Step2x 0.2

[naroin]

a new version of step2x is available on the archive (and also the source)

as the last version, it can open "standard" dwi files, like stepmania
but it still doesnt read mp3 (just ogg)

main changes:
you can select difficulty level
preload songs for a better sync
plus minor ones (see in the readme)

for miq01: some changes have been done in the loadDWI function, but i have still some problems with some songs
working on it

 

[PSyMastR]

So... will this DWI technology ever integrate with beat2x?

Also, this is really fun. Ill make some songs for it. Thanks for another stepmania like game.

 

[iignotus]

I finally got around to playing Step2x tonight. It's very fun. I just wish the buttons weren't so cramped on the gp2x!!

 

[naroin]

the main question i have for you users:
arent you bored by the "loading" screen

i find very long... but i dont know what to do to make it faster, or play the song correctly without preloading...

 

[iignotus]

Yeah, it is actually very long, but it's not that bothersome. Beat2x doesn't load like that; ask miq how he loads the songs off the SD.

 

[naroin]

at first i used sdl_mixer to play songs in a thread (like in beat2x i guess)
but i had jumps in sound, so the game was almost unplayable
so i made a preload.

and now i retry to play it directly in a thread -> it works.
dont understand why.

maybe the 2.0 fw? will test that tomorrow

 

[naroin]

maybe the 2.0 fw? will test that tomorrow

it seems that the music really works better with the 2.0 fw, than the 1.4
so i'll make an option in the game : preload or not.

 

[miq01]

for miq01: some changes have been done in the loadDWI function, but i have still some problems with some songs
working on it

Thanks! I'll check it.

it seems that the music really works better with the 2.0 fw at than the 1.4
so i'll make an option in the game : preload or not.

I've been told (but I haven't been able to try it properly yet) that those hiccups almost disappear with firm 2.0. It's a pitty that "almost" is not a "fully"...

 

[naroin]

I've been told (but I haven't been able to try it properly yet) that those hiccups almost disappear with firm 2.0. It's a pitty that "almost" is not a "fully"...

thats what i saw too (by direct experience for me )
i think it is a SD card access problem... so people who have a slow sd card will continue to have the problem (maybe)
so for the moment, choosing between preload and directly play is the best.

 

[Epicenter]

I have experienced the same using SDL_Mixer in my own applications. Playing a 96kbps OGG Vorbis file from within an SDL application used to cause major skipping-- the program's execution would entirely stop for a moment as it loaded from the SD card every couple of seconds. In Firmware 2.0.0, this seems decreased to something that is usually imperceptible. Granted this does not apply to files that send much more data across the SD card link like >100kbps files, those still cause significantly choppy operation in coexistence with the rest of a program.

I fully support the precaching of audio, but do think it should be an option, as the skipping bothers some people (like me) but not others.

 

[kgcs10]

When trying this game with these file: http://69.181.142.154/downloads/problemdwis.rar

The speed of the stepes never change and get far behind the song. Also some of the hold steps are broken. Can this be fixed?

Can an animation be added to the arrows so it appears that they are being pushed down like in Step2x? Also, can a glow with colors according to accuracy be added to the arrows that are pushed down?

 

[naroin]

When trying this game with these file: http://69.181.142.154/downloads/problemdwis.rar

The speed of the stepes never change and get far behind the song. Also some of the hold steps are broken. Can this be fixed?

Can an animation be added to the arrows so it appears that they are being pushed down like in Step2x? Also, can a glow with colors according to accuracy be added to the arrows that are pushed down?

for all your questions : yes
thanks for sending me the example!
it will take time, but all you ask for will be done

 

[reallynotnick]

PLEASE can we have MP3 in the next release? 96% of my files are in MP3.

 

[naroin]

PLEASE can we have MP3 in the next release? 96% of my files are in MP3.

you can convert them
but reading mp3 is my next goal, so wait & see

 

[Azure]

Is there any possibility in changing the arrow layout/sizing to be more aking to Stepmania? I finally saw a video of Step2x in action (Thanks to Craig's awesome review video), and the horizontal distance between the arrows is enormous (Which would make harder songs a lot harder to read due to increased horizontal scanning). So, is there any possibility to include a mode where the arrows are aligned right by each other like Stepmania/DDR:

 

[naroin]

Is there any possibility in changing the arrow layout/sizing to be more aking to Stepmania? I finally saw a video of Step2x in action (Thanks to Craig's awesome review video), and the horizontal distance between the arrows is enormous (Which would make harder songs a lot harder to read due to increased horizontal scanning). So, is there any possibility to include a mode where the arrows are aligned right by each other like Stepmania/DDR:

in theory, the vertical distance between arrows is the size of an arrow, juste like in stepmania
for some songs, i've got some errors (the ones where the bpm change during song), and then the arrows are nearer than it should be.
in normal songs it should be ok

can i have the link to the videos so i can see what is wrong?

 

[Azure]

Well, I'm referring to the actual arrow that moves up the screen. It is MUCH smaller than the arrow field at the top of the screen (Also, of course, it appears that the arrow fields at the top aren't the right size as they are rectangular; I'm just wondering if you could change the both the arrow field sizes and the size of the arrows themselves so that they are proportional to those in stepmania).

The video is from Craig's review: http://craig.gp2x.de/review/GP2XReview.html

 

[PSyMastR]

Well, I'm referring to the actual arrow that moves up the screen. It is MUCH smaller than the arrow field at the top of the screen (Also, of course, it appears that the arrow fields at the top aren't the right size as they are rectangular; I'm just wondering if you could change the both the arrow field sizes and the size of the arrows themselves so that they are proportional to those in stepmania).

The video is from Craig's review: http://craig.gp2x.de/review/GP2XReview.html

First of all, thats beat2x, second, thats the old skin, that has since then been changed.

 

[naroin]

First of all, thats beat2x, second, thats the old skin, that has since then been changed.

ah i understand better now

both beat2x and step2x have in their lastest version the same size for their arrows on top, and the moving ones

 

[Azure]

First of all, thats beat2x, second, thats the old skin, that has since then been changed.

Oy, hadn't realized that there were already two SM simulators (And another one coming...); I've got to keep a closer track of GP2X news!