This was going to be a simple mod reply at first but when i read that I had to write an "exhaustive explanation", I was a little irritated. I don't expect anyone to read in full but yea. You've read the title so here goes.
Refer to beatmapsets/1326193/discussion/2747596/timeline#/2044299. For full context, download the map and head to this section: 00:54:927 (1,2,3,4,5).
Since I feel like everyone's going to point out the Ranking Criteria and how I'm not blindly following the guidelines, I'll do an "exhaustive explanation" as required by the Ranking Criteria. Though I feel like I've already done that in my reply to Kyrian's mod - I believe that following guidelines as *absolute* authority is dumb.
I'll start by saying it's a *Guideline*, not a *Rule*:
I quote
Then the guideline in question, quote
My "exhaustive explanation":
These last 5 notes are stacked 1/2 beats, on the *very last section of the song*, where in every diff is represented as the hardest section of the map. So naturally I wanted this to be the hardest section in the Normal difficulty. So I decided that 5 consecutive 1/2 notes does the job pretty well. Now, before everyone starts screaming "you aren't following the guidelines!", allow me to explain.
I quote Scaling BPM on the ranking criteria
This song is 156BPM. Which is in the middle-ish in between 180BPM and 120BPM. If at 120BPM an "almost constant 1/2 chain" is acceptable, I believe that just 5 consecutive 1/2 notes at 156BPM on a *very exceptional* part of the song (the hardest part in the kiai, also represented as such in all other diffs) is justified. Not to mention they're stacked, which means movement isn't affected and makes it easier on the newer players.
This should feel intense for newer players, and that is completely intentional. These 5 notes feel very intense in the other two difficulties. Using two 1/2 sliders and ending on a single note is way too slow and soft, and doesn't follow how it works in other difficulties.
I honestly don't know if anyone's going to read this in full. But I did this because I find it annoying that someone's pointing out a guideline when I've already explained my reasoning beforehand.
If I'm genuinely wrong for believing so, let me know, I'm all ears. But I'm confident my decision is justified enough to slightly ignore a guideline for an exceptional case.
Refer to beatmapsets/1326193/discussion/2747596/timeline#/2044299. For full context, download the map and head to this section: 00:54:927 (1,2,3,4,5).
Since I feel like everyone's going to point out the Ranking Criteria and how I'm not blindly following the guidelines, I'll do an "exhaustive explanation" as required by the Ranking Criteria. Though I feel like I've already done that in my reply to Kyrian's mod - I believe that following guidelines as *absolute* authority is dumb.
I'll start by saying it's a *Guideline*, not a *Rule*:
I quote
General terms
Rules: All rules are exactly that: rules. They are not guidelines and may not be broken under any circumstance. Guidelines: Guidelines may be ignored under exceptional circumstances. These exceptional circumstances must be justified by an exhaustive explanation as of why the guideline has been ignored and why not ignoring it will interfere with the overall quality of the creation.
I'll also quoteRules: All rules are exactly that: rules. They are not guidelines and may not be broken under any circumstance. Guidelines: Guidelines may be ignored under exceptional circumstances. These exceptional circumstances must be justified by an exhaustive explanation as of why the guideline has been ignored and why not ignoring it will interfere with the overall quality of the creation.
Rhythm-related rules and guidelines apply to approximately 180 BPM beatmaps with 4/4 time signatures. If your song is drastically faster or slower, some variables might be different, as detailed in Scaling BPM on the ranking criteria.
Then the guideline in question, quote
If a Normal difficulty is required and used as the lowest difficulty of a beatmapset, it should also follow these guidelines:
Avoid more than three actively clicked 1/2 rhythms in a row.
What I'm doing that violates this guideline: Using 5 consecutive 1/2 circles on a Normal difficulty, as the lowest difficulty in the set.Avoid more than three actively clicked 1/2 rhythms in a row.
My "exhaustive explanation":
These last 5 notes are stacked 1/2 beats, on the *very last section of the song*, where in every diff is represented as the hardest section of the map. So naturally I wanted this to be the hardest section in the Normal difficulty. So I decided that 5 consecutive 1/2 notes does the job pretty well. Now, before everyone starts screaming "you aren't following the guidelines!", allow me to explain.
I quote Scaling BPM on the ranking criteria
As a song's tempo goes from 180 BPM to ~120 BPM, guidelines become more lenient. For this example, increased frequency of 1/2 rhythm is generally okay to the point of almost constant 1/2 chains at 120 BPM.
This song is 156BPM. Which is in the middle-ish in between 180BPM and 120BPM. If at 120BPM an "almost constant 1/2 chain" is acceptable, I believe that just 5 consecutive 1/2 notes at 156BPM on a *very exceptional* part of the song (the hardest part in the kiai, also represented as such in all other diffs) is justified. Not to mention they're stacked, which means movement isn't affected and makes it easier on the newer players.
This should feel intense for newer players, and that is completely intentional. These 5 notes feel very intense in the other two difficulties. Using two 1/2 sliders and ending on a single note is way too slow and soft, and doesn't follow how it works in other difficulties.
I honestly don't know if anyone's going to read this in full. But I did this because I find it annoying that someone's pointing out a guideline when I've already explained my reasoning beforehand.
If I'm genuinely wrong for believing so, let me know, I'm all ears. But I'm confident my decision is justified enough to slightly ignore a guideline for an exceptional case.