Sunday, June 12, 2016

StepF2 and Rave It Out

This is not a negative critique of StepF2 or the development team behind them.

Back in October, Rave It Out's "Arcade Mode" content was released to the public after a lock down lasting nearly 4 years since December 31'st, 2012. After that date, the project went silent and content was worked on like crazy.

When an update finally appeared online in October of 2015, it was met with surprising positive critique. This pushed the team to work on it further and firmly create something that would package it all together and present the content in a way that it was meant to be show in. 

Some images from the project while it was in its earlier stages...

We were proud of this screen.


...we were trying.


RIO on a daily basis.


Old main screen. 


Two designs we had for Mines using the Rave It Out noteskin.


So what does StepF2 have to do with any of this?

In my private messages I have been receiving complaints from players that the content from Rave It Out does not function correctly with StepF2. Certain arrow effects or strange placement of arrows causing problems in StepF2 has been the biggest concern. With all that said, I do need to set the record straight.

We do NOT care about compatibility with StepF2. We will NOT officially have ANY support for use of the content in StepF2. And the likeliness of it ever happening by us is zilch.

Why though?

StepF2 is a great project by a small team which sets out to make available all content from Pump It Up into a modernized format using assets borrowed from Pump It Up: Fiesta 2 decrypted HDD. Even the step content is ripped from the game and synchronized as best as possible for using in StepF2. For players new and old, it is a nostalgia trip and also an economical way for one to play the newest content at home when there is no modern mix available locally.

That is all fine and dandy. But this is also the reason why Rave It Out cannot associate with StepF2 in any way. We don't want to be a part of a recreation or degrade our work to just an "addon" to something that is supposed to bring a Pump It Up experience to a player. RIO is NOT Pump It Up. It is its own 5 panel rhythm game with a unique flow in its step charts and personality overall. We have worked very hard to separate ourselves from being labelled as "just another fan pump game" and instead be recognized as a true and definite alternate experience.

Hope this clears up players questions about the relation of StepF2 towards Rave It Out and vice-versa. As horrid as it sounds, I guess it is a case of "seperate but equal"? (cue Animal Farm)

Onwards!