Do drummers/buglers actually serve any practical function in the game?

[Pvt. Garoufalis]

Commands can be relayed via voice/text, the music isn't really necesary plus they have no weapons

[Dionis]

No

[A_P_Hill]

First, These "musicians" do have the command function capability. it's just that those players choosing those positions do not coordinate with the commander of their company to relay orders.

Secondly, All the other players must learn to recognize those commands as played by a bugler or drummer, in order for them to be effective. Then the players must react accordingly.

Color Bearers also have no weapons, does that make them equally as useless as 'musicians' as you imply?

[Thomas Truslow]

Originally posted by Brittany Garoufalis:

Commands can be relayed via voice/text, the music isn't really necesary plus they have no weapons

Trumpeters can relay signals over much greater distances than is possible via voice chat - and faster than any messenger, too. This makes it possible, for example, to coordinate simultaneous attacks with several units. However, this requires a certain amount of training and coordination to really make good use of it. In organized events I have already seen this practically applied with success, in public events it is said to have been done - so I have read. But there it is probably very, very rare due to the complete lack of cohesion in these "units" there.

[Dionis]

Originally posted by A_P_Hill:

First, These "musicians" do have the command function capability. it's just that those players choosing those positions do not coordinate with the commander of their company to relay orders.

Secondly, All the other players must learn to recognize those commands as played by a bugler or drummer, in order for them to be effective. Then the players must react accordingly.

Color Bearers also have no weapons, does that make them equally as useless as 'musicians' as you imply?

OP did not imply musicians were useless due to lack of weapon.
Flag Bearer is not useless because people can spawn on him. But take away this ability and move spawn point to NCO or Officer and Flag Bearer becomes another gimmick.

[Hening]

We need some bagpipers.

[Bladestorm Enjoyer]

Clanner RP aside, they should definitely have a use. The general ideas floated around are stat bonuses of some kind, or a boost to local morale. It might be helpful to add a chat indicator saying which call is what, much like an officer has chat indicators for forming columns and the like. It'd definitely help people learn which call means what.

[TokyoJeff]

95% of players will never memorize what the drum and bugle signals stand for, so talking about their importance for relaying orders is ridiculous. Most musician players constantly spam sounds, so adding a chat indicator would drown out other chat messages.

The developers either need to give them some actual purpose (such as preventing nearby players screens from going black), or make it optional for server admins to turn off musicians and drummers.

[Bladestorm Enjoyer]

Originally posted by TokyoJeff:

95% of players will never memorize what the drum and bugle signals stand for, so talking about their importance for relaying orders is ridiculous. Most musician players constantly spam sounds, so adding a chat indicator would drown out other chat messages.

The developers either need to give them some actual purpose (such as preventing nearby players screens from going black), or make it optional for server admins to turn off musicians and drummers.

Yeah, you're right.

[Thomas Truslow]

Originally posted by Rappelinski:

Clanner RP aside, they should definitely have a use. The general ideas floated around are stat bonuses of some kind, or a boost to local morale. It might be helpful to add a chat indicator saying which call is what, much like an officer has chat indicators for forming columns and the like. It'd definitely help people learn which call means what.

That's the only way, I suppose. And it is also elegant. Bonuses for buglers like in ... other games is just not the way of WoR. But this suggestion is really easy to implement and with the already existing officer command system it wouldn't stand out either.

Please bring this idea to the official forum and / or discord.

[Bladestorm Enjoyer]

Originally posted by AGL-8thALSgt Truslow:

Originally posted by Rappelinski:

Clanner RP aside, they should definitely have a use. The general ideas floated around are stat bonuses of some kind, or a boost to local morale. It might be helpful to add a chat indicator saying which call is what, much like an officer has chat indicators for forming columns and the like. It'd definitely help people learn which call means what.

That's the only way, I suppose. And it is also elegant. Bonuses for buglers like in ... other games is just not the way of WoR. But this suggestion is really easy to implement and with the already existing officer command system it wouldn't stand out either.

Please bring this idea to the official forum and / or discord.

Feel free to do it yourself.

[Pvt. Garoufalis]

yeah i feel like musicians would have a better role if the music also boosts morale or help motivate more for better stamina or something.

[RackEmUp187]

Originally posted by Brittany Garoufalis:

yeah i feel like musicians would have a better role if the music also boosts morale or help motivate more for better stamina or something.

Hold fast nations does this and when you are in line you get a boost in accuracy or something along the lines.

"Musician: With the Drum equipped the Drummer is able to select from a list of tunes to play that will increase the firearms accuracy of Rank and File soldiers by 8% and will stack to 12% if another musician performs with you.

Equipping the Drum greatly reduces movement speed."


https://holdfast.fandom.com/wiki/Drummer

[FrozInAK]

I started to goof around with a bugle and a few of the players knew the main commands by ear. I heard the other players spread the bugle commands to other players near them. That is why the bugler or the drummer is a lieutenant.

I bet a team could be very effective with an officer, a bugler, and NCO's that knew their stuff.

[Thomas Truslow]

Definitely, yes. I've seen that before. But you need to be a real ACW nerd to really memorize these signals...

[RackEmUp187]

Originally posted by FrozInAK:

I started to goof around with a bugle and a few of the players knew the main commands by ear. I heard the other players spread the bugle commands to other players near them. That is why the bugler or the drummer is a lieutenant.

I bet a team could be very effective with an officer, a bugler, and NCO's that knew their stuff.

I mean that's probably what they practice in line battles and those private regiment servers.