Techno Fiend 3: Eternity FAQ

Welcome to the FAQ for Techno Fiend 3: Eternity

Created by Sestrenegade Neveras Kaiveran

Table of Contents

Introduction/ How To Use
Venting Ground: The Legend of Techno Fiend
Version History and Changes
Audio Use Information
Frequently Asked Questions
Easter Egg Listing
Special Thanks
SNK's SHAME LIST

Introduction/ How to Use

Techno Fiend is a theme is designed for Stepmania 3.9 Release Candidate 2. Because the feature "Portal" is open, it will not run properly on anything prior to this version. Please go to http://www.stepmania.com to get the latest version. You have been warned. The graphics in this theme are created using Ulead PhotoImpact 8 and Adobe PhotoShop CS by Sestren Neveras Kaiveran.

To use this theme,
1) Because this is not a .smzip file (due to uploading problems and size compression), this is an ordinary .zip file. All you have to do is extract the data to a new folder, and find the folder called "Techno Fiend 3 - Eternity" and place the folder in your Stepmania Themes directory. It should be something like this:

Stepmania/Themes/Techno Fiend 3 - Eternity

That's it. The theme should be installed now. Start the Stepmania program and go to Options. Enter the Appearance Options and highlight Themes. You should see the theme available. Select it and exit.

To use some of the extra files included in the Bonus Material folder, refer to the readme inside that folder.

Venting Ground: The Legend of Techno Fiend

Techno Fiend was originally designed as a new Stepmania theme that fit my tastes. At the time of its original creation, there were only three known themes for the Stepmania Program. SMMAX, SMMAX2, and Forever Blue. There was no Trance Machina, no Step Brothers, no DDREX, nothing. I discovered the Stepmania program in the summer of 2003 shortly after my completion of my freshman year of college at Colorado State University. Easy to say, I don't want to go there again. Yeah, I miss the scenery and about 2 people, but it sucked. I discovered Stepmania upon returning home thanks to my good friends Dave and Arnie, whom I spent a great summer with. It came as a surprise when I found out not only could you create your own songs, but also your own theme. I'm not sure how long Stepmania 3.0 had come out, but none of the alphas had been released yet. Techno Fiend started out very rough at the time. To put it in a nutshell, the result was when you have an orgasmic feel of power in a day of graphics programming and no knowledge and chickenshit bravery to play with metrics. So it wasn't that great, and most of the graphics were ripped from other things. My friends liked it, but to me it was far from good to release anywhere. Unfortunately, this data no longer exists.

When I got into my second year of college at CSU Pueblo (2003-2004), the DDR feeling was very void. The local arcade with the machine was a dollar for three songs, the pads were usually messed up, and it had Arcade Immediate fail. It didn't help that no one was interested in DDR whatsoever, despite my several attempts to get people on my floor interested, which unfortunately consisted of gamer posers, frat boys and sorority girls. After my roommate moved out on me because I refused to congratulate him for being such everyone's bitch and tool since he was a frat boy, I had a lot of time to myself, and after waiting for a MAX2 theme since I was no fan of the EX interface, I waited in anticipation for one of the themes, and needless to say, when I got it, it was the biggest disappointment in the longest of time. I won't name names, but that pissed me off.

From there, I said, "Fuck it, I'm doing my own." Techno Fiend Version 2 then began. I slowly experimented with the graphics, lurked on all kinds of Bemani simulation forums for any kind of information, studied the theme files in all the themes I got. Apparently, a nervous breakdown in college allowed me to spend hours and hours on it, as well as making my own simfiles and whatnot. I got pirated programs, downloaded all kinds of inspiration, played games and watched DVDs, something to keep me motivated. The paranoia of my peers really ate at me, since my lack of partying and perversion quickly made me a hermit to the rest. I wasn't satisfied with my art courses, so I decided to do my own thing. It cost me in a lot of areas, but sometimes we make stupid choices, and I question whether insanity and depression are excuses for those.

The year finally ended and I left the hellhole (fuck all but four people there, who actually said a word to me), but Techno Fiend was not finished. Unable to acquire a job during the summer, I decided to be productive and make TF a personal project to spend hours on. Finally, in late July, it was time for a release, but there was a problem. My family, sister and nephew were going on vacation to Texas, and needless to say, I didn't work on Techno Fiend on a laptop. So I had to rush some things and the night prior to the day we were supposed to leave, I left the computer on overnight to upload the theme. It would be over a day to see any feedback, and I wasn't entirely optimistic. If there's one thing good about being a pessimist, when you expect the worse, you're usually not disappointed. Disappointed was the last thing I would be.

People loved it, but I got plenty of criticisms. People didn't like the removal of modifiers that they probably never used, some people didn't like that I went outside the box and took out the Bemani feel, and some people thought it was a knock-off of Trance Machina. While I had used TM for a small time, there was a lot of things I would change as it didn't suit my tastes in a lot of areas. It's not my character to tell another person what they should do for a theme just to suit my own tastes (hint hint). TM was a slight motivation to do my own theme, but I was not influenced by it even if my theme shows similarities. As you can see, TF and TM aren't the same. And then there were some fuckheads (I hope they know who they are) who just didn't like to see it rated so highly, so they rated it low. Here's a newbie (me) who released one file and it's taking the ratings by storm by people who have released several simfiles to gain their status. Rate the damn theme for what it is internally and not what it has become externally. Some people... I suppose an ego in the industry will do that to people. I'll admit that I was an egomaniac in high school since I was the only creative artist out of the many artists there and took any and every job for the school available, but to me having an ego online isn't worth it. You'll remember people you've met, not some blowhard with a screenname who can't type worth crap.

It took me by surprise that people considered this to be one of the best themes ever, so after listening to critiques, bugs, problems and whatnot, shortly after I came home from that vacation I worked on the theme more to release another version. The rest is history. Time comes and a new version of TF comes. Over a year in the process, Techno Fiend has become a quick favorite to several themers and SM fans alike. For that I thank you all.

Unfortunately, there's been a long list of things that bother me from people's requests. Because I need critiques on certain areas of the theme, like how areas work out and if people have problems with the theme, I know the theme is not perfect. However, that has not prevented people from making requests solely for the purpose of their own personal taste alone, which quite honestly I loathe and pisses me off at the sight of it. Honestly, why should I change an important aspect of the theme for one person alone? Combined in versions, Techno Fiend has been downloaded by thousands. One person's tastes is not going to make me change something. NO PERSONAL REQUESTS!

However, there is only one exception to that, only if it can benefit others as well, especially me. I'm not talking five or ten people, I'm talking about everybody who downloads the theme. If people want a graphical change in an area I feel also needs a graphic change, that will be done. If people need the audio to be adjusted because the newer versions of Stepmania have sound issues, done. If there's a crash bug that has something to do with the theme, done. People who want something back because it's essential to screenshots of ranks with specific game options, done. Take a look at that and analyze it for a second.

