Theme and FAQ created by Sestren Neveras Kaiveran Introduction/ How To Use Since it's first release in July of 2004, Techno Fiend is one of the biggest names in Stepmania theming due to its heavy use of background animations, new features never-before-seen in Stepmania, extremely fast speed, and goal to provide a brand-new feel for the game. And unlike half of the winamp skins you probably download, everything is covered. This version, Techno Fiend Eternity 3.1, is designed ONLY for Stepmania 3.9 Final . It will also work with Release Candidates 2 - 4. Because the feature "Portal" has been activated, it will not run properly on anything prior to RC2. It is also currently incompatible with SMOnline and the XBox. If you have Stepmania Alpha 24, Release Candidate 1 or any release prior, please go to http://www.stepmania.com to get the latest official release. The graphics in this theme are created using Ulead PhotoImpact 8 and Adobe PhotoShop CS. Metrics done using Notepad and TextEdit. Audio editing done using GoldWave. The mentioned work was performed by Sestren Neveras Kaiveran, otherwise known as Sestren NK or Neveras K. If anyone else by any other name tell you otherwise, don't believe them. To use this theme, An alternative is to put the SMZIP file in the Packages folder of the Stepmania folder. Macintosh: Rename the file to have a .zip extension instead of .smzip. Double click to extract the files. You will probably get a new folder called "Themes" with the Techno Fiend folder inside. Put that in your Stepmania themes folder. You may also wish to browse the files to make sure there are not any files that appear in all caps.
Boot up Stepmania. Go into Appearance Options in the Options menu and select Techno Fiend 3.1 as your theme. Press Enter at Exit.
ZIP Version: To use some of the extra files included in the Bonus Material folder, refer to the readme inside that folder. If there was one thing that sucks about being out of school for Winter 2004, it was that I was stuck at home with dial-up. It wasn't very fun trying to upload a 13+ MB file on dialup to get timed out constantly and have your fans download incomplete corrupt .zip files. Even more fun finding out that your anti-virus program stopped working for some time and you picked up a ton of viruses that prevented that. I don't know about the rest of you guys, but that's the first of many times I've been screwed by Norton. First my anti-virus stops working, then when I try to mail in a rebate after buying Internet Security from them, they say I didn't mail them anything when I clearly did. Assholes. Anyway, get rid of two problems and you have a somewhat successful upload. A week after its original intended upload date (12/24/04), Techno Fiend 3 was released. So much for Christmas, huh? God, that was over a year ago.
The response came rather well. People liked the theme, I created something that kicked ass, and I wasn't bothered with a truckload of personal suggestions which really piss me off as this is a personal theme not intended to meet the demands of everyone else. My work here was done. However, I also put in a message; This was going to be the last one.
Just as I predicted, not many people thought, "The last one of what?" Most of them thought this was going to be the very last we'll see of Techno Fiend forever. Nah. I just decided to pull off what Adult Swim and Aqua Teen did. Adult Swim said Aqua Teen would be cancelled more than once. They lied. The last episode of Aqua Teen for the third season was called "The last one." The full title of that episode, however, was, "The last one of 2003." So really, when I said this was "the last one," what I meant was that this would be "the last one of 2004."
I could have easily just said that, but I figured it would be more fun to toy with some people's minds. After all, it would also be interesting to see the reaction of people if Techno Fiend went away. Glad to see that it wasn't exactly positive in that aspect. Some people even made some sort of ode to what they thought would be Techno Fiend's departure from the world. Who says art doesn't impact people? =P
Now does that apply for this one? No, not really. Due to college and losing interest in the project (Since the DDR scene really doesn't interest me that much anymore, I prefer arcade over home), this will be the real last one. Does it mean I'm leaving Stepmania and Theming? To be honest, most likely. With that said, don't immediately assume you can steal graphics and metrics from the theme, put it in your own, and release it. I'll be watching. Don't also think this is a gateway for requests. Theming was just a temporary and personal hobby.
I apologize that this came out nearly a year after the previous release, but I told people I would release this when Bemanistyle 7.0 went up. And... Well, let's say it's now December. Work on this has gone on full throttle from January to May, with little bits and pieces added from then. I kept telling myself it's not done, but now, I think it's safe to say it is this time. However, if anyone wishes to attempt to convert this to SM 4.0 or the XBox, they have my support.
Well, thanks for the support, everyone. It's been a ride. - Rolando C Techno Fiend 3: Eternity - December 24, 2004
Techno Fiend V.2.9 - October 18, 2004
Techno Fiend V.2.8 - September 23, 2004
Techno Fiend V.2.7 - September 2, 2004
Techno Fiend V.2.5 - August 15, 2004
Techno Fiend V.2.4 - July 29, 2004
Techno Fiend v.2.0B - v.2.3B - April 2004 - July 2004
Techno Fiend v.0.0B - v.1.9B - July 2003 - August 2003
Album: True Pinball Album: Headhunter: Redemption Album: Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram Album: Virtual-On Marz Album: Metroid Prime Album: Panzer Dragoon Orta Album: Daytona USA Album: GunValkyrie Album: Mega Man 2 Album: Remastered Tracks Rockman Zero Album: Remastered Tracks Rockman Zero Idea Album: Star Wars Sound effects taken from the following:
01) This isn't the end of Techno Fiend? But the last version said it was.
- I visit some message boards.
