Hi there!
As anyone who has ever tried to get a map ranked will know, the modding process is heavily community-dependent and is underpinned by our ability to socialize, reason with and explain things to, other people. Mappers need modders to help improve their creations and get them to Ranked status, whilst similarly, modders need mappers to provide. Put simply, if you don’t interact with other mappers and modders, you are highly unlikely to progress.
It’s disheartening to see that there are so many unknown mappers in osu!catch who struggle to get even a couple of mods on their maps for this reason. These people then get frustrated at the lack of attention given to them and apparent bias in the system, and give up. This is a huge loss to the community, as more mappers means a wider variety of songs, mapping styles, difficulties, and so on, which can only be a positive thing as players have more choice in what they play.
However, it’s important to understand that no-one treats modding as a job - people mod of their own free-will, on maps/songs they like when they have time to do so. Popular mappers weren’t always “famous”, nor did they always find it easy to get their maps ranked (most people still don’t!) They took the initiative to speak to other people, to ask for advice, and to assist others in return. If you want the community to help you, you must help the community.
But what if you can’t mod for some reason? The most frequent explanations I hear as to why people don’t mod is that:
If any of the above sound like you, then worry not - modding is actually a lot less scary than it seems! In this guide I aim to help people overcome those hurdles and get into modding. Aside from helping the community (which includes you!) grow, you’ll also most likely learn new things, understand new styles and ideas, and become more able to explain your own decisions - all of which will vastly improve your own mapping abilities.
osu!catch does not have it’s own, dedicated editor layout, instead using the same format as the osu!standard editor, although some things differ in function. This guide will assume you have basic knowledge of how the osu!standard editor works and how to use its primary functions such as importing an mp3, navigating the different tabs available, placing and moving objects. If you’re not familiar with the basics, I recommend quickly checking the Beatmap Editor osu!wiki article and/or the osu!academy video tutorials to get you up to speed. There are many useful guides on using grids, hitsounding, skinning and so on available there, but for the purposes of getting up to speed with this manual, the most important ones are Episode 7: Editor Basics and Episode 7-2: Timing Basics.
What’s different in osu!catch?
Despite using the same editor, there are a couple of things to take note of concerning osu!catch maps that differ from osu!standard maps.
1. osu!catch mapping uses only the x-axis. The placement of objects varies only with the x-position assigned to it. As an example, try placing a slider and changing the angle / rotation, and you'll notice that the separation between the tail and head changes accordingly. Two objects with the same x-position will appear at the same place during play regardless of their y-positions. The y-axis is used only to space objects out in the editor space, making it easier to interpret. Placing all objects at the same y-position causes many objects to overlap, which can be very confusing to read when modding!
2. Slider Velocity affects the score gained by sliders. Higher Slider Velocities will result in fewer droplets being created along the slider path, thus slightly reducing the accuracy required to hit them perfectly. When combined with the above, note that adjusting the angle of a slider may be more effective in creating movement than changing the slider velocity.
The first step is to download a beatmap from its respective thread in either the Pending or Works In Progress/Help forum. Open the beatmap up in the Editor and choose a difficulty to start on. If you intend to mod multiple difficulties, it’s advisable to start with the easiest and work up (or vice versa). When you’re ready to start, open up a reply in that beatmap’s thread. How you format your post is completely up to you as long as your suggestions are clearly understandable and follow a consistent, logical format. However, it’s recommendable to add a “General” section at the start of your mod post to point out issues that could affect the whole beatmap, such as timing, metadata, hitsounding, etc. If applicable, another, additional section can be added for Storyboards.
How to make a Suggestion
Start by simply playing the map a couple of times. Make a note of things that feel odd to you such as uncomfortable spacings, strange rhythms, hard-to-read patterns, and so on. Play-testing is crucial in osu!catch since it’s not always immediately obvious how a pattern will play just by looking at it in the editor. That being said, watching the map in the editor can still be very useful for detecting hitsound inconsistencies, combo errors, and such. More detail on how to identify these and other problems will be discussed later, so don’t worry if you’re not sure what to look for at the moment.
Once you’ve found something you think is wrong or can be improved, select it in the Editor. Copy (Ctrl+C) the selected objects and in your reply post in the beatmap thread, paste (Ctrl+V). A timestamp will appear with the objects you selected, which allows the mapper to jump instantly to the section in question! If the suggestion isn’t related to a specific pattern, scroll to the point on the timeline you want to comment on and copy/paste the timestamp directly by clicking on the time in the bottom-left corner of the “Compose” editor window. Copying in this way in the “Timing” window will copy all uninherited (red) timing sections with their respective BPM and offset values.
