How do you feel about dynamic difficulty?

[devindog23]

There have been a few songs where I have appreciated dd, but for the most part I would do away with it. I hate relearning parts. How do you feel about it?

[Confound]

I think its nice to have the option, but not really efficient way of learning, personally i never use it, i think its much better to just slow down the song and learn it the right way first, and most songs aren't that hard to sight read at 100% difficulty, but that's just me.

[Alex360]

@@Confound, about learning... in RS1 you need to repeat song in RR to master it to 100, and while you're doing so - you really learn that f*ukicng song(I can't get no tududu tudududu). As result I really know those songs, another question is what If I just played those songs to get required points for Gig event. (at those song you can get really good score and quickly) I'd like to play that song couple times before I actually play gig with it(because when I've installed customs win No DD I mastered it quickly and quickly could play the gig, but I can't play those songs better than those which I practice more.

So. the most important in DD for RS1 was to force player practice those songs till he\she master the song and It worked as expected.
Nowdays you can just maximize DD lvl play the song and forget what you just played, you'll never remember those song from first run(except you a Mozart :D)

I hope my point is clear for you fellas  :)

[Confound]

@@Confound, about learning... in RS1 you need to repeat song in RR to master it to 100, and while you're doing so - you really learn that f*ukicng song(I can't get no tududu tudududu). As result I really know those songs, another question is what If I just played those songs to get required points for Gig event. (at those song you can get really good score and quickly) I'd like to play that song couple times before I actually play gig with it(because when I've installed customs win No DD I mastered it quickly and quickly could play the gig, but I can't play those songs better than those which I practice more.

 

So. the most important in DD for RS1 was to force player practice those songs till he\she master the song and It worked as expected.

Nowdays you can just maximize DD lvl play the song and forget what you just played, you'll never remember those song from first run(except you a Mozart :D)

 

I hope my point is clear for you fellas  :)

Very good point made, i don't even remember much of what i play tbh, just the stuff i practice alot.

[madzillagd]

I bought RS2014 thinking I was going to finally learn to play the acoustic/electric that had been gathering dust.  Didn't work with the game.  Had a friend come over he brought one of his guitars and a bass.  I asked him which one I should try and he's suggested starting with the bass because it was easier. That was the very first time I'd ever picked up a bass and DD was a fantastic thing to have.  First few months having never played before it was great and I think it is definitely a benefit to the game.  After I finally got somewhat proficient and moved to the pc version for easier access to CDLC I almost never use it today. It's harder to relearn a riff with a few added notes after the fact than to learn it correctly the first time.  

[GuitTitan]

As a bassist, i prefer NDD for every songs.

But when i plug my guitar, i really need DD.

[Stikk]

I agree that I don't use DD anymore, but I did when I first started. It was helpful for my first time ever picking up a guitar.

About bass being easier, I disagree. It's just a different instrument is all, but if you find your songs are too easy, there are ALOT of songs on here that will give you a run for your money :P

It's pretty easy for certain genres though, such as punk, oldies, etc. Download some METAL :P

[raynebc]

I played with my bass for too long and the switch back to guitar was really tough. I was no longer used to using a pick or playing on such small, close together strings.

[RedCrowBleeding]

I found i prefer DD as it helps catch the fret locations firstly and the rhythm arrangement

before going flat out

RS natural sets everything to 60%+ anyways so the jump to complete happens after the first or second play through on the parts im comfortable with and allows to graduate up to the hellish sections 

[cstewart]

I like DD and have included it in the customs I've done.  If I download someone else's that doesn't have DD, I add it.  If that doesn't work I throw it in the trash.  I use mostly non-stop play and I'm focusing more on the mechanics of playing (switching chords cleanly, picking cleanly, coordination) than learning particular songs and I find DD helpful.  I don't care if experts consider it an inefficient way to learn.

[jcrawford]

As someone who has never played a real guitar (Rockband and Guitar Hero don't count) I find the DD to be a very nice feature.  When I start playing a song that does not have DD I just can't keep up.  I am still learning the notes as I play on beginner mode and without knowing the real notes it's very very hard to get more than a few hits through a fast song :)

 

I welcome DD in all songs that are released even once I get to the point where I don't need it others will.

