Hi Scores

[Tigershark]

Can we have a hi score thread for the non elitists please? I can't compete with some of those scores for three main reasons:

1. I have a life;
2. I work;
3. I have children.

So I think we should have the mediocre/non-elisist high score thread.

What do you think?

TS.

[Ed Oscuro]

Just post a better score than me and you're all set ;)

Many games also have unlimited length hiscore lists...

p.s. troll thread ain't it. forseeing a massive rise in popularity as soon as this gets linked in IRC :(

[Frederik]

What about those who are on top of such a list? Should they be forced to move on to the "Top players" list?

And what´s with the internet that people always suspect other people who do remarkably good at something have "no life"?

On a more serious note, one of the main thing when trying to play for score is accepting that there is ALWAYS somebody who is better than you. I usually just try to beat my old scores and don´t really care for comparing them with others. There seem to be quite a lot of people who ruined the potential fun in playing shmups by getting frustrated and bitter. Just do what you enjoy most with these games.

[Tigershark]

@ 2nd poster. You lost me.

@3 poster - it's not a personal comment.

[gavin19]

Go ahead and make one then. Prepare yourself for some resistance though. Alternatively, you could target less popular games to improve your chance of getting a decent place on the scoreboard, thus mitigating the effects of 1,2+3.

[Bloodreign]

These guys pride themselves on getting good at shooters, I'm not great at many, doesn't stop me from posting my scores up regardless if it makes me look bad or not, just makes me aim for a higher score next round so eventually I can catch and pass anyone else I can.

[Ed Oscuro]

@ 2nd poster. You lost me.

Were you known as Sonic R in a previous life by any chance? You needlessly insulted pretty much everybody here because you thought being near the bottom of a hi-score list on the internet would bring eternal shame (which it doesn't, as I can attest).

[Tigershark]

Blimey.

I just thought about a second divisionll. We can't all be Champions' League.

[Tigershark]

@ 2nd poster. You lost me.

Were you known as Sonic R in a previous life by any chance? You needlessly insulted pretty much everybody here because you thought being near the bottom of a hi-score list on the internet would bring eternal shame (which it doesn't, as I can attest).

Certainly not. If I've offended anyone then sorry. Check over my posts, you'll see I'm not like that.

[Frederik]

Alternatively, you could target less popular games to improve your chance of getting a decent place on the scoreboard, thus mitigating the effects of 1,2+3.

I think he should play the games he likes playing the most and enjoys playing for score; choosing the games depending on how many people achive what scores seems a bit weird to me; it reminds me of the advice regarding 1ccs to pick really really easy games (nevermind their quality and fun) just so you can have instant gratification.

Comparing my own scores to others in a competetive environment killed Nanostray 2 for me (though I don´t think I´d still play it by now either way). I also got a bit bitter when I couldn´t beat my Batrider score even after weeks and weeks. Again, my stance is to do what you enjoy and use scores to have an indicator of your growing learning progress. I mean, the Danmaku Gata blog got closed down forever because that guy burnt himself out on shmups and "constant restarting". And honestly, I have enough competition in real life (illustration student) and I don´t feel like having this in my spare time entertainment too.

I´m not putting down serious effort in shmups and other videogames, if working out things like rank mechanics in Garegga or chaining routes in DDP is fun for people. But I think that when your feeling for a game turn from excitement and joy to bitterness and frustration you´re overdoing it, and sometimes that line is crossed without noticing it at first.

This being said, maybe making an "entry league" scoreboard doesn´t sound that far off to me. I mean, in sports beginners don´t compare themselves to the world pros either.

[Tigershark]

Well, I bought a Saturn recently for Battle Garegga. I love this game but after about 2 months of erratic playing I've managed to get 1.5 milion on reaching the fourth stage on 1 credit (just)!

