Returning to FFR

[Pizza_Pi]

So, it's been years since I played this game. And now after seeing it finally back up and running like new again, I came back to play it some more. How dandy!

Anyway, now that I've been back to FFR since 3 years ago, I'd like to see how the community is doing in general.

I don't know if anyone still remembered the "Narutard" dilemma, but if anyone does, I am hoping the community is long gone past this issue. It irritated me down to the bone that such a kind community would look down like that in such a general way.

I still remember FFR and all it's goodies. I missed it, and I missed seeing a full room in the multiplayer FFR chat, I missed all the awesome songs, I missed talking about my AA on Paranoia 270 for DDR Extreme 2 with the PS2 controller (Although I bet someone in the world can AAA it nowadays)

I still remember how I found this place. I used to be a foot player, until I got an ingrown toenail, so I had to use the D-Pad in my PS2 controller to play. That eventually made me improve more ad more. But I could only go so far, as there was no more challenge left for me.

So I thought there would be a DDR fangame. And what do you know, there was! That was Flash Flash Revolution, that I played on the school computers because my computer was crud. My computer was so bad back then, I had to play mini FFR on the lowest quality. So I couldn't properly see chat, even in multiplayer. But I still tried hard, I tried real hard. I slowly improved myself and soon got into the 4 digit ranks of FFR. (My rank now is about 11k, which is a big surprise to me that it hasn't changed over the course of 5 years!)

I used to play FFR, and I tried to go along the forums. I'm not normally the forum kind of guy, I don't talk a lot, because I'm pretty much too shy too. But when I saw a large outbreak of users calling others "Narutard", that's when I had to draw the line. It wasn't fair that ALL fans of the Naruto series were being put down, just because a few of them didn't behave maturely. I myself at that time was a fan of Naruto (Hence the avatar I have right now, and still do) I too did get put down by a few users, but I wonder if someone finally saw the true light of what the community was doing at that time. A few moderators noticed it I believe, but not much else.

That Narutard issue was one of the things that drove me away from the forums personally. But I didn't feel like leaving. I felt like coming back after the issue was resolved, because at the time I didn't know much what to do. So what I did was put my two-cents in, and hoped everyone has learned from their mistake. It's a simple mistake, of course I can forgive it. But even simple mistakes can go a long way, as shown.

Now that I've finally come back to FFR, I wonder how everyone's been doing since I was gone for my incredibly long hiatus. I wonder how the forums in general is feeling, if there's anything special going on right now.

The game has changed it's menu music though, which i half liked. One, I like the old music, and two, I liked the new music, so now I wish i had a choice to pick between them time to time.

[who_cares973]

Welcome back! More to come when I'm not in the shitter at work

[sticklydude]

Originally Posted by Pizza_Pi

The game has changed it's menu music though, which i half liked. One, I like the old music, and two, I liked the new music, so now I wish i had a choice to pick between them time to time.

Use the Velocity Engine and you can change the menu music.

[Pizza_Pi]

Originally Posted by who_cares973

Welcome back! More to come when I'm not in the shitter at work

Thank you! I'm pretty glad to be back. I just hope the community has improved over the time too. Take your time to post too; You got as much time as you need!

Originally Posted by sticklydude

Use the Velocity Engine and you can change the menu music.

FFR has a new engine too? I think that's spank awesome, thanks for the info too! I much appreciate it. I'll go find it now.

[sticklydude]

Originally Posted by Pizza_Pi

FFR has a new engine too? I think that's spank awesome, thanks for the info too! I much appreciate it. I'll go find it now.

Two new engines. You'll be able to use the other one when you get Veteran status, and you'll get that when you hit 3 Bil total score.

[Pizza_Pi]

Well my score is already 667 million, and I just accumulated a million in two games just now, so it won't be long before I hit that 3 billion mark in all honesty, just a few weeks worth for me.

3 billion is not a lot nowadays, even for me. That 667 million was made over 1,384 games, and that was just from me improving.

I went, and played my first few games in 3 years by playing Eight. I STILL do terrible at repeating doubles. But I still do good at running sub-beat notes. I impressed myself, really.

