FFR Suggestions

[bmah]

Re: FFR Suggestions

A suggestion about front page posts: I find it more interactive if there's a screenshot/picture/something else interesting other than just a verbal announcement. If you look through the past years of FFR's front page posts, you'll notice that many of them frequently included pictures (or some other form of media). Tass used to often find pictures relevant to bands/artists and post them when a song of theirs was featured on the front page.

The banner for "A Week of Trick or Treat" is a nice start. When I flip back through the history of FFR, I'll remember those times a lot better. Not only the past, but it's visually more appealing for visitors of the present (and it may help get them involved in front page events/discussions).

[ic0slay3r]

Re: FFR Suggestions

A suggestion about front page posts: I find it more interactive if there's a screenshot/picture/something else interesting other than just a verbal announcement. If you look through the past years of FFR's front page posts, you'll notice that many of them frequently included pictures (or some other form of media). Tass used to often find pictures relevant to bands/artists and post them when a song of theirs was featured on the front page.

The banner for "A Week of Trick or Treat" is a nice start. When I flip back through the history of FFR, I'll remember those times a lot better. Not only the past, but it's visually more appealing for visitors of the present (and it may help get them involved in front page events/discussions).

I think I suggested this not so long ago, not sure where, but I know I posted it somewhere. (or maybe thought about post it xD)

anyways +1 cause it will give so live to the main page.

[Emithith]

Re: FFR Suggestions

+1 too. Sounds like an old gem for the site that needs to come back.

[Zekramcross]

Re: FFR Suggestions

A suggestion would be making the level ranks based off raw scoring.
I really don't see the point on making it off combo scoring if every time I imporve raw my rank doesn't lower just because I didn't go over my previous combo.

[bmah]

Re: FFR Suggestions

I've explained this several times already, but FFR has taken its combo-scoring idea as a unique aspect of its identity, despite this "unique" characteristic being really the product of bad planning. So as strange as it is, FFR will pretty much retain their combo-based scoring.

If people wanted FFR to go off of raw scoring, that would've have to been done long ago. Now, you're dealing with a huge database of scores that you'd need to change, not to mention that people have put a lot of effort into playing with this style of scoring.

[Emo_Saur_]

Re: FFR Suggestions

Timestamp in level ranks on what date you got the score. It'd help a lot for tournaments, maybe if you forgot to SS the score or whatever.

[Emithith]

Re: FFR Suggestions

another one, it would probably be nice to have at the bottom of your levelranks a percentage of how many songs you have played (out of how many songs are ingame (I said out of never played before, but that was wrong. >_>; ))

Some minor suggestion here. Song of the day? Double credits earned? Promoting songs?

No, I think he means a song of the day which you can play for double credits. It would Promote the song.

[Netjet!]

Re: FFR Suggestions

As for the pictures in fp posts, I'll bring it up for you guys.

[Hutchingame]

Re: FFR Suggestions

I suggest adding an option to download your replays at some point, that would be nice.

Just thought I would mention it, sorry if it already was, because it would be a nice feature imo ^_^V

[Velocity]

Re: FFR Suggestions

I suggest adding an option to download your replays at some point, that would be nice.

Just thought I would mention it, sorry if it already was, because it would be a nice feature imo ^_^V

Not possible. Unless you mean just the text files used to playback, then maybe.

[TC_Halogen]

Re: FFR Suggestions

While it might not be possible to save the actual visual of the replay, you can save the replay code on the Velocity engine.

Play your song, and once you get your desired result, press the key that you have mapped for "Menu" in your settings, click Replay, and the click the Copy button for the song that you want.

Copy this code to a text document, save it, and you can load it whenever you want by pasting it into the dialog box you see when you go back to the Replay menu.

EDIT: You would ninja me.

[alloyus]

Re: FFR Suggestions

I already implemented a version of this on the offline engines for Dossar's tournament, but it would be cool to display the simfile artist on the result screen along with the song artist.

Absolute yes.

[TC_Halogen]

Re: FFR Suggestions

I already implemented a version of this on the offline engines for Dossar's tournament, but it would be cool to display the simfile artist on the result screen along with the song artist.

