Bracket 1 - Discussion

[k//eternal]

i point those files out not as the worst offenders, but as the ones i had the highest expectations for. i played it again and stick with my opinion. i've seen far worse and they're not exactly amateurish, but i really, really wanted to like this one and i just... don't

and honestly, the only thing it would take for me to instantly love it is to take the 64664644 pattern from the official dance routine, even in an edit chart. so much wasted potential

[Hainaut]

I do agree that Sparks Fly has way too much karaoke in its steps, which is pretty disappointing, but I just don't understand how Gangam Style follows the same suit. Yes, most of the chart steps closely to the main vocal/synth melody, but it's certainly not exact, as there are a lot of breaks between the 8th streams. It doesn't follow every single note in the vocals. Also, the 16th gallops are a neat addition to vary what the chart even more, as they don't really follow anything specifically obvious in the track, but they still fit in the context of the music.

Also, I personally think it's a little extreme that including the dance routine is apparently all that was necessary to make you enjoy the file, but well, to each own. More than anything, I just felt compelled to stand up for Gangam Style, because it's a clear standout in my eyes, and I was shocked when I saw that its first piece of feedback was so lukewarm.

[k//eternal]

i just mentioned that to illustrate the point: with that song my standards for enjoyment of the file are pretty low and they were still not met. i admit that statement is somewhat hyperbolic, but an edit chart that follows the dance would definitely make me very happy :)

(especially since i've been spending the last few days learning the dance! man, you have no idea.)

i think with a clubby track like gangnam style it's clear that a karaoke-style chart is inappropriate in the first place. that said, i'm kind of spoiled in terms of what i expect from a k-pop chart as a result of playing a lot of pump, where they have a tendency to do it right... or just go balls-to-the-wall ridiculous

you're welcome to enjoy the file if you want i'm not about to say NO YOU GOTTA HATE IT TOO or anything silly like that

p.s., i had to check which file you submitted just now and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was love in the shadows. solid work there, mate :)

[Hainaut]

Haha, it's all cool, man. It's always great to have vastly differing opinions, since I think we all have unique personal standards or criteria for judging a simfile. Plus, for sure, expectations can affect your impression of a simfile to at least some degree.

Glad you enjoyed Love In The Shadows!

[k//eternal]

just played through the ITG files too. i don't particularly like ITG, but i like a lot of these files--there's more overall quality in my book than the DDR bracket, somehow. really impressed

twisted definitely takes the top spot for me. holy shit, those gimmicks just ooze style. i love it. i feel like the charts are underrated because the gimmicks amp up the difficulty a hell of a lot, but that's just a minor blemish

there are SO MANY good files in there though. goddamn

[Aki]

I pointed that one out on Arabia'd challenge, even I can't clear it :v

[Lisek]

Bracket 1 songlist + difficulty list + stepcharts

Please have in mind that mine files contain fully stepped single Pump it Up charts. They are not seen on the list but they have been done from a scratch and I put a lot of time in them.

Please check them out and have fun with them :)

Downloading the pack, will be checking it today.

[y3v0n]

to whomever stepped flip flap, i'm sorry but i cannot avoid comparing it to akira's stepchart which gripped the shit out of my interest throughout the whole song, whereas this one it was barely held during the main riff; and flatlined after. high energy steps, but after the main riff, all those 12s were kinda unnecessary, maybe some different rhythms, SOMETHING other than a stream of offbeat 12s.

i appreciate the reflecbeat cut of flip flap as it goes FAR easier on the KUH KUH KUH KUKUH KUH part, but it still misses out the second part of the main riff, which is absurdly delicious. i'm aware this isn't your fault as konami would have cut the song, but it definitely would have set your file apart, using different elements in the cut.

and if you think sparks fly is far too karaoke-ish then you will hate control your mind, and my work here is done

[will-i-am]

So, I'm gonna have to wait til later today to get my hands on these files, but you guys are making this seem like the BEST mix ever!

That said, I will post some comments on a few quick plays.

GANGNAM STYLE - I have to say I'm with k//eternal on how this was stepped. There were a few key areas that I personally would've thought were obvious cues that weren't followed, like the second part of the verse. Also, I think the galloping during the chorus either could have lasted longer or should have followed the routine like k//eternal mentioned. This file is still dece, I was just expecting it to be ahMAHzing.

