One-Handers seem to be a dying breed.

[MSUK]

Yeah, so...I don't mean to start ranting, as I know that the likelyhood of me switching to index and spread techniques aught to be mandatory, as in my opinion keyboard simfiles are of usual better quality nowadays, and...In places like these, 2-handers are usually of a higher population than the like.

But getting to the point. I've seen more and more packs around the internet that don't welcome new players, or existing players like myself(I've played for over a year now) that are still using the one-handed technique(Excluding Pad Packs). Now don't get me wrong, I like challenges. But doing 16th notes in a pattern that usually requires your hand to frequently move in strange positions, tense your wrist and tire your forearm extremely quickly, and overall seem like something impossible to clear seems to become more and more apparent to me.

I guess the real point of this topic, and the real question I'm asking is - If you were an existing player who's had enough experience of stepmania first hand, and were looking to change techniques which would better suit keyboard simfiles, where would you start?

Sorry if this happens to be the wrong forum, by the way.

[Xiaounlimited]

Spread or pettanko.

If you want to keep playing one-handed, nobody's stopping you. If that's what you find fun, great. StepMania is supposed to be fun (which many people here don't seem to realize anymore, hehe).

If you want to start playing seriously though, until you switch to the dominant style (spread), you're not going to start getting better/being able to tackle difficult files.

Pettanko is viable if you're ungodly

[dood gone krazee]

Isn't pettanko pinky and ring finger?

Damn that's hard.

[Xx{Midnight}xX]

Due to laziness i put my responses in the quote.

Originally Posted by MSUK

Yeah, so...I don't mean to start ranting, as I know that the likelyhood of me switching to index and spread techniques aught to be mandatory, as in my opinion keyboard simfiles are of usual better quality nowadays, and...In places like these, 2-handers are usually of a higher population than the like.

Better quality? No. They've gone down the tubes to be like those fricking "Impossible" files. If anything several of these files should be deleted and the step artists mocked.

But getting to the point. I've seen more and more packs around the internet that don't welcome new players, or existing players like myself(I've played for over a year now) that are still using the one-handed technique(Excluding Pad Packs). Now don't get me wrong, I like challenges. But doing 16th notes in a pattern that usually requires your hand to frequently move in strange positions, tense your wrist and tire your forearm extremely quickly, and overall seem like something impossible to clear seems to become more and more apparent to me.

See above response - They don't seem to care for new players (They don't have to but heck it'd be nice.) They're just looking for something to give them Carpal Tunnel.

I guess the real point of this topic, and the real question I'm asking is - If you were an existing player who's had enough experience of stepmania first hand, and were looking to change techniques which would better suit keyboard simfiles, where would you start?

I'm not big on Stepmania but I'd start by going through and knocking off all these "Impossible" files. You wanna see something Impossible? Go play Reality and AAA that one handed. Spread players usually learn just spread, they should go through and play their best scores the other ways and see how bad they are stepped. They might actually understand the problems everyone else is boasting about.

Originally Posted by Xiaounlimited

If you want to keep playing one-handed, nobody's stopping you. If that's what you find fun, great. StepMania is supposed to be fun (which many people here don't seem to realize anymore, hehe).

Um, it's not fun when everything is Impossible to do the way we prefer.

If you want to start playing seriously though, until you switch to the dominant style (spread), you're not going to start getting better/being able to tackle difficult files.

How is playing the conformist easy way being serious? If we're all playing one way wheres the fun in thrashing everyone?

[sp1nzoK]

I switched to spread from one-hand fine 1½-2 years ago or something, I was content playing one-hand with my easy ass simfiles but then one day I downloaded videogame megapack and oh boy, I was getting really bad scores on its simfiles, so I switched to spread and started enjoying the game MORE, I'm not sure if most one-handers realize the fun factor of being able to play cool technical files with no sweat, such as Blue Rose.

If you switch to spread you can expect to beat your personal one-hand records within couple weeks consistently, that's just how it goes.

[MSUK]

I remember trying to play spread at some point. I mapped my keys to the numpad(2468) and tried to play. It felt extremely uncomfortable and I tended to press the wrong keys as the notes came up.

It's probably just the result of barely any practise, but that was my experience.

[Redorigami]

Of course it's uncomfortable at first, you've never done it before. One handing just seems more comfortable to a lot of players who have never given spread a chance because more than likely, you've used that same style when playing any other flash game or anything with arrow keys for controls. Given time, spread does make harder files much more enjoyable, though.

