Returning the favour
Testplays: First Sightread
Hard: https://osu.ppy.sh/ss/4528449 (careless misses)
Lunatic: https://osu.ppy.sh/ss/4528110 (sliderbroke but nothing of major concern)
Note that whatever I say is my own opinion so you do not have to follow everything I say.
General
1) 03:14:260 This part has a lot of energy, so it would be nice to have kiai on it. I am worried that this may not be implemented as around 33% or more of the map is kiai time.
Hard
1) 00:29:052 Here there is a vocal bit; since I like mapping to vocals, I would make this part clickable by adding a note here. Another effect it has is that for me it continues the flow. I do know that this is a hard difficulty so you may argue that doing so may make the map more difficult.
If I wanted to map the vocals fully at this part: I would have added notes at 00:28:948 (1/4 notes). However since that is overkill for the hard, a note will suffice in my opinion.
Applies to places such as: 00:35:718 (4), 00:42:385 (4) - 00:49:052 (5) - etc.
2) 00:28:635 (3) - I feel that with a short slider, I would not try and go for a blanket, but perhaps change the direction of the slider end. If you applied the above point then applying this is much more important. The advantage of not blanketing is that you have more pathways for note placement.
3) 00:31:552 (3,4,5) - I know there is a sound at 4, and that maps the vocals as well. However, I feel that it feels much nicer if you removed (4). For newer players this would be nice, but the current setup works as well.
Applies to places such as: 00:44:885 (3,4,5) -
4) 00:54:781 I am curious as to why you do not map this part. Since there are a lot of vocals that can be mapped here, I feel that it is a waste not to map it. If you decide to, use a slower slider velocity.
5) 01:14:260 (7) - Since this starts on a new large white tick, wouldn't you make this a new combo?
6) 01:32:385 (1,2,3,1,2) - Thanks to the stack created by (3,1,2) the triangle formed by 1,2 and 3 are not aligned properly. You can either keep it as it is or you can move (1,2) to a newer location, which removes the stack and does allow for an improvement in flow.
7) 01:45:823 Possible area for a spinner?
8) 02:00:302 (1,1) - Regarding what I mentioned about in point 1 about blankets with short sliders, here I do not feel that it works here as well (the blanket is off by the way). If you want to keep it, blanket it properly, or position slider 1 like so: osu.ppy.sh/ss/4528560. The advantage of this is that it neatly flows into the next slider nicely.
9) 03:11:760 (3,4,5,6,1) - The distances between 3 and 4, and 4 and 5 are different. If that was intentional, then leave it. I assume the stacking of 5,6,1 would have affected the distancing.
10) 03:18:427 (3,1) - I would tuck 1 underneath the start of slider 3 like so: https://osu.ppy.sh/ss/4528585. I assume you intentionally did not do that to improve with reading. However, tucking note 1 underneath slider 3 means that the flow is actually much nicer, but at the cost of making reading more difficult.
Otherwise very nice.
Lunatic
1) 00:51:135 (2,3,4) - When playing them I hit them fine, I just wanted to point out that I have been seeing this kind of pattern for triplets nowadays, where notes 3 and 4 are a bit of a distance away from 2. I am curious as to why you do this? I am not saying this is wrong but I find it weird, especially when I use distance snap to map.
2) 00:54:781 I am curious as to why you do not map this part. Since there are a lot of vocals that can be mapped here, I feel that it is a waste not to map it. If you decide to, use a slower slider velocity.
3) 01:06:552 Curious as to why you do not map this part, especially when you have vocal bits here? I feel that not mapping vocals is a waste. I was going to mention this in the hard difficulty but I could not find a suitable rhythm that would work.
Applies to: 02:26:641
4) 01:38:010 (2) - I like this slider to be perfectly straight: https://osu.ppy.sh/ss/4528641. The current one is fine, but I like it to be straight.
5) 01:45:823 Possible area for a spinner?
6) 03:27:739 Considering that this is an insane difficulty, I was thinking you can map this part, with a low hitsound volume and a slow slider velocity, which builds up as this part goes on.
Normal
Good
Final thoughts
Despite the points I have put up, this is a very nice map. I cannot find fault with the rhythm and I am happy to say that I like the hitsound pattern. It is really nice.
I was very anal with some things, but that makes a huge difference.
Good luck, and have 2 stars.