 

I don't download any CDLC that doesn't have DD currently because they just frustrate me making me want to put down the guitar :)

[GuitTitan]

Personnally, i don't like it, i think it's more difficult with DD (i know it's ridiculous). But i would never ask to remove it, i know that many people like it and of course, it's a must for a beginner.

[hellohello]

I feel sad so sad. :(

[Arkanoloth]

I really like it, most of the time it gives me enough notes to be challenging and fun.

And if i want consistent notes for a song i play it in score attack mode.

Also here without DD you always get the full notes (which are way too much for me for most songs that i like).

[firekorn]

Well with the remaster update, people will be able to deactivate DD or change the settings so i guess CDLC should all have DD now because RS will allow to get rid of it :D

[The Coon]

I like dynamic difficulty very much for the following reasons:

- Seeing how difficult the parts of the song are in the top of the screen is nice to have

- It looks better! In a song without DD I always feel uncomfortable because of that unesthetic straight line in the top

- It's great when you want to get to know a new song withouht beeing overwhelmed by it's complexity.

- Also, lately I found myself trying to fill the gaps in the notes (due to lower DD) on my own, just by listening. When I found out that I was right, that was really cool!

 

When you really want to learn the whole of a song in the shortest possible time, of course in terms of effectivity it's best to set the difficulty to 100 % and accelarate every part on it's own until you play it perfectly.

BUT there is an important difference between effectivity and motivation.

- I feel like a lot of advanced players tend to forget what it feels like when you're a beginner. There is simply no chance you can play that song on 100 % difficulty - no way - it will just be frustrating. When you are at this stage, dynamic difficulty is super important for your motivation! When I played Rocksmith for the first time, I fired up "The Trooper" by Iron Maiden. And even though I would only play every 20th note or whatever, I felt like a superstar. It was awesome, just rocking along to the music. This feeling is extremely important for the motivation, and it's something that is unique to Rocksmith (you cannot to it with TABs)!

 

The last point is my most important one, and the reason why I think everyone should include DD in their CDLCs.

 

As someone who is learning the guitar from scratch (only a month or two into it) and is learning with RS2014, this is exactly spot on.

 

If I had to play songs at 100% and slow as hell right out of the gate I can guarantee I would've already uninstalled and put my guitar back in the case.  DD keeps me going.  I don't at all mind learning the expanded notes as I gain the needed timing / dexterity.  As a matter of fact, it keeps me engaged; the sound is fuller and it's rewarding.  I love watching my mastery creep up just a few ticks after filling in some of the previously missing notes!  I'm up to 30-ish percent on a bunch of songs and it's starting to actually sound like the songs...  lovin' it!  My finger tips feel like plastic, but oh well.  lol!

[Erikinawas]

I dont like it, i rather play without DD even if i cant keep up

[AMOlson]

I think one thing a lot of people are missing in this discussion is what type of music are you trying to play and what instrument? Now I play pretty much every style but bass almost exclusively. That said, I've found some primary styles where RR with slowdown works better and others with DD.

 

1) Classical/Metal solos. Slowing it down. They're very strongly based on sequences of individual notes and I've found the best ways to get these down is slogging. (Rush is also in here.) Classical especially lends itself to the RR/Slow method. It's so dependent on the entire scale, picking out pieces just doesn't seem to work well.

 

2) Rockabilly/50's/Blues. I don't like slowing this down. So much of it is highly syncopated it seems to work better with DD. Particularly walking bass if the DD is done well. You pick up each part and work on the timing. 

 

3) Punk/Thrash Metal. I just play the snot out of these until it comes together. It's pure speed and the only thing I've found here is time and callouses on the fingers. I never think much about DD or RR with these, 

 

(Not included: 60s-70s Pop/Slow Rock/80s Hair/Country which are all pretty easy and I play them to really lock in my fingering techniques and keep refining my ear. If they get too easy, I drag out my fretless. They rapidly become uneasy again. Oh, on the other end, Dream Theater/Symphony X/Synyster Gates ... just too bloody hard at this point. The ONLY approach I've found is slowing them down to really, really, really slow speeds AND cranking the difficulty way down at the same time.)

