The "How did you step that?" Thread

[Vote4Nixon]

Re: The "How did you step that?" Thread

Thanks for such positive feedback .

Also, V4N, when I played The Cracking Sky, I noticed the multiple patterns you put in there and thought it was a pretty cool newbie file.

Thanks man! Hmmm, I haven't made an easy file in a long time and those are actually pretty nice if done correctly (ps I wanna know the theory behind Free Space too ?_?).

THE flowchart

Nicely done.

...and there's v4n who has a good reason for why he puts any arrow anywhere...

Haha, yeah, especially with my more recent stuff. Since I try so hard to put "reason" in arrow choice, a lot of my simfile techniques end up being really complicated and unorthodox...sometimes it works, sometimes it fails pretty hard. I also use different techniques for different songs. I could probably write up a good, detailed procedure for how I stepped {Big Boss} or Nitrx if anyone wants. Even some older stuff I guess though they probably won't be as detailed...

Also, I would like to request descriptions about some files...
- Any (more recent) Silvuh file. I find Silvuh's stepping style to be pretty intriguing and there's probably a lot more than meets the eye with his files.

- Any behanjc file.

- Any (more recent) jx file.

- Dore, if you have any other file that you put a good amount of thought into, like Bloodmeat, please share! Maybe something like Epidemic of Unexpected Relapses? I actually learned some stuff after reading your Bloodmeat comment.

- Night and Day; Dead and Direct. Two pretty sexy files IMO.

Hmmm, I'll think of more later

[Zybanthia]

Re: The "How did you step that?" Thread

Any (more recent) Silvuh file.

PR + layering

Every behanjc file.

Yes.

[dore]

Re: The "How did you step that?" Thread

hmmm Epidemic

first bit - bass drum for the stream, crashes for the jumps, the bass drum is doing god knows what rhythm so the jumps were in random places and there's lots of notes at the end

first verse thing - random patterns to drums, though I tried to keep the 8th jacks relevant I think (at least I hope that's what I did, otherwise I got really lucky ), jumps for vocals, for the little speed up stream things I didn't make it a jumpstream because that would be gay

after "you had better be prepared..." (jazzy part), jumps for snare drum, singles for everything else, but the jumps are PR to the guitar even though I didn't step the guitar if that makes any sense whatsoever

left-down jump with weird right hand stuff measure - jumps for the bass drum everything else is ride cymbal, jumps in the transition are to the guitar

next part (lol hard to name these) - jumps are PR to guitar (even though it changes a lot and the music doesn't), everything else is random patterns give or take

slowdown - jumps to the accents, not jumps to the not accents, PRish

fast 3/4 part with singing - jumps to bass drum or snare except for the really fast ones, it relied more on feel than technicality, patterns are random but influenced by having to avoid framers

back to screaming - stream to drums, jumps are for vocals, hey look it's a jumpstream

breakdown - sorta random patterns, the jumps go to the accented cymbal beat but the different jumps go to different sounds even though they're not PR in a technical sense
breakdown p2 - yay jumps for everything 'cause it's really heavy
breakdown back to not all jumps - jumps for vocals instead this time
breakdown heavy again - yay jumps

really slow 24ths - jumps for guitar or cymbals or vocals or whatever. it's really heavy so I put in a ton of jumps, no concrete reason why.

sexy time - sexy time

morning after - jumpstream with the drummer ****ting out random rhythms again, I simplified the weird rhythms to 16ths and made the jumps random rather than having a ton of colored notes that make no sense. I think the jumps go to the hi-hat/cymbals, or they went to vocals and I ****ed up lol can't remember

jazz part 2 - random patterns for the ride cymbal, jumps to snare drum. jumps are PR to the guitar in the ffrhand part, the grace notes are drums

ending breakdown fadeout - drone note goes to the guitar/bass drum, jumps for the cymbals. the jumps were random arrows and I think I either left turned it or mirrorpasted, I forget



And that's all. It's not really a technical file in the modern sense but I think I balanced fun patterns with consistency and PR to make for a fun file.

[Zybanthia]

Re: The "How did you step that?" Thread

I loved Epidemic. I thought the jumpstreams were realllllly fun (as in, the literal patterns, flow of the arrows), and this is coming from someone who dislikes jumpstream altogether. It just goes to show that you can make any kind of pattern fun.

I'll have to play it again and then read this review because it's been a while and I don't remember the file (only played it once), but I remember there being a couple things that made me go "I wonder what he was doing there..." namely a certain section of 32nds with one-handed jumps on the other side or something.

Great file though. Oh, and if you don't step jumptrills to a breakdown, epic fail, of course.

[bmah]

Re: The "How did you step that?" Thread

Haha, yeah, especially with my more recent stuff. Since I try so hard to put "reason" in arrow choice, a lot of my simfile techniques end up being really complicated and unorthodox...sometimes it works, sometimes it fails pretty hard.

Pssst...I help you with the "reasoning" aspect
Nevertheless, you have some pretty creative stuff out there, both good and so-so, haha.

I might make a commentary on a file or two if time permits for me. Any requests would be welcome too.

[dag12]

Re: The "How did you step that?" Thread

can someone explain how Novo Mundo is stepped? Maybe I'm missing a sound or something, but I really don't get the layering.

