StepManiaX Almost Perfect Cast: Recent Episodes
APC Crew
A community podcast for StepManiaX We play dance games and then talk about them!
Official SMX discord server: https://discord.gg/5Mr4H6m5G7 APC home discord server: https://discord.gg/9ca39DrWbr
The Almost Perfect Cast is not affiliated with StepManiaX or Step Revolution LLC. We just really like playing and talking about this game.
We're stepping up to the challenge this month. This drop, return guests ChezMix and WDRM (Bobby) return to talk about the competitive scene: why we participate in it, what it's like, and how it affects us.
Red Note's Website
SGDQ 2023 Schedule
Games Done Quick Twitch Channel
Cathadan's Update/Change Log
Official SMX discord server
APC home discord server
Timestamps:
Coming Eventually
The Almost Perfect Cast is not affiliated with StepManiaX or Step Revolution LLC. We just really like playing and talking about this game.
StepManiaX is chock full of Easter Eggs, from the stage lights to the UI, to the background, blink and you'll miss a whole basket full! Zom joins Zephur and werd to discuss just a fraction of the Easter Eggs hidden in the game, and his Youtube series documenting them.
Zom's Youtube Channel
Zom's Twitch
Zom's Twitter
Official SMX discord server
APC home discord server
Timestamps:
Coming Eventually
The Almost Perfect Cast is not affiliated with StepManiaX or Step Revolution LLC. We just really like playing and talking about this game.
Set sail and explore the world of charting for StepManiaX. SMX chart artist Robert Frazee (WDRM, and many other pseudonyms) joins Zephyr, werd, and Eesa to explain the process of writing a chart. Also announcing No Bar No Prize Spring 2023
Thanks to Sydia for this episode's thumbnail.
Official SMX discord server
APC home discord server
Timestamps:
Coming Eventually
The Almost Perfect Cast is not affiliated with StepManiaX or Step Revolution LLC. We just really like playing and talking about this game.
Step Revolution has been very busy this month, so we Get Busy ourselves and tell you all about the dozens and dozens of amazing charts that have come out since the last major drop. Zephyr, werd, and Eesa, also talk about what all these charts mean for the game going forward, why they exist, and if you're going to like them. Also announcing Red October 2023.
Thanks To SenPi for this episode's opening gag, and Sydia for its thumbnail.
Official SMX discord server
APC home discord server
Timestamps:
Coming Eventually
The Almost Perfect Cast is not affiliated with StepManiaX or Step Revolution LLC. We just really like playing and talking about this game.
This one's all about timing! Guest hosts SenPi and Andy457 join Zepyr, Eesa, and werd to talk about how to get those high scores, and how you can get them too.
Official SMX discord server
APC home discord server
Timestamps:
Coming Eventually
The Almost Perfect Cast is not affiliated with StepManiaX or Step Revolution LLC. We just really like playing and talking about this game.
Step Revolution made like Scotty D and dropped the songs on us mid-tournament weekend. So to celebrate this drop and the community that came out to Red October 2022, Zephyr, Eesa, and werd sat down with a few of the tournament participants for a post-excitement chat. Meet Gr0f, Senpi, Motroni, and Ender as we recount the goods, the bads, and the most excellent weekend.
Official SMX discord server
APC home discord server
Red Note Arcade discord server
Timestamps:
Coming Eventually!
The Almost Perfect Cast is not affiliated with StepManiaX or Step Revolution LLC. We just really like playing and talking about this game.
He came in like a bolt! Special guest Lightning (aka Jason) joins Zephyr, werd, and Eesa to take us through How The Song Drop Gets Made, from licensing to on your machine!
Official SMX discord server
APC home discord server
Timestamps:
Coming soon!
The Almost Perfect Cast is not affiliated with StepManiaX or Step Revolution LLC. We just really like playing and talking about this game.
Two song drops means two podcasts! Zivie returns for one more episode and watersalads joins us to talk about winning the SMX portion of Beast In The East 5! For the main topic Zephyr interviews friend of the show Warky T. Chocobo (Steve Nuñez) about his incredbile weight loss journey with dance games.
