First of all, this may seem like a feature request, but in reality, it is not. The reason of that is that changing the game the way it is described here can be so much for a hassle. But that doesn't mean that things wouldn't be necessarily better if they were like this in the beginning.

Currently the score awarded for each Hit (which is affected by the Combo Multiplier) is:

HitValue * (Combo multiplier * Difficulty multiplier * Mod multiplier + 25) / 25

Which means that the max score of a song increases in a approximately parabolic way with the max combo of the song (a song that has, for example, a 600 max combo multiplier, can give almost 16 times more score than a song with only a 150 FC). Score is affected disproportionately by the length of the song, playing songs that are too short is a waste of time if you are interested in achieving score quickly, and playing songs that are long gives you so much score that it is unfair (this is one of the reasons some beat-maps, which would be otherwise be ranked, cannot be ranked).

So, to make a more proportionate formula (so the score increases in a lineal way with the max combo), we can add a new multiplier that corrects the current problems (the multiplier can be calculated after the beat-map is done)

First, we calculate the Maximum Score possible in the beat-map, and subtract the score that comes from bonus that aren't affected by the combo multiplier (for example, spinner's extra bonus points). Let's name this value Ma.

Then, we calculate the Max Score that would be achieved if the combo multiplier didn't exist (without the score that doesn't come from bonuses that aren't affecter by the combo multiplier). Let's name this value ma.

Then, we think in a value X so the value X * ma / Ma is close to one in an average beat-map. This value would be close to 6, so let's assign X the value of 6 (note that this value is completely arbitrary, it doesn't have an effect in the scoring balance).

So the new multiplier would be: Cm = X * ma / Ma.

And the new formula for hits is:
Cm * HitValue * (Combo multiplier * Difficulty multiplier * Mod multiplier + 25) / 25.

Examples of new scores (note that these are approximations, I don't know exactly what the max scores are):

Silver Forest - Marisa Spark (Insane)
Hits: 133
Current Max Score: 450,000
Cm: 1.63
New Max Score: 733,500
Score/Hit (Current/ New): 3383 / 5515

Silver Forest - Marisa Spark (Easy)
Hits: 71
Current Max Score: 48,000
Cm: 2.46
New Max Score: 118,080
Score/Hit (Current/ New): 676 / 1663

Yoko Ishida - paraparaMAX I
Hits: 5937
Current Max Score: 509,000,000
Cm: 0.05
New Max Score: 25,450,000
Score/Hit (Current/ New): 85,734 / 4287

Masayoshi Minoshima ft. nomico - Bad Apple!! (Insane)
Hits: 882
Current Max Score: 15,000,000
Cm: 0.32
New Max Score: 4,800,000
Score/Hit (Current/ New): 17,007 / 5442

Masayoshi Minoshima ft. nomico - Bad Apple!! (Hard)
Hits: 697
Current Max Score: 5,200,000
Cm: 0.40
New Max Score: 2,080,000
Score/Hit (Current/ New): 7461 / 2984 (note: this beat-map has a very high tick rate, which increases artificially the score a lot)

Shihoko Hirata - sky's the limit (TV Size) (Insane)
Hits: 387
Current Max Score: 2,150,000
Cm: 0.68
New Max Score: 1,462,000
Score/Hit (Current/ New): 5556 / 3778

Shihoko Hirata - sky's the limit (TV Size) (Normal)
Hits: 289
Current Max Score: 650,000
Cm: 0.88
New Max Score: 572,000
Score/Hit (Current/ New): 2249 / 1979

Shihoko Hirata - sky's the limit (TV Size) (Easy)
Hits: 187
Current Max Score: 210,000
Cm: 1.26
New Max Score: 264,600
Score/Hit (Current/ New): 1123 / 1415

Various Artists - osu! Stream Compilation
Hits: 4744
Current Max Score: 380,000,000
Cm: 0.06
New Max Score: 22,800,000
Score/Hit (Current/ New): 80,101 / 4806

HOLY CRAP THAT'S SOME LOOOOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG OP

Anyways, back to topic. This is quite a nice idea you got here, but some users might get annoyed on how some song's scores go up/down all of a sudden. This would also make easier songs more scorewhorable, which makes the whole point of difficulty..... weird.

