Garven

Viewpoint: The Current State of Beatmap Moderation

A decline in beatmap moderation activity coupled with decreasing quality is a problem that has been slowly escalating in the community, and needs to be addressed.

When looking through mods and responses from mappers, is a disturbing trend arises: mappers are increasingly only concerned with the rankability of their maps instead of giving thought to overall quality. This combined with mappers pushing new play styles is causing a lot of heated discussion within the mapping and modding community.

From the modder’s perspective, mappers have been getting increasingly stubborn and prideful of their work. They find any suggestions to change patterns outrageous, and unless the problem is an obviously unrankable issue (timing, etc.) opposed to questionably unrankable (slider construction, difficulty curve, etc.) they won’t change their work unless directed to by a MAT/BAT; and even then the staff has to push hard to get changes. This is inefficient and detrimental to general morale, causing lower quality work from all parties.

That said, the quality of the modding itself has also been in decline. It’s understandable when people that are new to modding only point out a few minor things and move on. The problem is that long-standing modders have been producing low-quality mods. These problems are compounded by language barrier issues that crop up in a multinational communities such as this, and misunderstandings occur frequently. This type of modding tends to produce maps that have very little wrong technically, but are of generally low quality. When researching the mods these maps have received I find that most were very simplistic suggestions, such as hit sound and new combo mods, mixed with a few spacing mods. It makes me wonder if people are only looking for high-priority issues when modding instead of looking at the big picture. When such maps are found, upper-level modders essentially end up recommending a remap.

From there you generally get negative reactions, and it becomes more of a hassle for modders and mappers at that point. The modder now has to explain why the map isn’t up to standards, and the mapper is stuck with a the decision of remapping, essentially wiping out all the suggestions of previous modders, or leaving it the same and hoping they will luck out with more lenient upper-level modders. If the remap does occur, this leaves responsibility in the hands of the modder who made the suggestion to help guide the mapper and let them grow. This is a significant investment of time and requires a lot of patience depending on how the mapper interprets the advice given. Of course this means less time modding other map sets, and is another reason for the bottleneck of beatmaps in the bubble list. What little time the moderators in management have to offer towards modding tends to be focused towards the easier-to-mod maps since they won’t require as much time to take care of. Although understandable, this practice is unfair to the lesser-known creators. The goal of this opinion is ultimately to have all maps in a state of good quality, so this pickiness doesn’t happen.

I think a change in attitude from mappers could help a lot here - especially from newer mappers. You should expect to remap your first few creations several times before getting significant progress in the ranking system. Even having to abandon a mapset isn’t unheard of. There seems to be the feeling that anything you create will ultimately go for ranking, regardless of quality. Mappers also need to be open to alternative ideas in their maps, and to take the spirit of a suggestion in check instead of simply saying “yes” or “no”. Consider why the modder gave the suggestion and even if you disagree with that particular implementation. Is there a way you can use it somewhere else in your map? Does it give you an idea of how to make another pattern better? If mappers dug a little deeper into suggestions for their work, it could go a long way to improving map sets, and possibly bring forth new and better ideas.

The final step, then, is to prompt a change in the approach to modding. Instead of focusing on unrankable issues, there needs to be a change in looking at the map sets as a whole. There has been too much focusing on minor details when there are large problems present. Doing grid mods and hit sound mods are pointless when the entire pattern needs to be redone. It’s much better to change the focus up a few levels first. Try asking yourself a few questions while modding: Does the entire map feel like it fits with itself? Rhythms and hit sounding consistent? Difficulty isn’t disproportionate with the music? The new combos and hit sound changes are also important, but looking at the entire picture as to -why- that change is being requested, and explaining that reasoning goes farther than simply telling someone to add a clap here and a whistle there.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that the entire reason for the moderation process is to improve maps to the point of being the best that they can possibly be - not simply making them rankable.

This is all from my perspective though. I’d love to hear from mappers and modders alike to hear their view on the matter, and to pool our efforts together so we can educate those that are involved with the system and improve the maps that keep us coming back time and time again in support of this fantastic game.

Thank you for your time.

