Patashu Solo Beginner Pack - started January 12th 2010, effectively finished and beta released by April 1st 2010, finished July 5th 2010

This is a pack designed to be played in solo (6 button) mode in stepmania, using three fingers from each hand, ring middle and index. Charts are rated according to their average NPS and rounded to the nearest integer, e.g. 360 arrows in 2 minutes is a 3 footer chart. The intention is that all solo players, from brand new to experts of rhythm gaming, will be able to play, enjoy and improve on these charts.

This will not be the last pack! I intend on starting Patashu Solo Beginner Pack 2 when time permits, and you're welcome to watch along - as I make charts, I'll post them in this topic. Don't expect activity immediately, though! http://www.keybeatonline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=49304 (You're also allowed to submit charts!)

-Patashu, July 2010

Thanks for downloading the first installment of Patashu Solo Beginner Pack! 

I hope you'll find it a fun pack whether you're looking to start your solo career (as I am) or just want to play some fun charts. PSBP's a rounded out pack with an excellent scale of difficulties that will keep you coming back with either its? much needed beginner charts or its replayable hard charts.

My role in PSBP is small: I made charts for Ice Frontier (beginner) and Heavy Working Robot (beginner, first half of light). 

I hope you'll find them beneficial however; I'd be ashamed if the first-hand beginner solo experience I acquired prior to making these charts don't produce a good beginner file. Thus, my charts are by a beginner solo player, for beginner solo players :D.

I'm glad to have another opportunity to contribute to this game, it'll always be for those unknown players out there, just like me some time ago.

GLHF

~masuat, July 2010

Song list:

S.S.D. feat. Nanacchi - BRIDAL FESTIVAL!!! - 2/4/6/8/10/- (by Roar176)
onoken - Brightone - 1/4/8/-/12/-
ParagonX9 - Chaoz Airflow - 2/5/8/-/12/-
Matt Thorson - Enter MoneySeize - 1/3/6/8/-/-
Phantasma - Fall Memories - 2/4/6/10/-/-
cornandbeans - Final Agression - 2/5/8/-/11/-
Loki - Fly Away - 2/5/9/12/13/-
Gotye - Hearts A Mess - 1/3/5/8/-/-
paniq - Heavy Working Robot - 1/3/7/11/-/- (collab with masuat)
Skaven - Ice Frontier - 1/3/6/9/-/- (collab with masuat)
Matt Thorson - Ladder to Heaven - 1/2/5/7/10/-
Shiki - Lapis - 2/5/7/10/12/-
Naoyuki Sato - Me and My Little War - 1/4/7/10/12/- (by Roar176)
cornandbeans - Midnight - 2/6/-/11/15/-
Togo Project ft. Sana - Miracle Moon - 2/4/7/10/-/-
Motoi Sakuraba - Never Surrender - 1/3/7/-/11/-
Uchida Kyoudai - Oosanbashi (Iroha Chou) - 3/5/7/10/13/- (by Roar176)
jun feat. Schanita - TRUE LOVE - 3/4/8/12/16/19 (by Roar176)
Rage - Ub3R-R4vE! - -/-/9/10/11/- (by who_cares973)
Telefon Tel Aviv - When It Happens It Moves All By Itself - -/4/-/7/-/- (by leonid)

Getting started on solo: (copied from http://www.keybeatonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1735)

0) If you don't have stepmania yet, here's where you get it: http://www.stepmania.com/wiki/Downloads
I recommend 3.9, but keep in mind that themes and noteskins made for 4.0 might not work for 3.9 and vice versa.
You'll want to change a couple of options, under options/settings: Go into coin options and turn event mode on, then into machine options and turn menu timer off, finally create yourself a profile and assign it to the player 1 slot so your mods and scores are saved to it. Whatever else you want to change is up to you - I like having background brightness low, for instance.

Also, you can use Alt+Enter to quickly switch between full screen and windowed, and holding Tab will fast forward through any animations.
While on the song selection screen, double tap up or down to change between its difficulties. Alternate left and right several times in a row to change what songs are sorted by.

1) Set up your key configuration something like this:
left: q (use left ring finger)
up left: w (use left middle finger)
down: e (use left index finger)
up: i (use right index finger)
up right: o (use right middle finger)
right: p (use right ring finger)

You might prefer a different setup, like asd-jkl, or qwe-numpad789 - whatever you use, make sure that you can hold as many keys down as possible by using stepmania's 'test input' function. Ideally you want to be able to hold all six down at once.

If you want to be able to play spread on both solo and singles at once, you'll need to use different keys for both, or reconfigure every time you swap - I doubt you want to play with your rings and indexes.

2a) Download one or more of these noteskins:
Circle type:
Orbular: http://www.sendspace.com/file/ggd88f
OrbularFV: http://www.sendspace.com/file/wkewv1 (modifies freezes so they work during reverse I think)
Stepmaniadetective: http://www.sendspace.com/file/0ui3iv (orbular but with holds coloured the same as their starting note)
Danular: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MT4ZPDRR (orbular but holds are slightly yellow tinted and glow green when active so they stand out more)

Bar type:
Notebar+: http://www.stepmaniadl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15638
Metalbar and IIDXMB: http://www.mediafire.com/?jmmyoznjqiy
Notebar and O2Bar++: http://www.mediafire.com/?tizikwdu0td

If you're going to play with mines enabled, this spiked mine graphic is easier to tell apart from circle-type notes: http://www.keybeatonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1340
Keep in mind that a noteskin intended for one version of stepmania might screw up for a different version!

2b) Also, you might like to try this theme: http://hst.pestermom.com/sm/iidx_solo.zip
3.9 only!

3) If you haven't yet, modify your theme to add higher speed mods:
http://www.bemanistyle.com/forum/f93/modifiying-stepmania-your-liking-add-songs-add-speedmods-230/
I'd recommend putting C-mods in at intervals of 50 until you reach C800, and move up to the highest one you can comfortably play at. I play at C700 but most people's sweet spot is in the C600-C800 range.
The topic tells you how to add songs to Stepmania too, if you don't know how.

4) Download these packs first - they all have beginner difficulties to get started with:
Patashu Solo Beginner Pack (You already have this!)
Xiaounlimited Solo Beginner Pack: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=H9F7SLYM
Xiaounlimited Solo Beginner Pack II: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7MSW16M8
Xiaounlimited Solo Beginner Pack III: ttp://www.megaupload.com/?d=8VVED85N

If you're really struggling, there are pad-based solo packs, for instance DDR officials and the foonmixes. They won't play like keyboard files and won't introduce you to any particularly difficult files, but if all you need are some simple 4ths and 8ths to build your muscle memory:
Foonmix: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=O5U9U9KN
Foonmix Plus: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=92YMQCDD
(to do: find links to ddr packs that have solo charts in them)

5) When you feel more experienced, try some other solo packs:
http://www.keybeatonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67 and download these: The 'X Solo Files' series, the BCMPs (Bemani Conversion Megapacks), Parallel Rotation Minipack, Solo Rulz Pack. Also, download this, as it's not currently listed in the topic: http://www.keybeatonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1665
Finally, the /!\ boss pack of solo: http://www.keybeatonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1745 /!\
If you download every pack listed so far, you'll have over 600 solo files. Not bad!

6) Take screenshots with print screen and post scores you like here: http://www.keybeatonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18
Or, even better, make videos! Videos rule.

7, the most important step) Have fun!