I searched the whole teamliquid and only 2 of the same thread title appeared. Both were more than 2 months old so I decided to create a new thread about it.[/i]
The primary game type features the following game play: as arrows scroll upwards on the screen, they meet a normally stationary set of target arrows. When they do, the player presses the corresponding arrows on his or her keyboard or dance mat. The moving arrows meet the targets based on the beat of the song. Stepmania strongly utilizes a player's sense of rhythm in its game play. The game is scored based upon how accurately the player can trigger the arrows in time to the beat of the song. The player's efforts are awarded by letter grades and a number score that tell him/her how well they have done. An award of AAAA (quadruple A) is the highest possible award available on a standard installation and indicates that a player has triggered all arrows with "marvelous" timing (within 0.0225 seconds under official settings) and avoided all mines and completed all hold arrows. However, a patch is available that provides "ridiculous" timing (within a window of 0.01125 seconds, or half the timing of marvelous) and a top grade of AAAAA (quintuple A). An E indicates failure for a player to survive the length of the song without completely draining his/her life bar. Default scoring and grading for Stepmania is almost identical to scoring in Dance Dance Revolution; however, timing and scoring settings can easily be changed.
StepMania allows for several input options. Specialized adapters that connect console peripherals like PS2 and Xbox controllers or dance pads to one's computer can be used. Alternatively, and most popularly, the keyboard can be used to tap out the rhythms using arrow or other keys. Many song charts designed for keyboard are unable to be passed using a pad. In addition, the game possesses the capability to emulate other music games, such as Beatmania itself, o2Jam and DJMAX's 7-key arrangement, Pump It Up and Techno Motion - but scoring however, remains identical to DDR-style play, although some have found a way to change the scoring method to a Pump it Up style.
In general, it is a game played on keyboard usually involving only 4 keys.
After playing Stepmania for little over a month, I started to realise my APM rising quickly. A month ago, it averaged at 80 APM for the whole game - pretty standard for a diamond level player in StarCraft 2. Recently, when I opened my replays to analyse them, I realised my APM averaged at about 135. (Thats a whooping 55 APM increase!) This discovery lead me to find out that stepmania improves one's finger reflexes.
I don't know why, but do you do any finger exercises/ do anything else to improve your APM?
Is this gametype available on all servers? If so I'll play around with it today when I get around to it. Sounds interesting. I do think that finger exercises will improve your apm, at the end of the day it's all muscle memory and that should improve it. Thanks for sharing, guess I'll have to come back in one month to report whether it's true.
EDIT: Ahh fuuu I just read over the hole post once, figured it was a sc2 custom -.-
A micro intensive game that can help you raise your multitasking and micro managment is Emergency (prefers Emergency IV to Emergency 2012).
But really i think the best way to up your apm is playing the game. And when APM is an indicator to a skilled player. APM isn't all (look at White-RA or Lucifron (not sure about him though)).
imo stepmania is quick reaction before quick fingers.
On September 22 2011 17:23 FFW_Rude wrote: A micro intensive game that can help you raise your multitasking and micro managment is Emergency (prefers Emergency IV to Emergency 2012).
But really i think the best way to up your apm is playing the game. And when APM is an indicator to a skilled player. APM isn't all (look at White-RA or Lucifron (not sure about him though)).
imo stepmania is quick reaction before quick fingers.
And that I find baffling. I find myself hitting the control groups out of reflexes whenever the minimap shows signs of red. This seemed to come from quick reaction that I got from Stepmania.
Sure, playing the game itself will improve your APM, but it won't hurt to have a higher APM to lean back on in times of crisis, eh?
On September 22 2011 17:23 FFW_Rude wrote: A micro intensive game that can help you raise your multitasking and micro managment is Emergency (prefers Emergency IV to Emergency 2012).
But really i think the best way to up your apm is playing the game. And when APM is an indicator to a skilled player. APM isn't all (look at White-RA or Lucifron (not sure about him though)).
imo stepmania is quick reaction before quick fingers.
And that I find baffling. I find myself hitting the control groups out of reflexes whenever the minimap shows signs of red. This seemed to come from quick reaction that I got from Stepmania.
Sure, playing the game itself will improve your APM, but it won't hurt to have a higher APM to lean back on in times of crisis, eh?
Yeah sure. That's why i talked about emergency.
