The RGF Shmup League - Season #3 Game #2: taking nominations

[Misery]

And having given the game a proper chance (and not for the first time.... get to that in a moment), I say.....

No. Just no. No way in the darkest pits of hell am I making a real scoring attempt at THIS one.

Of all of the shmups I have EVER played, and that's including travesties like Parodius and things I just generally loathe like Touhou, this game has the single worst scoring system I have EVER encountered.


Getting BIG chains and thus big points is NOT entirely skill based.

It's dependant on the AI not being dumber than a stump.

The largest chains only happen when the AI sends a heavy chain your way and you just HAPPEN to have a pile of monsters on hand to pop. This means that A: The AI has to send such an attack, and B: the AI has to not randomly die.

It also means C: you have to drag out the levels for a really, really long time, which is a HORRID idea in and of itself, which ALSO goes back to B: the AI has to not randomly die.


I've beaten this game before. It's not a hard game, and I did this one without actual practice. Happened at an anime con, the game was running in the gameroom, and after doing a big pile of matches against various people, I had a go at the character mode. Took me all of 2 hours to beat it. Now, granted, I was absolutely blasted on caffiene at the time, as I am at any such event, but still. Was a mostly effortless 1cc. But that's ignoring the scoring entirely and just attacking.


The mechanics of this one are very fun in a "versus" sense.

But scoring? Ye gods, no. That'd be like trying to have a score competition in freaking Senko no Ronde. AKA: An amazingly terrible idea.


There's GOT to be a better way to select these games. Parodius was one thing.... even if I didnt like it, many of you did.... But Arrow Flash was not a good one, and Sonic Wings ended up irritating a bunch of us with it's "give us more coins" Psikyo-style rank increase.

I dont mind too much playing a game that isnt a danmaku or doesnt have a good/deep/interesting scoring system. Arrow Flash for example would have worked damn well if it wasnt so bloody easy. I can think of numerous games that are well balanced and thought out but that have dull scoring.

....this though is not one of them.



Either way though, I'm not submitting for this one.

It's a fun game when you ignore the damn points. It's bloody HORRIBLE when you dont.

[AmidstStorm]

The modes play the same imo. Character mode benefits you because each character has different stat levels for shot power and speed, other than that it's the same but with a story in one of the modes.

Rankings updated

[Misery]

The modes play the same imo. Character mode benefits you because each character has different stat levels for shot power and speed, other than that it's the same but with a story in one of the modes.

Rankings updated

They're both too bloody random to really notice much in the way of differences anyway.

[gmintyfresh]

The modes play the same imo. Character mode benefits you because each character has different stat levels for shot power and speed, other than that it's the same but with a story in one of the modes.

Rankings updated

I agree both games seem the same, the wave pattern certainly is - I like the fact we can use either because character mode allows you to use a "ship" that suits your personal play-style better.

Apart from the annoying character voices I'm really enjoying this challenge, was playing this till 2:00 this morning trying to beat my last score - just one more go.

Whilst I agree the opportunities to score are a bit random when they appear there's a lot of skill needed to capitalise on them - I quite like this because it really makes the gameplay more reactive and less structured. Personally I'm not great at memorising every shooter I play.

[Misery]

The modes play the same imo. Character mode benefits you because each character has different stat levels for shot power and speed, other than that it's the same but with a story in one of the modes.

Rankings updated

I agree both games seem the same, the wave pattern certainly is - I like the fact we can use either because character mode allows you to use a "ship" that suits your personal play-style better.

Apart from the annoying character voices I'm really enjoying this challenge, was playing this till 2:00 this morning trying to beat my last score - just one more go.

Whilst I agree the opportunities to score are a bit random when they appear there's a lot of skill needed to capitalise on them - I quite like this because it really makes the gameplay more reactive and less structured. Personally I'm not great at memorising every shooter I play.

See, I actually thought the opposite of this one: Too easy, and doesnt require all that much effort, but DOES require time and also requires a lack of AI stupidity.

The way I was getting points was simple: Shoot barely anything and wait for the AI to launch attack blobs at me, then pop 20 things at once. Rinse and repeat. It ends up being a shooter where I barely fire, which is..... really boring. The only other time I'd fire is if enemies were about to float off the screen. Dodging stuff in a shmup is fun, but doing pretty much JUST dodging is kinda.... just annoying. Obviously there's more shooting as the stages advance, but..... this ALSO ends up being a pure milking game, which..... aaaaaargh. I absolutely cannot stand that concept in ANY shmup. No exceptions, period.

Damn shame, too, since it's a fun game otherwise.


Hah, we've had like what, 4 or 5 games now, and I've only put in exactly 1 somewhat half-assed submission, after which I stopped playing that game and played Eschatos instead.

On the plus side, I 1cc'ed Eschatos, so at least I got that out of it..... sort of.....

[gmintyfresh]

4 days left, new personal target 1CC or 1000000

[AmidstStorm]

You can do it minty!

[gmintyfresh]

You can do it minty!

Cheers mate I feel like I finally had a bit of a breakthrough with the game last night after being so close to 1cc'ing Gunhed on our seperate challenge - it would be nice to do so on at least one game!!

[AmidstStorm]

You can do it minty!

Cheers mate I feel like I finally had a bit of a breakthrough with the game last night after being so close to 1cc'ing Gunhed on our seperate challenge - it would be nice to do so on at least one game!!

This other than Arrow Flash is the one to do it. If you persist you will eventually get a easy clear.. sort of.. Mevious and Memory are complete arseholes but.. sometimes they let you through a bit easier.. not sure if this has to do with points or lives effecting rank or if its just completely random.

[Sputryk]

Sputryk - RYK - 638,730 - Stage 6 - Really - Character - MAME

Scored a total of UNDER 100k for first two levels combined on this run. Bah! Enough!

[Sputryk]

Sputryk - RYK - 775,120 - 27 - Stage 6 - Really - Character - MAME

OK, OK; so I tried again. Improving. But it's Mevious every time, coming away unscathed no matter what I throw his way. And unless it is just me, charging-up the power bar takes an absolute age; so long, in fact, that I hardly ever bother with it.

[AmidstStorm]

Mevious is a tough one to crack.. especially his bastard bats. Good score progress though Sputryk. Keep at it. Would love it if you get the 1CC.. few days to go!

Rankings Updated

[Sputryk]

Aye, he is that. Did manage completion by Continuing and found Memory to be far easier overall despite losing a good number of lives. Honestly don't see a 1cc, though. Per week, I probably manage 2 maybe 2 and 1/2 hours of gaming time at the most. Can't be too disappointed about any lack of achievement as a result. Perhaps for something much, much older than the shooters so far chosen for competition I might just manage a 1cc.

[AmidstStorm]

Plenty of games to play out there. We're just about to hit the mid season game. Was thinking about a Snes only round to mark the anniversary of the Snes in the UK, but may save that one for season finale as I'd have to put it to vote etc etc.

[Mero]

Only made a slight improvement. Would have been nice to break 1.5 million.

Mero - ROB - 1,481,710 - 26 - stage 7 - Memory - Character - PS2


I turned down the colour on my telly before I took this pic, you can actually see the numbers this time