 

The only real thing I've found to be completely true is something Perlman said, and I'm paraphrasing, "Practice only does you any good if you practice correctly. If you play a part incorrectly 25 times, you learn to play it incorrectly, which is a waste of practice time." BOTH slowing it down and DD are methods to play something correctly, be it by slowing it down or only playing some of the CORRECT notes. Whatever lets YOU do it right, I wouldn't have gotten as far as I have without DD because to me getting the bars up there is a fun game.

 

Because there is no way I could ever keep up with Geddy Lee at 100% on almost all of the Rush canon, but I love their music and it gives me a chance to play 'Bass Hero'. Then I get serious and back to slogging on the Bach Inventions to work on my scales. Get tired of those, pull out the C/W and just play along for a session. Meh, that's boring ... heh, Iron Maiden! Too monotonous, time for a little A7X. If I'm totally off my rocker, I pull out something 'impossible' and spend a session in RR chewing on a Gates solo. And so I play pretty much every single day and each day.

 

That's a win for me ... don't know about you.

[Wormweed]

I'm quite new to the guitar, played for 10 months. Bought rocksmith 2014 in december. And i never liked DD. It feels like learning the song twice. Kinda pointless to learn how to play a lesser version, then the proper version later on. I think its better to just play an easier song, if the one you want to play is too hard for your skill level.

 

I always max out DD, and play the songs at full speed. Usually sounds like sh*t at first, but it's steadily improving. Then i go into RR and slow certain parts of the song down, and repeat that until i get bored of slow motion vocals, and just play a new song. I revisit the songs on a regular basis, even though i got 1200 cdlc.

 

I end up playing through the songs with RR on most of the time, so that the game wont lower the difficulty when i butcher the song.

[sir_chancealot]

Two years ago, I wanted a new hobby, so I thought I would try out playing an electric guitar.  So, on Memorial Day weekend of 2014, I bought a cheap guitar and a practice amp. 

 

The only thing I knew about guitars were they had strings.  I practiced finger and strumming exercises for two weeks, and then bought RS1 and Rocksmith 2014.  Two years and 2300 hours playing Rocksmith 2014 later, I don't use DD at all.  (Well, 2211 in RS2014, and 84 in RS1)

 

However, it was invaluable when I was a totally new player.  As someone mentioned earlier, if I had been required to learn everything at 100% difficulty, and 1% speed, I would have quit in no time, as I would have been bored to tears.  It would have been more akin to work, than fun.

 

As it was, all those hours playing didn't even feel like practice, though that is exactly what it was. 

 

New players need that, unless they have the willingness and drive to be the best on guitar; in which case they would be taking lessons, and studying theory, not playing Rocksmith 2014.

 

I can count on both hands, with fingers left over, the number of songs I have actually used Riff Repeater to slow down and learn parts.   Out of 400 or 500 songs that I have, I can hit 90% or better on 75% of them, and 80% or better on 15% of those.  The only ones that give me trouble are fast or complicated solos, and arpeggios.  Again, only because I was too lazy to slow it down and learn it.

 

Oh, and apparently Rocksmith refuses to recognize the way I do bends.  Multiple computers, multiple cables, multiple guitars (3 I play, 1 right handed one for friends, and 1 bass), and I can just go ahead and count on it not recognizing any bends I play, although they sound fine to the ear.

 

However, with all that being said, I am VERY glad that we will soon have the option to turn off DD.  I hate having to go back into Riff Repeater and level a section back to max whenever I decide that a sip of beer is more enticing than nailing that particular section.  (As I said, it's a hobby, I'm not trying to get into a band.)  :D

[okewlie]

Personally I prefer to download all songs with DD, though not for me, as I crank up the song to 100% as soon as I start it. However when I play multiplayer, it's nice to have the option for my friends to be able to play it however they prefer. Some people don't like missing the notes and not being able to keep up, so no DD would be frustrating for them. Some people don't mind if they miss some notes but hate not being able to see all the notes that are actually being played, so playing with DD is a pain, but at least you can crank the DD to 100%. Can't do the opposite. So... in short... I always download DD when available, even if it's a pain for me to have to manually adjust them to 100% on my first playthru.

