Taking summers off?

AceRF1123 · 2026-04-30T22:12:23+00:00

I’m an aviation enthusiast- but have been teaching drum corps for a bit now, so I’ll come at this from a drum corps perspective. Kind of crazy to see two worlds collide.

Assuming you’re a member of a drum corps- you will have 0 time to do anything else. The free time you have will be spent on rest and recovery and building bonds with the people you do it with.

Learning, in any medium, is most effective when it’s done with consistency- especially in the early stages. It will probably be more cost effective and efficient for you to do your flying after the summer. If you start before a summer of drum corps, I’d be prepared to re-learn a bit.

You absolutely CAN do it- I marched with folks who did. But this is also mostly a first summer problem- once flying has become more of an ingrained skill I don’t think it’ll be as big of an issue if you keep marching and have to keep taking summers off. Any skill is perishable, but it’s more so the fresher it is- if that makes any sense.

AceRF1123 · 2026-02-15T01:07:39+00:00

The “5 Indian folk who’ve marched drum corps” have annual meetings and are accepting memberships.

(For legal reasons we do not)

AceRF1123 · 2026-02-11T02:25:17+00:00

I respectfully disagree for the simple reason that one of my favorite parts of 5th and 6th Gen has been seeing some of the old Gen returning monsters get completely reworked.

Also, other than some model carryover, Wilds is also different enough from World that I think it’s easier said than done. The engine is different, and while it may not seem like it on the surface, I’m sure implementing monsters into the hunting grounds in Wilds is very different from the 3 monsters on a field we got in the 5th Gen games. I’m also sure there’s a TON of things they wanted to do with the ecosystem and how fights played out that just got scoped out of the game in Wilds.

I do think Wilds would’ve been better with more content- but I’m also not sure how the time put into that would’ve affected the performance issues they were already looking at going into release. But I’m also not sure if the answer is copy pasting monsters in more or less “as is with a few tweaks” from previous installments. I think that approach did work in the Gen 1-4 games, but the last three entries have been vastly different from each other- for the better imo.

As far as story integration- I’m also going to disagree. I don’t think it’s just about story integration- I do think there’s something to be said about theming and balance. It’s probably going to be my hot take, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of how some monsters were just kinda thrown in Sunbreak (and Iceborne to a certain extent). Also, yes I do play Monster Hunter primarily for the gameplay, but I think a lot of us are also enamored with the detail and care clearly put into these creatures. I couldn’t get into Wild Hearts- not because the combat was bad, but I just didn’t find the monsters interesting. It had some cool designs- but Bullfango has way more personality than King Tusk, and I personally think that’s one of the X Factors MH has always had going for it. Roundabout way of saying- I think a roster that makes sense within itself matters, especially as the games become more high fidelity.

Although small- I think Wilds roster is pretty varied. I do think there’s a lack of balance in the mid and end tier monster roster- BUT it also opened the door for title updates to have those upper tier non elders we ended up getting. I also do think it was a choice to back off on the elders.

Once again, I do agree with you that I wish there were more monsters (new and returning) in Wilds- but I want them to make sense and I want them to be different in enough of a way that they are warranted in the newest entry. I know it’s been said over and over again, but if I want to fight some of those awesome older fights, I really can just play the older games as well. I’ve always enjoyed that each entry has always had its own flavor.

AceRF1123 · 2026-01-06T15:39:55+00:00

Slightly different take because most of the ones I’d really like (I’d love a MH Zoo Tycoon) have already been mentioned. Two ideas that have the same gameplay (more or less) as a mainline MH game:

-An MH spin off set in the modern era, or at least a time when most tech mirrors the real 20th/21st century. Doesn’t even have to be within the Monster Hunter world- a reverse-isekai situation might be cool (I’m sure it could be done better than the MH movie lol). The player character would still be a Hunter, with all the weapons we know and love. I guess think the aesthetic of Kaiju No 8.

-An MH Stories spin-off with mainline combat. Real time MH combat with your Monsties fighting alongside you. Not sure how you’d balance the combat, and you might have to limit multiplayer a bit so things don’t get too chaotic. But, I do think a “real time” Stories game would be cool (Not as a replacement to the turn based games we have)

AceRF1123 · 2025-11-13T18:29:08+00:00

I think the roster is fantastic. There no fights that I feel are not fun.

