Hollow Wings, I think that all the discussion made you overlook a mod I posted before those two you replied to. Reposting it here for clarity's sake.
This is why you shouldn't fill a map's thread with pointless discussion.
Note: Rereading this mod I think the NC's were a pretty confusing way of showing what I meant, so, sorry about that. Was trying something new but it didn't work out I guess.
This is why you shouldn't fill a map's thread with pointless discussion.
Higan TorrentHigan Torrent Is there a reason you changed from Mysterious Hymn to Higan Torrent? I personally liked Mysterious Hymn a looot more. I hope you'll change it back but it's up to you of course.
Rhythms & Patterns
A big issue that people have with your streams, I think, isn't the streams themselves and more the jumps in between them. It's not even that they're too large, just that they're counter-intuitive, which makes them feel too large. I personally didn't have a problem with a lot of these but I'll be giving suggestions on the ones you can improve.
00:25:203 (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15) - With your previous stream, you get a consistent momentum going for the player, eventually ending it in an diagonally upwards-right angle, and then you make a jump diagonally downwards-left, only to go back to where you came from at the same momentum that you previously had, meaning that the player has to make a really sharp, heavy turn and then go back where they came from at a constant rate that's 3x less fast than the ones they just arrived from, all within a timeframe of 174ms. Now, most experienced players can pull this off - hell, even I can, but that doesn't make it comfortable to play. Don't worry, I won't write a wall for every mod post, I just want to explain why this doesn't work. For this pattern, try flipping it horizontally and then placing it in the bottom right corner, like so http://puu.sh/dG1tT.png. Obviously adjust the other patterns so everything stays pretty too
00:28:671 (5,6,7,8) - Mild suggestion - It'd be nice to add some variety to these patterns by using some rearranging and ctrl + G magic. I used NCs here to show you exactly what I mean but you should not apply these NC's!. They're only there to make my suggestion easier to understand http://puu.sh/dG1XJ.png. That said, if you want to NC those, be my guest.
00:39:769 (5,6,7,8) - http://puu.sh/dG2cO.png
00:44:451 (15) - This slider is placed a bit too far to the right, and doesn't follow the earlier stream's momentum very well. With spaced streams especially, keeping track of momentum is crucial to making your map enjoyable. Try something like this instead http://puu.sh/dG2iV.png
00:44:972 (3) - Move to x352 y144 for better flow
00:45:665 (1,2,3,4,5) - This stream is a problem, because it involves a lot of stacks but needs changing. What I've found to work best flow-wise was something like this http://puu.sh/dG2Sw.png where I simply copypasted 00:45:145 (1,2,3,4,5) - , flipped it horizontally and scaled the pattern's spacing by 1.5x. You can rework the other patterns around it to make sure everything's pretty, I'm sure.
01:17:226 (1) - ctrl + G
01:18:613 (2) - ^
01:23:295 (8) - ^ maybe? Not sure about this
01:26:070 (15,1) - I mentioned this jump in an earlier post, it's really counterintuitive. You can maintain a similar flow but make it more playable by rounding the circle out like this http://puu.sh/dG43O.png http://puu.sh/dG46A.png
01:29:191 (1) - Ctrl + G
01:29:365 (2) - ^
01:29:538 (3) - ^ (Reason I mention these separately is because I want you to invert them individually, not as a whole)
01:30:232 (4,1) - This jump is really awkward. Also, the two streams afterwards don't flow that great. It would probably be better if you remapped them, and start the first stream at this kind of angle http://puu.sh/dG5ju.png
The kiai after this is really solid, nice job!
02:02:313 (1,2,3) - Change these jumps to something like this http://puu.sh/dG5Nc.png for better flow
02:03:353 (1,2,3,4,5) - This pattern is too widely spaced for the flow you're trying to use here. Scale the pattern by 0.8x and rotate it by -30° to get it to look like this http://puu.sh/dG5QQ.png. Trust me, plays way better.
