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Song Scores, Extended Star Ratings and Cut-Offs FAQ 20080108
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tma  





Joined: 03 May 2007
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Location: Australia

PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 11:45 am    Post subject: Song Scores, Extended Star Ratings and Cut-Offs FAQ 20080108 Reply with quote

Song Scores, Extended Star Ratings, and Cut-Offs FAQ

This document was last modified on 8th January, 2008.

1. How are 3, 4 and 5 stars calculated?

There is a very in-depth guide here: Complete Scoring FAQ.

The brief version is that it's totally dependant on your final score. Each song has a base score which is (roughly) what the song would be worth if you hit every note without any multiplier - in other words, the 1x score for the song at 100%. The 4 star score is the base score multiplied by 2, and the 5 star score is the base score multiplied by 3 (for Guitar Hero) or 2.8 (for Guitar Hero II, Encore, and III).

For example: Let's say the base score for a song is 10,000 points. To get a 4 star on this song you'd need at least 20,000 points. 19,999 would be a 3 star. If it were a Guitar Hero track, you'd need 30,000 for the 5 star, and in Guitar Hero II+ you would need 28,000 to achieve a 5 star.

The co-op star ratings are calculated differently; in Guitar Hero II and Encore, they take the base score for the song on Medium (both players combined) and multiply by 2 for the 4 star score. The base score for the song on Expert (again, both players combined) is multiplied by 2 for the 5 star score.

For example: Let's say a co-op song has a 5,000 point base score for both players on Medium. This would make the 4 star score 10,000. Let's also say the combined Expert score was 8,000. This would make the 5 star score 16,000. Note that you still need to aim for 10,000 and 16,000 for a 4 and 5 star even if you play Easy/Easy.

At this time the co-op cut-off scores for Guitar Hero III are still an unknown as testing has given inconsistent results.

2. Does the rock meter, time spent at 4x, percentage or note streak affect my star rating?

Not directly, no. The only factor that decides if you get a 3, 4 or 5 star rating in a song is the final score. That said, if you don't hit enough notes to get multipliers or bomb out before the end, you're not going to get that 5 star!

3. What about the higher star ratings (6, 7, 8, etc) I see on the site?

JCirri invented an enhanced scoring system which takes the existing multipliers for 4 and 5 stars and extends them in a logical fashion to create 6, 7 and 8 stars. It's theoretically possible to get 9 stars or higher, but no song has enough points to achieve this (yet?).

In brief, a 6 star rating is achieved by reaching the next logical multiplier after the 5 star rating, which in the case of Guitar Hero is 4x (given that a 5 star is 3x), and in Guitar Hero II+ a 6 star is 3.6x (given the 5 star is 2.8x - which is 0.8x over the 4 star rating, and so the multiplier were increased by 0.8x each increment). 7, 8, 9 stars and beyond follow the same progression.

The complete details on how this system works can be found here: Extended ratings system: 6-stars and up!.

4. Why doesn't every song have extended ratings?

In order to provide the extended ratings the base score for a song needs to be known. As there is no (as yet) completely trusted method of calculating the scores from the game data, we need to play the game and derive the base score ourselves. The simplest way to do this is to get two scores which are one point apart and show a 3 star and a 4 star, or a 4 star and a 5 star). This proves the cut-off for the that particular star score, from which we can calculate the base score, and from there we can calculate the rest.

Co-op scores are an exception. There is no particularly logical way to extend the ratings for co-op songs, and so there are no extended ratings for them at this time.

5. What is a cut-off score?

A cut-off score is the exact score required to obtain either a 4 or 5 star rating in a song. Note that this is not a range, it's always an exact score. For example, a song with a base score of 10,000 points would have a 4 star cut-off of 20,000. 19,999 will always be a 3 star score for this song.

6. What is a cut-off proof?

To prove a cut-off, two screenshots are required that are one point apart and show the difference between one star rating and another. For example, a song with base score of 10,000 points would require two screenshots of scores at 19,999 (showing a 3 star) and 20,000 (showing a 4 star). This would prove that the 4 star cut-off is 20,000.