I'm also delighted to be welcomed back by you people here at FFR, it makes me ever so eager to give it all another go!

Edit: I just saw the Legacy section, and wow! They still have all the old songs that I used to play back then. Let me celebrate with a bold YAY. And there's still some where the notes are off-beat just like they were.

Edit 2: I forgot to tell you, I've practiced tons and tons in making step sets while offline in a program that I can't remember the name of. But I used mathematics to precisely time the music along with the BPM (And I can do that even better now that I have Audacity) To get pinpoint arrows. A LOT of the step sets in the default were off beat by a fraction of a second, some were even off b a few beats! That always frustrated me a bit, when I tried to get my accuracy right, I had to change my timing to get the arrows accurately (I have been a "Marvellous" Freak ever since I played DDR Extreme with my PS2 controller back in 2005-2006) I'll be honest here, some of the newer songs are of-beat a little too. Like Sky Dive. That song was actually a little late. If it makes any difference, I wish to help out. If not, then I'll just say, I feel like getting my hands deep in note making, ether it be FFR or not. I always played with the dark modifier, because it helped me concentrate on the song rather than the notes.

[who_cares973]

Also I vaguely remember you from mp so that's cool

[Elite Ninja]

Welcome back! You will find that quite a bit has changed here on FFR. If you find yourself lagging when you play FFR I suggest you try playing FFR on a standalone. It helps a lot! Here is a thread on how to get it: http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...d.php?t=120256

[Riotpolice]

Wecome back to FFR. Have a nice day!

[SKG_Scintill]

hoo r u?

[Winrar]

Woo, finding out that ffr is back online was the best news I had for a while

[bmah]

Hello, and welcome back to FFR, Pizza Pi! Indeed a lot has changed 3 years since.

Originally Posted by Pizza_Pi

I don't know if anyone still remembered the "Narutard" dilemma, but if anyone does, I am hoping the community is long gone past this issue.

Aside from "Narutard" being a fairly common term that floated around the internet for quite some time, I don't remember this incident at all. As much as you've made it out to be, I'm sure it was quite small in the whole scheme of things. The community here is generally better than a lot of other sites on the internet (although you can still find certain crummyness that resides in the Garbage Bin forum which I never visit).

Originally Posted by Pizza_Pi

I missed seeing a full room in the multiplayer FFR chat

Actually, during your absence, the whole site went offline for nearly an entire year from late 2009 to late 2010, and this unfortunately drained a lot of the site's traffic today. I bet there are still a lot of people who believe that FFR doesn't exist anymore - they just haven't bothered checking. On that note, you won't see a lot of people on multiplayer these days as a result, although we definitely encourage more activity there. The community here is still quite casual, but in contrast to the past is more close-knit. The more the merrier though.

Originally Posted by Pizza_Pi

3 billion is not a lot nowadays, even for me. That 667 million was made over 1,384 games, and that was just from me improving.

The two requirements for achieving "Veteran" status are to having a grand total of 3 billion, and have joined this site for three years. Since you've been around for a while now, all you need to do is play a lot. Believe me though, 3 billion is more than you think.
But I suppose "a lot" is relative, depending on how much you play.

Originally Posted by Pizza_Pi

I just saw the Legacy section, and wow! They still have all the old songs that I used to play back then. Let me celebrate with a bold YAY. And there's still some where the notes are off-beat just like they were.

For old songs in the legacy section, they were deliberately left offsync as is. As horrible as that may seem aesthetically, it's now considered a part of FFR's history that we'd like to preserve.

Originally Posted by Pizza_Pi

I've practiced tons and tons in making step sets while offline in a program that I can't remember the name of. But I used mathematics to precisely time the music along with the BPM (And I can do that even better now that I have Audacity) To get pinpoint arrows.

Are you using Stepmania editor or DDReam Studio? Anyways, if you need help with syncing, there are a number of people (myself included) that you can ask for assistance.

