Pre-emptive bombing

[Motorherp]

With the exception of games were bombs are an essential part of the scoring mechanic I usualy find myself saving bombs only for use when I really need them. For example when I've fallen behind my usual pace or had a lapse in concentration and find myself trapped, or when I'm quick enough on the trigger to react to immediate danger. Thing is, with the exception of silly deaths, I often find there's points in the games where I usualy loose my lives more often than not if I'm going to loose them. So I started playing around with pre-emtive bombing. That is dropping bombs when I come up to these sections to avoid the bits I usualy struggle with, even if I'm not in immediate danger. When I do this I find myself doing consistently better but I've gotta admit that it make me feel a little dirty. So what's your opinion on pre-emtive bombing?

[FRO]

Bombs away. If it suits the game & it's a memorizer where you know you'll avoid certain death (based on bullet patterns or enemy formation) in certain situations, it's certainly a valid choice. If the game is designed with bombs, it's designed to allow you to use them, even if using them hinders scoring. If you're playing strictly for fun or can maximize your score in other ways, I say go for it.

[Shatterhand]

I've used this strategy many times... so yeah, it's valid IMO.

[Ganelon]

Always. It's the fastest way to a 1CC: know where your chances of dying are unacceptably high (despite many rounds of practice) and just bomb there every time. It's not a skillful tactic and it can avoided with further practice, but its a quick patch.

[Sonic R]

Bombs away. If it suits the game & it's a memorizer where you know you'll avoid certain death (based on bullet patterns or enemy formation) in certain situations, it's certainly a valid choice. If the game is designed with bombs, it's designed to allow you to use them, even if using them hinders scoring. If you're playing strictly for fun or can maximize your score in other ways, I say go for it.

I share these feelings too.^^

I use to have 'bomb pride' but it got me no where. I finally said fuck 'bomb pride' and it was bombs away.

They are put in the game and design for our use. It is only cheat when you increase the default amount of bombs.

Its all a learning process. Is better to use bombs to get further than is to use extra credit? Then there is that guy who will say "bombs are for pussy" he is the same guy who say credit is for pussy and extra life is for pussy. May as well play the game with out shooting

[sfried]

I feel this is the reason why Montain of Faith works to some extent: The fact that you can bomb as many times as you need provided you are at least skilled at dodging and weaving aspects, as to not gimp the game with you constantly go "I'll pass" for all bullet patterns.

And as others say, bombs are a good way for completing a game which requires alot of memorization.

[PFG 9000]

My biggest error in shooters is probably not bombing enough. I almost always save them for bosses, which is dumb because I'll likely die on the way there in the later levels. And which is worse: using a bomb at the risk of losing a score bonus, or losing a life because you didn't want to waste a bomb?

[Icarus]

May as well play the game with out shooting

Every Extend?

[Sonic R]

May as well play the game with out shooting

Every Extend?

I find great enjoyment in EEE(PSP)!
It feel more like suicide for big chains?

Can you even shoot?

(Q? is make cool games on the PSP)

[Leandro]

any truxton player will say that it's a valid strategy...

[shinsage]

I'd rather die with no bombs left than all of them.

[szycag]

Nicely put shinsage... I think that's my thought on the matter too.

[Davey]

Panic bombing all the way. If you want to complete a game, chances are you'll need all your bombs later in the game, so you have to learn how to get by without them in the early stages. I've found myself having to relearn patterns that I usually just bombed my way through to avoid getting late into the game with little or no bombs/ lives left.

Preemptive bombing will get you further on average, but eventually you'll hit a wall once your stock is depleted. Dying with full stock of bombs sucks, but getting to a final level or boss with no lives or bombs left is even worse.

I guess it depends on how generous the game is with bombs, though. Look at how many bombs DDP gives you compared to Gunbird 2, for instance. If you're not playing for score, you can bomb your way through a good chunk of DDP.

