Mahou's FFR Guide/Tools

[Mahou]

http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...tepmania+guide - Original Thread

I made this a long time ago, and was asked about it a few times not terribly too long ago. I thought I'd share if anybody would like an interesting read of what I came up with after logging things down during my SM career and Fiffer career. Most of this guide consists of a bunch of tips and tricks I've learned from good players that still play and some that are no longer active. I had it originally typed out in a Microsoft document, but I thought typing it out in a thread would he beneficial to anyone who didn't feel like downloading anything.


Mahou's FFR Guide/Tools


(Author: Mahou.)(Also signifies tip from me)
(Special thanks to everyone who's helped me get better at FFR)

Since there is a lot of information in this guide, you can easily "Ctrl+F" to certain parts if you don't want to read the entire thing

Index
I. Into/Purpose
II. FFR Terminology
III. Things you will need
IV. Picking which FFR engine to use
V. Picking a Standalone Flash Player
- How to use the Standalone Player
VI. Picking a keyboard
VII. Identify your weaknesses and strengths
VIII. Playing Styles
IX. Posture and Positioning
X. Picking your noteskin
XI. Picking your Speedmod
XII. Picking judge offset
XIII. Having a good playing schedule and habits
XIV. Establishing a realistic Goal
XV. Nutrition
XVI. Exercising
XVII. Reflecting on yourself
XVIII. Additional tips (misc)


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I. Intro/Purpose
The purpose of the guide is to provide anyone some good tips/tricks to help improve Flash Flash Revolution play. It will help you think outside of the box. I believe thinking outside of the box helps prevent you from sitting at a skillset when you feel like you've plateaued. This guide also should help establishing good habits and help alleviate bad ones. This is not official, and a lot of what I'm writing is completely biased statements that I've recorded throughout my time. This guide is for everyone ranging to an experienced player.

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II. FFR Terminology


Before I start talking about anything else, it's going to be very helpful to understand some FFR terminology.

AAA - This means that you've hit all the notes in the song with "Perfect" or "Amazing" timing. Here is what a AAA looks like on R^3 engine..

Getting the most AAA's you can in FFR is the primary task.

Used in a sentence - "Omg, I can't believe I got a AAA on Excite Bike! D7!!!!"

Black Flag - This means that you've hit all the notes with "Perfect" or "Amazing" as well of getting 1 "Good."

Used in a sentence - "Stupid BLACCK FLAGGGG! I quit...time to go play Maplestory. "

Miss Flag - This means that you've hit all the notes with "Perfect" or "Amazing" but you missed a note.

Used in a sentence - "I are the king of misses. Do you like my miss flag on System Doctor?"

Omni Flag - This means you got 1 "Good", 1 "Amazing", 1 "Average", 1 "Miss", and 1 "Miss". This score is funky and it kind of sucks.

Used in a sentence - "How the hell did you get that omni flag? That's some serious unorthodox play"

Boo Flag - This means that you got all "Amazing" and "Perfects" but got 1 "Boo".

Used in a sentence - "EW, BOO FLAG!"

Want to know more?
If you'd like a more in-depth discussion about FFR terminology, please refer to this thread.
http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...d.php?t=115282 (Credits to rushy)

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Now since we touched basis on some FFR terminology, I wanted to talk about some things that I found to be very useful for me during my experience in playing this game.

III. Things you will need
- good mindset
- good sleep
- nutrition (this will be talked about later in the thread)
- exercise a few times a week
- computer
- comfortable keyboard
- Good chair (some players prefer arm rest to be present and some don't)
- headphones (I prefer headphones over speakers)
- Standalone Flash Player
- Patience (not really equipment, but I believe it's necessary)
- comfortable monitor (preferably 75hz) I also prefer widescreen as well. It helps stretch out the FFR client.
- Stepmania (completely optional)

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IV. Picking which FFR engine to use
There are multiple engines that can be used in FFR. I will list out the most commonly used engines and state their pros and cons (mostly my opinions on them after playing with them)


Legacy Engine
Pros
- Smooth
- User Friendly
- Can save replays
- Hide Judgement Combo and Accuracy
Cons
- Only has one noteskin
- Doesn't have a restart button if you mess up
- Stuck at 30 fps (frames per second)
- Does not have a built in Screen Cut feature


