Share your opinion about In The Groove!

[PedanticOmbudsman]

[quax94]

[Mysty]

I don't post often here, but I saw this on the front page.

About me: I've been playing on and off since 2002. I really started to crank up playing DDR and getting better in shape in the summer of 2004. My preference is 1x. I'm just starting to AA heavy songs now, still lacking stamina to play fast songs.

I used to absolutely hate ITG, for an extremely stupid reason. One day I went to the arcade to play some DDR. I saw the ITG machine and decided to try it out. At that time I was Aing 7 footers on DDR. I decided to give "Queen of Light" hard a try. I failed it. I decided to give it another try, only to fail it again. I mean, it's rated a 7, so I should be able to pass it, right? WRONG. I didn't touch ITG for months until I saw a shiny ITG2 cab in an arcade this past August. Tried "Queen of Light" again . . . LIFE DEPLETED!

What gave me trouble with "Queen of Light" was the sixteenth notes. Few 7's on DDR have sixteenth notes. Naturally 2x solves this problem, but I really didn't like it.

Where I live, we don't have a doubles DDR machine or ITG machine for two hours in any direction. Most of the time I play with a few friends on fluxes on a weekly basis.

Black Friday came and I picked up the bundle of ITG and two dance pads then. By this time, some dancers I knew were going OMGWTF, ITG isn't bad. So, I figure I'd give it a try. I got "Why do you hate it so much? ITG isn't bad. It looks better than DDR."

Besides the load time, it's not that bad. Yeah, it does have some crappy songs (imo), but whatever.

The thing that ticks me off about ITG is the fact that it's not meant to be played on 1x in the higher levels (yes I am generalizing). It's rather difficult, especially if you are sightreading. It adds up to me as general bs, because the stepcharts at the higher levels are just every single note accounted for. For the most part, I just 2x stuff in ITG, accounting it on the "bs note factor". When I get better, I hope to crank that back down to 1x.

Now when I get together with friends to play, we end up putting in ITG first because we haven't raped all those songs yet, only to put in DDR to pay tribute to where it all came from.

My heart will always be with DDR, because it came first. However, I don't mind dancing to new songs. :-)
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Please do not refer Burning Heat or Bag and such steps as 12th notes. They are eighth notes in triple meter (example: 6/8 time), or triplets in duple meter (example: 4/4 time, like most of the songs in DDR). Thank you.

[Houou Don't You Want Me]

[Nightime]

IMHO:

Is it more challenging (than DDR)?

Rhythm-wise, yes. Pattern-wise, no. In fact, the actual patterns involved are a little too cut-and-paste for my tastes, and in other cases it seems like it's "just there" going nowhere in particular. The rhythms are the only hard part, and that's just physical endurance. *WORK SOME ON MAKING SIMPLE-TO-EXECUTE, FUN PATTERNS*. Besides, *MANY* of the MOST POPULAR DDR stages are REALLY SIMPLISTIC in their stepcharts (B2U? AFRONOVA? SO DEEP/TWILIGHT ZONE/R&P? BB$?! WTH?). But most importantly, they're FUN - even the hard ones.

But that complaint is from fans who don't use their mods, most of the time.

WTH Doubles?

Clearly, IMHO anyways, even DDR should revive "6-Panel" (or similar), at least as far as the home market goes. Double sets are clearly made for arcade-pads where both sides function as a single unit - and no matter what the patterns look like, with soft pads, the left one will always slide left, and the right one will always slide right. And where back-n-forth-like-a-jumping-bean action is considered, it only gets worse.

Players DO want some variation in their gameplay style, and Solo-style, with the proper emphasis on pattern-play, has TONS of untapped possibilities. It's clear purpose: "Play Double/alternate-rhythm style using one pad".

Replay value?

I suggest departing from the "one-course/one-stage" unlock systems of past/DDR games. Seriously, have a small batch of songs/courses unlock at milestones like 15/100/250/500/1000... *stages* or *millions of points*. Make sure at least one (each) per batch:

*personifies FUN
*personifies CHALLENGE
*personifies CATCHINESS
*(course) contains one or two "looking forward to it" stages that are later unlocks.

Loading times/Endless mode?

If there is a way to drop the loading times, or at LEAST let users know their PS2 is still alive, do it. Also consider an Endless or "multipath course" mode, where after each stage, you can pick between 3/4 songs by tapping an arrow that corresponds to the banner position on a "mini-select" screen - and keep one option (default for timeout) hidden. Also, consider a spinning roulette-highlighter between them, so there is a third "random X/O timed press" option between them as well.

Musical taste?

You see, here is/was (IMHO), your 1UP. The diversity in the song-select is really well-played, and multi-featured artists are a good move. It helps keep some consistency in the tracklist, and probably helps with licensing/cost issues pretty well. Extreme 2 is going to give you more of a challenge than Ex 1 or DDRMAX 2 did, because it also has that good diversity going for it as well. Me loves the rock, though - and honestly wish that it would fit with the DDR better.

