Lord of the Rings Online music system

by Alexander Sliwinski { Mar 18th 2007 at 11:00PM }

Earlier today we reported one of the extra layers of polish brought to Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar was a music system. The music system allows players to purchase an instrument from a vendor and play the instrument using the keyboard. It's not pre-recorded and impressive when you see a player in-game performing. Developers told us that the latest version of the music system compensates for lag allowing for bands to perform and sync properly. Above is a player in the open beta performing "Dust in the Wind." After the break is an extended version by a different player. Expect these clips to start popping up all over YouTube soon enough. There has been no word yet from the developers whether this music system will be implemented into quests.

Tags: dust in the wind, lord of the rings online, LordOfTheRingsOnline, music system

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

SonicRift @ Mar 18th 2007 11:08PM

How long till the RIAA sues the gamemakers for using or allowing copyright music?

Ryoga Vee @ Mar 18th 2007 11:09PM

I close my... eyes...... only for a moment and the moments gone.... Dust in the Wind!

John @ Mar 18th 2007 11:09PM

Bravo! That's wonderful.

SoulBlade @ Mar 18th 2007 11:09PM

that is an awesome first post...

Shadow @ Mar 18th 2007 11:14PM

This has just sold me on the LOTR MMO. That is just awesome.

LaughingTarget @ Mar 18th 2007 11:18PM

One player playing a song - alright.

Getting a whole band together - weould be freaking awesome.

mkoracer @ Mar 18th 2007 11:43PM

When does the midi to keypress converter app come out so I can sound like I have MAD KEYBORD MUZIK SKILZ too?

Matt B. @ Mar 18th 2007 11:47PM

Tolkien's world + a developer that puts in the ability to play music = An awesome MMORPG

Sensai @ Mar 18th 2007 11:50PM

For those who don't know, this guy was the same guy that did the Pardoner's Tale with WoW. He's a good friend of mine.

I, however, am NOT addicted to LoTRO like he is.

Vince @ Mar 18th 2007 11:57PM

i can see myself joining a band instead of a guild and playing shows instead of raiding.

Namezarc @ Mar 19th 2007 12:05AM

wow... something cool/fun to do during downtimes or when looking for groups

TravistyOJ @ Mar 19th 2007 12:16AM

That is pretty cool. I bet you bad music aggs monsters.

Drew @ Mar 19th 2007 12:41AM

YOU MY BOY BLUE!!! Yeah this just sold me on this...

skaptimusprime @ Mar 19th 2007 12:48AM

I don't mean to invalidate the second video, but it was 100% macroed, using my creation, LOTRO Music Converter. It's temporary home is here: http://community.livejournal.com/lotro_music/ where you can get the newest version.

--Skaptimusprime

Grendel Pr1me @ Mar 19th 2007 1:10AM

It sure beats going into towns and seeing some Dark Elf dancing on a post... everywhere.

Mike @ Mar 19th 2007 1:32AM

That's so very awesome!

The ingame economy will now like sustain talented muscisians.

"I shred mad soloz for phat lewt".

Brutus @ Mar 19th 2007 2:25AM

I hope it's possible to play Slayer - Angel of Death.

Mastgrr @ Mar 19th 2007 3:02AM

I did this with my brother's account. He was running around playing the Concerning Hobbits theme from the movies whereas I wound up playing the Beverely Hills Cop theme.

Kazi @ Mar 19th 2007 4:48AM

"I don't mean to invalidate the second video, but it was 100% macroed, using my creation, LOTRO Music Converter. It's temporary home is here: http://community.livejournal.com/lotro_music/ where you can get the newest version.

--Skaptimusprime

Posted at 12:48AM on Mar 19th 2007 by skaptimusprime"

Doesn't matter how he did it. People are in awe at the music system, not some dude's skill at pushing buttons or macroing. Which I wouldn't doubt that most people online will be macroing songs, doesn't make it any less awesome.