[BulletMagnet]

As a certifiably mediocre (at best) scorer myself, I've never found much need to bother with "elite" and "everyone else" threads for a particular game...in most cases, the thread creators don't limit the amount of scores they'll list, so there's no reason to fear being excluded. The few threads that do limit the spots are often shmups with a lot of different characters/craft to use, with different scoring possibilities that require separate tables - even in those cases, only the more popular crafts' slots tend to be very crowded, so if you want to appear, try using a less-popular one.

Then again, if your problem is that you'd just rather not be ranked so low compared to everyone else, methinks you're just taking the HS threads a bit too seriously. As you say, you're not a "pro" shmupper and have lots of other stuff to do besides practicing - believe me, you're not the only one on here by a long shot. People understand this - nobody's mocking your low scores, are they? (If they are, report it to a mod, they shouldn't be.) If anything, people tend to complain that too few people are willing to participate in the HS threads - whether they're top scorers or not is hardly an issue, if at all. So just post what you've got - even if you're at rock bottom for every table, it shouldn't matter at all, to either you or anyone else. There are players of every skill level (or lack thereof) on here, and nobody should feel excluded - offhand, you're the first one I can recall who's ever made a request like this. In any event, if you're still unsatisfied, then just keep track of your scores yourself and don't post them here, if you're that self-conscious about them - hopefully, though, you'll just relax and have some fun along with the rest of us.

[Tigershark]

Well put. I can't argue with that!

I would say this though ( and I quote):

"If anything, people tend to complain that too few people are willing to participate in the HS threads - whether they're top scorers or not is hardly an issue, if at all."

Perhaps it is? Perhaps people don't post because of the very reason I made this thread?

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

Think about it this way. Even if there was a section just for us losers, if there are enough losers, some losers won't make it.

To put it in another way. If you take a big enough shit, there's always shit that won't float to the top.

Why don't you try hard!?

[Ed Oscuro]

Indeed...making "elite" and "everybody else" threads will bring about the very division the OP apparently wants to avoid, and new people will get the impression that Shmups segregates* its userbase...bad idea!

*we do actually, but that's IRC Illuminati vs. Everybody Else

[Frederik]

Whenever I play Garegga I just play for survival on the Type 2 version that has soft rank. At first I had the nagging feeling that I´m "not doing it right" by choosing the either fixed or dumbed down version (depending on who you´re talking to), but then I wondered how lame it is to let others tell me how I am supposed to play my videogames.

I mean, check out Super Smash Brothers fanatics. Those people take their Nintendo-themed fighting game so seriously that they banned the overwhelming majority of the stages and talk endlessly about how this and that character is overpowered and unbalanced.
http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/Tourneyfag

[Tigershark]

Well that's life.

I know. Let's ban sports days!

Ok that was cheap. Perhaps you're all right. I've no desire to piss people off. It was just a thought.

[Tigershark]

Whenever I play Garegga I just play for survival on the Type 2 version with soft rank. At first I had the nagging feeling that I´m "not doing it right" by choosing the either fixed or dumbed down version (depending on who you´re talking to), but then I wondered how lame it is to let others tell me how I am supposed to play my videogames.

Now you have lost me. Are you referring to the PCB? I don't understand the terminology. I just play tated on the Saturn and use orange bullets and normally either the third or fourth ship (I get the best score from the fourth ship). Other than that, everything is on default.

[Frederik]

Whenever I play Garegga I just play for survival on the Type 2 version with soft rank. At first I had the nagging feeling that I´m "not doing it right" by choosing the either fixed or dumbed down version (depending on who you´re talking to), but then I wondered how lame it is to let others tell me how I am supposed to play my videogames.

Now you have lost me. Are you referring to the PCB? I don't understand the terminology. I just play tated on the Saturn and use orange bullets and normally either the third or fourth ship (I get the best score from the fourth ship). Other than that, everything is on default.