02:15:145 (2,3,4) - Stacking these doesn't play that well in my opinion, mostly due to your low stack leniency. Try something like this instead http://puu.sh/dG5V9.png
02:16:706 (2) - I think it would be better to stack this on the sliderend of 02:16:879 (3) - . That actually be a lot more "you" than the way it is now.
02:18:093 (4) - http://puu.sh/dG62h.png
02:19:654 (3,1,2) - Can you make this pattern similar to the ones you did here 02:11:677 (2,1,2) - ? That'd flow a lot better
02:43:758 (15,1) - This is not okay. Ctrl H J this pattern 02:43:931 (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15) - and then adapt it into something like this http://puu.sh/dG6gM.png http://puu.sh/dG6hK.png
02:45:319 (1) - Ctrl G
03:01:966 (1) - ^
03:15:839 (1,2,3) - 2 fits with 3, but 1 doesn't fit with 2. I have a suggestion but it's not all that great, since I'm not very good with sliders, but I don't like telling a mapper something isn't good without giving a way to fix it, so http://puu.sh/dG6Kp.png http://puu.sh/dG6MC.png. Each of these sliders blankets the previous one to some degree, so I'd say it's still aesthetically better than two huge threepoints that seem fairly disconnected. Still though, if you have a better idea, then by all means, please do that instead.
03:37:342 (1,2,3,4,5,6,1) - Something like this http://puu.sh/dG6Tx.png or similar for readability. This pattern is really hard to read otherwise.
03:43:584 (1) - Despite what TicClick said, this kiai is really good. The first time I played this this part was awesome and I actually FCd it, so please leave this as is. This part is really really nice.
04:17:920 (13,14,15,16) - Why not make stacks like this and 04:19:653 (1,2,3,4) - this into kick sliders? I'm not sure about that though, considering that the deathstream actually fits this section pretty well. Just putting this out there.
Really hope this helps you out, HW. Sorry if it might be a little sloppy, it was late at night when I did the mod. Good luck ranking this, it's a great map. Really.
I've saved the modded version so if there's any questions you have about patterns just PM me about them.
Rhythms & Patterns
A big issue that people have with your streams, I think, isn't the streams themselves and more the jumps in between them. It's not even that they're too large, just that they're counter-intuitive, which makes them feel too large. I personally didn't have a problem with a lot of these but I'll be giving suggestions on the ones you can improve.
00:25:203 (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15) - With your previous stream, you get a consistent momentum going for the player, eventually ending it in an diagonally upwards-right angle, and then you make a jump diagonally downwards-left, only to go back to where you came from at the same momentum that you previously had, meaning that the player has to make a really sharp, heavy turn and then go back where they came from at a constant rate that's 3x less fast than the ones they just arrived from, all within a timeframe of 174ms. Now, most experienced players can pull this off - hell, even I can, but that doesn't make it comfortable to play. Don't worry, I won't write a wall for every mod post, I just want to explain why this doesn't work. For this pattern, try flipping it horizontally and then placing it in the bottom right corner, like so http://puu.sh/dG1tT.png. Obviously adjust the other patterns so everything stays pretty too
00:28:671 (5,6,7,8) - Mild suggestion - It'd be nice to add some variety to these patterns by using some rearranging and ctrl + G magic. I used NCs here to show you exactly what I mean but you should not apply these NC's!. They're only there to make my suggestion easier to understand http://puu.sh/dG1XJ.png. That said, if you want to NC those, be my guest.
00:39:769 (5,6,7,8) - http://puu.sh/dG2cO.png
00:44:451 (15) - This slider is placed a bit too far to the right, and doesn't follow the earlier stream's momentum very well. With spaced streams especially, keeping track of momentum is crucial to making your map enjoyable. Try something like this instead http://puu.sh/dG2iV.png
00:44:972 (3) - Move to x352 y144 for better flow
00:45:665 (1,2,3,4,5) - This stream is a problem, because it involves a lot of stacks but needs changing. What I've found to work best flow-wise was something like this http://puu.sh/dG2Sw.png where I simply copypasted 00:45:145 (1,2,3,4,5) - , flipped it horizontally and scaled the pattern's spacing by 1.5x. You can rework the other patterns around it to make sure everything's pretty, I'm sure.
