Contents (use Ctrl+F to jump to the proper answer)
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B. Arcade version questions
  B-1: Why should I switch to OpenITG?
  B-2: What player modifiers does this patch add?
  B-3: What operator options does this patch add?
  B-4: How do I use "Manage Packs"?
  B-5: What kind of support is offered with this patch?

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B-1: Why should I switch to OpenITG?

  OpenITG is a fully arcade compatible StepMania build, designed to be a
  drop-in replacement for ITG2. It supports encrypted files, arcade I/O,
  patching, all the sort of stuff ITG2 can do. That's pretty standard.
  The cool stuff lies in the additions and optimizations we've added.

  For one, you'll find that our game runs much faster. Loading times are
  decreased everywhere, most noticeably on initial load. It also caches song
  data, so you can add songs without pre-caching them. It will play both OGG
  and MP3 files for both machine and USB songs, and can support SM and DWI.
  Custom songs copy more quickly and can be cancelled with a button press.
  Though I wouldn't recommend it, it should also handle Edit-only songs. As
  of beta 2, OpenITG will also support completely decrypted ITG installs, so
  no matter what kind of machine setup you have, you can try it out.

  OpenITG adds several new modifiers, including "HoldsToRolls", "Twirl", and
  "Roll". More are planned, but each of these are fully functional. Twirl and
  Roll are in the operator's menu by default and a truly 3D noteskin (metal+)
  is included in order to properly use these modifiers.

  As you may know, OpenITG offers a lot of customization. The main options
  added into the Operator Menu are Attract Volume (set attract mode volume),
  Long/Marathon Version lengths (which apply to all songs, including custom
  songs), a theme switcher (though you may need to fix up other themes to
  switch back), and the usual custom song options (cutoff, size limits, etc.).
  Also, beta 1.1 introduces the Manage Packs option, which allows you to copy
  game data from a USB drive to the machine directly. More on this later.

  OpenITG also has a lot of minor tweaks to improve - using an ITG-style
  lights autogen for single charts, removing the brief lights flicker before 
  gameplay, making diagnostics and startup more responsive, giving more info
  on the patch screen, making arrows light up on Input Test...minor stuff, but
  nice to have.

  Finally, OpenITG is open source! If you have a problem or suggestion, let us
  know and we can add it into the game. If you have a specific tweak you want
  on your machine, you can add it and compile it. As development continues,
  you will be able to install updates and receive new features for free. Not
  a bad deal, huh?



B-2: What player modifiers does this patch add?

  In the players' Options Menu, this adds a "Rotation" section containing 
  Dizzy, Roll, and Twirl, as well as "Metal+" in the NoteSkins section. Roll
  and Twirl cause the arrows to rotate upwards or sideways, respectively;
  Metal+ is a truly 3D noteskin required for Twirl or Roll to work as expected,
  and includes some nice remastering by Lightning. They're shinier, sharper,
  and work really nicely.



B-3: What operator options does this patch add?

  "Options" has become "Arcade Options", to avoid ambiguity. "Attract Volume"
  has been added, which sets the volume during the attract sequence.

  "Bookkeeping" now keeps track of regular and service credits separately,
  in the format (regular/service), on all screens. There are plans to split
  this into separate screens later.

  An entirely new section, "OpenITG Options", has been added. This includes
  the following menu options:
    "Theme" - basic theme switcher. Removes fallback and other themes.
    "Attract Volume" - sets the volume in attract mode.
    "Credit Type" - change the method of credit for the theme.
    "Music Select Seconds" - set the timer length on Music Select.
    "Give Up Time" - adjust how long it takes to give up a song in gameplay.
    "Use Old Logo" - switch back to the ITG2 logo on the main menu.
    "Allow Extra Player Options" - enable/disable USB Extra.ini reading.

    "Custom Songs" - enable/disable USB songs.
    "Custom Courses" - enable/disable USB courses.
    "Custom Song Limit" - set the maximum amount of custom songs per USB.
    "Load Timeout" - set timeout, in seconds, for each USB profile.
    "Maximum Audio Size" - set maximum file size for custom song audio.
    "Maximum Step Size" - set maximum file size for custom song stepfiles.
    "Maximum Length" - set maximum cutoff for custom song loading
    "Long Version Cutoff" - set two-round length limit, applies for all songs.
    "Marathon Cutoff" - set three-round length limit, applies for all songs.

  An option under "Machine Update" has been added, called "Manage Packs".
  The next section covers how to use this screen.



B-4: How do I use "Manage Packs"?

  If you place .zip files with game data on a USB drive in a folder called
  "UserPacks", then go into "Manage Packs", you can transfer them to the 
  machine. Use Left and Right to select packs, Select (or Left+Right) to
  switch between menus, and Start to add or delete packs.

  Please note this transfer will be pretty slow - no slower than Slax, but
  not very fast. It's a limitation of the system; please don't report bugs
  about it.

  Once you've done all the pack managing you want to, switch to Exit and the
  system will reboot. If you transferred song data, it will take some time to
  to cache the new data.

  All regular game data must be set up in the ZIP like a regular StepMania
  directory - e.g., "Themes/plaid/" - and should preferrably be stored. That
  is, disable compression on them if you can. Compressed ZIPs take more time
  to access and can cause undue lag. If you have song data, OpenITG will
  accept the data in either of two formats:
    - Songs/Dance Dance Revolution 11th Mix - SuperNOVA 2-/Freeway Shuffle/
    - Dance Dance Revolution 11th Mix -SuperNOVA 2-/Freeway Shuffle/
  i.e., the Songs directory is optional, if it doesn't share a name with a
  regular directory.

  Some folders are blacklisted to prevent unwanted changes: "Data", "Program",
  "Themes/default/", and "Themes/home/". If you try to add a ZIP with any of
  these folders, it will display an error message. Just letting you know now.



B-5: What kind of support is offered with this patch?

  For one, the BoXoRRoXoRs community is a great resource for help if you're
  experiencing problems, or just want to do something unusual with the system.
  The forums are at http://www.boxorroxors.net/forum/, registration is free
  and keeps out the spambots. It's safe, I promise, so go ahead and register.

  A SourceForge tracker is available for non-urgent bug reports, as well as
  feature requests, at https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=239714.
  You don't need to log in to leave either, but it is preferred that you log
  in or at least leave a pseudonym so we can follow up on posts.

  For more urgent problems, help, whatever, you can reach me via AIM or MSN.
  I make a point of keeping them online 24/7, so you can leave a message and
  I'll get back to you. My username on the BoXoRRoXoRs forums is "vyhd", and
  my contact info is as follows:
    - AIM: vyhdycokio
    - MSN/e-mail: vyhdycokio@gmail.com

  I tend to be pretty friendly, just so long as you don't start blaming us
  for problems and give as much information as possible, preferrably with
  crashlogs for a crashing problem. The more information you give us, the
  better we can do with helping you add data or fix problems.