I noticed that. It's a good idea -- perhaps you can move the song artist line up a tiny bit so make room for a new line containing the stepartist? Leaving it immediately next to the song artist doesn't look very aesthetically pleasing.

[justin_ator]

Re: FFR Suggestions

raskanally, as I do agree with the idea and what you've thrown together, I think that it should probably be approached slightly differently or at least have more to it. I think something that would be a HUGE plus would be to make a template like the old FFR Permission template where we set it up for users to have an easier time first REQUESTING permission, THEN going about obtaining it. So perhaps if we did something along the lines of this, set up in a link placed somewhere easily accessible?

Basically, something that looked like the sticky that was created a bit back, that laid it out very simply. I've modified things a little bit, and included raskanally's link (whether we decided that form was what we wanted to use or not is obviously not a final decision I make).

Obtaining Permission from Artists for FFR

When trying to obtain permission from artists' songs for use in FFR, there are a few essential points that you need to keep in mind.

1. Be accurate.

Before you even begin to try to get a permission you have to make sure that all of your information is accurate and correct. Make sure that you have the right author / song title / album title (where applicable). Make sure it's not a remix or something like that which could get FFR in trouble with the original author who never gave permission for the remix in the first place.

The other reason for accuracy is so that you show the recipient of the email that you know what you are talking about.

2. Ask the right questions.

Depending on what you are going for you will need to use a different approach. Not every permission request is the same, since sometimes you will need to contact a record label, an artist, or a group affiliated with an artist. Each situation will require a different approach and these will be covered briefly below.

IF you are asking an independent artist / group for their permission then go to step 3a.

IF you are asking a signed artist / group for their permission or a record label for any artist at all then go to step 3b.

3. Asking for Permission

This is obviously the most important step, as this is the whole goal of your endeavor. In order to ensure your success, we recommend the following templates, but you do NOT have to adhere to them by any means.

In your requests, in general, we recommend that you include:
-Your name, introduce yourself. Let them know you have an interest in their music.
-Information about FFR; the web address, member count, perhaps the gist of the game.
-A link to the Permissions thread, and perhaps a link to the current songlist in game, so they can view artists in FFR.
-Ask for permission to use songs. Specify if you want blanket permission, or if you just want to use certain songs.
-(IF ON RECORD LABEL) Tell the artist you sent the request to their label as well, and let the label know you have shown interest to the artist. This keeps them on the same page.
-MAKE SURE you include that the game is non-profit for the songs, and that they cannot be downloaded on the site.
-Thank them for their time, and give them an invitation to ask if they have questions.

3a. Independent Artist / Group

The beauty about independent artists is that they have no record company or label (or they own the label themselves) and so you only need to send one email.

Make sure to be absolutely certain that they don't have a label. Once you are certain try to find a contact address for them. This could either be an email or a letter. Some good places to check for contact points for independent artists are wikipedia, their official website, or myspace (or similar musical outlets such as last.fm).

Once you have an email address you can send the email to them. The template we recommend is here:

Dear (band / artist name).

My name is (your name). I'm wondering if I could have a minute of your time to request permission to use (songs / whatever) in a free online rhythm game called FlashFlashRevolution. The website is www.flashflashrevolution.com.

FFR is an online rhythm based game where you hit arrows in time with music. The music is streamed and both the game and music cannot be downloaded. FFR was started in 2002 and we currently have over 1.7 million users.

The full list of artists we have permission for can be seen in the following link:
http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...d.php?t=115492

The full list of artists that have songs in the game can also be found at that link, and the songs in game can be viewed at this link:
http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...s/FFRSongs.php

FFR is a free-to-play website and does not earn any money from these songs. We do not sell or redistribute the music either. Your music will not be sold or available for download.

I feel that if we got your permission to use your songs on our website then we would be able to get more people into your music and that we would have some incredible files for people to play.

In conclusion, I am writing for permission to use your songs on FlashFlashRevolution.com. You do not have to permit whole albums, even a song or two would be enough if that is all you want to offer.

(Alternative for the above paragraph: Ask for specific songs or albums that you want, for example:In conclusion, I am writing for permission to "song 1" and "song 3" on FlashFlashRevolution.com. I feel that these songs would be an amazing addition to FFR and I hope that you will give permission for these two songs).