Thus, a cut-off proof is a screenshot provided by you (by submitting a score or specifically submitting it as a proof) that narrows the cut-off range for a song. Note that two back to back scores one point apart are not required when submitting proofs, although if you can do this, great! Any screenshot that falls within the cut-off ranges for a song is useful.

For a screenshot to be a valid proof it needs 4 elements to be clearly visible.

1 - The name of the song.
2 - The star rating of the score.
3 - The actual score itself.
4 - The difficulty level.



Note that only images of the post-song newspaper headline will be accepted for cut-off proofs.

7. Can I submit to the cut-off system? Do I get anything out of it?

Yes, and yes! The various pages of the Song Stats section shows all the songs and their known cut-off ranges. Many of these are already proven (in particular the PS2 versions), but there is still work to be done. You can specifically work on a song, or if you happen to get a score within a cut-off range then just submit it normally via the Manage Scores page with a screenshot and it will also be used for cut-off proof.

Please note there are strict requirements for cut-off proof pictures, please see the question "What is a cut-off proof" above for details.

So, what do you get out of it? Well, besides the chance to make the extended ratings for those songs available, you may also get contribution points which can be used to purchase additional features from ScoreHero, such as the snazzy rankings image for your signature. More details on this can be found here: Song Stats / Contribution System.

8. What do all the numbers on the Song Stats page mean?

The Stats page can be a little confusing, so I'll run through the basics and explain what it all means.

See the following picture for reference:



This is a picture of the 4 Star Cut-off page for Guitar Hero II - 360 - Expert.

Let's examine the "Confirmed" column first. You will notice the scores there come in three different colours.
  • The red scores indicate a theoretical cut-off that has been calculated from the game files. These are not yet trusted as a source to enable the extended ratings, but appear to be fairly accurate so far, and so give a score to aim for when proving a cut-off.

  • The orange scores indicate a cut-off score that has been calculated from another proof. For example, if the 4 star score for a song has been proven, we can calculate the 5 star from this score. If we prove the 4 star score for a Guitar Hero II song is 20,000, we then know the base score is 10,000 (20,000 divided by 2), and we can derive the 5 star score from that by multiplying the calculated base score by 2.8 (28,000).

    Note that you may still submit proofs for orange cut-off scores, but this will not unlock any further functionality on the site. If either of the 4 star or 5 star scores have been proven, the extended ratings will become available.

  • The green scores indicate a cut-off that has been proven down to 1 point, and thus need no further proof.
Next, let's discuss the "Cutoff Range" column. Take a look at the picture above, and note the cut-off range for "Surrender". Remembering that this is the proof page for the 4 star scores, the lower number in the cut-off range is the highest proven 3 star score. The higher number is the lowest proven 4 star score. It's important to know that this isn't a range of scores for a 4 star score! This is simply the range we've managed to narrow the 4 star cut-off down to.

The "Width" column is fairly straightforward, it's shows how large the gap is between the lower and the higher of the proven scores in the "Cutoff Range" column.

The rest is pretty self-explanatory, except perhaps the Approved/Submitted column, which is just an indicator of how many proofs have been approved and how many are waiting for approval.

9. How do I submit a proof?

You can either add the score via Manage Scores as you would normally, or you can go to the Song Stats page, click on "Submit Proof" next to the song in question, and fill in the details.

10. Will I still get contribution points if I submit a proof for a song that's already got a derived proof score?

Yes, although if the score is an orange score then the extended ratings have already been unlocked for that song. If you're working on proofs, you'd serve the site better by aiming for the songs with the red scores.

11. What do the different colours on the cut-off pages mean?

See the question "What do all the numbers on the Song Stats page mean" above.

12. I got a score that was higher than the lower bound of the 5 star cut-off, but it was only a 4 star score. Is this a bug?

No, it's not a bug. The cut-off range only indicates that the actual cut-off score is somewhere in that range. If you have in fact got a score that's between the cut-off range, you may submit it as a cut-off proof!

