forum

Mapping style.

posted
Total Posts
26
Topic Starter
Zelzatter Zero
Throughout the mapping scene we have seen some words to specify mapping style like alternate or iNiS style, and within nowadays there are even weirder ones, such as movement and most recently... organic.

As a mapper, I still considered myself as new to mapping, so I would like everyone here to write some mapping styles you know, with the format of: style name, definition, notes and mappers represent the style. I will gather all of them in this post.

Mapping style:

  1. iNiS style (Submitted by z0z):
    1. A really old style (originates from 2007) that focuses on readability, lot of breaks, and low spacing.
    2. Mapping is noticeably grid based.
    3. Patterns in a musical section tend to be repeated in the same section(chorus patterns get repeated in the chorus section).
    4. Rhythm choice mostly follows vocals.
    5. This style is a relic of the original games that inspired osu to become what it is today a.k.a Ouendan/Elite Beat Agents.
    6. Mappers: Gens, m980.
  2. Symmetrical mapping (Submitted by z0z):
    1. Mapping that tends to focus on nice shapes and patterns on a grid.
    2. Sliders tend to be symmetrical and bendy.
    3. Patterns tend to be more readable and are either symmetrical or asymmetrical.
    4. Mappers: Gero, Andrea.
  3. Symmetrical mapping 2 (Submitted by z0z):
    1. Mapping that tends to focus on nice shapes and patterns on a grid.
    2. Sliders and patterns tend to be symmetrical and sometimes bendy, they are more likely to reveal the fact that this is mapped on a grid.
    3. Doubles, triples, quads, bursts, and streams tend to be quite close in spacing on lower to mid diffs, to unusual spacing levels on higher diffs.
    4. Patterns are more likely to be symmetrical than the previous style.
    5. Mappers: ktgster, tsuka.
  4. Old style mapping (Submitted by z0z):
    1. This is a relic of 2007-2010 mapping.
    2. It mostly consists of lower settings than normal compared to today.
    3. The earliest of these maps are of terrible quality compared to today as the standards back then were much lower and maps were somewhat experimental.
    4. Mappers: any map from 2010 and earlier, DJPop, James.
  5. Experimental mapping (Submitted by z0z):
    1. Mappers of this style tend to have more interesting and experimental ideas on how to represent a map and will try to represent the map using the idea, often with great success in preserving aesthetics while providing interesting flow.
    2. Whatever it is, it's not really part of the meta at all and will tend to anger some people.
    3. Mappers: Hollow Wings, fanzhen0019.
  6. Typical average mapping from very experienced mappers (Submitted by z0z):
    1. These mappers tend to have a lot of experience mapping and will have a lot of good ranked maps(most likely) and experience under their belt.
    2. Each mapper comes with their small unique ideas and quarks that show in their maps though you need some experience to tell them apart.
    3. These mappers tend to focus on representing the map, sometimes with a gimmick or an idea.
    4. Their maps will look great or excellent aesthetically and will typically flow well, they end up representing the map (very) well, even if's it hard to represent the map.
    5. The mapper doesn't focus enough on one style to fit in any other category as they specialize less than their specialized peers.
    6. Mappers: Niva, pishifat, Lasse, Yusomi, hypercyte.
  7. Intense metal mapping (Submitted by z0z):
    1. Mappers of this style really like mapping (heavy) metal a lot of the time.
    2. Their maps tend to be extremely difficult due to songs require having extreme patterns to the point of often topping the ranked section sorted by difficulty.
    3. These people also tend to have interesting ideas for patterns at times.
    4. Mappers: Mazzerin, SILENCE PLAYER, TheKingHenry.
  8. Modern Grid Mapping (Submitted by Li Syaoran):
    1. Mappers of this style tend to use grid snap, but map in a *somewhat* modern way.
    2. Slidershapes almost always line up in a linear pattern instead of the usual rotated slider.
    3. Playfield usage strictness can be considered or not at all.
    4. Mappers: Euny, Natsu.
  9. Movement mapping:
    1. Mappers of this style tend to take cursor movement as a main factor for song representation.
    2. Aesthetic have a little to no role in most cases.
    3. Because of the above point, most maps having this style are being hated by the main playerbase most of the time.
    4. Mappers: Cheri, UndeadCapulet, bor.
  10. Tech mapping:
    1. Mappers of this style tend to take overall aesthetic as the main factor for song representation, as being opposed to movement mapping.
    2. Unlike any other mapping style, tech mapping can have various of scale, from light tech (playability and aesthetic are being balanced out well) to full tech (playability have little to no role in maps, while aesthetic is being pushed to max).
    3. This is also one of the most complex mapping style since there is no clear sign to recognize them at all, you can only use your assumption.
    4. Mappers: Kroytz (full tech);
Asphiee
Psycho style, the psychotic and most fitting style used specifically for Co shu nie, represented by 0ugi

here is his works: just watch it and wet yourself
beatmapsets/1180098#osu/2460797
https://osu.ppy.sh/beatmapsets/1171567
beatmapsets/1180542
https://osu.ppy.sh/beatmapsets/1159921
Chiru-kun
more proper "mapping style":

hexagrid mapping | the constant use of 60 or 120 or 180-degree rotations for objects and the use of perfect blankets | popularized by the early Monstrata, and to some extent even stands to his more recent maps. the only other one i know who exploited this style is early Yukiyo in his supercell maps.


