RQ: Maximizing score in Soldier Blade caravan

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captain ahar
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RQ: Maximizing score in Soldier Blade caravan

Post by captain ahar »

got this last week and i love it. with the Caravan Stage I am unsure of the details.

-I am given score bonuses from time to time. Any explanation about this would be appreciated.

-Also, I have stumbled on some "icons" hidden under objects/enemies. While I can assume these add to score, is it deeper than that?

-Lastly, is there a bonus attached to the weapon pickups (since they all seem to be the red variety)?

I can't wait till I can actually take part in this thread. Thanks.
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Ghegs
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Post by Ghegs »

There are plenty of score tricks here. I haven't played 5-min mode much so I don't probably know all of them, but I've spent a fair amount of time in 2-min mode. This helps, of course, with two 2 first minutes of the 5-min mode as well. :D

The yellow "Zegs" increase in value whenever you find and destroy one of them. The bonus goes from 500 to 1000 to 2000 to 4000...

You get 4000 bonus from the sphere if you manage to destroy all the four orbs it releases when it's destroyed. If you're really good you have just enough time to take down another pair of these shortly after the boss for 8000 bonus. Again, you have to destroy all the orbs they release.

The snake has few tricks. If you destroy him as quick as possible, you get only only 1000 bonus. If you destroy him while he's at the bottom of the screen you get a 20,000 bonus. And if you destroy him from the inside, you get a whooping 50,000 bonus. To do this shoot at him until he turns red and stop firing. Then move to the center of the screen, wait for it to go into a complete circle around you and finish him off.

50,000 bonus if you destroy the two tanks (or whatever they are) on water at the same time.

There's (at least) one more trick, but it doesn't seem to be useful at all. If you don't destroy a single enemy or ground installation (so you can't even take power-ups) before the boss, you get a slightly different version of it and upon its destruction 80,000 bonus. And that's it. :? Maybe there's a different way to trigger this bonus, but I haven't figured out how.

While checking these I managed to better my high-score by 4000 points, so thanks for the incentive. :wink:
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sikraiken
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Post by sikraiken »

http://nfgworld.com/system/wordpress/?p=481

Neo, myself, and a few others helped make this (Neo put it all together) back when we had it as a compo in #shmups.
Last edited by sikraiken on Wed Apr 10, 2013 11:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Ghegs
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Post by Ghegs »

SiKrAiKeN wrote:http://nfg.2y.net/static/EpZVpuAkkyfjDLpeaI.php

Neo, myself, and a few others helped make this (Neo put it all together) back when we had it as a compo in #shmups.
Damn, that's sexy. Sweet sprites, I've never really had a chance to just examine the boss sprite before. Beautiful. Good info, too. Though when playing the 2-minute mode, it's probably better to just destroy the boss as fast as possible.

I've linked to this thread (and the Recca RQ as well) in the Caravan Games high-score thread so that others can find it easier, too.
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SheSaidDutch
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Post by SheSaidDutch »

SiKrAiKeN wrote:http://nfg.2y.net/static/EpZVpuAkkyfjDLpeaI.php

Neo, myself, and a few others helped make this (Neo put it all together) back when we had it as a compo in #shmups.
Nice site btw, nice and clean 8)

I've just looked at the X68K gallery :lol:
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sikraiken
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Post by sikraiken »

SheSaidDutch wrote:
SiKrAiKeN wrote:http://nfg.2y.net/static/EpZVpuAkkyfjDLpeaI.php

Neo, myself, and a few others helped make this (Neo put it all together) back when we had it as a compo in #shmups.
Nice site btw, nice and clean 8)

I've just looked at the X68K gallery :lol:
Yeah, Neo does a nice job on the stuff he does. :)
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Post by DJ Incompetent »

Super Star Soldier

1. If you miss a brown score orb, start over. If you missed a X0000 Bonus, start over. If you stopped moving and the words "boss" or "back cannon" wern't involved, start over.
2. You should know when the midboss closes (with you inside). You should never have to miss a box or skip an orb.
3. If you have 5-way shot with twin front cannons, holy hell don't touch a powerup.
4. Max your speed. Play the front - ensure leftovers boxes is a rare occurance. If the box is silver, your ship should probably fly over it (or somehow touch it).
5. 3rd enemy wave: Hold your fire or condense your shots inside the right-side silver box group until the homing ships close-in on you. Then fire and chase as many as you can.
6. Do not consider a silver or large box group eliminated unless you flew straight through the center with time for 1-2 split-second jerks inside it.
7. The enemy formations are a set order. A new formation does not appear until the last ship of a previous formation is destroyed. Therefore the faster you finish off a full formation, the more enemies you get to kill. You can let loose ships linger as long as the loose ship is destroyed the same time the last enemy of that formation appears on-screen...and is also destroyed.
8. If you are quick enough in killing formations, the red bubble-egg shot-absorbing fake powerups formation won't interfere with your 80,000 eyes bonus.
9. The red bubble-egg shot-absorbing fake powerups formation appears after the 2nd set of 2 black "stealth" ships. Hold your fire until the bubble-eggs (in faster white form) move to the bottom of the screen before killing.
10. If you lose front-3-way shot for longer than a second (meaning no immediate powerups nearby), start over If you lose 5-way and pass a group of boxes barely touched, start over. If you don't have 5-way setup for the 3 rolling blue/red balls with the field of boxes, start over.
Most important: 11. Enemy formation kill speed >>> going out of your way for single loose boxes.

