Italy vs Shmups.com

[Gemant]

---.--- TOURNAMENT ITALY VS WORLD (SHMUPS.COM) ---.---


We were thinking about organizing this match just to revive the competition in the world of shooting and to give the chance to the new players to get to play shmup seriously. Taking advantage of the summer time and of the free time at disposal, we propose this contest hoping to find the agreement of shmup.com players.

- GAMES -
tournament see 4 shmups games

2 games will be voted by the ITALIAN TEAM
2 games will be voted by the SHMUPS TEAM

we’ve already choose our games but we’ll declare them only when you’ve chosen yours

We’ll play with the emulator WOLFMAME PLUS 0.106 because INPUT file is necessary. While the tournament any player can choose if he wants to declare the score (attaching the snapshot) or do the complete reply of the game but will be statutory send the recorded reply from the emulator at the end of the tournament in order to validate the score; while the month you can play to all 4 games.

On the 10st august will be attached one unique package with WOLFMAME PLUS 0.106 and 4 games choice from any team

-RULES-
Settings: all default settings (level 4 for neo geo games), Japan version, autofire allowed;

- PLAYERS -
The Italian team is already ready with mini10 players; we expect the same from your side to start the game.

Italy Team:

RAIDEN FIGHTERS
SPETTY
NEVERLAND
GEMANT
GOKU
KOTARO
CANNIBAL
DEXTELL
KRISALID
DIX

- TIME -
From 00.01 on the 10st august to 23.59 of the 10september

- SCORE -

the first the score takes 100 points and the others the directly proportional to it. For example:

first position (1.000.000 pts) = 100pts, second position (500.000 pts) = 50pts.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

WE ATTEND YOU FOR MAKE A GREAT TOURNAMENT!!!!!!

for question and all...

official thread ----> http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?t=10081

[NTSC-J]

I'll beat all you turkeys myself.

Should we nominate posters to represent the forum? I'd give a vote for Rando but there's a conflict of interest there...DEL, Valgar, Icarus, MrMonkeyMan and sik get my vote.

This is like grade school, whoever doesn't get picked will resent their peers.

[Dave_K.]

You may need to use Wolfmame 0.99 for the Cave games since the drivers are still broken since 0.99 (may not replay correctly). Great idea...wish I actually had summers off like most of you students.

[system11]

Problem is some of the best players use real hardware, and emulation isn't the same thing, if only from a controls viewpoint. I'll tell you right now, TTL logic is quicker than USB.

[Icarus]

Picking a team might prove difficult. Out of all the posters on this forum, there are maybe 15 to 20 decent and dedicated players - which, I might add, is a very disappointing ratio to have - and out of those players, some might or don't use emulation. There might be some time constraints as well, as most have jobs or are busy this summer.

In any rate, lets see if we can put something together. It could be interesting.

[Klatrymadon]

Out of all the posters on this forum, there are maybe 15 to 20 decent and dedicated players

I don't know about that. Perhaps there are just a lot of users like me here, who play their chosen games very extensively but still don't really bother participating in the high score threads?

I'm not suggesting for a moment that you should consider me, mind you. Even if I was top-tier material, it's not really my thing...

There must be a way to see if the people outside of the usual circle of pre-eminent players are up to it (and up for it), though.

[freddiebamboo]

LUN didn't make the italy team?!?

[Gemant]

I'll beat all you turkeys myself.

Should we nominate posters to represent the forum? I'd give a vote for Rando but there's a conflict of interest there...DEL, Valgar, Icarus, MrMonkeyMan and sik get my vote.

This is like grade school, whoever doesn't get picked will resent their peers.

We, italians, are few and being arrived at ten is a great objective, if you accept the contest, organize yourselves to choose the 10 participants between your users.

[Gemant]

Problem is some of the best players use real hardware, and emulation isn't the same thing, if only from a controls viewpoint. I'll tell you right now, TTL logic is quicker than USB.

The mame choice is fundamental for a contest like this, and there are two reasons:

1) The games chosen will be all taken casually from the existing shooting games, it's impossible that all participants could possibly own the original games.

2) The use of mame allow to record the play and it will be at disposal as a proof at the end of the tournament. This is not possible with a 300 MB video. Moreover nearly noone is able to record a movie from the original machine.