Testplays: First Sightread
Hard: https://osu.ppy.sh/ss/4528449 (careless misses)
Lunatic: https://osu.ppy.sh/ss/4528110 (sliderbroke but nothing of major concern)
Note that whatever I say is my own opinion so you do not have to follow everything I say.
General
1) 03:14:260 This part has a lot of energy, so it would be nice to have kiai on it. I am worried that this may not be implemented as around 33% or more of the map is kiai time.
Hard
1) 00:29:052 Here there is a vocal bit; since I like mapping to vocals, I would make this part clickable by adding a note here. Another effect it has is that for me it continues the flow. I do know that this is a hard difficulty so you may argue that doing so may make the map more difficult.
If I wanted to map the vocals fully at this part: I would have added notes at 00:28:948 (1/4 notes). However since that is overkill for the hard, a note will suffice in my opinion.
Applies to places such as: 00:35:718 (4), 00:42:385 (4) - 00:49:052 (5) - etc.
2) 00:28:635 (3) - I feel that with a short slider, I would not try and go for a blanket, but perhaps change the direction of the slider end. If you applied the above point then applying this is much more important. The advantage of not blanketing is that you have more pathways for note placement.
3) 00:31:552 (3,4,5) - I know there is a sound at 4, and that maps the vocals as well. However, I feel that it feels much nicer if you removed (4). For newer players this would be nice, but the current setup works as well.
Applies to places such as: 00:44:885 (3,4,5) -
4) 00:54:781 I am curious as to why you do not map this part. Since there are a lot of vocals that can be mapped here, I feel that it is a waste not to map it. If you decide to, use a slower slider velocity.
5) 01:14:260 (7) - Since this starts on a new large white tick, wouldn't you make this a new combo?
6) 01:32:385 (1,2,3,1,2) - Thanks to the stack created by (3,1,2) the triangle formed by 1,2 and 3 are not aligned properly. You can either keep it as it is or you can move (1,2) to a newer location, which removes the stack and does allow for an improvement in flow.
7) 01:45:823 Possible area for a spinner?
8) 02:00:302 (1,1) - Regarding what I mentioned about in point 1 about blankets with short sliders, here I do not feel that it works here as well (the blanket is off by the way). If you want to keep it, blanket it properly, or position slider 1 like so: osu.ppy.sh/ss/4528560. The advantage of this is that it neatly flows into the next slider nicely.
9) 03:11:760 (3,4,5,6,1) - The distances between 3 and 4, and 4 and 5 are different. If that was intentional, then leave it. I assume the stacking of 5,6,1 would have affected the distancing.
10) 03:18:427 (3,1) - I would tuck 1 underneath the start of slider 3 like so: https://osu.ppy.sh/ss/4528585. I assume you intentionally did not do that to improve with reading. However, tucking note 1 underneath slider 3 means that the flow is actually much nicer, but at the cost of making reading more difficult.
Otherwise very nice.
Lunatic
1) 00:51:135 (2,3,4) - When playing them I hit them fine, I just wanted to point out that I have been seeing this kind of pattern for triplets nowadays, where notes 3 and 4 are a bit of a distance away from 2. I am curious as to why you do this? I am not saying this is wrong but I find it weird, especially when I use distance snap to map.
2) 00:54:781 I am curious as to why you do not map this part. Since there are a lot of vocals that can be mapped here, I feel that it is a waste not to map it. If you decide to, use a slower slider velocity.
3) 01:06:552 Curious as to why you do not map this part, especially when you have vocal bits here? I feel that not mapping vocals is a waste. I was going to mention this in the hard difficulty but I could not find a suitable rhythm that would work.
Applies to: 02:26:641
4) 01:38:010 (2) - I like this slider to be perfectly straight: https://osu.ppy.sh/ss/4528641. The current one is fine, but I like it to be straight.
5) 01:45:823 Possible area for a spinner?
6) 03:27:739 Considering that this is an insane difficulty, I was thinking you can map this part, with a low hitsound volume and a slow slider velocity, which builds up as this part goes on.
Normal
Good
Final thoughts
Despite the points I have put up, this is a very nice map. I cannot find fault with the rhythm and I am happy to say that I like the hitsound pattern. It is really nice.
I was very anal with some things, but that makes a huge difference.
Good luck, and have 2 stars.