13. Why are there so few co-op cutoffs entered? Why are there no extended ratings for co-op songs?

This is simply because not enough people have submitted scores or proofs for co-op tracks, and as there is no logical way to provide extended ratings for co-op songs, the incentive for people to submit proofs is also probably not as strong. However, thanks to the detective work of katamakel, there are calculated values for the co-op cut-off scores for the PS2 version and also for the downloadable songs on the Xbox 360. Unfortunately the main Xbox 360 archive has not yet been cracked and we don't have this data for the regular tracks.

14. Why don't we just take the calculated scores from GHEx or something else, or play the song through without getting a multiplier, and use those for the higher star ratings?

As we don't have access to the game code, we need to guess at exactly how the game calculates the base scores. This has already been proven to be different to an actual playthrough of the song at 1x, and the GHEx derived values have been proven to be out in a lot of cases. debr5836 has derived the most accurate calculations so far for the single player songs, and his work is used as a base for the red scores on the Song Stats page. katamakel has also been able to extract co-op scores from some of the game files and this is used as the base for the red scores in the co-op Song Stats page.

15. Why has my cut-off submission been rejected?

Well, firstly, are you sure it has actually been rejected? It's quite likely it's still sitting in the queue waiting for an admin to approve it. "Unapproved" is not the same as "Rejected". Usually if a proof is rejected you will be notified via PM.

If your proof has been sitting there for a while, hang tight, the admins are busy people and probably just haven't had a chance to look at it yet. Patience is a virtue. While you wait, why not work one some other cut-offs? ;)

16. Why didn't I get any contribution points for cut-off submission?

You probably didn't narrow the cut-off range enough. To limit abuse of the contribution system, points are only awarded when a cut-off is narrowed by a set margin. These margins differ depending on how large the cut-off range currently is. More details on this can be found here: Song Stats / Contribution System.

17. I can't get the right score for a proof! How do I do it?

Barfo (ScoreHero's 1337 Proof Master!) has written up an excellent guide here: A Method to Reliably Obtain Exact Scores.

18. I have a picture for a proof, but I don't know how to put it up on the site. Where can I put my pictures?

There are many sites where you can put your pictures. Here's an incomplete list:There are certainly many others out there. I don't use these sites personally (I have my own web-hosting) but ImageShack (the first one) seems to be the place of choice in these forums. This question was prompted by the discussion here.

19. If all cut-offs have been proven, or if I'm not able or willing to work on cut-offs, how can I get contribution points?

ScoreHero accepts donations, and these will translate into contribution points. More details can be found here: Donations / Account Upgrades.

20. I got a 3/4 star score in Guitar Hero III, but the multiplier on the More Stats screen says it's 2.000x/2.800x. Why didn't I get the higher star rating?

Unlike the previous versions of the game, Guitar Hero III uses standard rounding for the multiplier score. What this means is that if you get a score that is very close to the cut-off point, it's possible that the multiplier will get rounded up and appear be over the cut-off point. For example, a score that falls within 1.9995x and 1.9999x will register as a 2.000x score.


If you have any suggestions for improving this FAQ, please send me a PM. I'd appreciate any feedback to be sent via PM rather than cluttering up this thread. Thank you.


16 Aug 2007
Corrected errors regarding co-op extended ratings as pointed out by Barfo.
Added question 19 (other ways to get contribution points)
Changed changelog order to most recent at top.
6 Aug 2007
Added changelog (this).
Added question 18 (where can I host pictures).
26 Jul 2007
Clarified question 14 (why don't we use calculated scores).
8th Jan 2008
Added question 20 discussing the rounding issues in GH3.
Added some extra clarifications between earlier versions of GH and GH3.


Last edited by tma on Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:06 pm; edited 4 times in total
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lassise  





Joined: 27 May 2007
Posts: 332
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 4:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

what if somebody double strums every note and get a FC, if the multiplier is 1X can't the base score be used?
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tma  





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PostPosted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 5:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

lassise wrote:
what if somebody double strums every note and get a FC, if the multiplier is 1X can't the base score be used?


