Euphorius is here! (and also, some spring cleaning)

TrotMania Euphorius has been released! We have a ton of new content, as usual, and some new surpsies as well!

Additionally, the downloads for the original versions of the Chrystalize and Rhythm is Magic packs have been removed; they have been succeeded by new versions, which contain various quality-of-life improvements. They can be obtained from the download pages on the current TrotMania website, alongside our latest releases.

As has been previously mentioned, this Blogger site now acts as an archive of posts made prior to our move to PonyvilleFM, and is no longer actively maintained. Thank you for your continued enjoyment of this series!

One Hoof In Front Of The Others

Given that we still get quite a bit of traffic here, I thought it'd be helpful to inform you that we're getting ready for a new version: TrotMania Euphorius:

As you can see, it is looking quite sharp. This time around, we've gone for more of an industrial/desert motif. There will be a ton of new content, and some things that we have never done before.

For updates, see the postings in the Euphorius category on the main site, We are also, once again, holding an OC art contest, with prizes such as free commissions, and having your art appear within TrotMania Euphorius. Check it all out!

TrotMania III is out!

Even though we said we wouldn't be updating this blog anymore, we are happy to inform you that TrotMania III: Aternum Obscurum, along with TrotMania Chrystalize Princess of the Year Edition, have finally been released!

Visit the website for more details.

FYI, we moved

I am told that this site is still getting good traffic, so here's the tl;dr version of that last post: PonyvilleFM is our new host/partner, and we no longer actively maintain the old TrotMania site anymore.

http://trotmania.ponyvillefm.com is our new URL. We got a forum and a 200% cooler downloads page.

TM III will finally be released this month, and while we will tell you about it here in case you forgot to update your bookmarks, future posts and updates have been on the new site.

The start of a new era

Dear Trotters,

I never actually expected TrotMania to be this much of a success. We're still, in my opinion, not the biggest fan project in the brony community, but the fact that we've gotten this big is shocking.

So, about that "big announcement" I teased yesterday? Well, here it is...


Hold on to your hooves...

A special announcement is coming soon

To some, the news I am teasing may be our "worst-kept secret", but we are preparing for a massive change that will impact TrotMania as a whole.

No, it is not the release of TM III. It is something a lot bigger than that.

But what is it, you ask?

Stay tuned...

From the creator of TM...

No, this isn't TrotMania IV, or III for that matter (obviously), this is Obelisk. It's a separate project that I started on a whim because I really really really really really really really wanted to do a StepMania theme that wasn't overtly pony-related for once. The fact that its color scheme is a bit like Chrystalize is coincidence; and yes, unlike the Chrystalize theme, this actually does work correctly with the current StepMania 5 Beta 4 that TM III is being built around.

It's designed as a more "traditional"-looking theme with a minimal and "kinetic" aesthetic, while still incorporating modern amenities such as jacket support (which means yes, the TrotMania packs still look nice at home in here). The screenshots alone don't do it justice, so if you're looking for a little something to tide you over until TM III comes out for real, I invite you to give it a try.

A New Year, A New Night-venture!

Firstly, of course...

Happy New Year!

And secondly, as promised...

We would officially like to welcome you to the TrotMania III: Aternum Obscurum Public Beta! Our last big tease we had on Halloween, and things have changed quite a bit since: we've not only polished up the previous preview songs, but there is now pretty much an entire base set! Of course, we are still working on things: there will still be, a little later on, a larger "main" release with the theme, more songs, and all that jazz too, but for now...

Download Now (Zenius-i-Vanisher)

You interested in getting the best experience, read on...

Are you ready for ANOTHER party?

Not just any party...

A New Year's Eve party?

TM3 Update - How well did you do?

Although it looks similar to how it did before (aside from that fancy new border around the banner, and the animations on the judgement names), the changes made to the evaluation screen today are under the hood, and fix some bugs in how the theme handles non-16:9 resolutions too.

Let's have a party.

Well, not just any party, of course. We're talking about a...

We made a Pinkie Promise last night to release something today, and nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise!

So what is it, you ask? It's your first real preview of TM III with six great songs, including some EDM-influenced progressive house, a stroll through Manehattan, a certain one-hit wonder in the hip-hop world, and to cap it off, another great Foozogz track. There's no theme or special StepMania distribution yet

So get your glow sticks cracked, and your RedOctanes on the floor (disclosure: the TrotMania dev team does not endorse any particular dance pad brand) , it's time to get back to dancing!

Download link after the jump...

Happy Nightmare Night!

Good news: it is now Halloween across roughly half of North America's time zones! It's time to dress like you're going to a comic con, walk up to other people's doors demanding free confectionery products ("Enough chit-chat! Time is candy!"), and, of course, party!

Unfortunately, when there's good news, there's always bad news. A series of complications, including us waiting for SM5 Beta 4 to come out (it did, but it also managed to break Swarm mode in the theme due to some strange bug me and Kyzentun helped uncover), and general busyness, has caused development of TM3 to lag a bit. I did, at some point, aim for a full-on release on October 31 (an appropriate date given the thematic of this version), but it has become clear that we're not going to reach that goal.