[who_cares973]

Re: The "How did you step that?" Thread

can someone explain how Novo Mundo is stepped? Maybe I'm missing a sound or something, but I really don't get the layering.

you aren't the only one lol. i've been asking myself the same question since I first played the file

[Patashu]

Re: The "How did you step that?" Thread

Unsolved Stepmania Mysteries:
Who is Zelda?
Why is capslock always on after you end a Stepmania session?
Why do Fenrir and Shudder share the same rap sample; what is the Fenrir-Shudder connection?
How is Novo Mundo layered?

[buizel8888]

Re: The "How did you step that?" Thread

Novo Mundo is obviously layered perfectly since the song artist also stepped the song.

=-0

[Vote4Nixon]

Re: The "How did you step that?" Thread

Pssst...I help you with the "reasoning" aspect
Nevertheless, you have some pretty creative stuff out there, both good and so-so, haha.

Where would I be without you? <3 Probably profusely stepping Sharpnel dumps or something and then outta nowhere copy/paste gogo OSTER Project SM steps *BAM* FameFortuneRevolution. BTW, I sent you some "creative" stuff to look over ...

Also, add Holy Orders to the list. I really enjoyed that song/chart.

EDIT:

jumps are PR to the guitar even though I didn't step the guitar if that makes any sense whatsoever

Yeah, I know what you mean...I've done that too, makes stuff flow better sometimes.

[robertsona]

Re: The &quot;How did you step that?&quot; Thread

Holy crap I agree whenever I play Novo Mundo I'm like wtf. The jumps feel all wrong, but that's probably only when you're playing it.

Also Zelda is Kil rofl.

Also Vote4Nixon is such a good poster he should post more .

[dooty_7]

Re: The &quot;How did you step that?&quot; Thread

For Novo Mundo, this is a direct quote from the Stepmania Wiki page about the songs creation:

"It was made for the sole purpose of ****ing with your head when you are tripping on Acid or any kind of party like drugs."

so that probably has something to do with it :P

[Vote4Nixon]

Re: The &quot;How did you step that?&quot; Thread

Also Vote4Nixon is such a good poster he should post more

Thanks dude! Yeah, that wasn't always the case though, but I'm getting better at it I hope . Also, ...

[08:09] bluguerrilla: post the big boss one already
[08:09] bluguerrilla: you can copypasta the aim convo if you want

For {Big Boss}, I tried breaking the song into sections and stepping the easier sections first, then "applying" what I stepped to the rest of the file, so the entire file built very consistently...here's the nitty-gritty details (maybe playing the file then reading this might help):

Procedure for stepping {Big Boss}

0) Step the intro (nothing special here)
- Yeah, just PR to the main synth, keeping 100% consistency in this section (local consistency).
- There are no jumps here for global consistency because every jump has a "purpose" somewhere in the rest of the file.
- Use 342 pattern when the synth with the "scratching" noise (which now will be referred to as the background synth) kicks in.

1) Step the slow part after the 12th section
- Add jumps, keeping PR to the main synth (jump choice is very important here, as it will impact the rest of the file).
*- Add 16th down arrows to the background sound (thanks blu for that <3)

Apply: copy all jumps in this section where appropriate throughout ENTIRE FILE

2) Step the streamy part right before the 12th section
- Add a PR stream to the synth.
- When the drums (especially the BD) kick in exactly in the middle of this section, change PR to that instead of synth (thanks bmah for polishing this <3).
*- Add a jump not used in 1) to the snare (in this case it was 23 jump). If this creates an unnecessary 16th jack then change the stream pattern, keeping the 23 jump.
*- Change 23 jump to 24 jump in the previously mentioned middle part of this section because the snare "feels" like it has a higher pitch there.

Apply: copy the 23 jump wherever appropriate throughout the REST OF THE FILE (current section to end). If there is already a jump where the 23 jump is suppose to go, then place a 23 jump there (essentially the 23 jump "wins" fights w/ other jumps)

3) Step the 12th section
- First off, in this section, the main synth hits a higher pitch than anywhere else in the file. Since 34 jump was already used in 1), we will step that with 14 jump.
- Add notes to the synth and BD, keeping PR as close to correct as possible, using 100% consistency in this section. For flow/variation, BD was usually 2 or 4 (arrow choice is very important here, as it will impact the rest of the file).
*- Keep the BD 12th chain as a giant down jack (thanks bmah for this <3).

Apply: use 2 or 4 (it ended up being mainly 4) to the BD throughout REMAINDER OF THE FILE (which is just the two breakbeat sections).

4) Step the first breakbeat section
- Add steps that are PR to the background synth, keeping 100% consistency with the rest of the file (global consistency). This resulted in a bunch of 342 patterns, compromising for 243 and 34341 to reduce awkwardness.
- Add trill (yeah it should be a jack, but for difficulty purposes...) to vocals at the end of this section.
*- Add 3 arrow 32nd rolls (thanks blu for that </3).

5) Step the second breakbeat section
- Identical to 4). Notice, now we have the 23 jumps to the snare from 2), leading to some bad 16th jacks .

* Originally, I didn't do this to the file, but added it in after it was QCed by blu and bmah. So really, the order of how this file was made was all non-* stuff (in order) followed by all * stuff (in order).

Sorry if this is too long/confusing! I'm bad at explaining and really bad at naming things sometimes haha.

[dood gone krazee]

Re: The &quot;How did you step that?&quot; Thread

Anyone want the theory on RATO? Lmao.

[Zybanthia]

Re: The &quot;How did you step that?&quot; Thread

If there's more to it than "layer everything", sure.