To Note
This is my first time making a guide so please bear with me. I know Vararaup has made a Flashlight Guide already but I wanted to make one myself. I'm not as popular as Vararaup nor am I as an amazing Flashlight player as he is but I want to give players my insight of it.
This is my first time making a guide so please bear with me. I know Vararaup has made a Flashlight Guide already but I wanted to make one myself. I'm not as popular as Vararaup nor am I as an amazing Flashlight player as he is but I want to give players my insight of it.
Introduction
The purpose of this guide is to help any player that is interested in playing Flashlight.
First off, flashlight isn’t just memory. If you think otherwise, I hope I could change your mind.
Before you even start playing Flashlight, I will say that most people are not going to pick up Flashlight skill instantly. (I will talk about what that skill is below.) It takes a lot of practice, time, and dedication to build up skill. As a player that has played Flashlight for about a year now, I believe starting off with flashlight is the hardest step. Something as “simple” as an Easy or Normal diff will become harder to learn.
Keep in mind star rating can be irrelevant at times. For example, a high star 30 second jump map tends to be much easier than a Normal or Hard difficulty.
The purpose of this guide is to help any player that is interested in playing Flashlight.
First off, flashlight isn’t just memory. If you think otherwise, I hope I could change your mind.
Before you even start playing Flashlight, I will say that most people are not going to pick up Flashlight skill instantly. (I will talk about what that skill is below.) It takes a lot of practice, time, and dedication to build up skill. As a player that has played Flashlight for about a year now, I believe starting off with flashlight is the hardest step. Something as “simple” as an Easy or Normal diff will become harder to learn.
Keep in mind star rating can be irrelevant at times. For example, a high star 30 second jump map tends to be much easier than a Normal or Hard difficulty.
What is Flashlight?
Flashlight is a mod that restricts your play view of a map. That’s it.
At 100x combo, the play view is 1/2 of what it was at 0x combo.
At 200x combo, the play view is 1/4 of what it was at 0x combo.
Keep in mind:
The area of vision does not gradually get smaller to 100x or 200x.
The area of vision does not get smaller after 200x.
The area of vision gets dimmed after holding onto a slider.
Flashlight is a mod that restricts your play view of a map. That’s it.
At 100x combo, the play view is 1/2 of what it was at 0x combo.
At 200x combo, the play view is 1/4 of what it was at 0x combo.
Keep in mind:
The area of vision does not gradually get smaller to 100x or 200x.
The area of vision does not get smaller after 200x.
The area of vision gets dimmed after holding onto a slider.
Skills
Players who don't play the mod at all or regularly will get the common misconception that Flashlight only requires memory. There are some assets needed for FL.
Sight read: The majority of flashlight players are sight read players. If you look at any Easy diff map (Around 1*-2*), they are usually full of 4 mod scores done by people who has played or never played FL before. Why you may ask? Easy maps tend to require little to no effort in memorization. There are some exceptions to this though. Players playing Easy maps rely on their sight reading skills to be able to FC those maps. The better your sight reading is, the easier higher difficulty maps (2.01*+) become.
Mental Strength / Patience: Unless it's an Easy map, do not expect to instantly FC a map with FL. The progress to an FC takes time, even for high level FL players. It could take many hours to many months. The amount of stress and pressure to be able to do a perfect or lucky run is immense. This is why many players will give up on the map they are attempting and never touch it again. A common reasoning is that the amount of stress to do a map is not worth their time / mental strength. If you don't have patience, you will not succeed.
Memory: A key thing to remember are "blind notes". These notes mean having a combo at a place outside the FL area of vision. If there are follow points leading to online the visual area, follow it and try to time your tap to the music. If there are no follow points, either memorize where to tap/aim at it or muscle memory. I would not recommend muscle memory though since if you "feel" the map the wrong way, you'd only be making the same mistakes and wasting attempts.
Players who don't play the mod at all or regularly will get the common misconception that Flashlight only requires memory. There are some assets needed for FL.
Sight read: The majority of flashlight players are sight read players. If you look at any Easy diff map (Around 1*-2*), they are usually full of 4 mod scores done by people who has played or never played FL before. Why you may ask? Easy maps tend to require little to no effort in memorization. There are some exceptions to this though. Players playing Easy maps rely on their sight reading skills to be able to FC those maps. The better your sight reading is, the easier higher difficulty maps (2.01*+) become.
Mental Strength / Patience: Unless it's an Easy map, do not expect to instantly FC a map with FL. The progress to an FC takes time, even for high level FL players. It could take many hours to many months. The amount of stress and pressure to be able to do a perfect or lucky run is immense. This is why many players will give up on the map they are attempting and never touch it again. A common reasoning is that the amount of stress to do a map is not worth their time / mental strength. If you don't have patience, you will not succeed.
Memory: A key thing to remember are "blind notes". These notes mean having a combo at a place outside the FL area of vision. If there are follow points leading to online the visual area, follow it and try to time your tap to the music. If there are no follow points, either memorize where to tap/aim at it or muscle memory. I would not recommend muscle memory though since if you "feel" the map the wrong way, you'd only be making the same mistakes and wasting attempts.
