Stepmania 3.9 Vs. 4.0?

[MyChemicalRomance]

Hi guys, I currently have Stepmania 3.9 on my Computer and was wondering whats different in 4.0? Is it just little technical things, like, takes up less space on your computer, or is it major things, like new options, more ddr feel etc.?

In a nutshell, should i keep using 3.9 or go ahead and get 4.0?
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[Nightime]

3.9 is more DDR-like in nature, and is usually packaged with a SM-theme that resembles a very familiar game to many fans.

4.0 did some tweaking/bugfixing, such as mods in courses; and is a lot more ITG-like in nature. It adds a third "Random" icon called "Portal," which is like a "you can see what you'll be playing" space, which changes if you leave it and scroll back onto it. It also is known for adding support for "rolls," a different type of freeze arrow that requires repeated stepping, instead of holding.

This build also somehow screwed up the "Extra Stage" function, which often ends with it glitching and crashing when played - so it's usually set to Event Mode. There are some abstract features, like the ability to change between "additive, subtractive, and average" scoring methods, though the final outcome is essentially the same. (Subtractive, for example, starts you at "AAAA/difficulty*million points," and then REMOVES points for less-than-Marvelous steps.)

The interface is also somewhat familiar, but somewhat different/original. It also adds (optional, and often unutilized) support for other dance/musical game interfaces, provided your song has the appropriate related files. Either that, or they both do, but 4.0 comes prepackaged with them... one or the other. The "Mini" mod appears to be managed differently, too.


What I suggest doing, if I were you, is install 4.0 to a different folder, and use the "AdditionalSongFolders=..." command line in Stepmania.ini to tie it to your other Songs folder from SM 3.9; and test drive it a few times to see if you like it more. Heck, you can have them BOTH that way, if that's your prerogative.

[Chaos Master]

Then there's 3.95, which is a mixture of the two (and the one that I use). I suggest that you do what Nightime said; have multiple versions on your computer. I have 3.9, 3.95, and two different builds of 4.0, and they each have their advantages.