Improving reading ability
 

I've been playing way more FFR than is healthy and I'm excited to be making progress, but it seems my physical skills have gotten far ahead of my reading ability. In a given difficulty range, there are some charts I can read and do okay on and others I can't make heads or tails of and have to mash randomly (Makiba, for example). Since there's so little correlation between my score on a chart and its rating, I think I have a skill imbalance.

Is it normal for reading to develop more slowly, or are there two "types" of players, those with an inherent ability to read dense charts and those who are more physically/technically focused? If anyone was in my position, how long did it take you to learn to read dense charts and what was most helpful?

Re: Improving reading ability
 

You might want to try out practicing some on other VSRGs. FFR does not have very dense charts in general compared to some other games.

Ive had times where I felt like my physical ability is limited by my reading and other times where I dont feel like Im fast enough to keep up with what I can read; so Id say it probably shifts around for some people.

Re: Improving reading ability
 

I know what you mean :) idk how long it has taken me to get out of times like that, but by playing stuff I can "mostly" do, getting better has come over time. Usually now I'll look at things that I can get 50's on or teens/20's on (raw goods) and practice them to see if I can improve on them, sorta just benchmarks that I look at. Usually if I'm getting above 50's it doesn't exactly feel worth my time because I feel inadequate.

Re: Improving reading ability
 

I second this. Even if you don't want to play on other games (like osumania/etterna) since they might mess up your timing on FFR, there are still other engines you can use like FFRMania that will have much more dense files compared to FFR. When I was grinding hard to improve, I was mostly training on FFRMania.

Edit: also, as a player whose reading abilities are pretty lacking compared to other D7's, I would say practice shorter files that your fingers can keep up with but your eyes can't quite do yet. What helped for me was focusing on increasing my reading speed up for one side (i.e my 2 left fingers) then the other, before putting both together. That really helped me increase reading speed and stamina pretty quickly. Took about 2 months to go from D3 to high D6 going back and forth between increasing the two sides, then my reading speed finally caught up to my fingers lol

Re: Improving reading ability
 

Makiba is a chart with notes that aren't sync equally so, it requires a higher level of reading than playing a different chart of the same speed with equally spaced notes.

I usually move up my speedmod to -learn- how to hit notes and get a feel for patterns that I am not sure how to hit.

I lower my speedmod when I can't process all the information in time before it reaches the receptors.

When I'm not trying to AAA songs, I try to slowly up my speedmod in small increments to practice reading faster visually.

You have to build your own comfort zone because the faster you can read fast comfortably, the more room you will have to hit complex patterns fast.


ps: You can also try to hit keys harder in the more difficult parts to optimize accuracy and hit keys more lightly in easier parts to conserve stamina.

Re: Improving reading ability
 

Yeah etterna/ffrmania will help a lot with reading the denser stuff and it gets you used to dumps. Also, play around with your scroll speed, receptor spacing, note scale, screen cut and noteskins until you find something that looks/feels good and then stick with it.

Personally, It's easier for me to read using a slow scroll speed with a high screen cut but most people play better with the fast scroll and long note field (no screen cut).

Re: Improving reading ability
 

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I tried Etterna yesterday and I think my brain broke. I went with the "intermediate" pack and most of the files seemed unplayable. Today I can't play FFR either, I'm getting twice as many raw goods on files I was playing well a few days ago and can't comprehend simple rhythms. Maybe I need a break from rhythm games... we'll see how I feel in a few days.

Re: Improving reading ability
 

imo taking a break to get better isn't a good idea. Practice make perfect, just keep playing and it will come naturally, eventually.

edit for clarity: taking *long* breaks

Re: Improving reading ability
 

So I can actually read it now. Accuracy is still terrible but that can always be improved.
It's a strange feeling, it's like my brain re-wired itself to comprehend these patterns when just last month I thought it was impossible. All I did was play the game consistently. I must still have a bit of neuroplasticity left...

Re: Improving reading ability
 

play my file;s

Re: Improving reading ability
 

I partially disagree with this notion. Practice doesn't make perfect- perfect practice makes perfect. If youre practicing with poor technique, you'll only develop poor muscle memory and dig a metaphorical hole for yourself to climb out of. occasional breaks to give yourself fresh eyes and hands can go a long way for allowing certain patterns to "click" where they wouldnt have before.

I'd heavily advocate taking a week or so off once in a while to allow for this process to happen. A good majority of my best sessions came after a week+ break

Re: Improving reading ability
 

I second this. Hell, my biggest skill leap was right after I hit a wall in improving, so I took like a couple months off. Came back with a fresh mindset and grinded out much better as a result.

Re: Improving reading ability
 

My caveat would be don't take too long.

Equally I would also contribute that playing files when really frustrated probably isn't gonna make you do better either.

Re: Improving reading ability
 

I actually have a huge writeup on this subject and have done a lot of research into it. I can link it somewhere if someone is interested.

The TL;DR is:

You should take lots of small breaks when practicing - IE, play a file through to its finish, take a 2-4 minute break. Don't spam retry.

Taking breaks is actually extremely vital to how our brains learn and process information. Taking relatively frequent breaks is good. - not just short term breaks when you're playing, but taking a week off every now and again will help you progress.

The human mind has a tendency to filter out background information - IE things that are repeated often - and your brain can get clogged up trying to process backlog.

Think of it like working out. You actually build muscle when you're taking breaks, not when you're lifting the weights.

Variety is another huge factor when it comes to learning.

In short:

Take plenty of breaks, they are way more likely to help you than hurt you
Try to spice up your gameplay, variety is very good

Also push yourself a lot. FFR's ranking system is extremely good at measuring certain skillsets but it sucks for encouraging people to actually improve. Going for AAA's is not how you challenge and push yourself.

Re: Improving reading ability
 

Just play LMAO

Re: Improving reading ability
 

bad advice tbh

Re: Improving reading ability
 

I mean... I just played a lot without breaks and got top 100 in less than 3 months, this game doesnt need knowledge just skill, and you get skill by playing a lot

Re: Improving reading ability
 

tbf novelties is a beast

Re: Improving reading ability
 

Just because what you did ended up being successful for you does not mean it's the best way to approach the game

It's very likely you have good habits without even realizing what you are doing correctly.

The idea that you can't do anything to help improve your progression is in a vacuum just silly. There's a lot of research and science that's gone into figuring out how the human mind learns and you can absolutely take those concepts and apply them to VSRGs. Telling people just to play the game because it worked for you without understanding why it worked is a good way to misinform people and stunt their progress

Play more is and always will be terrible advice. Yes, you need to play the game to improve. There are no get-rich-quick tips to instantly becoming a better player. No, playing more is not the only way to speed up your progression; and in fact in some situations it can even damage your progress

Re: Improving reading ability
 

Well, i'll be practicing while you take your breaks, see you on the leaderboards