Can we take action against Bard Macro Player yet?

[Olivia0x25]

I get it, some people aren't musically talented enough, some just want to play songs, and I feel that is fine if you are just playing for your friends and such.

But what bothers me is when you pretend you ARE playing songs and acting as if you are so great because you let a third party tool play it for you.

It's really annoying walking into towns and just hearing it sound like people just throw midi keyboards down a flight of stairs.

There are people, such as myself, who actually practice playing these songs, and we get immediately overshadowed by people who just press play on a program. There is no competition, we lose because it's impossible for us to play songs at a normal place without either conforming to third party software ourselves, or hooking up an actual midi keyboard (which I would be more okay with!).

I think the bard macro playing has gotten way out of hand. It's really annoying and off putting.


Playing songs is one of my favorite things to do in FFXIV, I practice for hours every single day, and now I have to turn off performance completely because it just isn't fun anymore trying to play music for people, but getting immediately decimated by someone who can press play, make a sandwich and come back without putting any effort into learning any song what so ever.

[Zomkei]

they can’t look at what’s on your pc, so all they would be doing is suspending folks who are being accused of it, and getting “innocent” players like yourself thrown in.

it’s not a competition anyway. play your music and just mind yourself and stop worrying about others.

[Rosenstrauch]

It sounds like you're taking a fun side activity with no payoff other than self-gratification too seriously. Besides, all this would accomplish is make players using these third party tools stop openly talking about doing so. If anything, you'd get more people presenting their automated music as legit, not less.

[Olivia0x25]

It sounds like you're taking a fun side activity with no payoff other than self-gratification too seriously. Besides, all this would accomplish is make players using these third party tools stop openly talking about doing so. If anything, you'd get more people presenting their automated music as legit, not less.

I disagree a bit. It's pretty painfully obvious when a user is using third party software than actually playing a song. There's too much lag & input delay for legit play to be accounted for when third party software does not get hindered by this at all.

It might be a fun side activity, but it's 99% of what I do, and like I said, I practice very very hard to play the songs that I can for someone to overshadow me with a press of a button. Rendering that "fun side activity", not-fun because of an unfair third party software doing it a thousand times better than I ever could.

[VelKallor]

Olivia:

Theres the other side of the coin, here my friend.

People like me who have no musical gifts whatsoever, and may use a program like that to give my avatar in a fantasy game an ability I will never know in my entire life. One I have dreamt of having almost.forever.

There are people, such as myself, who actually practice playing these songs, and we get immediately overshadowed by people who just press play on a program.

Overshadowed how?

Which is more important...the music and the one who plays it..or the way it is played?

Does it really matter that much?

When I sit down to a concert, it doesnt matter to me whether they are using an auto player or not, the music is what I hear and enjoy. It takes nothing away from you...and gives an immense joy to others who will never know the pleasure of that in reality.

I have a mind that can read and understand medical terminology like a second language, I can speak at least three languages well, I have a small gift inherited from my parents in poetry and prose..but my greatest wish, my fondest dream, was to be on stage with a musical instrument and let the music speak for my heart and soul. You could put the best midi keyboard in front of me and Id never know how to make that music.

That, I cannot and will never know.

If, by some small means, others can attain, that small dream inside a video game, then I see no harm in it.

[Olivia0x25]

Olivia:

Theres the other side of the coin, here my friend.

People like me who have no musical gifts whatsoever, and may use a program like that to give my avatar in a fantasy game an ability I will never know in my entire life. One I have dreamt of having almost.forever.



Overshadowed how?

Which is more important...the music and the one who plays it..or the way it is played?

Does it really matter that much?

When I sit down to a concert, it doesnt matter to me whether they are using an auto player or not, the music is what I hear and enjoy. It takes nothing away from you...and gives an immense joy to others who will never know the pleasure of that in reality.

I have a mind that can read and understand medical terminology like a second language, I can speak at least three languages well, I have a small gift inherited from my parents in poetry and prose..but my greatest wish, my fondest dream, was to be on stage with a musical instrument and let the music speak for my heart and soul. You could put the best midi keyboard in front of me and Id never know how to make that music.

That, I cannot and will never know.

If, by some small means, others can attain, that small dream inside a video game, then I see no harm in it.

It doesn't matter who plays it, but it should matter as if you are actually playing it. Mainly for my main complaint "PRETENDING you are playing it, but aren't". There are people who like to gloat and pretend they are this wild performer, but are letting illegal tools play the song for them. Like the music or not, that IS an unfair advantage for people who don't.

And again, I get it, some might not be musically talented, and if you just want to play songs for yourself/friends, then whatever fine, but I draw the line going into public spaces and pretending you are so great, and even possibly receiving tips for letting software play a song for you. At that point, you are not the performer, but a MP3 player at that point. Would you go to a concert in real life and be okay with a singer not really singing a song? Or if an orchestra wasn't really playing their instruments but letting some software play it for them while pretending they are? Probably not. I know it's a bit different via FFXIV, but that, for me, means a lot.

You cannot possibly get better at learning to play music, if you do not even attempt to try to learn any bit of it. There is much more pride and feeling if a person has worked very hard for their goals and to bring that musical joy to others, than to just sit there and press play and walk away.


I would say that is way more important, and the difference between a performer, and a mp3 player.



That's what I mean by overshadowing. Imagine spending hours upon hours everyday trying to learn a song, just for someone to walk up to you, and have software do it for them, bow in front of everyone, making you feel underappreciated and worthless compared to them all because they have a midi that can do it all, while you are stumbling each step of the way to try to get it down right.

[Sathona]

Unofficially as long as a third party tool isnt used to harass or harm others, they will turn a blind eye to it.
Out of all the third party tools, bard music player is probably the most harmless when it comes to affecting someone elses gameplay[outside of reshade]
Not even sure why this has to even be a conversation.

[Krotoan]

I've seen it all now. Bard Performance Elitists.

[Snorky]

This is a sad thread. Seriously this is a game you are not going to end up some famous person because you play music in a video game. Totally harmless and this company doesn't scan your computer for third party programs. Are you really that jealous? Do you really need that praise so much in a video game? As someone else said are we really having this conversation. Third party programs are against TOS. Smh.

[Omedon]

Wait, there’s a way to automate music performances? I might actually unlock this ability now!