The emergency series is a crysis managment RTS game And it's basicly :
"React quickly or lose" There is a ton of micro and the game increase the speed of stuff you have to do. The more quickly you react the more intervention you have to manage at a time
I have a gameplay video i think. Wait a few minute
I really don't think that reflexes form the basis for high apm, for me it really is knowing what to do at any given time that increases my apm. Last winter I played a lot, and during that time my average apm peaked at 120 or so, now that I only have time to play maybe a match or two per week my average apm is back at a lousy 60-70.
rotating between control group no longer increase your APM so it would not be an effective way to increase your in game APM anymore, though having fluent finger control might improve your in game army control.
On September 22 2011 17:35 HydraLF wrote: rotating between control group no longer increase your APM so it would not be an effective way to increase your in game APM anymore, though having fluent finger control might improve your in game army control.
No, I'm not talking about repeated control group rotation, I'm talking about general reflexes. for example, when I see Zerg pushing me, I know I would need a colossus and my general reflexes does the job of queueing one up really quickly. Also, when its time to engage, my hand would not shy away from the F and B keys.
These small but laboring tasks seemed a lot easier after playing the game for a month or so.
On September 22 2011 17:35 HydraLF wrote: rotating between control group no longer increase your APM so it would not be an effective way to increase your in game APM anymore, though having fluent finger control might improve your in game army control.
No, I'm not talking about repeated control group rotation, I'm talking about general reflexes. for example, when I see Zerg pushing me, I know I would need a colossus and my general reflexes does the job of queueing one up really quickly. Also, when its time to engage, my hand would not shy away from the F and B keys.
These small but laboring tasks seemed a lot easier after playing the game for a month or so.
ONE WORD :
"EMERGENCY"
About stepmania i think it exists in free version (i guess it's "DWI") but not sure.
On September 22 2011 17:35 HydraLF wrote: rotating between control group no longer increase your APM so it would not be an effective way to increase your in game APM anymore, though having fluent finger control might improve your in game army control.
No, I'm not talking about repeated control group rotation, I'm talking about general reflexes. for example, when I see Zerg pushing me, I know I would need a colossus and my general reflexes does the job of queueing one up really quickly. Also, when its time to engage, my hand would not shy away from the F and B keys.
These small but laboring tasks seemed a lot easier after playing the game for a month or so.
ONE WORD :
"EMERGENCY"
About stepmania i think it exists in free version (i guess it's "DWI") but not sure.
I'm pretty sure Stepmania is free, you'll need to download songs/song packs yourself tho, I remember there isn't anything interesting on there.
I find that the iPhone game Flight Control is pretty good for multitasking practice as well, its defiantly worth a try.
If you hadnt been playing starcraft the whole time you were playing the other game this might be somewhat interesting.
All you can really say though is a combination of starcraft and stepmania may increase your apm, however since it's already known that playing starcraft increases your apm, you cant say anything about stepmania with any authority.
On September 22 2011 17:35 HydraLF wrote: rotating between control group no longer increase your APM so it would not be an effective way to increase your in game APM anymore, though having fluent finger control might improve your in game army control.
No, I'm not talking about repeated control group rotation, I'm talking about general reflexes. for example, when I see Zerg pushing me, I know I would need a colossus and my general reflexes does the job of queueing one up really quickly. Also, when its time to engage, my hand would not shy away from the F and B keys.
These small but laboring tasks seemed a lot easier after playing the game for a month or so.
ONE WORD :
"EMERGENCY"
About stepmania i think it exists in free version (i guess it's "DWI") but not sure.
I'm pretty sure Stepmania is free, you'll need to download songs/song packs yourself tho, I remember there isn't anything interesting on there.
I find that the iPhone game Flight Control is pretty good for multitasking practice as well, its defiantly worth a try.
Played Stepmania for several years until SC2 beta. Started beta with like 70-80 apm. Eventually up to around 160. Stepmania doesn't really have an impact on apm. At least not nearly as much as just grinding ladder games. If you care about improving apm I suggest you just try high apm strats like ling muta, phoenix play, or hellion banshee harass.
Playing Stepmania will give you faster fingers for sure, and more endurance as well, but it wont will your APM that much. APM comes from knowing what to do and when to do it and then do it fast.
EPT
And it's basicly :