[Xiaounlimited]

Originally Posted by that midnight guy

Um, it's not fun when everything is Impossible to do the way we prefer.

How is playing the conformist easy way being serious? If we're all playing one way wheres the fun in thrashing everyone?

Play pad files. Unless you're a top tier one-hander, I don't get why you're busy trying to play "impossible" files. Majority of people play spread. Therefore a majority of people make spread files. There exist easier files that AREN'T spread files, but if you so desire to play one hand, find them yourself.

It's being "serious" score-wise because you can cross a threshold I can guarantee you will never pass playing one-handed. It's conformist, because it's the most functional way to get better. If it's so easy,

why can't you do it?

If we're all playing one way, where's the fun? Look in the SM scores thread. Everybody there plays spread. You will notice a HUGE gap between skill levels; because whatever ignorance you want to bestow towards spread players, it does exist. Notice how top ranks are always changing on high level FFR songs (re: DP, CCCP, RATO, Molto, etc)? Spread players can still improve. Damn, I know, that must be impossible to believe.

It's even more fun because spread players thrash one handed players who decide to stay one handed to hell.


tl;dr version
-find files that AREN'T too hard for you and stop downloading kb packs like a retard
-if you want to get better so desperately play spread
-if you think spread is too "conformist" then stfu and stop crying about how **** you are

[ScaryArrows..]

Originally Posted by MSUK

I remember trying to play spread at some point. I mapped my keys to the numpad(2468) and tried to play. It felt extremely uncomfortable and I tended to press the wrong keys as the notes came up.

It's probably just the result of barely any practise, but that was my experience.

Hmz..well, if you intend on using the number pad. Personally I use left and up on my arrow keys, 6 and 2 on num pad. That way my fingers aren`t having an orgy xD

[SkySeal]

Originally Posted by MSUK

I remember trying to play spread at some point. I mapped my keys to the numpad(2468) and tried to play. It felt extremely uncomfortable and I tended to press the wrong keys as the notes came up.

It's probably just the result of barely any practise, but that was my experience.

map your keys better you retard
you have your entire keyboard and 2468 is hardly spread out
here's what i did
closed my eyes and waved my hands in the air a little
assuring that i was still facing my keyboard, placed both my hands down on the keyboard to where they felt comfortable
opened eyes and viola there's the damn setup

[ScaryArrows..]

That`s a bit silly, but an awesome way to find how what`s comfortable none the less =D i`ve been using up right 6 and 2 (num pad) for as long as I can remember...i`ve tried as kl, but my hands are on an angle with my other setup, so as kl dosen`t work out well for me -_-;

[MSUK]

Originally Posted by SkySeal

map your keys better you retard
you have your entire keyboard and 2468 is hardly spread out
here's what i did
closed my eyes and waved my hands in the air a little
assuring that i was still facing my keyboard, placed both my hands down on the keyboard to where they felt comfortable
opened eyes and viola there's the damn setup

Yeah, You have your 'damn setup', but what use is that when your mind and reflexes still tell you to use your hand the way you would on the normal directional keys, AKA pressing the key above the one you've got mapped for example when tapping an 'up' note.
There was no need to be rude either. >>;

[foilman8805]

I played on the arrow keys until I switched to keyboard spread -- I play just fine. I think you need to be a little less obstinate, and a bit more open to suggestions. It takes a little while to reprogram your mind to switch to spread, but it can be done, and if you work on it, it can be done quickly. Took me a few days to get comfortable.

[Cloud0005]

One handers aren't dying....I'm not atleast.

[Zybanthia]

One-handers are a dying "breed" because many realize they won't reach the high expectation of the more challenging files being put out into arrow-pushing games - something you essentially noted in your first post.

If you want a comfortable setup, I recommend something ergonomic, like

q, s, l, p

Or, if you're not on a laptop, place your right hand on the numpad. But it's important to try different setups yourself and see which ones you like most. Plenty of people, though, don't consider the above setup because a, s, k, l is so widely used that it's easy to go with it as a first instinct.

[Oni-Paranoia]

The full potential of a one hander is equivalent to a player on pad.

[Xiaounlimited]

Originally Posted by Oni-Paranoia

The full potential of a one hander is equivalent to a player on pad.

Calimist is better than a lot of people are on kb.

[NFD]

I use two hands and D F J K.

[iCeCuBEz v2]

of coures one handig is a dying breed one handeing sacks ROFL

[John McPain]

Its survival of the fittest.