Originally Posted by Pizza_Pi

I'll be honest here, some of the newer songs are of-beat a little too. Like Sky Dive. That song was actually a little late. If it makes any difference, I wish to help out. If not, then I'll just say, I feel like getting my hands deep in note making, ether it be FFR or not.

You're pretty late if you think Sky Dive is a new song. That's ancient.
A lot of offsync songs can be remedied with the Offset option found in the option settings in the main game. Type a number into the offset box and press "Set Speed" on the top of the options menu (yeah, that doesn't correlate, but that button applies your changes in that menu). A negative offset (e.g. -1) will compensate time for arrows that arrive too late and a positive offset (e.g. 1) will compensate time for arrows that arrive too early. A lot of what you might find offsync is simply due to your hardware actually, from the thickness of your keys to the latency period of audio arriving to your speaker set or headphones (both of which may vary as well!). For the most part, offsync songs can be fixed with the offset option.

And you're certainly welcome to try your hands at stepping and submitting them to this site. Just read the rules on submissions if you're going to do that.

So yeah, I hope you enjoy your stay again.

[nois-or-e]

welcome back, and all that jazz ;D

[babyangel]

welcome back

[rushyrulz]

Originally Posted by Pizza_Pi

I just accumulated a million in two games just now, so it won't be long before I hit that 3 billion mark in all honesty, just a few weeks worth for me.

just making sure I heard this right. 2.3 billion is 2300 million, so that's only 4600 more games!

[00Razor00]

Welcome back! Hope to see you around on the forums and such.

[Pizza_Pi]

Originally Posted by who_cares973

Also I vaguely remember you from mp so that's cool

I actually remember you too! We played for wuite a while I think, I came home just to seeif you were online, I missed you!

Originally Posted by Elite Ninja

Welcome back! You will find that quite a bit has changed here on FFR. If you find yourself lagging when you play FFR I suggest you try playing FFR on a standalone. It helps a lot! Here is a thread on how to get it: http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...d.php?t=120256

I actually saw the topic out there in the forums before making this post. I always wished for a standalone. Looks like my dreams have been answered!

To all those that welcomes me back, thank you so very much! I feel aspired to return to this place I once called home

Originally Posted by SKG_Scintill

hoo r u?

And who are you? I happen to be Pizza_Pi, a player who played a long while ago.

Originally Posted by bmah

Hello, and welcome back to FFR, Pizza Pi! Indeed a lot has changed 3 years since.

Yes, I can very well tell! I've looked upon all the frivolous work that's been done to the game, the songs, the engine itself, a whole lot more. It's a lot more than I can swallow at once, and I'll have to explore it all bit by bit!

Originally Posted by bmah

Aside from "Narutard" being a fairly common term that floated around the internet for quite some time, I don't remember this incident at all. As much as you've made it out to be, I'm sure it was quite small in the whole scheme of things. The community here is generally better than a lot of other sites on the internet (although you can still find certain crummyness that resides in the Garbage Bin forum which I never visit).

I actually remember it very clearly. It seemed to slip under the noses of the moderators all the time, so I tried to bring attention to it. But as far as I've seen, it's stopped. I'll go look to see if I can find the topic I made about it, maybe it's still there.

Originally Posted by bmah

Actually, during your absence, the whole site went offline for nearly an entire year from late 2009 to late 2010, and this unfortunately drained a lot of the site's traffic today. I bet there are still a lot of people who believe that FFR doesn't exist anymore - they just haven't bothered checking. On that note, you won't see a lot of people on multiplayer these days as a result, although we definitely encourage more activity there. The community here is still quite casual, but in contrast to the past is more close-knit. The more the merrier though.

I remember that too, I actually came to play it around that time, only to be welcomed to a message saying that FFR is down for a while. I think one of my friends pointed it out.

Originally Posted by bmah

The two requirements for achieving "Veteran" status are to having a grand total of 3 billion, and have joined this site for three years. Since you've been around for a while now, all you need to do is play a lot. Believe me though, 3 billion is more than you think.
But I suppose "a lot" is relative, depending on how much you play.