Official SMX discord server
APC home discord server
Timestamps:
0:01:08 Housekeeping
-Tournament Update: Red October Updates
-(0:02:27) Beast In the East Retrospective and interviewing winner: watersalads
-(0:21:40) Texas local/regional tournament September 24th; Games Underground in November(?)
Song Drop (Energizer, Demons World, Bust it Out, Turbo)
-(0:22:50) Wild Charts
-(0:34:13) Full Charts
-(0:42:11) Dual Charts
-(0:44:35) Hard Charts
0:48:10 Main Topic: Warky The Chocobo and his amazing weight loss journey with dance games
-No more notes because we're very meandering and unfocused, but it's all gold.
1:18:50 Show Closeout
The Almost Perfect Cast is not affiliated with StepManiaX or Step Revolution LLC. We just really like playing and talking about this game.
Zivie joins us this month for a topic we're all passionate about: keeping that weight off and that health up to feel better, look better, play better, and live longer. We'll explore our weight loss journeys and talk a ton about how to do it yourself with a game like SMX.
Para Symptoms BGA video that we "helped" make
Official SMX discord server
APC home discord server
Red Note Arcade discord server
Timestamps:
0:00:27 Introducing Zivie and previewing the Manin topic
0:00:58 Housekeeping
-Tournament Update: Red October Updates
-(0:02:00) Announcing a double episode to go with a double song drop
-(0:02:30) Texas local/regional tournament September 24th
Song Drop (Space Boy, Trigger, Rainbow Rave Parade, Para Symptoms)
-(0:03:00) Wild Charts
-(0:13:42) Dual Charts
-(0:16:40) Full Charts (Besides Rainbow Rave Parade)
-(0:21:05) Rainbow Rave Parade Full
-(0:25:03) Hard Charts
-(0:26:30) The Login Update
0:33:45 Main Topic: Losing Weight and Getting fit with StepManiaX
-(0:34:43) Zivie shares his stories with weight loss and dance games
-(0:38:50) The accessiblity and addictiveness of SMX and why that makes it good for fitness
-(0:41:35) Why the quality and consistency of the game makes it better for fitness
-(0:42:49) Eesa's weight loss journeys
-(0:45:50) Competition on the weekly leaderboard and global leaderboard that lures us into exercising
-(0:46:09) Zephyr's weight loss stories
-(0:49:08) ...and then transtions into explaining how the health benefits of this game have helped her with her personal identity
-(0:49:46) Zivie describes the ways that dance games have improved his life
-(0:51:23) Step Revolution's push to make SMX a fitness game and positive role models
-(0:52:43) How to prep for a set: clothes, towels, fans, shoes, fitness gadgets, and more
-(0:56:37) Pros and cons of fitness gatgets and other devices that add inertia to startup but improve our workouts
-(1:02:32) Keeping a workout going past the first hour, and goals to keep you working out
-(1:06:48) Fitness outcomes of bar vs no bar
-(1:08:50) Techniques to keep going when you get bored (score chasing, upscoring, folder grinding)
-(1:13:00) Barriers to getting enough exercise (sleep, food, sore muscles) and overcoming them
-(1:19:50) Zephyr demands everyone brag about their trackable vitals
1:23:45 Show Closeout
The Almost Perfect Cast is not affiliated with StepManiaX or Step Revolution LLC. We just really like playing and talking about this game.
What IS a dance game fan podcast? Special guest host Kevin Turner joins Zephyr, werd, and Eesa on an encompassing, but somehow not exhaustive tour of the art of StepManiaX.
Video Version of this Podcast
Official SMX discord server
APC home discord server
Kevin's Youtube channel
Moves That We Obtained video
Red Note Arcade discord server
Timestamps:
0:00:31 Introducing Kevin, and this episode's companion video version
0:01:40 Housekeeping
-Tournament Update: RED OCTOBER ANNOUNCEMENT!
