2025/09/10
I deleted the material in the first post(s) of each ST/GD, as threads cannot be deleted once there are replies. The rest of the thread will remain in place, this being a measure of some sort that prevents people from doing something illegal (e.g. posting links to roms and such) and then deleting proof of their heinous crimes. Since I also want to retain control over my own posts, especially when they do not infringe any rules, I have deleted them now in order to avoid that somebody may quote them and keep them online without my consent. Those who are interested in the original post may contact me via PM, and we can arrange ad hoc solutions regarding the OP for this thread.
ST: Mars Matrix
ST: Mars Matrix
Last edited by Randorama on Wed Sep 10, 2025 3:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"The only desire the Culture could not satisfy from within itself was one common to both the descendants of its original human stock and the machines [...]: the urge not to feel useless."
I.M. Banks, "Consider Phlebas" (1988: 43).
I.M. Banks, "Consider Phlebas" (1988: 43).
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themachinist
- Posts: 780
- Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2007 9:25 pm
- Location: Space, the final frontier.
Hi, Sorry for ressurecting this but I had a question from the ATTACKS portion. What do you mean by mapping everything to one button? I understand what you mean by the delays between switching use between weapons (which I am trying to get rid of by reading this thread). Can someone enlighten me? I'm playing the dreamcast version and I'm not sure how to map it all to one button to get rid of the delay between auto-pierce and the bullet grav thing.
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BulletMagnet
- Posts: 14214
- Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 4:05 am
- Location: Wherever.
- Contact:
I'm not an expert on MM< so someone feel free to correct me if I mess something up here...
What you say about "mapping everything to one button": it's pretty much already done for you. In the original arcade version all 3 attacks (shot, piercing gun, barrier/bomb) were done with a single button, depending on how you tapped/held it. The same goes for the DC version (whichever button is mapped as "shot" should work like this), except that it allows you to map some functions (autofire, rapid piercing gun) to separate buttons if you like. What Rando's saying is that, while using several buttons can be more "convenient," for lack of a better word, it also means a bit of additional delay when you stop using one weapon and start using another, whereas if you were just using the "single button" method you could switch more quickly by simply adjusting your rhythm, or just holding down The Button that you were already pressing anyway.
In case you weren't already aware, here's how the weapons work when you use the one-button method:
Shot: tap The Button rapidly.
Piercing Gun: tap The Button more slowly. You probably noticed that when you stop shooting energy gathers at the front of your ship: once it's gathered enough, the next time you press The Button the piercing gun is released. If you can get the rhythm of presses down and learn how long you need to wait before pressing The Button again, you can fire it repeatedly.
And obviously, for the Barrier, hold The Button, and for the bomb, hold it until the meter's empty.
Hopefully that helps...
What you say about "mapping everything to one button": it's pretty much already done for you. In the original arcade version all 3 attacks (shot, piercing gun, barrier/bomb) were done with a single button, depending on how you tapped/held it. The same goes for the DC version (whichever button is mapped as "shot" should work like this), except that it allows you to map some functions (autofire, rapid piercing gun) to separate buttons if you like. What Rando's saying is that, while using several buttons can be more "convenient," for lack of a better word, it also means a bit of additional delay when you stop using one weapon and start using another, whereas if you were just using the "single button" method you could switch more quickly by simply adjusting your rhythm, or just holding down The Button that you were already pressing anyway.
In case you weren't already aware, here's how the weapons work when you use the one-button method:
Shot: tap The Button rapidly.
Piercing Gun: tap The Button more slowly. You probably noticed that when you stop shooting energy gathers at the front of your ship: once it's gathered enough, the next time you press The Button the piercing gun is released. If you can get the rhythm of presses down and learn how long you need to wait before pressing The Button again, you can fire it repeatedly.
And obviously, for the Barrier, hold The Button, and for the bomb, hold it until the meter's empty.
Hopefully that helps...
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themachinist
- Posts: 780
- Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2007 9:25 pm
- Location: Space, the final frontier.
Hey thanks alot! This is exactly what I needed explaining...BulletMagnet wrote:
In case you weren't already aware, here's how the weapons work when you use the one-button method:
Shot: tap The Button rapidly.
