and the torpor comes in the niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight

[spatch]

Is it a sign of ... well, I don't know what ... when your two major accomplishments the previous evening were

1. Moving the cat dish from the now closed-off kitchen to the warmer dining room, and placing them in a cardboard lid to hopefully keep Messy Eater No. 1 from spraying his kibble all over the place (when he takes too big a bite, as is his wont, he shakes his head from side to side and chews what's left in his mouth)

and

2. Finally getting 5 stars on all the Easy Mode GH2 career songs and, excitedly awaiting what nifty reward I'd unlock, earned... the right to buy an expensive guitar shaped like the US. When I actually played all the Easy Mode songs, I earned the right to buy an expensive guitar shaped like a fish. Gee, thanks.

I've graduated to Medium and have 5-starred the first tier of songs except for that goddamn Cheap Trick one which involves a few more meedly work than I've gotten down (my squeedlies are okay) and I've 3-starred about half the songs at least, and are now working to at least 4-starring those and getting extra cash before going on to the ones I know are going to kill my wrist.

Small Quibble #1: I'd like to at least see the looks of the purchasable characters or their outfits before I choose to purchase them, or else I'm out $1800 on makin someone look, uh, goofy. But to be able to hammer out the Sabbath encore as Lars Umlaut with the double-neck guitar while in full gargoyle gear was, I think worth that particular set of purchases. Oh, and the Trogdor, Freezepop and Honest Bob tracks were worth the purchase, too. But it's gonna be a while before Hippopotamosh makes any more real big money.

Comments

[fancycwabs.livejournal.com]

My son thought I was lying to him when I told him Trogdor was an unlockable song. I think I earned my last "cool dad" point ever for the rest of my life when he found out I was right.

[mybadhairlife.livejournal.com]

Re 1: Do you want to talk about the stuff that came out of my carpet when I steam cleaned the part of the rug where Yoda likes to dribble?

Okay, no you don't. I ask dumb questions some times.

What I can tell you is that I have one cat who dribbles chewed kibble bits, one who is selective about which pieces of kibble are acceptable (throwing the "bad" kibble on the floor), and three who like to play kibble hockey (a goal is scored when they knock the kibble under the stove, fridge, or furniture).

In short, I feel your pain, but I am skeptical that a mere lid will solve the problem. We are talking about feline persons here, after all.

[spatch]

Frankly, as long as I get a big enough tray to capture all his food spray, I can clean it easily and not have to, like, sweep it up underneath.

[zhym.livejournal.com]

Digit likes to drop his kibble in the water bowl. Maybe he thinks it will make gravy (or maybe he's old and his teeth hurt).

Not all kibble makes it to the water bowl. Heck, I'm not even sure most of the kibble makes it to the water bowl.

[hermitgeecko.livejournal.com]

My rabbit takes a good half of her hay and throws it in her water bowl... and then refuses to drink the icky water or eat the icky hay. I got no theories. It's a weird pet thing.

[laura47.livejournal.com]

Mommy's all right! Daddy's all right! They just seem a little straaaaaaange!

that song is the bane of Peter's career on medium. Strangely, once you get to hard, which I *just* did, that song is not much harder and "Woman" because the complete bitch song, despite my easily 5 staring it on medium.

[spatch]

I'll crack into Harder once I've five-starred the second tier.

Surrender pisses me off because the multi-note verse riffs are treated as chords, so the Y Y YB Y, etc MUST be only done with Y and B and so forth and so on. I could do it if I could cover the entire four frets, but moving down the neck results in at least one missed note with every switch. I can do it it in slow practice, but am still trying to get through at least ONE full verse/chorus routine at regular speed without messing up TOO much.

Message In A Bottle on Medium, however, taught me how to cover the ENTIRE set of frets and remove fingers as necessary, making DAMN sure I know which finger goes where and making sure to use my pinky solely for Blue. That verse riff is a killer but easily mastered when you get into a nice Zen groove, where you're able to play it without consciously telling yourself BLUE! QUICK LIFT UP THOSE TWO FINGERS FOR THE RED! NOW PUT ONE DOWN FOR YELLOW! QUICK, GRAB JUST THE GREEN!