less proper "mapping style" since i cannot give names to them, but they appear on a number of times:

  1. the constant use of softly curved sliders
  2. the use of rigid flow and more uncommon sliders throughout the map (someone rarely might say this is Kalibe mapping but this is not always true for them)
Topic Starter
Zelzatter Zero
Bumping this since I suck at keeping this thread alive. What other mapping styles have you know about?
abraker
Square/Right angle mapping: Notes path tends to align on one of two axis; can switch between vertical/horizontal and diagonal alignment
beatmapsets/12465#osu/46725
https://osu.ppy.sh/beatmapsets/4498#osu/24315
beatmapsets/4548#osu/24428
https://osu.ppy.sh/beatmapsets/3149#osu/21141

Restrictive mapping: Note positions are limited to repeating paths or mirrored paths
beatmapsets/5155#osu/25953
https://osu.ppy.sh/beatmapsets/356426#osu/784369
beatmapsets/8061#osu/33695
https://osu.ppy.sh/beatmapsets/8442#osu/37166
beatmapsets/11062#osu/43710

Cluster note mapping: Notes are clustered in one area of the map before jumping to another area (I'm sure there are more examples of this)
beatmapsets/20789#osu/80914

Alternation mapping: Mostly consisting of sliders positioned such to allow rhythmic streaming
beatmapsets/339335#osu/761669
https://osu.ppy.sh/beatmapsets/115193#osu/336228
beatmapsets/28705#osu/96763
https://osu.ppy.sh/beatmapsets/41686#osu/131564
beatmapsets/144955#osu/359780
https://osu.ppy.sh/beatmapsets/444632#osu/955218
tadahitotsu
Unique slider mapping style: using variable slider shapes, perfectly fitting song atmosphere. Mostly represented by tech-mappers, but the most important are HW and rrtyui
TheKingHenry

Zelzatter Zero wrote:

and most recently... organic.
Haven't heard of this, can I get some kind of short elaboration on what the thing is supposed to be? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Topic Starter
Zelzatter Zero

TheKingHenry wrote:

Zelzatter Zero wrote:

and most recently... organic.
Haven't heard of this, can I get some kind of short elaboration on what the thing is supposed to be? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Someone in Twitter already elaborated it, apparently it's a self-made (?) term of a person when talking/complaining about how mappers' style are pretty much the same throughout their maps. Mappers associated with "organic mapping" based on their tweet are Nathan and Skystar, the real definition behind it is still unknown.
Corne2Plum3
you should add the shit style : bad sync, no hitsound, random sliders, spinner and breaks, bad gameplay...
Topic Starter
Zelzatter Zero

Corne2Plum3 wrote:

you should add the shit style : bad sync, no hitsound, random sliders, spinner and breaks, bad gameplay...
Sir this is not OT.
Dialect

Asphyre wrote:

Psycho style, the psychotic and most fitting style used specifically for Co shu nie, represented by 0ugi

here is his works: just watch it and wet yourself
beatmapsets/1180098#osu/2460797
https://osu.ppy.sh/beatmapsets/1171567
beatmapsets/1180542
https://osu.ppy.sh/beatmapsets/1159921
i'd rather call it co shu nie style considering it only really works with co shu nie songs (it can also work with songs by tk from ling tosite sigure but i dunno about that)
TheKingHenry

Zelzatter Zero wrote:

TheKingHenry wrote:

Zelzatter Zero wrote:

and most recently... organic.
Haven't heard of this, can I get some kind of short elaboration on what the thing is supposed to be? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Someone in Twitter already elaborated it, apparently it's a self-made (?) term of a person when talking/complaining about how mappers' style are pretty much the same throughout their maps. Mappers associated with "organic mapping" based on their tweet are Nathan and Skystar, the real definition behind it is still unknown.
I see hm
Don't really see the need to label "not overly restricting yourself with consistency in concepts" as a new mapping style, but maybe I'm missing something from the point ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The mappers mentioned are great to be sure at least.