Velocity Engine
Pros
- Smooth
- User Friendly
- Good noteskins
- Can save replays
- Hide Judgement Combo and Accuracy
Cons
- Stuck at 30 fps (frames per second)
- Not a lot of modification in regards to appearance
- Does not have a built in Screen Cut feature



R^3 Engine
Pros
- Lots of modification features (i.e. color of judgement)
- Plenty of good noteskins
- Can adjust frame rate
- Can adjust the rate of the songs (Must have Standalone Player 10)
- Adjust where the screen cut can be
- Smooth
Cons
- Can be overwhelming since it has a lot of options
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V. Picking a Standalone Flash Player

You want to pick a Standalone Flash Player that helps reduce the most lag. Some Standalone players can operate differently in regards to smoothness depending on the computer you are using. Please refer to this thread for more information.
http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...d.php?t=120256 - Credits to justin_ator

The most commonly used versions of Standalone that are used is 9 and 10 (with 10, you can play rates in the R^3 engine)

How to use the Standalone Player
1. Download the standalone player that you want to use.
2. Open the client.
3. Copy and the .swf URL (This is located in "FFR Game" tab on the website. The .swf URL is located right under the window).
4. Click "File" on the standalone client.
5. Click "Open.."
6. Paste the .swf URL in the box.

After competing these steps, you will have your engine loaded in the standalone player.
Note: Once you have completed these steps, the Standalone Flash player will have the URL saved. You will not have to do this again.


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VI. Picking a keyboard

Video -

You're pretty much going to want to pick a keyboard that fits comfortably for you. If there is a local computer store around, mess around with the keyboards. See what best fits you. I also find it beneficial to pick a keyboard that doesn't ghost and lets you pick whatever key setup that you use. Try to avoid wireless keyboards. Also check out this thread as well...it has some pretty good information if you're on the market for a new keyboard.
http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...light=Keyboard - Credits to Plan_Bsk81127

Choose if you rather have a rubber dome keyboard, or a mechanical keyboard.
If you want more information about mechanical keyboards, please refer to this post on overclock.net. It has a lot of good information that goes into detail.
http://www.overclock.net/t/491752/of...#user_heading2

MinaciousGrace - "Typically, if the keyboard feels like shit, send that crap right back."

If you're not sure what ghosting means....
Definition of ghosting - "Ghosting" is the problem that some keyboard keys don't work when multiple keys are pressed simultaneously. For more information about ghosting - click here (http://www.microsoft.com/appliedscie...explained.mspx)



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VII. Identify your weaknesses and strengths
Mentally make a list of what you're good at. Try to be specific as possible. You can also write it down too as a reminded as well. Here is an example...

Strengths - Jumpstream, Right Hand OHT, Rolls (4321), Jacking
Weakness - Fast streaming, Left hand OHT, etc.

Once you've pointed out what you can do, you are able to work on a certain skillset to become a better player. Try to identify songs that target your weakness. For example, If you're really bad at OHT (one handed trilling), try playing M.A.M.A. , Fantransic, etc.



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VIII. Playing Styles

Spread - This is the most popular style among the FFR community.Many people use these types of key configuration, allowing minimum hand-to-hand inteference during gameplay, and comfortable playing. (cited from subin - http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...ad.php?t=94323)


Examples of spread keysetups
Mess around with different keysetups. You can try something like these....
DFJK - linear spread
QWOP - Wider linear spread
5YU9 - Inverted spread
QW56 - Super Wide Spread

Also, when picking a spread style, keep a mental note in how where it is placed on the board. For example, 4589 is higher than CVNM. Also, ASFG is more to the left and HJL: is more to the right. Play around, and see what works the best for you. I know for me personally, I've went through almost any known playing style to finally figure out what works for me the most.

Tip
Cited from Rebound - "Close your eyes and put your hands on the keyboard. See where your hands naturally lay on the keyboard. That can help you decide where your hands should be."