I will reject ANY request solely for the purpose of one's personal taste. Now you see, I removed the modifiers earlier because this was designed to be an arcade theme, and the modifiers I removed were ones I did not see people use at all unless they were bored. Some people were fine with that, but many were not, but could not give me a reason to put them back in. Many will realize that I placed them all back in in this latest version, only because of SMLAN. I came to the conclusion that many people will play Stepmania online and want to do all sorts of crazy shit, including modifiers, so it would just suck to have to switch to another theme to battle your buddy with specific modifiers. It was not because whiny little bitches came to me and wanted their modifiers back that they never used. If no one was whiny or bitchy, they may have all come back sooner. I want suggestions with reasons backing it up. "I want Boomerang back." Why? I'm waiting for an answer. No answer? REJECTED! It's not hard, people.

I have specific tastes for this theme, and unfortunately many people want me to make changes that fit their tastes more than mine. That's not going to happen on my watch. I will not make the theme feel more "official," I will not make adjustments if one person doesn't like a specific screen or sound bit, I will not add anime characters, I will not put licensed music of your favorite music group, and I won't move a graphic from one side of the screen to another unless necessary. I will do requests for some people, but you are still using my theme. In other words, when you have a released version of the theme, you have the exact same version I do. No one gets a special version of the theme. If you want to make changes, learn to do them yourself, but don't whine to anyone if you break it. You probably don't want me to find out about it, either.

There's also my bad side. I won't take kindly to repetitive, stupid, and selfish requests. For example, I had to explain why I did not want to put all modifiers back because I'd feel like a sellout, in which I would just kill everything I do in the Bemani simfile community. No more simfiles, no more Techno Fiend. I would not tolerate or excuse myself for being a sellout. I had a pretty lengthy explanation, and then some newbie says, "I like it but I think you should put all mods in." I wasn't in a good mood that day and the timing, right after that explanation, couldn't be worse. Please do your homework, kids, that's what this FAQ is for. Also, only I decide what should and shouldn't be done with the theme. I don't care what you think I "should" do. Unless you're a themer or have extensive knowledge of theming, you have no business to say such things. You have the right to say what I can do, but no right to say what I should do. I'm not your puppet.

So in short, you're using a theme with my tastes, and if you have a problem with it, deal with it. If you want to make changes that I am not willing to accept, learn to do them yourself, but I will not make changes with your tastes in public releases. Please only come to me when you have problems with the theme that are NOT of personal taste, and please please please use the latest version of Stepmania. I listen to all requests and suggestions, but I only consider the ones that will benefit all users of the theme including myself, and will immediately blow off any requests that will have to do with only benefitting one person, or issue a problem in a rude way. I also do not tolerate those who act as if their opinion and taste is fact. For example, don't tell me that something "wrong" with the theme is something I did intentionally. I am a perfectionist when making my themes, so this shouldn't happen often. If it's something you can deal with, deal with it. If it's a huge issue and you're not a whiny bitch, come to me.

If you have to PM me at the DDRManiax.net forums where I frequent, or bemanistyle.com, please list everything you want me to know in one PM and give me your reasoning behind your question/suggestion. Please do not make me PM you five times to find out what you wish to know, whether it has to do with my theme or to help you make your own theme. Please realize that while Stepmania is capable of a lot of things, it is also extremely limited, so keep your theming help requests realistic. While I do have an AIM screenname, it is private and will not be given out to anyone. I do not have any kind of public instant messenging for personal reasons. Besides, I don't want stupid newbs to annoy me and waste my time. I like people to IM me with important and deep information, not people who say hi, ask if I saw the latest episode of a show I've never heard of, try to send me their favorite song from their stupid favorite band, and get in my face because I don't give a flying fuck about an upcoming movie they want to see. The percentage of people who share my interests has reached an extreme low. So that's the reason I don't want to be bothered unless it's worthy of my time. I like Sega, music, and a lot of cartoons I'm too old to watch. The easter eggs in the theme can give you a slight idea of that.

If there's a full list of changes you want me to make with Techno Fiend just because you don't like the style of the theme, and I know you're out there, I have only this advice for you:

Make your own fucking theme.

And for those who wish for my assistance in theming, I'll be glad to help out, as long as you don't annoy me with unrealistic requests and constant PMs to find out you want to change the color of something. Also, please do not use any kind of TF material to make your theme. In other words, don't use the metrics file, barely modify it, and use it as your own. Hell, even saying "These metrics are mostly Sestren's/Nevera's," you'll be in trouble from me. I don't like copycats. I don't want people using my work in their themes. Graphics, metrics, sounds, animations, text, anything. While I don't own the .ini filename and I did not create the sound effects or music, I did edit them to fit the theme well and it took hours of long work. In short, don't take my work without my permission or you'll be sorry.

Now that you've wasted a good hour or two reading that, I welcome you to Techno Fiend.

Version History and Changes

Techno Fiend 3: Eternity
- Redid the entire theme to make it worthy of a new version, graphics and animation metrics.
- Tampering with metrics allowed seperate music for the Oni modes, allowing for new original opening animations.
- Quicker transitions from ScreenStage to ScreenGameplay.
- Fixed several SMLAN bugs in Oni modes when connected.
- Portal Activated.

Techno Fiend V.2.9
- Brought back Song Options in ScreenGameplay and SelectMusic for screenshot purposes of others.
- All sorting will return, as this was an accidental removal on my part for early beta testing back in the days of 2.3 and below (when no one knew the theme existed).
- Caution Screen modified to include more warnings.
- ScreenRanking categories return, as I removed them and accidentally kept them removed for testing purposes.
- Found out how to make the "Extra" graphic flash like the arcade on SelectMusic.
- ScreenCompany completely redone to reflect original final version of screen.
- Battery Life gain/lose sound effects have been modified to reach optimum sound quality.
- Pad graphics on SelectStyle has been modified.
- New Record now includes ranks #1-10
- Hidden and recently discovered metrics have allowed for new toasties, graphics and animations for each different mode has it's own animations. This includes different and new appearances, cleared and failed screens, transitions, frames, toasties, and more. So in other words, ScreenGameplay, ScreenGameplayExtra, ScreenGameplayNonstop, ScreenGameplayOni, and ScreenGameplayEndless will have their own seperate feel completely. Hopefully this will help enhance new themes in the future.

Techno Fiend V.2.8
- Select Character frames adjusted for new character cards.
- Difficulty Meter Numbers added on Select Music.
- SMLAN support added, NetSelectMusic screen modified to fit theme.
- Unlock Screen returns, new music, background, and easter egg.
- New background supports Instructions, NetSelectMusic, and Unlock.
- Several graphics modifications.
- Title Screen Confirmation pause eliminated.
- Music Wheel Speed adjusted.
- Updated FAQ

Techno Fiend V.2.7
- BEGINNER Mode and ENDLESS Mode have returned.
- SELECT GAME is now available as the last option in the Options Menu.
- The Select Difficulty Screen has been redone for the above changes.
- The Caution Screen has been redone.
- The Select Character Screen is the same as Caution.
- The Danger Animation has been redone.
- The Course Selection background has been redone.
- The Edit Courses Menu has been redone.
- Title Menu music changed.
- Minor audio adjustments.
- Instructions for Challenge Modes have all been changed.
- Deleted more unnessessary files.
- Modified all graphics to reduce file size heavily but maintain the same quality.
- New detailed readme.
- Even more easter eggs.

