Talk:The Blues Engine

And now for something … different!

It’s always refreshing to find a generator on Abulafia that forgoes the usual elves, dungeons and caverns for a change!

I feel obliged to kick off this comment page, hoping to spark discussion about the intended direction of this valiant attempt. So far, its concept (at least inasmuch as one can be divined) seems A-OK, as does its programming; thematically, however, it seems relatively awkward, verging on cringeworthy, I suspect for lack of familiarity with the genre it attempts (?) to channel. However, for all I know, this effect might be entirely deliberate! Thus this page, where planning notes can be posted so someone like me doesn’t waste time trying to “fix” things by pulling them in unwanted directions.

The overhaul I gave it earlier was about 70% algorithmic. I just manually reverted certain bits here and there, because all together it was too much. Also, taking the whole generator at face value, I couldn’t resist changing a few lines to make them sound a trifle more “authentic” (~ at least for 1920s Delta, not 1950s Chicago blues) – but if the goal was supposed to be parody, this may have made it worse (apologies in advance if so).

Here’s an example: a line about whether to drive or fly somewhere. I thought it was well known that traditional blues singers had only 3 transportation options:


 * hitchhiking
 * catching a freight train
 * walking

So conceptually, the drive/fly line simply “did not compute”, as did many other lines which used poetic turns of phrase instead of simple, literal nouns. But this is meant more as clarification than criticism. Please, tell us how you imagine it. Give us a few hints … and anyone else with ideas should feel free to chime in below also, the better to get us all on the same proverbial page! --MikeyD (talk) 22:53, 18 October 2015 (PDT)