=== Read Me Second ===

Thanks to ddrei.com members who reviewed my "Around The World" DWI
for the constructive criticism. Here, I answer specific points that
they raised.

BPM 94-98:
Thanks for the praise about the sync. I didn't know about #DisplayBPM
when I tested this file in DWI 2.40.

The judges thanked me for not doubling BPM during the verses. I don't
do "Healing Vision"/"Sunrise" speedup gimmicks, and I don't double
the whole song like "Paranoia Survivor" or "Paranoia Respect". If
Konami can get away with songs that feel halved such as "Jam Jam
Reggae", "Baby Baby Gimme Your Love", and "bag"...

To people who want "visual builds" in DWIs, you can do that with
background animations like I did in "Maxx Wishful" for StepMania.

Banner and initial background:
The eight-point asterisk is RHCP's logo, as shown in the
"Californication" video and redhotchilipeppers.com.  Other DDR
artists that have used a non-East Asian ideogram include Omega.
(Why Omega stole his name from a Marilyn Manson album I still have to
figure out, once I've made a 180 bpm remix of "Max 300" vs. "I Don't
Like the Drugs". Or a remix of "Max 300" vs. "Stranger in Moscow" by
Michael Jackson. But I digress...)

If the plain asterisk background doesn't change to a globe after 1.3
seconds, you're probably using the wrong DWI/SM file. Dance With
Intensity and StepMania have their own background animation formats,
and neither can read the other's. The version submitted to TM4 is for
DWI, but I've posted a StepMania version on my own web site.

The first 1.1 seconds:
That's a nod to "Around The World" by ATC, to trick players into
thinking they've selected a TM3 song with the same name by mistake.
For a moment, I was worried that this would DQ me.

Possibly underrated difficulty:
Normally, I compare my files' groove meter to what StepMania shows
for "Hot Limit" from 5th mix (3'/5'/8') and "Max 300" from 6th
(6'/8'/10') and possibly some other songs that I've played recently.
The heavy steps didn't really feel 8' to me, not as hard as "Hot
Limit" heavy or "Max 300" standard; they felt more like a 7'
"Paranoia". And for those who think 16th notes at 96 bpm should have
pushed it to 8', compare "Max 300" standard's 150 bpm 16th-note runs
at 0:13, 0:25, and especially 1:20.

Eighth note runs in verses:
Play "Around The World" heavy steps on 2X scroll rate and then play
"Paranoia" standard on 1x.

Moving globes in refrain in DWI version:
I managed to trick STV into thinking I got them to spin! In reality,
they don't spin; there are just 3 sliding globes at different thetas.
I still haven't figured out how to get them to slide on SM.

The picture of the child:
Lyrics "'Cause life is beautiful around the world" should have given
you a clue. Have you seen "Life Is Beautiful" starring Roberto
Benigni? You may not have if you're boycotting The Walt Disney
Company as suggested on LosingNemo.com.

Boring refrain on heavy:
It's supposed to be "laid-back and smooth," as MelloFellow13 put it,
to give the player a little rest to keep the stamina factor from
pushing 8'. And yes it was copy-paste, even though the rhythm of the
words in second refrain changes a bit. This is DDR, not Parappa.

Mess in the bridge on heavy:
Chaos was entirely the point of these steps, as a break from the
relative monotony of the 8th note runs. Notice that they match the
chaos of the video in the background.

Repeated jumps in the second verse on heavy:
Play "Afronova" on any difficulty. Then come back to this.

Ad to buy the album:
I didn't want Warner Bros. Records to sue me for DWI'ing its
recording. Remember that Warner is also the label that signed
Madonna "What the %@(< do you think you're doing?" Ciccone.


26th place out of 175 DWIs in Tournamix 4.  I no longer suck!  W00t!