A Crash Course in Playing FreQuency
Author: Neo987
E-Mail:
[email protected]
Created: Friday, September 13, 2002, 7:48 PM
Last Revised: Wednesday, September 18, 2002, 11:38 PM
Version: 1.2
Table of Contents
Introduction / Legal Stuff
Revision History
Section One: Game Requirements / Guide's Recommendations
Section Two: FreQ Creation
Section Three: Tips Getting Started
Section Four: Single Player Power-Up Tips
Section Five: Scoring Tips for Single Player Mode
Section Six: Multiplayer Power-Up Tips
Section Seven: Multiplayer Scoring / Anti-Scoring Tips
Closing
Credits
===== Introduction / Legal Stuff =====
Ok, after seeing so many new players asking on the GameFAQs message boards for
help, I thought I'd make a compendium of tips and tricks for future FreQs.
This is not meant to be a long guide, but is meant to have as much useful
information as possible. Hopefully even advanced players will come across
something in this guide that they missed through their own experience. I will
not, repeat WILL NOT include cheats in this guide. This guide was made by me,
and may only be found at www.GameFAQs.com. Please, do not reproduce this guide
without my express permission.
===== Revision History =====
v. 1.0: Started this guide. Will add a section for remixing if someone wants
to contribute something, but I will not create a section from my own ideas.
I'm even thinking of removing section one.
v. 1.1: Reformatted to look better (kinda). Got one contribution.
v. 1.2: Minor correction
===== Section One: Game Requirements / Guide's Recommendations =====
Game Minimum Requirements:
1 FreQuency game disk
1 Dualshock 2 or equivalent controller
1 8M Memory Card (for PS2) with 256K minimum free
Guide Creator's Recommendations:
4 Dualshock 2 or equivalent controllers
1 8M Memory Card (for PS2) dedicated to FreQuency for nearly unlimited FreQs
and Remixes
1 PS2 Multitap for 4 player multiplayer
1 PS2 Network Adaptor for online play
1 Video Game sound system with 4 speakers, dual-channels, and a sub-woofer
(the one I have cost $60 and works perfectly)
1 USB Keyboard for online chat
Ok, so my recommendations make things a little expensive. However, most of my
recommendations will be useful for other games as well. The Memory Card
recommendation is possibly the least needed, as this would provide enough
room for FreQs and Remixes from around a block of houses.
===== Section Two: FreQ Creation =====
Not much to say here, really; just a few suggestions.
* If you like a basic FreQ, either use it or modify it. Don't spend time
making a FreQ when you could be making music.
* If you want to make a FreQ from scratch, do whatever you want. Nobody can
tell you how a FreQ can or cannot look. Be creative.
* Remember: You cannot exceed 16 stamps. If you need a stamp to fill a space,
but don't have any more free slots, arrange things so that space looks like a
stamp. Do this anyway if you need room for other stamps.
===== Section Three: Tips Getting Started =====
* I suggest going through the tutorial. This will very quickly teach the
basics of Game Mode.
* Listen to the tutorial and use the default L1, R1, R2 buttons for left,
center, and right respectively. Instead of listing a lot of other good
variations, I'll say this: as long as you use a different finger for each
button, any combo will work, even the default Square, Triangle, Circle, if you
are used to using a controller like an arcade console for arcade fighters
(e.g. controller placed on a flat surface, left hand on D-Pad, right hand on
Buttons).
* Use eye drops so you don't have to blink often during fast songs (kinda
joke, kinda serious).
* If you're tired, distracted, or depressed, you won't do so well. Eliminate
any of these for an optimal play session. For less distraction, try playing
without an arena in the background.
* Don't always "play by ear". Some beats don't show up as notes.
===== Section Four: Single Player Power-Up Tips =====
I will not re-describe the power-ups. I will only give tips about them.
Autocatcher: There's a good side and a bad side to the Autocatcher (though the
bad side isn't much). The Autocatcher can be used in a few ways: as a panic
button, to eliminate a trouble track, or an anytime catch. The bad side to an
Autocatcher is that, when used, it cuts the score gained from that track in
half, and rounds fractions down (e.g. a track that scores 3 instead scores 1).
* Panic Button: When you miss a note, your multiplier value for streaking
tracks is removed at the end of the current bar. If you deploy an Autocatcher
at that time, you will retain your multiplier. Also, if you come to the end of
a section with only one bar left to play, you will lose your multiplier. If
you autocatch that bar, your multiplier will remain.
* Trouble Tracks: When playing a song and you come up to a track you can't
play, autocatch it. You may not as many points, but it's better than losing
your multiplier. Also, you can come back to the song later and practice.
