So, let’s get this out of the way first: Rock Band is the greatest in-person multiplayer game ever. That’s all there is to it. Friday, some friends came over and we rocked out. This morning, some friends came over and we rocked out. We’re planning on having a bunch of people over to rock out next weekend. Yes, the initial guitars are buggy, and that sucks. I’ve got two replacements on the way for the two I have, and hopefully they’ll be here before the weekend.
But the game… man. It’s Simon Says for the most part, dressed in crazy Rock suit, but that’s par for the rhythm game course. The guitar stuff works as well or better than Guitar Hero (except for the hardware), the vocals are as good as Karaoke Revolution with a MUCH better songlist… but the drums. The drums are amazing. My sense of rhythm and coordination has improved tremendously over the last few days. This morning, L came over (an actual drummer), and we alternated trying to get through Queens of the Stone Age’s “3’s &7’s” which is RIDICULOUS. It’s really fun to be able to watch the pattern scroll by, figure out where you’re making mistakes, and try to adjust, because when you hit it right, it *feels* right. The music plays properly, it fits in with the other parts of the song and you get this great audio-visual-physical rush of excitement.
Is it music? Not yet, though Tycho of Penny Arcade would argue that it certainly will be eventually. (I’d be inclined to agree, in as much as electronic music is music.) There are already parts of Rock Band that spawn creativity – the drum fills are as real, and as open to creativity as any real electronic drum kit can be. I wish there was actually a “free play” mode where you could just play the four pads & pedal without any other structure.
Awesome, awesome game.
On the other hand, we went to my company’s holiday party tonight. I like the people I work with, and I consider a couple of ’em friends, but I’ve gotta say, large social gatherings aren’t my thing. I just can’t “chat” with people. It doesn’t make sense to me, I’m not comfortable or happy doing it, it doesn’t feel natural, and I just don’t really like it. Chatting with more or less random people is the kind of thing I’d do while trapped at an airport in the middle of a blizzard for 30 hours, towards the 20th hour as I’m dying of cold and boredom. Twice this week we were in situations where “chatting” was all that was expected, and all that could be done.
Bleah. I constantly feel like I’m back in high school whenever I’m stuck at one of these things. Knowing that, I think it’s about time I start declining these sorts of things, rather than accepting the invite and going to something where I’m largely miserable.
That’s quite an endorsement – I may have to come play Rock Band while I’m there just to see this 🙂
I’m with you on the chatting bit. I don’t even bother going to parties or unstructured social events where I don’t know people any more. Every time I do I feel miserable and inadequate because I don’t know how to strike up conversations with people I don’t know. I can do it with structure (e.g. organized sports, or lectures, or something where there’s a focus to the event), but if it’s just a party, I definitely get that high school feeling. Of course, it makes it harder to meet new people, but since I already have too many friends, I think I’m okay with that 🙂
I think I am more comfortable at larger social settings, but surprisingly enough, I don’t actually do well with just random mingling. I love hanging out at low-key parties with a lot of friends – hey, free food and drinks! But if there’s nobody I know there, well, I agree – what’s the point?
And damn you and your Mexico trip!
For me, it’s not so much I’m bad at that kind of thing — in fact, I think I’ve become quite good at it now and could do it fine if I cared to — but that I don’t care for that kind of “scene”. I don’t like to put work into casual acquaintances, or a one-time meet-up with someone I’m not likely to ever see again. I place no value on that.
If I’m somewhere and I’m meeting people that I’m likely to run into again — for instance, friends of friends that seem nice/fun/funny/cool — then I’m more than happy to put in effort to get to know people because that effort is an investment.
It sounds quite mercenary and/or cold, but as I’ve expressed before, I hardly have time for the awesome, witty, caring, amazing people that are in my life already, that striking up conversation with random strangers that I’ll probably never see again in my lifetime seems a waste of time and effort for me. I prefer the company of my friends, whom I value greatly and look forward to spending more time with them.
I realize that this comment makes me sound like an anti-social jerk, but I don’t think I am that. I am certainly nice to people I meet and try to engage them in conversation that I think they will enjoy. But dang, it’s a lot of work.
And OMFG Rock Band rocks!
i’d talk to you
if I went.