Bots, often the scourge of any multiplayer experience. We’ve all seen them or heard stories about them echo down the corridors of history. From the humble aimbot to the infamous World of Warcraft Glider bot, they’ve never been welcome in video games…until now.
‘’Woah! You’re advocating for the use of bots in video games? But that’s cheating you *insert insult here*’’ I hear you cry. Hear me out. In the blood-drenched fields of Medieval sword-swing-em-up Mordhau (Can we trademark this?) where insults are exchanged and decapitations are a currency, there’s a moment of binding peace.
Stood upon a small rock, a wander away from the battlefield, was a man bearing no signs of aggression. No grand armor bearing the colors of a foe, no edged steel bringer of death. Just a man, in a hat, strumming his instrument…musical that is. Screams of passion and bloody glory were mute, replaced with the enchanting sound of Take On Me by Norwegian behemoths A-Ha. Each note danced into the ears of the former warmongers now turned Lute groupies. Peace had broken out. Well, for as long as people remembered they could mutilate each other.
Mordhau is a surprisingly deep multiplayer game that gives people the much-desired chance to run around in a suit of armor with a huge sword/ax/spear. While the combat may appear simple, Mordhau rewards skill. Countering enemy swings, chambering their attacks, feigning the swing of an ax, only to morph it into a satisfying slice. At its best, the combat provides truly epic stand-offs. At its worst, things can start to look like an orgy of confused penetration and stray spears. But that’s all irrelevant, let’s talk about Lute Bot.
For all the serious attempts to create a thrilling and realistic melee multiplayer game, Mordhau is silly. From throwing rocks, frying pans and dancing emotes, there’s a level of the ridiculous the player base has embraced. Above all, is the Lute. The stringed instrument that accompanied many a bard upon their sweet song journey. Now, a bringer of peace.
Players can gleefully strum away creating a wall of noise to ‘inspire’ their brothers in arms. It serves no purpose, no buffs or effects on the game. It’s merely just a Lute. Until the arrival of Lute Bot. A small program that allows anyone to rock midi files through the power of the Lute. That little wooden strummer suddenly becomes the portal to a rich world of music, in short, a Medieval Spotify.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBDEUZkyGZ4
So why should you care? The modern age of multiplayer has become so serious and cold. Players rarely talk to each other, they simply enter the game, play, then leave. Lute Bot has turned what could have been a simple novelty, into a staple. Perhaps even a cultural ritual in the context of the game. Lute Bot has enabled some of Mordhau’s greatest moments. In-game concerts, complete with joyful dancing and cheering. The Doom theme blaring out while arrows, blades, and heads glide through the air. A bard playing a sweet rendition of Nickleback’s Animals, only to be beheaded by his teammate. Wonderful.
Some could argue it’s silly and they’d be right. But silly doesn’t necessarily mean bad. The embrace the community has had for the humble bard is tangible. It’s not rare to witness a group of players strumming together or enjoying a wee ditty between the bloodshed. There are even those who will take up arms and defend Bards. But most oddly is the unspoken rule of ‘leave the bards alone’. Who could have seen a natural formation of the rules of engagement ever occurring outside the realm of role-playing? Yet here we are, a fist full of cold steel and a respectful agreement to ‘leave the bards to play’.
Where bots are often shunned, both by players and the developers, Lute Bot has been fully embraced. It’s as integral to Mordhau’s identity as any sword, frying pan or throwable pummel. Yes, aimbots and WoW Glider may be established parts of video game history, but none have become an acceptable asset to a game like LuteBot. In days of conflict and war, all it takes to unite us is a fella in a fancy hat strumming out Smooth Criminal. Failing that, the lute can be used to smash in someone’s head.