-(00:3:40) Zephyr talks about the joy of teaching beginner friends how to play the game
Song Drop (All For One, How We Win, Ooh La La La, Stop Me, Villain, VTubers Never Die)
-(0:04:27) Wild Charts
-(0:16:13) Kevin explains the 471 easter egg for this drop
-(0:18:33) Full Charts
-(0:30:43) Dual Charts
-(0:35:42) Hard Charts
0:38:27 Main Topic: Background Art with Kevin Turner
-Kevin's role with Step Revolution and who he interacts with
-(0:40:45) Kevin explains why it's not so bad to make no money from making this game
-(0:41:45) Why Kevin is guest-hosting the show this drop, and drawing attention to the video / Art City BGA; Kevin starts walking us through the museum
-(0:45:18) Talking about the VTubers Never Die BGA
-(0:52:00) Kevin's and Step Rev's homages and visual allusions to other works
-(0:53:30) More explanaition of the trans allegory in VTubers Never Die video
-(0:58:35) More on animating VTubers Never Die how they relate to the step charts
-(1:01:49) The rough world of getting songs licensed (Moves That We Obtained)
-(1:06:35) Getting into the economics of the licenses and produciton of smx
-(1:09:30) We touch on easter eggs
-(1:16:42) Covering the The Call of Wilderness BGA
-(1:18:18) Future updates on older updates (with a focus on BGAs)
-(1:23:53) More of Kevin's cutting room floor content
-(1:25:12) Rapid-fire lore questions
-(1:27:24) Zephyr finally recognized Cyber-Sans for the first time
-(1:27:55) This is a grammar correction
-(1:29:38) Upcoming UI and login changes
-(1:35:08) Background brightness limitations
-(1:36:56) Kevin surprises us with a brainstorming session for a future drop's BGA
1:44:19 Show Closeout
The Almost Perfect Cast is not affiliated with StepManiaX or Step Revolution LLC. We just really like playing and talking about this game.
We're finally getting to the good stuff! Zephyr, Eesa, and werdwerdus explain what all the advanced techniques you'll encounter at the top end of StepManiaX: what they are, how to execute them, and where to find them in the game.
Official SMX discord server
APC home discord server
Timestamps:
0:00:50 Housekeeping
-SRPG6 (StepMania Tournament)
-(0:02:15) ITL
-(0:04:35) The June/July Hardware Drop
0:05:25 Song Drop (Art City, Bewitched, Cosmic Drive, Have Fun, Pump It)
-(0:05:44) Hard
-(0:07:50) Wild
-(0:15:21) Dual
-(0:18:16) Full (Bewitched)
-(0:23:50) Full (Besides Bewitched)
0:30:54 Main Topic: Advanced Techniques
-(0:32:25) Dr. Eesa covers differences between tech used in SMX vs other dance games
-(0:34:50) Crossovers
-(0:38:53) Advanced Crossovers (Scoobies)
-(0:44:44) Dual Crossovers
-(0:47:40) Footswitches
-(0:56:05) Brackets
-(1:02:25) Mine Walls "Shock Arrows," and Advanced Mine Patterns
-(1:07:39) Super "Advanced" Tough Rhythms
-(1:13:33) Slowdown and stop gimmicks
-(1:14:18) Extreme Footspeed and Precision (And Training Them)
-(1:16:58) Side Switches (Sideways Footswitches)
-(1:18:56) Charts that heavily use multiple Advanced Techniques
1:22:28 Show Closeout
The Almost Perfect Cast is not affiliated with StepManiaX or Step Revolution LLC. We just really like playing and talking about this game.
Guest host RyeSteve joins us for this Song Drop to talk about something that happens to everyone in their dance game career: aging. We talk about how it affects us, how to adapt to it, and how it's not all that bad.
