StepMania 5.1-new DDR fork (and Lua 5.5 version)

I have now decided to post about my fork or StepMania for DDR players with some DDR behavior recreated in C++, even with a Lua 5.5 version (take that OutFox!)

What it has:
- Recreation of arcade gauges
The CLASS gauge and all FLARE gauges have been reimplemented in C++.
- Arcade event mode
Event mode will freeze timers and you will not be able to fail.
Please note that incompatible themes may hang on certain screens.
- Removal of old animations
The initial fill animation of lifebars is disabled. This is like arcade DDR.
- Accurate freeze arrows
The arrows fade out like in arcade DDR.
- Accurate shock arrows
DDR shock arrows count for 1 combo instead of 4/8.
- Realistic danger announcer
The danger zone of the lifebar is separated into two ranges, to ensure that the announcer only warns on very low health values.

And more features coming!

Update 20250414:
- Overlapping hold bug fixed
- Upgraded to C++20 standards

Update 20250417:
- Upgraded FFmpeg to 5.1.6 (LTS)
- Fixed metrics included
- Incorporated new life gauge values from DDR WORLD

Downloads:
Original (Lua 5.1): https://github.com/h-lunah/stepmania-ddr/releases/5.1
Experimental (Lua 5.5): https://github.com/h-lunah/stepmania-ddr/releases/5.2

How to install:
1. Download a copy of StepMania 5.1 (20230412): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Uk4kIocAp7Aj4LNpzuhehO7qW6XyjAQl/view?usp=share_link
2. Extract this StepMania somewhere. You should've already known how to use WinRAR or 7-Zip, right?
3. Download the release artifact from the download links I've provided above.
4. Delete the old Program folder and replace it with the new Program folder.
5. Replace the Themes/_fallback/metrics.ini file with the one from the archive.
6. Run StepMania and enjoy some DDR gameplay.

PS: If anyone knows how to group freeze arrows jumps into one OK like in real DDR, like it was in DDRMAX (the same system), please let me know. I have no idea how to make it.

An implementation of this feature only ever made it to Beware's Extreme simulator based on 3.9 and the provided patch doesn't seem to be very convertible to SM5 C++ standards; so it would be very helpful if someone who knows C++ programming could port that patch over to SM5. Thank you very much.

So two questions:

1. How would I go about with installing this? I'm not very experienced with compiling.

2. Will you be able to fix the overlapping hold bug that's present in SM5.1 nightly builds? AFAIK the overlapping hold bug doesn't exist in ITGmania, which is what I otherwise primarily use

What does an overlapping hold bug look like?

And about downloads, I have just published releases that include the Program folders to replace in your original copy of StepMania 5.1.
I will provide instructions on how to install in the top-level post.

So what the overlapping hold bug basically is is that when you have the tail of a hold that is situated incredibly close behind the head of the next hold on the same arrow (i.e. a 64th note before it), the previous hold's tail will draw over the next hold's head. This is a known issue in SM5.1 nightly builds and can be seen in charts like Deep tenDon Reflex .

Left image shows how it looks like in 5.1 nightly builds, right image shows how it should look in official DDR.

Bug has been fixed.

Check the commits, I will reupload the release soon.

Can you add mmod in the options menu and also add ddr timing stepmania timing and ddr extreme timing windows just how like ddr starlight has it? and add seperate guidelines that you a customize in the options BOARDER and CENTER instead of just CENTER.

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Looking forward to your fork piotr.

Just curious: have you considered forking itgmania instead?

No, because ITG and DDR differs and I would have to revert ITG changes

I had a peek into some of the source code posted on Github above. If I'm not mistaken, it looks like the life penalties for Flare I-IV use their older amounts from A3, as opposed to the more lenient penalties from WORLD. Now that the latter amounts have finally been posted on the Japanese Bemaniwiki (https://bemaniwiki.com/?DanceDanceRevolution+WORLD/%B4%F0%C1%C3%C3%CE%BC%B1#FLARE_GAUGE), any preference between using one or the other, or would it be possible to add an ability to switch between the two?

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I went off of the FLARE gauge information on RemyWiki's A3 page as the WORLD page did not state such amounts, since we now know what the FLARE values were in WORLD, I'll upgrade them.

I wanted to add more options, but I have ran out of if-else branches and MSVC refuses to compile the project. Unfortunately I need to settle with something, not everything.

I got this build to run with some of the new lifebar mods, but I had to add the following metrics to the _fallback theme in order to not crash:

[NoteField] ShowBeatBarsP1
[NoteField] ShowBeatBarsP2
[LifeMeterBar] DangerThresholdNoComment
[LifeMeterBar] FlareInitialValue
[StreamDisplay] FlarePillTransformFunction

These weren't hard to add myself; they all have similar-named counterparts in their respective sections that I could copy from. Just thought I'd keep you aware of them if you'd like to include them in your build, or for anyone else who runs into similar issues or crashes.

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Hey Pilot how did you add the freeze arrow and shock arrow judgements. I wanna add it to the starlight theme

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Check ScreenGameplay decorations, and Graphics/Player ShockArrow judgment, as well as Graphics HoldJudgment label 1x2 for what I did.

You can take it if you want.


I am gonna define those with default values in the _fallback theme and package it.

New archives uploaded, check top post again.

You should really fork project starlight xx you can add some many fixes and enhancements to it https://github.com/MidflightDigital/XX--STARLiGHT--twopointzero

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I don't do that cuz my focus is to make DDR more accurate and not to "fix" a theme that isn't DDR.

I won't do it.

It is in a ddr style and heavily inspired but I guess it’s literally based off a direct arcade mix. It’s more of a customizable ddr theme that is trying to become its own brand by ditching certain assets that resemble ddr.

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I am only targeting themes that match actual releases of DDR, not DDR-likes, hence I'm not gonna deal with Starlight.