Different Methods of Playing

[wiNteR]

Looking at the other thread about easy 1CCs, I noticed that a fair percentage of people don't use various methods of practice that might be available. Here is my characterisation in that regard:
(1) only single credit runs (no credit-feeding)
(2) only full runs (but with credit-feeding)
(3) using training modes
(4) using save-states

Before going further, a bit of explanation. For (1), I mean starting from the beginning of the game every time and each time the first credit runs out, you reset. For (2), one starts from the beginning of the game every time but credit-feeding allows one to get some experience with later parts.

Now (3) could mean a number of things [I just put it as a single category for simplification], since different training modes give different levels of customization. For example, some training modes might only allow one to start from beginning of a stage (and some might not even allow boss practice separately). Some might allow training from more than one checkpoint within the stage etc.

Now, on top of all this, some people might not like watching a video of game being cleared before-hand. That can be a further qualifier. Not watching any video can make a big difference sometimes. Few possible examples: (i) Some parts have a very easy trick (or safespot) but that trick might not be that easy to find out just with full runs (ii) One is going for score more seriously.

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Which games have you cleared in a more restrictive manner or enjoyed playing in that way. I probably wouldn't want to try a hard (let alone a really hard game) game with (1) or (2) above. That main point being that I would want to try a game like that where I think I can clear without getting completely stuck.

However, what are your thoughts in this regard generally. Few limited examples follow (not meant to be comprehensive or anything). Which game would you recommend other players to try their own to score first without watching videos first [for example, I think games like Ikaruga, RSG, Darius Burst etc. fit reasonably well here]. Which games do you think have a easy enough curve that they are quite reasonable to try with full credits only. Or, for example, which games you have cleared that way.

Few clear that I have with limited practice methods (though both of these are a bit old):
(i) Armed Police Batrider (Normal Course)
Cleared with (1) and without consulting videos.
(ii) Raiden-3
Cleared with (1) and without consulting videos.

[Creamy Goodness]

Only game I have been able to clear without any kind of real practice features was Cotton Reboot Arranged. Everything else for me has been save states or using any practice option available.

But another option I've always been curious about, the maniacs who have 1cc'ed games by actually traveling to an arcade and pumping quarters into an arcade machine. I couldn't imagine the cost it would take for me to do that even on an easier game.

[pja]

I cleared Eschatos with (1) and only light use of (2), I don't recall any others.

[Gamer707b]

Well, being that I'm hopelessly old school and have no idea how to emulate, I always play on console. Don't use save states, unless a newer release has that option. So for me, especially with the 16-bit stuff, all my clears have been once my lives run out, I start over.

[miwa]

My first 1cc was Dragon Blaze (1-all), playing it on Switch with only (1) and (2) available
Needless to say I'm only playing with (3) and (4) nowadays and also watching videos online to see how other people deal with tough spots

[Jonpachi]

I spent years with a "No continues, EVER!" attitude and it cost me a lot of good time I now wish I hadn't wasted. I am SO good at stages 1 to 3 of DDP DOJ, but I've never gotten the 1CC and I'm now so burned out on it I have struggled to want to return it for over a decade, even though I still rank it among my favorite games of all times.

Play with practice modes, play with save-states, and practice your personal trouble spots until you've mastered them. I guarantee you the old arcade masters would have died to have such a resource, and there's not only no shame in using them but I'd go so far as to say it's just silly not to.

[copy-paster]

My first 1cc was Dragon Blaze (1-all), playing it on Switch with only (1) and (2) available

Did you play in default arcade setting? Congrats if yes, DB is too memo in later stages and looks no fun to me.

As for me, (3) and (4) are my most preferrable for clear. (1) and (2) only applies in certain games I pick.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

There's no real one size fits all method to playing. Playing only single credit runs is helpful for training you to deal with the stress of the game and building the endurance to get through the game. There's much less pressure if you gameover and you're on your second credit. But it's very helpful to credit feed so you can see and learn difficult parts of the game too, so you should occasionally do that too.

