Mairu

This could be neat. The main difference between Mabi MML and regular MIDI though is that the 'volume' variable seems to be 'channel volume', and not 'note velocity' from what I've gathered messing with it over the years. The pressure-sensitivity on a MIDI keyboard controls 'note velocity' and not 'channel volume', so there would have to be a work-around to this if we wanted to have full integration with the existing music system (that is, be able to use your keyboard to compose music, and not just play it).

The closest I can think of using only the existing Mabi MML system involves patching the client in such a way so as to read the 'first' note played as 'Melody', the second as 'Harmony 1', the third as 'Harmony 2', and just disallow more than a 3-note polyphony - unless Fantastic Chorus is activated, in which case 4-note polyphony is possible (though using such skills would need a mandatory 'maximum' timer so people can't just play March Song indefinitely).
'Note velocity' output from the keyboard can then be cleanly translated into 'channel volume' and apply directly to a per-note basis, and instead of worrying about 'note length' in making instruments play back it just defaults to the longest note and uses 'channel volume' as an on/off. That is to say, you hit a note, it applies the approximate 'volume' and plays the longest note duration in MML, and when you let go, it tells the game to set the volume to '0'. Kinda like chiptunes in a way - but MML is linear IIRC and has to play each command in full before reading the next... so some sort of 'parallel notation' would have to be implemented for each track, otherwise it'd just set volume to '0' after the looooong note finishes playing.
In the 'Compose' window, there would also need to be some method for the client to automatically add 'rest' notation to make sure the notes line up approximately if you're using your keyboard to compose - this might be a bit more difficult due to the restrictions of how the MML notation works; since you've also got 'note length' and etc. to deal with instead of just a blind on/off trigger. It's not impossible though, it'd just be a bit rough to work with.

There's also the alternative of just a huge music system overhaul and replacing MML with actual MIDI. That might create a different entry barrier to beginner composers, but the benefits would outweigh the cost. Channel volume, note velocity, vibrato, note length, etc., and other automation would need to be implemented appropriately in Mabi. I think the game already uses a soundfont library for instruments, so it should be compatible already at least. Such an update could easily allow song scrolls to have 16 voices too - rr it could be limited to something smaller, like 4, or 8. 32- or 64-voice would be insane though, please don't do this. Unfortunately a switch to MIDI would also make older song scrolls unplayable and untranscribe-able, unless they keep the MML playback/composition system - maybe the compose window could have 'Classic' and 'Advanced' tabs, the former being MML and the latter being MIDI?

Anyway those are my thoughts on it! I definitely would love a 'live play' feature in Mabi, MML code just makes that pretty difficult without some custom implementations - switching to MIDI wholesale would be better for accomodating that kind of thing.

-Make NPCs in towns complain about a shortage of certain commerce goods

-have some towns get besieged by bandits making commerce goods more valuable in those towns

-have a commerce party system that makes bandit encounters harder/balanced for parties, with higher commerce sale prices if you succeed on long routes

-add player-crafted commerce goods that make crafting skills relevant to commerce, like maybe one 'kind' of good per each crafting skill, and the ingredients for them partially obtainable only as a sort of commerce bonus at certain towns - like you sell a load of goods, and you have a chance of getting a crafting material; when you make the player commerce item with the crafting skill, you can 'use' it to add it to your current cargo (maybe with bandit difficulty increase?)

some of my suggestions. :P

I feel like this write-up I did several weeks ago is probably the most sensible way to approach VIP bags and how they'd work when VIP expires...

Another thing to note, which I learned the hard way: The Warm Energy only drops *once* per day. So if you fail to open the chest in the first shadow mission you do, you won't get another chance next SM. If you open the chest but fail to pick it up, ditto. If you disconnect after beating the SM, ditto ditto.

Honestly they should've just copy-pasted the code they use for the VIP SM crystals (expiring at 12 AM PST) and let the warm energy drop more than once, and mixed in something like a "You can't pick up another Warm Energy today" message when you've already used the one you had for the day, or something to avoid weird accidents like the above. I d/c'd when I blew up the SM boss fight and crashed Mabi on Saturday morning, and I lucked out Sunday when I d/c'd before even getting to the boss. If the game's stability stabs me in the back two more times after the chests spawn, I won't get all 3 pets from this event...

Good job, everyone. 10/10, totally focused, on-topic, helpful - lovely balls of sunshine, the lot of you. -_-

To sum things up: There are a lot of people who are salty and finding new and exciting places to complain in, and there are a lot of people who aren't and still enjoy the game (like me). So I guess ideally, OP (if you're still reading this thread) - find the not-grumpy people to play with, and find your own reasons to like or dislike the game - don't let everyone else's rain ruin the chance to decide for yourself.