J Band

Ideas for Open Source Rock Band game

Using standard file formats to come up with an open source Rock Band clone that can be played on any system. Music itself will not be released with the game files. Music whither it be on CD or MP3 format is under the understanding that it is up to the user to purchase a legal copy.

File formats under consideration

File formats must be portable and not specific to any device or computer. All versions of the game shoudl be able to read the same game file formats.

MP3 - source file for music MID - game file for game play ASS - timing file for lyrics for song. DAT - misc data not in other formats

MIDI file format

Since MIDI contains performance data of a particular device, it is ideal for timing of keypresses or timing and pitches for singing depending on the controller. Each instrument has it's own timing track which can correspond to an instrument or controller plus difficulty level. With voice tracking, several tracks could be created in the key the user is most comfortable with. Since this is more game based playing than actually play the song, licensing issues should be moot.

Sample MIDI tracks for game play

Voice - Key 1 - easy - medium - hard Voice - Key 2 - easy - medium - hard Voice - Key " - easy - medium - hard Lead Guitar - easy - medium - hard Rythum Guitar - easy - medium - hard Bass Guitar - easy - medium - hard Drums Guitar - easy - medium - hard

Voice - Lyrics

Lyrics can be handled with ASS format used by fansubbers which has timing with words.

Generating game file formats

A MIDI recorder should be programmed to make generation by third parties easy. Checksum of the source file can be recorded in the DAT file so players will know if their source is adequate to play along with. Since some singles of a song can be both with and without vocals as well as be on CD, more than one checksum maybe required per game play file.

File structure

To be worked out later as various systems deal with files differently. ASS files might have to be incorporated into MIDI file format somehow.

J Band Server

My ideal is to have J Band as a convention game with audience playing with their portable gaming devices. (Not everybody is going to bring their game console or PC to a con.) This leaves the Nintendo DS and PSP as the portable gaming devices of choice. People can log onto the server, get their data files. The server would have to have the source music files to play to avoid distribution problems. The runner of the server would be responsible for having legit music files.

J Band Portable

Each player would have to have a client program to communicate with the server.

Order of Server Play

- player logs in - select instrument (or Voice and key) - select difficulty - receive data files Midi (and ass) - Server closes new users - game play begins - game ends and stats are displayed.

Tournament play

Players register. The greater the difficulty, the greater the points. Server operator can set which song to play or poll the audience though a selection of songs. Winner is determined after a set number of rounds.

Please leave comments in discussion.