Index Style - The index style consists of both index fingers switching between four keys.
For this reason, it is difficult to play songs consisting of Jumpstreams and patterns which include Jumps. (cited from subin - http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...ad.php?t=94323)

One Handed Style - A relatively common style among the FFR community.
This finger style normally occurs for first time FFR players. One hand doesn't just mean three fingers; it can also mean four fingers, or even a two finger approach. One finger is impractical.

Keep in mind of the fact that this style, just like index, comes with small disadvantages such as complex patterns and speed.
(cited from subin - http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...ad.php?t=94323)



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IX. Posture and Positioning
They're lots of ways people play. I find it very important to figure out what posture works out the best for you. The better your posture is, the better you wil perform. When you choose to have poor posture, it can have a huge effect on how well you perform in the game. Here are some postures that I've tried and can be taken into consideration...

-Posture 1 - Having arms completely rested along with wrists.
-Posture 2 - Having arms rested but wrists are hovering over board
-Posture 3 - Having arms and wrists not rested at all
-Posture 4 - It's Posture 1, but slightly leaning in a little.
-Posture 5 - It's Posture 1 as well, but slightly leaning a little back.

AJ(Halogen) - "I like to have everything rested and I raise my wrists naturally when I hit fast streams."

Tip
Also, I find it useful to have the monitor almost eye level with you (not too close and not too far). I understand that most people find it comfortable looking slightly down at the monitor, or slightly looking up. Keep playing around with it.

Also, if you're struggling with posture because you can't find a good desk to play on, I would consider trying to improvise. So if you're table is too high for you, you can always try to find another place to put your laptop/desktop on.



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X. Picking your noteskin
For the sake of this section, I will talk about the noteskins in R^3 since it is the most commonly used FFR Engine being used right now. These are the noteskins that R^3 has to offer.

Default


Velocity


Orbular


Metal


Beatmania


Beatmaniav2


Delta (dark edges)


Delta (white edges)


Minestorm


Tip
If you're not sure what noteskin suits you the most, I highly recommend playing with each and every one. Even if you think a noteskin works for you the best after messing around with two, I highly suggest you still to do it just because you never know if another noteskin works better for you. I strongly believe that a noteskin can severely affect how well you play the game.



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XI. Picking your Speedmod

One thing that I experienced is that I don't think it's a very good idea to copy a speedmod another player uses. Think of speedmod like a pair of shoes. Just because it's comfortable for me doesn't mean that it's comfortable for you. If you're not sure what your speedmod is, here is a method I learned that helped me out a lot...

Step 1: Type in what speedmod you think will be appropriate.
- Ask yourself this after playing a song with the speedmod...
- Is it too slow? Is it too fast? Can I comfortably read what's going on my screen? How does my accuracy look?

Step 2: Once you feel you found something comfortable, try bumping it up in .025 increments. For example...

If you found 2x to be comfortable for reading, try bumping it up to 2.025.
Step 3: Repeat Steps 1 and 2.

The purpose of this method is to help you find a speedmod that's not insanely too fast or too slow. You want to find the sweet spot. Just because you can read arrows at a fast speed, doesn't mean that's the ideal speedmod for you.



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XII. Picking judge offset

There isn't much to be said. Please refer to this thread for I feel rushy did a great job elaborating on how to pick a proper offset. (Credits to rushyrulz)
http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...d.php?t=137914



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XIII. Having a good playing schedule and habits
When I was typically d2 or so (back when I played on RuGuru), I was very curious about what kind of playing schedule some people had. I would ask myself, "Do you think it's better to play in the mornings? How about night time? How many hours should I play a day?" Here is what I collected from some noticeable players.

Tips from good players that I jotted down in regards to playing schedules
Option #1
Rebound - "My biggest tip for you is to not play every single day. Try spacing it out (i.e. Once every 2-3 days for 2 to 3 hours. If do ending up playing again the next day, try limiting it to an hour."

or

Option #2
MinaciousGrace - "If you want to condition yourself, you can play 8 hours a day when I was in Africa."

Option #3
Rapta - "Mahou, a playing schedule tip I have is to play whenever and only whenever you have slept at least 8 hours. I push my stamina to the limits with weights and FFR playing too which helps me."


