Adding a variable "Dance Master Mode?"

[Nightime]

I was interested in knowing if, first of all, a concept of adding a new gameplay mode was even possible. And if so, how to go about doing it; I believe I have my metrics set up right, but the option to select it has been disabled because it causes an "Invalid screenclass" crash for now.


I'm trying to create something similar to Extreme 2's "Dance Master Mode," but without necessarily charting a map, or anything like that. Instead, I would like to use an approach similar to the Extra Stage format (master1.crs, master2.crs, etc.); but to where you're offered a choice between three songs (preset or variable), or the "Random" option per stage.

So the game flow would go like:

-Title Screen (choose MasterMode)
-Difficulty Select (EASY,MEDIUM,HARD,CHALLENGE; otherwise identical to initial screen, no "Page 2"... or perhaps just an "empty" one instead.)
-Group Select (includes "All Music" group)
-Song Select*
-Results (looped to Song Select or "Retire", to save accumulated High Score) or Game Over (upon Failure)

*THIS is the part that's giving me the most trouble. Getting the game to register/utilize a master*.crs the same way as it plays and extra*.crs; as even when songs are variable, I would like to script modifiers/lifebars into the gameplay for use as well.

I guess what I'm essentially trying to create is a looping Extra Stage system, in it's own independent mode; with the selection limit of having "Choose ExtraStage" off, but between 3 songs (not just one), plus Random. I'm also considering an open-select for Stage 1, as though ExtraStage loop begins after a normal stage (with a grade of D or better), or something like that.

The variable choose-between-whatever-three-songs interface is more of what I'm going for here, not necessarily a "Mission Mode." Does this make sense?

[FSX]

Can't do it with courses. What you could do is make a separate screen that acts the same, and does some Lua stuff to only make the songs you want appear. That said, you could have it read the data from a CRS file.

[Nightime]

Originally Posted by FSX

Can't do it with courses. What you could do is make a separate screen that acts the same, and does some Lua stuff to only make the songs you want appear. That said, you could have it read the data from a CRS file.

That's exactly what I'm trying to do! :D But I can't find the metrics associated with the XS system in the first place (assuming it's seperate from "ScreenGameplay"). That's one thing that's making it hard to pull off. The other is when MasterMode's Group Select comes up as an invalid screenclass, in spite of being a direct c/p of ScreenGroupSelect. I also have no idea where "ScreenCaution" fits into Metrics.ini, either; or how to branch that from the normal song-select to "master" song select. :/

The rest of the metrics, I believe, are already set up. And thank you for the clarification, btw.

[FSX]

The Extra Stage system is hard-coded and you can't get it to do what you want with metrics. You would have to make a Lua system to show only certain songs that it reads from a file.

[Nightime]

Would that require a particular build? I think I'm using 3.94, or right around there. I know it's not 4, because it came with the "SMMAX" theme...

[FSX]

Originally Posted by Nightime

Would that require a particular build? I think I'm using 3.94, or right around there. I know it's not 4, because it came with the "SMMAX" theme...

You need 4. That said, the build you speak of, 3.95, is a very early version of 4. But get the newest CVS pre-build, or a newer one from SVN.