* Anytime Catch: I suggest keeping this to a minimum for a couple reasons.
1) You gain half the normal score for that track.
2) You wasted an Autocatcher that could've been saved for one of the
previously stated uses.
The only time I really suggest this is for blank tracks. This may seem a
waste, but this will add to your multiplier, and sometimes gives a couple
points, though I'd only do this when another power-up is close to take its
place.
Multiplier: Usage of this power-up is obvious, though timing usage isn't quite
as simple.
* Try to deploy a Multiplier on the second bar of a phrase. This will give you
more time with the Multiplier's effect.
* If another power-up is coming in the phrase you're on and you already have a
Multiplier, use it on the bar you get the new power-up from, so you don't
waste your current power-up, and so you get the most time out of your
Multiplier.
* Using a Multiplier while another is active will have no additional effect,
other than that it will put the countdown back to eight bars.
* Multipliers will not affect freestyle tracks.
* If you have few tracks left in a section, save the Multiplier for another
section.
===== Section Five: Scoring Tips for Single Player Mode =====
* If you have a choice between a track with few notes and a track with many
notes that you can complete, go for the harder, "money track".
:: Michael Kelehan wrote,
I have to disagree with one point:
* If you have a choice between a track with few notes and a track with many
notes that you can complete, go for the harder, "money track".
In multi, I couldn't agree more. You should go to the harder track if your
multiplier is 4x, but if it's anything less, do the easy track (bumping up the
multiplier by one) and THEN do the harder track for more points. ::
(Neo987) Couldn't agree with you more.
* Do everything you can to keep your streak multiplier. Try not to get trapped
by a gap caused by a pre-caught track without an Autocatcher. Freestyle tracks
will add to your streak multiplier and carry it over as if you had completed
another track. If you've got blank bars before another set of notes and the
freestyle tracks are open, freestyle until the notes are less than a bar away.
* Follow the previously listed Multipler tips.
* Use Autocatchers sparingly.
===== Section Six: Multiplayer Power-Up Tips =====
I will not re-describe the power-ups. I will only give tips about them.
Autocatcher: Autocatchers play the same roles as they do in single player.
However, when in a multiplayer game, the Autocatcher can be used to steal a
track from an opponent, achieving three things: gaining a higher score if your
opponent's on a money track, stealing a track from your opponent, and pissing
off your opponent.
Freestyler: Use this only if either all tracks in a section are taken
(unlikely), or if the freestyle track is worth more points than a standard
track (depends on song and section of song).
Crippler: This power-up might or might not be useful, depending on the skill
of your opponent. If your opponent can memorize the beat and pattern before
(s)he is hit by it, (s)he can overcome the effect of it. Remember this when
you become the target.
Neutralizer: Use this whenever possible, but try to make sure that the track
you use it on is worth the most compared to the other tracks you opponent has
taken.
Bumper: IMO, this is the best power-up in multiplayer mode. It has three uses:
take a money track from your opponent, kill your opponent's streak by bumping
them mid-phrase, and essentially nullifying a run on a freestyle track. The
first two are self explanatory; the second needs a little more detail. If your
opponent is on a freestyle track worth more than standard tracks in the
current section, bump them. You can't freestyle while their freestyle power-up
is active, but as long as you have control of the track, neither can they.
===== Section Seven: Multiplayer Scoring / Anti-Scoring Tips =====
* Fight for those money track viciously. Use anything to either take them or
keep your opponent off of them. If you can't keep a money track, autocatch it
until you can.
* Keep your streak multiplier as long as you can.
* Use Bumpers to kill your opponent's streak multiplier.
* Only freestyle when it's worth it.
* Only stop your opponent from freestyling when it's worth it.
* Neutralize everything you can.
===== Closing =====
Ok, like I said, this is not a long guide, but I hope it to be a helpful one
to at least one player somewhere. For any comments, compliments, flames, constructive
criticism, suggestions or contributions, e-mail me. Due credit will be given
for anything contributed and used. Requests for cheat / gameshark codes will
NOT be filled. Flames will be promptly deleted and a flame form will be
returned. Constructive criticism will be taken into consideration.
===== Credits =====
Jeff "CJayC" Veasey for creating and hosting such a great site for video game
information, and giving people a chance to have their work seen.
Regulars of the GameFAQs.com FerQuency message board, who have been freely
handing out tips to new players.
*** SEE YOUR NAME HERE! CONTRIBUTE TO THIS GUIDE! ***
Michael Kelehan (
[email protected])
Copyright Neo987 (
[email protected]), 2002
