Apologies if this has been requested before, but I didn't see anything in the last several pages.

Grooveshark allows you to embed music tracks that it hosts as flash players using a bit of HTML. I'm not sure if this is something rpol could support, but it would be great if a post could include this mini-player, allowing a song or playlist to be associated with the post.

The player looks like this:

http://www.ragnarok-studios.co...rooveSharkPlayer.png

The code for that player looks like this:

<object width="250" height="40" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="gsSong845229079" name="gsSong845229079"><param name="movie" value="http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" /><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=grooveshark.com&songID=8452290&style=metal&p=0" /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" width="250" height="40"><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=grooveshark.com&songID=8452290&style=metal&p=0" /><span><a href="http://grooveshark.com/search/song?q=Origa%20inner%20universe" title="inner universe by Origa on Grooveshark">inner universe by Origa on Grooveshark</a></span></object></object>

There was a thread quite a while back asking aboutsomething similar. From what I remember people were not to keen on it especislly if itstarts playing as soon as you go on the page. Most preferred just clicking a link to the song to hear it if they chose to.

So, this is a small embedded player. It doesn't play unless you click the play button. The benefit is you don't have to go to a different website to start the music, it's there in the post.

There was a lot of reasons whypeople didn't feel it was worth adding it.

Here is theoriginal thread link to a message in this forum

And here it is on the non-mobile version of the site: link to a message in this forum

Lol oops.Thanks BBR.

I see. I figured I couldn't have been the first person to bring this up given that this kind of thing has been around for a long time, but figured it wouldn't hurt to. I think there are a huge number of misconceptions about the feature in the linked thread on top of a whole lot of faulty reasoning, and I applaud ashberg fighting the good fight for as long as he did, but it doesn't seem like this is worth trying to resurrect.

Thanks for the links.

In reply to Gilheru (msg # 7):

I thought it was a great idea too.  I also agree that there was a lot of misconceptions in the thread about the sound auto-playing(which it wouldn't), or taking up too much room (which it wouldn't since it's hosted on another sight), etc...

as well as some easy way to alleviate some of the more valid fears, like inappropriate sound bytes.  First, would be only being able to select from a pool of approved sound-bytes.  Much like our limited portrait selection.  Submissions could be similar to the portrait restrictions; 1 per month per user, etc.  This way moderators aren'y flooded with hundreds of sounds all at once.

Background music, cavern sounds, sword fighting, gun fight, crowd noise, and the list goes on.  No it isn't necessary but it would certainly enhance the mood.  Human's are sensory creatures.  This would certainly build upon our imagination as we read.

By the way, a link not only sends you to another site but it uses the tab you are on, so if you don't have a duplicate rpol tab loaded then you can't read the post and listen to the file that the url will send you to at the same time.

This tool would allow you to have something like:  [PRESS PLAY: dark celtic harp sound byte] As you enter the Bloody Coffer the low hanging haze stings the eyes.  The smoke from a dozen pipeweed pipes mix with the black wisps rising from the lamps placed on each table.  Despite the flames from a score of sources, the darkness barely retreats.  The gloom is heavy.
   The rugged and scarred faces of a score of the cities roughest men look up as you frame the doorway.  You can tell that under normal circumstances that the lot of them would appear terrifying but right now... they seem mesmerized.  As one, they turn back away from you.

In the corner, by the hearth, is the most beautiful woman you've ever seen.  Her long dark hair cascades around her ivory shoulders to pool at the base of her back.  You barely take note of her bardic outfit as her eyes lock with yours.  She is playing an ebony harp and singing in a low and mesmerizing voice.  She smiles.  You smile.  And feel yourself sitting down.  Perhaps you should care that her eyes are beginning to glow but you find your mind wandering.  Yes.  You'll just sit here for a while and listen to the woman sing.  And then watch her feed.

You may be able to see my scene in your head, but wouldn't it be cool if you had the option to 'hear' her song as you were reading it?