Once you’ve done this, write a short description of:
If necessary, use the "Playback Rate" option in the bottom right corner of the Editor window to slow the beatmap down to inspect things more closely. Testplay, make changes, test it again until you think you’ve fixed the problem. If you’re not happy with one solution, try suggesting different approaches for the mapper to consider. You can continue to select, copy, paste and explain for any issues you encounter. Once you’re satisfied, move on to the next difficulty and repeat, submitting everything once you’re done.
What Should I Look For?
When modding, you’ll notice a variety of things, both good and bad, rankable and unrankable. Checking for fundamental flaws in a beatmap’s design is always a good first step since they are objectively defined by the Ranking Criteria. Many of these issues can be detected by the Editor’s in-build AIMod tool (Ctrl+Shift+A) or third party modding programs such as Sieg’s Modding Assistant, but it’s important not to rely on these too heavily, since not all information or warnings will be relevant.
A more exhaustive list can be found in the Ranking Criteria, but some “general” areas to check are:
1. Timing
If you’re unsure at any point, it’s fine to ask for a second opinion! Additionally, for further help with timing, check out Charles445’s Advanced Timing Tutorial.
2. Song Setup
3. Metadata
4. Song Folder
For further information on general issues to look for when modding, head to the osu!wiki modding article. The (now defunct) CTB Modding Academy page also has some good examples of what to look for when modding.
Modding osu!catch difficulties
There are many aspects that define an osu!catch map, such as the rhythm, patterns, flow, hitsounding and more. But what do these mean, and how can you tell if they’re good or not? Just because a beatmap satisfies the osu!catch Ranking Criteria doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a perfect (or even a good) map. Included below is a list and description of potential problems, as well as possible solutions. When using these, don’t forget to give explanations for both addressing the issue and providing a solution.
Rhythm
Refers to how the beatmap matches the song it is mapping, generally following one or more instruments (or vocals). Look out for:
Typical suggestions here will be to do one (or more) of the following:
Patterns and Flow
Refers to the placement of objects and the movement required to catch them during play. Assuming all objects are correctly snapped, potential issues include:
Suggestions to resolve these issues may include:
Hitsounding
Refers to the emphasis provided on objects by additional sounds when successfully catching a fruit. All maps require sufficient hitsounds to be ranked as they provide necessary feedback to the player.
Most hitsound issues can be solved by suggesting the addition, removal or change in volume / sampleset on the hitsound(s) in question.
Applicable to all of the above is consistency. When a song repeats (e.g. a chorus), unless there is good reason to do so such as the mapper justifiably choosing to follow a different rhythm, patterns, flow and hitsounding should be consistent (though obviously not identical) between the different sections. Variety is nice to keep things interesting, but it shouldn’t go overboard.
Lastly, don’t forget that different gameplay elements are appropriate for each level of difficulty. Something that is perfectly acceptable in one difficulty may be heavily discouraged in another. For information on difficulty-specific elements and what mapping techniques are appropriate at a particular difficulty, please visit the osu!catch Ranking Criteria.
Keeping things organised will make your modding life a lot easier. Getting mod requests? Focus them on a single channel: either a modding queue, in-game private message or forum private message. Already received a few requests? Write them down somewhere, so you don't forget that you have to do them! Already posted some mods? Keep a log of each mod you do, it will be useful when you need to track back your mods, considering the kudosu history in your userpage can become difficult to navigate once you have a large number of mods under your belt. More advice on each of these aspects will be provided below.
Getting Mod Requests
Unless you're modding on your own accord and picking maps from the Pending or WIP sections yourself, you need people to know you're modding and provide them a way to send you their requests. Of the different options (in-game PM, forum PM, discord PM, modding queues), modding queues are probably the best way to start, since you'll get more visibility, and will be discussed a bit below.
Setting a Modding Queue
A modding queue is a forum thread where you can let people post their requests, which are conveniently located in a sub-forum called Modding Queues. As your own modding queue, you can set whatever rules work best with you (beatmap characteristics like genre or drain time, number of maximum requests you'll handle, state your priorities when picking maps to mod, opening/closing times, and even prompting mappers to do something to ensure they read the rules).
