I would like to preface in this forum post that I am still unqualified to speak like an authority on the topic of charting, however, I'd like to share my experiences so far.
With that being said, these are a few key points I've adopted in the process of learning how to chart:
1) Approach songs objectively. Don't force an artificial difficulty onto a song because you want [x] skillgroup to experience it, rather, try to envision what would be "correct" and let the song express itself. It is also equally important to chart with intention, rather than slapping random notes on a section and calling it a day. Similar to this idea, always prioritize quality > quantity. I don't think that needs to be said though but there it is!
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2) Consistent patterns in the song should also generally be reflected in the chart. For example, it's quite off-putting when you chart a specific drum beat as 1 > 3 > 2 over the course of lets say 4 meters, then suddenly you change it to a random jump. It's not fun for the player and shows holes/inconsistencies in the chart. If you are to do anything otherwise, you need to have a good reason to justify doing so. (i.e if there is like a buildup or something and the next measure introduces claps layered with the kick, that might me a good enough justification to turn the jumps into hands or something, idk, random example)
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3) Generally, from my experience, for a chart to be fun it has to have "good flow". One way I try to develop "good flow" in a chart (except for the obvious things like proper sync/bpm/etc) is focusing on a specific subset of skill-sets and letting that be the driving factor of a given section. It's important to have skill-set variety, and this is where a lot of the expression comes in as a charter. "Do I want to chart this chord progression as a jumpstream or do chord jacks?" and going from there idk
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4) Feedback is OP. With my own eyes hands and experience, I'm pretty good at making BAD charts. I'm not yet able to develop a "good" chart by myself, but I can get the groundwork and foundation setup. From there, through the help of community feedback, the chart can be made SIGNIFICANTLY better. (or refer to ositzxz quote in my signature #real)
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5) This should go without saying, but don't kickstart your charting adventure trying to make a top-level D8 chart (rofl). Let's be real most of us are not there and don't have the experience or wisdom to develop something of that caliber without having been at the top OR having charted for a LONG time and knowing what does and doesn't belong. In addition, this difficulty range is especially scary because it dances on the line of what IS and ISN'T humanly possible yet; and that line shouldn't be written by some random d3 player who thought it'd be funny to make 250bpm 16th longjacks (not me i swear)
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6) Have fun! The whole point of charting (imo) is to make something you can personally enjoy. It's just a bonus if that translates to others also enjoying your charts. It's a form of self expression and can be incredibly rewarding when you put in the time to make something you think is cool.
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Bonus: Attempting to chart a good file can give you a serious sense of appreciation for good already-existing files that you might enjoy. (In my case I actually learned more about the game and it helped me improve as a player as well! I also learned a lot of the terminology that I hadn't known before. Cool! I'm also very excited to continue learning how to chart.)
I'm still a noob at making charts and I'm pretty sure they're all bad, but there is something incredibly therapeutic about sitting down and placing arrows on a nifty song. Its fun! Also I'm not the most articulate person in the world and kinda suck at explaining basic concepts in a way that doesn't take 50 paragraphs to so apologies for the long read. (Also I'm making a mini-pack! But that's for later :O)
With that being said, these are a few key points I've adopted in the process of learning how to chart:
1) Approach songs objectively. Don't force an artificial difficulty onto a song because you want [x] skillgroup to experience it, rather, try to envision what would be "correct" and let the song express itself. It is also equally important to chart with intention, rather than slapping random notes on a section and calling it a day. Similar to this idea, always prioritize quality > quantity. I don't think that needs to be said though but there it is!
~~~~~~~~~~
2) Consistent patterns in the song should also generally be reflected in the chart. For example, it's quite off-putting when you chart a specific drum beat as 1 > 3 > 2 over the course of lets say 4 meters, then suddenly you change it to a random jump. It's not fun for the player and shows holes/inconsistencies in the chart. If you are to do anything otherwise, you need to have a good reason to justify doing so. (i.e if there is like a buildup or something and the next measure introduces claps layered with the kick, that might me a good enough justification to turn the jumps into hands or something, idk, random example)
~~~~~~~~~~
3) Generally, from my experience, for a chart to be fun it has to have "good flow". One way I try to develop "good flow" in a chart (except for the obvious things like proper sync/bpm/etc) is focusing on a specific subset of skill-sets and letting that be the driving factor of a given section. It's important to have skill-set variety, and this is where a lot of the expression comes in as a charter. "Do I want to chart this chord progression as a jumpstream or do chord jacks?" and going from there idk
~~~~~~~~~~
4) Feedback is OP. With my own eyes hands and experience, I'm pretty good at making BAD charts. I'm not yet able to develop a "good" chart by myself, but I can get the groundwork and foundation setup. From there, through the help of community feedback, the chart can be made SIGNIFICANTLY better. (or refer to ositzxz quote in my signature #real)
~~~~~~~~~~
5) This should go without saying, but don't kickstart your charting adventure trying to make a top-level D8 chart (rofl). Let's be real most of us are not there and don't have the experience or wisdom to develop something of that caliber without having been at the top OR having charted for a LONG time and knowing what does and doesn't belong. In addition, this difficulty range is especially scary because it dances on the line of what IS and ISN'T humanly possible yet; and that line shouldn't be written by some random d3 player who thought it'd be funny to make 250bpm 16th longjacks (not me i swear)
~~~~~~~~~~
6) Have fun! The whole point of charting (imo) is to make something you can personally enjoy. It's just a bonus if that translates to others also enjoying your charts. It's a form of self expression and can be incredibly rewarding when you put in the time to make something you think is cool.
~~~~~~~~~~
Bonus: Attempting to chart a good file can give you a serious sense of appreciation for good already-existing files that you might enjoy. (In my case I actually learned more about the game and it helped me improve as a player as well! I also learned a lot of the terminology that I hadn't known before. Cool! I'm also very excited to continue learning how to chart.)
I'm still a noob at making charts and I'm pretty sure they're all bad, but there is something incredibly therapeutic about sitting down and placing arrows on a nifty song. Its fun! Also I'm not the most articulate person in the world and kinda suck at explaining basic concepts in a way that doesn't take 50 paragraphs to so apologies for the long read. (Also I'm making a mini-pack! But that's for later :O)
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