01:17:226 (1) - ctrl + G
01:18:613 (2) - ^
01:23:295 (8) - ^ maybe? Not sure about this
01:26:070 (15,1) - I mentioned this jump in an earlier post, it's really counterintuitive. You can maintain a similar flow but make it more playable by rounding the circle out like this http://puu.sh/dG43O.png http://puu.sh/dG46A.png
01:29:191 (1) - Ctrl + G
01:29:365 (2) - ^
01:29:538 (3) - ^ (Reason I mention these separately is because I want you to invert them individually, not as a whole)
01:30:232 (4,1) - This jump is really awkward. Also, the two streams afterwards don't flow that great. It would probably be better if you remapped them, and start the first stream at this kind of angle http://puu.sh/dG5ju.png
The kiai after this is really solid, nice job!
02:02:313 (1,2,3) - Change these jumps to something like this http://puu.sh/dG5Nc.png for better flow
02:03:353 (1,2,3,4,5) - This pattern is too widely spaced for the flow you're trying to use here. Scale the pattern by 0.8x and rotate it by -30° to get it to look like this http://puu.sh/dG5QQ.png. Trust me, plays way better.
02:15:145 (2,3,4) - Stacking these doesn't play that well in my opinion, mostly due to your low stack leniency. Try something like this instead http://puu.sh/dG5V9.png
02:16:706 (2) - I think it would be better to stack this on the sliderend of 02:16:879 (3) - . That actually be a lot more "you" than the way it is now.
02:18:093 (4) - http://puu.sh/dG62h.png
02:19:654 (3,1,2) - Can you make this pattern similar to the ones you did here 02:11:677 (2,1,2) - ? That'd flow a lot better
02:43:758 (15,1) - This is not okay. Ctrl H J this pattern 02:43:931 (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15) - and then adapt it into something like this http://puu.sh/dG6gM.png http://puu.sh/dG6hK.png
02:45:319 (1) - Ctrl G
03:01:966 (1) - ^
03:15:839 (1,2,3) - 2 fits with 3, but 1 doesn't fit with 2. I have a suggestion but it's not all that great, since I'm not very good with sliders, but I don't like telling a mapper something isn't good without giving a way to fix it, so http://puu.sh/dG6Kp.png http://puu.sh/dG6MC.png. Each of these sliders blankets the previous one to some degree, so I'd say it's still aesthetically better than two huge threepoints that seem fairly disconnected. Still though, if you have a better idea, then by all means, please do that instead.
03:37:342 (1,2,3,4,5,6,1) - Something like this http://puu.sh/dG6Tx.png or similar for readability. This pattern is really hard to read otherwise.
03:43:584 (1) - Despite what TicClick said, this kiai is really good. The first time I played this this part was awesome and I actually FCd it, so please leave this as is. This part is really really nice.
04:17:920 (13,14,15,16) - Why not make stacks like this and 04:19:653 (1,2,3,4) - this into kick sliders? I'm not sure about that though, considering that the deathstream actually fits this section pretty well. Just putting this out there.
Now comes that one part that nobody seems to have modded, probably because it's really hard to judge. Or, well, it looks hard to judge, while the part is actually quite straightforward. It's just that maintaining a consistent flow at such an insane sv is incredibly difficult to pull off well.
So, first things first, you'll need to rearrange this 04:49:827 (1,2,3,4) - pattern into something like this http://puu.sh/dG7lZ.png or else hitting that slider without breaking will not only be nearly impossible, it'll just be plain annoying. Yes, this sacrifices some aesthetics, but playability is always more important than that.
You can stack 04:48:960 (2) - on top of 04:49:914 (2) - to soften things up a little, and if you're really nazi about looks (like me) you can just rearrange this 04:47:399 (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15) - so that stacking with 04:49:827 (1) - becomes possible. In that case, though, leave the jumps prior to 04:49:827 (1) - looking like this http://puu.sh/dG7Df.png
04:53:295 (2) - Now lower this a little. In fact, you can lower this entire section, because jumps like these become way easier to hit if they're further away from the top of the screen. For mouse players it's a little different, but always keep in mind that the easiest accessible spots for a tablet player are either the bottom left or the bottom right, depending on whether they're right or left-handed respectively. This makes the top right the hardest accessible place for right-handed tablet players, which will probably be the majority of people playing your map.
