Section D: Modding Rhythm Part 2

Once you have an established mindset of knowing how to find rhythm issues, how you write about it is a different story.

Timeline - How to write about rhythm problems/suggestion

As a new Modder or even an experienced Modder, we all struggle on phrasing on how to post suggestions/problems in a map with usual problems such as:

• What if it's too descriptive? What if it's too short?

• What if I didn't point out enough examples?

• Will the mapper understand what i'm saying?

• Should this be a general mod or just a timeline mod?

• Does this has such a negative impact that this needs to be marked as a problem? If not, suggestion?

Pattern Placements, etc are usually easier to go about these things but for rhythm it can get complicated especially with small occurrences in the song.

As a general way of going about it:

[Problem or Suggestion] [Timestamp] [Insert Issue] [Why it is an Issue] [Example] [Suggestion/How to fix issue] [Example 2]

In this format you have the necessities of making a simple time-line post.

(Note: Some things listed above may or may not apply depending on the issue/suggestion at hand.)

Scenario 1

• Song has minor rhythm inconsistencies

• At 1:30, the song has been mainly following instrumental UNTIL suddenly mapper decides to switch to vocals for one second then switch back to following instrumental

• There is nothing special going on in the song for this to occur and looks like a mistake on the mappers part

In this scenario upon visualizing this you know:

1. It was consistently following the instrumental

2. You know this is a mistake

3. You have evidence why this is a mistake

With all that being said you can now establish a mod post.

[Timestamp] At 1:30

[Insert issue] You are suddenly following the vocals [Why it is an Issue] When you were following Instrumental.

• Ask yourself this, does this particular scenario need [Example 1] to explain more why the mapper should change? When considering severity (in this case it is minor) most likely you do not need to have it. It is still optional however.

Now you should still have a [Suggestion/How to Fix issue] but considering the severity still, you do not need to overly explain yourself in this case so simply saying the obvious solution is just sometimes the better route, especially if the mapper is experienced:

[Suggestion/How to Fix issue] You should fix this by changing the rhythm to fit more around the instrument." or even shorter by simply stating "Easy to fix by switching the rhythm to Instrumental."

Now combining all of these elements you now have:

{At 1:30 You are suddenly following the vocals when previously you were following Instrumental. Easy to fix by simply switching the rhythm up to be consistent.}

• See, now you have a general sentence that captures everything without going too far in the wordy side but straight to the point and how to fix such... But what about whether you should post a [Problem Stamp] or a [Suggestion Stamp]?

This scenario is under the assumption that what the mapper did was "Minor '', and another point to consider is that despite what was all said here, there is a fair possibility that what the mapper did at the end wasn't a mistake.

So keep this in mind that, the stamp it should use is preferably a [Suggestion Stamp]

In these scenarios you will have a lot of these common occurrences of the mapset as if it isn't the vocals they are inconsistent with, it could be the melody and if it isn't melody, it could be the instrumentals, so on and so forth.

This can be quite difficult in any mapset to notice at first glance especially for new modders but if you have pay attention to previous tips on how to look out for this, then eventually you will notice this upon the mapset.

• In this case, it is already much more difficult to phrase a sentence in a way that makes sense for the mapper as there is a lot that is going on but first think to yourself; what do you see here?

1. The mapper isn't following the drum and melody consistent at all

2. Other sections gives you hints that the mapper was previously was following melody

3. Assuming there isn't anything that warrants the switch, then it is clearly a mistake upon the mapper

So with that establish here then we can move on to the writing part.

[Timestamp] At 0:30

[Insert issue] In this section, there isn't a clear idea of what you are following.

[Why is it an Issue] You are switching back and forth between the Melody and Drums but you are doing such in an inconsistent matter.

We then establish what are issues and why, but unlike the previous case, an example would be a great way for the mapper himself to visually see what you are talking about, in order to make sure that you are indeed correct, this is an issue.

A good simple example is by simply taking what you have in the section.

Remember the rhythm went like this:

Drum 1 (1/2 slider) - Melody 2 (1/1 high note on the white tick) - Drum 3 (1/2 slider - ignores the intense drum and is now on slider end) - Drum 4 (1/2 slider maps weak drum and 1/1 melody is on slider end)

• Assuming this is the rhythm format, your example could be something along the lines of:

[Example 1] For example, you were following the drum at [insert timestamp] then suddenly the melody at [insert timestamp.] After that you are now continuously following the drum, ignoring the melody you were previously following, and went back to following the melody soon thereafter.