【翻译】Garven关于现在Mod界状况的一些观点以及对Mapper/Modder的建议

这篇文是对Garven给我的一篇文章的翻译，他希望把他对当今Mapping界的的一些想法通过一些途径传播给广大Mapper和Modder。于是把他一篇写好的文章发给我后，我在其基础上进行了翻译，这篇文章不代表我的任何观点和看法。

如果有翻译不当的地方请提出修改建议，Garven的原文在帖子的最下方。

由于本文主要面向Mapper和Modder，为了保持术语的原意，故而一些英语名词不予翻译。Player可以参照参考词汇表后阅读本文。

【参考词汇表】

Beatmap: 即osu!里的所有Map（图）
Ranked Map: 获得BAT审核通过的Map
Unrank/Unrankable: 违反ranking rules的因素
Mod/Moderation: 对非Ranked Map提出修改建议的行为
Mapper: 做图者
Modder: 给予非Ranked Map修改意见的人
Timing: 有关一张Map的BPM和Offest是否准确
BAT: Beatmap Appreciation Team
MAT: Modding Assistance Team
Hit sound: 音效
New combo: NC
Pattern: 梗

观点： 如今Beatmap Moderation的状况

如今，mod水准普遍下降和mod数量相对不足的问题正在osu!社区中变得越来越严重，这一现象必须引起足够的重视。

通常，当我们仔细去看mod和mapper的回复时，会发现一个并不乐观的趋势：mapper们越来越只是执着于关心map是符合rank的要求，而不是去想怎么提高他们Map的整体质量。与此相伴的是mapper不断开发新的做图技术(2012是个最典型的例子[这句话我自己加的])，导致了人们在mapping和modding界的强烈争议和讨论(因为这种开发有好有坏[这是我个人的理解])。

从modder的角度看来，mapper们已经变得对他们的map越来越固执，并且对他们的作品过于自负。 除了非常明显的unrankable问题(比如Timing错误)，他们不会修改其他任何来自于modder的建议，并认为那些修改是毫无意义的。他们同样不会修改那些不那么明确的unrankable问题(过于扭曲的slider造型，比如首尾重叠等)，除非有MAT或BAT来要求他们(因为他们有给予bubble和heart的权限，所以mapper为了把他们的图ranked会屈服于这种权限)。甚至有的时候，MAT和BAT也要强硬的要求才能让说服mapper。这种现状本身是低效的，而且对于整个社区的士气和斗志十分有害，而且对于Mod的各个环节都毫无益处。

Mapper的固执和高傲同样意味着modder的mod质量会受到影响从而降低。新modder的能力有限，指出几条非常细小的建议后就无能为力是可以理解的。但问题在于，那些有资历的老modder也一样存在着mod质量过低的问题。老modder们mod质量低有可能是因为语言障碍，尤其是在这个多语言的社区里，不能正确用非母语语言表达意思的问题经常发生(想说的详细的mod因为语言能力有限说不出来，于是mod水平十分低下。)低质量的mod也趋向于出现在那些几乎没有技术错误但质量低下的map里。当我在看这种低质量的map的mod时，我发现绝大多数的建议是过于简化而不深刻的，比如音效建议和NC建议再加上几个间距建议。这让我不禁认为在mod的时候人们只注重那些更明显的细节问题而不是从整体入手。当这种低质量的map由那些更高级的modder经手的时候，他们通常会在mod的结尾推荐mapper去重制他们的map，而不是仔细的提出建议提高他们map的整体水平。

通常Mapper会从中(remap的建议)得到消极的反应，这时这对于mapper和modder而言比遇到困难更加可怕。modder需要解释为什么这张map质量低于标准，mapper也要纠结于是否remap，要么移除来自之前modder的所有mod选择remap，要么留着它们然后侥幸自己能得到高级modder的宽容。如果mapper真的决定要remap，那么这位建议他remap的modder就有责任帮助这位mapper做的更好。这是modder对mapper的一种投资，要花费很多时间和耐心，能换回多少成果要还看mapper对给出帮助和建议的理解程度。同样这意味着mod其他图的时间会因而减少，这也是导致bubbled beatmap数量居高不下的原因之一。因为modder可用于mod的时间十分有限，故而modder更倾向于关注那些容易mod的map，因为mod那些map不需花费大量的时间。虽然这些是可以理解的，但这种倾向对于那些不知名的mapper是不公平的，而此文的目的就在于通过提升map的整体水平而消除这种（不公平的）倾向。

我个人认为改变mapper的态度会对这种情况有很大改善，尤其是对于新mapper们。你们应该做好remap第一张map几次的心理准备，以得到有利于你们map走向rank的关键进步。甚至，不得不放弃一张map也不是没有听说过的事。然而现在人们认为只要map能被ranked，那么图的质量差一些也无所谓。mapper们需要对那些非强制性的建议更开放，去理解modder给出建议的出发点而不是简单地回复改或不改。想想为什么modder会给你这个建议，哪怕你并不同意他的看法。用在这张图的其他地方这个建议会有用吗？Modder给出的建议对于你另一个设计(梗)做得更好有什么帮助吗？如果mapper们更深刻的体会modder对他们map的建议，那么他们的map就可能还有很大的提升潜力，而且可能进一步获得更新更好的点子。

