Old 02-16-2024, 12:13 PM   #1
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Default FFR Simfile Submission Rules and Guidelines

FFR Simfile Submission Rules and Guidelines

Flash Flash Revolution (FFR) is a 4 key rhythm game consisting of simfiles created by members of our community and approved for use in the game by a team of judges.

This post details everything you need to know about submitting simfiles to FFR.

Simfiles that do not comply with any of these rules may be automatically rejected. Please read this post thoroughly before submitting a simfile.

If you have any questions regarding simfile submission, The FFR Discord server’s #simfiles channel is the best place to ask!
You can also use this subforum for all FFR-related simfile questions.

0. Summary of Changes From Previous Version

-Update to Rating Appeal process (section 5.3)
-Added a new rule regarding the submitted .mp3. The chart must begin within 15 seconds of the start of the .mp3, and the .mp3 must end within 15 seconds of the end of the chart. (section 2.2 / 2.3)
-Description of “collab” and “explicit” or “NSFW” flags set in the File Comments section of the submission page (section 3)
-Removed Special Batch Transfer Policy, was seldom used and created logistical problems

These are the only substantial changes to the submission rules. The goal with this update is to clarify and modernize FFR’s submission rules.


1. Simfile Batches

Submitting a simfle to FFR adds it to an open batch. Batches are open for a certain amount of time, with normal batches matching the seasonal updates on the site.
See the list of batches here. (Also from clicking the Song Submission tab on the top of the FFR website)

Occasionally, we will open a batch with special rules, or asking for a specific type of simfile. These batches will show a link under their name on the open batches page to a separate forum thread to provide additional information.

–Open batch: A batch that is currently allowing submissions. Will have a Green bar under the name.
Batches close at 11:59 PM Server Time (US Central - Chicago) on the Closing date.



–Closed batch: Generally an older batch - the batch is not allowing submissions. Will have a Red bar under the name.



If there are no open batches, then submissions are temporarily closed.

The opening of a new batch will be announced on the front page and in the FFR Discord


2. Submission Rules

2.1 Permission Requirements

Each simfile submitted to FFR must use audio from an artist that has granted permission to use their work in FFR. NO EXCEPTIONS.
-FFR is able to make use of many open-source audio sources, including those released under some Creative Commons licenses.
-There are also some record labels that have granted FFR permission to use songs released under their label
For full details on permissions, including a list of artists and labels the FFR community has confirmed have granted permission, please see this thread and this spreadsheet in particular.

As the stepartist, you must provide proof of valid permission for each song you submit, including a direct link to the permission source.
See section 3. How to Submit a Simfile for more info

If the artist’s permission cannot be verified at the time of submission, the simfile will be rejected without review.


2.2 Technical Requirements

Each submission must be uploaded in a .zip file. This .zip file must be named <song name> (<Your FFR Username>). An example is Magical 8bit Tour (jimerax)
–Inside this .zip file should be only one folder. This folder must be named <song name> (<Your FFR Username>). An example is Magical 8bit Tour (jimerax)
—-Inside this folder there should be ONLY one .mp3 file and one .sm file
For collaborative simfiles, the .zip and folder name should include every stepartist involved in creating the simfile.

The .mp3 file must have a bit rate of at least 128kbps, stereo.
–Judges will assign a “Fixes Required” rating at best to any simfile with poor quality audio, or audio deemed too harsh to listen to while playing FFR. If sufficient quality audio cannot be produced or obtained, the simfile will be rejected.
–The simfile must start within 15 seconds of the start of the .mp3 and end within less than 15 seconds of the end of the .mp3. This outdated guide may help in trimming the .mp3. We’re looking for a better or more modern guide for cutting music, DM Tru if you know/find one!

The .sm file must use only one difficulty in Dance-Single (4 key) mode.
–The simfile will be rejected if multiple difficulties are used.
-It does not matter which difficulty is used for your submission
–If you wish to submit multiple difficulties of the same song, you may use multiple separate submissions. Add difficulty tags to the Title in the .sm, and to the song name of your .zip files and folders. Use [Beginner], [Light], [Standard], [Heavy], [Oni] only.

