What is a Walrus?
Walrus is a semi-competitive game we used to play on Circus after it migrated here from elsewhere. Entrants submit a song for each category the host creates, trying to best match the category with something they think the host will like. The goal is to give the host new music to listen to, so these submissions should be songs they have not heard 1000 times before. The host then rates all songs submitted per category, and the entrants are awarded points based on their rating. This is on a scale of 0-10, and I am not afraid to award 0's if your song blows.
Category song submissions and their scores are announced on a schedule after submissions close.
How do you grade?
I am probably rather infamously one of the harsher graders and will give songs bad scores if I don't like them. And I didn't like a lot of songs lmao. If I don't want them in my YouTube history to find later, your score will reflect that. I don't award bonus points.
Will Ampharos find a song I like this time? Will DLE, the highest-placing user still around, repeat his performance? Have my musical tastes changed at all? Stay tuned to find out.
How to submit?
Smogon PM me the following filled-out list with a YouTube link to each song, prior to the deadline. Do not submit via Discord please, though you can ask questions via Discord if you have any I suppose. Make sure your link goes to the version you want me to listen to.
Category 1:
Category 2:
Category 3:
Category 4:
Category 5:
Category 6:
THE PANDER LIST
I know virtually every song from these artists. Submitting them to any category but the final one will net you a 0.
Duran Duran
Ladytron
Metric
The Magnetic Fields
Electric Light Orchestra
Crystal Castles
The Dollyrots
Tegan and Sara
Freezepop
Depeche Mode
What do you like?
Well, the above list should be a good starting point lol. I like synth pop and various types of rock. I would say I like the 60s and 80s more than the 70s and 90s. I do not like country, jazz, bluegrass, kpop, or particularly screamy/noisy metal. Disco, rap, and other genres are song-dependent. I tend to prefer fast songs to slow ones. I HATE live music/crowd noise, and music videos that have ambient sound that isn't part of the song. Keep this in mind when choosing (IE Telephone's music video would score far lower than Telephone's Topic video).
CATEGORIES
Category 1: The Best Instrument Part 2, Electric Barbarella Boogaloo
Surprise, I still like the synth. Submit a song that has a synthesizer on it, and make sure the synth beat is sick.
Example: Duran Duran - Electric Barbarella
Category 2: Triangle at the Talent Show
Submit a song that features an instrument that is NOT: piano/keyboard, synthesizer, standard drum set, guitar (any standard guitar). The song can have all of these instruments, but it must have at least one instrument that is unusual/different. Please state what instrument(s) your song has.
Example: The Beatles - Within You Without You (sitar)
Category 3: Y2K
Submit a song from 1997-2003 that has that certain sound of the era. No other restrictions.
Example: SR-71 - Right Now
Category 4: That was a Sharp Transition
Submit two songs that give you whiplash when played back to back. This can be beat/sound, lyrics, genre, any of the above. Points will be awarded for how disparate they are, as well as how much I like both. Place them in the order you want me to listen to them in.
Example: Herman's Hermits - I'm Into Something Good --> Korn - Here to Stay
Category 5: Humiliation Kink
Submit a song you think I will absolutely loathe. This category will be rated like usual, but your actual score for the game will be 10-CAT5 RATING. So if I give your song a 1 because it sucks a lot, your points will be 9. I roasted a lot of submissions the first time around. Find out how my insults have evolved!
Example: Rednex - Cotton Eye Joe
Category 6: Biggest Suck Up
Submit a song by an artist from the pander list, attempting to pick what song you think I like the best. If you are not familiar with any of the artists on the pander list, you can submit a similar synth pop/rock song.
Example: Duran Duran - Electric Barbarella (since it was already used and is THE favorite, you may not submit this song)
Submissions Close At
2pm Pacific on Thursday, 1/9. This gives you a few days to think about your choices, or just yolo and send it if you don't want to be that sweaty. I will then listen to and grade each category, then schedule the announcement time. I will decide what existing Discord server we will do the reveal listens on and provide the invite link.