Piercing Gun: tap The Button more slowly. You probably noticed that when you stop shooting energy gathers at the front of your ship: once it's gathered enough, the next time you press The Button the piercing gun is released. If you can get the rhythm of presses down and learn how long you need to wait before pressing The Button again, you can fire it repeatedly.
And obviously, for the Barrier, hold The Button, and for the bomb, hold it until the meter's empty.
Hopefully that helps...
The arcade version has all four functions (shield, shot, piercing laser, bomb) onto one button. The DC allows you to use the auto-piercing gun and the auto-shot, i.e. once you use one of the two you need to use another button to use the multiple function.
This causes lag: if you spend 5 seconds with the finger on the auto-piercing button and then switch to the multiple function button (e.g. to use the mosquito system), you will get about 0.3 seconds of delay in activation, while if you use just one button, you get around 0.1 seconds of delay when switching functions.
The arcade version has different timings, the DC version makes things smoother with one button.
This causes lag: if you spend 5 seconds with the finger on the auto-piercing button and then switch to the multiple function button (e.g. to use the mosquito system), you will get about 0.3 seconds of delay in activation, while if you use just one button, you get around 0.1 seconds of delay when switching functions.
The arcade version has different timings, the DC version makes things smoother with one button.
"The only desire the Culture could not satisfy from within itself was one common to both the descendants of its original human stock and the machines [...]: the urge not to feel useless."
I.M. Banks, "Consider Phlebas" (1988: 43).
I.M. Banks, "Consider Phlebas" (1988: 43).
Re: ST: Mars Matrix
100k exp and stage 4 midboss.
<trap15> I only pick high quality games
<trap15> I'm just pulling shit out of my ass tbh
<trap15> I'm just pulling shit out of my ass tbh
Re: ST: Mars Matrix
I will delete this ST on the 2025/09/30. Anyone who is willing the incorporate information from this ST in future STs is welcome to do so before that date. The STG wiki page for the game represents a simply superior source, but some readers might want to preserve parts of this now obsolete ST for their own personal reasons. Readers who wish to complain about this decision can read Sistem11's message in the DonPachi ST from 10 years ago for some background.
"The only desire the Culture could not satisfy from within itself was one common to both the descendants of its original human stock and the machines [...]: the urge not to feel useless."
I.M. Banks, "Consider Phlebas" (1988: 43).
I.M. Banks, "Consider Phlebas" (1988: 43).
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LordHypnos
- Posts: 2041
- Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 11:59 pm
- Location: Mars Colony, 2309
Re: ST: Mars Matrix
Do you happen to remember if this detail was confirmed or an educated guess? I ask because it's not recorded anywhere else, and seems like it would be kind of a pain to test (though I'll try to do so at some point if you don't remember).While the MS will give you points only if you land hits, the PC will consider every single hit as a kill (say, if you need ten hits of level 8 for an enemy, a piercing laser laser will be the scoring equivalent of ten hits)
Otherwise, this ST was quite useful when I was learning the game ages ago, and I think most of the information is pretty accurate. I wouldn't say that the current shmup wiki article has better information. It has the basics of how the multiplier works, but nothing of things like the teapots in stage 3, or boss strategies.
In any case, I'm going to save this article just in case I can find the time eventually to create an updated ST or at least add some info to the wiki.
YouTube | Restart Syndrome | 1cclist | Go Play Mars Matrix
Solunas wrote:How to Takumi your scoring system
1) Create Scoring System
2) Make it a multiplier for your actual score
Re: ST: Mars Matrix
LordHypnos:
I checked the numbers manually back in the day, so the numbers are probably wrong (something like: DC version, pause, write down Takumi-style scores on paper, try to pause again after 2-3 frames, etc). Any more accurate measurement would thus supersede the one in the ST, I suspect. I deleted the ST for the reasons explained in the thread(s), but I can send you the original materials for personal reference. If you wish to write an updated ST or alternatively work on the wiki, I am fine with negotiating the use of the original materials and eventually offer support if needed. We can discuss these matters at any later stage, anyway.
