"Play/Test/Judge my simfile" thread

[who_cares973]

Originally Posted by MrPopadopalis25

who_cares973: I don't think that was a really "stepable" song but overall it seemed like you got it right.
.

it was more for practice than anything else and thanks

also patashu my song was on sync in resonance what?

[foilman8805]

Second stepfile, and a lot better than my first one, at least I think.

It's by Bodom. Track is Sixpounder.

Any review would be appreciated, as long as it isn't something like 'haha ur dumb 2/5'. I'm still looking to improve with my sim making, so constructive criticism is appreciated. Point out specific measures if there's a problem or sync issue. Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to play and review.

http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...p?songid=29294

[who_cares973]

downloading now i'll post the review either tonight or tomorrow

[Virus881]

I'm making some of Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence of Dream Theater (Score Live Version) . It's yet uncomplete, but I'm making an effort to step the rest of the song. I try to have it steppable for all the skills, from the newbie to the monster.

There are them:
Pt 1: Overture (7:14) --> Not ready
Pt 2: About to crash: (5:39) --> Download
Pt 3: War inside my head: (2:14) --> Download
Pt 4: The test that stumped them all: (4:45) --> Download
Pt 5: Goodnight Kiss: (6:26) --> In process
Pt 6: Solitary Shell: (5:40) --> Not ready
Pt 7: About to crash (reprise): (4:12) --> Download
Pt 8: Losing time / Grand finale: (4:56) --> Not ready

[fo3h4mm3r]

Originally Posted by foilman8805

Second stepfile, and a lot better than my first one, at least I think.

It's by Bodom. Track is Sixpounder.

Any review would be appreciated, as long as it isn't something like 'haha ur dumb 2/5'. I'm still looking to improve with my sim making, so constructive criticism is appreciated. Point out specific measures if there's a problem or sync issue. Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to play and review.

http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...p?songid=29294

Wow that was sync'd perfectly on reso nice job. Was a ton of fun to play but the doubles in the main chorus just got kind of old and it felt as if you were overdoing it with them but besides that I loved that stepfile and am def putting it in my sm. =]

Edit: if you cleaned up the doubles a bit 5/5 but for now 4.5/5 =D

[foilman8805]

Yeah, there's a ton of jumps in Sixpounder, I know. But, it's for layering essentially, since there are two guitars playing in that song.

Thanks for taking the time to play it. =)

EDIT:

Originally Posted by fo3h4mm3r

Was a ton of fun to play

This was what I wanted to hear. Really made my day.

[AxisOtaku]

http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...p?songid=29300

my first simfile =) need testing and comments please!

[Patashu]

Originally Posted by AxisOtaku

http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...p?songid=29300

my first simfile =) need testing and comments please!

It's a decent effort, but there's a lot more you could do to improve it. I'll list as much as I can think of:

-Consistency. If the same thing happens in the music twice you should step it the same way, or in a strictly escalating way. In some parts you keep changing the way you're stepping, whether x sound deserves a jump or doesn't, whether it gets a freeze or not, stuff like that.
-Stream patterns. I noticed you were putting minijacks to a piano sound that was not a minijack. Try not to do that. Playing stepmania should be like playing whatever instrument happens to be going at the time; if it's jacking, you jack (or trill if it's too fast), otherwise you don't. If it's trilling you trill too. If it's streaming in a repetitive pattern then follow that pattern over and over. If it's rolling you roll. Etc.
-Extra complexity you've missed. You haven't stepped all the places where the piano pulls out a 16th or changes the note interval (I heard 12ths a few times and 24ths/32nds somewhere). Look for interesting sounds you haven't stepped on a lower rate if you're ever not sure where or what something is. And if you do think you've found an unusual note interval, slow it down and use assist tick to make sure it's right.
-Layering. The part with the trumpet and not much else near the end of the loop and the parts which are step-jump-step-jump-step-jump over and over again are technically correct but quite boring. During the trumpet part, there is the piano still going in the background, so get this: why don't you step both at once? Put notes to the trumpet while also putting notes to the piano. Things like that help to bring out every aspect of a good song all at once. Think of it like IIDX if you've ever played or seen it; you can focus on multiple things at once to make a harder and more interesting chart.