PM me at Bemanistyle. Please include the following in your message to get a response from me. Here are some ways NOT to get a response from me: I will only help you if you're working on your own theme. If you are trying to mod someone else's theme or even my own, I won't help you, with the exception of speed modifications. Also, please be sure to get to the point across in your message.
If I don't know what it is you need then I will not help you or respond. If you ask for my AIM or MSN Screename, I will only add you to my list if you are experienced in theming or need help creating your own. I don't mean to be a jerk, but I don't have the patience to deal with people who are jerks or don't know how to use their computer. I'm not exactly interested in hearing other people gossip about things I don't care about, people talking about their favorite show I've never heard of, and crappy movies that are opening soon. I will also repeat this: DON'T ASK ME TO EXPLAIN HOW ALL THE METRICS PROGRAMMING WORKS. and I DO NOT TAKE REQUESTS However, I will note that you may still receive error messages if the images of noteskins and simfiles are not of proper dimensions. Not theme-related. A lot of graphics also look messy on a Macintosh. I don't know why, but all attempts to fix it have failed. Sorry, Mac users. - If you must ask this, you are definitely new to the scene. Basically, if you make a theme compatible with one version, it won't work with another. The theming metrics have been changed from time to time in the alpha releases, so old themes don't work with new versions, and new themes won't work with older versions. Also, with new releases, I don't see a point in making the theme compatible with an outdated version. Besides, you're better off with new versions as they include bug fixes and the like. You'll thank yourself later. What's up with this question anyway? It's like asking why you can't play a DVD in a VCR. - While I heavily appreciate the help of those who have pitched in a suggestion that has made the theme better, fans and themers alike, collaborations aren't always good and from what I've seen take too long (with a couple of exceptions as usual). Also, don't expect me to team up with someone who is brand new to theming unless they have some experience with graphics. I'll glady assist people with making themes and testing, but I'm not sure about partnering up. But since my interest in the project has dwindled, this is highly unlikely. - HELL NO. You do NOT want to test me with this, either, because I'll see to it that you get fried one way or another. While not all of the work is mine in the theme (the jokes like the eggs and the like), I'm proud of all the original work that is mine and I'd like to have some sense of ownership of them, considering the hours of work I put into the graphics and coding. There are some features that are ONLY available in my theme, but please give credit where it's due and if you need to burrow some metrics, please gain my permission first. Failure to do this will ensure your theme will be fried and looked down upon horribly. For the record, most themers will get pissed off when they find out something from their theme is stolen. - Unless I specifically ask the following:
"I want to create a theme and I have no ideas whatsoever to do it on. If anyone has a really good idea, I'd like to hear it." NO I think it's rude for someone to tell me what they want done out of nowhere like I'm some puppet. I create Techno Fiend for my own purposes and then share it with the world. I don't create it for the sole purpose of everyone else's enjoyment. When people make a theme request, they need to take several things into consideration. Is the themer willing to put the time and effort into it? Is it worth the time? Will you pitch in and contribute? A lot of people want themes done while they do nothing, and it's completely unfair. Some people can tolerate that, but I won't. I don't see why I should make a theme for someone if all they want to do is sit back and do nothing. This isn't some kind of professional client work where you pay me to make something for you. If you want it done, you should try to do it yourself. If you don't know how to make a theme, then by all means get assistance. I will help you in making a theme, but I will not create a theme for you. There are rare moments where others are willing to make themes if they think your idea is good, for example, you're probably not the only one with a DDR 5th Mix theme or an anime theme. Making a theme is by no means impossible. It's not extremely difficult. It just takes time to understand everything. But don't rely on only help for your theme, as it will be obvious and no one will be willing to help if that's the only thing that's going for it. A lot of people think just because I'm the creator of a popular theme that they can just make a request for me to fulfill, which is really extremely rude and inconsiderate. I, like many themers have busy lives, and speaking for myself, I'm a college student learning graphics, animation, code, audio editing, digital video editing, web design, and the like, and regardless of how good I am in each of those, they can be difficult and time consuming. I have my priorities in life as well. The problem is that perhaps 9 out of the 10 theme requests I have gotten are pure trash. I'm not going to be arrogant and think that only my idea is good or that nobody else's idea is worth my time, but a lot of ideas people throw at me, well, just suck. That's why I come off as blunt and probably an asshole when it comes to people making suggestions, because I have to constantly deal with these, trying to provide a way to say no with an explanation, and then dealing with the reaction. Some people will accept it, and some will try to convince me more to do their bidding. There are those people who expect the people on the internet to serve them, and you can't be too careful who is and who isn't among those people. If you absolutely refuse to put the time and effort to make a theme, you shouldn't expect someone else to do it for you. However, it must be said that some of the best themes out there are made by people who didn't rely on others to make their own. Sure, they need assistance, but they didn't bother someone to make a theme for them. I'm sure most people later wonder what makes the program tick, and then learn the ins and outs of Stepmania. That's how themes get made among other things. There are those who want a techno feel, some who want a replica of a favorite DDR mix, and some others who love the look of another game and want to put it with DDR. I was mostly a lurker who didn't say much until I released TF 2.4. So I came out of nowhere, and believe me, people like surprises. But if you are completely dependant on other themers to release the work you want done, you're going to be either disappointed or you're going to have to wait a while. If you start on your own, you