1. What is BMS?

BMS (short for Be-Music Source or Be-Music Script) is a file format specified in 1998 for use in the freeware PC game BM98. The gameplay is identical to that of a certain rhythm arcade game, which was very popular in Japan at the time.

Originally, there were 5 keys and a turntable, and the player had to press the corresponding key or spin the turntable at the correct time as notes fell down from the top of the screen. When players press the keys or spin the turntable, music is played, meaning that players need to have precise timing, or else the music will sound off beat. The sounds played by the player's key presses are most commonly called “keysounds.” BM98 did not come with music included when you downloaded the game, so music producers would make their own music in order to create BMS and upload them to their personal websites. This would later evolve into a thriving culture of creative people making and sharing completely original works for free.

Over the years many other developers started creating their own software which let you play BMS (called BMS players), and they expanded on the script format to allow for more functions, such as 7 key gameplay, more keysounds per song, long notes and so on. Because of the fragmented nature of BMS being an online culture spread across many sites and creators, we use BMS as an umbrella term to refer to all software, songs, graphics and events that are made for BMS, or made using BMS. This is why you'll see many people simply refer to BMS as one game, instead of using the name of the BMS player they are using.

Gameplay footage of BM98

2. What is BOF?

THE BMS OF FIGHTERS, often abbreviated to BOF, is an online contest where people submit original BMS works and compete in teams to get the highest score from the players. The first event was held in 2004, and is held annually during the autumn. We call these types of contests for “BMS events.”

Leading up to BOF, people will form teams that will compete for victory. These teams consist of several people that are all involved with creating the BMS works for that team. In most cases, a team will create 3 separate BMS works which are submitted to the contest, though it is also possible to submit fewer or more works.

During the registration period, the teams will register their works as entries on the online event venue. The registered entries are inaccessible on the event venue until the time of simultaneous release, which happens later during the registration period. After the simultaneous release, it is possible to download the individual entries submitted.

After the registration period has closed and it is no longer possible to register new entries, the impression period begins. Players are now able to cast votes and write so-called “impressions” on the registered entries, where they can give each entry a score ranging from 100 points to 1000 points.

When the impression period ends, the event staff will determine the winning teams in two categories: Total Score and Median Score. In the total score category, the ranking is determined by the amount of points accumulated by all the entries in a team, where each team has one entry chosen as the “Ace Song” or “FINAL STRIKER” which contributes an additional score bonus based on its individual total score. In the median score category, the ranking is determined by the median score across all entries in a team. If several teams share the same median score in the rankings, the one with the best average score precedes the other team. Rankings for individual entries is also provided. After the results are published, the event is concluded.

While BOF is certainly the largest BMS event, many other BMS events also happen every single year, which may have different themes or rules. Some BMS events refrain from implementing a scoring system, making it so that only writing comments is possible.

The official website of THE BMS OF FIGHTERS

Visit BOF's official website

3. What are impressions?

In BMS events, we use the term impression (often abbreviated to impre) to refer to votes, reviews and comments that are posted on the event venue. An impression may contain a detailed review, or just a score with no comments at all. The idea is that your impression of the BMS as a whole is what matters. This means that all impressions are completely subjective, and you must decide for yourself on how you choose to rate the entries. However, it is often deemed good etiquette to elaborate on the reason behind your score, even if it is just a few words, but sometimes it may be difficult to know what to say, so posting an impression without comment is also OK.

Since the impression is supposed to be of the BMS as a whole, it is important that you actually play the BMS yourself in a BMS player, as this first-hand experience is central to how you experience the work. Do not post impressions after only viewing a video online, or just listening to the song on streaming services. You have to remember that there are potentially many people that worked together to create the BMS. If you do not play it yourself, then you are risking ignoring the hard work of all the people involved, who wanted to provide a great music game experience. In most events, it is required by the rules that you play the BMS yourself first before posting an impression.

List of short impressions

4. How do I play?

There are several ways to play BMS. The most popular BMS players are Lunatic Rave 2 and beatoraja. Both can be downloaded for free, though setup might be a little complicated to those who are unfamiliar with BMS. If you are still interested in downloading one of these two BMS players, there are several guides online which explain in great detail how to install them correctly. They have the best support for custom skins, and most BMS nowadays are made with these two BMS players in mind.

Alternatively, it is possible to play BMS using Bemuse, which is a completely web-based BMS player, meaning that you can play it in your web browser without needing to install any new software. All you need to do is to open Bemuse in your web browser, select a gameplay mode, and click “Play Custom BMS” and select the BMS you have downloaded to your computer. Bemuse is also playable on mobile devices, although the performance may not be great depending on your device.

In many cases, there is a Bemuse Custom Server provided on the entry page, which lets you play the entries without needing to download the BMS first. How convenient!

Gameplay footage of beatoraja

Gameplay footage of Bemuse

5. How do I vote?

It is important to be familiar with the event's rules regarding impressions. Make sure you have read and understood those first.

Go to the event's entry list and find the entry you'd like to write an impression for. The impression section is located below the author's comments on the entry page. There you will find two buttons, where one will take you to the long impression form, whilst the other takes you to the short impression form.

Fill out your name, email address, the score you wish to give, and a comment. You can also specify a tripcode (a unique identifier) or a delete key, if you want the ability to delete your impression in case of an error. Long impressions are useful if you want to write more detailed reviews, and provide a detailed overview of your score.

Always make sure you have actually played the BMS first, as it is against the rules to post impressions without playing the BMS in a BMS player. Once you have posted your impression, it will be visible on the entry page.

Impression section: The left hand button takes you to the long impression form, while the right hand button takes you to the short impression form.

The short impression form

The long impression form (1/2)

The long impression form (2/2)