However, you are in luck; watch this space for a special Nightmare Night treat later tonight! What could it be? You'll have to wait and see. Also, one of the lead steppers for TrotMania has been working on another pony-related rhythm gaming project that you might like (it's also, however, another reason for the reduced level of work on TM3, but it's still good nonetheless), with an inital release set for November 1; we'll keep you posted on that too.

Or in simpler terms: you just want something to burn off the calories from that Nightmare Night candy, don't you? Just hold on a sec.

And we are also accepting new members of our stepping team too; if you think you have what it takes, inquire in the chat room. A staff member or two is usually lurking in it from time to time.

We're not dead

Oh, and I'm also fixing things up for SM5 Beta 4 too.

TM3 Preview: I meant to do this a LONG time ago.

Well that's an odd way of presenting scores.

TM3 Preview: Into the Night(ly)

Would you like to peek into the future? Well, there are Princess Luna-approved "nightly" builds (i.e. built from the source code's current state every day) of StepMania 5, and I have begun testing the TrotMania III theme with it to ensure the highest quality ponified dance game experience.

While it may look the same at first glance, there have been quite a few changes of interest under the hood for developers and theme creators. In particular, thanks to its more stringent error reporting, I now have a better idea of where things are going wrong, and exactly how much duct tape I need to use to fix it. There are also some new APIs here and there too.

However, there is one big user-facing change that you might like:

Check out those speed mods: no more having to select from presets! Now you can specify custom speed modifiers in the Options menu in increments of 1 or .25 - technology is incredible!

And also, for the second year in a row, you can play a TrotMania rig at GalaCon this weekend. I do not specifically know if BronyCAN or BronyCon have anything similar (someone on Twitter told me they did have some type of dance game at the latter; might have TM songs maybe), but I do know for a fact that maybe, just maybe, you may be able to give TrotMania III's new look a spin for yourself at GalaCon.

Sorry about the lack of updates lately

Yes, we are still working on things, but I, in particular, have been a bit busy lately too.

So, I would just like to say that the art contest is still on, and has been extended into August.

But seriously, I did mention that the prize is that you get your art featured in TM3, and you could possibly get to pick songs to be featured in it, right?

We have arrived.

There is just one more stop on the road to Las Pegasus, and one of the most highly anticipated music festivals in the entire country. The one festival that simply everypony wants to attend at least once (well, that is if they're even a fan of electronic music; although the Appleloosa Country Corral is pretty good too). It has gotten so big, that it has even received spin-offs held in different parts of Equestria. While its organizers consider them to be the appetizers, the fans eat it up just as much as the main course. Besides, what's the harm in holding a spin-off of a festival celebrating the summer solstice in the middle of spring?

The harm is that, if this event didn't exist, you wouldn't be going to Baltimare right now for the... 

ALICORN PARTY!

You just knew we were teasing something, right? Well, it's finally here. Chrystalize Append is an expansion to Chrystalize, created almost entirely by Dreamland200 (well, Dreamland200 did all the steps, but Lirodon did some of the art and courses too). This expansion has a theme; specifically, songs that were performed at the Bronypalooza concerts at BronyCon.

There are 25 songs in all, all of which feature single and doubles charts. Although it is considered an "expansion" to Chrystalize, it is essentially a standalone pack with its own folder, and even some of its own courses too (you can call it TrotMania 2.5, essentially). This will be the last TrotMania release until we begin to let a certain cat known as TMIII out of the bag...

Download links are after the jump, and will be added to the main download page later.

TrotMania Chrystalize Append Trailer

Just a little longer, guys! While we humans hype our concert tours with fake movie trailers, the ponies appear to be building up anticipation for their rave with a more conventional teaser. Check it out!

Rave-Off contest extended

Did you know that we are having an OC art contest for TrotMania III? Well, if you haven't, now's your chance! The prize? You'll be able to pick a few songs that will be featured in TM III!

You will also be pleased to note that it has been extended; the new due date is 11:59 p.m. EST on May 27, 2014! This will give you just a bit more time, especially if you have only just learned about said event.

And now for something completely different

Over the past few months, does it feel like we've been hyping something? If the answer to this particular question is "yes". then congratulations! You're on to us! And now, it's time for your reward...

There are just a few more stops on the road to Las Pegasus, and one of the most highly anticipated music festivals in the entire country. The one festival that simply everypony wants to attend at least once (well, that is if they're even a fan of electronic music; although the Appleloosa Country Corral is pretty good too). It has gotten so big, that it has even received spin-offs held in different parts of Equestria. While its organizers consider them to be the appetizers, the fans eat it up just as much as the main course. Besides, what's the harm in holding a spin-off of a festival celebrating the summer solstice in the middle of spring?

The harm is that, if this event didn't exist, you wouldn't be going to Baltimare right now for the...