Old School Maniax Tournament 2007 - Week #1

RotateMe · Post by **RotateMe** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:31 pm

The Coop wrote:Did someone say TF IV?

So what about the 99 lives "trick" in TF IV? If you put the lives at "0" in the US version (Lightening Force), you get 99 lives. That's a big boost to an end score. Is this allowed, or should everyone put their lives at "1" in the options screen and go from there?

Ahm isn't the rule to put the lifes to one and not 0? I think this game is fine but I will have even less time to get into a completely unknown (to me) shmup.

it290 · Post by **it290** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:41 pm

TFIV is fine with me, but couldn't we just be honorable gents and play Eliminate Down without milking the bosses? I'd never played the game before, but it seems like a damn fine one to me... not that TFIV isn't. Anyway, I'll get cracking on TFIV, but since we're doing all old school games and this situation may come up again, I say the participants make an agreement not to use any cheapo tactics.

shoe-sama · Post by **shoe-sama** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 3:01 pm

Well tbh, it wouldn't really be that hard figuring out which scores came from milking in ED, rofl. Maybe if we got rid of insanely high scores it'd be fine. Then there wouldn't be the problem of survival based on massive amounts of extends.

But to prevent massive amounts of confusion, we prolly shouldn't be switching back right away. Maybe put it in a later week (of course, knowing the game would change some things, but meh)

Oh and edit the first post.

Oh yeah, and what happens to the people who looked at this topic once and aren't checking up on it. They're screwed, lol.

Edge · Post by **Edge** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 3:50 pm

The Coop wrote: So what about the 99 lives "trick" in TF IV? If you put the lives at "0" in the US version (Lightening Force), you get 99 lives. That's a big boost to an end score. Is this allowed, or should everyone put their lives at "1" in the options screen and go from there?

I'd like to do that but I can't change the stock to "1". I can either put it to "0", "2", "3","4" and "5". But no "1"... I have tried the Japanese, US and European version already.

Have tried to play with 2 lifes so far to avoid that 0 life bug, but I don't want to break the rules so I thought I'd better ask again...

it290 wrote:TFIV is fine with me, but couldn't we just be honorable gents and play Eliminate Down without milking the bosses?

I am still against Eliminate Down and games which can be milked to this extend. The problem with beeing honorable gents is, we all have to fight the bosses and regarding to the time we need to defeat them we'll earn more or less points. I don't like this concept of "don't be too mean" as a rule, as what is just and what not is subjective. Maybe one will let the boss loop 4 times in his movement which could still count as regular boss milking. Another guy will speedkill the bosses and someone else doing maybe 8 rounds of milking. Another guy maybe needs 5 loops to kill the boss, because he had trouble to hit him. I don't like that there can't be a strict definition what is cheating and what not, therefore I'd say please don't use this game again.

it290, you may still try ED after this compo is over.

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 3:58 pm

Edge wrote:I'd like to do that but I can't change the stock to "1". I can either put it to "0", "2", "3","4" and "5". But no "1"... I have tried the Japanese, US and European version already.

The Japanese one doesn't give you 99 lives if you set lives to 0, iirc.

Ozymandiaz1260 · Post by **Ozymandiaz1260** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 4:01 pm

How the hell do I get to the options menu? When I run the game, the title screen comes up and all it says is 'press start', no options. If I press start, it just goes right into the game.

RotateMe · Post by **RotateMe** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 4:04 pm

Okay I'm stupid but how DO I change options in this game? The versions I tried were all trained. Before I press start there's nothing but an intro and after pressing start I could only select my stage order and that's it

Edge · Post by **Edge** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 4:06 pm

Ozymandiaz1260 wrote:How the hell do I get to the options menu? When I run the game, the title screen comes up and all it says is 'press start', no options. If I press start, it just goes right into the game.

Hold C button down and then press start. Pretty neat interface design, eh?