Techno Fiend V.2.5
- Judgment change: "Brilliant!!!" replaces "Tight!!!"
- Judgment change: "Excellent!!" replaces "Sweet!!"
- Player Options Bug Fix from V.2.4 found and fixed.
- Image sizes changed for ultimate quality.
- Deleted unnessessary files to free space.
- Select Character Screen redone.
- Shared Background adjusted.
- How to Play Background redone.
- Name Entry Screen adjusted.
- Evaluation Judgment adjusted.

Techno Fiend V.2.4 - Theme ready to unleash on the internet.
- Bug: A fault in an animation metric led to a crash in the player options menu when "Show Song Options" in the Machine Options was placed on "ASK". This bug is now fixed.
- Song score in the Select Music Screen was brought back.

Techno Fiend v.2.0B - v.2.3B
- Theme in development. In this stage, I redid the theme so that the metrics were actually changed, and I was experimenting with how everything should look and feel. Of course, as one would expect, hours and hours were spent, only to create and delete all sorts of things. I had plans to release it, but I wanted everything to be almost perfect as I could get it. No files remain.

Techno Fiend v.0.0B - v.1.9B
- Shortly after discovering the skinning abilities of Stepmania, I made an attempt to create my own theme, but I was afraid to touch the metrics. In reality, it was pretty much the default theme with changed graphics. There's a reason I didn't release this version. Also, my graphical skills were not top-notch. No files remain.

Audio Usage Information

None of the music in this theme is original. It is taken from the following games and albums, edited by me for looping purposes only. I do not take credit for any of this music nor am I affiliated with the artists in any way, other than I think their music is cool:

Album: True Pinball
Artist: Olof Gustafsson
System: Sega Saturn
Track Listing:
- Extreme Sports - Extreme
- Extreme Sports - Skydive
- Extreme Sports - Super Speed
- Extreme Sports - Wild Bungee Jumping
- Law and Justice - Speeding
- Law and Justice - Arson
Album: Headhunter Redemption
Artist: Richard Jacques
System: Sony Playstation 2/Microsoft XBox
Track Listing:
- Liberty
Album: Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram
Artist: Kentaro Koyama
System: Sega Model 3 Arcade, Sega Naomi Arcade, Sega Dreamcast
Track Listing:
- Intermission ~ Get Ready
- Ritualistic Annoyance
Album: Virtual-On Force
Artist: Kentaro Koyama
System: Sega Naomi 2 Arcade
Track Listing:
- Warning
Album: Virtual-On Marz
Artists: Kentaro Koyama, Takenobu Mitsuyoshi
System: Sony Playstation 2
Track Listing:
- Subtitle #1
- Subtitle #3
- Subtitle #4
Album: Metroid Prime
Artist: Kenji Yamamoto
System: Nintendo Gamecube
Track Listing:
- Missile Station
Album: Panzer Dragoon Orta
Artist: Saori Kobayashi
System: Microsoft XBox
Track Listing:
- Forbidden Memories
Album: Daytona USA
Artist: Takenobu Mitsuyoshi
System: Sega Model 2 Arcade, Sega Saturn
Track Listing:
- G,A,M,E,O,V,E,R
Album: GunValkyrie
Artist: Tatsuyuki Maeda
System: Microsoft XBox
Track Listing:
- Valkyrie's Launch 2
Album: Mega Man 2
Artist: Capcom
System: Nintendo Entertainment System
Track Listing:
- Boss Introduction
Album: Star Wars
Artist: John Williams
Track Listing:
- Opening Theme
Sound effects taken from the following:
Cybertroopers Virtual On (Sega Model 2 Arcade/Sega Saturn/PC)
Cybertroopers Virtual On Oratorio Tangram (Sega Model 3/Sega Naomi/Sega Dreamcast)
The House of the Dead 2/The Typing of the Dead (Sega Naomi/Sega Dreamcast)
Super Mario Bros (Nintendo Entertainment System)
Fighting Vipers (Sega Model 2 Arcade/Sega Saturn)

Frequently Asked Questions

Here is a list of some questions I have been asked, either good in quality or high in quantity. Please read this throughly if you have some thoughts on the theme, as this may answer your questions or warn you of questions to avoid. I hope you read the opening rant first, as it lists the answers most people will ask me.

01) I want my modifiers back. Now.
02) Is this the end of Techno Fiend? You've said this is the final version. What about the other themes you've mentioned?
03) What graphics program did you use to create the theme?
04) I need help with my theme and it's a feature I've noticed in Techno Fiend and not many others. Can you tell me what you did? How can I contact you?
05) I'm making a site that hosts Stepmania things, like themes, noteskins, and characters. Can I add your theme?
06) I see "Network Options" in the theme. Is this online play?
07) I play in Windowed Mode a lot and other themes give me problems. Will yours?
08) Do I have to get the latest version of Stepmania for this? Why can't the theme be made backwards compatible?
09) Can you partner up with another themer to make the ultimate theme?
10) I like what you did with some of the stuff in your theme. Can I use it in mine?
11) This theme is fast! How did you do it?
12) What's up with all the geeky Easter Eggs?
13) Can you make something like someone else's theme?
14) I want to make a theme but I have no idea in hell how they work. I can't read the code or anything. Any hinters?
15) I like how you can still keep older versions, but I noticed there's no TF V.2.6. Answer?
16) Can I make a theme request?
17) I see on Bemanistyle you also make song simfiles. Are they any good?
18) I noticed you removed all DDR and Bemani elements. Is this intentional?
19) You said you started Techno Fiend because of the lack of a DDRMAX2 theme. Why not try that one out?
20) I like the graphics, but I feel they can be something bigger. Plan to do a version for higher end computers?
21) I've read the FAQ over and over and I still have a suggestion to make.
22) There's something in this theme I really hate, and I changed it for my own tastes.
23) *positive feedback post*
24) *negative feedback post*
25) I like this theme better than another theme/ I like another theme better than this.
26) I found an easter egg!
27) Any other theming-related things in the works? Noteskins, announcers, characters?
28) How do you arrange your folders to display the songs?
29) What's your advice for song simfiles?
30) Your theme has the Unlock screen? How do I activate it?
31) I found a bug in the theme. I mean a real bug.
32) I see you allowed all modifiers in the theme again. Did you sell out?
33) WTF is that toasty? Some guy doing some fighting thing and the audio is inaudible.
34) Why can't make a personal request for the theme?
35) Techno Fiend for DWI?
36) What kind of slogan is "Scratch Your Ass for Techno Fiend"?
37) Why'd you take out the Star Wars reference at the first screen?
38) I think I found a bug, but I don't know if it's Stepmania or the theme. What do you know of?
39) Is there a way to turn off all the Techno Fiend Easter Eggs? I don't want to see any of the inside jokes in the theme.
40) Why did you make the decision to limit modifiers earlier?
41) Will Techno Fiend work for Stepmania CVS for XBox?
42) What does the How to Play screen signify?
43) Why did you put your "Easter Eggs" in?
44) Why the name "Techno Fiend"?
45) I've seen another theme with elements taken from the theme. What's up with this?
46) I don't see what the big deal about the theme is. I honestly think it's ugly and the only reason why people like it is because 15-year olds with ADD become attracted to shiny things and its differences in judgments and its non-DDR feel.

