How to make courses (Course Guide)

[Oni-Paranoia]

Course Guide

Insomnia Finale
Example: Me playing a course

What is a course?

A course is a series of (usually) 4 songs that have modifiers activated and deactivated constantly making it difficult to hit the notes on screen. The modifiers are usually exaggerated to extreme points making it nearly impossible to read the stepchart or lightened just to give playing the game a little flare. (Click vid, watch beginning to understand how a course can look).


Getting Started


1. Make a notepad with the extension ".crs" at the end of it.

Example: Awesomeness.crs
(This is the format StepMania reads courses).

2. Inside the notepad, copy and paste the following... at the very top

#COURSE:(Course name here);
#METER:Regular:(Course difficulty for Normal);
#METER:Difficult:(Course difficulty for Intense);

Example: 

#COURSE:Awesomeness;
#METER:Regular:9;
#METER:Difficult:12;

Course name can be whatever you want. The regular meter is the difficulty on 'Normal' and the difficult meter is the difficulty on 'Intense'.

NOTE: Intense just uses the next harder stepchart above normal (so if normal uses medium charts for it's songs then playing the course on intense will just use the hard charts instead).

3. Inside the notepad, copy and paste the following... at the bottom

#SONG:(song name here):(easiest difficulty allowed here):;

Example: #SONG:Pandemonium:HARD:;

This is how the song is chosen for the course. Labeling the difficulty 'HARD' will allow the 'Normal' difficulty to have the hard chart and the 'Intense' difficulty to have the expert chart.

Do this for 4 songs if you're making a full course. If you're doing this just for whatever sake, then just leave it at that and NOW your song is ready to be modded.


How to add mods

I advise you copy and paste this a numerous amount of times seeing as it is the main line in courses. (I personally copy and paste the line that is shown first and change "LEN" to "END" when I need to but I'll explain that further down.

This is what I call a 'template' for modding songs. 

#MODS:TIME=:LEN=:MODS=
#MODS:TIME=:END=:MODS=

Examples of line's in use: 

#MODS:TIME=52.952:END=57.019:MODS=*16 120% Tipsy;
#MODS:TIME=56.764:LEN=0.400:MODS=*3 No Tipsy;
#MODS:TIME=61.087:END=65.153:MODS=*16 120% Tipsy;
#MODS:TIME=64.899:LEN=0.400:MODS=*3 No Tipsy;
#MODS:TIME=69.221:END=73.287:MODS=*16 120% Tipsy;
#MODS:TIME=73.033:LEN=0.400:MODS=*3 No Tipsy;
#MODS:TIME=77.101:END=77.354:MODS=*10000 9999% Twirl;
#MODS:TIME=77.354:LEN=0.200:MODS=*10000 No Twirl;

NOTE: The quickest way to do this would be to make sure your StepMania is NOT on fast load. Then, when in edit mode, press the 'C' key and choose the course you selected for that song.

This allows changes to your .crs file to appear. Just edit the notepad, save and your changes should take place instantly.


Understanding 'mod lines'

Now I'm going to break this down to a more 'understandable' level.

#MODS: << Locates the line of the mod(s). (If you remove the #, then the mod(s) will not take effect any more).

TIME=00.000: << Start time of the mod(s).

LEN=00.000: << Sets the time for how long you want the mod(s) to run for.
END=00.000: << Sets the time for when you want the mod(s) to end.
NOTE: There can only be one of these (LEN or END) selected in a single line

MODS= << Any thing after this is strictly mods. (A lot of errors usually occur because something after this point is labeled wrong)

* << Consider this a 'times' symbol

*1 << The mod will activate at normal speed.
Raising the value (*8) will make the mod(s) run 8 times faster than normal.
Lowering the value (*0.5) will make the mod(s) take twice as long to complete.

% << Any number before percent is how 'hard' the mod will take effect.
Lowering the % value (22%) will make any mod work lower than it's normal potential.
Lowering the % value to a negative (-35%) will reverse the effect of the mod.
Raising the % value (463%) will make any mod work higher than it's normal potential.

NOTE: No specified percent = 100%. Do NOT use 200% Mini (essentially stealth).

; << Closes mod line.
NOTE: I noticed in some StepManias that it is not mandatory to have that at the end of each line, but I advise it still be placed there to avoid error.

Single mod line example: 
(I am going to take this example and explain it in words).

