I'm currently training up four characters in the Musical Instrument skill. The ultimate aim is to be able to play group compositions. I am able to sync four clients with a very small delay between them now. It's not perfect, but probably as good as I'm going to get. It works surprisingly well for Catches, Rounds, and Glees.

I would like some advice on composition, or music creation, software to run on Windows 8.1

I don't mind if it's paid or Freeware, ease of use is important to me. Just started experimenting with MuseScore.

I've never had formal music training, so writing and reading music is slow for me. That being said I used to make my living as a musician many moons ago.

The next step is getting my scores/compositions into Planeshift. I've come across four proposed methods so far. Each having it's own idiosyncrasies and limitations.

Sheet Editor, as explained by Korumak: http://www.hydlaaplaza.com/smf/index.php?topic=40531.0

Firiban's External Music Editor: http://www.hydlaaplaza.com/smf/index.php?topic=40547.0

Gilrond's Manual Editing Method: http://www.hydlaaplaza.com/smf/index.php?topic=40219.15 [ Method and discovery outlined within the post]

Sajut's PSTune: http://www.hydlaaplaza.com/smf/index.php?topic=41427.0

If anyone has a viable alternative here and is willing to share I would be most interested. So far I've manually entered notes onto the sheets in-game. It's doable, but extremely fiddly. Also not really viable for Pan Flute, half of it's useable notes are above the staff. This means there isn't a guide for placing a note. Difference of a pixel means a different note.

Thank you for reading. Planeshift has one of the few Player Music systems ever implemented in a MMO, we are very fortunate to have it. I hope Lucubro will be able to offer further refinement in the future.

Spell usage and implementation has improved incredibly in recent times, there are a couple of areas they may possibly be improved further.

1. Auto self cast. If it is not possible to cast a spell on the target then attempt to cast on self [not for damage type spells but heal, buff etc]. For example presently this works for Water Barrier and Defensive Wind, but not for Rock Armour.

2. Defensive buffs directly relate to Way skill level. At present the strength of "Armour" buffs seems to relate to armour worn+armour condition+armour type skill level. Should a defensive effect cast by a character, such as Water Barrier, with 150 BW be as effective as 150 HA with new armour? I would like to think so. The essence of a skill based system is about viable freedom of choice, with this approach a magic oriented character becomes possible without investing time, and possibly uncharacteristic energy, into  "physical" skills.

So what do you think? Maybe this is already planned as part of the new combat system, I could be "mad as a fish" and this would tear apart the fabric of our reality?

 A great deal of new work on Sound is presently being done as part of GSoC 2011. Thank you Lucobro.

http://planeshift.ezpcusa.com/pswiki/index.php?title=Sound_System

Part of the present and future project involves player generated music in PS under the Musical Instrument skill. The ability to compose, then perform, music within a virtual world is technically daunting but I would hope for many incredibly exciting.

I would like to have the opportunity to "Freestyle", play live, as part of this system. This could involve using the pc keyboard to trigger notes in real time. As a lot of keys are "bound" to gui windows, movement, and shortcuts, using a "Play Music Stance" could be used to switch from normal mode to one where keys trigger the appropriate notes instead.

It might even be possible to use an external program to convert midi music keyboard output into a form usable by the Planeshift Sound Manager.

This would enable the talented musicians, with the right set up, amongst us to both entertain and amaze.

"Freestyle" could add more depth to the world, especially in RP. A character telling a tale in a crowded inn, casually plucks the strings of their harp. We hear the notes. Someone working on their Music Instrument skill playing scales, not to skill up but it's just what you do. A group of musicians warming up before a theatrical performance as the audience settles into place.

Sync could cause problems for groups trying to play together, latency etc. It could be possible for a player to have one character playing a music composition, while his/her other improvises around it. Both events being triggered from the same geographical location/isp might minimise sync issues.

[ Quick thought on Music Stance/Mode. Even if playing Freestyle would probably mean the character being stationary it would be wonderful to be able to move and play pre recorded compositions. Imagine a Guild Parade, at their head a piper playing a stirring March].

Thankyou.

Suggestion for those using forge at moment. At approx 15.30 GMT one of my chars attempted to heat some stock in Hydlaa forge, stock disappeared and server crashed. "Bugrid" I thought to myself as waited for normal service to resume, lost all that then. To my suprise the stock was in my inventory when I relogged, unfortunately two silverweave small battle axes were not! I was not over my weight allowance, had nothing in my sack, and little else in inventory. To avoid anything similiar happening to you suggest not crafting with anything you value in inventory.[Have made GM petition as my bugtracker password is not being accepted, in the unlikely event am in position to replicate bug am unsure would wish to]

Does anyone know of a way to expand the current number of shortcut slots? Can the XML shortcut file simply be expanded, or is there a known code fix? Thankyou.

This will probably sound like a stupid question to most, so long as I get the download I dont mind. In the general excitement of the new download announcement I didnt get to find out from anyone where to get it from. My first PS download was of 0.3.013 that I got from the PS website. Been there and the download is described as being the same as what I have now. Where do I get the new download from,please. Withdrawals are setting in already, the thought of crafting and whatever else has been slotted in has me sweating. Thanks with much anticipation.

A lot of players seem to want to fly, or levitate, in game. I must admit I\'m one of them. Obviously this would create serious game imbalance[levitate to a suitable height, equip missile weapon when available, and convert Ubernaut to porcupine], but there is presently one area that perfectly lends itself to it. The Death Realm may have been developed initially as a deterent but I hope will eventually offer much more. It is one of the most beautiful and atmospheric environments I\'ve come across. It feels almost disrespectful to charge through, sprinting back to spawn point of choice, perhaps pausing to guide someone.
The \"natural laws\" existing in the realm of life need not apply there. The inconvenience factor is small once you know it a little. Everybody goes there once in a while, quite often personally, not always through choice.
If implemented flight [levitation] could be an innate ability or artifact related, a quest could result in a ring/belt/cloak with the desired effect. Imagine mage duels above the inky chasms, especially as more ranged spells are introduced.
As to why.......[ can\'t just say \"I want\" ]......the place deserves it. \"Death is not the end\".