Before opening your queue, think of a few basic rules you should add:
After opening your queue, you have to check the way your queue is working. If you haven't been able to fulfill your mod requests, you can reduce the number of requests you're accepting (and nobody should blame you for this). If people are abusing your queue, you can add or modify rules to prevent this situation. The important thing is to keep your queue working in the best way possible!
Some modding queues that you can use as an starting point to set your rules and even format your opening post are these: ZiRoX's Modding Queue (nice formatting, ideas for rules, provides a record for mods) and AFB's Modding Queue (nice formatting, ideas for rules, provides a template for requests, also contains a Guest Difficulty queue).
You can find the coding for these queues below, which you can edit to your liking:
Tracking your activity
Additionally, if you casually want to look at your older mods to see how much you've improved, or to count how many mods you did in a certain month (useful if you plan on going for BN in the future), keeping track of what you did is also important.
Organizing your requests
After you've received some requests, it is recommended that you list them somewhere so you don't forget about them. One simple way of doing this is keeping a spreadsheet (using MS Excel, OpenOffice Calc or Google Spreadsheets), although you can use even simpler options like Notepad. Whatever format you decide to use, it's good practice to keep basic information about your requests at hand (e.g. mapper, link to the set, date requested) and a template will be useful for that. One template that you could be using (in any spreadsheet) is the following:
You can find a spreadsheet for this template here. To create your own version, go to File > Create a New copy and you'll be able to copy this template into your own account.
Logging your mods
Now that you've done some mods, it is also recommended that you keep a record of what you've done. Whether you casually want to look at your older mods to see how much you've improved, or to count how many mods you did in a certain month (useful if you plan on applying for the Beatmap Nominators in the future), keeping track of your mods will make your life a lot easier.
You can also use spreadsheets for this task and, once again, it's good practice to keep some basic information at hand (link to the mod, date posted - recommended to use UTC+0 time, and kudosu awarded). Two templates that you could be using are the following:
You can find a template for the Example 1 here, while a template for Example 2 can be found here. To create your own version, go to File > Create a New copy and you'll be able to copy this template into your own account.
Hopefully this guide and the other included materials debunk some of the myths and misconceptions about modding, making it more accessible to everyone. Of course, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please post them here or message me directly so I can try my best to address them and help. We're all trying to improve our mapping experience and get our work ranked, and the easiest way to do that is together, so let's all help each other make osu!catch great! (:
Last edit: 04/03/19 Fixed links to osu!catch Ranking Criteria, corrected some aspects to account for new site (e.g. kudosu history).
As anyone who has ever tried to get a map ranked will know, the modding process is heavily community-dependent and is underpinned by our ability to socialize, reason with and explain things to, other people. Mappers need modders to help improve their creations and get them to Ranked status, whilst similarly, modders need mappers to provide. Put simply, if you don’t interact with other mappers and modders, you are highly unlikely to progress.
It’s disheartening to see that there are so many unknown mappers in osu!catch who struggle to get even a couple of mods on their maps for this reason. These people then get frustrated at the lack of attention given to them and apparent bias in the system, and give up. This is a huge loss to the community, as more mappers means a wider variety of songs, mapping styles, difficulties, and so on, which can only be a positive thing as players have more choice in what they play.
However, it’s important to understand that no-one treats modding as a job - people mod of their own free-will, on maps/songs they like when they have time to do so. Popular mappers weren’t always “famous”, nor did they always find it easy to get their maps ranked (most people still don’t!) They took the initiative to speak to other people, to ask for advice, and to assist others in return. If you want the community to help you, you must help the community.
But what if you can’t mod for some reason? The most frequent explanations I hear as to why people don’t mod is that:
- They are afraid that their suggestions won’t be taken seriously because they are new or inexperienced.
- They simply don’t know where to begin, what to look for and/or how to make a suggestion.
If any of the above sound like you, then worry not - modding is actually a lot less scary than it seems! In this guide I aim to help people overcome those hurdles and get into modding. Aside from helping the community (which includes you!) grow, you’ll also most likely learn new things, understand new styles and ideas, and become more able to explain your own decisions - all of which will vastly improve your own mapping abilities.
Using the “osu!catch” Editor
osu!catch does not have it’s own, dedicated editor layout, instead using the same format as the osu!standard editor, although some things differ in function. This guide will assume you have basic knowledge of how the osu!standard editor works and how to use its primary functions such as importing an mp3, navigating the different tabs available, placing and moving objects. If you’re not familiar with the basics, I recommend quickly checking the Beatmap Editor osu!wiki article and/or the osu!academy video tutorials to get you up to speed. There are many useful guides on using grids, hitsounding, skinning and so on available there, but for the purposes of getting up to speed with this manual, the most important ones are Episode 7: Editor Basics and Episode 7-2: Timing Basics.
