Frets on Fire - Guitar Hero for Linux/Windows

abyssi writes "Frets on Fire, for Linux and Windows, play with your keyboard-alternative to the ever-so-popular Guitar Hero, has been released at ASSEMBLY '06 demo party's Game Development competition together with 13 other experimental, indie games including a new game from the creators of the popular Dismount series. ASSEMBLY '06 runs from 3rd to 6th of August in Helsinki, Finland and enjoys over 5000 persons in attendance. A 24h/day webcast is available at AssemblyTV.net starting Thursday 3.8.2006 at 14:00."

They kind of miss the point

[brkello]

If you are an indie, make something new and interesting...don't rehash what already is out there and done better. Most of fun of Guitar Hero comes from using the controller. For awhile, my guitar wasn't working...after messing around a bit I found that I could play the game with a regular controller. It was interesting to figure out the controls...but it would make a horrible game. Taking this and putting it on the keyboard is pointless. It would be like taking a game that is designed for the Wii and its controller and putting it on the PC with a keyboard. Sure, it can be done. Should it...I don't think so.

Re:...why?

[advocate_one]

1) They came up with a novel control scheme that's not too far off from being as good as the guitar hero controller: Pick up your keyboard. Place your left hand under the F1 - F4 keys. Your right index finger should fall on F1 -- this is the "First Fret", F2 is the second, etc. Hold the keyboard like you would the neck of a guitar.

The default "Pick" key is enter, but I think I'd suggest space.

However, I was unable to actually play this game correctly, as I'm on a laptop, and as such, cannot "pick up" my keyboard as described. I've got keyboards around, but none of those damn PS/2 to USB adaptors.

well with usb keyboards going dirt cheap these days, it shouldn't be too hard to hack up a halfway decent controller based on a guitar shaped hunk of wood and some keys hacked in and the keyboard circuit board hidden inside the body...

I'm off to find some wood and a cheap USB keyboard for hacking this up with... I'm just off to the shops... I may be some time... :)