最后一步，需要实行改变modding现状的方法。我们需要更多的注重map的整体，而不是注重于unrankable问题(我个人持保留意见。)当map里仍然存在大问题时，人们太多的关注了那些细节。当某个部分的整个结构都需要重制的时候，让mapper移动note的位置和更改音效是没有意义的。把注意力放在更高层次的问题上会好很多。当你Mod的时候问问你自己：这张图整体感觉是否良好？节奏和音效的完整性呢？map难度和音乐相配吗？NC和音效的变化的确很重要，但是从整体上想想，为什么你要提出这些建议，并且给Mapper解释一下你这么想的依据，而不是简单地告诉他加一个clap在这里，加一个whistle在那里。

综上所述，我还是想重申一遍，Mod的全部意义就在于把map提升到它们可能提升到的极限，而不是简单的让它们rankable。

这是我想说的全部，在这个问题上我很愿意听听Mapper和Modder的观点，把我们做出的努力聚集在一起，这样我们可以用于把这些传授给那些对mapping有兴趣的人，并且提升map的质量。共同努力来推进map系统的进步以支持这个我们所喜爱的游戏

谢谢阅读。

Timing

Before starting with the actual mapping, you need to set a timing. The timing is needed so that your map follows the rhythm of song. Imagine it as a frame on the song’s timeline that represents the rhythm.

3.1 BPM and Offset

Timings basically consist of two parts: BPM and Offset, which will be introduced here.

BPM (beats per minute) is the basic speed parameter of a song. As the name implies, it is a measure of how many beats are included in every minute. Thus a higher BPM results in a faster song. Common BPMs are ranged between 120bpm and 200bpm (not sure about these values, so correct me). While 100bpm might appear to be the same as 200bpm technical wise, keep in mind that fast songs should get higher BPMs and slow songs lower BPMs.

Additional to this you will also need a reference point for your timing: the offset. The offset defines a point at which the rhythm of the song is starting, from which your BPM will be applied to the rest of the map. Offsets are usually referred to in full milliseconds and can as well be negative (e.g. -232ms). Please set the offset on the downbeat.

Both, BPM and offset are visible in the timeline:

BPM is indicated by the space between the white bars (you can’t directly read the BPM by looking at the timeline, though)

Offset is indicated by a large red bar and represents the start of a timing section

While many songs only consist of one timing section with constant BPM, you might come across some songs that either need readjusting of the offset, or even maps with fluctuating tempo. In the latter case you need to set multiple timing sections with different BPMs. It might be very hard to find the correct offset and BPM for every timing section even for more experienced mappers. Songs that require you to set an offset for every single beat (which isn’t such a rare case with piano songs) are neither really timeable nor predictable while playing.

Thus it is recommended to use songs with simple timings if you are just starting out..

Finding the timing for your map

Now that you have a good basis for what we will be looking for in timing, you can to apply this knowledge to a more practical purpose: timing your song. Timing takes time, patience, and practice, but it is a fundamental skill to have concerning creating content for a rhythm game.

There are a few tools available to you to help time your map as accurately as possible. When you first open your new map, you will be prompted to time it correctly, and the editor will automatically open the timing tab (F3). The easiest way to get a general idea of the timing is to let the song start playing and click the Tap Here! button in the upper right corner to the beat of the music. osu! will approximate the BPM and offset as you click, so make sure that you click as close to the beat as possible. The longer you click, the more precise osu! will set the BPM. The metronome will tick to the music while the song plays so listen carefully so that the ticks line up with the beat of the song.

<Picture of click timing button>

Once you think you have a fairly close BPM (osu! will average the BPM to your clicking rate) you can open the timing menu by either clicking on BPM value or by hitting F6, and then tweak the BPM until it stays steady with the tempo.

<Picture of timing tab>

Hint: You can use ctrl or alt + click on the GUI to adjust by larger or smaller increments

To make sure that your BPM is correct, it’s best to skip ahead further in the song and see if the metronome is still with the beat that you set earlier. Some good points to keep an ear out for are when there are section changes such as when the chorus starts. A good rule of thumb is to check about every 25% of the song to see if the metronome is correct. Also, remember: most modern music will have a flat (no decimal points) and steady BPM, so keep that in mind when finding your initial BPM.

If you’re unfamiliar with this sort of concept and are having a hard time getting a solid value, don’t give up! It’s hard at first, but once you practice on a few songs, you’ll find it start to come natural. If you absolutely stumped, you can always ask for help in-game in the #modhelp channel and if someone is available, they can help you out or test to make sure everything as it should be. There are also forum threads available to assist in timing here (timing queue) and here (general modding queues). Please be patient when asking for help, as this is generally fairly time-intensive.

Note: There are automated tools for finding the BPM in music files, but it is not recommended to rely on these. Use them more as a supplementary tool to help determine the BPM when initially timing your map.