• Now be careful though! It is fine to go into detail of why you think there is a problem in the set and why, but try to not be overly wordy and descriptive or else it can lead to confusion to the mapper at times.

Here is a shorter and straight forward way of setting an example of the same rhythm format:

[Example 1] For instance, there is times you were following the Melody/Drum at [Insert timestamp] but then later you stop doing this patterning at [Insert timestamp where Drum 3 is], it is clear it starts to be inconsistent.

• Another thing to be careful is you don't want to be too short either with your examples, just pointing out "this this and this is why" isn't as helpful then at least explaining somewhat why there is an issue.

So with an example established we can work on [Suggestion/How to fix issue]

One way to go about a suggestion is simply telling the mapper to be more consistent with his rhythms followed by a timestamp of where he was consistent:

[Suggestion/How to fix issue] What you could do to fix this is by either following the Melody/Drum consistently like previous sections [Example 2] (Which can just be a timestamp of where the mapper just follows the rhythm consistently.)

• Another way you could do this if you think the mapper's idea is a splendid one by going back and forth between drum and melody (especially if the song calls for it) is by simply telling them to continue doing the back and forth between the song through out and for next sections where it is similar.

So now we have a full sentence by combining all of these elements together:

{0:30 In this section, there isn't a clear idea of what you are following. You are switching back and forth between the Melody and Drum but you are doing such in an inconsistent matter.
Like for instance, there are times you were following the Melody/Drum at [Insert timestamp] but then later you stop doing this patterning at [Insert timestamp where Drum 3 is], it is clear it starts to be inconsistent.

What you could do to fix this is by either following the Melody/Drum consistently like previous sections [Insert timestamp]}

• You now have a clear sentence to establish everything the mapper needs to know along with a solution to his problem, but now is it a [Problem Stamp] or [Suggestion Stamp]?

Even without knowing whether this was minor or major from the beginning, in this scenario we can clearly see it as Major as the mapper is essentially barely following the song and could easily see as the mapper not realizing it, so we should use [Problem Stamp]

General Mod Post - How to write about Rhythm problems/suggestion

You have looked through the entirety of the map but one thing about this unlike previous times, you can't just simply only post all of these problems in the timeline.

Sure you can post one stamp here one stamp there but you will find yourself just repeating what you already stated. Even posting under the same post would feel like a hassle and just doing the job of the mapper.

That is where [General specific difficulty] comes into play here!

Many modders struggle to understand what to think about writing about in a general mod post, or if what they are trying to explain is even worthy to be posted in [General specific difficulty] instead of the timeline instead.

But one thing about it here is how you can establish about General mod post:

• The problems repeats to the point that even posting under the timeline post would be questionable.

• The problem would require to use more than 1500 characters to explain (that is 2 posts under timeline) and it isn't due to it being overly wordy or descriptive.

• The problem happens within entire sections.

With that established, you have what you would consider a general worthy point to make. Even knowing this is what is considered as a general mod, the problems comes down to how to phrase such mods.

Similar to the timeline format:

[Problem or Suggestion] [Timestamp] [Insert Issues] [Why they are Issues] [Example 1] [Example 2] [Example 3] [Suggestion/How to fix issue] [Example 4]

• Notice in this case I have added 3 more [Example] here. The main reason being why yes they are all considered optional and more than likely only one example is needed at times, having more than 1 example to prove your point can be a very useful tool to have more validity on your case.

But be careful since we want to be helpful, not confusing to the mapper! So be careful on being overly descriptive towards a mapper especially those who are fairly new to the game, as they will have more trouble understanding a general mod than the average mapper.

Now you see here in this scenario the mapper made a lot of mistakes throughout the song.

Sometimes it can be obvious, sometimes major, but either way writing simple timeline mods isn't going to help in this case as what the mapper needs is a wake-up call with a general post!

So let's establish some things:

1. Map isn't following things consistently.

2. This happens throughout the entire map.

3. There is hint's that the mapper in question was trying to follow the vocals in sections.
   

Now with that out of the way giving some time to think about it, you should now start writing about the modding post.

[Timestamp] and [Insert Issues] Now these will go more in hand with each other.

In this case, since the issue happens throughout, it would be rather helpful to establish to the mapper head on that is the case

[Timestamp] [Insert Issue] From 0:00 to 3:00 Throughout sections, your rhythm choice is inconsistent.

