Rhythmic Escape
The ball breaks out of the rings while every bounce plays the song. How to set it up and every control in Hybrid Mode Settings.
What Rhythmic Escape Is
Rhythmic Escape combines Escape and Rhythmic: a ball works its way out through a stack of rings while every wall hit plays the song. The viewer hears the tune moving forward and sees the ball getting further out, so the sound and the progress back each other up. It is the "bouncing ball, but it plays a song" breakout format.
In the Engine tab it shows three panels: Rhythmic Mode Settings, Escape Mode Settings, and Hybrid Mode Settings. Break Lab is not shown here, because the rings already break on their own.
Setting It Up
Two ways to get there:
- 1In Basics, pick Escape under Simulation type, then turn on the Music sync add-on under the picker. (Or pick Rhythmic and turn on Breaking rings.)
- 2Pick a MIDI or built-in tune in Selected Song / MIDI (Rhythmic Mode Settings).
- 3Tune the rings in Escape Mode Settings: Number of Rings and Gap Size set the run length.
- 4Optional: add a shield ring in Hybrid Mode Settings for a bigger payoff moment.
Hybrid Mode Settings: Rhythmic Shield
The shield is an extra ring inside the escape stack. While it stands, the escape rings cannot collapse. It breaks after a number of hits or seconds, with its own Shield Break Animation (set in Escape Mode Settings under Destruction & Visual FX), and then the escape begins. The shield is set in the Engine panel only.
| Setting | What it does | Range / options | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inner Shield | Adds the shield ring. | Active / Off | Off |
| Shield Radius | How far from the centre the shield sits. The escape rings are built outward from it. | 20 to 500 | 200 |
| Destroy Mode | Hit Count Limit: the shield breaks after a number of bounces. Time Limit: after a number of seconds. | Hit Count Limit, Time Limit | Hit Count Limit |
| Required Hits / Seconds | The number of hits or seconds for the Destroy Mode. | 1 to 100 | 20 |
| Auto Sync Gaps | Listed as an option; it does not change the run in the current version. | Active / Off | Off |
Hybrid Mode Settings: Auto-Off Boundary
For runs with Solid Outer Ring on (Escape Mode Settings). Auto-Off Borders removes that solid outer boundary after a set number of bounces, so the ball can finally get out.
| Setting | What it does | Range | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto-Off Borders | Turns the timed boundary removal on. Only matters while Solid Outer Ring is on. | On / Off | Off |
| Bounces to Disable | Bounces before the boundary is removed. | 1 to 100 | 10 |
Recommended Setup
A reliable first Rhythmic Escape: a recognisable MIDI, Music Sync on, Ball Movement Mode: Direction Only, 15 to 25 rings, Gap Size 25 to 35, Rotation Mode ALTERNATING, Shrink Mode on, Min Bounce Spacing 80 to 120 ms for busy songs. Add a shield with Hit Count Limit 20 if you want a dramatic opening beat.
Tip
- The S key shortcut that freezes ring rotation works in plain Escape only, not in Rhythmic Escape.
Common Problems
Most problems are covered in the Rhythmic Mode and Escape Mode articles. These are specific to the hybrid.
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Rings never shrink at the start | The shield is still standing. | Lower Required Hits / Seconds, or turn Inner Shield off. |
| The ball cannot get out at the end | Solid Outer Ring is on. | Turn Solid Outer Ring off, or turn on Auto-Off Borders. |
| Music Sync turned off and the rings stayed | Turning Music Sync off switches Rhythmic Escape back to plain Escape. | That is expected. Turn Music Sync back on for the hybrid. |
| Some Escape settings seem locked | The hybrid needs both the Escape (Lite) and Rhythmic (Lite) panels. | See Which Plan Unlocks a Hybrid. |
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