05:00:579 (1,2,3,4,5,1) - Now, if you want to pull this off, you can't do it like this. You have a few options. You can ctrl + G 05:00:579 (1) - , which would maintain the continuity of the previous sections while making the last stream a lot easier to hit, but it'll still be at an awkward angle.
Alternatively, you could ctrl G 05:00:925 (2,3,4,5,1) - , but that'd result in an antijump. It does play better for me than the current pattern but not everybody likes those, so that's up to you.
You could also rearrange the stream, in a way that makes them flow better while maintaining the current pattern's tonal crescendo, which is actually really awesome about that part, like so http://puu.sh/dG82s.png
Lastly, you could make the stream grow exponentially. This would even further accentuate the crescendo of the melody while also making it more playable. What I mean is something like this http://puu.sh/dG8rT.png, though whether they'll all be NC'd or not is up to you. Personally, I find this the best option, but I still wanted to give you other ones in case you don't like this.
Hitsounds
Your hitsounding is awesome, but soft-hitnormal.wav is too low a volume and blends too well with the music. Consider making the sample stand out more.
Other than that, no complaints. Great work. Seriously.
So, first things first, you'll need to rearrange this 04:49:827 (1,2,3,4) - pattern into something like this http://puu.sh/dG7lZ.png or else hitting that slider without breaking will not only be nearly impossible, it'll just be plain annoying. Yes, this sacrifices some aesthetics, but playability is always more important than that.
You can stack 04:48:960 (2) - on top of 04:49:914 (2) - to soften things up a little, and if you're really nazi about looks (like me) you can just rearrange this 04:47:399 (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15) - so that stacking with 04:49:827 (1) - becomes possible. In that case, though, leave the jumps prior to 04:49:827 (1) - looking like this http://puu.sh/dG7Df.png
04:53:295 (2) - Now lower this a little. In fact, you can lower this entire section, because jumps like these become way easier to hit if they're further away from the top of the screen. For mouse players it's a little different, but always keep in mind that the easiest accessible spots for a tablet player are either the bottom left or the bottom right, depending on whether they're right or left-handed respectively. This makes the top right the hardest accessible place for right-handed tablet players, which will probably be the majority of people playing your map.
05:00:579 (1,2,3,4,5,1) - Now, if you want to pull this off, you can't do it like this. You have a few options. You can ctrl + G 05:00:579 (1) - , which would maintain the continuity of the previous sections while making the last stream a lot easier to hit, but it'll still be at an awkward angle.
Alternatively, you could ctrl G 05:00:925 (2,3,4,5,1) - , but that'd result in an antijump. It does play better for me than the current pattern but not everybody likes those, so that's up to you.
You could also rearrange the stream, in a way that makes them flow better while maintaining the current pattern's tonal crescendo, which is actually really awesome about that part, like so http://puu.sh/dG82s.png
Lastly, you could make the stream grow exponentially. This would even further accentuate the crescendo of the melody while also making it more playable. What I mean is something like this http://puu.sh/dG8rT.png, though whether they'll all be NC'd or not is up to you. Personally, I find this the best option, but I still wanted to give you other ones in case you don't like this.
Hitsounds
Your hitsounding is awesome, but soft-hitnormal.wav is too low a volume and blends too well with the music. Consider making the sample stand out more.
Other than that, no complaints. Great work. Seriously.
Really hope this helps you out, HW. Sorry if it might be a little sloppy, it was late at night when I did the mod. Good luck ranking this, it's a great map. Really.
I've saved the modded version so if there's any questions you have about patterns just PM me about them.
Note: Rereading this mod I think the NC's were a pretty confusing way of showing what I meant, so, sorry about that. Was trying something new but it didn't work out I guess.