The in-house music, while somewhat catchy already, could use a little more diversity, and could use a little on the vocal talent apart from random samplings. Particularly in rock, rave, and hip-hop styles.

You could also consider putting 10-15 tracks in from mainstream radio genres. I know it's horribly cliche, but if you use the right balance of stuff that's not being currently burned out, and still has some revital life in it (hint: check compilation albums), that'll give the game a major credit boost - ESPECIALLY if you DON'T base your advertising on it. So long as you're not bragging, the fans WILL. And, most importantly, that the songs have FUN stepsets - and at least 2 that are challenging as well. Fun AND challenge CAN mix.

Feature use/abuse?

There *are* more interesting things to do with mines than make minefields and top off freezes. The easier sets could be more beat-based and less note-based as well, the step-edit modifiers are made SPECIFICALLY to work WITH THAT. And on that note: easy levels + step-add mods can = fun stages, all with the right pattern work. Which in itself is a gameplay depth that most don't explore, and that could be worked well *BIG HINT* into Battle/Course modes, too.

Also, a "Top 5-10 scores per profile" should be tracked for each song - not for record-keeping purposes though, *but as a variable AI in 1P Battle Mode*. Also, a "course Battle Mode", or something like the mini-select described earlier would be fun to play, too. Not to mention 6-Panel versus. !_!

Lack of custom-course mode or a step-editor blows, too. Another great idea to try with next-gen systems: A "multi-game" save. Basically, ONE savegame that tracks the scoring/grades (standards already decided-upon beforehand) for the *series* of games.

Eh, just some ideas for either/both/all to toss around. Seriously, how would one go about pursuing this sorta thing professionally? (Or designing stepcharts?)

[LolaStarr]

I dont have alot of experience with ITG, except a couple rounds i played when they switched a perfectly good DDR machine with an ITG machine at my local arcade... my initial reaction was, and still is that its a rip off. wheather Roxor meant to or not, and wheather its better than DDR or not doesnt mean much because on the surface, a DDR player looks and says 'oh, generic DDR'. add that to the other problems like load times and difficult operation (i thought so anyways, it kept messing up my scroll), it seems natural to go with the trusty ol' DDR.

except for the slightly disturbing song choices in the new Ultramix 3 for X-Box, i've never had any problem with DDR, so it seems kind of silly for Roxor to compete.

just my humble oppinion
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Es una Trampa!

[nerds day out]

Check it out, I'm a n00b.
But yeah, I definitly think that ITG is a lot better than DDR.
The songs are longer, harder, and more fun.
Crap that sounded gross.
But yeah, the steps are a lot better, and I really like the marathon courses because of the mods.
Always fun for a challenge. ;p

[Paralistalon]

When I started to play dance games, my arcade had both ITG and DDR Extreme. I ended up practicing the most on ITG. One, it was always less crowded than the DDR, two, hallway and note colors made the notes easier to read, and three, I liked the music style better.

Between ITG and DDR, it's a close toss-up. Between ITG2 and DDR, ITG2 wins by a landslide. The new songs and more interesting stepcharts made it more fun for me. I especially like marathon mode. Scripted mods add so much to the game. Watch someone play the Driven marathon course and I think you'll be hooked. Also, mines add much needed step variety.

In its current state, ITG is technically superior to DDR since it is more user friendly and has more technical features (mines, hands, rolls). Also, ITG has songs that blow DDR out of the water in terms of difficulty. The only way you can say DDR is better is if you like the songs and steps better. Hey, I like DDR songs like Gamelan, Sakura, Exotic Ethnic, and Healing Vision, but when it comes to the the pop songs and American licensed songs, the ones in DDR are cringeworthy, while the pop songs in ITG are very good.
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http://evilzug.com/stuff/kitten/

[ranatalus]

Mod courses are fun only in moderation. A lot of the courses (Sisters, KeeL Over, Nightmare) feel like, at the end, the person writing it went "Well, if they are still passing it to this point I clearly have not made it hard enough, HAHA READ IT 3X HIDDEN BOOMERANG 80% DRIFT 20% TORNADO 50% DIZZY BEAT! HAHA I AM THE WINNER!"

Also, a lot of people complain "DDR is so much easier, I don't want to have to whore out songs to get AAAs and SDGs, wah wah wah."