[AxisOtaku]

Originally Posted by Patashu

It's a decent effort, but there's a lot more you could do to improve it. I'll list as much as I can think of:

-Consistency. If the same thing happens in the music twice you should step it the same way, or in a strictly escalating way. In some parts you keep changing the way you're stepping, whether x sound deserves a jump or doesn't, whether it gets a freeze or not, stuff like that.
-Stream patterns. I noticed you were putting minijacks to a piano sound that was not a minijack. Try not to do that. Playing stepmania should be like playing whatever instrument happens to be going at the time; if it's jacking, you jack (or trill if it's too fast), otherwise you don't. If it's trilling you trill too. If it's streaming in a repetitive pattern then follow that pattern over and over. If it's rolling you roll. Etc.
-Extra complexity you've missed. You haven't stepped all the places where the piano pulls out a 16th or changes the note interval (I heard 12ths a few times and 24ths/32nds somewhere). Look for interesting sounds you haven't stepped on a lower rate if you're ever not sure where or what something is. And if you do think you've found an unusual note interval, slow it down and use assist tick to make sure it's right.
-Layering. The part with the trumpet and not much else near the end of the loop and the parts which are step-jump-step-jump-step-jump over and over again are technically correct but quite boring. During the trumpet part, there is the piano still going in the background, so get this: why don't you step both at once? Put notes to the trumpet while also putting notes to the piano. Things like that help to bring out every aspect of a good song all at once. Think of it like IIDX if you've ever played or seen it; you can focus on multiple things at once to make a harder and more interesting chart.

thanks alot for the nice review and tips
-Consistency: yeah I tryed to make as many different style of stepping as i could to have a bit of everything but I guess I shouldve stick with the same style in first and second loop
-Stream patterns: hmmm well i guess my ear isnt that good it sounded like mini jacks to me (or at least seemed to fit with the song)
-Extra complexity you've missed: Hmmm I guess I could try to lower the rate to get a better idea of the sounds and different ticking parts
-Layering: hehe well for the step-jump-step-jump.. i didnt have much idea of what to do with that part... maybe it wouldve been better to use the piano instead or mix both parts together like with the trumpet and the piano part but I sure would feel sad if myself couldnt do the song o.o (im an index player, I have realy hard time with jump stream, I hadnt too much trouble with my own hands stepping caus its slow but yeah)I did think about stepping both like I did it at few places but I didnt think I wouldve done a good job on that part (like what kind of arrow pattern to use in cases like that).

anyway I just love the song so much... I just felt like I had to do something with it even if it wasnt that great xD and maybe I wouldve ended up with a good result... If do more songs it sure will be from the same artist ZUN... his songs are just too good :P

[foilman8805]

Hey, Patashu, would you mind giving my simfile a spin? It seems you actually take the time to make a decent review and I'd love to get one from you. Please?

[Patashu]

Originally Posted by foilman8805

Second stepfile, and a lot better than my first one, at least I think.

It's by Bodom. Track is Sixpounder.

Any review would be appreciated, as long as it isn't something like 'haha ur dumb 2/5'. I'm still looking to improve with my sim making, so constructive criticism is appreciated. Point out specific measures if there's a problem or sync issue. Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to play and review.

http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...p?songid=29294

General note: It's very, very jumpy in this file. More interesting layering could be used in place of the jumps-to-anything-that-sounds-even-remotely-strong thing. I mean seriously, jumps to the lyrics?

Try stuff like 1 arrow to the guitar/lyrics, 1 arrow for any drum hit, 2 arrows for two (ie during a cymbol hit)

Also, the entire song has blue note syndrome. Also, don't take my notes here completely literally and do nothing more, take them in spirit; see what I'm trying to correct here and do more of it throughout the chart.

Measure 14, beat 4.5 - measure 15, beat 1.5 - should be 12ths, not 16th gallops. (12ths starting on the 8ths in this case) A few of the other patterns like this feel like they're almost 12ths, check for sync on a lower rate.
Measure 22, beat 4: should be an extra 16th after here (similarly measure 26, beat 4 and the 16th after it should also be jumps) (same problem when the song does this again later on btw)
Measure 27, beat 2.5: It's not a set of gallops here but a triplet. (same problem whenever the song repeats this)
Measure 61, beat 3.5: The solo does not start out as pure stream. It seems to start out more as a bunch of gallops that blend together into a kind of 12thish note interval.
Measure 65, beat 3: The 16th triplet here appears to go to nothing.
Measure 65, beat 4: The guitar here is doing 4th - five 32nds - 4th - five 32nds- until measure 65 beat 4-measure 67ish when it swaps to 24ths. Then just after measure 67 beat 1 there are two 32nds, some 16ths then what sounds like another 32nd. After that the guitar does some crazy thing (sounds like 32nds) that you don't follow. You ought to.
Measure 69-70: Why do you step this pattern in the music differently, once, then revert back to the old way for the rest of it? Make up your mind. (By the way, this is the way I'd prefer it be done, and you missed a red arrow there)
Measure 84, beat 1.5: Missed some steppable stuff here.
Measure 85 onward: Seems fine, but you missed two notes in measure 93 at the start of that stream.
Measure 112: The first drum thing here is 12ths, but since you synced to blues it'll be pink-blue-pink-pink-blue. The drum gallop things go off of each blue and seem to be about 24ths.
Measure 118: Missed a cool drum thing here.
Measure 128: should go red-blue-pink-pink.