3 Billion points IS daunting. I remember back then players would be praised for having a single billion even. But for someone like me, it shouldn't be that hard to achieve. Yes, I have to play a lot. I'm willing to do that.

Originally Posted by bmah

For old songs in the legacy section, they were deliberately left offsync as is. As horrible as that may seem aesthetically, it's now considered a part of FFR's history that we'd like to preserve.

Perhaps I could re-step them, to keep their legacy yet bring back the accuracy of today. I was someone who would well, "fix" songs and steps.

Originally Posted by bmah

Are you using Stepmania editor or DDReam Studio? Anyways, if you need help with syncing, there are a number of people (myself included) that you can ask for assistance.

Yes, I have been using a version of Stepmania. It came with a custom skin and the ability to step new custom songs. I felt like making an entire step of totally new songs once. There's more to stepping songs than one may think. There are some things you can do to add flow, but some things add unnecessary difficulty. And syncing, I'm sure I can do that down pat. I know math very well actually. (Hence the name)

Originally Posted by bmah

You're pretty late if you think Sky Dive is a new song. That's ancient.
A lot of offsync songs can be remedied with the Offset option found in the option settings in the main game. Type a number into the offset box and press "Set Speed" on the top of the options menu (yeah, that doesn't correlate, but that button applies your changes in that menu). A negative offset (e.g. -1) will compensate time for arrows that arrive too late and a positive offset (e.g. 1) will compensate time for arrows that arrive too early. A lot of what you might find offsync is simply due to your hardware actually, from the thickness of your keys to the latency period of audio arriving to your speaker set or headphones (both of which may vary as well!). For the most part, offsync songs can be fixed with the offset option.

That sounds like a good idea, but more of a quick fix to the situation. If I found one of my step sets were out of sync, I would go and do it over, and make sure in syncs! But that feature sounds like a good idea until the problems are resolved. And yes, Sky Dive I played since a while ago, and didn't realize that it's old by now! Oops.

Originally Posted by bmah

And you're certainly welcome to try your hands at stepping and submitting them to this site. Just read the rules on submissions if you're going to do that.

Of course I will! All I need is the tools, and I'll get right to work on some fresh new songs of varying difficulty. I have a few songs in mind as well.

Originally Posted by bmah

So yeah, I hope you enjoy your stay again.

I already am! It's why I also took the time to reply to every single one.

Originally Posted by babyangel

welcome back

Thank you very much, it's much obliged!

Originally Posted by rushyrulz

just making sure I heard this right. 2.3 billion is 2300 million, so that's only 4600 more games!

Yeah, with all the arrows in there nowadays, someone could rake in 3 billion fairly quickly. Much faster than 3 years time.

Originally Posted by 00Razor00

Welcome back! Hope to see you around on the forums and such.

You will see me for an undeterminable amount more (A ratio of Activity to zero activity is undefined)

Additionally!

I can give you all a list of problems I notice with a whole lot of the simfiles/step sets here in FFR.
- Random off beat steps meant to go with vocals. This is the top of the list because it's the mot vague and most frustrating aspect of some of the FFR step sets. There is a random note that ha this precarious colour because its fitted to go with some vocals in the song or some other sound. But it's hard to hit that step accurately and get a feel for that step in turn.
- Standalone steps. These are steps that are maybe at the beginning of the song, or at the end, where there's absolutely no beat or rhythm to follow, or any music whatsoever. This also makes the timing too vague for players to follow the step.
- Strange combinations of doubles or triples. This is probably a more debatable point in my list, but it's one of the troubles with FFR at times, is that there may be multiple doubles in a row. That's okay if it flows smoothly and lets the player get a hold of it. But if used improperly, it can cause an unneeded spike in difficulty in an otherwise fair song, and should be used sparingly.

I just decided to stop and give out what was on my mind a long time ago that I was to shy to share or never got a chance to. They were to help improve overall playability of the game. (This is also why DDR games don't step on the vocals too often.)

[bmah]

Originally Posted by Pizza_Pi

That sounds like a good idea, but more of a quick fix to the situation. If I found one of my step sets were out of sync, I would go and do it over, and make sure in syncs!