[Why they are Issues]

• This is mostly likely harder to come up with in words more than the timeline mods but this is where you take [Example] into your advantage!

• Combining [Why they are Issues] with at the very least one [Example] make this easier to digest into writing something that is potentially useful for the mapper at hand, and not have to worry on what to say afterwards.

[Why they are Issues] There is times in sections where you don't have much clue on what you are trying to follow and not really following the music

[Example 1]

• Examples in this case can be tricky upon an actual mapset to find on first glance. The way I wrote it, it seems easy, but in reality it is actually hard unless you pay close attention to the song and the whole entire mapset.

• Assuming you have found this major inconsistency and notice the inconsistent rhythm patterns throughout the map which is rhythm patterns such as this:

Vocals 1 (1/2) -> (Intense Vocals) -> Vocal 2 (1/2) -> Drum 3 (drum 1/1) -->(Ignores Intense vocals or puts Intense Vocals on slider tail) -> Drum 4 (1/2 Circle) -> Vocal 5 (1/2)(Back to Following Intense vocals and maps drum on slider end this time) -> Melody 6 (1/2 Circle) Melody 7 (Has been ignoring melody up until this point and completely undermines the vocals with 1/1 sliders when vocals is 1/2)

Then you have yourself an easy example that very much shows the actual problem. The main thing is simply writing about said problem.

• One thing to note here is that you don't need to be overly descriptive ESPECIALLY if you are planning to have more than one Example.

• So just getting more straight to the point of the problem with your example could do more wonders if you think about it.

For a longer descriptive example though, you could just simply talk about the pattern itself by posting individual timestamps in the section this is happening in. Something like this:

[Example 1] For Example, in this section you seem to be following the vocals for a little while [insert timestamp] but then suddenly at [timestamp] you ignored the intense vocals you were mapping previously and follow the drums instead but then you went back to following vocals at [timestamp] until yet again you stop following the vocals and map the melody that you previously ignored at [timestamp].

• This basically explains the entire section which is good in my opinion. It helps the mapper visualize his issue and as long as you are careful on your phrasing and keep it more to the point then you are good to go.

• With such a descriptive example, you could easily keep the 2nd example that you would like to have fairly short. As you already explain the problem well enough in detail you may want proof this is happening somewhere in the song.

So 2nd Example could be something along the lines of this:

[Example 2] Like previous times this is an occurrence that happens pretty often, such as at [timestamp] in this section you aren't following much of anything in a similar rhythmic pattern.

• Anything above 2 Examples can get rather risky especially since you don't want to just overly explain that "your rhythm is inconsistent." when you basically already told the mapper that and he hopefully the mapper got the point by now.

But what if you are struggling to be descriptive, what if you consider it as unneeded and can make things more complicated, and want to come up with something more short? Well you can still do that here.

For [Example 1] instead of explaining detail to detail why an issue is an issue, you can just summarize it as well as take [Example 2] and [Example 3] to your advantage

[Example 2] and [Example 3] could just simply be a link 2 to 3 different time stamps combine with your [Example 1 point]

Something like this can come into mind:

[Example 1] For instances in this section [timestamp] you are inconsistently following vocals, drums and the melody. This becomes more true in other sections such as [Example 2] [Example 3] [insert timestamps] where the rhythm patterns is different despite song structure being the same.

• As you can see, summarizing your point still get across the same problem and still straight forward enough for the mapper to understand.

• For an experienced mapper's mapset, this is fairly okay without any suggestion that explains a lot, but be careful for a new mapper's mapset! As this could potentially leave the mapper not knowing what to do about it. You could easily make up for this on the [Suggestion/How to fix issue] as it could potentially make it easier for the newer mapper.

• Basically summarizing is fine, but just remember the mapper's experience at hand.

So with Examples out of the way, we are now at [Suggestion/How to fix issue] [Example 4]

Depending on preference you could detail your suggestion/how to fix the issue or you summarize it like you did with the example.

Before you write though consider some things in the past. Remember in this scenario the mapper in some sections, have actually followed mainly vocals, and given the context of how they were mapping vocals/other things in the song, you could easily conclude to a degree that they are trying to follow vocals most of the time.