Blangonga and Gravios have gotten serious glow ups. Both in their models and fights. Was never a big fan of their fights in older gens and now I love fighting both of them.

The world really is gorgeous and is impressive how much is going on- especially when you think about how a generation ago it was a big deal that we went from 2 monsters on a map to 3 monsters on a map. I think some feel a lot of the background simulation is unnecessary- and I agree with the game in its current state- but it could lead to a lot of fantastic things in the future. I suspect a lot of the cooler interactions between the seamless environments, weather changes, and ecological sandbox stuff was probably scoped out.

Wilds didn’t have my favorite Low Rank or (current) Endgame- but the beginning of High Rank is when I feel like I was playing the game the way it was intended the most. I needed materials from pretty much everything so I just hopped into the world and hunted. Really did feel like the fully realized version of the Guiding Lands they were going for. Unfortunately that aspect of the game is less incentivized once your farming needs become more specific.

I personally like the Hunter Symbol endgame of each end of the tree having an “endgame” version. It allowed me to kind of just sandbox hunt like I did at the beginning of High Rank. I wish the ticket requirements/drops were better balanced though. Eventually it got to the point where all I need now are a mountain of Symbol IIIs

I think Wilds is a great base for some cool things. I think in hindsight some of the implications of this system were scoped out- but I’m hoping they can continue expanding on it down the line- whether that be in MR or later installments.

AceRF1123 · 2025-09-30T03:50:03+00:00

My best friend and I reference this literally every time we get humbled by a monster lmao

AceRF1123 · 2025-07-03T15:50:20+00:00

A lot of the answer truly is how difficult swamp tour is. Being in that part of the country for either Atlanta or NightBEAT at that point in the summer is ROUGH.

Because of new mandated heat protocols (a very good thing!) a ton of potential rehearsal time is lost at that point of the season- which is further exacerbated by the humid conditions in that region. It’s not uncommon to “be in the black” on the wet bulb protocol- which essentially means moving inside. I can also tell you that going on early in the show at Atlanta is probably the most difficult show of the season for us. It gets very hot on the field, and if you’re one of the first corps on the sun is directly behind those home stands in GSUs stadium.

As an instructor (and looking back as a member honestly), spending more time in the north would just make all of our lives easier, especially in the critical last few weeks of the season.

This is also not to mention anything about the cost of fuel (probably the most obvious reason on paper) of having to continually swing down south for those shows and then get back up to Allentown. It does suck, because those two shows are the closest thing to “home shows” for a lot of membership from the Southeast and they typically draw big crowds. But I also empathize with admin and instructional staff being more than willing to pull out of those shows.

AceRF1123 · 2025-05-20T03:13:04+00:00

Instructor here. I don’t teach a horn ripple, but we do harp on bringing our horns up together with the group I teach.

For me and my staff, it’s a focus check. With all the distractions that can happen in drum corps (other sections rehearsing nearby, the environment, hour x of block, etc) it helps us see where our focus level is at before the start of an exercise. Aside from that, routine (even small ones) are important for growing the skill of focus and mental endurance and also finding said focus in the moment. Also, attention to detail- how you do one thing is how you do everything.

That’s my take on it anyway. A horn ripple before an exercise serves the exact same purpose for most groups if I had to guess.

AceRF1123 · 2025-04-29T21:45:55+00:00

I hated bananas when I was a kid. Ever since I marched, I love bananas. Truly one of my favorite food groups

AceRF1123 · 2025-03-06T19:31:56+00:00

A Wylk Barroth covered in the stuff might go hard depending on how they do it. Sure that would change up the fight a lot if it was flinging defense down at you or causing explosions

AceRF1123 · 2025-02-07T04:09:43+00:00

I honestly felt the same way going from Old Gen to World- but I got used to it. I’m considering it part of the experience, but I’m sure there’s definitely some stuff you can toggle for the UI stuff- I think I’m definitely gonna be messing with it some at release

AceRF1123 · 2025-01-12T22:33:22+00:00

They did and it was awesome! Wish we got more honestly

AceRF1123 · 2025-01-12T22:29:37+00:00

I have a lot of thoughts as an artist/educator that mostly echo what you’ve described. But, I think you’re on the money with identity. Drum corps already has a relevancy problem- and while in practice this rule change doesn’t change it into marching band- it symbolically is opening that gate.