Personal notes from my own experience - Option 2 seemed a bit brutal for meat first, but this did help me get to D5 when I was around the d3-d4 range(it got much easier for me after a month or so). I later than chose to go with Option 1 when I felt like I wasn't getting better. Once I did that, I started to notice that I was getting better. Changing it up is a good thing when you feel like nothing is changing in my opinion.

Also this is very useful...

Originally Posted by ItsOnlyDanO

I don't know which category this would come under of it it even fits here that well at all but from personal experience often find that mental state can often affect how well you do at FFR.

For example if you are frustrated at something before playing then this will translate to poorer scores in game, and getting frustrated while playing is even worse.(This usually leads to mindblocks) You will often produce your worst scores like this as for example, you will get annoyed at missing one note or getting a good and your scores will deteriorate because you become more focused on your mistakes then trying to go for good scores (and enjoying playing the game)

However if you go into FFR in a good state of mind, such as feeling good about playing FFR in the first place, (very important) with the goal setup mentioned in the OP, or while playing you get a really good score, this will often translate into better scores during that session. This can lead to getting 'in the zone', basically your mental/physical peak (physical in terms of finger/hand movement) where you will produce your best scores possible, get the most notable improvements and achieve your goals. However this won't last forever and eventually this phase will pass (this heavily changes from player to player, for example mine usually lasts about 30-40 mins) and you will return to getting scores within your usual range.

Of course this probably doesn't apply to everyone (there's bound to be exceptions) and I don't know if what I just said was a load of BS but I thought it might come in useful for something like this as it shows that FFR is more than about just hitting some buttons on a keyboard and that you can do things to help yourself improve outside of the game.

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XIV. Establishing a realistic Goal
I believe FFR is all about establishing a goal. (I learned this from iironiic) It's good to say, "I want to become D7", but you'll need to take baby steps to get there. Personally, I find it nice to make a goal before I have a session. For example, I will mentally say to myself...

"Today, I'm going to nail 20 easy AAA's, and try to practice/get a few good scores on some FGOs."

or

"I'm going to work strictly on streaming today."

or

"Since my stamina stinks, I may play thinking of you a few times."

Once the session is done, see if you have any improvements, or met that specific goal. Try to challenge yourself from time to time and make that goal a little bit harder once a certain goal starts to become too easy for you.



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XV. Nutrition
I feel having good nutrition is a huge helping aid in getting better at the game. Eating properly can enhance how well you play. Here is an example if some foods I like to eat before playing a game. I also like to make a mental note of foods I like to stay away from.

- Good foods
I typically drink water and juice most of the time.
1. Eggs and Toast in the morning.
2. Turkey or ham sandwich in the afternoon.
3. Snack (usually fruits, crackers, pretzels). (can also be during gameplay for extra fuel)
4. Dinner (pasta, mexican food, salad, etc.).

- Stay away from these things
1. Heavy greasy foods (McDicks, Burger King, Fried Foods)
2. Soda (If I have soda, it will be once in awhile)
3. Alcohol (I used to be VERY bad with this. If you're a drinker like me, try to limit how much you drink weekly/monthly)
4. Candy (try to limit how much you have)

You do not have to typically follow something like this and sometimes it can be very difficult to eat properly every single day. If anything, try to make an effort on learning what's good and bad for the body.


lurker - "don't forget to drink your ovaltine or you'll never be a dominatore"
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XVI. Exercising
Good exercise will promote better health and better gameplay in my opinion. On the days you don't play FFR, try having some sort of physical activity. I was told that it's good for a person to exercise in some way at least 3 times a week (even if it's just 10 minutes of exercise, that is better than no exercise at all) Here is a list of suggestions if you're not sure what to do.

1. Running (try running 30 minutes that day, or a mile or two)
2. Play DDR,ITG,PIU (good cardio and super fun)
3. Go lift some weights (stronger arms woo woo!)
4. Squat rack (dat assss)
5. Play a sport(basketball, football, etc..)
6. Play dodgeball with friends.
7. Jumping on trampolines
8. Walking



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XVII. Reflecting on yourself
A good thing to do once in awhile is to sit back and reflect upon your skill level. This can help you become more optimistic about yourself and help create some new goals. For example, pick a month and keep track of what you've done so far. At the end of the month, see what improvements you've made, and some things you think you should still work on. Look at some replays on some scores that you felt like you did well on as well. Patting yourself on the back is never a bad thing. In my opinion, as long as you have a positive mindset, there will always be some room for improvement.