Once you have the BPM set, you can start adjusting the offset. Be sure that you have your universal offset (UO) correct before doing this. You can find your UO by checking out this beatmap and following the instructions there.

Let the metronome play during the music - it’s best to listen during a part in the music with a strong percussion backing (especially higher-pitched hits that peak immediately instead of lower-pitched hits that have more of a delay before peaking). Adjust the offset until it sounds like you are spot-on with the music. Now slow the music down to 50% playback and adjust again. Once you think you’re precisely on, slow it down to 25% and repeat. This will give you a good offset to work with until you have some hitobjects placed so you can play test your map and do further adjustments as needed. Keep in mind that if you are using Windows 7, you can only time by ear to an accuracy of 10ms. Use play testing to augment what you hear so that you can get the more accurate offset.

When play testing your map, it’s best to test on a difficulty that you feel comfortable playing - not something too difficult or too easy/sparse on hit objects. Play test multiple sections in the map and check your average timing in the upper left corner during play. Ideally you want to shoot for 0ms, but +-5ms is generally acceptable.

All of this is assuming you are working with a song with a constant BPM. If you are working with a song that has a fluctuating BPM (such as a live recording), or a song that has slower or faster sections, then you will have to do some additional work to time the song correctly, such as adding more uninherited BPM sections.

To add a new uninherited timing section (shown as a red line in the scrubbing timeline) you will have to do a few things. First, go to the spot in the music where you suspect there is an offset or BPM change. Open the timing sections window by hitting F6.

<picture of timing window>
You will need to click the green + which adds an inherited section (green line on the timeline) that will be based off the currently selected timing section. Once you have added this new section, unselect the “inherit section” check box to turn this into a red line. Be sure to also click on the “set to current time” to be sure that you’re adding the section at the same spot in the timeline that the player is currently at.
From here, return to the F3 timing tab and repeat the steps earlier minus the clicking tool. You will have to guess and check until you find a suitable tempo and work from there. Repeat until you have the entire song timed as best as you can.

Hit object placement and rhythm go hand-in-hand when it comes to creating a beatmap, but placement has to cede to rhythm as it is difficult to set up a great pattern without the pieces with which to build it. The rhythm that you choose to use for your beatmap will be the backbone for the entire play experience, so you need to be sure that you drink responsibly and in a consistent manner so that you can convey to the player what you found to be the prominent feature of the music.
The objects that you have at your disposal are the hit circle, the slider, and the spinner. Each of these objects have a tendency to be used for specific purposes, though it can be changed around depending on how it is used.

Hit Circle: For basic rhythms, strong hits, and general want of emphasis for that point in the music.
Slider: For when you want to emphasize a sustained note, or simplify the play of a rhythm without going beyond the restriction of the difficulty level
Spinner: For when you have a sustained note that has a larger emphasis on the end rather than the beginning, or a gradual change of intensity in the music.

Note: This is only the main theory for their use
In general, there are two main rhythms that people focus on when mapping: The percussion and the vocals/melody line. Both of these are the most prominent in most modern music, and you couldn’t go wrong by trying to follow these when setting up your initial rhythms. Don’t forget, though, that variety is the spice of life. If you map primarily to one of these, don’t forget about all the other rhythms in the music. Feel free to make small nods to the other rhythms in the music when is suits (usually when the current phrase has finished up, or another portion of the music overpowers what you are currently mapping to momentarily) as variety is the spice of life and keeps your beatmap interesting.
Mapping to percussion primarily can give you certain liberties compared to lyric/melody rhythms. Percussion gives you a lot more beats to work with to make your map more challenging, but percussion also has a tendency to be incredibly repetitive due to the nature of how the sound is used in music. In that respect, you will have to keep vigilant to give some rhythmic diversity to your maps. This is especially true for Easy and Normal difficulties since as it is very tempting to just place all hit objects on the beat and call it Easy. Playing on the beat for the entire song is not a good representation of the music in most cases, and consequentially is generally very boring to play. Keep things diverse and interesting for the player, and this will also help to feature the music and hopefully make it that much more special to the player. Just be sure to not over-do it in the harder difficulties. Sometimes simplifying a complex rhythm is best from a game play point of view.
Once you get going with a focus on percussion, the large majority of your hit objects should be circles since most of your emphasis are going to be following strikes within the music. Use sliders for when you intermittently follow the melody line between less-intense parts of the percussion or if there are faster rhythms that would play better without using a high concentration of circles

If you decide to primarily map with the vocals or melody line, the small mention of listening for other parts of the music is a must. Usually there are gaps between phrases that should be filled in so that there isn’t too much dead space. Remember, this is a game first and foremost. You want to entertain the player - not leave them wanting with intermittent fun and boredom for a few minutes while they play your map.