won't have to wait as long, and if you need help, just ask. I know some of the themers may intimidate you as they have to tell off people over and over, but it's like getting a job. Look like you know what you're talking about, help them out if you know some tricks they don't, use proper grammar, don't appear as a n00b, and be respectful to others. Make sure your problem wasn't already addressed, either, or you'll get slammed for not reading the topic. And there's those of you who ask politely (which I appreciate over the usual "You should make a PS3 theme!" bull), but the answer still stands. No. I just wanted to make a theme that escaped the usual feel. I think this helps create a brand new feel for the game. It plays the same but acts completely different than what everyone is used to. I know not everyone is going to like it. There's nothing wrong with liking the official feel, but you shouldn't restrict yourself only to themes that have the DDR feel. It's kinda like those people who refuse to watch anything if it's not anime. I know not all anime watchers are like this, but they do exist. Unless, of course, that person's theme is just ripping off someone else's or is extremely poorly done. - Because maybe 19 out of 20 of those personal requests benefit only the user and not the theme and are usually a complete waste of my time even reading. I only accept suggestions that benefit the theme for all users and not just you. It would be unfair to reject a personal suggestion from one person and to accept someone else's regardless of how much I like them or dislike them. Because this theme is my own, I am not willing to make the theme more convenient for one person alone. There's the rare case that the very suggestion may benefit other users, and it's apparent in the request instead of being selfish. Such things include graphical changes, volume changes, or some things you wound up going back to the default theme for. As said earlier, I won't copy anything from another theme unless it's a built-in Stepmania feature. - Try to experiment with other themes and see if you still have the problem. Sometimes it's difficult to see whether the problem is SM or TF, but try it with all other available themes and see if you have the same problem. Here are some bugs people commonly ask about: If you encounter any errors or bugs when in SMLAN mode, it's the actual SMLAN coding. I've tested it there, too. Remember, this theme is not compatible with the CVS SMO releases. Honestly, the thing that inspired me to create the theme was the Winamp skin, "CyberDimension." That skin was dark and futuristic, and kicked ass to boot, and I wanted to create something with a similar quality for Stepmania. I'm glad it evolved into more of a personal project than trying to mimic the work of someone else. I wonder if CyberiaStyle is based on it, since they look very close and very nice. - Only have there been two instances where I have allowed the use of my own graphics for others to use. The first one was the Bank Gothic font, which isn't really mine. The second was an explosion graphic in the Apocalypse V1 noteskin. Both users asked permission to use these.
However, if you're talking about Dark Element, its creator darklink87 did NOT make ANY attempt to obtain permission to use my images in his theme. Basically, it started as his own personal mix, but when he showed scores, his theme showed and people wanted it. So he did after being pestered by people on AIM. VERY bad move. You don't release a theme to the public that consists of the work of other themes. He failed to realize that releasing a theme with my graphics and others WITHOUT permission is in fact stealing, and that was going to piss me and other themers off. While he didn't take credit for the work, he didn't make any attempt to credit the proper theme creators, or make an attempt to gain their permission. What was worse, when the issue was addressed to him, instead of apologizing and offering to take his work down, he got extremely defensive, calling all the people who were upset assholes and trying to make us look like the bad guys and acting like he did nothing wrong. Let's just say he was pretty much ass-raped for that (and still is). It's also been brought to my attention that Cyberia Style takes some elements from TF. However, all of these are metrics, and I'm not bothered by them as much as graphics stealing, as long as it stays minimal. I understand some commands out there are exclusive to TF and I hope to help expand the possibilities to others, but when a screen looks and acts just like mine, for example, Cyberia Style 1.4 does rip off TF3's background in Edit Mode, as well as the spinning pad animation on SelectMusic, as with Select Game in the Options. Although, the first and last were modified in Cyberia Style 2.1. Stuff like that isn't cool. By now most of this has changed into a more original direction, which is good. - No, but there are many reasons for that. First of all, I do know the Stepmania devs do want SM to have an original default theme with its own feel. If there is to be a new default theme, I think they're the ones who should have a say in it.
Second, there are a lot of things in Techno Fiend that would make it unsuitable for a default theme, as it is not designed for people new to the program, rather people who know the ins and outs of the game. When most newbies download Stepmania, they expect DDR, and with the default SMMAX theme, they get that. There are many people who are very uncomfortable with the non-Bemani feel of Techno Fiend, and it's usually never a good idea to do that when they first download a program. In design classes, you're pretty much taught two things. One, your audience are idiots and need to be told every single thing to avoid being confused, and second, to make sure you don't drag them out of their comfort zone. It's hard to believe, but it's true. Since my theme is something I created as an alternative theme, I'm in no danger there, as it's optional to use my theme. However, to those who don't know anything about themes, and if TF was forced on them, that can cause some negative feedback. In short, people know what a 6th mix theme is, and it won't make them confused or uncomfortable. I'm sure you've run into those people who use Stepmania but don't know how to use their own computer. Techno Fiend will not make things easier for these people.
There's also the personal stuff I tossed in. That stuff has NOTHING to do with DDR. Hell, if I made money with Techno Fiend, I could possibly be sued since I'm using material that already exists. Metroid eggs, Star Wars spoof, MST3K, Aqua Teen, Spaceballs, Geese Howard, etc. Probably not the stuff for the basic newbie just yet. It'll be too much for some. After all, some people prefer other skins than mine. And some people hate the stuff I put in. Some people love the Master Shake Signal, some hate it. Some love the Geese Howard toasty, some loathe it.