The judging process still looks out for sync/gap issues, so problems should be few if any. You cannot, however, avoid the small but noticeable differences of sound output and response time that accompany various hardware, so it's not so much of a "quick fix" as it is a sensible solution to acknowledge users with different keyboards and audio outputs.

However, there are probably still a number of very noticeably offsync songs that are NOT in the Legacy section (Legacy songs will be left untouched, sync included). If you do find one of these, please report it.

Originally Posted by Pizza_Pi

I can give you all a list of problems I notice with a whole lot of the simfiles/step sets here in FFR.
- Random off beat steps meant to go with vocals. This is the top of the list because it's the mot vague and most frustrating aspect of some of the FFR step sets. There is a random note that ha this precarious colour because its fitted to go with some vocals in the song or some other sound. But it's hard to hit that step accurately and get a feel for that step in turn.
- Standalone steps. These are steps that are maybe at the beginning of the song, or at the end, where there's absolutely no beat or rhythm to follow, or any music whatsoever. This also makes the timing too vague for players to follow the step.
- Strange combinations of doubles or triples. This is probably a more debatable point in my list, but it's one of the troubles with FFR at times, is that there may be multiple doubles in a row. That's okay if it flows smoothly and lets the player get a hold of it. But if used improperly, it can cause an unneeded spike in difficulty in an otherwise fair song, and should be used sparingly.

All of these suggestions are case-dependent and are more often than not your personal preferences in stepping. There's rarely a factor in stepping that's outright "wrong". However, you're welcome to state your opinions on the songs that are released - not to mention that there's nothing stopping you from trying to submit your own the way you see it.

[megamon88]

Originally Posted by Pizza_Pi

I can give you all a list of problems I notice with a whole lot of the simfiles/step sets here in FFR.
- Random off beat steps meant to go with vocals. This is the top of the list because it's the mot vague and most frustrating aspect of some of the FFR step sets. There is a random note that ha this precarious colour because its fitted to go with some vocals in the song or some other sound. But it's hard to hit that step accurately and get a feel for that step in turn.
- Standalone steps. These are steps that are maybe at the beginning of the song, or at the end, where there's absolutely no beat or rhythm to follow, or any music whatsoever. This also makes the timing too vague for players to follow the step.
- Strange combinations of doubles or triples. This is probably a more debatable point in my list, but it's one of the troubles with FFR at times, is that there may be multiple doubles in a row. That's okay if it flows smoothly and lets the player get a hold of it. But if used improperly, it can cause an unneeded spike in difficulty in an otherwise fair song, and should be used sparingly.

I just decided to stop and give out what was on my mind a long time ago that I was to shy to share or never got a chance to. They were to help improve overall playability of the game. (This is also why DDR games don't step on the vocals too often.)

Stepping is a very subjective practice. What one person finds fun or flows well may seem awkward or unnecessary to someone else.

For example, take your first point. I personally love offbeat steps to vocals in songs such as Captain Murasa's Ass Anchor and Powerpuff Gabberz. You, on the other hand, seem to dislike them quite a bit. Funnily enough, I also enjoy long strings of jumps (not hands though), which you also seem to hate. Already between us two we have a couple differences as to what we like in our files. Multiply that with the thousands of people that play FFR and you're going to have a plethora of varying opinions.

There is no "correct" way to step a file. Everyone will have different opinions and interpretations of a song. You just have to realize that sometimes you'll come across a file that you absolutely hate, and that's ok, as long as you remember that someone else may find the file incredibly fun. It's very hard to please everyone when you're stepping.

This list of "problems" you're giving is all just personal preference (with maybe the exception of placeholder notes, but that's not really on-topic). I understand that you're trying to help improve the files on the site, but I kinda felt a vague sense of elitism coming from your post and just wanted to give my opinion on it. :P

EDIT: kinda ninjad by bmah

EDIT2: Also, forgot to mention this but welcome back!

[icontrolyourworld]

Welcome back! Play every song, have fun etc.