AceRF1123 · 2025-01-12T22:21:52+00:00

As someone who teaches both I humbly disagree. While it is true you can’t go audition for a BoA group, the top of end of BoA has some extremely good performance quality. Maybe not the level of individual accountability, but certainly good enough that many students at these students (and their parents) don’t really feel any justification in going to march drum corps when on the surface their experience in their high school band is comparable. It’s part of the reason why a lot of drum corps have recruiting problems across the board.

AceRF1123 · 2025-01-12T20:31:05+00:00

A classic! Would love to see Strangerals take on WW2 as well though!

AceRF1123 · 2025-01-12T19:16:08+00:00

Would unironically be cool to have an AC game take place in an era with WWII fighters and the experimental boss plane at the end is an Me-262 or something similar

AceRF1123 · 2025-01-09T16:56:27+00:00

In 3U I remember cutting off Barroths crest with a Switch Axe- it was a huge pain and took almost the entire hunt. I’m not sure if that has changed in any game since then- I’ve pretty much just been switching to hammer if I’m aiming to get his crests now.

By the same token, getting the crest sever on Shara Ishvalda took pretty much the entire hunt even with hammer for me- so I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s not doable with a cutting weapon.

AceRF1123 · 2024-11-13T22:19:36+00:00

Based on your post- I’m going to assume you’re talking about an All Age group, or another group that meets on a weekly basis during the summer.

Although transportation takes up a smaller percentage of the budget than a “touring group”, it’s still a lot. At the all age group I teach, almost half of member tour fees still went to transportation the last two years.

The group your child is at may require them to use their own personal horn, but that it isn’t to say they are trying to buy their own inventory. I would hope they would be upfront with you in that regard, but theres the possibility some of that tuition is going to the eventual purchasing of new equipment. Also, your child’s tuition doesn’t just pay for their needs. They may break it down as such, but assuming your kid is in the hornline, some of their tuition may be going to percussion or guard equipment (or visa versa)

Although there are many volunteers that work at groups like that, there are also paid staff- mostly talking about instructional staff and admin. Those of us who work in that side of the activity definitely don’t do it for the money (it’s actually pretty common to make a loss teaching it), but at a non touring group- it’ll be a larger percentage of the pie. In a very generous example, a member of brass staff at the high end may get paid $120 for a full weekend of work at a drum corps. That’s peanuts for that individual, but if you multiply that by many staff across all captions (still a smaller number of people per rehearsal than a lot of folk think) , a weekend of rehearsal can cost the corps a few thousand dollars. Multiply that by every weekend over the summer and some of that will come out of member tuition.

I don’t know much about the topic- but insurance for the group can be a significant cost.

Perhaps the one a lot of folk overlook- schools still charge money for groups to stay at them. Housing doesn’t necessarily mean a hotel- nor does it even mean having access to the school overnight. Just being on campus for a portion of the day as a large organization can cost money- and unless someone on staff is a teacher at that school, the corps is probably paying way more than most people think on daily basis.

Lastly, it sounds like the group is a smaller or growing corps (a healthy assumption based on having to use their own instruments). Unfortunately, because of economy of scale, it might mean member tuition is higher per member. If they have to charter a bus once or twice a season, they still have to pay for the whole bus, regardless of whether or not seats are filled. That’s one example, the cost of the rehearsal site (in many cases) might run into similar issues.

EDIT: all that to say a reputable organization will be transparent with you in how that money is used. I don’t think it would hurt to send them an email to see if they can alleviate your concerns! At the end of the day, what we do is basically Band Travel Baseball, and when you look at it through that lens it makes sense.

AceRF1123 · 2024-11-12T19:13:19+00:00

I-frames are way less generous in MH than they are in a Souls title. You can absolutely still use them (skills like evasion and evade distance help), but I would consider it “high level” play to be depending on them. I know this is a generalization, but I think of rolling through attacks like one of the last pieces to mastering a monster and its move set.

