Bardic Specialisation

Sylvance

Okay, nix the XPz, how does the rest sound?

Or is what folks want simply a series of performance emotes that get better with practise?  Or, dare I say it, just an AB line that tells you how good you are at a given instrument?

Synbios

Silas said:

There should be no xp reward, no matter immaturely I giggled at strumming to dragon.

Strumming your way to victory in a raid:

Vasool

Damnit Synbios, that had me laughing so hard

Sylvance

And, just like that, I will no longer be able to take the Bardic role in City defense seriously

KNIGHT: They're advancing! Crap, our Alchemist unit just went down! Somebody do something!

BARD: Sure; I'll switch to D major!

Luhar

As for playing instruments, what would a skill do that wouldn't be infinitely more limited than "WIELD <thing>" "EMOTE begins to play a jovial melody. ++ With masterful skill, " "ETC"?

Personally, I see music as a great way to roleplay through emoting and/or illusion and somethign coded in would both limit it and feel like it was illegitimising any freeform approach.

Silas

I disagree. You're limited in what the hardcode will let you do with most things; that doesn't stop you emoting anything. The hardcode should supplement and support your imagination, and allowing people to PLAY <instrument> and have it give a generic message based on your skill with that instrument would do that.

Luhar

What I mean is, if I want to play an instrument in game, I already can. If there's a skill that people have to invest time and effort to master, then when I display my great emoting skill, having made no effort at all to learn a skill I don't think I need, one of three things will happen.
One - the person who put time and effort into learning the skill will feel that they wasted their time, as they ended up 700 lessons down and their music is no more varied or meaningful than mine.
Two - I am mocked for choosing to embrace the roleplay potential of emoting, scorned for not having actually learned a skill that I don't think I need.
Three - everyone gets along just fine, probably leading into number one.

Unless people are suggesting that a music skill lets you actually do something you otherwise can't, I don't understand why it's necessary or desirable. Adding push/pull reactions to instruments could do similar to what was mentioned above, albeit without generic messages to say how well or badly the instrument is played.

Silas

I don't think it should be a skill, just a proficiency working on a similar premise to the weapon proficiencies.

Perhaps instrument proficiencies could take longer, though, due to there being no combat implications.

Mannimar

Honestly, this would make little sense because of the existence of emote roleplay, but the idea of PLAY <instrument> could work based on proficiency, soberness(maybe a minor trait addition that makes you better while drunk), exhaustion, and hunger level. 

With that idea PLAY <instrument> would change to something similar to emotes. PLAY <instrument> <appearance> ++ <prepended appearance>

Based upon your level of skills it would display along the lines of:

Luhar confidently strums a harp, only to play discordant notes that chase off the nearby animals.

Luhar picks at a mandolin, finger's occasionally slipping and missing notes, ruining a tavern favourite.

and then a perfect play exactly like the command.

I don't think this skill would be necessary, but if it were added, thats how I'd like to see it work

Silas

Seems to overcomplicate things, imo.

Plus, I dunno about you but I'm 100% convinced that I sound better drunk, and can't nobody tell me otherwise.

Delphinus

I am 1% better at Guitar Hero when I'm drunk. Fact.

Really, the whole idea seems to overcomplicate things. I'm unsure as to why someone couldn't just roleplay the progression, as they could with any other character arc.

Mannimar

@Delphinus thats my opinion too. I simply gave an idea just in case this gets taken seriously. 

Honestly though... even if this does get taken seriously. I'm still emoting my awesome guitar solo

Alyana

could've sworn that Ty'Beirdd has been doing this with emotes for ages...

Sylvance

Alyana said:

could've sworn that Ty'Beirdd has been doing this with emotes for ages...

Doing what with emotes for ages? Playing musical instruments, or roleplaying learning one? In the 5 months since I started playing again, I have not seen a single member of Ty Beirdd do anything with an instrument other than play Harmonics. Not every Bardd is a musician; in fact I'd hazard that the vast majority aren't.