Despite using the same editor, there are a couple of things to take note of concerning osu!catch maps that differ from osu!standard maps.
1. osu!catch mapping uses only the x-axis. The placement of objects varies only with the x-position assigned to it. As an example, try placing a slider and changing the angle / rotation, and you'll notice that the separation between the tail and head changes accordingly. Two objects with the same x-position will appear at the same place during play regardless of their y-positions. The y-axis is used only to space objects out in the editor space, making it easier to interpret. Placing all objects at the same y-position causes many objects to overlap, which can be very confusing to read when modding!
2. Slider Velocity affects the score gained by sliders. Higher Slider Velocities will result in fewer droplets being created along the slider path, thus slightly reducing the accuracy required to hit them perfectly. When combined with the above, note that adjusting the angle of a slider may be more effective in creating movement than changing the slider velocity.
How to Start Modding
The first step is to download a beatmap from its respective thread in either the Pending or Works In Progress/Help forum. Open the beatmap up in the Editor and choose a difficulty to start on. If you intend to mod multiple difficulties, it’s advisable to start with the easiest and work up (or vice versa). When you’re ready to start, open up a reply in that beatmap’s thread. How you format your post is completely up to you as long as your suggestions are clearly understandable and follow a consistent, logical format. However, it’s recommendable to add a “General” section at the start of your mod post to point out issues that could affect the whole beatmap, such as timing, metadata, hitsounding, etc. If applicable, another, additional section can be added for Storyboards.
Start by simply playing the map a couple of times. Make a note of things that feel odd to you such as uncomfortable spacings, strange rhythms, hard-to-read patterns, and so on. Play-testing is crucial in osu!catch since it’s not always immediately obvious how a pattern will play just by looking at it in the editor. That being said, watching the map in the editor can still be very useful for detecting hitsound inconsistencies, combo errors, and such. More detail on how to identify these and other problems will be discussed later, so don’t worry if you’re not sure what to look for at the moment.
Once you’ve found something you think is wrong or can be improved, select it in the Editor. Copy (Ctrl+C) the selected objects and in your reply post in the beatmap thread, paste (Ctrl+V). A timestamp will appear with the objects you selected, which allows the mapper to jump instantly to the section in question! If the suggestion isn’t related to a specific pattern, scroll to the point on the timeline you want to comment on and copy/paste the timestamp directly by clicking on the time in the bottom-left corner of the “Compose” editor window. Copying in this way in the “Timing” window will copy all uninherited (red) timing sections with their respective BPM and offset values.
Once you’ve done this, write a short description of:
- What you think is wrong - draw the mapper straight to the issue with the particular note(s) and clearly state what you feel is causing the problem.
- Why the above causes a problem - does it play awkwardly, not fit the music, violate the Ranking Criteria? Make sure to explain yourself so the mapper can understand!
- How you would change the section and why your suggestion is an improvement / solution - again, you want to convince the mapper to accept your suggestion! If your point needs further emphasis or clarification, or if you can’t quite find the proper words to explain the issue, try linking a picture as an example.
If necessary, use the "Playback Rate" option in the bottom right corner of the Editor window to slow the beatmap down to inspect things more closely. Testplay, make changes, test it again until you think you’ve fixed the problem. If you’re not happy with one solution, try suggesting different approaches for the mapper to consider. You can continue to select, copy, paste and explain for any issues you encounter. Once you’re satisfied, move on to the next difficulty and repeat, submitting everything once you’re done.
When modding, you’ll notice a variety of things, both good and bad, rankable and unrankable. Checking for fundamental flaws in a beatmap’s design is always a good first step since they are objectively defined by the Ranking Criteria. Many of these issues can be detected by the Editor’s in-build AIMod tool (Ctrl+Shift+A) or third party modding programs such as Sieg’s Modding Assistant, but it’s important not to rely on these too heavily, since not all information or warnings will be relevant.
A more exhaustive list can be found in the Ranking Criteria, but some “general” areas to check are:
1. Timing
- Are the BPM and offset correctly placed? If beats feel off-time or wrongly snapped (not matching a sound in the music), say so first. Test different timings until you find the correct one.
- If the song has more than one BPM and/or offset, be sure to check each of them individually.
