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Rate the Mapping Technique - Round 55: Variable Streams

posted
Total Posts
41

Rate on a scale of 1 to 5 (Read post before answering)

5 - Love it!
33
11.07%
4
21
7.05%
3
66
22.15%
2
70
23.49%
1 - Hate it!
108
36.24%
Total votes: 298
Topic Starter
dkun
Round 55: Variable Spaced Streams | Discontinuous Streams


Nominated by <span style='color:#FF8000'><strong>fartownik</strong></span> + benguin (both ideas were a bit similar, merged the both! hope you two don't mind)

Another technique on the more advanced side in standard, where instead of an orthodox stream that's spaced out normally, you do as the title says. You change the distance snap of the stream, if not make it discontinuous by abruptly making a small jump WHILE the stream is still going. This varies greatly due to mapping style and choice of music being mapped, as shown in the examples.

Map(s) that use this technique (these maps are also screenshotted above, in order.)
  1. Silent Spica - Anhedonia [Another] by Muya
  2. Rche - Todestrieb [Another] by Muya
  3. D.J. Amuro - F [Another] by <span style='color:#FF8000'><strong>fartownik</strong></span>
  4. O-Life Japan - Yakujinsama no Couple Dance [Lunatic] by <strong>ignorethis</strong>
  5. senya - Utakata, Ai no Mahoroba [Lunatic] by <span style='color:#FF8000'><strong>Scorpiour</strong></span>
silmarilen
oh man i hate this so much, i just cant read it
_dog
some people use or abuse this terribly bt i love the technique so i give it a 4. Don't over do it though.
Also please don't make automatically think that you must use this technique, it only applies to the type of song, and it's really hard to make it readable.
It's best to just not do it at all until you become a very VERY experienced mapper in the art of streeam creation. (<- lel)
Charles445
Can be done well, can be done horribly wrong. 3
Tear
This is terrible and should be unrankable imo. I can 300 them just fine and usually on the first try, but they're extremely annoying in the way bad patterns in old maps are. A map with this feels like it wants me dead and makes me paranoid while playing. Note that I only hate random huge jumps in streams Oboro, variable speed is fine.
I'm glad this has been posted though, I want to see if there's even a single person that enjoys them more than regular streams.
D33d
2, because they usually flow horribly. I've seen them used kinda nicely in one or two cases, such as Krisom's insane in iNiD - Pyramid Treasure

Then there's that 'Weep Irish' nonsense. No thank you!
69653863
Hate this. It's just very weird to have a normal-spaced gap between the streams thus they're flowing badly.
I mean, this? Big no no.\
I'm talking about the placement, not the overall technique.

If they're somewhat placed like these:




I'd rate 5.


nvm LOLOLOLOLO let's rate 5 i consider it beautiful now
those
Can be good. Commonly mistaken as good when actually bad. Many staff members aren't able to tell when it is bad. Rated 2.
MMzz
They usually work well when there is a big shift in the music mid-stream, but other times it can be done bad and feels unnatural and get frustrating to play. So I'm staying neutral and giving it a 3.
fartownik
When I think about it now it should be called just 'streamjumps'.

Though the streamjumps are most times streams that don't even touch themselves but are still in the same snap. Something like Scorpiour's example, not sure if this should be a different category.

About this itself, it really is a nice technique when used properly and not overdone, especially when emphasizing the music changes.
quaternary
I can see this in super-long deathstreams (Ascension to Heaven?) where you have ~10 seconds of normally-spaced streams before a speed change, but in short streams? No. 3.
Charles445
I think people are confusing variable stream spacing with circle stream jumps.

This is variable stream spacing. Notice that there are no stream jumps.

kisata
all those examples are bad (sans the last one, but it's more of a stream jump instead) and I've never seen this used in a good way

however, I won't discount that it could be used effectively so 2
-kevincela-
I have mixed feeling about this. It mostly depends on the music's pace on that part, himo: it can be used very well or it could be used horribly. I'd give it a 3.
_dog
it seems a lot of people are talking about jumps... wrong technique everyone lol
D33d
Aren't streamjumps where sections of compressed streams are split by spacing increases, thus satisfying the definition of "jump?"