[mikejl46]

I do like the DD, I was a logger for many many years, run chain saw, skid wood with cable skidder. My hands, fingers are worn out and stiff, Less finger movement the better, I need to take it down a notch on some songs. I just want to play the songs, don't care to learn them, and a slightly easier version of the song to play is fine with me. What I don't like is when DD takes out too much of the easier notes along with the hard. Then you have something that doesn't even sound good played. But some songs do work better then others with the DD turned down a few notches.

[JuryDuty]

So I'm split on this because as a beginner I LOVE DD because it gives me the motivation to play a song and it is fun to feel a bit of success and rock along with a song even though you're only playing every few seconds.

 

That said, I think at times DD does a disservice to the new player because of the way it shows notes. When I start a song, I find myself using one finger, the same finger, to hit all the notes it shows me. But then as DD ratchets up, I suddenly realize I can't do that and have to relearn the muscle memory to accommodate other fingers. Then I have to do it again when I realize these aren't individual notes or even combinations of notes but full chords I should have learned. So then I have to learn again.

 

DD would be better if, for chords anyway, they showed you the full chord, but just included a couple of them at the beginning and moved up from there.

 

So, first pass through, I'm doing a few individual notes, and a single chord whenever it shows up.

 

Next tier up, I'm doing more individual notes, and maybe two chords, etc.

 

Hope that makes sense.

 

I'm just saying, for instance, in Blitzkrieg Bop, there's no reason not to start with the powerchords. They're just as "difficult" as individual notes, so why not show them from the beginning....just ease us into using more than one.

[Mortalo]

Dynamic Difficulty on official songs (I was exposed do DDC on it's early days, so can't speak about it's quality now, back then it was afwul on customs) is done well and I like it that way. At the beginning I couldn't even stretch my fingers to make F5 chord, so I'm glad it was showing me only single notes. Like everything you need time and practice. At first you learn the fretboard, to move around, skip strings, then you try to make shapes with fingers and keep on. Throw some lessons and guitarcade here and there and you'll get there.

DD is very useful when you're new to guitar.

[firekorn]

@@JuryDuty ODLC have chords shown really early and the highlighted part of the fretboard at the bottom indicate where your fingers should be and used. The first highlighted fret number represent the index, the second is the middle, the third is the ring, the fourth is the pinky.

 

When there's more than 4 fret that are highlighted it becomes more of a guess but that means that you've already started to get used to move around and maybe stretch a little.

[mczero]

I think DD is a good idea that helps make Rocksmith more accessible to true novices.  BUT, for me personally, I wish that there was an option to always load up songs with DD maxed out unless the profile has intentionally turned down the difficulty in RR.

 

Although I understand the attraction of DD for some, in general I feel like RR with slowdown + accelerate is almost always a much more effective way for me personally to learn a tough song.  It annoys me that I have to pause, select all, and crank up the difficulty to max on new songs with DD.  It annoys me MORE when I haven't played a song for a while (few weeks or more) but I have a personal best in the 99-100% mastery range, and Rocksmith apparently "forgets" that I can clearly manage the song and drops down the DD so I have to crank it up again.  A checkbox for "always use max difficulty" would be much more convenient.

 

I'd imagine that will be a pretty common request to Ubisoft, so it will probably make it into either a patch for RS2014 (like the "never use Master Mode" godsend they added a while back) or the next version of RS.  Fingers crossed.

Agree totally.  DD should be an option you can switch off permanently if you want to. The tried and proven way to learn an instrument is full difficulty at half speed (or slower) and work up. DD is great for beginners to play along and feel like they can play, but it shouldn't be a default that you have to into RR to get rid of on every song.