I''ve had an idea cooking in my head for a few months. I may not be a coder, or anything, but I do, on occassion, get good ideas. Now, this game could be sort of like an RPG/Sim, where you first create your band members, assigning perks, advantages, disadvantages, styles of play, skills with instruments/vocals/production/sampling/etc. Then you go one to decide which genre the band plays, for example, "Metal" and continue further to the style or styles, for example, Funk Metal. Then you enter the game with your fledgling garage funk metal band with hopes, dreams, ideas, and possibly drug addictions that you have to lovingly bring to the top of the charts, or just build a substantial cult following, by writing songs, playing gigs, staying out of trouble, going on tour, making music videos, practicing, finding new talent if a member quits/gets booted/dies/etc. Now, I suppose it might be possible to create a program capable of writing and exporting short songs in .mp3 format, but I am not sure. Also, you could have modes where you get to play as actual bands with their original line-ups, and see what it would have been like if Cliff Burton hadn''t died, or if Faith No More had kept Courtney Love as their lead singer, or if Sublime''s Lead Singer had kicked his heroine habit. The possibilities seem endless, and I think it would be a pretty damn cool game. Why?!?

That basic idea has been implemented in a recent game called Rock Manager:
http://www.dreamcatcherinc.com/games/rockmanager/index.html

Indeed, but Rock Manager was very limited, in that you had set objectives and you could really only play through it once without the game getting boring. My idea would put more control into the player''s hands. You wouldn''t have to become rich and famous if you didn''t want to, but you still have to worry about money. You could even try for being critically acclaimed, and still relatively unknown to the public. What I suggested would give the player more freedom, and everyone likes freedom, especially when it comes to music.

Why?!?

Yes I can say I had thoughts of wanting to do a similar game after playing Rock manager... it was a very enjoyable game but as is the general review it was too damn short. If a game like this is to be any good it will need many more voice actors and possible songs.

Also what would be wonderful to be able to do is assign different parts to different sections of the song. For example: you can control how the intro to the song is done... no intro just the first verse or the hook, a slow start, classical intro, guitar solo, etc and so on. Also being able to assign different attributes for each player at the different parts (guitar is clean on verses but add a buzz pedal to the hook/refrain)

This adds another dimension to everything. Also it would be great for lil things to be added... a cowbell, tamborine, etc also the band can upgrade thier instruments etc, differnt setups, drumkits, also add in buying different pedals or distortion elements.

If you can get this off the ground I would be gald to try and help you in anyway possible.