The .sm file must have the Title, Artist and Credit fields correctly filled.
To edit these in ArrowVortex, open your .sm file and go to File > Properties. Be sure to save afterward!
-Fill the Title and Artist fields exactly the same as the artist lists the song and their name. If either of these do not use alphanumeric characters (eg. the title is in Japanese), use an English translation or transliteration.
-Fill the Credit field with your FFR username.
-Do not use the subtitle field.
–The simfile will receive a “Fixes Required” rating at best for any incorrect or incomplete metadata (Title and Artist names not correctly filled in)

There should be no other files in your submission. Do not include graphics, cdtitles, or any files other than the .mp3 and .sm.
-.mp3 is the only allowable audio file format (no .ogg / .flac / .wav etc.)
-.sm is the only allowable stepchart file format (no .ssc / .osu / .qua etc.)


2.3 Simfile and Submission Requirements

The simfile must be correctly synced to the audio. BPM(s) and offset must be correctly set, as seen in ArrowVortex.

You may only use normal tap notes in an FFR submission.
You may NOT use Hold notes / Long notes / LNs, Stepmania/Etterna/ITG-style Rolls (hold notes that must be tapped repeatedly), Mines, Fakes etc.
Using any note type other than normal tap notes will result in the simfile being rejected without review.

Your simfile must be complete when it is submitted. Audio lasting more than 15 seconds before the simfile starts or more than 15 seconds after the simfile ends should be trimmed. This outdated guide may help in trimming the .mp3. We’re looking for a better or more modern guide for cutting music, DM Tru if you know/find one!

You may request unlock requirements for your chart should it get accepted. Ie. you may choose the Token unlock requirements or the credit requirements for Purchased or Secret releases. Judges will assign “Fixes Required” rating to unreasonable requirement requests. See Section 3. How to Submit a Simfile for more info


2.4 Notice to Stepauthors

By submitting a simfile, you agree to allow FFR to use your simfile indefinitely. FFR does not remove simfiles from the game except in the case of a musician requesting their music be removed.

Simfiles can only be re-attributed, giving credit to an anonymous account.


3. How To Submit a Simfile

All simfiles are submitted through the batch system.

Click “Submit Song” in the top right corner



Then follow the guide below to fill out the submission form.
The submission form will be unavailable if there are no open batches
Image Guide



1. “Batch:” - Choose an open batch to submit to

2.”Upload Chart .zip” - Browse to find your .zip file (See section 2.2 for details)

3. In “Permission Info / URL,” place your permission proof. (See section 2.1 for details)
–If the artist is on the permission spreadsheet, put a link to the sheet
–If you are using another source, describe the permission and include a direct link as proof. This link can be to an outside source that describes the song’s licensing terms (eg. Bandcamp or Soundcloud releases with FFR-usable Creative Commons licenses).

4. “File Comments” - Put in any extra comments you like about your simfile.
–Include the word “collab” here if the simfile is a collaboration between you and another stepartist(s). Be sure to mention who you've collaborated with!
–Include the word “collab” here if the song is a collaboration between multiple musicians
–Include the word “explicit” or “NSFW” here if the song has explicit content
For a list of what FFR considers explicit content click this spoiler (trigger warning)

-Implied or actual violence, or inciting violence, including sexual violence
-Implied or actual self-harm, or inciting self-harm in others
-Described or actual illicit drug use, or effects of illicit drug use
-Sexually explicit content of any kind
-Slurs of any kind deriding a minority group
-Occasional mild profanity does not need to be flagged as explicit.
-If you’re not sure, include the word “explicit” anyway!