If I wanted to have TF as the new default theme and make it so that everyone's comfortable, that means editing would be done thus ruining the theme. I still get criticism for adding in the bonus stuff. Some people just want a theme and only a theme. No jokes, no bonuses, nothing to laugh at, just a plain old theme. Sure, Techno Fiend looks great, but for me, I put extensive effort to put even non-important stuff into it, and to me that's what makes the theme. And with the new joke on the HowToPlay screen, it's meant to piss off some people and make everyone else laugh at their expense, and not too many people will like that, believe me. Then again, all of my efforts to piss off specific people in my artwork haven't succeeded. I want to piss off someone who's obsessed with using the word "hata," having them being eaten in half by Jay Leno eating soup, and they laugh like hell even though I drew the person exactly as they appear. Didn't work.
I'm probably more than capable of creating a seperate theme designed specifically to be a new default theme, say the case were that I was hired by the Stepmania team to do a new default, but I'd wind up doing exactly what I did for TF, hence going back to where I started.
Besides, you don't want to have to download 17 MB for every time you upgrade Stepmania, do you? Take a look at how small the SMMAX and SMMAX2 themes are. Default is a little over 6 MB.
So yeah, there's a lot of reasons TF shouldn't be the default theme.
Ever thought about asking other themers? It's not like I'm the only talented themer. Looks like more are on the way. I will also note that the images are specific because all of the graphics in TF3 (except the obvious Easter Egg/reference graphics) are mine and mine alone. They aren't rips or reproductions of existing graphics, like what you see in the arcade themes. Not to discredit those people at all, but I took several hours making an original graphic that is supposed to be used originally for TF, make sure it has correct image dimensions, it fits, it looks right and not out of place. Not to say that ripping is easy, either. The reason I've stated that TF3.0 and 3.1 should only be used with Stepmania Release Candidate 2 and above is because in previous versions, the feature didn't work correctly. Sometimes it would look for songs in closed folders, resulting in a crash. This was fixed in RC2 where it wouldn't do that.
Techno Fiend 3.1: Eternity - Lie of the year
Version History and Changes
Audio Use Information
Frequently Asked Questions
Special Thanks
SNK's SHAME LIST
Techno Fiend is a Stepmania theme. Unlike a skin, it not only changes the appearance of Stepmania, but sounds, music and animations are also added. It addsa whole new experience with the same gameplay as DDR/ITG. However, noteskins and songs are not included.
SMZIP Version:
Windows: Simply double-click on the SMZIP file and verify that the folder installs into the main Stepmania folder. The file should be coded to install into the themes directory. Before you start the program, open the Stepmania folder and be sure the theme installed into the correct directory, as there have been some instances where it will install into the main Stepmania folder instead of the themes folder. It should appear as "Stepmania/Themes/Techno Fiend 3.1" if it has been correctly installed. After that is all done, boot up Stepmania. Go into Appearance Options in the Options menu and select Techno Fiend 3.1 as your theme. Press Enter at Exit.
Windows: Preferably using WinRAR, right click on the .zip file and click on "Extract Here". You should get a new folder called "Techno Fiend 3.1" Simply open up your Stepmania Themes directory and put the folder in there. Boot up Stepmania. Go into Appearance Options in the Options menu and select Techno Fiend 3.1 as your theme. Press Enter at Exit.
Macintosh: See above with the .smzip format.
(Sestren NK)
Techno Fiend 3.1: Eternity - December 2nd, 2005
In no way, shape or form is any of the music my own. It is taken from the following games and albums, edited by me for looping purposes only. I do not take credit for any of this music nor am I affiliated with the artists in any way. The main purpose of using this music is because I truly enjoy it and feel that it fits the theme. I have decided to include detailed information regarding the theme's soundtrack for those interested and to give credit where it's due.
Artist: Olof Gustafsson
System: Sega Saturn/ Sony Playstation
Track Listing:
-
Extreme Sports - Extreme
- Extreme Sports - Skydive
- Extreme Sports - Super Speed
- Extreme Sports - Wild Bungee Jumping
- Extreme Sports - Mountain Climb
- Law and Justice - Hoverchase
- Law and Justice - Arson
Artist: Richard Jacques
System: Sony Playstation 2/ Microsoft XBox
Track Listing:
-
Liberty
http://www.richardjacques.co.uk/
Artist: Kentaro Koyama
System: Sega Model 3 Arcade, Sega Naomi Arcade, Sega Dreamcast
Track Listing:
- Intermission ~ Get Ready
- Ritualistic Annoyance
- Shuffle the Kismet
Artists: Kentaro Koyama, Takenobu Mitsuyoshi
System: Sony Playstation 2
Track Listing:
- Subtitle #1
- Subtitle #3
- Subtitle #4
Artist: Kenji Yamamoto
System: Nintendo Gamecube
Track Listing:
- Missile Station
Artist: Saori Kobayashi
System: Microsoft XBox
Track Listing:
- Forbidden Memories
Artist: Takenobu Mitsuyoshi
System: Sega Model 2 Arcade, Sega Saturn
Track Listing:
- G,A,M,E,O,V,E,R
Artist: Tatsuyuki Maeda
System: Microsoft XBox
Track Listing:
- Valkyrie's Launch 2
Artist: Capcom
System: Nintendo Entertainment System
Track Listing:
- Boss Introduction
Artists: Ippo Yamada, Luna Umegaki, Tsutomu Kurihara, or Masaki Suzuki
System: Nintendo Gameboy Advance
Track Listing:
- Infiltration
Artists: Ippo Yamada, Luna Umegaki, or Tsutomu Kurihara
System: Nintendo Gameboy Advance
Track Listing:
- The End of Legend
Artist: John Williams
Track Listing:
- Star Wars Main Title
Cybertroopers Virtual On (Sega Model 2 Arcade/Sega Saturn/PC)
Cybertroopers Virtual On Oratorio Tangram (Sega Model 3/Sega Naomi/Sega Dreamcast)
The House of the Dead 2/The Typing of the Dead (Sega Naomi/Sega Dreamcast)
Super Mario Bros (Nintendo Entertainment System)
Fighting Vipers (Sega Model 2 Arcade/Sega Saturn)
Megaman/Rockman Zero (Capcom/ Nintendo Game Boy Advance)
02) What graphics program/s did you use to create the theme?
