Also of note: Please focus on simple patterns to start with. Sure, feel free to experiment with ideas, but please do not try to emulate too many contestable quirks which are in popular maps. It's debatable as to how many of these quirks are actually good.
DEEDIT: Gonna quote what I'd posted in another thread as well, in regards to difficulty. It's long-winded and merely my own take on it, but I feel that a lot of people could learn from it.
Regarding that bit at the end of the box, I do mean, "specific questions." You will stand a much better chance of getting help if people know where to start. Saying nothing more than, "please help me with my map," will probably make them hit you with one of two responses: "Sorry, I don't know what to suggest" or, "Remap everything, use the right settings and play more maps for ideas."
DEEDIT: Gonna quote what I'd posted in another thread as well, in regards to difficulty. It's long-winded and merely my own take on it, but I feel that a lot of people could learn from it.
I did say, "long-winded."
As it's your first map, don't make the mistake of getting too ambitious with patterns and slider shapes. It doesn't hurt to experiment, but if something looks and feels awful in comparison to ranked maps, then scrap it without question. If it feels and/or looks better than what you see in ranked maps, then it'll become a means to make your maps much more distinct and intersting.
In terms of difficulty, normal shouldn't have too many objects 1/2 after each other--as in, don't use too many half beats (the gap between a white tick and a red tick in the timeline). You should also try not to make everything occur on beats, as this will make your normal difficulty very boring. You will also want to base patterns more around longish sliders and leave some space between combos. What I mean is, don't have everything flowing into each other relentlessly, as this would become tiresome for a newer player. For more experienced players, this would also be boring and monotonous.
Hard difficulties should feel a little bit like normal, in that you're still using a good balance of longer sliders and circle patterns, but you can generally follow more of the detail in a phrase. In a moderate vocal song, you would probably be able to follow most of the singer's words. In terms of how many objects you can get use, it's generally a good idea to make patterns with around 4-8 half beats, as long as you don't overdo it and kill the difficulty curve of the map.
Contrary to popular belief, you're allowed to use confusing patterns in [Hard], as long as the spacing indicates them clearly and they're following obvious cues in the music. You should try to repeat them quite frequently in a section, so that the player has time to get used to them. You can also use patterns which force the player to read them by their numbers--again, as long as the spacing is consistent. In any difficulty, switching the order of objects at random is unfair and would make the player feel cheated. I certainly feel like that a lot.
Easy diffs should be kept very sparse and have a lot of space, rhythmically, between objects. It should also be painfully clear as to where objects should be hit. You should still use varied rhythms, but they must feel consistent and predictable. Get good at making easies interesting, yet playable, and you'll be much better at making the other difficulties tidy and enjoyable. Far too many people skimp on their easies and normals and the entire mapset can suffer because of this.
I'd also like to suggest playing songs on each difficulty in 'Ouendan 2,' or at least watching gameplay videos. Many people decry the style of the maps, but they are very good indicators of how to achieve the overall feel for [Easy] through [Hard]. Also, try to learn to use copypaste for these difficulties, in ways which fit the music and still remain interesting. Many people also hate copypaste, but when patterns recur and vary slightly, they help the player to feel where they are in the music and generally bring together the style of the map as a whole. I've learned a lot from practising this.
I'm prepared for the usual tsunami of Haterade, but thinking in detail about all of the above, as well as paying close attention to how things are aligned as per the screenshot, have helped me to progress in leaps and bounds. It takes a long time to refine a style, but if you work hard enough, you'll surprise yourself at how natural it feels after a time. Don't be afraid to ask questions in the game's chat and feel free to PM people with specific questions. You'll do well to get a good range of opinions. Most of us are patient and forgiving enough to talk about stupid questions.
In terms of difficulty, normal shouldn't have too many objects 1/2 after each other--as in, don't use too many half beats (the gap between a white tick and a red tick in the timeline). You should also try not to make everything occur on beats, as this will make your normal difficulty very boring. You will also want to base patterns more around longish sliders and leave some space between combos. What I mean is, don't have everything flowing into each other relentlessly, as this would become tiresome for a newer player. For more experienced players, this would also be boring and monotonous.
Hard difficulties should feel a little bit like normal, in that you're still using a good balance of longer sliders and circle patterns, but you can generally follow more of the detail in a phrase. In a moderate vocal song, you would probably be able to follow most of the singer's words. In terms of how many objects you can get use, it's generally a good idea to make patterns with around 4-8 half beats, as long as you don't overdo it and kill the difficulty curve of the map.
Contrary to popular belief, you're allowed to use confusing patterns in [Hard], as long as the spacing indicates them clearly and they're following obvious cues in the music. You should try to repeat them quite frequently in a section, so that the player has time to get used to them. You can also use patterns which force the player to read them by their numbers--again, as long as the spacing is consistent. In any difficulty, switching the order of objects at random is unfair and would make the player feel cheated. I certainly feel like that a lot.
Easy diffs should be kept very sparse and have a lot of space, rhythmically, between objects. It should also be painfully clear as to where objects should be hit. You should still use varied rhythms, but they must feel consistent and predictable. Get good at making easies interesting, yet playable, and you'll be much better at making the other difficulties tidy and enjoyable. Far too many people skimp on their easies and normals and the entire mapset can suffer because of this.
I'd also like to suggest playing songs on each difficulty in 'Ouendan 2,' or at least watching gameplay videos. Many people decry the style of the maps, but they are very good indicators of how to achieve the overall feel for [Easy] through [Hard]. Also, try to learn to use copypaste for these difficulties, in ways which fit the music and still remain interesting. Many people also hate copypaste, but when patterns recur and vary slightly, they help the player to feel where they are in the music and generally bring together the style of the map as a whole. I've learned a lot from practising this.
I'm prepared for the usual tsunami of Haterade, but thinking in detail about all of the above, as well as paying close attention to how things are aligned as per the screenshot, have helped me to progress in leaps and bounds. It takes a long time to refine a style, but if you work hard enough, you'll surprise yourself at how natural it feels after a time. Don't be afraid to ask questions in the game's chat and feel free to PM people with specific questions. You'll do well to get a good range of opinions. Most of us are patient and forgiving enough to talk about stupid questions.
Regarding that bit at the end of the box, I do mean, "specific questions." You will stand a much better chance of getting help if people know where to start. Saying nothing more than, "please help me with my map," will probably make them hit you with one of two responses: "Sorry, I don't know what to suggest" or, "Remap everything, use the right settings and play more maps for ideas."