5.Select how you would like the simfile to be released in to FFR if it’s accepted
Public - the simfile is playable to all players upon release
Token - the chart must be unlocked as a token through FFR gameplay (You may specify the unlock condition in the File Comments section. Judges will assign “Fixes Required” to charts with unreasonable token unlock requests.)
Purchased - the simfile must be purchased with FFR credits in-game or from the Credit Shop (You may specify how many credits to charge in the File Comments section. Judges will assign “Fixes Required” to unreasonable prices.)
Secret - the simfile must be unlocked by having enough FFR credits on the player’s account (You may specify how many credits to require in the File Comments section. Judges will assign “Fixes Required” to unreasonable amounts.)
You may select any combination of the above choices, but the simfile will only be released once! If you want to be specific about how your simfile is released, this is where to do it!
–If you don’t specify any terms for Token/Purchased/Secret releases, Game Managers or other FFR staff may choose such terms for you.

6. Select whether you’re okay with FFR releasing this simfile as part of a future event. This may range from an Official Tournament to another tournament or other events.
–Allow - You’re okay with the simfile being used for an event. This may delay the release of a simfile.
–Disallow being held - The simfile will only be released for a Songs of the Week

7. Verify you’ve read these rules and that FFR has permission to use the song you’re submitting

8. Click Submit!

The simfile will be automatically processed and added to the batch. Assuming there are no errors, you’ve successfully submitted a simfile to FFR!


Troubleshooting Submission Errors
Error Examples



If the simfile has an .sm file and processes, you may see some of the warnings shown in the above screenshot if there are any issues with the simfile.
-Simfile errors (Red background) - A note type other than tap notes is used. You must address this or the simfile will be rejected without review.
-Simfile Folder warnings (Orange background) - The folder name or folder structure is incorrect, or there are extra files in the folder. Please fix these, it helps our organization a bit! For collaborative simfiles, this warning will show up because we ask you to list all stepartists involved to the folder name. No action is required in this case.)
-”Collab” and “Explicit” notices (Purple background) - These are the internal flags set by “Collab” and “Explicit” or “NSFW” in the File Comments section. No action is required.

If you’re encountering any other issues with submitting a simfile, the FFR Discord server’s #simfiles channel is always willing to help out!


4. Submission Cap

Every FFR community member in good standing may submit up to two (2) simfiles per regular batch.

Community members that get a simfile accepted into the queue will be added to the FFR Simfile Author group. Members of this group may then submit up to five (5) simfiles per regular batch.

Special batches may have different submission caps or different rules. Be sure to read the thread for the special batch to see what’s different for that batch!

Harassment of judgement staff or any other staff or community member in relation to a simfile you submit may result in a reduced submission cap and possible infraction points as per FFR’s Site-wide rules at the discretion of the moderation team.

Users temporarily banned from the FFR community will only be able to interact with or edit their simfiles submitted before their ban. These users may not submit new simfiles until their ban period is over.

Users permanently banned from the FFR community are also permanently banned from submitting simfiles.


5. Judgement Process

5.1 Judgement Process and Ratings

Each simfile submitted will be assigned to two judges. These judges will independently review the simfile to determine whether it is acceptable to be added to FFR.

Judges will assign each simfile a rating out of 10, in increments of 0.5. View the spoiler for a breakdown of file ratings.

0-5.5 (Rejected)
The file has extensive and serious technical errors which greatly hurt its playability, or has other elements (such as song choice) causing the same result. Files in this range are particularly ill-suited for FFR, meaning the majority of FFR players would likely actively dislike them if they were released in-game.
-Files that do not satisfy the submission rules will automatically receive a 0.

6-6.5 (Rejected, can receive Rating Appeal (see section 5.3 below))
The file generally makes sense, but either:
a) technical errors are too extensive, or one area too densely incorrect, hurting the overall playability of the file too much for this file to go in-game as is.
b) the file's structural concepts contain similarly prominent issues, such as musically unjustified, harsh difficulty spikes, etc.

7-7.5 (Change Recommended)
This is the minimum accept score.
There may be technical errors, but they do not hinder the file's overall playability and suitability for FFR too much. Its structure may not be ideal from the judge's perspective, but it is generally internally consistent. The submitter is required to either acknowledge the judge's notes, submit fixes within a month of judge notes being posted, or both for their file to be accepted. See section 5.2 Tracking Your Submission for more info.