Hey

Here is an interesting concept

playing games for fun and not just for competition

I have not met a single ITG "convert" that doesn't play primarily for score, regardless of whether or not they admit it. For example, people that step off the pad after they get a great in DDR because "I already have 1 on it so what's the point"

Almost no one uses the new mods for fun; again, it's just for the purpose of "hay guyz look I passed a song on easy with dizzy flip float drunk tipsy wave boost brake sudden split im so cooooool"

IIDX with your feet IS an accurate description. The reason is because you could very easily keysound all the expert charts. They all VERY DELIBERATELY and VERY CAREFULLY follow the music EXACTLY. Also, once a pattern has been used, it is almost always repeated via copy, paste, turn:mirror; copy, paste, turn:right, etc etc.

The songs are uninteresting, bland, and generic

easy and medium provide very little in the way of helping new players progress onto harder songs (I know some people stuck trying to go from medium to hard, and have been there for months)

Expert isn't MEANT to be done no bar. Sure, it can be done (pickles and dj stunna are the only ones I hear doing anything impressive) but look at the scores they get. stunna gets under 80% on determinator expert. wheeee. Not a terribly impressive score by most accounts. I don't know what sort of scores pickles gets, but I can't imagine they'd be much better. I've passed Delirium Expert no bar once and I doubt I'll ever try again. It's meant for the high-speed bar players that move conservatively.

There are about a million other things I know I dislike but it's 5 am and I can't think of them right now

point being, yes, Extreme is 3 years old. Personally, I think it is still a better product, and I can play Extreme all day. It's a chore to play ITG (or ITG2) for more than an hour.

BEFORE ATTACKING ME

READ THE PART WHERE I SAID, "PERSONALLY, I THINK"

THAT MEANS IT'S AN OPINION

I'M STILL ENTITLED TO THOSE, RIGHT
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Phrekwenci wrote:

Yea all this sounds nice and corny and I'm sure you are going to open up a can of LOL and pour it on the floor to roll around in

[nerds day out]

[aluminum.]

I really like ITG. Its graphic are nice and smooth, and th music is very nice. But I would say the time it takes to load needs to be improved.

[Synaesthesia]

Are you talking about the home version or loading from a USB drive at the arcade?
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im a lasagna whale

G_G

[UTOPIA]

For me, when ITG came out on the arcades, my first thought was "THANK YOU GOD!!!". Here is why...

When DDR Extreme came out on the arcades, it was like the most popular game around. Then 2 years rolled around and it was like Konami gave up on making anymore arcade versions and started focusing on home versions, which is ok cause sometimes the home versions suprised people with some really cool songs, but it doesn't help if most of those somgs aren't on the arcade version, and it gets annoying when you play the same songs over... and over... and over (even if you played every song on Extreme). Anywho I first heard about ITG when I downloaded the SM file of "Touch Me" by E-Rotic. At the time I just upgraded to ONI/Challenge difficulty, so I wasn't as good as I am now, so when I first saw a few mines pop out on the screen, and the insane steps to the song, I was amazed and excited, thinking that this would be the next best thing and the answer to the DDR 2 year gap.

Aside from the game having mines and hands, ITG is one of those games for the players (like myself) who want a more challenging and fun experience. Sure DDR has some cool sounding songs, but some of the stepcharts to the songs are WAAAAAAAY too easy and predictable. ITG however, at least for me anyways, fills your satisfaction by kicking it up a notch.
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::Clickable Siggy::
www.myspace.com/cmg_utopia

[Odyssey]

I recently played ITG2 for the first time, when I was trying to get practice in for Metrolution...

...and it was less than I expected, but better than I thought it would be... if you can understand.

See, the ITGrrrrr people use this as a frequent debate tactic in the ITG/DDR war:
[quote=Random n00b] ZOMG ITG IS BETETR TAHN DDR COS ITS HARDER AND ITS GOT MORE STUFF AND ITS BETTER![/quote]

Okay.
If you take out the mines, it's hardly any harder than DDR. The mines just add an element of surprise, difficulty, and insanity.
Hands were actually much more pleasant than I expected them to be. It's a nice feature, despite my previous disposition.

The songlist is where it fell short for me. It all seemed to lack something, but what it was, I didn't know. I immediately recognized Bambee's songs as well as a few from Utopia, but the rest were foreign... and the ones I played didn't seem to hook me the way DDR songs do.

Never the less, I can't say I dislike ITG, nor can I say I truly enjoy it. I guess if the need arose, I could play it instead of DDR in a situation like I encountered before.
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Used to be Zoupzuop2. Now I'm not.

[2016] Came back to see what a huge weeb I was. loloops

[Asymptote]

[Synaesthesia]

It's probable that he was playing on Hard or low-tier Expert.
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im a lasagna whale

G_G

[DAF]

[Mostly_Harmless]

i love all dance games i grew up on ddr but i tried ITG and i love it, it has to be the best damn dance game out there right now!

[Cutriss]

Yeah, so I'm pretty sure this comment-period is over. And if it isn't...well gosh...I guess you could continue to supply your feedback THE WAY IT WAS INSTRUCTED IN THE FIRST POST.
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Sentient Mode is capable...