03) I'm making a theme and I need some help. How can I contact you?
04) Can I host your theme?
05) I see "Network Options" in the theme. Is this online play?
06) I play in Windowed Mode. Will I get image size errors?
07) Why can't the theme be made backwards compatible? Can I play without RC2?
08) Can you partner up with another themer to make a theme?
09) I like what you did with some of the stuff in your theme. Can I use it in mine?
10) How did you make the theme so fast?
11) What's up with all the geeky Easter Eggs?
12) Can you make something like someone else's theme?
13) Can you help me with learning to understand metrics?
14) I keep all the versions of TF. Where's 2.6?
15) Can I make a theme request?
16) You also make song simfiles?
17) I don't feel completely comfortable with the non-bemani feel. This is intentional?
18) You said TF was started because of no MAX2 theme available. Why not try that?
19) I've got a really powerful computer. Plan to do a version for higher end machines?
20) I've read the FAQ over and over and I still have a suggestion to make.
21) There's something in this theme I really hate, and I changed it for my own tastes.
22) *positive feedback post*
23) *negative feedback post*
24) This theme makes *insert theme name here* look like shit/ *insert theme name here* pwns this theme.
25) I found an easter egg!
26) Any other theming-related things in the works? Noteskins, announcers, characters?
27) How do you arrange your folders to display the songs?
28) What's your advice for song simfiles?
29) How to I see the Unlock screen in the theme?
30) I found a bug in the theme. I mean a real bug.
31) You didn't sell out with allowing all mods, did you?
32) WTF is that toasty? Some guy doing some fighting thing and the audio is inaudible.
33) Why can't make a personal request for this theme?
34) Techno Fiend for DWI?
35) "Scratch Your Ass for Techno Fiend"?
36) Something is wrong, but is it Stepmania or the theme?
37) Is there a way to turn off all the Techno Fiend Easter Eggs? I don't want to see any of the inside jokes in the theme.
38) Why did you make the decision to limit modifiers earlier?
39) Will Techno Fiend work for Stepmania CVS for XBox?
40) What's the HowToPlay screen signify?
41) Why did you put your "Easter Eggs" in?
42) Why the name "Techno Fiend"?
43) I've seen another theme with elements taken from the theme. What's up with this?
44) I don't see what the big deal about the theme is. I honestly think it's ugly and the only reason why people like it is because 15-year olds with ADD become attracted to shiny things and its differences in judgments and its non-DDR feel.
45) Have you thought about talking to the Stepmania devs to make Techno Fiend the default theme?
46) I think I broke it after trying to change something. A little help?
47) I've noticed in some new themes that really really remind me of Techno Fiend. What are your thoughts?
48) What is the Portal on ScreenSelectMusic?
49) Are any versions of Techno Fiend compatible with SMO?
50) How do you make themes?
51) What are all the commands and what do they all do?
52) Are there things to avoid when making a theme?
- 98% of the graphics were made using Ulead PhotoImpact 8. 2% of the graphics were made by or assisted by Photoshop. About the programs themselves, each has advantages and disadvantages over the other. PhotoImpact is best for buttons and objects, while Photoshop renders size better and can draw on clear layers. I find PhotoImpact better for creating things and Photoshop better for modifying existing things.
- Sure, as long as you give me the URL so I can tell everyone and properly credit me.
Don't know what to credit me as?
- No. SMLAN. SMLAN was a prototype for SMO that worked in small networks or something. Details are shady from my memory. Techno Fiend is NOT compatible with SMO due to new metrics and broken BGAnimation commands.
- Not at all! I've tested the theme extensively in Windowed Mode, so I've tried to make sure I don't get any error messages of any kind. Besides, I want the graphics to be of the best quality, so making them a proper dimension size ensures that.
- I honestly don't know, but my guess is because my computer is a low-end machine with a built-in video card, I've made it so that TF runs at least 50-60 FPS on my computer. Because everybody else's machines are probably much more powerful, it probably runs much more faster than my machine ever will. So that way, TF can run fine on low-end machines (except for probably Win98 and below) and run better on high-end machines. If I ever get a strong video card, that might change for better or worse. Who knows? I've also tried to minimize the fade in/fade out times as much as possible.
- You think reading the FAQ of this theme doesn't make you a geek? For starters, you're playing a simulation of a japanese-influenced arcade dancing game on your computer which you picked up off the internet, as well as songs, themes, characters, movies and whatnot. There are also chances you've made your own songs, and probably have official merchandise of DDR like dance pads, songs, CDs, the games, import games, and for all I know a whole gallery on your computer of the DDR and Beatmania girls and possibly hentai of them.
Exactly what are you calling geeky? Besides, I tossed in the Easter Eggs for fun and I know people would get a kick out of them if they recognized what it was from.