[ddrace]

Originally Posted by AxisOtaku

thanks alot for the nice review and tips
-Consistency: yeah I tryed to make as many different style of stepping as i could to have a bit of everything but I guess I shouldve stick with the same style in first and second loop
-Stream patterns: hmmm well i guess my ear isnt that good it sounded like mini jacks to me (or at least seemed to fit with the song)
-Extra complexity you've missed: Hmmm I guess I could try to lower the rate to get a better idea of the sounds and different ticking parts
-Layering: hehe well for the step-jump-step-jump.. i didnt have much idea of what to do with that part... maybe it wouldve been better to use the piano instead or mix both parts together like with the trumpet and the piano part but I sure would feel sad if myself couldnt do the song o.o (im an index player, I have realy hard time with jump stream, I hadnt too much trouble with my own hands stepping caus its slow but yeah)I did think about stepping both like I did it at few places but I didnt think I wouldve done a good job on that part (like what kind of arrow pattern to use in cases like that).

anyway I just love the song so much... I just felt like I had to do something with it even if it wasnt that great xD and maybe I wouldve ended up with a good result... If do more songs it sure will be from the same artist ZUN... his songs are just too good :P

I used bold on that part to point out 1 thing. I'm an index player myself, but you used the exact same patterns over and over again. It was boring. This would have been much more interesting if you would have followed the piano sounds during just about every part of the chart you used a freeze arrow. But, for a first sim file, I understand why you did, for the most part, why you followed what you did. I could probably easily do this on pad (that isn't a bad thing). Also, I quit out of the song when it started to repeat itself. Maybe you could have cut the song when it started repeating. I'm also in agreement with Patashu with how some of that patterns were. Sometimes listening to a song with headphones will help you hear out sounds you wouldn't normally hear. Better than most peoples first sims IMO. Especially since you got the syncing down.

[Patashu]

Here's a bit of a sample chart for Sixpounder. It's up to you if you want to use any ideas from it, this is just me playing around with stepping it a bit. The 'main' part of the song, the one that you stepped with long jumpstream runs with jumps every blue note, you'd want to have escalate if you restep it (ie, every time it repeats make it harder, for example go from what I did to what you did to that plus jumps for the guitar when it hits a red...)

http://www.yousendit.com/download/Q0...T01oMlUwTVE9PQ

[foilman8805]

Thanks for the review, but when I looked at your example file...I honestly had no idea what you did to it. In the beginning you took the layering very literally...but it was not fun. This file was supposed to be fun, while still being synced correctly. Your file was not, in the least, fun (sorry). It just wasn't. Technical, yes. Really technical.

Also, you said 12ths in measure 14...you put in 24ths...and, maybe you are hearing something very minute that I don't hear. At that point, it's not even worth making the file a mess just to achieve "perfect sync". I have played this file many times, as have others, and none ever brought up a problem with those jump gallops. When I see the 24ths it just causes all kinds of confusion. To sync to something like that at a normal speed is virtually inaudible (I'm still not sure if I'm hearing what you're hearing or not).

At a certain point, I didn't look through all of your notes. I just got the feeling we weren't going to see eye-to-eye on any of the changes. I'd be curious to see a third party compare the two though; I may be biased towards my own, but I just did not have any fun at all. If somebody is willing to play them both, I would like the opinion.

Also, you suggested better ways of layering to make things interesting, yet in your example you actually removed layering to the percussion. I am bewildered, and I feel the level lacked because of it.

Still, I thank you for taking time to give me your thoughts.

[Patashu]

OK, I'll admit the file I made is very meh. There wasn't an awful lot I COULD do.

[foilman8805]

I have one more question for you concerning the 'blue note syndrome'. What exactly did you mean?

Originally Posted by Patashu

OK, I'll admit the file I made is very meh. There wasn't an awful lot I COULD do.

I don't know what you mean right here either, because I sure did a lot to it.

[who_cares973]

blue note syndrome is where there are alot of blue notes

[foilman8805]

Are you being funny?

o_O

[Patashu]

Blue note syndrome is when you've synced the beats to the blue notes instead of the red ones. This means that 12ths will be blue-pink-pink-blue instead of red-purple-purple-red, for instance.

[foilman8805]

Originally Posted by Patashu

Blue note syndrome is when you've synced the beats to the blue notes instead of the red ones. This means that 12ths will be blue-pink-pink-blue instead of red-purple-purple-red, for instance.

Ah, okay. I see. I just synced to the first note in the song (that bass kick) and went from there. I see what you're talking about though, and I don't want to go fix that crap, lol. And really, it takes literally nothing away from the stepfile anyways.