[Gemant]

LUN didn't make the italy team?!?

LUN is full now

[CIT]

we’ve already choose our games but we’ll declare them only when you’ve chosen yours

What if the shmups team happens to choose one of the same, or the same two games?

[system11]

My point was, you can't just pick the guys with the best scores in the score section here, because some of them only play with real hardware

[Gemant]

we’ve already choose our games but we’ll declare them only when you’ve chosen yours

What if the shmups team happens to choose one of the same, or the same two games?

it's very improbable that this could happen... and there are hundreds of games to choose

[Kiken]

2) The use of mame allow to record the play and it will be at disposal as a proof at the end of the tournament. This is not possible with a 300 MB video. Moreover nearly noone is able to record a movie from the original machine.

MAME also allows numerous additional features, such as save-states, that do not appear when a replay movie is made.

Secondly, it's not very difficult to hook a VCR up to game console and record a gaming session. I, as well as numerous other members here, would be more than willing to capture said videos and post them on-line for judging.

Also, I'm sure everyone is capable of taking a photograph of the high-score screen/name entry screen, regardless of what they're playing on. Is it 100% necessary to view the original footage of the entire replay?

[Gemant]

MAME also allows numerous additional features, such as save-states, that do not appear when a replay movie is made.

Also, I'm sure everyone is capable of taking a photograph of the high-score screen/name entry screen, regardless of what they're playing on. Is it 100% necessary to view the original footage of the entire replay?

save state during recording is not possible in wolfmame. If you use it, replay desync and appear game over after some seconds.

For me, for a serious contest, complete recording is necessary.

[system11]

save state during recording is not possible in wolfmame. If you use it, replay desync and appear game over after some seconds.

Actually, there is still a way to cheat past this and use save states, but I'll let people work out how for themselves.

Hope some people volunteer, might be interesting. Not me though, I'm not good enough, and I don't use Windows, because it's shit.

[freddiebamboo]

I agree with the recording of replays, but there is no proof of who actually made the replay.

Technically you could get 2 awesome players to crank out 5 replays each using different initials at the end

[LUNardei]

LUN didn't make the italy team?!?

LUN is full now

Full of wine and busy with ULTRA

[Neverland]

I agree with the recording of replays, but there is no proof of who actually made the replay.

Technically you could get 2 awesome players to crank out 5 replays each using different initials at the end

you think realy interesting us win using this lame methods?

we are a correct player and have launch this tournament for another correct player

in italy is normal give a real tests of our best run.

i hope to find a great fighters for this tournament in this site for broke a 4 games finaly out in 10 august

[Rastan78]

Just wanted to say I think this is a great idea! I'll be interested in seeing what happens. Unfortunately for me 1. I'm probably not good enough and 2. don't have a setup to play on MAME.

[Venom]

You may need to use Wolfmame 0.99 for the Cave games since the drivers are still broken since 0.99 (may not replay correctly). Great idea...wish I actually had summers off like most of you students.

There was something about the Cave drivers being fixed as of a recompile of 1.06, but I'm unsure.

[Turrican]

Just a couple advices from a guy who won't enter the contest:

1) The games chosen will be all taken casually from the existing shooting games, it's impossible that all participants could possibly own the original games.

Why not focusing on just one game - decided on agreement? That way, there's a chance that skilled players might own the original.
yes, this basically implies to reduce the teams - it could be a 2 versus 2 or three versus three contest, it would be even easier to find good players for a specific game.

2) The use of mame allow to record the play and it will be at disposal as a proof at the end of the tournament. This is not possible with a 300 MB video. Moreover nearly noone is able to record a movie from the original machine.

Like Kiken said, I'd be inclined to trust a vidcam registration much more than a mame replay. It's not that difficult to set a camera behind you and press "rec" at start. This way, competition could be open to the hundreds of shmups that aren't on MAME, ie console / home computer stuff.

[Icarus]

Like Kiken said, I'd be inclined to trust a vidcam registration much more than a mame replay. It's not that difficult to set a camera behind you and press "rec" at start. This way, competition could be open to the hundreds of shmups that aren't on MAME, ie console / home computer stuff.