01) I want my modifiers back. Now.

- Shut the hell up. Now. I have no idea in hell why you think with that attitude I'll say, "Your wish is my command!" Jackass. But since SMLAN seems to be a hit and rising, I figure it would suck if you want to do crazy shit with mods but had to switch themes for everything to be open. That is the ONLY reason I put all mods to be available. Now shut up already. If you come to me acting like a schoolgirl going, "Yay I have all mods again!" You will be put on a shame list in the next version for being a moron. You've been warned. You'll also be added for the following reasons: Making a suggestion I've rejected several times and looking like a newbie from it, talking shit about the theme and looking completely uneducated, annoying me through PM, and just looking like a jackass. Now be nice and cool and you won't be added.

And for the love of God, don't ask me to add "new" speed modifiers like C700 and so on. It's not going to happen.

2) Is this the end of Techno Fiend? You've said this is the final version. What about the other themes you've mentioned?

- No Comment.

3) What graphics program did you use to create the theme?

- Ulead PhotoImpact 8. I find it better to use than Photoshop when creating shapes and objects and adding specific attributes, I find it much quicker to create things, and when it comes to saving, you have a lot of saving options that can minimize the memory size of an object. There are some instances where I use Photoshop instead, but for the majority of the theme, I've used PhotoImpact.

4) I need help with my theme and it's a feature I've noticed in Techno Fiend and not many others. Can you tell me what you did? How can I contact you?

- Sure, as long as you ask me everything you need to know in one PM. I refuse to contact anybody by IM. You can PM me at ddrmaniax.net or bemanistyle.com. If there's not enough information in your PM to let me know what your problem is, I will not respond. I shouldn't have to PM you to ask what your problem is. Be specific and detailed. But if you want general theming questions, please ask other themers, because honestly, they usually know more than I do. Please use this only when asking me a private question about theming and not suggestions on TF or you will be ignored, and chances are I'll deny your request to spite you. Usually I surf the net at school so I'm able to check if I have a new PM. However, with Bemanistyle, it will not always notify me when I have a new PM, so that can be an inconvenience.

5) I'm making a site that hosts Stepmania things, like themes, noteskins, and characters. Can I add your theme?

- As long as proper credit is given, you're using the latest version, and you tell me what the link to the site is.

6) I see "Network Options" in the theme. Is this online play?

- This is SMLAN, or SMOnline. The proper place to get information on this is at http://www.cnlohr.net/. To use this, you can set up a server name, or connect to the server if you know of the proper IP address. Be careful, it is not finalized and any problems with the way the program works is NOT theme-related.

7) I play in Windowed Mode a lot and other themes give me problems. Will yours?

- Nope. Since I want my theme to be the best I can make it, I've made sure to get no image size errors in Windowed Mode, ensuring the images are not resized and lowered in quality. I test my theme extensively in Windowed Mode to make sure it works flawlessly. However, with the instabilities of SMLAN, there may be minimal popups.

8) Do I have to get the latest version of Stepmania for this? Why can't the theme be made backwards compatible?

- Getting new versions of Stepmania are an absolute must, especially this one, because the Portal feature has been activated and does not work in previous versions. Backwards compatibility? You must not have your finger on the pulse of the community here. The thing is, if you try to make it work for older versions, it won't work for the newer versions, and the majority of people in the theming community use the latest versions. While it may be possible to make themes backwards compatible, no theme artist will put the time to figure it out. Why make a theme work with an outdated and possibly obsolete version of Stepmania? The latest versions have bugs fixed and more, you'll thank yourself later if you get new versions. Please don't give me errors when using older versions of Stepmania. This also includes Stepmania 3.0.

However, if you want to play with things, this theme is actually compatible with Alpha 22-RC1. If you refuse to upgrade your Stepmania to RC2, there is a way to make it work. Simply go into the metrics.ini file of the theme, find "ShowPortal=1" and change it to "ShowPortal=0". You have to disable to Portal feature, but that's the cost of not upgrading. Wah wah wah...

9) Can you partner up with another themer to make the ultimate theme?

- No, as I don't work well with others. There's always disagreements with so many things, and I work better alone, anyway.

10) I like what you did with some of the stuff in your theme. Can I use it in mine?

- NO. Do not test me on this, either. I will find out and I will fry your ass for it.

11) This theme is fast! How did you do it?

- Honestly, I don't know. Sure, I put a lot of transition values to be less than a second, which makes in and out animations fast, but I'm not sure how I killed most of the loading time in the program, in areas like ScreenStage. I'm a work of magic, baby.

12) What's up with all the geeky Easter Eggs?

- You're playing a simulation of a japanese-influenced arcade dancing game on your computer which you picked up off the internet, as well as songs, themes, characters, movies and whatnot. There are also chances you've made your own songs, and probably have official merchandise of DDR like dance pads, songs, CDs, the games, import games, and for all I know a whole gallery on your computer of the DDR and Beatmania girls and possibly hentai of them. Exactly what are you calling geeky? Besides, I tossed in the Easter Eggs for fun and I know people would get a kick out of them if they recognized what it was from.

13) Can you make something like someone else's theme?

- Hell. No. I am not one for copying another's work at all. I expect the same from you.

14) I want to make a theme but I have no idea in hell how they work. I can't read the code or anything. Any hinters?

- I decided with the latest version of the theme to include a mini-tutorial inside the metrics file to guide you through what does what. It won't make you a themer in an hour, but I hope it will give you an idea of how the metrics work. Unfortunately for you, I have decided not to cover the BGAnimation or Fonts metrics. If you still don't understand or want more information then be sure to contact me or any other themers. They're usually willing to help, depending on your approach.

15) I like how you can still keep older versions, but I noticed there's no TF V.2.6. Answer?

- With all the changes I had made after V.2.5, I thought it was enough for two versions, hence skipping a number. I also did not want people to expect the next version to have the same number of changes.

16) Can I make a theme request?

- Absolutely not. Despite what you hear, no one makes a theme upon the request of one person. Also, don't expect for someone to make a theme for you while you do nothing. Themers are also people with lives and have other things to do, and I don't think serving you is on the list. Surely you're familiar with the term, "Do it yourself." I'm sure almost all themers have done this. Some people wanted a specific DDR theme so bad they made one, same goes for originals and even this theme. I wasn't going to ask someone to make a theme for me. Hell, I did it myself. Unless a themer listens to your idea and thinks, "Wow, that actually sounds cool as a theme. I suppose I can make it," that's the only time the theme you want will be made. The only exception is if there's someone who wants to create a theme and agrees with your idea, that's it. If you don't want to pitch in your time and effort, why should someone else?

17) I see on Bemanistyle you also make song simfiles. Are they any good?