(2 Minute Only)
A. The Boss: point-blank it and start just off center of the front laser. As the front cannon is blown off, suicide the boss. Time it so your death explosion kills the boss. (Mashing the speedup button is also an attack)
(5 Minute Only)
A. I'd be really surprised if you miss a Zeg (6 total) Max 80000
B. 2nd Boss: Remember you have back-cannons

Flight Plan: Find the balance between being in-position to kill the last enemy in each formation immediatly upon appearance while finding time to fly through every box group.



Soldier Blade

1. Max your speed. Play the formations first, stationary targets second.
2. After the second big mech: Hold your fire until the homing ships close-in on you. Then fire and chase as many as you can.
3. You get inside the snake, give an extra .5 seconds for it to rotate around you before destroying for your fifty-thou. It may look closed, but isn't quite closed right away. It's stingy like that.
4. The enemy formations are a set order. A new formation does not appear until the last ship of a previous formation is destroyed. Therefore the faster you finish off a full formation, the more enemies you get to kill. You can let loose ships linger as long as the loose ship is destroyed the same time the last enemy of that formation appears on-screen...and is also destroyed.
5. The Big Bonus Ball(s): Prepare to intercept the outside of the 4 smaller. Then work your way to the other side point-blanking all smaller balls along the way. 2 Balls. pick a side, work on one ball at a time. Start intercepting the outside smaller ball closest to side screen edge first. Work your way to the other side. Those remaining balls will get more screen time. After all smaller balls point-blank-intercepted, now reverse sides and point-blank the other big ball. Working again on point-blanking the 4 smaller from the outside side-edge of the screen moving inward.
6. Hovercraft Eyes: Have patience here. You have plenty of time to kill them simutaneously. Watch the pattern and rate to when they open to know when they die. If you're killing one quicker than the other, shift your fire to avoid that eye and quickly come back & recenter again. You'll have to learn to time how many split/seconds to avoid hitting the premature-opening eye before moving back to the center. Master this, as the stationary targets will mess up your shooting on the second Eye set. Remember, you have 2 back-cannons.
7. 8 Zegs - Left, Right, Right, Left | Right, Left, Right, Left
8. If you lose front-3-way shot for longer than a second (meaning no immediate powerups nearby), start over. If you lose 5-way and pass a group of stationary targets barely touched, start over. If you missed a X0000 Bonus, start over.
9. Boss:
Away: Center->Left->Center->Right->Center->Switch (up/down) = Hang back. let your front 3-way shoot in front of both boss-hands without hitting them. Copy boss movements exactly. Milk all purple shots without leaving position. Ensure upon moving to the right and left side your diagonal shot does not leave the screen early. Your shot must graze in front of the boss's arm without touching it but your shooting still passes betweent the purple shot path and the screen edge.
Close: Center->Left->Center->Right->Center->Switch (down/up) = Copy boss movements exactly. The boss always fires random-directed purple shots in bursts. Learn the exact split second the burst ends after every movement (the last purple shot touches your shots) and hold your fire. Resume when you know the boss fires again. Repeat until he moves back up.
(2 Minute Only)
Boss: After two full times the boss has done its pattern when close to you, upon the third time it comes close let your shots fire continuously. When one arm is destroyed, immediatly point-blank the other arm. After both arms destroyed while now point-blanking the center, use your timing to suicide the boss...enter the dead center of it and make sure your fire is still intercepting the purple shots. If your boss-arm hitting pace is correct and your suicide timing is right, you'll kill the boss at the very last second.
(5 Minute Only)
1st Boss: Repeat the regular boss pattern as long as you can hold it. The second one arm explodes, the boss is no longer profitable. Point-blank the other arm and the middle. 2 Minutes should be passed. (note: if you get really good at this, you may not have enough time to kill the second boss. You want to kill the second boss)

10, 2nd Boss: Point-blank it. The twin flames should go right under you. When the head shoots, move slightly right off-center and remember to dodge the obvious giant second center shot. The flame circle has more holes to slip through than you think. If you got real good at 1st boss milk, you can speedkill faster by suiciding to the boss center and having your back guns attack it also. Remember your speedup button attacks also.
Most important: 11. Enemy formation kill speed >>> going out of your way for single loose stationary targets.


Flight Plan: Memorize zegs first. 'How to trigger max values on X0000 bonuses second. Then, find the balance between being in-position to kill the last enemy in each formation immediately upon appearance while finding time to fly through every group of stationary targets. Your goal should be to milk the first boss till you're able to attack at full force and destroy the final boss at the very last second. (2min=1st boss) (5min=2nd boss)
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Ed Oscuro
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Post by Ed Oscuro »

One thing I don't understand is why/how the first boss (in either mode) should be milked. So far in 2min mode I have tried to destroy it ASAP. Leaving 18-21 seconds on the timer lets me take on a few more patterns and a Zeg afterwards.
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Post by lgb »

Ed Oscuro wrote:One thing I don't understand is why/how the first boss (in either mode) should be milked. So far in 2min mode I have tried to destroy it ASAP. Leaving 18-21 seconds on the timer lets me take on a few more patterns and a Zeg afterwards.
Bunch o' points. I personally don't bother myself. Today I'm going to see what this is all about.
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Ed Oscuro
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Post by Ed Oscuro »

hey gang

restart if you don't have 80K points by the homing black enemies near the game start (they appear right after the two large spread firing mechs)

I only got 70K there on my latest run :oops:
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