You can go about this 2 ways (or more but i'm just giving a more general view):

1. Take a picture of an improved rhythm of the section of the timeline (up top in the editor) and explain why you think the mapper should go about it like this cause in other sections [insert timestamp] they were following the vocals the whole time.

or

2. Timestamp sections of the song that they are mapping as an example where they are following vocals and tell the mapper to try to be consistent with his own ideas previously and after sections where they are not consistent.

• Both ways generally is just trying their best to help guide the mapper on what they are trying to accomplish here, following the vocals (at least what it seems that they are trying to do)

• Even if in some way the mapper is actually trying to not follow the vocals and they lacks the music sense at the moment to do it, your previous points before the suggestion can still give the mapper an idea of what he is doing wrong.

Summarize and straight to the point suggestion:

[Suggestion/How to fix issue] How to go about fixing this problem would just be similar to how you did it in sections like this [Example 4] [timestamp] where you are following the vocals pretty consistently.

Detailed suggestion:

Remember this rhythm pattern once again and see how I used this to my advantage:

Vocals 1 (1/2) -> (Intense Vocals) -> Vocal 2 (1/2) -> Drum 3 (drum 1/1) -->(Ignores Intense vocals or puts Intense Vocals on slider tail) -> Drum 4 (1/2 Circle) -> Vocal 5 (1/2)(Back to Following Intense vocals and maps drum on slider end this time) -> Melody 6 (1/2 Circle) Melody 7 (Has been ignoring melody up until this point and completely undermines the vocals with 1/1 sliders when vocals is 1/2)

[Suggestion/How to fix issue] What you could do to solve this issue is looking back on how you did before it previous sections like for [Example 4] [Timestamp] and trying to be overall consistent following the vocals.

Like you could at [Timestamp] (Drum 3) easily switch out to follow the vocals by mapping them on the slider head and not until the tail and as well as at this timestamp [Timestamp] (Melody 6) you could fix it by changing the 1/1 sliders into 1/2 sliders like you did previously.

• This is once again taking advantage of the information you learn and an easy way to get straight into the point of fixing it. Sometimes if you struggle to do things like this, you could take pictures of the rhythm choices the person can do instead for example.

Now with all that said and done, you have yourself a general mod post! Great, now before making the full post ask yourself this, is what we have is major enough to warrant a [Problem Stamp] or [Suggestion Stamp]?

Considering in the context that the mapper likely didn't know what he was doing wrong, and not only is it inconsistent, it is inconsistent in a way where it doesn't really having a purpose to be the way it is in this particular scenario, then you would use [Problem Stamp] to capture the mapper's intentions more than current.

General post 1:

{[Timestamp] [Insert Issue] From 0:00 to 3:00 Throughout sections, your rhythm is inconsistent. [Why they are Issues] There are times in sections where you don't have much clue on what you are trying to follow and not really following the music.

[Example 1] For Example, in this section you seem to be following the vocals for a little while [insert timestamp] but then suddenly at [timestamp] you ignored the intense vocals you were mapping previously and follow the drums instead but then you went back to following vocals at [timestamp] until yet again you stop following the vocals and map the melody that you previously ignored at [timestamp].

[Example 2] Like previous times this is an occurrence that happens pretty often, such as at [timestamp] in this section you aren't following much of anything in a similar consistent rhythmic pattern.

[Suggestion/How to fix issue] What you could do to solve this issue is looking back on how you did previous sections before it like for [Example 4] [Timestamp] and try to be overall consistent in following the vocals.

Like you could at [Timestamp] (Drum 3) easily switch out to follow the vocals by mapping them on the slider head and not until the tail and as well as at this timestamp [Timestamp] (Melody 6) you could fix it by changing the 1/1 sliders into 1/2 sliders like you did previously.}

General post 2:

{[Timestamp] [Insert Issue] From 0:00 to 3:00 Throughout sections, your rhythm is inconsistent. [Why they are Issues] There are times in sections where you don't have much clue on what you are trying to follow and not really following the music.

[Example 1] For instances in this section [timestamp] you are inconsistently following vocals, drums and the melody. This becomes more true in other sections such as [Example 2] [Example 3] [insert timestamps] where the rhythm pattern is different despite song structure being the same.

[Suggestion/How to fix issue] How to go about fixing this problem I would just do it similar to how you did it in sections like this [Example 4] [timestamp] where you are following the vocals pretty consistently.}

Do keep in mind there are plenty of ways to go about general post, but this should be a helpful way of doing so until you have gained yourself a more preferable way of going about it.