I checked the numbers manually back in the day, so the numbers are probably wrong (something like: DC version, pause, write down Takumi-style scores on paper, try to pause again after 2-3 frames, etc). Any more accurate measurement would thus supersede the one in the ST, I suspect. I deleted the ST for the reasons explained in the thread(s), but I can send you the original materials for personal reference. If you wish to write an updated ST or alternatively work on the wiki, I am fine with negotiating the use of the original materials and eventually offer support if needed. We can discuss these matters at any later stage, anyway.
"The only desire the Culture could not satisfy from within itself was one common to both the descendants of its original human stock and the machines [...]: the urge not to feel useless."
I.M. Banks, "Consider Phlebas" (1988: 43).
I.M. Banks, "Consider Phlebas" (1988: 43).
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LordHypnos
- Posts: 2041
- Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 11:59 pm
- Location: Mars Colony, 2309
Re: ST: Mars Matrix
Noted. I have already saved the text that was up earlier today, so no need for that. I'm currently playing some other games, so not likely to work on this for a bit, but I'll PM you if I want assistance at some point.Randorama wrote: ↑Wed Sep 10, 2025 4:31 pm LordHypnos:
I checked the numbers manually back in the day, so the numbers are probably wrong (something like: DC version, pause, write down Takumi-style scores on paper, try to pause again after 2-3 frames, etc). Any more accurate measurement would thus supersede the one in the ST, I suspect. I deleted the ST for the reasons explained in the thread(s), but I can send you the original materials for personal reference. If you wish to write an updated ST or alternatively work on the wiki, I am fine with negotiating the use of the original materials and eventually offer support if needed. We can discuss these matters at any later stage, anyway.
YouTube | Restart Syndrome | 1cclist | Go Play Mars Matrix
Solunas wrote:How to Takumi your scoring system
1) Create Scoring System
2) Make it a multiplier for your actual score
Re: ST: Mars Matrix
…”and thanks for your time and availability, Randorama”.
"The only desire the Culture could not satisfy from within itself was one common to both the descendants of its original human stock and the machines [...]: the urge not to feel useless."
I.M. Banks, "Consider Phlebas" (1988: 43).
I.M. Banks, "Consider Phlebas" (1988: 43).
Re: ST: Mars Matrix
Wow.
A lot of the internet was, is, built by people in their own free time... with no pay... but out of passion, and many other reasons.
You can see it in every corner of the internet.
You think it is just you?
It can be reviews (I also write many, for free, because of my passion for STG, games).
I even do art, and have done small guides, so on... but I do it, never to demand for someone to thank me.
We are in an STG forum. See it. How many doujin STG released for free. How many, even paid STG, use free material, free art, free sound, free music.
This forum.
shmups.system11.org; Powered by phpBB ® Forum Software © phpBB Limited.
"phpBB is a free flat-forum bulletin board software solution."
I hope you can see where I am going, I do not need to say it out loud. Why are you so resentful? Yes, people have criticism of my free work too. All the time. You are not alone. Yes, it would be nicer if people could recognize what I do for free, and I really think, most people do. You let some minority color your image of broader groups or that people these days do not put in the work.
Re: ST: Mars Matrix
Please see the other answer for clarification. You are welcome to pontificate and justify your inability to thank people at your leisure time (as a Darwin award NEET, I guess? Children these days...). Off to ignore, you go.
"The only desire the Culture could not satisfy from within itself was one common to both the descendants of its original human stock and the machines [...]: the urge not to feel useless."
I.M. Banks, "Consider Phlebas" (1988: 43).
I.M. Banks, "Consider Phlebas" (1988: 43).
Re: ST: Mars Matrix
Calls other people childish but insists he needs the last word before "ignoring."
And we are to bow to this "maturity?"
Haha.
Edit: Also, he punishes whole community by deleting info he says is useless (and therefore it is) when others say it is not?
Haha. Funny person.
Projection much. So it is done. Sorry this off topic >.<!~
Re: ST: Mars Matrix
Please rest assured: you remain on ignore, Faith. Let's see how long you will pursue your puerile rants, though: day 1?
"The only desire the Culture could not satisfy from within itself was one common to both the descendants of its original human stock and the machines [...]: the urge not to feel useless."
I.M. Banks, "Consider Phlebas" (1988: 43).
I.M. Banks, "Consider Phlebas" (1988: 43).