How do you play shumps?

[HeLGeN-X]

Sorry if this has been asked before, and I know the topic makes it seem like "how do you play a shooting game!?" which makes you come in, heh, but...

I was just wondering how each of you play shmup games? Like what's your goals, how should you beat each stage ETC ETC.

Me, I try to use one credit throughout the whole game, for instance with Giga Wing, I try and never use the bomb unless I'm really going to die, in GW I also try and not use the reflect as much if I'm doing two player mode.

So my main goal is pretty much to try to not use bombs, and use one token.

[GaijinPunch]

Reflect in GW is used for scoring though... you should use it. I try to do as well as I can as long as i can, but I'm not afraid to bomb in my old age.

[shoe-sama]

I try to play shmups that have play mechanics that let you get hit a lot (autoshield, overly generous extends, health etc.), because I suck. >_> And I try to clear them by abusing these mechanics that make everything 100 times easier.

So like, yeah, I avoid the more mainstream ones like the plague.

[HeLGeN-X]

Okay, my new goal right now is to try and beat Mushihime-Sama on Maniac mode without dying (at least on each stage, I don't kow about straight through,) while using my Hori Real Arcade Pro arcade stick...

[Ed Oscuro]

Goals:

Only use bombs in very tight situations (I play a lot of Toaplan, so keeping bombs makes for bonus)

Try to kill everything

Pick up all the bonuses

Restart upon dying (unless I'm close to a new highscore - maybe I shouldn't do this and learn to make better comebacks, heh)

If there are bonuses for keeping a weapon, try to use it to get as many points as possible (I always play arcade Fire Shark's first stage in order to get as many points as possible, with the exception of the blue powerup before the boss - I like the flamethrower better for that fight, although I've done it the other way as well).

Of course, I'm not really that good so these are more lofty goals than anything else. I say it doesn't hurt to do it the right way every time, though. I occasionally mix things up to expand my knowledge of the game, though.

[MovingTarget]

Depends on the game, if its hard I work on survival first before score.

I normally use 2 or 3 credits, that way I'm still learning the early stages quickly, while preparing myself for the later stages I cant get to yet on 1 credit.

I save bombs if its a big plus for score, like in ddp. I'm not very good at using bombs for survival, something I need to work on.

I like fast ships. Hate slow ones.

[bullethell]

I make coffee, then if its first time I start play and replay Stage 1 for some hours to learn some basics, then I play until I die three times, always 1 Credit.Then its time for endless practice of Stages 2 and Stages 3.This is the Practice session and can last one week or two, I enjoyed it alot and I take notes and stuff.Im taking notes about every little possible detail that show my advance .Of course I play 1 Credits Go during heavy excausting practice days.Then I unlock Stages 4 and 5 and repeat.Always 1 credit and lots of practice.Until the day I let myself to see a superplay video of first stages then a whole new world appear...

I used to smoke while playing shmups, now I don't anymore

[Arvandor]

I just pick up and start playing through on one credit a bunch, bombing, no scoring, etc. After a while, as I become more comfortable with the first few stages, I'll start working on score mechanics a bit, while sticking with survival later on. I basically just proceed playing like that until I get a 1cc. If I start getting close to a 1cc, but can't QUITE manage, and hit a wall, sometimes I'll start using a continue or two for the sake of practicing certain late-game sections (like the final 4 bosses in Mars Matrix at the end of stage 6... Specifically the first of those 4 bosses =P What a bastard).

[szycag]

Personally, I try to understand a game's concept first, then complaining about it.

[Pixel_Outlaw]

Hmmm most of the time I just try to survive and only care about scores after clearing the game.

I tend to keep my ship in motion even with no enemies present it keeps my tension level about right. If I relax too much and get confortable I loose my nerve.

[FRO]

I play with a controller.

On the serious side, it really depends on the game. If it's a game I really want to 1CC, I'll try for that. If it's one I'm simply practicing, my mood will vary from session to session, so some days I'll refuse to credit feed, other days I'm continuing until I'm out. It just depends on my mood and the game I'm playing that day.

[DJ Incompetent]

How do you play shumps?

"Laid back. With my mind on my money and my money on my mind"

[Iori Branford]

First pass is just getting to the ending on Normal, with at most six credits (eight for very long games) and maybe five lives if possible.

After that is when I start to put the pressure on: harder difficulty, one credit, or both.

[it290]

I very rarely continue at all. To this day I have not seen the final levels/bosses of several shooters I own. My skills would probably improve if i just practiced the levels that I usually die on, and possibly continued now and then, but I just prefer to do complete runs most of the time; that way when I do beat that game/boss I really feel like I earned it, and there are no spoilers.

[Ed Oscuro]

UPDATE:

I mainly play by dying, and then smashing objects around the house.

*puts another dent in another wall*

[Edge]

With a tow around my feet, hung upside down, like a bat. And my eyes shut just reacting to my TVs ultrasonic waves. hardcore

No, now seriously:
If I start playing a game at first I just try to play it for survival. A few rounds to get a hang of it. Then I note my best scores of these few runs and then try to top that score. And after I did, i try to top this new score and so on and so on... After a while I automatically start to wonder about how to increase my score in the first stages. Will probably go over to the strategy section and read more about the game to better my results. That's it. Oh, and mostly with one credit. But on certain hard parts I may use a continue to practise the later bosses or stages a bit. Might also end up practising certain stages or parts of it.