8-8.5 (Accepted)
There may be technical errors, but they are minor and do not actively hurt the file's playability. Structure is internally consistent and good to very good. The file overall is a good addition to FFR.

9.0+ (Strong Accept)
Objective technical errors are few to none, and are all minor. Structure is internally consistent and conceptually very good to excellent. Files scoring in this range are notably better than the average FFR file, and often have elements that make them particularly unique and interesting.

Fixes Required status is used to flag a song in the acceptance range (at least 7/10) that needs a specific fix. Files with this status must be updated with those specific issues addressed within a month of judge notes being posted before acceptance. See section 5.2 Tracking Your Submission for more info.
In an effort to improve judgement consistency, judges will apply this procedure prior to posting judge notes on the submission page:
-Discuss reasoning on any 'Fixes Required' flags. Try to come to a mutually agreeable conclusion on them. If both judges can’t agree on a conclusion, the file and Fixes Required reasonings are DM’d to a third judge. (Ideally a Lead Judge but can be any judge) The third judge will review Fixes Required reasonings and decide whether to apply the requirement.
-If the difference between both judge ratings on a file is 2 or more points, where one judge has given a reject rating, the file is DM’d to a third judge (Ideally a Lead Judge but can be any judge). The third judge will give a brief judgement, reviewing the differing opinions and deciding a course of action.

When these cases are resolved, judge notes are posted on the submission page. If applicable, the third judge's notes are included as well.


5.2 Tracking Your Submission

Before a batch is closed, there are a handful of options available. You quickly can access these options by going to “My Submissions” from The main batch page



Each of your submissions will be listed, looking like this with 3 options on the left side



-Delete - Delete the submission. This is only an option if the batch is still open. If you wish to remove a simfile from consideration after a batch has closed, please PM Goldstinger
-Edit - Edit the submission. You can edit the Title or Artist name or your comments. You can also upload a new version of your simfile. This is only an option if the batch is still open or the simfile is judged with an acceptance rating (7.0 or higher)
-Download - Download a copy of your simfile.

Judging simfiles is a time consuming process! Please be patient.
You will get a site notification when a judge posts a comment on your simfile, or changes your simfile’s judgement status.



Judgements for regular seasonal batch files will also be announced in the #updates channel of the FFR Discord.

From the batch page or from clicking on the site notification, you will see the judgement rating.
Each rating has a potential action required from you.

Rejected



If the final score is 6.0 or higher and you have a strong disagreement with the judge’s rejection reasoning, see section 5.3 Rating Appeal
If the final score is less than 6.0, the judgement is final. You may resubmit the simfile to a future batch with fixes recommended in judge notes.

Fixes Required (FR)



This rating requires you to fix certain portions of your simfile before it will be accepted. The required fixes will be clearly marked in the judge notes.
You have one month from the time judge notes are posted to submit fixes. Otherwise, the simfile will be rejected.
Judges will review simfiles with a Fixes Required rating again after you have submitted fixes to ensure the required fixes have been applied.

Changes Recommended (CR)



This rating requires you to acknowledge the judgement notes in a comment on the submission page.
You have one month from the time judge notes are posted to acknowledge the judge notes or submit fixes or both. Otherwise, the simfile may be rejected.
It is highly recommended to submit fixes based on the judge notes. But it is not required.
To acknowledge the judge notes, follow the below steps from the bottom of your submission page



Accepted



At this rating, the simfile has been deemed good to go in the game as-is. No further action is required from you.
It is still recommended to submit any fixes based on the judge notes! Please do so within one month from the time judge notes are posted.

For all Accept-level ratings (Fixes Required / Changes Recommended / Accept) we ask you to note the simfile has received its final fixes by checking this box on the bottom of the Edit Song page when you upload your final fixes.




5.3 Rating Appeal Process

To qualify for a rating appeal, a chart must have been rejected with a final rating of at least 6.0/10 and the judgement posted within the past month.
If you feel the chart was unfairly rejected with at least 6.0/10 rating, please follow this procedure:

1. PM the judge(s) that gave a reject rating. (Preferably through DMs on Discord!)
Discuss the rejection reasoning. You can ask for clarification/rationale on notes or for the judge to reconsider their rating. Chances are good that judges may be able to clarify the notes to the point where either the rating is changed or you view the rejection as reasonable! Remember, the appeal process is only for the rare times where a reject judgement is viewed as unfair or unreasonable.