If you still have a problem with that, that's your problem, not mine.
- I will not copy and paste graphics or metrics from another theme into my theme unless it's a Stepmania feature.
- Open up the metrics.ini file. Inside is a mini-tutorial on how to understand how theme metrics work. It won't make you a themer or an expert, but it should give you a slight idea on how things work. Don't expect to know every single command, and don't expect anyone else to. I'm not even sure if the SM devs know. Try going to Plasmadance.com as well. They have some mini-tutorials available. Most places that have Stepmania themes as threads have theme creators and most will assist you provided you aren't being a complete n00b or a total jerk. Don't ask stupid questions.
On the other hand, if you're a total n00b who just learned what a theme was yesterday, you're better off lurking around and not saying anything. Most people who are brand new to themes tend to make remarks that show they don't look like they know what they're talking about, and get owned by a themer who does.
- Sure do, if I listen to songs and think of some steps out of nowhere. Just like TF, I try to put a lot of effort into the steps, syncing, and graphics. They're not perfect, but I think they're pretty high calibur. Keep in mind that all my songs are designed for pad and I have no interest in creating those insane 11+ foot keyboard songs. Most of my songs are from video game soundtracks with a few licensed tracks tossed in. I don't accept requests for simfile songs, either, so don't ask. Reason being is that I'm not a fan of today's music with some minor exceptions. Most of my simfiles are songs based on either old dance songs or video games.
- What ever gave you that idea? Yes, it is. The only thing I probably haven't changed is the sound of the game modes and difficulties. Personally, I never liked the term "Marvelous," nor that it was better than "Perfect." I also never liked the "AAAA" grade. You already have four grades with an "A" in it, which is why I changed it into an "S." Known Bemani characters are in just about every theme out there, so that's why they're absent.
- One, I don't like to mimic existing things. Two, I don't have anything to look at it from. Third, I hate to be restricted by accuracy. Fourth, I have a tendency to add some of my own things into everything I do. It wouldn't work.
It's like fine art. Some people like to draw those fruits in front of them, and I'm the type of person that likes to take the most twisted fucked up nightmare in my head and put it on paper. Besides, there are the chances that if I had my MAX2 theme I wouldn't have gained the motivation to make my own themes.
- Not really, because I'd like for everybody to get the same thing as everyone else. I don't have a high-end machine so to me it would be quite unfair to create a theme that I can't use, as with those with low-end machines. Also, if I attempted to enhance the graphics, it would possibly be at the cost of performance and speed, which is something TF is known well for.
- There's the slight chance I'll update this for metrics, so don't hold your breath. If it's worth something, I'll release a patch.
- I care why?
- Always appreciated and nice to know that others like my work.
- Until you make a theme that's near the quality or popularity of mine, STFU n00b. Now if you have, I really don't care.
- Hold up, pal. The theming community is NOT some kind of competition. I made the theme to kick ass, not to be better than someone else's, and I would hope fellow themers share the same sentiments. What would you say if you made a theme and people said nothing but "TF and the other themes are better than this." You're free to like another theme more than another, but refrain from making comments that come at the expense of a theme author. You're going to piss off one person, and then all the theme creators will get on your ass.
- Good for you. Find them all. Not to sound like an ass, but I made all the eggs. I know.
- Two noteskins for Techno Fiend have been made. Apocalypse V1 can be found on various Stepmania hosting sites, and Apocalypse V2 is included in the Bonus Material in Techno Fiend 3.0 as well as other sites, too. I don't use announcers with the theme, so that's not going to happen, and characters, no.
- DDR 1st Mix
- DDR 2nd Mix
- DDR 3rd Mix
- DDR 3rd Mix Plus
- DDR 4th Mix
- DDR 4th Mix Plus
- DDR 5th Mix
- DDR 6th Mix -Max-
- DDR 7th Mix -Max2-
- DDR Extreme
- DDR Party Collection
- DDR Ultramix
- DDR V2 Club
Then repeat.
I have more mixes than this but I don't feel like adding more colors.
- Get the song information (artist, song name, album) as accurate as possible, make it on sync as close as humanly possible, make the steps go with the music notes, and make good fitting graphics at the proper dimensions (320x240 or 640x480). Don't release it until you fulfill ALL conditions. If you want people to use "AutoSync" when they play, it's crap. If you think your off-syncing is a rebellious act of art, it's crap. If you think making a slow song have a BPM of 490, it's crap. I know it's not the easiest thing to do, but you don't want your name to be on the "simfile makers who make crap" because we all know that a huge percentage of simfiles are garbage. Avoid the trend.
- Look into your Stepmania data folder and open Unlocks.dat with notepad and follow the instructions. It's tricky, but if you don't understand anything, you shouldn't be messing with this area. But if you think you might have an idea but are too afraid to try it, if you downloaded TF3.0 or this one, there's an Unlocks.dat file in the Bonus Material folder you can use, assuming you have the song simfiles inside the file.
- Tell me about it, how you got it, where you got it, what version of SM you're using and everything. It should be fixed shortly. =)
If you're using anything below Alpha 21 I'll nuke your home. Please don't give me a single line answer like, "Parse error in ScreenOptionsMenu" because that doesn't tell me anything other than the screen.