- That's why I released them! But the only reason I made those is because I listened to the song and thought up some steps for it. They are all designed for pad, so don't expect those stupid-hard simfiles you love or hate. Also, many of them cover my favorite songs, so the genres vary. They consist mostly of video game soundtracks, like Super Metroid, Castlevania, and a whole lot of Sega soundtracks new and old. There are a few licensed songs on there, but they are not my best work. I tend to favor instrumental songs more. I don't accept requests for them, either, so don't ask. They are not hard, but I tend to be creative at times and should be enjoyed on a pad. They are called "The Sestren Series" and I may make seperate Volume Packs available in the future. I try my best to make good original graphics for them, sync them, include lyrics and cdtitles, and edit the song so they are the appropriate length. Of course, I make the steps in accordance to the music notes instead of just a lot of 4th and 8th notes like the arcade mixes do. Go and give them a shot. Careful though, you may not agree with my taste in music.

18) I noticed you removed all DDR and Bemani elements. Is this intentional?

- Yes. I wanted to be completely creative and original with this theme, and I wanted a completely different feel than what everyone is used to. I like Bemani but I don't want every theme I download to have that, and the same goes with anime. I like anime as much as the other person, but it's not something I would like to obsess over. This of course is not to say that any other themes that have those things are better or worse than mine, but it's not something I'd prefer to have in my theme, because it seems to be everywhere these days. I am not willing to take my theme into that direction.

19) You said you started Techno Fiend because of the lack of a DDRMAX2 theme. Why not try that one out?

- Two things. One, I have nothing to look at to make it accurate, and second, I'm horrible at mimicking things. I always want to make things "better" by my definition and next thing you know, it's something original and I lose the purpose of mimicking something. I don't like to be restricted by accuracy these days, either.

20) I like the graphics, but I feel they can be something bigger. Plan to do a version for higher end computers?

- No, because everyone gets the same version of Techno Fiend. It would be unfair to others and myself if I created a special version of Techno Fiend that not everyone can use. Also, if I tried to enhance the graphics, chances are it would be at the cost of performance and speed, and this theme is best known for being faster than the rest.

21) I've read the FAQ over and over and I still have a suggestion to make.

- Make sure it's not one of those personal requests or a suggestion to change the look of the theme. Also, contact me if the problem is a major one, not a minor one.

22) There's something in this theme I really hate, and I changed it for my own tastes.

- I don't give a damn and neither does anybody on this planet but your stuffed Master Chief doll. Actually, he probably doesn't care either. What's your point?

23) *positive feedback post*

- I try and do the best of my abilities.

24) *negative feedback post*

- Well, who's the one with the theme that's twice as fast as your itchy ass? You don't like it? Top it.

25) I like this theme better than another theme/ I like another theme better than this.

- My theme is not out there to compete against others, so I don't care. I'm glad you like it, but I don't care what's better or worse than this one.

26) I found an easter egg!

- Yay, I found all of them. Oh wait, I made all of them. Don't tell me, find out where the rest are!

27) Any other theming-related things in the works? Noteskins, announcers, characters?

- Noteskins, yes. Characters, maybe. Announcers, seeing as I don't use any with my theme, no.

28) How do you arrange your folders to display the songs?

- DDR 1st Mix
- DDR 2nd Mix
- DDR 3rd Mix
- DDR 3rd Mix Plus
- DDR 4th Mix
- DDR 4th Mix Plus
- DDR 5th Mix
- DDR 6th Mix -Max-
- DDR 7th Mix -Max2-
- DDR Extreme
- DDR Party Collection
- DDR Ultramix
- DDR V2 Club
Then repeat.

29) What's your advice for song simfiles?

- One, get the song information accurate by all means. Do some research so you look like you've done your homework. Instead of saying, "Sonic Adventure Theme by Sega," say, "Open Your Heart (Sonic Adventure Theme) by Crush 40." Instead of saying, "Metal Gear Solid 2 Boss Theme by Konami," say, "Yell Dead Cell by Norihiko Hibino." It's not that hard. I know there are circumstances where the album lists multiple artists and it's hard to say which one of them did that song, but this isn't every case for every song out there.

Second, put some effort into the graphics. Grab Photoshop and PhotoImpact and look like you know what you're doing. No one likes a sim that has no graphics or something that looks like shit on a bagel. Now I know everyone isn't an artiste and might have the creative knowledge rivaling a frozen fly in an icecube, but to me, anyone can be a visual genius if they put some effort into it.

Last, SYNC IT. There's nothing worse than a song that's not properly synced. Now I know some songs are hard to sync and sometimes they'll be on sync and leave. That's fine, that's where you can improve. But don't make the BPM unrealistic or put unnecessary BPM changes or freezes. If the song has a BPM change, that's where it goes. If the song doesn't have a BPM change and you put one in because you want a better challenge, WTF. Also, if you make no effort to sync the song and just do a small recording and release it, it's shit, period. You can tell the world to go easy on you since it's your first, but if you put no effort into it, it will show, and it will suck.

If you get all that down, I'll probably check it out, and depending on how the steps work, I'll rate it. I'll rate songs based on the steps and not the songs. Personally, I think it's stupid for people to lower a score because they don't like the song, or people to rate the song highly because the song itself is cool. You're rating a SIMFILE, not a song. I've played songs that I think suck but with good steps so I rate them high. I've played sims where the song is awesome but the steps are an abomination and rated them low. There are exceptions based on effort. I can tell if someone tried to put effort into it, and I may be lenient. (ie: It's offsync but the BPM for the sim is 139 and the actual BPM for the song is 135). But if it's way off I will rate it poorly (If the BPM for the sim is 125 and the actual BPM is 80-170). With Techno Fiend, I want people to rate the theme for the content of what it is instead of, "OMG you removed the DDR feel WTF" that I got with a lot of jackasses when I first released it.

Lastly, don't get an ego. Nobody likes anyone with an ego, and anyone who says otherwise is in denial. What's the point? It's not going to get you a girlfriend, get you a free trip to Europe or Japan, or get you your own country. You could just be an unlikeable jackass who gets the satisfaction of trying to look down on people. That doesn't make you the shit. If anything, that makes you shit.

Now with Techno Fiend, it seems to be voted the most popular theme for the year of 2004, but I'm not going to say, "Hahah in your face WTF TM and everyone else!" Even if I did think that, I'd have the dignity to keep it to myself. I consider myself a creative genius with all my other art creations, but I'm not going to use that as a pedistool against others unless their work really really really sucks. Unfortunate to say, this seems to be slowly evolving in Stepmania themes...

30) Your theme has the Unlock screen? How do I activate it?

- Look into your Stepmania data folder and open Unlocks.dat with notepad and follow the instructions. It's tricky, but if you don't understand anything, you shouldn't be messing with this area. But if you think you might have an idea but are too afraid to try it, assuming you downloaded the TF3 Premium Pack, there's an Unlocks.dat file in the Bonus Material folder you can use, assuming you have the song simfiles inside the file. If not, read the Readme2 file in the Bonus Material folder.

31) I found a bug in the theme. I mean a real bug.