2. PM a lead judge
Explain why you feel the simfile was rejected unfairly.
Send the DM to either Pizza69 or Tru. (Preferably through DMs on Discord!)
The lead judge will review the situation and provide a brief third judgement, or find another judge to provide this third judgement. The third judge may change the simfile’s judgement status to any Accept-level status, or uphold the Reject status.

As much as possible, a rating appeal will be conducted by a lead judge, but any judge can handle a rating appeal. (See section 6. Judges for list of current judges)
You may NOT choose who the appeal judge will be.

Decisions made by the appeal judge are final. If the rejection is upheld, you may resubmit the chart to a future batch with fixes suggested by the reviews given.

Reminder that harassment or disrespectful behaviour towards judges or other community members relating to a simfile will result in reduced submission cap and/or possible infraction points as per FFR’s Site-wide rules at the discretion of the moderation team.

If you feel you are being harassed or disrespected by a judge, please PM a Lead Judge or Moderation staff.



6. Judges

See the FFR Staff page for the list of current Simfile Judgement Staff.

FFR’s simfile judgement department is currently led by Pizza69 and Tru

Judges receive a site notification when you comment on or update one of your charts they judged.
Judge PMs through the FFR Forums and (preferably) DMs on Discord are always open for additional questions relating to your chart or submissions. It’s often best to PM a judge if you have any questions relating to their judge notes.

If you feel you are being harassed or disrespected by a judge, please PM a Lead Judge or Moderation staff.



7. Additional Charting Resources

ArrowVortex / AV - The most widely used software for creating stepcharts. The recommended choice for new stepauthors.
If you encounter issues with launching ArrowVortex, you may need to download and install the x86 version of this download

DDReamStudio / ddream (Direct download link, version Beta 6) - Older software for creating stepcharts. Is somewhat janky but can be extremely useful for some songs, especially those with dynamic BPM.

SMEditor - An open-source browser-based simfile editor that is still in development. At time of writing (latest version v0.1.1-beta), many users experience issues with correctly syncing their charts when using this editor. Your experience may vary. ArrowVortex is still the recommended choice for now, but this might be the replacement as development continues.

Big list of various charting guides, tools and resources compiled by and borrowed from the Etterna Online community. Some resources here may not be applicable to FFR.

FFR Difficulty Estimator - Drag-and-drop or browse for .sm files to get an automated estimate of your simfile’s FFR difficulty level.

And of course, The FFR Discord server is always willing to answer any questions you have related to charting or submitting a chart to FFR in the #simfiles channel.


8. Glossary

Batch - List of unjudged simfiles sent to FFR, or the open submission period for simfiles. See the “1. Batches” and “3. How to Submit a Simfile” sections for more info

Simfile / Stepfile / Stepchart / Chart / Map / File - The combination of music file and note chart file that can create a playable song in the game.

Stepping / Charting / Mapping - The process of creating a simfile.

Stepauthor / Stepartist / Simfile Author / Charter / Mapper - A person that creates simfiles

Fixes Required / Changes Recommended / FR / CR - Please see “section 5.1 Judgement Process and File Ratings”

Queue - The list of simfiles judged acceptable for FFR and waiting to be released in to the game.

ArrowVortex / AV - The most widely used software for creating simfiles. The recommended choice for new stepauthors.
If you encounter issues with launching ArrowVortex, you may need to download and install the x86 version of this download


DDReamStudio / ddream (Direct download link, version Beta 6) - Older software for creating stepcharts. Is somewhat janky but can be extremely useful for some songs, especially those with dynamic BPM.


9. Submission Rules Archive

Last edited by Tru; 02-25-2024 at 04:26 PM.. Reason: Discord Image Hosting Service -> Imgur
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Old 02-16-2024, 12:28 PM   #2
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