Ozymandiaz1260 · Post by **Ozymandiaz1260** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 4:15 pm

Hmm, I can't pick one life either, and picking zero gives me ninety-nine. Maybe the rules should be changed to two lives?

Nemo · Post by **Nemo** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 4:37 pm

I suppose I should have been clearer about TFIV, you don't set the ship stock to 1, you just stop after you lose your first life.

it290 wrote:TFIV is fine with me, but couldn't we just be honorable gents and play Eliminate Down without milking the bosses? I'd never played the game before, but it seems like a damn fine one to me... not that TFIV isn't. Anyway, I'll get cracking on TFIV, but since we're doing all old school games and this situation may come up again, I say the participants make an agreement not to use any cheapo tactics.

I realized it was possible to milk bosses in ED, but I guess I was too naive to believe people would take it to level they did since the "safespot" situation Edge presented seems to be exclusive to the emu. The problem with the possibility of milking is that it's too hard to govern as some people may just take longer to kill bosses than other players.

Apologies to those who already started playing ED and this play week will be extended one day.

RotateMe · Post by **RotateMe** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 4:38 pm

If you don't own the original game you could as well pick up the J version of this game. Well I managed to set the difficulty to manic and

WARNING! A BIG WAVE OF FRUSTRATION IS APPROACHING!

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:03 pm

72.610

WoooT! I toopped the Highscore!!

(course: strite-ruin)

P.S. Maniac sure has lot of slowdown...

Ozymandiaz1260 · Post by **Ozymandiaz1260** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:06 pm

This game is much more enjoyable than Eliminate Down.

Edge · Post by **Edge** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:06 pm

Nemo wrote:I suppose I should have been clearer about TFIV, you don't set the ship stock to 1, you just stop after you lose your first life.

Ahh, I see. I thought I could rely on some extends in the game.
This is going to be pretty difficult, let's see how far I can get...

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:10 pm

Nemo wrote:I suppose I should have been clearer about TFIV, you don't set the ship stock to 1, you just stop after you lose your first life.

Ops, my score doesn't count then? I set ships to 0, but gained two more in Strite...

Ozymandiaz1260 · Post by **Ozymandiaz1260** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:14 pm

Turrican wrote:72.610

Damn, my best so far is like 12,000. This is hard with only one ship.

Turrican wrote:P.S. Maniac sure has lot of slowdown...

Not if it's in an emulator

Edge · Post by **Edge** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:24 pm

Whew, that's pretty frustrating.

I understand you want to increase the challenge to be more difficult than just clearing the game on maniac mode. But still the game itself, when played for score, motivates the player to keep his lifes for the end of game bonus. So the top players still want to finish the game with one life. But since the playing field is very varied how about we keep the initial 3 lifes in stock or 2 or something alike. It's just an idea and I might be wrong, but I think it might be more enjoyable for the majority of participants this way.

EDIT:
@Ozymandiaz1260:
Usually an emulator emulates the slowdown as well, maybe you changed these settings? Usually I can't notice any difference playing a game on console or on an (good) emulator. But please don't start an discussion about "OMG PERFECT EMULATION IZ THE NOEZ!!!111". I just meant that the results can be pretty well compared, that's why on highscore tables here, scores on emu are listed together with the real thing.

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:30 pm

Edge wrote:Whew, that's pretty frustrating.

I understand you want to increase the challenge to be more difficult than just clearing the game on maniac mode. But still the game itself, when played for score, motivates the player to keep his lifes for the end of game bonus. So the top players still want to finish the game with one life. But since the playing field is very varied how about we keep the initial 3 lifes in stock or 2 or something alike. It's just an idea and I might be wrong, but I think it might be more enjoyable for the majority of participants this way.

I agree. Let's keep the default stock or at least allow to get 1ups and extends... I'd like to see some more stage in maniac mode. With these rules, I don't stand a chance.