#MODS:TIME=52.952:END=57.019:MODS=*16 120% Tipsy;

At 52.952 seconds the mod '120% Tipsy' will activate' 16 times faster than 
average and END at 57.019 seconds.

A lot to take in but it's easy once you already know and understand it.


Other things you should know

NOTICE: The following mods will have to be entered using the desired name to the right...

Accel = Boost
Decel = Brake
Drift = Drunk
Float = Tipsy
Random Vanish = R. Vanish

For any of those mods to work use the name to the right (boost, brake etc..) for the mod to work. This is due to ITG and SM using DDR .lua files.

1. If you want a mod to turn on at the exact time you put, use *1000000.
2. Most 'cool' effects consist of multiple mods and many mod lines.
3. This is more time consuming than stepping a song by far (true).
4. You have the power to control the players speed mod (place the number then X afterward (2x) to make the mod work, even speed mods that aren't selectable (0.6748x))
5. Combination's are endless, tricks also lie within each other (Alternate + Split = Cross) so messing around is the best way to go (you just might find something you like).
6. Keep in mind any number can be exaggerated (*100000 or 10000% Dizzy etc..) But it's NOT recommended on mods that will make such an impossible read (tornado, float etc...).
7. All the 'mod lines' must go above the song name and difficulty, not below.
8. If you use a mod line which consist of "no", any mod lines after that can cancel that effect out if you activate the mod that you previously have given "no" to for the given time.
9. 50% Reverse (smooshes the arrows to 0x, iirc)


Mod list

Any [B]speed mods[/B] (0.01x or 5.897x, any speed mod is readable)
[B]Perspective[/B]; Hallway, Overhead, Space, Distant, and Incoming
[B]Acceleration[/B]; Accel, Decel, Wave, Expand, Boomerang
[B]Effect[/B]; Drift, Mini, Flip, Tornado, Float, Beat, Bumpy, Invert
[B]Rotation[/B]; Dizzy, Twirl ([B]ITG3 only)[/B], Roll ([B]ITG3 only[/B])
[B]Appearance[/B]; Hidden, Sudden, Stealth, Blink, Random Vanish
[B][COLOR="Red"]Turn[/COLOR][/B]; Mirror, Left, Right, Shuffle, Super Shuffle ([B]Do not[/B] recommend using) 
[B][COLOR="Red"]Insert[/COLOR][/B]; Little, Wide, Big, Quick, Skippy, Echo, Stomp ([B]Do not[/B] recommend using) 
[B]Scroll[/B]; Reverse, Split, Alternate, Cross, Centered 
[B][COLOR="Red"]Hold[/COLOR][/B]; Planted, Twisted, Floored ([B]Do not[/B] recommend using) 
[B][COLOR="DarkOrange"]Hide[/COLOR][/B]; Dark, Blind, Cover ([B]Do not[/B] recommend using Cover)

Credit
Typed everything for about an hour straight out of mind, then made minor fixes for like 2 hours. (thx to rebound for looking it over and to Halogen for adding some info changes)

P.s. Hope this helps. If anyone needs any other info just PM me.

[i love you]

Re: How to make courses (Course Guide)

This is probably the most simple course guide out there. Very useful information for those who wants to learn how to make courses. If this gets enough attention, it should be stickied for sure.

[TC_Halogen]

Re: How to make courses (Course Guide)

Very nicely done. Much simpler than WinDEU's guide too.

I'd highly recommend teaching people some of the combinations to/not to mix (i.e. flip/invert and/or centered/reverse), as well as adding and explaining what hidden/suddenoffsets do as well.

EDIT: Under your percentages, you need to also let people know that they cannot use, specifically: 200% mini (essentially is stealth), 50% reverse (smooshes the arrows to 0x, iirc); you also can show them tricks with negative mods (like negative mini or negative combinations of flip and invert).

[Oni-Paranoia]

Re: How to make courses (Course Guide)

Very nicely done. Much simpler than WinDEU's guide too.

I'd highly recommend teaching people some of the combinations to/not to mix (i.e. flip/invert and/or centered/reverse), as well as adding and explaining what hidden/suddenoffsets do as well.

EDIT: Under your percentages, you need to also let people know that they cannot use, specifically: 200% mini (essentially is stealth), 50% reverse (smooshes the arrows to 0x, iirc); you also can show them tricks with negative mods (like negative mini or negative combinations of flip and invert).

Not aiming to show combination's, just how to get it done but I'll add in the bottom part.