- A cookie awaits! Tell the great one and you shall be rewarded. Well, I'll pat your back and say, "Good job, Sparky." and that's about it, I'm afraid. Oh yeah, and that bug will be fixed (hopefully) =)

32) I see you allowed all modifiers in the theme again. Did you sell out?

- No, and that's the reason I placed them back in. It occured to me that soon many people will probably play SMLAN, and it would suck ass that if you wanted to do something outrageous like boomerang, 0.25, flat on Bag or something, and couldn't do it with TF while your buddy could do it with his Extreme theme. I came to that conclusion myself. I'm surprised that none of the "whiny bitches who wanted all mods again just because they could use mods they never use" never brought this up. Shame on them. But I arranged it so that it doesn't look like a mess.

33) WTF is that toasty? Some guy doing some fighting thing and the audio is inaudible.

- If baby Jesus were a gamer, you'd make him cry. That's the almighty Geese Howard from SNK's many games doing the Raging Storm, his key move. The audio is audible if you take the time to listen to it, which is a sound clip from MST3K. I decided to go against the stream instead of a random character say "toasty" and take a whole different direction. Don't you love it when I take things in a different direction?

34) Why can't make a personal request for the theme?

- Simple, because this theme was created with the sole purpose of being a Stepmania theme with my tastes and artwork mixed in, and of course some plugs from other games and TV shows for the fun of it. The only reason I released it on the internet was to SHARE it with others. It was not created for the enjoyment of others, but me. It isn't a theme that was created to look cool and everyone else could pitch in to make it better. When it comes to creative design, no one has the exact same tastes. What looks good to you might not look good to someone else and vice versa. Besides, as the creator of this theme, I have a specific vision of what I want the theme to look and feel like. I don't want that to be ruined by people who nitpick for little things, and especially by people who have absolutely no sense of design, which I'm convinced is next to no one in the Bemani sims community; unless you're very experienced in graphics or are a fellow themer. I know the theme isn't perfect in some screens and weak areas are places that I appreciate feedback. The problem is, some people have a hard time understanding what a real suggestion is.

For me, a real suggestion is finding something wrong in the theme, informing me about it, and possibly giving me a solution on how to fix it. If there's something that you want me to change specifically for you alone, that isn't a suggestion.

To clear things up, I will list all of the good and bad suggestions I've received so you can get an idea of how things work:

GOOD SUGGESTIONS:
- Bug Crash in Techno Fiend 2.4 when I leave Player Options. (My bad!)
- There are audio problems with Alpha 22, can you decrease the volume? (That'll only take 5 minutes of my time and probably shave some filesizeage)
- In Techno Fiend 2.9, the text in the Character Select Screen still says "Techno Fiend 2.7" (*rolls into a ball and laughs at himself overnight*)
- The pad doesn't seem to fit with the theme, I've got an idea of how it can look. *shows cool neon pad* (I like! I like!)
- Can you adjust the TextBanner so songs appear more clearly? I'll give you an example. *shows code* (So that's what TextBanner is for. Silly me!)
- I have an idea with what you can do for your Oni mode Stage animations. (Always interested! [Well, was])
- This graphic looked cool at first, but now it looks kinda old and doesn't fit. Change? (You're right, it's kinda gotten old. Time for a change!)
- Can you restore SongOptions on ScreenGameplay? Many players use song speed mods and the theme doesn't show it. (I took that out because of the song fail, but I keep it at default now, so that can be arranged!)
- Can you show the specific numbers (1-10) on the "New Record" graphic? I want a better idea of how good I'm doing. (Sure.)
BAD SUGGESTIONS:
- Can you add speed mods to the theme? (Don't care)
- Can you restore specific mods? (Don't care)
- Can you restore all mods? (Why should I care?)
- Can you replace a certain screen? I stare at it and it hurts my eyes. (Don't stare at it)
- Can you remove a specific sound effect on a screen? (And why should I?)
- Can you move the CDTitle elsewhere? (What's the upside on that?)
- Can you add drop shadows, change the judgment back to Marvelous, Perfect, etc? (Um, just no.)
- Can you remove those easter eggs you added in? (Why should I?)
- Can you make this backwards compatible to work with my version? [ex: Stepmania Alpha 9] (Upgrade, fool.)
- What's wrong with this theme is that there's no caps on the Profile name and NetSelect Music. (Don't try to make your opinion sound like fact, rude shit.)
If you don't get it, when I get suggestions, I need REASON as to why I should make the change. If it's something that's not worth changing and something you can live with, don't suggest it. If you feel it will enhance the theme a LOT, then please do so. But of course, with any and all bugs, contact me. Sometimes I don't notice graphical glitches, bugs, crashes and whatnot. I want this theme to be able to work on all computers, so please tell me of any real problems. Just saying, "I want mods okay kthx" isn't going to convince me anything other than you looked like a complete assclown by saying "kthx" and expecting me to take you seriously. I don't like my time to be wasted with the same requests over and over so at times I tend to lose my temper, which I apologize in advance for. Unless of course, you really are an assclown. Also, if you appear rude or shallow in your request, it will be denied regardless of how good or bad it is. I won't tolerate it for a second.

Techno Fiend is my creation and will remain within the grasp of my vision. Some people may share my view of the theme, but not everyone will. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to others if I accepted one's personal request and blew off another's. And remember, I choose to work on this theme when I want to. I'm not going to work on this theme 24/7 for your convenience. If anything, you're going to wait until mine, but that can be often if I'm motivated enough. I don't want my changes to the theme to be inconvenient for others, but I don't want your requests to be convenient for only yourself and no one else.

35) Techno Fiend for DWI?

- Sorry. It would be interesting, but no. DWI didn't work well for me when I installed it, so I wouldn't have the motivation. Chances are it won't be the same, and I don't want to make two seperate versions of Techno Fiend, because one group will want the other.

36) What kind of slogan is "Scratch Your Ass for Techno Fiend"?

- One not meant to be taken literally. All I know is some night the phrase came to mind and it was fun to say over and over again. But if you must scratch your ass for whatever reason, make sure no one's looking.

37) Why'd you take out the Star Wars reference at the first screen?

- To be fully honest with you, I didn't intend for it to stay around forever. It was first there to poke fun at Stepmania's instabilities, but I planned that once this was solved near 4.0, there would be an original company screen that looks cool instead, and I had a vision of that for some time. You'd be surprised at how many people disliked any Star Wars references in the theme, although that had no impact on the decision to remove it whatsoever. However, I've restored the joke and extended it in the Warning Screen. Hope you enjoy it.

38) I think I found a bug, but I don't know if it's Stepmania or the theme. What do you know of?

- There are some bugs in the theme that I can't fix because it's an act of the core program. Here's a list of what I know of:
Bug 1: Press Escape and Die.

Screen: ScreenSelectCourse (Course Selection Screen)/ScreenStage (Screen before Gameplay)
Condition: Nonstop, Oni, or Endless Mode
Command: Hit Escape when in ScreenStage
Effect: You come back to the Course Selection Screen, but it has the look of the normal song selection screen, but the screen is cluttered with all sorts of objects.