Official SMX discord server
APC home discord server
Red Note Arcade discord server
Timestamps:
01:09 Housekeeping
-Tournament Update: May RED NOTE Teaser Tournament report
-(02:50) Beast In The East 5 (Late August)
03:45 Song Drop (We Got The Moves, Just Do It, Meta Dreadnaught, Liberar Vida, and Dark Fenix)
-Song Drop Teasers and Mysteries
-(05:48) Wild Charts
-(15:33) Full Charts
-(20:38) Dual Charts
-(25:51) Hard Charts
-(28:42) werd's Dark Fenix Challenge
31:46 Main Topic: Aging and Dance Games
-(33:18) Changes to our body that change as we age
-(34:42) Injuries and their risks, and increased soreness/strain (the knees segment)
-(39:09) Importance in keeping better form as we age
-(40:15) Muscle and coordination changes and the benefits and detriments form these changes
-(42:23) Other things that suffer as we age (balance, vision, cognition, learning)
-(45:15) Metabolic slowdown
-(46:44) Our bodies' ability to keep playing as we age; aging illnesses and injuries
-(49:16) Silver linings: positive perspective, continuing to improve in the face of the march of time
-(51:44) Listening to your body and finding your limits
-(55:05) The good news: life goes on and we keep getting better
56:37 Show Closeout
The Almost Perfect Cast is not affiliated with StepManiaX or Step Revolution LLC. We just really like playing and talking about this game.
To Bar or not to bar? This month your hosts discuss the differences and merits of playing with and without the dance gamer's metal best friend, and the topic turns out to be as deep as SMX's bars are tall.
Official SMX discord server
APC home discord server
Timestamps:
01:04 Housekeeping
-Our (the hosts) last month in SMX
-(02:52) Recent and upcoming tournament chat
05:48 Song Drop (Moonlight, The Call of Wilderness, Dystopia 2077, and Press Start)
-(07:02) Wild Charts
-(15:42) Full Charts
-(23:17) Dual Charts
-(26:32) Hard Charts
28:40 Main Topic: Bar and No Bar
-(29:15) Our oral (dubious) histories of bar acceptance. We Teach the controversy
-(35:27) Differences in efforts put forth and playstyles between styles
-(38:56) Discussion on the different physical / fitness loads the styles yield
-(42:07) How the SMX bar compares to other dance games'
-(43:55) How charts are made differently to cater to the different styles
-(47:47) Different personal Motivations for playing your given mode
-(49:53) How to play bar
-(52:40) Performance differences and switching mid-song
-(55:41) How to play no bar
57:02 Show Closeout
The Almost Perfect Cast is not affiliated with StepManiaX or Step Revolution LLC. We just really like playing and talking about this game.
The weather is warming and the tournament scene is heating up! John, Eesa, Werd, and our first guest, Chez Mix talk about his new arcade Red Note, and its innagural dance game tournaments! Oh and some sort of main topic about difficulty ratings and why they matter.
SMX also had a TRIPLE content update this month, so we also get to spend a little time talking about the new songs in our regular Song Drop segment, as well as the 1080P Update and SMX+.
Official SMX discord server
APC home discord server
Red Note Arcade discord server
Timestamps:
01:10 Housekeeping
-Introducing Brandon Chez!
01:35 Song Drops and Updates Discussion Discussion
-(0:01:45) 1080p Udate
-(0:04:45) SMX Plus (April Fool's joke)
-(0:05:45) Song Drop: John's thoughts
-(0:07:23) Eesa's thoughts
-(0:10:04) werd's thoughts
23:10 Main Topic 1: Brandon Chez and Red Note Arcade Las Vegas
-(0:16:40) Chez Drescribes the arcade and its inventory of music games
-(0:18:50) Sneak Peak Tournaments Announcement (already passed)
-(0:20:20) Discussing the scope of the sneak peak tournaments, and other future tournaments
-(0:23:28) Official announcement of Red Note's May 14th tournament
24:31 Main Topic 2: Chart Ratings and Why We Love Them
-(0:26:10) Eesa answers the question to what is a difficulty rating
-(0:28:15) Why whart ratings matter
-(0:31:35) How charts get their difficulty rating; philosophy, physical challenge, and ratings woes
-(0:39:20) How difficulties translate across modes (and don't)
-(0:43:00) How difficulties change as you go up the scale
-(0:45:23) Chart misratings? In our dance game?
