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FastLawyer has Pistol Whip

Nov 7, 2019 @ 5:35pm

Shoot to the beat?

How do you know if you're shooting on the beat? Is there some sort of audio or visual indicator from within the game that tells you? Or is it only on your score that you sort of figure out that you weren't on the beat?

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Originally posted by Cloudheadgames:

There's a very long GDC talk here about locomotion and beat recognition lol! Long story short, we hope to do a short guide for new players that highlights all the mechanisms we're actually using to show the beat to the player. Its EVERYWHERE when you know what to look for (HUD, Enviro, Props/Decorators, Blastwave, Floorcubes, Texture Impulse, Gun distortion, Enemy brightness/distortion, floor rings distortion and a few other things :) )

The bottom line though; no matter what we do in the game to indicate rhythm, there is no "line-in-the-sand" here like other beat games and that requires some mental re-calibration. Survival/Lizard brain is real thing and most players don't clue into rhythm cues until they are past that "oh s*it I'm being shot at!" skill ceiling. Some people understand it instantly, some need time to level up to that. This is also why we don't even talk about rhythm in the tutorial (playtesters hated it and focused on things in the wrong order of importance). Understand survival first, beat/rhythm second :) Both accuracy (center mass) and rhythm (how close to respective beats) are scored and accounted for, so it really comes down to player style.

It is also something we have plans to refine over time, so I'm sure this will be an ongoing conversation :)

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Showing 1-15 of 66 comments

Chaunsey

Nov 7, 2019 @ 7:53pm

for the most part the music itself should tell you what you need to do, but there is a metronome in the options that helps you keep the beat.

FastLawyer has Pistol Whip

Nov 7, 2019 @ 7:56pm

Sometimes I hear the beat and can sort of tell when to shoot, other times I don't hear it at all. I play guitar so it's not like I have no idea about rhythm either. But it seems that is the answer.

If you see most video uploads, nobody is shooting to the beat (judging by the score given)

Chaunsey

Nov 7, 2019 @ 7:57pm

Originally posted by FastLawyer:
Sometimes I hear the beat and can sort of tell when to shoot, other times I don't hear it at all. I play guitar so it's not like I have no idea about rhythm either. But it seems that is the answer.

If you see most video uploads, nobody is shooting to the beat (judging by the score given)

i think its something you will learn as you play, the more skilled playthroughs, on hard, seem a lot more on the beat.

droneattack has Pistol Whip

Nov 7, 2019 @ 8:32pm

Fast Lawyer what is better this or Audio Trip?

FastLawyer has Pistol Whip

Nov 7, 2019 @ 8:34pm

I think Audio Trip is better. It definitely feels like the gameplay is more related to the music than this effort (maybe future updates to this game change that), but I actually feel like I'm dancing to the music when I play Audio Trip.

Crankor

Nov 7, 2019 @ 8:44pm

there were many time when it didn't seem to matter when i shot

FastLawyer has Pistol Whip

Nov 7, 2019 @ 8:45pm

Originally posted by Crankor:
there were many time when it didn't seem to matter when i shot

Yeah, that's the problem for me with this game in a nutshell.

droneattack has Pistol Whip

Nov 7, 2019 @ 8:49pm

Thanks this still looks interesting if it's anything like Bladeline, no beat indicators in that game but when you're killing ememies on beat it's like the sound effect becomes another instrument in the music.
so you can kind of play it freestyle and just make it sound good.

Last edited by droneattack; Nov 7, 2019 @ 8:50pm

Stitch

Nov 7, 2019 @ 10:07pm

I think I'm doing decent, but obviously not on the beat. No matter the difficulty, I cannot score above a C. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Accuracy is good, and usually only hit like once at most. Still Cs.

Bethor

Nov 8, 2019 @ 4:17am

Originally posted by FastLawyer:
Sometimes I hear the beat and can sort of tell when to shoot, other times I don't hear it at all. I play guitar so it's not like I have no idea about rhythm either. But it seems that is the answer.

If you see most video uploads, nobody is shooting to the beat (judging by the score given)

Check out this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eek4o9ht51Y It's the best one I've seen so far demonstrating shooting on beat.

#10

ApacheSquirreL has Pistol Whip

Nov 8, 2019 @ 6:08am

Once I noticed the guys that needed two shots, and the guy that needs four, the beat starts falling in to place. Familiarity with the song helps a load too. It can be detrimental though as waiting for the beat gives them time to shoot you.

#11

FastLawyer has Pistol Whip

Nov 8, 2019 @ 10:07am

Originally posted by Bethor:
Originally posted by FastLawyer:
Sometimes I hear the beat and can sort of tell when to shoot, other times I don't hear it at all. I play guitar so it's not like I have no idea about rhythm either. But it seems that is the answer.

If you see most video uploads, nobody is shooting to the beat (judging by the score given)

Check out this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eek4o9ht51Y It's the best one I've seen so far demonstrating shooting on beat.

That guys is really good. Definitely has more rhythm than me. However, I still don't see or hear the rhythm. And I know there's like flashing blocks and I still don't get a visual cue from that.

BTW, I was getting mostly Bs and I think I got an A or two in my scores. So I'm not totally lost.

#12

gustavodeluxe has Pistol Whip

Nov 8, 2019 @ 11:14am

has personnal point of view, i have just farm the 1st music more than 1 hour, and get the beat by my self, trying to look at some interest point or graphique indication, here is how it s look like, i havn't using metronome.

Just memory ennemie position, when they spawn and where to aim:
I think it s one of the quality of the game, put the player in middle of a ruthme game and let him discover the way he need to play !
Normal difficulty:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9pT-ayLHqc

#13

Bethor

Nov 8, 2019 @ 12:13pm

Originally posted by FastLawyer:
Originally posted by Bethor:

Check out this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eek4o9ht51Y It's the best one I've seen so far demonstrating shooting on beat.

That guys is really good. Definitely has more rhythm than me. However, I still don't see or hear the rhythm. And I know there's like flashing blocks and I still don't get a visual cue from that.

BTW, I was getting mostly Bs and I think I got an A or two in my scores. So I'm not totally lost.

You are right, there aren't much in the way of visual cues - the devs have said they experimented with that, but it didn't feel right.

I think in this game, you have have to feel the rhythm, like you are a conductor or playing in a band. Have you tried turning on the metronome? Or count the beat in your head 1234 2234 3234 etc, or tap your foot, nod your head. You can subdivide the beat with half notes, quarter notes too. There is much more freedom here than other rhythm games.

I have yet to play the game myself, I'm just going off what I see and my own musical experience - make of that what you will!

@Morbegus Nicely done! I was nodding my head