Skin
I wouldn't consider a skin to be a factor in playing FL to be honest with you since it's all preference. The only thing that I think should be used are visible follow points, a noticeable slider follow circle, and visible hitcircles.
I wouldn't consider a skin to be a factor in playing FL to be honest with you since it's all preference. The only thing that I think should be used are visible follow points, a noticeable slider follow circle, and visible hitcircles.
Where to start
For beginners, play Easy difficulty maps without HD. Approach rate circles when they spawn, are way bigger than the hit circles. It's a good way to start practicing sight reading. If you feel comfortable with that, add HD.
HD makes FL much harder due to the fading sliders and the absence of approach circles to aid you where you are aiming. Adding HD will boost your memory consistently as you fc more and more of Easy maps. From then on, it's the same with Normal maps.
For Hard difficulty maps and above, I would recommend FL, HRFL, or DT(NC)FL. Adding HD is optional since they are some much more complex in patterns, styles, etc. If you want to play FL casual, stick with Easy and Normal maps. If not, take on higher difficulties of FL and see where you go with it.
For beginners, play Easy difficulty maps without HD. Approach rate circles when they spawn, are way bigger than the hit circles. It's a good way to start practicing sight reading. If you feel comfortable with that, add HD.
HD makes FL much harder due to the fading sliders and the absence of approach circles to aid you where you are aiming. Adding HD will boost your memory consistently as you fc more and more of Easy maps. From then on, it's the same with Normal maps.
For Hard difficulty maps and above, I would recommend FL, HRFL, or DT(NC)FL. Adding HD is optional since they are some much more complex in patterns, styles, etc. If you want to play FL casual, stick with Easy and Normal maps. If not, take on higher difficulties of FL and see where you go with it.
Trouble doing the first 200x combo
Remember, the first 200x combo are free. If you feel it is hard to combo the first 200x by itself, then you have to improve your raw skill first. Unless if you’re begging for a high playcount, I wouldn’t suggest it.
Remember, the first 200x combo are free. If you feel it is hard to combo the first 200x by itself, then you have to improve your raw skill first. Unless if you’re begging for a high playcount, I wouldn’t suggest it.
Memorizing high combo
Knowledge about editing a beatmap is not required but highly recommended. There's two ways I like to do it.
First way: Check the part I'm messing up on in the editor.
It gives me an idea of where to aim and time the notes.
For HR, use ctrl+a, ctrl j, to see how the map flows at that particular part.
Second way: Practice difficulties
If you have trouble memorizing, add a 200x combo slider with 1/16 beat before the part you want to practice. It will help you memorize that specific part. I recommend doing this before or after a "break" period of the song. Practice diffs aren't really needed unless you are playing a very difficult map to FL at your skill level.
Knowledge about editing a beatmap is not required but highly recommended. There's two ways I like to do it.
First way: Check the part I'm messing up on in the editor.
It gives me an idea of where to aim and time the notes.
For HR, use ctrl+a, ctrl j, to see how the map flows at that particular part.
Second way: Practice difficulties
If you have trouble memorizing, add a 200x combo slider with 1/16 beat before the part you want to practice. It will help you memorize that specific part. I recommend doing this before or after a "break" period of the song. Practice diffs aren't really needed unless you are playing a very difficult map to FL at your skill level.
HDFL vs FL
Keep in mind that FL and HDFL are totally different. On some maps, it would feel quite easy to do with FL but it doesn’t mean HDFL will be easy as well.
Keep in mind that FL and HDFL are totally different. On some maps, it would feel quite easy to do with FL but it doesn’t mean HDFL will be easy as well.
General tips
Some things I like to say are follow the mapper's rhythm and get used to playing in the dark (200+ combo).
If you're playing a long map, most of the time, the kiai rhythms are the same but the notes are in a different place.
Some maps have very large distance spacing so if you're having trouble on those, play maps where the distance spacing is lower and work your way up from there.
Keep on practicing!!
Some things I like to say are follow the mapper's rhythm and get used to playing in the dark (200+ combo).
If you're playing a long map, most of the time, the kiai rhythms are the same but the notes are in a different place.
Some maps have very large distance spacing so if you're having trouble on those, play maps where the distance spacing is lower and work your way up from there.
Keep on practicing!!
No motivation
Don't play FL and use this time to explore different things in the game. Try a new game mode, play different mods, or even map a song. I see FL as a mod that requires more of your "mind power" over skill. If you're not in the right mindset, don't force yourself to play the mod. Just enjoy the game as much as possible.
Don't play FL and use this time to explore different things in the game. Try a new game mode, play different mods, or even map a song. I see FL as a mod that requires more of your "mind power" over skill. If you're not in the right mindset, don't force yourself to play the mod. Just enjoy the game as much as possible.
Conclusion
Well, that’s about all I can think about Flashlight at the moment. I hope I can at least someone with this guide. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.
Well, that’s about all I can think about Flashlight at the moment. I hope I can at least someone with this guide. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.