You can hook up a console to a VHS recorder and capture a play from there, as well. Some of us also have the ability to direct-feed record a play using a video capture card. Those involved in the verification of the submitted replays can use a video capture card to transfer the replay to a digital form and upload it somewhere for everyone to watch (and when it comes to a competition, everyone including spectators like to watch good score submissions).

I don't mind MAME at all for competitions and high score submissions, and I always try to submit an input as well as an AVI if I've been using MAME. But with VHS/DirFeed-rec replays, you can spread it to games such as G-Darius, Raystorm, Raycrisis and others that aren't decently emulated in MAME.

Which reminds me, need to dig out the PSX to play G-Darius...

(Something tells me most of the chosen games will be Cave though...)

[sikraiken]

(Something tells me most of the chosen games will be Cave though...)

I have a feeling the Italian team has chosen Blazing Stars as one of their games.

[Turrican]

You can hook up a console to a VHS recorder and capture a play from there, as well. Some of us also have the ability to direct-feed record a play using a video capture card. Those involved in the verification of the submitted replays can use a video capture card to transfer the replay to a digital form and upload it somewhere for everyone to watch (and when it comes to a competition, everyone including spectators like to watch good score submissions).

Yes, you can do it with all these methods, but you need some "rare" tool like capture card etc. I used the console-to-VHS method myself a couple of times, but in these contests image quality isn't the goal - so a camera behind your shoulders it's still preferable, isn't it? You get to see the player all the time too, and you just need to zoom on the score screen by the end.

(Something tells me most of the chosen games will be Cave though...)

Unfortunately - either that or Psikyo I assume...

[Dave_K.]

You may need to use Wolfmame 0.99 for the Cave games since the drivers are still broken since 0.99 (may not replay correctly). Great idea...wish I actually had summers off like most of you students.

There was something about the Cave drivers being fixed as of a recompile of 1.06, but I'm unsure.

Haven't herd of a recompile..thought it was still an outstanding issue.
http://forums.marpirc.net/viewtopic.php?t=12704

[Dave_K.]

Is it me or are people taking this a little to seriously? There isn't a cash prize for the winner or anything, so I doubt cheating is going to be a real concern. This is just a friendly competition. Use recorded wolfmame as a first choice (to level the playing field), PCB w/vidcap second choice, picture of highscore last resort.

I want to see SiKrAiKeN come out of retirement and play DDP for the shmups.com board!

[Icarus]

Is it me or are people taking this a little to seriously? There isn't a cash prize for the winner or anything, so I doubt cheating is going to be a real concern. This is just a friendly competition. Use recorded wolfmame as a first choice (to level the playing field), PCB w/vidcap second choice, picture of highscore last resort.

I want to see SiKrAiKeN come out of retirement and play DDP for the shmups.com board!

It's always serious when high scores are concerned on this forum, Dave. You know that by now. ^_-

Personally, I'm not bothered by what we use, as long as I have that game, I can record some kind of replay as proof, and we get something going. This could be a lot of fun. The only problem is, how do we put together a team? Our Italian companions are already organised. ^_-

[freddiebamboo]

NTSC-J
MrMonkeyMan
DEL
Icarus
Randorama
Venom (Still Playing???)
Sikraiken
Ex_Mosquito
Cigsthecat
Rastan78
Ch'timi
Plasmo
Valgar
Rob

Off the top of my head that has to come close to a shortlist of the best here, although I've probably missed a few.

http://cowboy.ikaruga.co.uk/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=30

^^^^Good thread on the best scoring western players.

[Dave_K.]

Ok, I'll come out and give my pick for a shmups.com All-Star Team, based on a set of games I think we'd have a chance at dominating. Some of the people on my list are obviously from the high-score threads, others are all around great players.

I'd narrow 2 games down from this list of 4: Battle Garegga, Mars Matrix, GigaWing, DDP

People: Rob, Randorama, Icarus, SiKrAiken, BBH, NTSC-J, MrMonkeyMan, Venom, Del, ?

I left the last 10 person open as a wildcard as I can't think of another good all rounder or specific to these games. I'd probably put Rastan78 or Cigsthecat for the strong raizing skill, or IlMrm or Ex_Mosquito for strong Psikyo skill.