[Grant Windsor]

I know it's very un-macho of me and maybe attributed to my declining reflexes in my old age, but I'm apt to bomb the living hell out of anything and everything nowadays when I'm facing down one of the "bullet hell" style of shmups favored by companies like Cave and Takumi. Sure, I could study bullet patterns and nonsense like that (that's why I don't favor intellectual shmups like the R-Type and Image Fight series) all day long to get past certain obstacles without losing a life or dropping a bomb, but I'm not that darned patient anymore....I'd rather let some bombs fly and enjoy the carnage. Plus, it's noisy...and I like that.

- Grant

[shoe-sama]

I LIKE BOMBS

they compensate for my lack of skill

[Specineff]

May as well play the game with out shooting

DOT EATER!

[Ed Oscuro]

Voted "get me a shower," too much time with Toaplan will do that to ya.

That said, it's definitely legitimate. :)

[-Slayer-]

Sector C of Darius Gaiden- the part where 4 laser dudes come in and fire, I used to pre-emptively bomb, untill I got better at dodging them.

I find it's a good way to clear hard areas so you can stay intact to train for the even harder areas.

Especially so in that mother bitch that is Darius Gaiden, saving for panic bombing on the later bosses is almost necessary for someone of my meagre skill, however.

[Skyline]

[landshark]

I always bomb twice on the 3rd form of the last Strikers 1999 boss at full rank. Always. Just can't do that pattern.

I always bomb once on the 2nd form the 6th GB2 boss.

Etc etc... And then I keep stock for panic bombing as well. So I guess "both."

[Ayanami]

I have a ton of bomb pride and it has proven fatal many a time. I can't just bear to hit that damn bomb button. Unless I am blowing up background stuff in Raizing games for points.

[stuminator]

Panic bombing for me, although I still never bomb enough. I usually get too cocky, thinking there's enough space in a bullet maze for me to slip through, then I hit bomb a split second after running into a bullet.

[Gorecki]

Most of the time, when I start to think "ok, maybe I should break out the bombs now" I've already lost all my lives. I'm so stingy with them, always saving them for a bullet-rainy day.

[Andi]

Neon Light Illusion gets a bomb first thing, every time.

[Edge]

Depending on the game, but yeah, in most games I bomb quiet often. as preemptive attack on certain patterns of bosses or in situations when I stupidly forced myself into a corner. After bombing sections over and over I will probably try to get through that part without bombs, but if it is too dificult and I am not confident about me getting through that pattern I still will continue to avoid it with bombing.

Though this really depends on the game and situation I am currently in. When I am having a good score I am more likely to safe myself with bombs. And when my run is generelly messed up I can as well start playing more risky.

[No_not_like_Quake]

Go for it. Score is not usually my main goal in shmups unless they are super old.

[Pirate1019]

My first shmup was Ikaruga. That game doesn't have a 'bomb' function. Ikaruga broke me. I'll go through an entire credit of almost any game (Raizing games are the exception) without using a single bomb. When I first played Air Gallet, I didn't even notice it had a bomb button until my third credit.

[gameoverDude]

I'd rather die with no bombs left than all of them.

A bomb left in stock when you die is one wasted, generally. In some places, you need to "Smoke 'em if you got 'em". Twin Cobra is one such game, where sometimes you may want to let one (hell, maybe 2) drop on a boss to hasten its demise.

Exceptions would be Ibara and Garegga- where you're allowed to keep what you have and are given a little more. IIRC, the MAX bonus in DOJ isn't as much as in the original DDP.

I tend to fall prey to bomb pride sometimes.

[Carmen]

Bomb at first, then eventually you'll find out they are harder areas later on and try to conserve some of the earlier bombs, in which case you notice that the patterns you were skipping maybe weren't so hard after all. Then repeat the cycle.

Nothing wrong with bombing, I'd rather bomb then continue!

[sfried]

I'd say it's better to lose points than lives...at least for completion's sake.

But if you're aiming for score, it depends, since some games don't penalize you as much, while others do...(Only if you're a perfectionist would yo consider to try not to use any bombs.)