I don't see much difference between credit feeding and using a training mode or save states. They all accomplish the same goal of letting you practice something you can't normally reach or practice on a single credit as well as letting you quickly practice a single area of the game that might take repeated runs. For instance, if you're good at a game but struggle with one attack the final boss has, you basically have to wait 30 minutes each run to practice one attack... or you can just focus on that attack with training mode/save states. It's a convenient tool, but not one that gives you something you couldn't see without credit feeding in most cases. The only exception is stuff with strict requirements such as CAVE games with a second loop requiring 1CC, etc.

[pegboy]

Personally I will use whatever tools are out their to practice although I usually don't go down the save state route unless I know beforehand that the game is very demanding or I've been playing it for a bit and getting destroyed.

Back in the day I didn't use save states mainly because I wasn't playing on emulators and also wasn't playing any arcade games, so I'd just play the ports on console. I cleared all the Gradius games without using any save state practice although I did use the level select for Gradius III, IV, and V to practice.

The game that finally broke me was Salamander 2 on PS1. I really wanted to get a 2-ALL in the game and was just getting annihilated over and over again in stage 2-5, getting killed almost immediate and having to run through the entire game again just to barely make any progress made me want to quit the game. And there was no level select so I just decided to say fuck it and test those levels out in MAME. After some practice in MAME I went back and cleared the PS1 game in short order. I felt like an absolute moron for never using this type of practice before as I lost untold amounts of time using inferior methods.

Also, it seems straight up impossible to me for someone to clear something like Ketsui Ura or DDP DOJ without using savestates for practicing the second loop, TLB, etc. Yet a lot of players (maybe "a lot" isn't accurate) in Japan did it back in day as emulation for that stuff didn't even exist. From what I understand most of the Japanese superplayers don't use save states either, which is something that also broke my brain when I heard it. There really are levels to this genre.

[copy-paster]

From what I understand most of the Japanese superplayers don't use save states either, which is something that also broke my brain when I heard it. There really are levels to this genre.

It's not that they "learn" it purely by playing over and over (although some players did and still is probably), Superplay DVDs were also common during that time. they also observe someone playing whether going for clear or score, copy what they did and write up notes.

[ch2]

I usually gravitate towards single stage practice (3, maybe 4 if it's emulated) and when I feel I'm ready I would go for 1cc attempts while also keep doing 3 on the side for the parts I have more problem with.

I don't like coin feeding because it makes 1cc attempts less special when you actually get farther, but that's just me tho.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Also, it seems straight up impossible to me for someone to clear something like Ketsui Ura or DDP DOJ without using savestates for practicing the second loop, TLB, etc. Yet a lot of players (maybe "a lot" isn't accurate) in Japan did it back in day as emulation for that stuff didn't even exist. From what I understand most of the Japanese superplayers don't use save states either, which is something that also broke my brain when I heard it. There really are levels to this genre.

In that case though, I think there's an inherent advantage in being able to play in a setting where a lot of skilled players naturally congregate and watch each other play. Instead of having to devise strategies on your own, or wonder how someone you're watching does something so effortlessly, being in a setting where you can talk to and interact with players and ask questions probably really helped. At least, I'd suspect that plays at least a partial role...

[wiNteR]

Interesting discussion. One of the reasons I made this topic was to get some idea which games other people had cleared with just single credits or credit feeding only. For those games, if and when I get access to them, I can think about watching a few videos and deciding whether I want to try to clear it the same way. Because, as others have mentioned, going blind this way on a difficult game might be too time consuming.

Did you play in default arcade setting? Congrats if yes, DB is too memo in later stages and looks no fun to me.

As for me, (3) and (4) are my most preferrable for clear. (1) and (2) only applies in certain games I pick.

I would agree. On "arcade" difficulty this a pretty good achievement. I have never played DB, but I feel that some of the Psikyo games can have difficult or non-intuitive to figure safe spots (or perhaps tricks) sometimes. And even in first loops sometimes. Without save-states, I would only imagine someone bomb those specific patterns when going for a 1-loop.

One that comes to my mind is a certain safe-spot on second phase stage-6 boss in gunbird-2 (generally a very good game though).

I spent years with a "No continues, EVER!" attitude and it cost me a lot of good time I now wish I hadn't wasted. I am SO good at stages 1 to 3 of DDP DOJ, but I've never gotten the 1CC and I'm now so burned out on it I have struggled to want to return it for over a decade, even though I still rank it among my favorite games of all times.