Bug 2: Now Loading?

Screen: ScreenStage (Screen before Gameplay)
Condition: None
Command: None
Effect: There's a slight pause that has many people confused whether it's the theme or the program. It's a mix of both. In the core program, it's this screen that the program loads the gameplay. The program freezes because it's loading the gameplay elements of the next screen. The theme only determines when it takes place.

If you can't determine whether the bug is the theme or the program, find out what you did to get that bug, and then repeat the process for other themes. If it does it with other themes, it's a program bug. If it only does this for Techno Fiend, it's the theme and I need to be notified about it. But make sure it is also installed in the correct location. I know some themes will install in the main directory and not the themes folder, so it won't work if that's the case.

If all gameplay features are not available, the theme crashes easily, or the game is just unplayable, you are not using the correct version of Stepmania, haven't installed the theme correctly, or need to reinstall the program. Unlike some theme makers, I work extensively to make sure the theme looks and works perfectly in all screens. I release it when I am confident there are no problems whatsoever in the theme. Please go to Stepmania.com and get the latest release. The more recent versions of Stepmania work better and have many bugs fixed, so you might be doing yourself a favor if Stepmania doesn't work perfectly for you.

39) Is there a way to turn off all the Techno Fiend Easter Eggs? I don't want to see any of the inside jokes in the theme.

- Yeah, it's called deleting the theme and never using it again.

40) Why did you make the decision to limit modifiers earlier?

- Personal taste and design purposes. Personally, I thought the options screen looked like crap scattered everywhere with all of them, and I personally doubted that everyone who uses Stepmania would use every single one of those modifiers occasionally, which I still believe today. The people who complained usually asked me to include mods that got this response: "Holy shit, you mean people actually use *mentioned modifier*?" The only reason I brought them back is because of SMLAN and the thought of people being competitive online. It had nothing to do with people complaining, which actually killed all thoughts on making them return. I don't do things to satisfy whiners. Give me a good good reason that benefits everybody, and I will. It's a shame that no one did, which brings me to the question, "Are they really so important?"

41) Will Techno Fiend work for Stepmania CVS for XBox?

- Unfortunately, reports have indicated that it doesn't. I haven't been able to confirm why other than Stepmania CVS for XBox isn't fully stable.

42) What does the How to Play screen signify?

- Well, I realized this is the only artwork I've done that doesn't make an attempt to create humor at the expense of others. Originally, the player was supposed to "die" at this screen, but I wasn't familiar with the metrics enough to create the effect I wanted. So now I was able to, but I wanted to make the "dancer" die in a way that would get a huge reaction.

In an attempt to increase the effect, I wanted to toss in a poser that would make people cheer. So I went though a list of posers that I find annoying to run into.

- People who try to act like hardcore gamers but they haven't played a game that doesn't start with "Final" or end with "Fantasy." It doesn't bother me when people like the game, but when you refuse to play anything else, don't pretend to be a hardcore gamer, because you're not.

- People who try to act like they know everything about anime but refuse to watch anything but DBZ. Don't pretend to be an anime fan or artist because it's the cool thing to do; do it because it's become a part of you. Personally I find the DBZ hardcore fans to be the worst. Second, I find it baffling to see when a girl tries to imitate an cute anime character when they themselves are not cute. It doesn't make themselves look cute. It doesn't work. I like anime as much as the next guy, but I don't see myself dedicating so much time to it. Also, if you try to pop up with Japanese phrases to impress your friends, pronounce it correctly, because you'll look like a poser if you miss, especially around people who have taken Japanese classes.

- PS2 fanboys. I hate fanboys of all systems, but I think the PS2 ones were the ones responsible for killing the Dreamcast. "OMG it comes with a DVD player it will own Dreamcast!" Not a single asshole mentioned a game, just the features, and then it had a shithead launch. If someone told me that PS2 was going to be great because of games like MGS2, Castlevania, DDR even, it'd be cool, but no one did. "It's more powerful!" "DVD!" And now in this day and age we still have people who think the PS2 can handle Halo 2. Pathetic.

- Arrogant DDR/SM players. What a waste of energy. Personally, I don't see the point of trying to build a selfish reputation on the internet alone. When you make movies that are fun to watch, that's cool, build cool themes, that's cool, talk shit about everyone who's not as good as you, who the hell cares? Eh, that's just me, anyway.

- XBoxers who pretend to be gamers but play nothing but Halo. Halo's cool and all, but I can't see it as the greatest game ever, and at least try to extend your collection, man. 1 game on a system doesn't make you cool. Believe it or not, there are other worthy titles on that system, regardless of your opinion of Microsoft. Ironically these people support Sony which is pretty much the Japanese Microsoft in terms of Monopolizing.

- People who went from listening to pop to rock and pretending to be a rock fan because they think Evanescence and Linkin Park invented teen angst. They didn't. "Oh look at me, I'm a sorority slut that gets nailed by drunken frat boys, but wait, I like this stuff and I'm all punk now." Note: I didn't make that up, I lived next to a girl that was like that. Played J-Lo every afternoon and woke me in the morning blasting Evanescence. If you want to be a rock fan, be a fan for the music and not because it's the new thing on MTV. Personally, I don't like either band, but I won't say they suck or have no talent. I just prefer a different sound with rock music, and I'm not fond of bands that appeal more to the pop crowd these days. Not to say that fans of these bands are posers, no no no no, just people who took a U-turn in terms of music fandom. Like I said, they didn't invent teen angst. I don't know who did, but it wasn't them, since it's been around forever.

That's who I consider to be posers these days, but I wanted to go with the one more people would be irritated with, so I went with the Anime one. Basically, this DBZ fanboy who refuses to watch other anime but claims he's into anime because it's the cool thing gets killed in a hilarious manner. I wish I could have covered all of the above, but hey, you can't have everything. This is by no means meant to say that I think anime fans suck, just the ones pretending to be. My logic in life, if you pretend to be anything, you will fail, no matter how hard you try. If you manage to succeed, it will backfire with more fatal consequences. Be yourself, and if you don't like yourself, change yourself so that you do. If you're worried about how others view you, what importance will they be when you're in your twenties? Graduation? College? Nothing but memories. Do they dislike you for the right reasons or for the wrong reasons? Probably wrong. Are they worth changing for? Hell no. I wonder if it's a bad thing that the insecurities of others is a huge turn-off for me. They can lead to so much if you're unable to overcome them.

Remember kids, it's better to be a geek than a poser!

43) Why did you put your "Easter Eggs" in?