Anyway, I also see that I couldn't defend the idea as tenaciously as Ashberg did either so I'll just toss in my 2 cents above and bow out.

That is the thing also, it would start as a new toy really cool and people might find it interesting for a little while. But in the end, most people will eventually not bother with it. It would probably end up being such a small group of people using it in the end, because even if the button is there to press play doesn't mean that they will press it. I know with most links in a game, the most I do is click to see what it is. But rarely ever listen or watch it. In the end it is more of a distraction for me from my writing, then it is a boon to it.

And for the part where you mention only selecting certain sound bytes and such. Who? The mods? That would mean it would be something else for them to host, and worry about. A lot of work going into something not guaranteed to be used all that much.  And I think the whole point from both that have requested this, was to put in your own stuff.

While I don't blame anyone for thinking this idea interesting, as myself can see the initial cool factor of it. From the road everyone has been down before, it just isn't something that needed in the end.

Everything prophackys said and then some - I wouldn't even play it the first time. :>

Half the fun is imagining what's going on ... and I can imagine the sounds of swordfighting just fine without actually hearing them for real.  And given I play in a few games and there's invariably fisticuffs going on somewhere, how many times would I be expected to diligently press play on that swordfighting soundtrack per week to get the full sensurround experience that my GM intends ?

Actually ... <tongue firmly in cheek> ;P

GM: [PRESS PLAY: dark celtic harp sound byte] As you enter the Bloody Coffer ...

Fighter: "Oh, no, not that music again !  I fire a Bolt of Slaying at the woman with the harp."
Cleric: "Cast Silence."
Magic user: "Cast Fireball."
Thief: "Backstab."
Ranger: "Set my dog on her."
Bard: "LEARN A NEW TUNE !  Amateurs ..."
Illusionist: "Cast Deafness on myself.  Twice."
Paladin: <brief alignment struggle> "I'll be waiting outside.  I'll have my fingers in my ears."
Monk: "Whassat ?  Can't hear you - I stoppered my ears with candle wax three adventures ago.  It's peaceful."
Assassin: "I kill myself."
(Druid not present - went stark staring mad a while back after listening to 'Tranquil Forest Interlude' one time too many and can currently be found banging his head repeatedly against a tree)

LOL.  Well done.  Point taken.

There are plenty of background music CDs and MP3 tracks that have been made explicity for the use of DMs around the table top for this very purpose though.  Heck, I've probably seen a half-dozen kickstarters for them so the market and demand is there, even if it is a small niche and corner.

I can definitely see that it could be annoying if the DM had every post littered with links instead of only sprinkling it in on occasion to accent key scenes.

There would be a big difference in the DM placing the 'steel-on-steel' sound byte in the post where he describes the party cresting a hill to see an epic battle engaged in the plain below, and the DM placing the same sound byte in every combat post.  It would certainly lose it's flavor if it was overused.

Good points though by everyone above.  I can definitely cede your point, Skald, that some would overuse it and render the byte pointless.  And I can certainly cede your point, prophacyks, that it would add a possibly huge burden on our moderators who already do so much with little to no props from us users. (Thank you Jase & Crew, BTW).

With that said, I will bow and exit stage left. :)  If anything, I think I may have been swayed to the other side of the argument.  Good and entertaining discussion fellas.
This message was last edited by the user at 12:25, Fri 25 July 2014.

Exit stage left with orchestral flurry, surely ?!! :>

Yeah, I take the point that music could be used sparsely for scene setting, but I'd still rather build my mental picture from the GM's post only.  Written word works for me.

And you've just reminded me of the Big Bank Episode where Raj had a speaker in his shirt and played dramatic music at the appropriate juncture.  <ROFL>

The main issue with this security -- we would have to allow embedded code in the site, which could lead anywhere and do pretty much anything.

Unfortunately we cannot allow object, embed, iframe or any code that will basically automatically load another website.  You may have the best of intentions but unfortunately not everyone does.

I'd suggest making a link to the audio, people can open it in a new tab to listen to it.