Haseo wrote:

HOLY CRAP THAT'S SOME LOOOOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG OP

Anyways, back to topic. This is quite a nice idea you got here, but some users might get annoyed on how some song's scores go up/down all of a sudden. This would also make easier songs more scorewhorable, which makes the whole point of difficulty..... weird.

The change only makes short songs more score-worthy than before. A short song is not necessarily easier than a longer song (a long song is generally harder when it causes tiredness or when it is longer than a player's attention span), the difficulty that come from songs being long should be included in the difficulty multiplier of the map (not having a mayor effect in the score, since a 60 hits song is can be as hard as a 300 hits song when they have the same star-ranking), the point is that the amount of hits in a song shouldn't increase score in a parabolic way. Also, in the case that people try to achieve score beating difficulties that they can't FC, they should know that that is generally not the most efficient way to get points (in that case these songs should be played mostly for practice, so they improve in the game).

People shouldn't look so much on score...

I like this idea, however it's far to late to change it. People on the first few places will go berserk and kill someone ^^

score is increased with length primarily because sustained performance throughout a long song with many different elements and patterns is often very taxing physically, usually exponentially so than other, shorter beatmaps.

i dont think your proposed score normalisation would help anything, though i do commend you for a well written and thought out post.

i am a score farming pig myself, and i wouldnt care at all since its done for everyone the same way.. might screw up things but thats only motivation to go on

allthough i coincide with ephemeral i like the introduction of another global score chart emphasizing other aspects of the game with another metric

What Ephemeral said is what I was going to post basically. It can't be assumed that a 3 min song is worth the score of 3 seperate 1 min songs. The longer it goes, the more likely you are to break combo, thus ending your fc chance.

Also this might not be the right place to post this, but since I'm not totally off topic... What is the Difficulty multiplier value anyway?

What Ephemeral said. And that it would piss off current high-score holders.

The issue with your formula is that for people who can't FC long tracks, they would get relatively low scores than if they were to play shorter ones. So essentially it's solving a problem while creating another.

If there's a need to make ultra-long tracks to be ranked while ensuring compatibility with existing high scores, what can be done is a new mod to be added that decreases the hit window as the combo multiplier goes up such that it becomes impossible to FC for anyone unless you're a robot from the future or [Insert Name of Osu! #1 player here], and requiring scores achieved using ultra-long tracks to have the use of this mod in order to be submitted. This way, those playing shorter tracks can benefit from this mod while those taking a shot at ultra-long tracks will be facing a brand new challenge.

Hey op, please gtfo (srs)

good idea this totally should be implemented 100% support

would definitely help mitigate the exponential rocketing of scores

I think every songs score should be 3. no more, no less.

Mithost wrote:

I think every songs score should be 3. no more, no less.

this, or a system that the maximum score is propotional to the beatmap rating.

It's a good idea, and I wouldn't mind it... Although as nanashiRei said, the topp player would go nuts, and for this to actually be able to happen... Half of osu's players would lose half of their score... Would you be happy about that? :S

Great idea of scores. But for now, it's too late. Unless you want all Users to agree having their scores reset so that it would be fair for those who have already high EXPs (e.g The Monsters)

Score is probably the last thing i look at while playing osu!, but i guess the idea is right overall. It will certainly affect the ranks, but mainly those who play only long ranked maps, which alone isnt enough to get to the top ranks. Actually, it will make possible to play very long maps on ranked mode, which should be possible from the very start. From what you've listed, there aren't many negative sides of this change and it wont change that long and hard beatmaps are worth playing for those, who want to get high scores. There will still be a high score difference between those who can play them and those who cant.

I can only think of one improvement to be made:
rank all approved maps

bad idea, moving on

furry

no, the scoring now is fine