Averaging Gradius

[skinny coder]

So there was this idea posted over here (at Insert Credit) about averaging gameplay. The basic idea is too take a variety of runs of a video game, like completing World 1-1 of Super Mario Bros, played by a bunch of people, and merging the results to get some sort of median gameplay. To see "how people, on average, react to that first goomba" as the author puts it.

It struck me as an interesting concept... but complicated and with many pitfalls.

But... as long as the stage was always timed the same, like the auto-scrolling nature of Gradius, you could simply record gameplay and layer them on top of each other and the various runs would sync perfectly! The most common moves would sorta layer on each other and the mostly translucent layers would brighten and solidify. And as a bonus you would see the ghosts of the less traveled.

And that is exactly what I did.. Each 'track' is a tinted a separate color (a great suggestion, thanks dark steve), but the colors are set up so that when the layers sync up together they still add up to a great white blast.

Visually the 'average gameplay' is represented pretty well, as the each of the Vic Vipers collide and sum up, producing brighter and brighter whites. I dig the results. There's a feeling of randomness and pattern creation at the same time -- a friend likened it to a sort of "interactive fractal."

Here are some screenshots if you don't want to download the video:




Ideally I'd like to create a longer video with more runs, where each represents a different person (instead of me playing 10 different ways).

So, I'm inviting all of you to submit runs! It's pretty simple, I have a "toolkit" that has the emulator (FCE Ultra) so that there's no compatibility issues down the road and a handy file that explains how to submit your run.

You can grab that here.

What's not included is the rom. I can't help you find it, just make sure you are playing the NES Gradius from the US. Rom discussions would likely get this thread locked

Anyway... I am looking for the way YOU PLAY Gradius. Have fun, complete the stage, but play how you want. You must complete the 'first stage' for the submission to be accepted, but for you guys I'm sure that's a cakewalk.

So if you think you are interested, I would love to have your submission! I would need your recorded gameplay by January 4th, which gives you a week. Thanks.

[Acid King]

That's a pretty cool idea. It'd be interesting to see something like Ikaruga or DDP layered like that.

[SFKhoa]

the only problem with this is the fact that each player kills a boss at different times, and that can desync the entire run altogether.

[skinny coder]

Yeah, that's why it's just the first "stage", through the first boss.

The idea was to find a simple, boiled down way to achieve the effect and still get something that was fun to watch. Something that looked interesting. The bonus is that if I get enough runs, it should actually show something neat about how people play Gradius!

[landshark]

That's mesmerizing.

MORE MORE MORE MORE!! A complete stage run would be awesome.

Great idea BTW.

[Icarus]

I'll try and hunt down the ROM and submit a replay for you. My best runs on the arcade version of Gradius was over 91,000 after defeating the boss.

In many shmups a degree of memorisation, timing and positioning is required for best results. This is a pretty interesting way of demonstrating that a decent stage route, carefully planned and executed can indeed net better scores than flailing around.

I'd like to see you try this with something like Shikigami no Shiro 2 though ^_-

[~Kid Icarus~]

Woah, that looks beautiful.

Great idea!

[JBC]

That is really quite beautiful in many ways. It'd be great to do this for the bubble stage in Gradius IV - where the bubble core gives people alot of trouble when trying to destroy it without getting up in it's face.

[Randorama]

This is indeed an excellent idea, congratulations for the brilliant work

[Ganelon]

Awesome. More, please.

[russ]

Submitted. This is genius!

[sjewkestheloon]

nice ideas and application. a hearty slap on the back from me.

[skinny coder]

Wow, thanks for all the positive feedback! This is very comforting. And exciting

Thanks to those who have already submitted, so far they have been great. Keep them coming, the more runs the better the final product.

[skinny coder]

RISE FROM THE GRAVE!

Sorry about surfacing this thread by double posting, but I just want to give out a final notice to any and all who would still like to contribute. I've been sick for about a week and so the Wednesday deadline is sorta moot.

This is basically a last request for submissions. So, please, it doesn't take much time to complete the first stage in Gradius and you can be part of something cool!

Here's the link to what you need.

I'll be working on the video over the next couple days so if I get you're submission in the next 48 hours it will make it in!

Thanks!

[JBC]

Haha! Did you intend for me to think that in the Zues voice?

Altered Beasts rocks my socks.

[skinny coder]

Resurrection Part 2!

The project is done! Please, check out the article to find out how the project evolved and of course, watch the finished video. A few forum members from here contributed runs, so my thanks go to them.