Can't wait to see people mapping all over the place inconsistently and say it's organic though LOL
Topic Starter
Zelzatter Zero
bump.
Chiru-kun
is anime mapping good? because we can give the definition. i doubted in putting the before tbh because i doubted this "style."

here
Anime mapping | the absolutely-excessive use of 1/2 rhythm in short TV size maps without general show of a unique aesthetic or gimmick | uhhhh many but popularized by people along Sotarks's line
Dialect

renzthegreat wrote:

Anime mapping | the absolutely-excessive use of 1/2 rhythm in short TV size maps without general show of a unique aesthetic or gimmick | uhhhh many but popularized by people along Sotarks's line
i don't think it's limited to anime songs imo. but there are short tv size anime maps that are unique, like this map (one of my favorites)


i'd call it 1-2 style because of the famous 1-2 jumps
Topic Starter
Zelzatter Zero

TheKingHenry wrote:

I see hm
Don't really see the need to label "not overly restricting yourself with consistency in concepts" as a new mapping style, but maybe I'm missing something from the point ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The mappers mentioned are great to be sure at least.

Can't wait to see people mapping all over the place inconsistently and say it's organic though LOL
Also there's a screenshot of the tweet I'm talking about:

And I said someone elaborated it, it's Niva:
https://twitter.com/Nivalyx/status/1267688166804226051
Serizawa Haruki
Some of these are not actual styles (organic mapping, co shu nie, etc.) which makes this list pretty ridiculous. The descriptions are also just stereotypes for certain styles that are often not true at all, for example tech maps don't necessarily disregard playability for visuals. Other things are off as well, for example the description of hexgrid doesn't even mention the honeycomb placement of object which is the core element of that style, instead it mentions perfect blankets which have nothing to do with hexgrid since that is a technique used in a wide variery of styles.

If you want to make a serious list of mapping styles you should try to analyze those maps more in detail and/or ask the mappers of that style how they would define it.
Chiru-kun
yeah that was a bit on the spur of the moment. sorry
Topic Starter
Zelzatter Zero
lemme see if I can revamp this list.
z0z
inis style

a really old style that focuses on readability, some breaks, and low spacing
mapping is noticeably grid based
patterns in a musical section tend to be repeated in the same section(chorus patterns get repeated in the chorus section)
this style is a relic of the original games that inspired osu to become what it is today

mappers: Gens, m980
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

symmetrical axis(?) mapping

mapping that tends to focus on nice shapes and patterns on a grid
sliders tend to be symmetrical and bendy
patterns tend to be more readable and are either symmetrical or asymmetrical

mappers: Gero, Andrea
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
symmetrical hex(?) mapping

mapping that tends to focus on nice shapes and patterns on a grid
sliders and patterns tend to be symmetrical and sometimes bendy, they are more likely to reveal the fact that this is mapped on a grid
doubles, triples, quads, bursts, and streams tend to be quite close in spacing on lower to mid diffs, to unusual spacing levels on higher diffs
patterns are more likely to be symmetrical than symmetry A

mappers: ktgster, Martix, tsuka(?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
old style mapping

this is a relic of 2007-2010 mapping
it mostly consists of lower settings than normal compared to today
the earliest of these maps are of terrible quality compared to today as the standards back then were much lower and maps were somewhat experimental

mappers: any map from 2010 and earlier, DJPop, James
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
experimental clear mapping

these mappers tend to have more interesting and experimental ideas on how to represent a map and will try to represent the map using the idea, often with great success in preserving aesthetics while providing interesting flow
whatever it is, it's not really part of the meta at all and will tend to anger some people

mappers: Hollow Wings, fanzhen0019
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
typical average very experienced mapper

these mappers tend to have a lot of experience mapping and will have a lot of good ranked maps(most likely) and experience under their belt
each mapper comes with their small unique ideas and quarks that show in their maps though you need some experience to tell them apart
these mappers tend to focus on representing the map, sometimes with a gimmick or an idea
their maps will look great or excellent aesthetically and will typically flow well, they end up representing the map (very) well, even if's it hard to represent the map
the mapper doesn't focus enough on one style to fit in any other category as they specialize less than their specialized peers

mappers: Niva, pishifat, Lasse, Yusomi(?), hypercyte(?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
intense metal mapper

these mappers really like mapping (heavy) metal a lot of the time (they can take breaks from metal)
their maps tend to be extremely difficult due to these maps tending to have extremely difficult patterns to the point of often topping the ranked section sorted by difficulty
these people also tend to have interesting ideas for patterns at times

mappers: Mazzerin, SILENCE PLAYER, TheKingHenry
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
i think these are good entries but they probably aren't very accurate, you might want to take a look at the mappers listed as it will help you understand their style more

i don't think these mapping styles get put much attention to and i think these styles are fun in most cases
show more
Please sign in to reply.

New reply