When I think "variable streams," I think of this and then think, "Are you having a Steffi Graf?"

benguin
Thread title should be as stated in the OP: "Round 55: Variable Spaced Streams | Discontinuous Streams"

The one where you have a jump in the stream but with no change in timing between the notes is the latter. (The last one in the examples in the OP is the best example imho)

Anyways, I nominated discontinuous streams not because I like them, but because I absolutely hate them. Only rarely have I found them to be even remotely fun. Although, they're not ~too~ bad with the right bpm and jump distance. 2/5

Variable streams are kinda fun sometimes, but only if it is readable and looks nice. I've seen people do stupid stuff with this technique though, so 3.5/5.
Ekaru
1 because while gradually increasing/decreasing the spacing of a long stream over time can work very well - same with the example where they simply change from one DS to another and signal that with a new combo, or hell, even the last example - two of the examples in the OP are worth -10 points each and more than cancel out the more sensible examples.
d777b
variable streams are great when done well. 4/5

However, discontinuous streams (streams that involve jumping, like the last example) are terrible imo and I have never played a map where they felt good. 0.038/5
Aka
definitely hate them = =
Tari
I think there alright, but in most cases there pretty bad because they are hard to read :3 (unless there a drastic change in music)

I've never came up with these streams that much though, prob one time a while ago and that was it, I guess they need to be properly placed or else there just bad in the long run. (but I most likely see this happening in instrumental songs where you can really experiment with the beat).

2/5
[Luanny]

Charles445 wrote:

Can be done well, can be done horribly wrong. 3
^My thoughts
I usually hate them but sometimes they are really creative and fun
Overuse is a no-no, tho
Mismagius
no

just no

can be EXTREMELY RARELY done well

2
Irreversible
0
it stresses the player very unconfortable somehow.
Lapis-
1. I dislike this heavily. Havent seen it done well..
djjsixpack

Charles445 wrote:

I think people are confusing variable stream spacing with circle stream jumps.

This is variable stream spacing. Notice that there are no stream jumps.

Based on this, I will rate a 2.

Though they can be mapped well, I never have fun playing these types of streams. It just brings down maps for me to where I rarely play them, even if the rest of the map is epic.

If it's an actual jump during a stream, I cannot possibly give it a low enough rating to represent just how much I hate them :/ They can, by themselves, bring a map which would be a 10 to 1 in my opinion.
HakuNoKaemi
Depend on the use, so 3.
They can be as fun to play to receive 5, but they can be misused up to being utterly disturbing to have 1.
Chewin
I always enjoyed muya's maps with this kind of streams. They are awesome. 4/5

EDIT: I just remembered that I used this technique too, in my "Tsunamaru - paranoia" map:
00:39:027 (2,3,4,5,6,1,2,3,4,5) -
AlexSant
streams are hard so I hate when someone do this without reason
Muya
5
Aqo

Muya wrote:

5
mapping is a happy thing ;3
Kuro-pi
I like the ones in Mythologia's End, and Image - Material Version 0, but I don't really recall any other ones that I actually liked.
Zare
10

4-5, it shouldn't be completely random and be somewhat supported by the song (not evn talking about following it note by note, but if a section of a song gives a somewhat inconsistent feeling, streams can follow that idea well), but it's extremely fun to read and play in most cases
Shoogs
Variable streams get annoying and confusing, I rate it two because of the added challenge
Anonym
this isn´t nice , imagine a car on the road changing velocity 80 120 80 120 this is a sh*t
Nyxa

silmarilen wrote:

oh man i hate this so much, i just cant read it
That said, it worked out beautifully on this map, so I'm not entirely downvoting this. Requires lots of mapping experience to be done right.
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