That practice has actually gotten me much much better everywhere else, tho I'm still 3-starring the goddamn song. The G-Y and R-B chord shift in the chorus kicks my ass unless I make a concerted effort to STARE at the frets. My fingers can't feel the change and move quick enough without me staring over at them, I know what you gotta do, buddy.

I'm also just now getting to the new Medium songs which begin your hammer-on/pull-off practice which I thought you could just do for any close-together notes, but oh no! I was advised you can do that only for the notes which don't have the black ring around the top. Ah ha, says Der Spatchel, and promptly falls out of his Zen mode trying to do that.

But man, so addictive.

I 5-starred Woman on Medium real quick. Actually I think my first 5-star Medium was Strutter. That's easy and fun to boot.

[single-doubt.livejournal.com]

Woman on hard was the first song I flat-out failed. Less than a minute into the song. Man that was demoralizing. I learned the true meaning of hammer-ons and pull-offs (and how star power can save your ass) passing that one.

[lediva.livejournal.com]

I've got everything unlocked except the guitars you get for 5-starring hard & expert and completing expert. So if you want to see any outfits, poke me if/when you come over for Rocksgiving.

I also suspect you could probably find pictures online with proper Google-fu.

[spatch]

There's a code I know that will unlock everything to look at (but removes your ability to save) but I am so keeping from using that via sheer force of will.

However, if it means I get to see the different outfits and guitars but not check the setlist, I may have to try just to notice.

Rocksgiving is becoming a better and better idea.

[lediva.livejournal.com]

*steeples fingers*

Ehhh-xcellent.

[cheezdanish.livejournal.com]

The secondary outfits are pretty rockin' all over. Judy Nails' secondary in particular. Go for it!

Hee hee, you're in the Guitar Hero Club now. We have beeloons.

[spatch]

Now as I understand it, each song will eventually give you $600 in total once you 5-star it, split up among 3- and 4- star ranking, right? Can't wait to see.

I did, however, also purchase the FLAMING GUITAR overlay because YOU NEED THE FLAMING GUITAR.

[single-doubt.livejournal.com]

Yup. $150 for 3-star, $200 for 4-star, $250 for 5-star (totalling $600).

A friend of mine struck on an idea, which was getting as far as you could, unlocking all of one thing (songs, for example), then making a new band, playing through again, and unlocking other items with them (guitars, outfits, whatever). I'm not a big fan of that, though, and just got the songs and whatever else looked good.

[spatch]

I thought the guitar/characters/designs only worked for each band, cross-difficulty or whatever. Huh. Once you unlock something, you unlock it for all bands past, present and future?

I also know that if you beat a song on Hard without trying it on Medium first, you get the Hard and Medium cash, which means once I get good, it's time to make a TRULY ROCKIN BAND and start on Hard.

[cursethedark.livejournal.com]

No, it's only unlocked for the one band. BUT! It also unlocks them for everyone in Quickplay and Co-Op modes.

[single-doubt.livejournal.com]

What this person said.

[laura47.livejournal.com]

where you're able to play it without consciously telling yourself BLUE! QUICK LIFT UP THOSE TWO FINGERS FOR THE RED! NOW PUT ONE DOWN FOR YELLOW! QUICK, GRAB JUST THE GREEN!

I hit my zen yesterday, in the middle of passing, like, a dozen songs on hard. I no longer need to think about hitting each note individually, it's like typing out words. I am ridiculously proud of myself for finally getting hard. i was stuck on woman for days, and i finally just went and started quickplaying the songs after it, and after i had beat 8 out of the first 9 songs, i went back, and woosh! did it! now i have beaten 21. :-) but then i watch my friends on expert and just feel SO LAME.

[spatch]

YES! It's exactly like typing. Once you know what you're doing and how quickly, you handle shit that comes at you all random. There's a few end songs which do random R Y G runs with a B every now and then and I NAIL them.

Then there's a Y-G chord that I miss. WOOP

[sandrylene.livejournal.com]

Just got GH3, as well... and I never have anyone to play it with. But man, the game is totally addictive and fun, though I suspect I am less thorough about it than you are. In my world it's "ooh, I love this song!" *plays it on medium* *plays it on hard* *plays it on expert and fails after four notes* *pauses, looking around embarrassed* *plays it on hard again* "Okay, bed!"