If you have any more questions regarding my request, or have any other questions at all then please email me at the following address:

(your email)

I look forward to a reply in the future. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

(your name)

3b. Signed Artist / Group

This does vary from label to label but ultimately your final email will be around the same. The first thing to do is find out which label the artist or group is with. This can most likely be found on wikipedia.

Secondly, you need to go to the label's website and see if you can find any "terms of service" or "artist / license request" forms or information on either. These will usually give you information on how a label feels about distributing the music of their artists. It can also tell you if the label will expect royalties for anything to do with any of their artists.

If you can't find anything like this then you can move on. If you do find a form, and it doesn't mention royalties, then you should use that form to apply for request for music to be put into FFR.

If none of the above is applicable then you'll need to move on to emails.

The ideal route is to send two emails. One to the artist / group and one to the record label. If a band is linked with multiple labels and you aren't sure which label is the right one for what you are asking permission for, then you may have to email every single label and explain the situation.

The following emails are what we suggest as templates for your two emails:

Template for band / artist email:

Dear (band / artist name).

My name is (your name). I'm wondering if I could have a minute of your time to request permission to use (songs / whatever) in a free online rhythm game called FlashFlashRevolution. The website is www.flashflashrevolution.com.

FFR is an online rhythm based game where you hit arrows in time with music. The music is streamed and both the game and music cannot be downloaded. FFR was started in 2002 and we currently have over 1.7 million users.

The full list of artists we have permission for can be seen in the following link:
http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...d.php?t=115492

The full list of artists that have songs in the game can also be found at that link, and the songs in game can be viewed at this link:
http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...s/FFRSongs.php

May I just take a moment to say that FFR is a free-to-play website and FFR does not earn any money from these songs. We do not sell or redistribute the music either. Your music will not be sold or made available for download.

I feel that if we got your permission to use your songs on our website then we would be able to get more people into your music and that we would have some incredible files for people to play.

I understand that you are with (record label) and I have sent an email to them as well to request this permission, but I thought it would be fair to email you as well, especially as this is your music I am requesting. I am especially interested in (song / album) and hope that you can give permission for us to use it or tell me what way I should go about requesting this permission from your record label.

I just want to repeat that we will not make any money out of this. If you give us permission then we will buy the (album / song) ourselves. As well as that, with your (song / album) in FFR you will get free publicity and hopefully more people will come to appreciate your music as I do.

In conclusion, I am writing for permission to use (song / album) on FlashFlashRevolution.com. You do not have to permit everything I've asked for, even a song or two would be greatly appreciated.

If you have any more questions regarding my request, or have any other questions at all then please email me at the following address:

(your email)

I look forward to a reply in the future. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

(your name)

Template for Record Label email:

Dear (record label).

My name is (your name). I'm wondering if I could have a minute of your time to request permission to use (songs / whatever) in a free online rhythm game called FlashFlashRevolution. The website is www.flashflashrevolution.com.

FFR is an online rhythm based game where you hit arrows in time with music. The music is streamed and both the game and music cannot be downloaded. FFR was started in 2002 and we currently have over 1.7 million users.

The full list of artists we have permission for can be seen in the following link:
http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...d.php?t=115492

The full list of artists that have songs in the game can also be found at that link, and the songs in game can be viewed at this link:
http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...s/FFRSongs.php

May I just take a moment to say that FFR is a free-to-play website and FFR does not earn any money from these songs. We do not sell or redistribute the music either. If any permission is given then we will buy the albums / songs ourselves and we don't make any money out of this. On the other hand, the artists you allow permission for will get free publicity on our website and it may entice more people to buy their albums.

I feel that if we got your permission to use your songs on our website then we would have some incredible files for people to play. Permission for even one or two songs from one artist would still be greatly appreciated.

In conclusion, I am writing for permission to use (song / album / artist) on FlashFlashRevolution.com. However, as I've said, you do not have to permit everything I've asked for, even a song or two from any artist would be greatly appreciated.

If you have any more questions regarding my request, or have any other questions at all then please email me at the following address:

(your email)

I look forward to a reply in the future. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

(your name)

4. Results, and Responses

No, you're not done, what were you thinking??

This is the most important part, how will everything turn out. There are various possibilities and ways to handle the results. Run through them to find the one that applies to you.