-(0:49:35) Emphasis on the simplicity on a digital rating system and its tradeoffs
-(0:39:20) How difficulties translate across modes (and don't)
-(0:50:10) Chez suggests quality-of-life re-rates on a determined schedule
51:40 Show Closeout
The Almost Perfect Cast is not affiliated with StepManiaX or Step Revolution LLC. We just really like playing and talking about this game.
Show Us Your Ultimate Dance! This month Eesa, John, and werdwerdus will tell you all of the great benefits to live-streaming StepManiaX, and help you get started on your own social streaming journey.
SMX had a content update this month, so we also get to spend a little time talking about the new songs in our regular Song Drop segment.
Our Hardware Setup Guide (Modified from the Official SMX guide)
Video Guide: How to sync audio, game video, and camera video (coming in a few days!)
Official SMX discord server
APC home discord server
Timestamps:
0:01:10 Housekeeping
-Announcing the Red Note April 9th and Big May Tournaments
0:04:11 Song Drop Discussion
-(0:05:26) John's thoughts
-(0:06:25) Eesa's thoughts
-(0:09:43) werd's thoughts
0:23:10 Main Topic: Live Streaming
-(0:24:12) We answer why you might want to stream or watch a stream
-(0:28:57) We talk about what makes a stream 'good' from a setup perspective
-(0:32:46) List of basic hardware of a stream setup
-(0:36:37) We bring up and improve upon the official SMX streaming hardware setup guide
-(0:43:46) We walk you through some of the unique steps to setting up OBS with StepManiaX
-(0:49:26) We touch on other nice-to-haves and finishing touches for what's on your camera and on your stream layout.
-(0:57:47) Restreams, Discord hangouts, and interacting with your stream viewers
1:03:02 Show Closeout
The Almost Perfect Cast is not affiliated with StepManiaX or Step Revolution LLC. We just really like playing and talking about this game.
First episode! Let's meet the star of the show; that delightful chap the center panel!
Join Eesa, John, and werdwerdus as we bring you into the game as a fresh player and tell you how StepManiaX is differnet from other games and why you'll enjoy it so much.
Also SMX had a content update this month, so we also get to spend a little time talking about the new songs in our regular Song Drop segment.
Official SMX discord server
APC home discord server
Show Notes:
0:00:50 Housekeeping
-Discussing the fledgling nature of the podcast and its early development, calling for artists
-Announcing competitive 1v1 restreams, and our temporary(?) Discord home
0:04:05 Song Drop Discussion
-Laying out our plans for the regular Song Drop Segment
-(0:06:20) John's thoughts
-(0:11:35) Eesa's thoughts
-(0:14:44) werd's thoughts
0:22:15 Main Topic
-Explanation of the differences between SMX and other dance game: sensors, the center panel, and stage geometry
-(0:30:20) Talk about follies in stage care and easy mistakes to make, and ease of servicing
-(0:34:00) Creature comforts of SMX: the menu, app, bar, lights, and CUPHOLDERS
-(0:38:12) We talk charts and How great SMX's are
-(0:43:00) The different modes/difficulties
-(0:53:56) We go on about Full Mode for a while
-(0:59:07) The 1 chart per mode limit and how it positively and negatively affects the game
1:02:50 Show Closeout and Self-Promotion
The Almost Perfect Cast is not affiliated with StepManiaX or Step Revolution LLC. We just really like playing and talking about this game.
New here? So are we! Meet StepManiaX, our favorite dance game as hosts Eesa, John, and Werd introduce ourselves. On this episode, we talk about what StepManiaX is, who we are, and how we got introduced to the game.
If you know StepManiaX and the hosts, you can skip this one without missing a beat.
Official SMX discord server
APC home discord server
The Almost Perfect Cast is not affiliated with StepManiaX or Step Revolution LLC. We just really like playing and talking about this game.