Rock Band Etiquette: It All Starts Somewhere
Microsoft is hosting another Play & Win Sweepstakes this weekend, this time focusing on the army of rockers out there playing Rock Band at any given moment. You can find all the information you need to "Rock Your Weekend" right here. Don't forget to register your gamertag before heading online to jam, though.
Now while I haven't rocked my socks off yet today, I did play for a good while yesterday with readers Hootiephish, Krammer187 and Wolverinefactor. We had a great time and it led me to wonder why I don't enjoy playing Rock Band online that much all the time. After a bit of reflection, I noted a couple of things that I felt needed pointing out. Now, by no means am I the Emily Post of Rock Band (or anything for that matter) but I think if we can lay the groundwork here, pickup and play sessions with friends and strangers will be a little more fun and a little less frustrating.
So, without further ado, here are five random suggestions for you more considerate up-and-coming rockers.
- Mind your mics! Some people use their Xbox Live headsets and some people don't. While they aren't integral to playing successfully, it does add a bit of camaraderie. If you do use one, try to be cognizant of what audio you're transmitting to your band mates. If you're on the drums, be sure to mute your mic just as the song starts to avoid channeling your ruckus right into your buddies' ear canals. This goes for feedback from your sound system as well. We love to rock loudly, but if turn it up to 11, your mic is going to pick up the music from your speakers and it will create feed back. Oh, I almost forgot. I personally promise to mute my mic if I'm going to sing (not so) quietly to myself.
- Song Selection Suggestions. It's not necessary to spend a significant amount of time browsing songs or asking, "What do you want to play now?" after completing each performance. I figure if someone has a preference for a particular song, they'll let the band leader know. So in the interest of keeping the music flowing, don't spend too much time looking for the perfect song. The random song option is a good way to avoid this, just don't keep selecting the random option over and over until it picks "the right" song.
- Don't keep DLC on the DL. I've spent more than a few pennies on downloadable content for Rock Band, as I'm sure many of you have. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find a group of friends that have all purchased the same content. When you do see that you and your band mates share the same downloadable tracks, play them! I'm tired of only playing my DLC in solo mode!
- Matchmaking = Random. While I would think this would be obvious, apparently it isn't. When playing in a pickup band via Band Quickplay, realize that the matchmaking is random and that users have no control over where they end up. More than once I've been kicked from a room only to inadvertently be placed back in the same room to a barrage of insults. While I don't think these are the same type of people that will be reading about etiquette, if I can get through to just one jackass, it will be worth it.
- Know your NAT. I know from personal experience that when you're sitting down to knock out a few tracks with friends, nothing brings the party to a halt faster than connection problems. It's a total party foul when three people are chomping at the bit to rock, and your fourth seems to disconnect as fast as he connects. Avoid being "that guy" and head to the Network Settings in your system blade and select Test Xbox Live Connection. Once the test has completed, make sure the NAT result reads "Open." If the result comes back "Strict" or "Moderate," this may well be the reason you are experiencing difficulty connecting to other players. You can find more information on NAT settings direct from Microsoft here. After tweaking your router a bit, hopefully your NAT will be open and your peer connect troubles will be a thing of the past.
TexCub
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 9 February 2008
· Comments (1)
Other stuff like this: cooperative play, dlc, etiquette, rock band, xbox live
The only thing I'd really add to this (which is one of your finest write ups yet by the way) is that if you're getting a loud screeching sound due to some odd mic feedback problems off Live. Turn your mic off.
I know it's common sense but we don't always think.
And thanks for the play and win reminder. I forgot and I actually won a prize in the GH3 play and win from November.