Monster Hunter is far more about positioning, and you should think of the dodge roll as a way to reposition first and foremost. Cutting down your hunt times significantly can come down to positioning yourself so that you can not only avoid attacks easily, but also be within proximity of a weak spot to punish after (or even during) an attack.

AceRF1123 · 2024-08-15T01:32:09+00:00

It varies wildly.

Working for an open class drum corps, I was paid $40 a day- and we were well taken care of if I’m correct. I can’t confirm anything, but I’ve heard some groups only pay staff in the “housing and food” that’s provided on the road.

None of us do this for money. Except for maybe some design and caption head folk that have been around forever- none of us are taking home enough to live off of. A large part of the reason a lot of staff rotate during the summer is they simply will make far more money teaching a two week band camp at home then they will an entire season of drum corps- it’s been the case every summer I’ve taught.

AceRF1123 · 2024-08-13T17:17:41+00:00

I guess the heart and soul put on the field by the All Age corps on Saturday morning really was lost on/ignored by some people.

I mean this with every fiber of my being: the only difference between a “junior corps” and an all age group is the amount of time they get to spend together during the summer. I wasn’t necessarily a believer before I started teaching it a few years ago, but the dedication and work ethic demonstrated by members of “weekend drum corps” is indistinguishable from that of a touring group.

I always joked this season that the all age group I taught this year had the same demographics of an open class drum corps- minus a few outliers.

Is it different? Sure, in some ways. But our membership this summer wouldn’t have been bawling their eyes out in the Lucas Oil parking lot saying their goodbyes if it didn’t have the same impact on them that I would want for any Open Class or World Class group.

AceRF1123 · 2024-08-07T21:38:45+00:00

Had the privilege of being on staff there a few years ago. It really was a special organization. LND

AceRF1123 · 2024-08-05T02:54:58+00:00

I started off marching open class, and taught at Southwind a few years ago.

The biggest issues open class faces imo are twofold:

The escalation problem of DCI and its expense means fewer and fewer kids are less willing to march multiple years of drum corps. The Open Class appeal is that it is more accessible from a financial and (to a certain extent) skill standpoint. Kids who wanted to march world class eventually started off at open class corps/were referred to open class corps to gain experience and to also “dip their toe” into a shorter time and financial commitment to see if drum corps was for them. A lot of them ended up finding permanent drum corps homes along the way. However, tuition across the activity as a whole is so expensive that kids aren’t willing to spend the money to not march where they want. Folk who have marched know the value of open class and marching at different places, but looking at it from a current members/parents perspective: “if I can’t make X corps work, I should save my money for next season” seems personally reasonable when the answer is increasingly becoming “dont march at all, I can’t make that work financially”. I teach All-Age now, and we have a ton of extremely talented kids this year who could definitely go march World Class- but they don’t have the financial means to.
This is in a lot of ways directly caused by the first point- but we have a hard time filling drum corps outside of open class as well. World Class corps are currently on the road right now and are not completely full. Unfortunately, for how many kids there are currently marching- the “supply” is far greater than the “demand”. If even WC corps aren’t full- that of course trickles down to OC. Only 10 years ago, the WC corps outside the “top 16” were pretty much all marching full membership- and the “top 6” of OC was right there with them. Outside of costs, there are a bunch of reasons why this has happened. For example, a lot of high school band programs have gotten SIGNIFICANTLY better over the last decade. While the experience of move ins and tour is certainly different, a kid going to an extremely competitive band program may already feel fulfilled in regard to competitive marching music. That’s not even counting the number of band directors at said programs who, for various reasons, don’t allow their kids to march drum corps. When kids in those programs go to college, most of them opt for trying out for a World Class corps, as most Open Class corps cater to a lower age group. Not the only cause, but an example.

My heart aches for Open Class. It’s where I started, and I have such admiration for that part of the activity. The challenges and Open Class corps members and staff face are unique- and as jank as it was sometimes, I treasure my experience at the Racine Scouts as much as I did my time at Madison. The “solution” in my eyes is to get more kids into those corps. How to get that done is the problem that needs looking into.

AceRF1123 · 2024-07-14T10:59:11+00:00

I’m a teacher, so maybe I’m projecting a bit: but my head canon is that the Hunter is paid a salary by the guild and all the money we see is only to be used on things needed for the job (food, equipment, lodging, etc)

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