I think it is worth trying [not necessarily for every game but at least on few occasions], but yeah, one has to be quite cautious in using this approach. Especially if one insists on a 1CC. That's partly why I made this thread.

Yet a lot of players (maybe "a lot" isn't accurate) in Japan did it back in day as emulation for that stuff didn't even exist.

One "famous" story from the japanese arcades is which I read on this forum. But it has been mentioned very few times (at least on here) so perhaps it might be interesting to repeat. When dodonpachi came out, I don't think anyone cleared it in arcades in first few months. I re-call this because the link to "Magazine High Scores" for first few months was posted [but it was in some post long time ago, and I don't think I will be able to find it]. Though it seems possible that there might have been some low score clears [which would be plausible if progression was not favoured over score, but I don't know about it]. For DOJ WL, I think there was a clear in its first month of release.

Someone more knowledgeable can confirm or refute.

[pulsemod]

one of the reasons I was turned off from continues/savestates was rank. I definitely ran into encounters earlier on where using continues would make rank and power level very inconsistent with a regular run. and savestates could get me practicing one specific rank of a section even though it may be many different variations in a typical run. if someone's really consistent with a game, it makes sense to practice with them, but I can't see myself trying to use them until I find myself having that comfort and consistency. I don't have many 1CCs though, as I tend to hop between games since I feel like my "core" skill isn't high enough for most 1CCs anyways!

[Jeneki]

I've used all of these techniques.

(1) only single credit runs (no credit-feeding)

Salamander (Hamster port) - When I play Hamster ports I usually play in Hi-Score mode, which turns off the training/save/etc features. I'm always paranoid about having a good run and then that score not being uploaded to the leaderboard lol. Salamander might be too obvious a pick though, since it doesn't have continues anyway. The parts where I needed some extra help (stage 4 has dumbest boss fight ever), I watched some videos to pick up new techniques to try out.

(2) only full runs (but with credit-feeding)

Aero Blasters (Turbografx) - The game was reasonably new, and my only new game one summer so I simply played the crap out of it. After a while before I could get to the end using all available credits, then slowly worked that number down until a 1cc happened naturally. Given that videos/savestates weren't a thing yet, full runs were probably helpful in picking up later hard sections. I think this is a good way of learning a game if someone wants to do it completely on their own with no outside help.

(3) using training modes

Tiger Heli (M2 port) - Training modes are a newer thing for me, as not every game has them. But I used the stage practice and warning popups to memorize where Our Happy Surprise Friends show up, until I knew them all and could do it in a full run.

(4) using save-states

In The Hunt (Mame) - Played the upward scrolling section many, many times to get a route down. And the volcano section lol. Oddly enough the final stage feels easier than those.

[SPM]

I do them all, but my most used methods are (1) and (3), usually mixed. At first I do single credit runs and, if the game gets hard/long enough, I start using training modes or their savestates equivalent to start from a later point (stage/boss, occasionally midboss).

Sometimes credit-feeding (2) is a nice extension of (1) for games without an aggressive rank, but I hardly use it because I don't want to see the rest of the game before I "unlock" it.

And I reserve heavy use of savestates (4) for games I find really hard to clear otherwise, like Gunbird 2. I consider them tough skill-based puzzle games and will create a savestate for each crazy puzzle the game wants to throw at me to play until I figure it out (I call them savestates games).

About replays, I think they're a great way to check how some mechanics/scoring work in the absence of tutorials (and when you want to dive deeper into the game), but I wouldn't spoil the game before getting the 1CC or at least having played enough. I don't see the point of doing it unless you want a fast 1CC/high score, and I'm in no rush.

[third_strike]

I also like to take some notes in paper, use calculators and Exel tables. Once my wife read some of my notes and said which that way it was very easy and anyone could play this way and that it was cheating

[davyK]

Save states or single stage practice. I've only really used save states for Level 5 of Gigawing and level 6/7 of Layer Section (still haven't 1CCed that game though).

The "play" mode on Steam Mushi lets you restart the current level and resets your score/lives etc to the start of the level. That can be handy too for abandoning a run and using it for single stage practice.

But I eventually end up just going for full runs once I think a 1CC possible with a fair wind.