I've been stuck on Psychobilly Freakout for roughly two thirds of my GH career. Freaking song. I don't even *like* it.

[spatch]

I played Psychobilly Freakout twice on Easy. Once I 3-starred it, the second time I 5-starred it. I maintain that was sheer luck, but then again, it was the second-to-last song I had to 5-star, so I'd a lot of practice by that point. I have told the thing is nigh-impossible on Hard. I am not looking forward to it.

But the song that took me the most tries to 5-star in Easy? Jessica. I didn't mind, because I love the song.

I've heard GH3, without the Harmonix influence, isn't as rad, but Harmonix' "Rocks The 80s" expansion may or may not be worth the $50 (hell, I'd drop the change for it...) and Harmonix' Rock Band will be a blast.

Considering I know several Harmonix folks either first- or second-hand (immediately identified the "Rat Cellar", woop) I'm rooting for them so much more than I am Neversoft and their horribly buggy wireless GH3 controllers.

[sandrylene.livejournal.com]

This is totally true. Seems like GH2>GH3, generally speaking. I haven't played GH3 enough to be totally sure. I sort of want to get the 80s version, as soon as I can justify to myself the $50 and the sheer dorkery involved.

The wireless controller thing... I heard something to the effect of "wireless controllers are totally necessary for PS3 and everyone out of the pool with your wired controllers and your red nose we don't want you in our reindeer games." Have you heard any of that scuttlebutt?

And yeah, I know what you mean with the sheer luck thing. Sometimes it feels like I'm just button mashing and praying. Sometimes that nets me a good score, sometimes it's just "no, dumbass, try playing the *music.*" (And in the background: "boooooooo!")

[dfan.livejournal.com]

I promise you that Rock Band will be the most amazing thing ever.

Who else here do you know?

[spatch]

I cannot wait for Rock Band, especially for lediva's Rocksgiving.

This house of mine had a ton of parties back in The Day and I'm pretty sure I met someone said they worked for Harmonix. I met too many people I vaguely remember, so perhaps it's not so much second-hand as it is booze-hand. Examples involve SCUL coming over and some of them joining me in experimenting with the dry ice we'd procured for the party. Good memories, though I'm sure I'd never recognize any of them if I met 'em again.

(Hell, during our housemate search we often had someone show up who'd say "This place looks familiar...")

[gwynethfar.livejournal.com]

I don't think a guitar shaped like the United States would be very easy or practical to play.

And where do they fit Alaska and Hawaii?

Hah! In your HEAD!

[fancycwabs.livejournal.com]

Kick! Punch! It's all in the mind!

Re: Hah! In your HEAD!

[spatch]

I need to go just as bad as you!
What I had this morning I don't even want to say to you!
Kick! Punch! Turn and chop the door!
Or I will fall on the floor!
Kick! Punch! Turn and chop the door!
Or I will fall on the floor!

Ah-yatatatatatatata...

Re: Hah! In your HEAD!

[fancycwabs.livejournal.com]

From PaRappa comes our favorite euphemism for abdominal distress: "Feeling Manly."

[kissoflife.livejournal.com]

Dude, there is no torpor in playing GH! Sez I.

[dskasak.livejournal.com]

It's hard to play the Trogdor song whilst holding up your BMW lighter in tribute, no?

[cursethedark.livejournal.com]

Trogdor's fun, but it gets nasty.

My favorite thing to do for a while (after my friends got me on it) was to set up the co-op, and have them play bass on Dethklok's "Thunderhorse." The look on their face is priceless. I must have got five or six people on that.

Probably my favorite bonus song is "Mr. Fix-It" by the Amazing Royal Crowns.

[spatch]

I like Mr. Fix-It and the Freezepop song. That chorus riff gets freakin mesmerizing.

[modpixie.livejournal.com]

This has nothing to do with Guitar Hero, so I will state upfront two fun facts:

- One of my clients' husbands works for the company that made GH as a freelancer, and did some work on GHI, and
- A few local bands that I love apparently have songs on the first GH.

With that out of the way, two questions pour vous:

What is your Flickr ID, and
Did you get the email I sent you?

[spatch]

Il repond...

1. Spatch
2. Don't b'leev so. Was it like yesterday or the day before?