Neebs @ Mar 19th 2007 6:22AM

Free Bird! Free Bird! Free Bird!

t_m @ Mar 19th 2007 6:53AM

NO STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN!

;-)

TibrisXVII @ Mar 19th 2007 7:02AM

Brutus - I hope it's possible to play Slayer - Angel of Death.

------------------

Zat you Kyle?

IHateFrasierCrane @ Mar 19th 2007 7:39AM

All we are is dust in the wind dude.

Dust. Wind.

Dude.

DrkMatter @ Mar 19th 2007 8:05AM

I really can't see how they can really "account" for lag. There will always, always, be at least a ~50ms lag, and while this may be insignificant for gameplay, it can make quite a difference musically.

Also, this brings back memories of Ultima VI. Who remembers playing Stones with their keyboard?

Jin @ Mar 19th 2007 11:22AM

damn... if I wasn't banned from gaming for one month by my fiancee I would so join....

Jin @ Mar 19th 2007 11:23AM

24/

there already is a online music app that allows people to perform together that compensates lags.

skaptimusprime @ Mar 19th 2007 12:20PM

"Doesn't matter how he did it. People are in awe at the music system, not some dude's skill at pushing buttons or macroing. Which I wouldn't doubt that most people online will be macroing songs, doesn't make it any less awesome.

Posted at 4:48AM"

Normally I'd agree with you, and that's exactly why I decided to release LMC to the public...but this time around, I feel cheated. I literally even wrote in LMC's readme that "Dust in the Wind is highly recommended" and already posted a video of me playing it before LMC was even released.

It'd be OK if I was at least credited, which Zeebo had done on his other video, but now everyone thinks it's raw skill.

savvydoc @ Mar 19th 2007 12:23PM

I WAS excited...

Until I read that you could convert any midi song and macro it so it plays automatically.

Lame. Lame, lame lame.

halobreaker @ Mar 19th 2007 4:29PM

I can see the greifers now. Running through towns playing the worst music ever over and over and over.

Mike @ Mar 19th 2007 7:17PM

If this is midi, does it allow for midi pitch bend and the like?

Kuipo @ Mar 19th 2007 8:40PM

I hate to be sinical, but as a game tester I always look at these things with "how can I exploit/break/grief people or things with every feature of a game (it's just part of a testers thought process). The first thing that comes to mind is people who are not at all musically talented. Unless they allow you to block some or all players from playing music around you, someone will have a hayday with this.

Also, imagine someone IS performing well, what's stopping someone else from coming up and playing RIGHT next to them something that is just rubbish?

I can mentally block a night elf dancing next to an auction house. But blocking out horrible sound will be much more difficult. The Dev's better come up with some really good preventative measures because anyone who's played MMO's for a long time will tell you that there is still a significant amount of tom-foolery going on in them.

skaptimusprime @ Mar 19th 2007 8:56PM

I couldn't agree with you more. When I first tried an early version of LMC, I had at least two or three grievers who came by just to spam random notes.

TKO @ Mar 19th 2007 10:42PM

YOURE MY BOY, BLUE!!!

r.i.p.

Zeebo323 @ Mar 19th 2007 11:31PM

"I don't mean to invalidate the second video, but it was 100% macroed, using my creation, LOTRO Music Converter. It's temporary home is here: http://community.livejournal.com/lotro_music/ where you can get the newest version.

--Skaptimusprime"

Jesus christ you're the most bitter person I've run into thus far in LOTRO. Get the hell over yourself man, I was only posting the video to demonstrate what the Music System is capable of. NOT for e-kudos. Jealous much? It's the internet bro, you'll live.

Paul Evans @ Mar 20th 2007 6:20AM

Needs more cowbell.

skaptimusprime @ Mar 20th 2007 9:14PM

So by telling people what's really going on, and (somewhat shamelessly, but hey, as long as its use is being featured, it only makes sense that I'd point it out) plugging my own program, I'm somehow attacking you? I'm not a bitter person, you're just far too sensitive/defensive. Just drop it, LMC's finished anyway.