Formation Riding Team - Third Routine Planning Thread

[Kiralynn]

That is an amazing video, well done!

Perhaps it's lag, but there is no way I can do that routine. Some of those turns happen so close together, even a momentary rubber-band or lag spike would put me far, far out of position... and it's very difficult to get back into position on a war steed. I don't even get reliable speed control - there are a variable number of W and S presses to go faster or slower, I skip canter about 80% of the time for no apparent reason, and also my horse will change speeds to trot or gallop seemingly at whim. (Literally, I can have my hands off the keyboard while galloping across an open field, and suddenly start trotting.) So, I will have to sit back and be amazed at the incredible performance of four other riders. I'm happy to ride on the standard horse routine, I can just be the announcer, or I can just be in the background with fireworks, whatever you like.

How do you see the entire show going? What demonstrations, performances and routines do you want to take place, and in what order?

[Caiyyd]

Looks awesome! I will have to try it tonight when I log in!

[Kiralynn]

The tentative schedule for the SRC has been posted.
Are you all available on Saturday, May 4th at 4:00pm server/EST?
(Musical entertainment to start at 3:30pm.)

Craicwyth, can you host the event or do you need me to do it?

[featherfur]

I can clear out that time block on May 4th.

Kiralynn, can you bring the black pants to Wednesday's rehearsal? I changed a couple of weeks ago from bringing Liserona to Limorel, and I need to recopy the outfit (still no wardrobe sale, sigh).

Also, Craic, if you make any updates to the routine (hopefully we get the final soon? I am a slow study and need practice time!), can you post it several hours before Wednesday's rehearsal? My ability to print hardcopies is limited to earlier in the day on Wednesdays.

[Kiralynn]

I highly recommend that no changes be made to the routine. You only have three practices left before the Spring Racing Carnival, unless you pick a second day to meet. That's barely enough time to memorize it and practice it until it's second nature, which is the only way the routine will hold up under the pressures and distractions of a live performance. Hopefully specific positions will be assigned so that people can learn their particular part of the routine. It might also be a good idea to get straight to practicing, not kibitz for half an hour before starting. Although it's wonderful fun to catch up with everyone, time is critical.

Craicwyth, other than the standard and possible war-steed routines, is there anything else you want to be part of the show? (If there aren't enough practices left, there can just be the standard horse routine, a parade of war-steeds with awesome matching cosmetics, music and fireworks... so no pressure.) You have a 30 minute block of time, but there's time for 10-15 minutes of emergency overflow in the schedule in case something goes amiss.

[Kiralynn]

I put together a short war-steed routine, which can be used at the upcoming event or a future event. I'd like to ride this one. If the main unit is busy training on Craicwyth's much more impressive routine, I can use another rider accompany me on this one.

This routine works with two or four riders. It has multiple stops so that riders can situate themselves and is performed entirely at a trot. It's designed to be done while an announcer is talking about the history and usefulness of war steeds and dressage in the foreground.



Notes:
* Everything is at a trot.
* You stop before the Pass Throughs, Spin and Exit.
* A Spin is where you start forward, then quickly hold down the button to turn, causing your mount to go into a sort of spin.
* /Mountreaup is done after Block to Row starting with D. B begins to exit as soon as D's hooves hit the ground.
* Stops/starts are coordinated with voice chat.
* A document version is available here: http://roll3d6.com/banders/dressage/routine-4.doc


Here's a speech that an announcer can give slowly during the performance, to end just about the the time horses are doing their final rear-ups. Does it sound okay?

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War steeds are critical in our battles against the enemy. Here are (two/four) horses demonstrating the art of "dressage" or formation riding.

Horsemanship is an art with practical uses. Horses are not born fighters. A horse's natural instinct when facing an attacker is to flee as fast as it can. Even a horse's primary attack, a strong kick, is most effective to the rear and used when escape is not an option.

War steeds have been bred over the years for calmness, strength and stature. They are trained from their first weeks to trust their riders. It takes months of training to overcome the instinct to flee, even when faced with the scent of blood, the clash of arms, and the pain of injury.

Once in battle, a rider has several advantages over foes on foot. He can move faster. Attacks land with more force from higher up. If he is an archer, he can strike foes from a safe distance.

A common tactic of cavalry is to canter around infantrymen in a tight circle, hacking from all sides and leaving the foes unable to defend themselves. A disciplined unit can turn the tide of a battle.

Of course, there are disadvantages to mounted combat. A horse is a big target for archers. If the horse is felled, the rider faces a painful tumble. He has to recover and run before enemies finish him off.

Horses are most effective when fighting together in groups. Dressage was invented as a training tool to teach them to work together as an effective fighting unit. The word means "breaking in" and is pronounced "dress-ah-j", similar to "massage".

The same skills that lend a horse grace in the arena also enable the horse to twist out of the way of an approaching sword, to form up quickly for a devastating charge, or to maneuver between combatants and bring an injured rider to safety.

If it wasn't for the military applications of good horsemanship, we wouldn't have dressage as we know it today.

[Caiyyd]

I like it. Will give it a shot tonight when I get online. For a bit of wow factor you could gallop/slide in the Come Together movements

[featherfur]

That's a nice speech, Kiralynn.

I took advantage of the 25% off coupon to buy 10 wardrobe slots and /mountrearup for Limorel. Looks like everyone wants to use warsteeds this time, which I can only watch. Which is fine -- at least I'll have them for next time!

[Kiralynn]

featherfur wrote:

I took advantage of the 25% off coupon to buy 10 wardrobe slots and /mountrearup for Limorel. Looks like everyone wants to use warsteeds this time, which I can only watch. Which is fine -- at least I'll have them for next time!

They'll be riding standard Mathom steeds this time. It would be great if you could train as an understudy. We will hopefully have a little parade or something for the full team. If you have points left, we also make heavy use of the /mountbow emote.

[featherfur]

[Kiralynn]

featherfur wrote:

Wait, when did that happen?

The war steed full routine is brilliant, but it's long and complicated. There isn't time left to train on it before the Spring Racing Carnival demo.

featherfur wrote:

As far as understudying goes, I'll do my best. One of the problems for me, however, has been the lack of assigned place. Every time I do it I'm in a different spot, and it makes things very hard to memorize. (Not to mention the fact that Craic kept saying that the routine wasn't final and was going to change, so there seemed little point in memorizing it.)

Just pick the spot you want. As a beginner, it's much easier to memorize the routine for one position. Later, when you're very comfortable reading the routine diagrams, you'll be able to fill in any position easily after just memorizing one. Usually the differences are just a few left turns becoming right turns and vice-versa.

If you need extra turbine points, remember that you can create a bunch of alts, get them out of the starting zone, and then send them reputation items. You can earn 400-500 TP each just having them use items for Bree, Mathom, etc. (Assuming your slots aren't already full of real characters. If so, check to make sure they're kindred with all factions that give rep for non-task items.)

[Kiralynn]

Since y'all will be busy practicing the routine on Wednesday night, perhaps we can plan out the show details here in the forums.

What do you have in mind for the entire show? A band is available to play music at the Horsefields half an hour before show time, so people will know where to stand to watch. Is there a song picked out for them to play during the performance?

I have asked some folks with fireworks to show up as well, just in case. I'm not sure if there's anything I need to prepare or do.