Averaging Gradius

I would love to hear your thoughts on the video and the results of the project.

[Ghegs]

Looks very cool indeed. I think I can occasionally make out which ship is mine.

Now, for your next project, do a Flash program where you can view and turn off replays as needed. So you can view just one, or four, or any number of players going through the stage.

[Edge]

Wow, this is beautiful.

Too bad I haven't seen this thread before. I'd love to record one play from me and be part of this great movie.


"One more movie! Another Shmup!!"

The crowd demands another movie like this for another shmup.

C'mon Skinny Coder, please make one more. How about an arcade shmup like DoDonPachi, R-Type, Raiden or whatever...
It could be played on the emulator Wolf Mame, and recording inputs there is really easy.

[russ]

Ah, I don't think any traditional vertical shooters would work. Take DoDonPachi for example: when the player moves left or right, the screen "tilts" with the player's respective lateral movements. So everyone would be moving in different directions at different times, and the screen would probably blur like crazy in the final video.

[Edge]

Yeah, I think DoDonPachi would be too much. Even without that scrolling problem the screen would be full of blurring explosions and bullets. I guess I'd would still look funny.

But R-Type would be a great choice for a movie like this.

[EXMaster]

That was pretty interesting.

If you decide to do a follow-up, as a suggestion, I think an analysis like this would be perfectly suited for Zanac on the NES, since the game actually has an AI system that adjusts according to the player's actions. There should be a lot of unique data per playthrough and it would make for a rather interesting result.

[zaphod]

R-Type would be another good one.

the first level is perfect, and we can easily see what tactics are used. I think we will find that most paths are similar for that game, though.

[iatneH]

Damn, maybe I should have submitted a run...

That boss fight screenshot shows everyone close to the left side of the screen... but I learned a trick from a friend who flies as close as he can to the gates, and there is a sweet safe spot where core moves above your ship and fires, then moves below your ship and fires, missing you every time even though you're not moving at all..

[J-Manic]

I just saw the vid, and all I can say is, "Wow. Look at all the pretty colors." That's probably how Gradius would look in my dreams, or if I was on acid. A very cool idea though. Imaging G Darius or Darius Gaiden with that trail effect. Now that, my friends, would be an unforgettable sight.

[pentarou]

Looks very cool indeed. I think I can occasionally make out which ship is mine.

Now, for your next project, do a Flash program where you can view and turn off replays as needed. So you can view just one, or four, or any number of players going through the stage.

Are you the lone player who tried to get the 1up near the end?

[Ghegs]

Are you the lone player who tried to get the 1up near the end?

Probably not, since at least conciously I didn't try for such a thing. Rather stupidly I went and deleted my entry from my HD shortly after submitting it so I can't be sure anymore, but I seem to remember I'm the right-most ship, the very closest to the Cores, when the timer hits 2:20. But I can't confirm that, of course. skinny coder probably could.

[skinny coder]

Yes, Ghegs, you are correct, you are the Vic that is closest to the Cores. You also got the fastest boss time. Additionally, there is mention in the article about a couple of players that go for the 5000 point bonus early... you are one of those two players.

The end credits are like a 'key' in that the color of the each players name is the same as the color of their ship. Ghegs ship is actually the one that retained classic Vic Viper silver, so in theory it is easy to spot (there is a dark silver in the group too, but other than that the color is pretty unique).

That theory sorta goes out the window in some parts where the Vic Vipers are just everywhere... but usually, if you pause it, you can find a particular ship.

About doing more... no comment for now. I'm content with how the video turned out and very pleased with the response to the article. Doubly so from you guys -- if I can please true fans of the game then I've succeeded.

Thanks for all the kind words.

[zaphod]

Damn, maybe I should have submitted a run...

That boss fight screenshot shows everyone close to the left side of the screen... but I learned a trick from a friend who flies as close as he can to the gates, and there is a sweet safe spot where core moves above your ship and fires, then moves below your ship and fires, missing you every time even though you're not moving at all..

That only works when you are sufficiently powered up. otherwise it's motin will be too slow. That said, powering up isn't too much of a problem. The real key to tearing up the game is triggering the autofire bonus. combined with the laser, you will just tear thru nearly everything.

[Gopher's Ambition]

It was awesome just watching a whole fleet of Vic Vipers taking on the bacterians

[OneEyedJack]

http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?si ... hreshold=2

Averaging Gradius is on Slashdot!

Supercool!