Vertex (Stage 1) - YES! KEWING! Your files never disappoint and I always look forward to seeing you submit to these contests. However, this wasn't no MAYBE from BEST-mix #4, which I believe was robbed of a top 5 position. Not surprisingly, the blue note syndrome reminded me of SuperNOVA, but this used the technique even better. Some of the BPM changes didn't seem all to necessary. As for the steps, good variety in placement, but I'm not sure the song itself gave you that many options rhythm-wise and it kinda showed. The effort you made to keep this interesting is admirable, though.

Twisted - Sooo glad to see Xilent being stepped. And by Telperion! What better combination? Surprised to see you decided to step this for the DDR division. Challenge: but you included an ITG chart anyway. I believe ITG charts are supposed to be on Edit, since this is a DDR division and DDR does have Challenge charts, but I don't think it'll ultimately matter cuz what people will probably be complaining about here are the gimmicks. It's a little flooded with them, for DDR, at least. The chart itself felt alright, but I was a little distracted by keeping attentive to the stops. Overall, this felt like it belonged in the ITG division from the beginning, but I'll comment on the Heavy chart later, which I assume is meant for DDR.
EDIT: Oh shit! I just realized it's in the ITG bracket... Nevermind, carry on.

Alas, time to feed starving African children.

[hellrazor]

Since ITG division is supposed to be in the style of ITG 1&2, I am curious to know what % of official ITG charts/files are filled with sync gimmicks and what % of them have none. In my opinion what many people consider to be ITG style does not fit into ITG style. Oh and my download has crashed 4 times now so I have not played any of these yet, time to use a download manager.

[Zounder]

First let me say that I was being overall deliberately goofy when creating Gangnam Style, as it was the "oddball" style chart of my two DDR entries as BlueSS suggested when he posted the rules + guidelines up, so I expected some people to be rubbed the wrong way.

That being said, I must have a different definition of what "karaoke" means. I've always used that term to describe steps that follow the vocals too closely. It's pretty much factually incorrect to state that Gangnam Style follows the vocals too much, as it barely follows the vocals at all, except in cases where the beat/flow of the song also falls on top of the vocals or some other rare instances. Of all the criticism I was expecting for that file, I was certainly not expecting that it followed the vocals too much. (Hoo boy, you're going to hate Electric Shock!)

Also, while I understand the expectation of the 6446-style gallops, I am not going to sacrifice the simfile's integrity by 100% mimicking the guy's dance movements in the background if it means losing good step patterns. I think we can agree that if it wasn't for the music video dance, an inclusion of simple 6446 style gallops repeatedly would be considered boring and lack of creativity.

I figured including the gallops at all was enough to satisfy people who wanted the dance, but I guess I was wrong. :P

ANYWAY

I am going to start playing the files now, and I should be back at some point today with first reactions.

[jammitch!]

Anyone interested in ye olde video impressions? (Reviews isn't the right word here.) Send me your YouTube name and your song, and I'll do everything I'm sent and share it with everyone who asks.

Bunch of caveats:

• I'm not in DDR shape right now, so I'm not doing anything harder than a 9.
• My pads are all in horrible shape, so you'll see a lot of pad misses.
• Still no tripod, so the camera will still be shaking everywhere.
• And of course, certain people are exempt from this offer. You know who you are.

Zounder, "karaoke steps" doesn't always refer to vocals; it can also be used to refer to a prominent lead synth or anything else that's a very obvious (and predictable) pattern. I haven't played anything yet, so I can't chime in on the specific file.

[Aki]

This will taaaaaaaaake a while.

[Zounder]

Anyone interested in ye olde video impressions? (Reviews isn't the right word here.) Send me your YouTube name and your song, and I'll do everything I'm sent and share it with everyone who asks.

I remember those videos, those were great!

Zounder, "karaoke steps" doesn't always refer to vocals; it can also be used to refer to a prominent lead synth or anything else that's a very obvious (and predictable) pattern. I haven't played anything yet, so I can't chime in on the specific file.

Hmm, I never realized that term was used that way. If that's the case, I understand the initial claims a-bit- more, and I no longer claim it to be factually incorrect, but I still claim a good deal of the file doesn't follow the "obvious" pattern, most notably a good chunk of the verse and the gallops in the chorus.

And besides, if a step doesn't follow a beat, vocal, or rhythm in the song, then what does it follow? I'm not going to throw in random unnecessary steps just so I'm not following the "obvious" beat.

[jammitch!]

Personally, I think that when the term comes up legitimately, it usually means the song is the problem (because that's what too predictable), not the steps per se. But it's a very subjective matter, obviously.