4a. An artist / band says yes to your request.
If this is the case then well done. You've got a permission. You can use the following email if you wish:

Dear (artist / band)

Thank you for your permission to use (whatever they offered). This is greatly appreciated and I'll let FFR know shortly. If you would like, once a song has been put into the game I can email you again to give you a link for the final result?

Again, I just want to say thank you for your permission.

In order to verify the authenticity of this email, would you be able to fill out the form at the following link to say that you do give permission for (song / album):

http://raskanally.webs.com/FFRForm.html

Thank you!

Sincerely,

(your name)

4b. An artist / band says no to your request.
No worries, it happens. Still send them another email. Again a template for you:

Dear (artist / band)

I'm sorry to hear that you won't give permission for (whatever) but I want to just thank you for replying to my email.

Good luck in the future and I look forward to future (songs / albums).

Sincerely,

(your name)

4c. An artist / band doesn't reply.
Give it at least a week. If you hear no reply then just send another email. Something along the lines of:

Dear (artist / band)

I am writing to you again with regards to the email I sent you on (date) about permission for (song / album) to be used in our free online rhythm game at www.flashflashrevolution.com.

I understand that you must be very busy but if I could just have a moment of your time then I would really appreciate a reply to that email. Even if the email is only to say why you can or cannot give permission, that in itself would be enough.

Thanks again for your time and I hope to hear a reply shortly.

Sincerely,

(your name)

4d. A record label replies saying yes.
Again, congratulations, but still be polite and send another email to the record label, something like:

Dear (record label / or person's name if someone personally emailed you)

Thank you very much for your permission to use (song / album / artist), I will let FFR know shortly. Once that happens we will start the process of getting steps put to the music and after a few months hopefully a file will be added to the game.

Once again I want to thank you for your permission and for taking the time to reply to my email.

In order to verify the authenticity of this email, would you be able to fill out the form at the following link to say that you do give permission for (artist / band/ song / album):

http://raskanally.webs.com/FFRForm.html

Thank you!

Sincerely,

(your name)

4e. A record label replies saying no.
Be polite still:

Dear (record label / or person's name if someone personally emailed you)

I understand your reasons for not allowing permission but want to thank you for replying to my email.

I wish you and all of your artists the best of luck in the future.

Sincerely,

(your name)

4f. A record label doesn't reply.
This is probably the most likely case as most record labels are gay like that. If anything, you should still try to send a follow-up email:

Dear (record label)

I am writing to you again with regards to the email I sent you on (date) about permission for (song / album / artist) to be used in our free online rhythm game at www.flashflashrevolution.com.

I understand that you must be very busy but if I could just have a moment of your time then I would really appreciate a reply to that email. Even if the email is only to say why you can or cannot give permission, that in itself would be enough.

Thanks again for your time and I hope to hear a reply shortly.

Sincerely,

(your name)

5. Let FFR Know

If you obtained permission from the artist, be sure to let us know and provide your proof here:
http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/...d.php?t=115492

The large majority of this goes to TheRapingDragon, from his 2008 sticky haha. I updated some info, added a few things, fixed some grammar/sentence structure, etc. Most of this was his though, don't give me praise.

I think this needs to be accessible, so people are sensible about obtaining permission for song use if they are new to it. I don't think that TheRapingDragon's thread is stickied anymore, and it's long lost.

[justin_ator]

Re: FFR Suggestions

Perhaps a dialogue box that appears the first time you click the "Legacy" genre, that briefly warns and explains to the player about the blue note syndrome and off-sync charts (and a line saying that it will remain as part of FFR history), along with a small check box that says "Do not show me this message again". The sticky thread in the forums that covers this is rarely checked by first-time players, and will reduce threads about "off-sync charts", "why are some songs blue", and "please re-sync/fix [song name]".

Legacy Genre Note:

This genre contains all the songs that were added to FFR in its early stages of development. The files are completely composed of blue notes, and are, in many cases, not synchronized properly with the song. Due to the fact that these songs are part of FFR's history, they will not be changed or fixed. Thank you for your understanding.

[] Do not show this message again.

I'm on a roll, figured I'd knock this out too since I agree with it lol.


Sorry about the double post, wanted to keep the two ideas separate. Don't get on me for it please >.>