- The day I sell out is when TF dies and no records remain on the net, so no. Only reason I did it was because if SMLAN becomes a hit, but sadly a lot of people don't know about it, to my surprise, people could play with the same mods and mix up some crazy shit. It would suck if your friend had an Extreme theme and wanted to challenge you in some wild stuff but TF wouldn't allow you to, so hence the return of mods, even those you'll never use.
- The uncanny Geese Howard from SNK's many games doing the awesome Raging Storm, and a line from MST3K. Did you think I was going to do the typical "Toasty!" with a random character? Please. It's funny the first time but when the joke is the exact same every time, it can get a little old. VARIETY!
- That would be cool, but no. I don't want two seperate versions of TF, anyway, and relearn everything again.
- Don't take it literally, it's just a fun phrase to say over and over again when impersonating big names, like Arnold.
- Delete the theme and never use it again. It's not my problem.
- To filter out mods that not many people, if any people, use and not to clutter up the options screen to look like crap. Sadly, all the people who wanted mods back never gave me a reason to put them back other than their own personal desires, which is not what this theme is about. Saying, "Put this mod back in because I want it!" isn't going to convince me that it's important.
- Poking fun at pop culture, games and society. And on the PS2 thing, I can't stand PS2 fanboys. It only applies to them and not hardcore gamers who have a PS2. I think it's ridiculous that some people refuse to watch anything that isn't DBZ, and some rabid FF fan(girl)s have annoyed me far too long. How's that for control?
- Becaues I could. If you could have so much control over your theme you might do the same. Why wouldn't you want the MST3K gang come in Endless Mode? Why wouldn't you want a Star Wars spoof? Only thing missing is a Beavis and Butt-head reference.
- I thought it was suitable, but I can see why people could be confused. A lot of people believe that the term "Techno Fiend" has one meaning, to be an obsessive fan of Techno music. That isn't the only meaning. In this case, "Techno Fiend" also relates to the obsession with technology and knowing how it works. The theme is pretty much influenced by the look and feel of the technology of the future, at least that is what I was aiming for, while not being a clone of the holographic look everyone is used to.
- I'm sorry, I missed something. What theme did you create again? Oh wait, you haven't created a theme? Oh, poor baby. Unless you have experience in the field, shut your mouth. You'd be doing yourself a favor instead of wasting your breath on an opinion that consists of pulling reasons out of your ass to hate the theme. Is it that hard to say, "I don't agree with the direction of the theme nor the judgment changes"? You can voice your opinion and not look like a 12-year old internet wannabe-bigshot flamer. The only thing that will do is motivate me to work harder to make you eat your words out of your own ass. Chickenshit.
- You broke it, man. You fix it?
- I don't exactly own the whole futuristic-space-city-techno look and feel, so if others want to make cyber futuristic themes, I don't have a problem with that unless they take some elements of my theme. Second, while I have noticed some TF-ripoffs in the theme animation and metrics, and that does bother me, I usually get more angry when I see people use my images and graphics in their themes than metrics. That's not to say, however, that I don't mind if people rip off a ton of metrics from my theme, because I do mind. What I'm saying is that when I see one or two metrics that are extremely similar to mine, it won't bother me much. However, when I just one single image that is stolen from my theme, I'll make it my business.
- The portal is very much like random, but it will choose only songs in open folders. What this means is when you have a song in a sort mode, depending on how you have the SelectMusic folders displayed, it will choose a song from that open folder only. Unlike Random, you know what song it's going to be before choosing it.
- No. There are differences in metrics that affect this.
- The ultimate n00b question other than "What is a theme?". Let's see, I do some graphics, get some music, and do some coding. RTFM. Look at the README-FIRST file in the Stepmania folder and look at the files inside each individual theme and see what they do. If you must ask this question I would not bother even attempting to create themes if you cannot do your research.
- Third ultimate n00b question. Since when was willing to rewrite the dictionary? Nobody knows except the Stepmania developers, and for some odd reason they are not exactly willing to share every single command and what they do. Most themers learn from what's given to them and experiment.
Bemanistyle 7.0 will have a good tutorial on theme commands.
- Absolutely. First and foremost, avoid using anything from the default theme unless your theme is based on anything Bemani (DDR interfaces, Beatmania or Pump It Up). In that case it's okay to use default elements. However, if you are creating a completely different theme that is not bemani-based, avoid elements from the default theme at all costs. Sounds, music, fonts, graphics, and animations. Keeping those elements in such a theme is a really quick way to kill it.
If the thing the theme is based on contains a particular look, sound style, or font use, you want to try to use those in your theme. Otherwise, things will look or seem out of place. If you want to do a theme based on a different game or anime, you want it to have the feel of that game or anime. Using things from the default theme will be obvious and it won't help, unless the game or anime calls for it, which won't happen often.
For example, if you wanted to make a Castlevania theme, you probably want visuals or art from the game, music from the game, fonts that look similar or exact to those used in the game, sounds from the game, and so on. Any default SMMAX element would probably ruin it, audio or visual.
Another thing are files. As a themer, I will recommend deleting all the CVS folders in your theme, as well as other redundant files. If you see files that you have no intention of editing or using in your theme, delete them as they will take up space. However, if you fail to make the proper adjustments in the metrics, the program will revert to the default theme for the proper metric or graphic. For example, if you don't want the score to appear in your theme and just delete the number graphic, you have to edit the metrics to tell it not to appear or else it will with the default graphics. This is where the command "hidden,1" comes in handy, and use it as your InCommand.
