Knowing when to stop…..

[davyK]

Got my best ever score tonight on Mushi Futari (1.5 original - Reco Normal)…also got further than ever. Got deep into level 4 and scored just shy of 76m (playing for survival!).

Thing is - it was only the 2nd game of the session. I usually do 1 or 2 run attempts to warm up and then go into practice mode to focus on where I am having trouble (recently that has been level 3. I say recently - it has been for some time now!). Then I usually (not always) go back and do a full run or two again. Sometimes I finish by playing black label mode or try something different like Abnormal Palm just for fun.

I have been steadily improving my performances with this game over the last week so that hi-scoring game wasn't unexpected - but I like to finish a session on a high - so after that hi-scoring run I switched off. Is this the right thing to do? Maybe I should be more strict when trying to improve? I didn't want to spoil my glow!!

[Kollision]

For a moment there, going by the thread's title, I thought you were talking about quitting shmups...
Good to know it's the exact opposite.

[drboom]

Everybody is different but my rule of thimb is if you are making dumb mistakes, not really gaining ground and worst of all, getting angry, then it's time to turn it off. Never go by score in my book - just play till you can't.

[Strikers1945guy]

Everybody is different but my rule of thimb is if you are making dumb mistakes, not really gaining ground and worst of all, getting angry, then it's time to turn it off. Never go by score in my book - just play till you can't.

Yeah this. Nothing wrong with a good challenge and trying to improve, but once the enjoyment is gone and it feels like work it's time to take a break.

[chum]

never stop and you get results

[ACSeraph]

Strangely almost all of my very best runs come near the beginning of a session, either the first or second run. I think shmups fatigue your brain pretty fast if you are playing full force, so your performance suffers after that.

Further practice definitely has value though. After your first few sessions try to get into the mindset that whatever goal you had hoped to accomplish for the day probably won't be happening and then focus your efforts for the rest of the session on experimentation and routing. The information you learn from less intense experimentation will be solidified as you sleep, and you will be that much better off for your next attempt at the real thing.

If you can't convince yourself to change focus for the day and keep playing full force for hours and hours and hours, I know from experience your play and mental health will suffer. I've done 8 hours days of obsessive compulsive no-miss attempts and I've never once achieved the goal during one of those sessions. Limit yourself, and if you can't do it on your initial attempts take that as a sign from above you should be focusing on more specific practice.

[Lilium]

I don't particularly aim to end on a high note as those can be gruesomely hard to achieve at times but I make an effort to avoid ending on a negative note. If i'm doing too poorly for my taste as I am about to stop a session, I will usually make sure to remind myself that the (only) reason this thing is killing me so much is because i've been playing for a few hours and need a break :>

Make sure to not feel bad about your playing just because your performance takes hits as you get further into your session. One thing I like to do if i am not making any progress, feel the game is bullying me and perhabs even pissing me off is to go to one of the things i'm just not very good at yet and then drill that section like a robot.

Even though you die like 15 times per minute while drilling that part, grinding it out for a prolonged time allows the brain to improve at the activity and when you get back to it after a good night's sleep you'll suddenly do that part a lot better a lot of the time.

[supergrafx77]

I like to finish a session on a high

sometime this works, sometimes not...
sometimes drinking works, sometimes not.... I can do bowling really good when I drink....
GoodO RAKU!

[Plasmo]

never stop and you get results

Basically this. Being persistent equals getting high scores. Ignore when you die too much and fail all over the place. Do as if frustration would not exist at all.

[Stompp]

Kind of gave up on hi-scoring. I'll never be a great shmup player I stopped practicing and play them for the fun of it Sometimes it works out, more often it's a crash and burn.

(I'll probably have to eat my own words at some later point in life)

[DEL]

Plasmo wrote;

Basically this. Being persistent equals getting high scores. Ignore when you die too much and fail all over the place. Do as if frustration would not exist at all.

I think he did the right thing. Everything in moderation. Ending on a mildly high note is fine. Just make sure to come back the next day.
I'm pretty much sure that the intense "I MUST overdose on this and IMPROVE" is the wrong way to go. Just play and play and you'll get to your goal.

[Bananamatic]

shmup or die man you either shmup or you die

[DJ Incompetent]

ACSeraph is correct.

Expect your best plays to be your first few credits. If you play longer, use the time to recognize trouble spots and adopt a strategy for that piece.

[BIL]

ITS LIKE FUCKIN A GORILLA
YOU AINT DONE TIL ITS DONE

Wait - that's Dave Mustaine about heroin. Wrong rockstar!

Its all about 12 hours on 1 credit and then putting your fist through the screen.

That's better! ^_~