Ozymandiaz1260 · Post by **Ozymandiaz1260** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:34 pm

I like it with only one ship

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:42 pm

Ozymandiaz1260 wrote:I like it with only one ship

One ship is cool also, what I dislike is to have to have to quikly pause when I lose it to write down the score, unpause and die the other lives I've gained, and then restart...

It slows down the playthrough... imho, that is. Let's hear more from Nemo of course.

@Edge: are you sure you tried the Jpn rev? Mine doesn't have the 99 bug.

Edge · Post by **Edge** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:46 pm

Turrican wrote: @Edge: are you sure you tried the Jpn rev? Mine doesn't have the 99 bug.

I am playing the Jpn rev, but I meant I have been trying all the versions to look for the "1" ship option. And we can't offcourse play "0", if some versions have a bug in it. As some here probably own the US cartridge and probably want to use it.

Ozymandiaz1260 · Post by **Ozymandiaz1260** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:49 pm

Edge wrote: EDIT:
@Ozymandiaz1260:
Usually an emulator emulates the slowdown as well, maybe you changed these settings? Usually I can't notice any difference playing a game on console or on an (good) emulator. But please don't start an discussion about "OMG PERFECT EMULATION IZ THE NOEZ!!!111". I just meant that the results can be pretty well compared, that's why on highscore tables here, scores on emu are listed together with the real thing.

I'm using Gens and I haven't messed with any of the setting except doubling the resolution. Do you know of any better emus?

RotateMe · Post by **RotateMe** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:54 pm

Since I won't get further then stage 2 in this week, which ones would you suggest? The only one I could get pretty much through was desert but it was still no piece of cake and I could only do it with one extend I got...

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 6:02 pm

Edge wrote:
Turrican wrote: @Edge: are you sure you tried the Jpn rev? Mine doesn't have the 99 bug.
I am playing the Jpn rev, but I meant I have been trying all the versions to look for the "1" ship option. And we can't offcourse play "0", if some versions have a bug in it. As some here probably own the US cartridge and probably want to use it.

Oh, yes - that makes perfectly sense ^_^

The Coop · Post by **The Coop** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:42 pm

I like the idea of leaving the lives at the default number, and only changing the difficulty setting. My main concern is that for Lightening Force players, having the 99 lives "trick" active makes for a huge boost in score (like, 600-plus thousand) at the end. As such, I wanted to see if there was a default setting we should all use, regardless of the version.

And yeah, I forgot that TF IV doesn't have a "1" setting in the options. My bad.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:58 pm

Ozymandiaz1260 wrote: I spent like four hours yesterday trying to get good at Eliminate Down

Yeah, Nemo, get it right the first time.

Edge · Post by **Edge** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 8:16 pm

Ozymandiaz1260 wrote: I'm using Gens and I haven't messed with any of the setting except doubling the resolution. Do you know of any better emus?

Gens and is variations are known to be very good for Mega Drive emulation. I am using Gens+, but they are all pretty alike. If you are not satisfied maybe try a newer version... ?

Sonic R · Post by **Sonic R** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 9:04 pm

So we are playing TFIV now instead of ED, correct? OK I am on it.

(My controller for PC sux was waiting for Sat to borrow an ED cart but no biggie I already have Lightening Force so I'll be on it. Gonna go play now!)

shoe-sama · Post by **shoe-sama** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 11:47 pm

I realized it was possible to milk bosses in ED, but I guess I was too naive to believe people would take it to level they did since the "safespot" situation Edge presented seems to be exclusive to the emu. The problem with the possibility of milking is that it's too hard to govern as some people may just take longer to kill bosses than other players.

Apologies to those who already started playing ED and this play week will be extended one day.

Actually it becomes a safespot as soon as you destroy all those top guns.

And even if it isn't, there's still the 4th boss. Just wanna make that clear.

shoe-sama · Post by **shoe-sama** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 12:25 am

Can't seem to run Thunder Force without slowdown. Any suggestions?