- Probably having a lot of control and wanting to have fun. Sure, I could've just done a theme but even in its current state I wouldn't be as satisfied. I usually have a good idea of what people like to see for fun, but it's kinda 50/50. Some people just want what they expect, a theme. Some want a bit more fun, and being one of them, I put some in. Some people LOVED the various eggs, and the same number of people didn't. I think it's comical to have Super Mario sound effects in Oni mode. I think it's funny to have Geese Howard using an MST3K quote as a gameplay Toasty. I think it's funny to make fun of Star Wars for absolutely no reason whatsoever. A lot of people have said that Stepmania can be more than just DDR and Bemani games, and I've decided to have some fun with it. I'm sure not everyone shares my sense of humor, and I know they don't agree with my graphic style, from the obvious "anti-DDR feel" negative feedback I had once gotten, but you can't please everybody. I think it's ridiculous when one person complains acting like they're the only user. They're not. If 1000 people download a version of the theme, and 999 don't complain about something, and 1 person does, take a guess of who I'm going to listen to. I've gotten more complaints from removing eggs than adding them. Techno Fiend is meant to be more than a theme, but just something fun, nice to look at, and performs well. I just wanted to create something that kicked ass. A few bits of humor doesn't hurt that, as long as it's not overdone (ie. too many AYB references).

44) Why the name "Techno Fiend"?

- I thought it was suitable, but I can see why people could be confused. A lot of people believe that the term "Techno Fiend" has one meaning, to be an obsessive fan of Techno music. That isn't the only meaning. In this case, "Techno Fiend" also relates to the obsession with technology. The theme is pretty much influenced by the look and feel of the technology of the future, at least that is what I was aiming for. Honestly, the thing that inspired me to create the theme was the Winamp skin, "CyberDimension." That skin was dark and futuristic, and kicked ass to boot, and I wanted to create something with a similar quality for Stepmania. I'm glad it evolved into more of a personal project than trying to mimic the work of someone else.

45) I've seen another theme with elements taken from the theme. What's up with this?

- Whatever it is, it isn't done with my consent. The only things I have officially allowed are the use of the Bank Gothic font graphic and one of the explosions in the Apocalypse noteskin. You should do your patriotic duty to rub it in on these "themers." As far as I'm concerned, they can make all the excuses they want, but they're not themers and shouldn't be seen as such, and should be reminded until they make a theme with only their work involved. I don't steal the work of others and put it onto my theme.

46) I don't see what the big deal about the theme is. I honestly think it's ugly and the only reason why people like it is because 15-year olds with ADD become attracted to shiny things and its differences in judgments and its non-DDR feel.

- I'm sorry, I missed something. What theme did you create again? Oh wait, you haven't created a theme? Oh, poor baby. Unless you have experience in the field, shut your mouth. You'd be doing yourself a favor instead of wasting your breath on an opinion that consists of pulling reasons out of your ass to hate the theme. Is it that hard to say, "I don't agree with the direction of the theme nor the judgment changes"? You can voice your opinion and not look like a 12-year old internet wannabe-bigshot flamer. The only thing that will do is motivate me to work harder to make you eat your words out of your own ass. But what's the point when you sound like you don't have the balls to make a theme...

Easter Egg Listing

Under Construction! I decided to let everyone look for the eggs themselves. For those new to Techno Fiend, it's little things hidden in the theme itself that will catch your attention depending on your knowledge of television or video games. Happy hunting.

Special Thanks

Despite that I work alone on this theme, there's some people who have pitched in good ideas and support for the theme. Without their feedback, the theme probably wouldn't be anywhere as good as it is now. So here's the "good people listing." If your name is not in here that means you are of no importance to me. I'm just kidding, you just haven't pitched in or I forgot your name. These aren't in any specific order, either.

- The gang at DDRManiaX.net, probably the only place where I feel comfortable enough to make a whole thread dedicated to Techno Fiend and knowing I'd get excellent feedback on it. DDRFreak is pretty void of original themes, and I'd get way too much feedback at Bemanistyle, probably consisting mostly of newbie comments, but I could be wrong. Everywhere else I know would probably think "WTF is Techno Fiend?" or a place no one visits. Then again I'm too lazy to look.
- Every single person/site that hosts this theme. When you make a theme and can't find a lot of hosts at first, people providing them takes a lot off your back. Bemanistyle, Merklo.com, Stepmaniastuff.com, Laser123454321's Stepmania, Radio Nero, BassKnight, Makou, snared.net, and every other host that never notified me of their hosting.
- twen for reminding me what good use the TextBanner does for the SelectMusic/Course and giving me some examples to use.
- rev for the suggestion of the new pads on SelectStyle.
- Reenee for making probably the most productive suggestions on the theme.
- Keogi Naga for introducing the theme to DDRManiaX.net
- All themers for making me download themes and giving me inspiration to do mine, for better or worse.
- The entire Stepmania gang for making this program! Without theming I'd probably be bored and depressed in my dorm room not attending classes and being made a social hermit from my so-called peers in college. Gives me a chance to prove my graphical and creative skills.
- Konami for making DDR since without it Stepmania wouldn't be made. And Solid Snake and Castlevania.
- Everyone who enjoys the theme and doesn't bother me with annoying suggestions.
- Hell, even those guys that do bother me since I know regardless whether I listen to them or not they'll still use the theme >=D
- America (Fuck Yeah!) for being my home for 20 years, kicking some ass and giving me hope in my dream for World Domination.
- Hours of Disney and Cartoon Network because cartoons kick ass. Now if Disney got rid of all their "live-action" skit shows and Cartoon Network put more quality shows on Adult Swim it'd be fine for me. (Personally I could be without Home Movies and Super Milk Chan, I just don't find them to be that funny.)
- Family for letting me leech on the electric bill, food, love, providing the equipment for everything I've done and much much much more.
- Every local DDR player that didn't give me a hard time, create drama, or just didn't act like a fucking dickhead, which really makes the list really really small, and some of those that provided support in some way. I can only think of four or five people. Especially those who redeemed themselves (ie: Acting like a jerk at first but stopped.)
- Dave and Arnie for taking me out all the time in 2003 to get addicted to DDR and improve my skills, and introducing me to Stepmania in the first place.
- The Citadel's Cyberstation for putting up with my antics if they ever noticed. ^_^; There were times I was rude as hell to other kids, lurked around for no apparent reason, spilled water on the DDR pads, biddibly blah blah blah.
- Loren, Deondre, Josh and Michael for letting me film them for my mini-documentary, "Dance Dance Revolution: A Perspective," in late 2003 for an assignment in my Digital Video Editing class. Too bad they weren't there to see how the class responded.
- JDC for actually taking me to the mall sometimes in Pueblo.
- Ibraim Soltonbaev for creating the Winamp skin "CyberDimension" way back in June of 2003 that originally sparked the inspiration for creating the theme. Without that Winamp skin I may never have gotten the inspiration to attempt to create a Stepmania theme with a dark cyber-futuristic feel.

SNK's SHAME LIST

Hey, what do you know, Sestren Neveras Kaiveran can be shortened to SNK. Word. I just realized that as I wrote this. Anyway, I'm sure most of you won't take the whole "Don't make stupid suggestions or annoy me or you'll be sorry." thing seriously. So as a consequence, here's what happens. You act like a fool, you end up here on the Shame List so people can point their finger at you and laugh. And trust me, they will. But just because people don't get any ideas, I won't limit it to just Techno Fiend or any other theme I create, but also any and everything in the simfile community that I create. You've been warned.

Current Listing:
Coming Soon. Don't let your name get in here!

The End. Come again!