- Timing and offset must be the same across ALL difficulties
If you’re unsure at any point, it’s fine to ask for a second opinion! Additionally, for further help with timing, check out Charles445’s Advanced Timing Tutorial.
2. Song Setup
- Is the Approach Rate for a particular difficulty too low that it makes the patterns hard to read? Is the HP drain too high that a couple of misses means failure? Are values consistent and used in a logical way - lower on easier difficulties and higher on harder ones? If you think a different setting would work better, suggest it.
- Refer to the Difficulty-Specific osu!catch Ranking Criteria if necessary, as this contains guidelines on common Approach Rates, Circle Sizes, etc. for each level of difficulty.
3. Metadata
- Are the Artist, Title and Source correct and consistent across all difficulties? Check reliable sources such as the official artist’s page or scans of the CD/DVD cover.
- Are the tags relevant to the song / artist / source / etc.? Make sure that tags are consistent across all difficulties and that no tags have been repeated.
- If there are guest mappers present, have their names (current and previous) been added to the tags? Other contributors (Storyboarder, hitsounder, etc.) aren’t necessary.
4. Song Folder
- Is the spread acceptable (no missing difficulties, difficulties properly named, etc.)?
- Are there unused files or hitsounds present?
- Do the mp3 and background image quality satisfy the Ranking Criteria requirements?
For further information on general issues to look for when modding, head to the osu!wiki modding article. The (now defunct) CTB Modding Academy page also has some good examples of what to look for when modding.
There are many aspects that define an osu!catch map, such as the rhythm, patterns, flow, hitsounding and more. But what do these mean, and how can you tell if they’re good or not? Just because a beatmap satisfies the osu!catch Ranking Criteria doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a perfect (or even a good) map. Included below is a list and description of potential problems, as well as possible solutions. When using these, don’t forget to give explanations for both addressing the issue and providing a solution.
Rhythm
Refers to how the beatmap matches the song it is mapping, generally following one or more instruments (or vocals). Look out for:
- Missing / Overmapped beats - If a noticeable sound is left unmapped, or notes are placed where there are no sounds in the song, point it out. Maps should follow the rhythm of the song, not make up their own.
- Incorrect snapping - For example if there is a sound every ½ of a bar (red and white ticks) but objects are placed every ⅓ of a bar (white and purple ticks). In this case, the notes won’t match up to the sound in the song.
- Poor Structure - Different objects are better suited to mapping certain sounds. For example, circles are single objects that represent a single sound, whereas sliders do a better job of representing longer, continuous sounds such as held notes or vocals. Spinners are typically used for very long sounds, or, on easier difficulties, in more intense sections where mapping complex or dense patterns would be inappropriate. Throughout the map, check that the mapping adequately represents what's going on in the music.
- Improper emphasis - Generally strong sounds warrant higher spacing than softer ones (this will be discussed more under Patterns and Flow). For example, hyperdashes to weak sounds should be avoided as they create wrong emphasis that feels awkward to play. Conversely, ending sliders on strong beats should be discouraged as needed emphasis is taken away due to the limited distance sliders can provide (depending on Slider Velocity and BPM).
- Poor rhythm choice - Mapping a weak background rhythm when there is a much stronger foreground rhythm present can make the map very difficult to follow. Similarly, changing rhythm without warning can be very confusing to the player.
- Wrong / inconsistent combo usage - Combos should neither be too short (fruit bouncing off the plate can be distracting) nor too long (fruit stacks up obscuring the player’s view) and should be used to divide sections of the music into equal parts (long white ticks / downbeats are useful for this), highlight strong sounds, rhythm changes, intentional flow-breaks, and so on.
Typical suggestions here will be to do one (or more) of the following:
- Add / Remove note at <x> - To more accurately represent the correct rhythm or create a better note density, suggest adding or removing certain objects.
- Snap <x> to - For wrongly snapped objects, identify the correct snapping. Similarly, if you think a particular object doesn’t fit the rhythm or sound at a particular point, suggest shortening or extending the slider to match the sound.
- Replace <x> with - If a particular pattern is poorly structured or not complimenting the music properly, identify an alternative that works better and suggest how you think it should be incorporated into the surrounding rhythm.
- Make jump to/between <x/xy> - If a jump is placed wrongly, suggest which objects the jump should be between and give some suggestions of positioning if possible.
- Split / Combine <x> into - If you feel there should be a jump between two parts of a slider, or that two objects should be paired together as part of the same sound, suggest separating / joining them.