Lastly, don't EVER EVER EVER use anything from another theme without obtaining permission, which is stealing their work. If you use anything from another theme without permission, it will piss off the person who made that graphic, unless there is absolutely no way to contact them. This situation will not most likely happen when updating an old theme in which the original creator cannot be contacted, but don't take chances. If you use ripped graphics from other Bemani games, try to credit those who ripped or provided them. Credit everyone involved after getting their permission. If you take something and credit them, but without permission, they'll still be pissed. You do not want to piss off a themer who has spent hours on their work that share it with the net.
Despite that I work alone on this theme, there's some people who have pitched in good ideas and support for the theme. Without their feedback, the theme probably wouldn't be anywhere as good as it is now. So here's the "good people listing." If your name is not in here that means you are of no importance to me. I'm just kidding. These aren't in any specific order, either.
- Every single person/site that hosts this theme. When you make a theme and can't find a lot of hosts at first, people providing them takes a lot off your back. Bemanistyle, Merklo.com, Stepmaniastuff.com, Laser123454321's Stepmania, Phantom's Era, prncofdrknes, Radio Nero, BassKnight, Makou, pads, snared.net, and every other host that never notified me of their hosting.
- dieKatze88 for helping with metrics and explanations. Even a few simple explanations of a few metrics makes life a bit easier. =)
- twen for reminding me what good use the TextBanner does for the SelectMusic/Course and giving me some examples to use.
- rev for the suggestion of the new pads on SelectStyle.
- Reenee for making probably the most productive suggestions on the theme.
- Keogi Naga for introducing the 2.4 release to DDRManiaX.net and probably caused it's popularity to rise.
- All themers (except specifics) for making me download themes and giving me inspiration to do mine, for better or worse. And probably those who download mine, learn some techniques, and help me again. =D
- The entire Stepmania gang for making this program! Without theming I'd probably be bored and depressed in my dorm room not attending classes and being made a social hermit from my so-called peers in college. Gives me a chance to prove my graphical and creative skills.
- Konami for making DDR since without it Stepmania wouldn't be made. And Solid Snake and Castlevania, cause Solid Snake and Castlevania kick ass. I don't care what anyone says, TTS is cool and so is CoD. Mleh!
- Everyone who enjoys the theme and doesn't bother me with annoying suggestions.
- Hell, even those guys that do bother me since they'll still use the theme >=D
- America (Fuck Yeah!) for being my home for 20 years, kicking some ass and giving me hope in my dream for World Domination.
- Hours of Disney and Cartoon Network because cartoons kick ass. Well, one cartoon on Disney, anyway. Disregard the previous Milk Chan comment in 3.0. Now that they haven't pushed the "You Dumbass!" thing to death in the second season, the show's funny. The president rocks. Too bad it's not on anymore. I want my Megas XLR back, dammit!
- My family for letting me leech on the electric bill, food, love, providing the equipment for everything I've done and much much much more.
- Every local DDR player that didn't give me a hard time, create drama, or just didn't act like a fucking dickhead, which really makes the list really really small, and some of those that provided support in some way. I can only think of four or five people. Especially those who redeemed themselves (ie: Acting like a jerk at first but stopped.)
- Dave and Arnie for taking me out all the time in 2003 to get addicted to DDR and improve my skills, and introducing me to Stepmania in the first place.
- The Citadel's Cyberstation for putting up with my antics if they ever noticed. ^_^; There were times I was rude as hell to other kids, lurked around for no apparent reason, spilled water on the DDR pads, biddibly blah blah blah.
- Loren, Deondre, Josh and Michael for letting me film them for my mini-documentary, "Dance Dance Revolution: A Perspective," in late 2003 for an assignment in my Digital Media class (and again for my Digital Video Editing 1 class). Too bad they weren't there to see how the class responded.
- JDC for actually taking me to the mall sometimes in Pueblo.
- Ibraim Soltonbaev for creating the Winamp skin "CyberDimension" way back in June of 2003 that originally sparked the inspiration for creating the theme. Without that Winamp Classic Skin I may never have gotten the inspiration to attempt to create a Stepmania theme with a dark cyber-futuristic feel.
- Any and all supporters (unless you're a total newbie, a credit-taking fraud, a wannabe-themer who steals images from others, or rates Techno Fiend a score meant to lower the overall grade without any explanation) of Techno Fiend.
Some reasons you may be added:
-
Praising me for allowing all modifiers in 3.0, as I've been bothered endlessly by people who didn't give me reason to put them back.
-
Acting like a jerk after having a theme request/suggestion rejected or demanding a theme to be made with no consideration to others.
-
Taking/Stealing any metrics and especially graphics from my theme without permission.
-
Taking the credit for creating the theme.
Current list:
- darklink87 - For stealing the images off several of today's most popular themes (Techno Fiend, Trance Machina, Foonmod, Extreme, Forever Blue, SMMAX2) and making them all into his own "theme" called Dark Element. While he credits the themes, he did not make any sort of ATTEMPT to CONTACT the themers to gain PERMISSION, and his excuses consist of laziness, every one of us being assholes for being angry, and that for some reason he's done nothing wrong and he's not stealing anything. Bullshit. He still continues to update and release new versions of his "theme" which still consists of my works WITHOUT PERMISSION. If you take a theme element and slap it into your theme, without the permission of the original theme creator, it's stealing. I worked hours and hours to create the graphics.
QUIT ADVERTISING YOUR DAMN THEME
- "Beast" (?) - For telling some people on the ITGFreak.com forums that he created Techno Fiend 2.9.