expecting much at all from the more obscure ones :(

Eh? Popular downloads? Where do you get them from? The site I linked just shows the cDLC by most recent update (or upload) by default. And the download page usually has comments on it, so you know what to expect, and the authors often fix the problems with the cDLC in further releases.

You can sort the cdlc's by number of downloads, second column from the right, "DLs". I'm guessing the problem is how few bass players there are and most of the ones playing rocksmith are probably still learning. I'm seeing comments of praise and thanks for those songs that are basically missing 1/5-1/4 of the notes on bass.

And you do NOT have Dynamic Difficulty on? Because I've been playing around on emulated bass, and did not have any issues with that.

No, I'm talking 100% difficulty, although I'm also talking about trickier bass tunes like some RHCP, which can be understandable for people to get wrong.
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: MaximumZero on January 27, 2015, 08:05:29 pm
Bumping this for great justice! I'm still playing, and monkeying around with cDLC. I just picked up this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR6YGAwD2OM), and am failing horribly at it. But it's fun. Anyone still out there playing?
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: Levi on January 27, 2015, 10:07:57 pm
I'm learning to play the Guitar with RockSmith2014.  I'm having a hell of a time trying to 100% the lesson on Bending. 

Also my favourite minigame is String Skip Saloon (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLHxTVFdw0U), mostly because the losing screen is hilarious.
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: scrdest on January 28, 2015, 08:01:50 am
Bumping this for great justice! I'm still playing, and monkeying around with cDLC. I just picked up this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR6YGAwD2OM), and am failing horribly at it. But it's fun. Anyone still out there playing?

Sure, with cDLC, Rocksmith is the best tab-reading software out there :P

Although RIGHT now I am unable to play, since a couple days ago I snapped my high E string and couldn't pick up replacements due to time and cash shortage. I had it coming though, last time I replaced them was like half a year ago.
Title: Re: Rocksmith
Post by: jhxmt on January 28, 2015, 02:06:29 pm
My best friend bought Rocksmith 2014 recently and has been learning with it.  He absolutely loves it.  It prompted him to buy a new guitar (while drunk, admittedly).  :P