- Add / Remove / Swap NC between <x> - If a new combo is missing, unnecessary or misplaced, suggest where it should / shouldn’t be.
Patterns and Flow
Refers to the placement of objects and the movement required to catch them during play. Assuming all objects are correctly snapped, potential issues include:
- Odd spacing - As mentioned in Rhythm, stronger sounds warrant more emphasis, and thus, larger jumps to reach them. Ensure that the spacing between objects complements the intensity of the sound(s), but also look out for any borderline dashes or hyperdashes that require near-perfect timing to catch.
- Uncomfortable changes in flow - Watch for combinations of sudden speed-ups and/or slow downs that force the player to make harsh movements.
- Unexpected direction changes - Changing direction is a good way to add emphasis to a sound, but as with Rhythm emphasis, done wrong it can easily ruin a beatmap’s flow. Sometimes you really feel like the next object should be on the opposite side of the screen, or that the pattern simply becomes a case of memorisation (e.g. notes quickly after spinners).
- Improper antiflow usage - “Antiflow” simply refers to a pattern where the movement during a slider or stream is opposite to the expected direction. Often used for emphasis, but can be unfitting when the sound(s) is/are weak, or uncomfortable if the spacing is too harsh.
Suggestions to resolve these issues may include:
- Increase / Decrease spacing between <xy> - To make a jump feel more fitting or comfortable. Be sure to suggest new placement positions!
- Move / flip / rotate <x> - Suggest a position or orientation (for sliders) that improves the flow, making the movement more fluid or natural.
- Change shape of <x> - Sometimes sliders won’t play as intended, or will generate weird or uncomfortable follow-paths. These can usually be fixed by changing the curve or angle of the slider.
Hitsounding
Refers to the emphasis provided on objects by additional sounds when successfully catching a fruit. All maps require sufficient hitsounds to be ranked as they provide necessary feedback to the player.
- Volume - The hitsounds may be too quiet to hear, or conversely, so loud they overpower the actual song, confusing the player. Making slidertails and spinners completely silent should be discouraged, though can be acceptable. Spinners at the end of a song should be gradually silenced if there is a fade-out in the music.
- Placement - Stronger sounds deserve more emphasis to compliment them, either in the form of increased volume or use of a different hitsound (e.g finish). These objects will usually be the destination of a dash or hyperdash.
- Suitability - Do the hitsounds used match / compliment the song? Hitsounding serves to emphasise existing sounds in the music, so it follows that certain hitsounds fit better than others depending on the situation. For example, it makes little sense to use strong drum hitsounds when there is no drum rhythm in the music. Alternatively, there might be a drum rhythm, but the mapper has chosen to follow a piano or vocal rhythm instead.
Most hitsound issues can be solved by suggesting the addition, removal or change in volume / sampleset on the hitsound(s) in question.
Applicable to all of the above is consistency. When a song repeats (e.g. a chorus), unless there is good reason to do so such as the mapper justifiably choosing to follow a different rhythm, patterns, flow and hitsounding should be consistent (though obviously not identical) between the different sections. Variety is nice to keep things interesting, but it shouldn’t go overboard.
Lastly, don’t forget that different gameplay elements are appropriate for each level of difficulty. Something that is perfectly acceptable in one difficulty may be heavily discouraged in another. For information on difficulty-specific elements and what mapping techniques are appropriate at a particular difficulty, please visit the osu!catch Ranking Criteria.
Organising your modding activity
Keeping things organised will make your modding life a lot easier. Getting mod requests? Focus them on a single channel: either a modding queue, in-game private message or forum private message. Already received a few requests? Write them down somewhere, so you don't forget that you have to do them! Already posted some mods? Keep a log of each mod you do, it will be useful when you need to track back your mods, considering the kudosu history in your userpage can become difficult to navigate once you have a large number of mods under your belt. More advice on each of these aspects will be provided below.
Unless you're modding on your own accord and picking maps from the Pending or WIP sections yourself, you need people to know you're modding and provide them a way to send you their requests. Of the different options (in-game PM, forum PM, discord PM, modding queues), modding queues are probably the best way to start, since you'll get more visibility, and will be discussed a bit below.
Setting a Modding Queue
A modding queue is a forum thread where you can let people post their requests, which are conveniently located in a sub-forum called Modding Queues. As your own modding queue, you can set whatever rules work best with you (beatmap characteristics like genre or drain time, number of maximum requests you'll handle, state your priorities when picking maps to mod, opening/closing times, and even prompting mappers to do something to ensure they read the rules).