XVIII. Additional Tips

Modifying your R^3 theme
I want to bring this up because I think it doesn't really get talked much. Despite where you can read your arrows fairly smooth, I believe R^3 engine can be modified in a way that will help you optimize your score more. Besides setting your offset correctly, here are some things that I feel a FFR player should consider when tweaking their client.

-Receptor Spacing - Sometimes players play better on a wider receptor spacing setting and some on closer. Play around with it, and you'd be surprised what can enhance your reading ability and what hurts it.

-Screen Cut- Sometimes players are better with a higher screen cut than a lower. Usually the higher the screen cut, the slower the mod is. I feel like your accuracy can sometimes improve when you do this.

-Frame rate The visible eye can't see past 60 fps (i believe). But sometimes you will react better to arrows considering what you put the setting on. Try playing around with frames from 30-80. You'd be surprised.

-Screen Size - Do you play better with a wider screen showing expanding over your desktop or are you better with a smaller window?

There is more to this guide(my guide I have at the moment isn't properly formatted), but I don't know if you guys like what I have so far. If you feel like you'd want to see more of this, let me know. If not, I'll get rid of this thread...

Also, if you feel like you have a solid tip for this guide, please let me know. (I will cite down your name) Let me reiterate that this guide is for people who want to get better.

Still updating~
Happy Arrow Smashing~

[Rapta]

I like what you are doing here. I agree with what you have written so far.

[Mahou]

Some things were recently updated~
(Nutrition, Exercising, Reflection)

Edit: Going to put pictures soon as a visual aid

[Wayward Vagabond]

a suggestion that i was given a while ago when determining key setup for spread is to just put your fingers on the keyboard. what ever your fingers land on thats typically the setup thats going to be the most comfortable for the person.


really nice op tho

[Mahou]

Originally Posted by Wayward Vagabond

a suggestion that i was given a while ago when determining key setup for spread is to just put your fingers on the keyboard. what ever your fingers land on thats typically the setup thats going to be the most comfortable for the person.


really nice op tho

Thanks man. I really appreciate it.

Edit: Good chance I will be doing some videos in regards to going into to details on certain points. Reading information can be nice, but I find a visual aid can be very beneficial.

[Rapta]

What the weewfbrhg are McDicks? I sure as heck don't want a McDick burger.

[Mahou]

Sorry, I call McDonalds "McDicks" for some reason.

[ItsOnlyDanO]

I don't know which category this would come under of it it even fits here that well at all but from personal experience often find that mental state can often affect how well you do at FFR.

For example if you are frustrated at something before playing then this will translate to poorer scores in game, and getting frustrated while playing is even worse.(This usually leads to mindblocks) You will often produce your worst scores like this as for example, you will get annoyed at missing one note or getting a good and your scores will deteriorate because you become more focused on your mistakes then trying to go for good scores (and enjoying playing the game)

However if you go into FFR in a good state of mind, such as feeling good about playing FFR in the first place, (very important) with the goal setup mentioned in the OP, or while playing you get a really good score, this will often translate into better scores during that session. This can lead to getting 'in the zone', basically your mental/physical peak (physical in terms of finger/hand movement) where you will produce your best scores possible, get the most notable improvements and achieve your goals. However this won't last forever and eventually this phase will pass (this heavily changes from player to player, for example mine usually lasts about 30-40 mins) and you will return to getting scores within your usual range.

Of course this probably doesn't apply to everyone (there's bound to be exceptions) and I don't know if what I just said was a load of BS but I thought it might come in useful for something like this as it shows that FFR is more than about just hitting some buttons on a keyboard and that you can do things to help yourself improve outside of the game.

[Rapta]

Originally Posted by ItsOnlyDanO

I don't know which category this would come under of it it even fits here that well at all but from personal experience often find that mental state can often affect how well you do at FFR.