That's addressed in question 14. It's been proven that playing the song through at 1x does not work out to be the same as the base score.

Thanks for your comment though, I've modified the question to make it clearer.
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GuitarHero2430  





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PostPosted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 11:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very sorry that I am a complete idiot, but I can't find the the submit proof button on the song stats page, nor can I find the Manage Scores page. Would somebody please post a link for the manage scores page?
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lassise  





Joined: 27 May 2007
Posts: 332
Location: Ellicott City, MD

PostPosted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 12:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

for manage scores click home, then manage scores (assuming you are in the forum). and on the left side of each song in song stats (navigate to the section that you need, be it 4* 5* etc) there will be a view history and submit proof link. If a song cut off has already been proved within 1 point the submit proof link will be gone and it will only say view history.
hope that helps, i had the same problems when i started. remember to submit proof you need a picture, but to manage scores it is honor system
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tma  





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PostPosted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 12:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Also, Submit Proof and Manage Scores will not show up unless you are logged in.
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JakeSledgehammer  





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PostPosted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

so if all the cut offs have been found no more contribution points can be awarded?
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BrianBAM19  





Joined: 05 May 2007
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

JakeSledgehammer wrote:
so if all the cut offs have been found no more contribution points can be awarded?
You can still get contribution points if all of the cutoffs are proven, but only by donating money to the website. Go to the store to find more info.
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JakeSledgehammer  





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PostPosted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

am i the only one who thinks thats not cool at all?

do you get punished for not having contribution points?
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tma  





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PostPosted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 10:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

JakeSledgehammer wrote:
am i the only one who thinks thats not cool at all?

do you get punished for not having contribution points?


Contribution points are simply the incentive to help out the site. Not having any contribution points will not affect your ability to enter scores or participate on the leaderboards or the forums.

Contribution points give you extra features (e.g. the stats banner, such as the one in my sig, or extra co-op team slots, or the ability to store extra scores), but again, these are not required for a full ScoreHero experience.

Contribution points can also be gained by donating to the site. Thus, contributing.

Sites like this don't run on air, you know.
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Barfo  





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PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 4:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

From question #13:
Quote:
If we get enough proofs, the extended ratings will become available on co-op tracks too.

Actually, i dont think that is correct, even if we had 'proven' coop scores, the formula for extending coop scores is ill-defined, since the 4 and 5* do not have the same relation between them on coop as in normal single player and so theres no satisfactory way to extend them. At least thats what i recall from conversations with JC back at the time when coop scores were unveiled, maybe he has changed his mind since then and i just didnt read about it. But if there were going to be extended ratings, they would be up already for PS2 GH2, since kata's coop 'estimates' are basically 100% accurate since they are lifted directly from the game data, rather than being an abstracted calculation (coop has hard coded cutoffs, while single player calculates them on the fly for each song).
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tma  





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PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Barfo wrote:
From question #13:
Quote:
If we get enough proofs, the extended ratings will become available on co-op tracks too.

Actually, i dont think that is correct, even if we had 'proven' coop scores, the formula for extending coop scores is ill-defined, since the 4 and 5* do not have the same relation between them on coop as in normal single player and so theres no satisfactory way to extend them. At least thats what i recall from conversations with JC back at the time when coop scores were unveiled, maybe he has changed his mind since then and i just didnt read about it. But if there were going to be extended ratings, they would be up already for PS2 GH2, since kata's coop 'estimates' are basically 100% accurate since they are lifted directly from the game data, rather than being an abstracted calculation (coop has hard coded cutoffs, while single player calculates them on the fly for each song).


You're right, and I have modified the OP, thanks for that! I also added a question about contribution points from other sources.
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butters  





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PostPosted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 4:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hi im just wondering if Guitar Hero III will have the extended ratings... if so, when?
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tma  





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PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 1:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

butters wrote:
hi im just wondering if Guitar Hero III will have the extended ratings... if so, when?


Yes, once the cut-offs have been proven just like in every other game. Some of them already have extended ratings.
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butters  





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PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 2:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ok thanks !
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