Before opening your queue, think of a few basic rules you should add:
- What gamemodes are you modding? While this is a guide for osu!catch modding, some people are capable of and want to mod several gamemodes, so you should state which particular gamemode you're accepting.
- When is your queue opening/closing? Some people decide to keep their queues always open, some people open/close their queues at specific date/times and some people close their queues after a specific number of requests has been posted. Pick whichever method works best with your schedule!
- Are you placing any restrictions on the beatmaps you receive? If, for whatever reason, you prefer certain maps not posted in your queue, you should state whatever limitation you're placing (such as drain time, music genre, etc. - some people prioritise maps from newer mappers, for example).
- Are you picking a limited number of maps from a bunch? Some modding queues take a bunch of requests and then the modder picks a limited number between those. If you're planning on doing this, state the factors that you'll be using to decide which maps are you picking.
- You can also request mappers to post their requests using a template. You can ask them to fill whatever information is important for you so you have easy access to it.
After opening your queue, you have to check the way your queue is working. If you haven't been able to fulfill your mod requests, you can reduce the number of requests you're accepting (and nobody should blame you for this). If people are abusing your queue, you can add or modify rules to prevent this situation. The important thing is to keep your queue working in the best way possible!
Some modding queues that you can use as an starting point to set your rules and even format your opening post are these: ZiRoX's Modding Queue (nice formatting, ideas for rules, provides a record for mods) and AFB's Modding Queue (nice formatting, ideas for rules, provides a template for requests, also contains a Guest Difficulty queue).
You can find the coding for these queues below, which you can edit to your liking:
ZiRoX's Modding Queue
[notice][size=150][b][color=#FF0000][centre]Status: Closed[/centre][/color][/b][/size][/notice] [notice][size=150][b][color=#0040FF]How does this queue work?[/color][/b][/size] [list] [*] [b]The queue will open once every two weeks[/b] [*] [b]Requests will be taken between Monday and Thursday.[/b]. Opening time is approximately 13 UTC on Mondays, while closing time is approximately 1 UTC on Thursdays. [*] [b]Three of the requests will be selected for modding[/b] according to the following priorities: (1) number of mods the mapper has received from this queue in the last 4 rounds, (2) time of the request, and (3) personal reasons (music style, general quality of the beatmap and others). [*] [b]Mods will be done before the next round opens.[/b] Delays may occur due to real life stuff I prioritize over modding; however, if I accepted your request, it will be done.[/notice] [notice][size=150][b][color=#0040FF]Rules[/color][/b][/size] [list] [*] This is an [b]osu!catch only[/b] queue [*] [b]Post your request only when the queue is open[/b] [*] [b]There are no placeholder posts[/b]. Your request must be included in a post made after the queue has opened. [*] [b]Don't ask for BN Checks or icons[/b] [*] Only [b]one map per request[/b] [*] Your mapset [b]must be complete and going for approval/ranking[/b] [*] You must [b]properly reply to my mod[/b][/list][/list] [b]Failing to comply to these rules will result in your request getting ignored. Additionally, failing to comply the last rule might result in you getting blacklisted.[/b][/notice] [notice][size=150][b][color=#008000]Accepted Requests (Round 7/8)[/color][/b][/size] [list] [*] Tomatsu Haruka, Hikasa Yoko, Amamiya Sora - Eyecatch! Too much! (Kagari) - https://osu.ppy.sh/s/542127 [*] yanaginagi - Orarion (celerih) - https://osu.ppy.sh/s/581513 [/list][/notice] [box=Maps modded through this queue][list] [*] Kanawo - Kohaku no Yume (Surono) - https://osu.ppy.sh/forum/p/5343673/ [*] Maon Kurosaki feat.TRUSTRICK - DEAD OR LIE (Chaoslitz) - https://osu.ppy.sh/forum/p/5347431 [/list][/box]
AFB's Modding Queue