For example if you are frustrated at something before playing then this will translate to poorer scores in game, and getting frustrated while playing is even worse.(This usually leads to mindblocks) You will often produce your worst scores like this as for example, you will get annoyed at missing one note or getting a good and your scores will deteriorate because you become more focused on your mistakes then trying to go for good scores (and enjoying playing the game)

However if you go into FFR in a good state of mind, such as feeling good about playing FFR in the first place, (very important) with the goal setup mentioned in the OP, or while playing you get a really good score, this will often translate into better scores during that session. This can lead to getting 'in the zone', basically your mental/physical peak (physical in terms of finger/hand movement) peak where you will produce your best scores possible, get the most notable improvements and achieve your goals. However this won't last forever and eventually this phase will pass (this heavily changes from player to player, for example mine usually lasts about 30-40 mins) and you will return to getting scores within your usual range.

Of course this probably doesn't apply to everyone (there's bound to be exceptions) and I don't know if what I just said was a load of BS but I thought it might come in useful for something like this as it shows that FFR is more than about just hitting some buttons on a keyboard and that you can do things to help yourself improve outside of the game.

TRUE. I know that when I get super mad, I start playing, get one good, massacre everything in my room with my blazing fists. Then I regret breaking my Xbox controller as a result.

[Mahou]

Originally Posted by ItsOnlyDanO

I don't know which category this would come under of it it even fits here that well at all but from personal experience often find that mental state can often affect how well you do at FFR.

For example if you are frustrated at something before playing then this will translate to poorer scores in game, and getting frustrated while playing is even worse.(This usually leads to mindblocks) You will often produce your worst scores like this as for example, you will get annoyed at missing one note or getting a good and your scores will deteriorate because you become more focused on your mistakes then trying to go for good scores (and enjoying playing the game)

However if you go into FFR in a good state of mind, such as feeling good about playing FFR in the first place, (very important) with the goal setup mentioned in the OP, or while playing you get a really good score, this will often translate into better scores during that session. This can lead to getting 'in the zone', basically your mental/physical peak (physical in terms of finger/hand movement) peak where you will produce your best scores possible, get the most notable improvements and achieve your goals. However this won't last forever and eventually this phase will pass (this heavily changes from player to player, for example mine usually lasts about 30-40 mins) and you will return to getting scores within your usual range.

Of course this probably doesn't apply to everyone (there's bound to be exceptions) and I don't know if what I just said was a load of BS but I thought it might come in useful for something like this as it shows that FFR is more than about just hitting some buttons on a keyboard and that you can do things to help yourself improve outside of the game.

I agree Dan. And I think that's why I like to give myself 3 days apart before I play another session. It helps me clear my mind and helps prevent myself from getting frustrated from too much gameplay. I will cite some of this and stick it into the OP.

[lurker]

don't forget to drink your ovaltine or you'll never be a dominatore

[alloyus]

This is awesome

[Mahou]

Originally Posted by alloyus

This is awesome

Thank you! I hope you enjoy the rest when it's finally completed.

[Funnygurl555]

I'd say another piece of advice is to find people who are either as serious about improving or share the same goals as you. It's nice to have someone around to motivate you and talk about the game with.

For that reason I find myself spending tons of time in MP. Playing by yourself gets boring after a while, regardless of how casual of a player you think you are.

[YoshL]

Make ffr a social thing like fg said. . Being able to play with others can give lots of motivation to play. . Maybe even have a buddy that you mp with with the same goals in mind. A rivalry can motivate sick skillboosts
Also you can stream and hope people come in and make fun of you ;w;

[M0nkeyz]

dno, to me it's a game for fun, I guess it's like a lifestyle to some tho

[Mahou]

Originally Posted by M0nkeyz

dno, to me it's a game for fun, I guess it's like a lifestyle to some tho

Depends on how you take it I guess. You can be very competitive and still not make it a lifestyle; however, if you do make it a lifestyle, I can't see how that would help improve how you play.

[Mahou]

Made the first video on "Picking a Keyboard." Enjoy (Sorry for the vertical video. I won't do it again). Also have a laugh because something kind of unfortunate happened in the video too...

[Funnygurl555]

i gig'd

[MinaciousGrace]

the best advice is to simply blindly follow whatever someone better than you tells you to do