Walrus is a semi-competitive game we used to play on Circus after it migrated here from elsewhere. Entrants submit a song for each category the host creates, trying to best match the category with something they think the host will like. The goal is to give the host new music to listen to, so these submissions should be songs they have not heard 1000 times before. The host then rates all songs submitted per category, and the entrants are awarded points based on their rating. This is on a scale of 0-10, and I am not afraid to award 0's if your song blows.
Category song submissions and their scores are announced on a schedule after submissions close.
How do you grade?
I am probably rather infamously one of the harsher graders and will give songs bad scores if I don't like them. And I didn't like a lot of songs lmao. If I don't want them in my YouTube history to find later, your score will reflect that. I don't award bonus points.
Will Ampharos find a song I like this time? Will DLE, the highest-placing user still around, repeat his performance? Have my musical tastes changed at all? Stay tuned to find out.
How to submit?
Smogon PM me the following filled-out list with a YouTube link to each song, prior to the deadline. Do not submit via Discord please, though you can ask questions via Discord if you have any I suppose. Make sure your link goes to the version you want me to listen to.
Category 1:
Category 2:
Category 3:
Category 4:
Category 5:
Category 6:
THE PANDER LIST
I know virtually every song from these artists. Submitting them to any category but the final one will net you a 0.
Duran Duran
Ladytron
Metric
The Magnetic Fields
Electric Light Orchestra
Crystal Castles
The Dollyrots
Tegan and Sara
Freezepop
Depeche Mode
What do you like?
Well, the above list should be a good starting point lol. I like synth pop and various types of rock. I would say I like the 60s and 80s more than the 70s and 90s. I do not like country, jazz, bluegrass, kpop, or particularly screamy/noisy metal. Disco, rap, and other genres are song-dependent. I tend to prefer fast songs to slow ones. I HATE live music/crowd noise, and music videos that have ambient sound that isn't part of the song. Keep this in mind when choosing (IE Telephone's music video would score far lower than Telephone's Topic video).
CATEGORIES
Category 1: The Best Instrument Part 2, Electric Barbarella Boogaloo
Surprise, I still like the synth. Submit a song that has a synthesizer on it, and make sure the synth beat is sick.
Example: Duran Duran - Electric Barbarella
Category 2: Triangle at the Talent Show
Submit a song that features an instrument that is NOT: piano/keyboard, synthesizer, standard drum set, guitar (any standard guitar). The song can have all of these instruments, but it must have at least one instrument that is unusual/different. Please state what instrument(s) your song has.
Example: The Beatles - Within You Without You (sitar)
Category 3: Y2K
Submit a song from 1997-2003 that has that certain sound of the era. No other restrictions.
Example: SR-71 - Right Now
Category 4: That was a Sharp Transition
Submit two songs that give you whiplash when played back to back. This can be beat/sound, lyrics, genre, any of the above. Points will be awarded for how disparate they are, as well as how much I like both. Place them in the order you want me to listen to them in.
Example: Herman's Hermits - I'm Into Something Good --> Korn - Here to Stay
Category 5: Humiliation Kink
Submit a song you think I will absolutely loathe. This category will be rated like usual, but your actual score for the game will be 10-CAT5 RATING. So if I give your song a 1 because it sucks a lot, your points will be 9. I roasted a lot of submissions the first time around. Find out how my insults have evolved!
Example: Rednex - Cotton Eye Joe
Category 6: Biggest Suck Up
Submit a song by an artist from the pander list, attempting to pick what song you think I like the best. If you are not familiar with any of the artists on the pander list, you can submit a similar synth pop/rock song.
Example: Duran Duran - Electric Barbarella (since it was already used and is THE favorite, you may not submit this song)
Submissions Close At
2pm Pacific on Thursday, 1/9. This gives you a few days to think about your choices, or just yolo and send it if you don't want to be that sweaty. I will then listen to and grade each category, then schedule the announcement time. I will decide what existing Discord server we will do the reveal listens on and provide the invite link.