[centre][img]https://puu.sh/vp7Kp/09e5d30960.png[/img][/centre] Welcome to my modding queue! Since I have finished my public exam recently, I am able to continue my modding career. Being a former Beatmap Nominator, I have the capability to mod various maps and different difficulties. I will also try to help new mappers. [b]Current aim: 1 mod per day.[/b] Stay tuned to the status of modding queue by reading the forum thread title as well as my latest post. [notice][heading][b][size=150][color=#FF4000]Modding Rules and Details[/color][/size][/b][/heading][list] [*][b]osu!catch[/b] [b][color=#545454](CtB)[/color][/b] only. [*]Map requested for modding must be [b]aimed for ranking[/b]. [*]Language used for modding will be [b]English, Cantonese or Chinese[/b] [b][color=#545454](Traditional Chinese)[/color][/b]. [*]You can request either [b]NM[/b] or [b]M4M[/b] mod. [b][color=#FF0000](Currently NM only because I do not have maps ready)[/color][/b] [*][b][color=#545454]M4M mod requests[/color][/b] have [b]higher priority[/b] for getting modded compared to NM mod requests. [*]For M4M mod requests, a reply about [b]the map I wish to be modded[/b] [b][color=#545454]will be sent to the requester[/color][/b]. You can start modding on the map while I will finish the mod request. [*]I don't mind whether your map is incomplete or not, [b]as long as it is aimed for ranking[/b], the mod requests will be accepted. [*]Mods will be finished [b][color=#545454]within[/color][/b] [b]a few weeks[/b]. Please be patient. [*]Use the following [b]Mod-Requesting Template[/b] [b][color=#545454]at your own convenience[/color][/b] or other versions. [code] [heading]Mod Request[/heading] [b]Song Name:[/b] [b]Length:[/b] [b]Difficulties to be Modded:[/b] [b]Mod Request Type:[/b] (Fill in NM or M4M) [b]Beatmap Link:[/b] [color=#F000FF]GD Rules and Details[/color][list] [*][b]osu!catch[/b] [b][color=#545454](CtB)[/color][/b] only. [*]Map requested for GD must be [b]aimed for ranking[/b]. [*]Length for the requested map must be [b]lower than 5 minutes[/b], unless it is a Collab diff. [*]I prefer mapping [b]Salad[/b], [b]Rain[/b] or [b]Overdose[/b]. [*]For Genre, I prefer mapping [b]Drum&Bass[/b], [b]Electronic[/b], [b]Dubstep[/b] types. I also prefer [b][color=#545454]types regarding to other rhythm games[/color][/b], for example [b]Cytus[/b], [b]BMS[/b], [b]REFLEC BEAT[/b], [b]jubeat[/b] etc. I may take other requests if I love the songs. [*]Use the following [b]GD-Requesting Template[/b] [b][color=#545454]at your own convenience[/color][/b] or other versions.[/list] [code] [heading]GD Request[/heading] [b]Song Name:[/b] [b]Length:[/b] [b]Requested GD:[/b] [b]Beatmap Link:[/b]
Additionally, if you casually want to look at your older mods to see how much you've improved, or to count how many mods you did in a certain month (useful if you plan on going for BN in the future), keeping track of what you did is also important.
Organizing your requests
After you've received some requests, it is recommended that you list them somewhere so you don't forget about them. One simple way of doing this is keeping a spreadsheet (using MS Excel, OpenOffice Calc or Google Spreadsheets), although you can use even simpler options like Notepad. Whatever format you decide to use, it's good practice to keep basic information about your requests at hand (e.g. mapper, link to the set, date requested) and a template will be useful for that. One template that you could be using (in any spreadsheet) is the following:
You can find a spreadsheet for this template here. To create your own version, go to File > Create a New copy and you'll be able to copy this template into your own account.
Logging your mods
Now that you've done some mods, it is also recommended that you keep a record of what you've done. Whether you casually want to look at your older mods to see how much you've improved, or to count how many mods you did in a certain month (useful if you plan on applying for the Beatmap Nominators in the future), keeping track of your mods will make your life a lot easier.
You can also use spreadsheets for this task and, once again, it's good practice to keep some basic information at hand (link to the mod, date posted - recommended to use UTC+0 time, and kudosu awarded). Two templates that you could be using are the following:
You can find a template for the Example 1 here, while a template for Example 2 can be found here. To create your own version, go to File > Create a New copy and you'll be able to copy this template into your own account.
Hopefully this guide and the other included materials debunk some of the myths and misconceptions about modding, making it more accessible to everyone. Of course, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please post them here or message me directly so I can try my best to address them and help. We're all trying to improve our mapping experience and get our work ranked, and the easiest way to do that is together, so let's all help each other make osu!catch great! (:
Last edit: 04/03/19 Fixed links to osu!catch Ranking Criteria, corrected some aspects to account for new site (e.g. kudosu history).