Yeah, I´m referring to the arcade version. There are several versions, one of them Version 2, which has a much tamer rank system that doesn´t require powerup avoidance and suiciding (but also doesn´t have extends as a tradeoff). So obviously scores achieved in that version can´t be compared to the original Japan version, which is the one most people are referring to. The crucial trademark Garegga elements that fans of the game like are absent in the Version 2 PCBs, but I think for people like me who don´t want to learn the rank mechanics and just want to enjoy this title as a "regular" shooter with simpler gameplay it´s a nice alternative.

(The Saturn version has the original hard rank system)

But enough of that Garegga talk, this rank discussion has been done to death multiple times and it´s always opening a huge can of worms, I just wanted to make my point that there are no set rules on how you should be enjoying games.

[Ed Oscuro]

Now you have lost me. Are you referring to the PCB? I don't understand the terminology. I just play tated on the Saturn and use orange bullets and normally either the third or fourth ship (I get the best score from the fourth ship). Other than that, everything is on default.

Well, now here's something to discuss...in the various hiscores threads you have to follow the instructions to get on the list.

So for Garegga, the big red bullets option isn't allowed...of course you could always petition to get a separate thread for people who use that option, and if enough people feel the same way you can do it.

With few exceptions (maybe Armed Police Batrider?) there aren't limits on the number of entrants in the various hiscore lists, but they do want everybody to be playing on a level field...

[Bloodreign]

Hey I posted I wanted a Gradius 2 PCE hi score board, and you know what, someone made it happen.

[Tigershark]

Doesn't that justify my topic then?

[CIT]

Whenever I play Garegga I just play for survival on the Type 2 version that has soft rank. At first I had the nagging feeling that I´m "not doing it right" by choosing the either fixed or dumbed down version (depending on who you´re talking to), but then I wondered how lame it is to let others tell me how I am supposed to play my videogames.

You could also argue it's lame to ignore people's advice, when they are right about something.

[Ed Oscuro]

Doesn't that justify my topic then?

What was your question again? There's a difference between a score board with different settings, and a score board for "people who have an inferiority complex"

[jpj]

hey tigershark,

basically i think what happens is that there are actually many users who view the score tables the same way you do, in that they don't want to post a score and be last, and mocked for a low score.

and for what it's worth, i've never myself seen anyone get mocked because they have a low score, ever. in fact doing so would be pretty shameful, i think.

so then the only people that DO post scores are the ones who are quite confident with their scores, and the tables end up becoming quite lop-sided, with lots of high-end scores, and very few low scores.

i have posted a score for pretty much every shmup i've played, regardless of how low it puts me on a table. i just wish more people weren't so "i wont post a score until i'm in the top 10" sorta mentality so don't worry about the second division, just post up some scores mate

i understand exactly what you meant, and i don't think you were offending anyone

[Zebra Airforce]

It's not that I want to be in the top 10, just in the top 50%

Certainly not. If I've offended anyone then sorry. Check over my posts, you'll see I'm not like that.

What did you expect? In the op you suggest that anyone with a high score is an elitist who doesn't have a social life (true in my case, but I'm hardly a high scorer).

[P_HAT]

Can we have a hi score thread for the non elitists please? I can't compete with some of those scores for three main reasons:

1. I have a life;
2. I work;
3. I have children.

So I think we should have the mediocre/non-elisist high score thread.

What do you think?

TS.

There is are many people, who have 1, 2, 3 and more. And they still in top 3.
So, it's just you.

Btw, you can play caravan games. Only 10-50 min in day, for few weeks and you become a true master

[ED-057]

You should post in a hi score thread when you're satisfied with the amount of effort you put into the game, regardless of what other scores are already on the chart. If you only played a game for 20min and got a crap score then don't post, but if you fine-tuned your playing to the limit then feel free.

[Ed Oscuro]

Btw, you can play caravan games. Only 10-50 min in day, for few weeks and you become a true master :D

Shh, Luciole keeps his secrets under his hat.

[...] if you fine-tuned your playing to the limit then feel free.

Good advice here.

[ReKleSS]

You have two options: shoot for the top or find smaller hi score lists (IRC or the occasional tournaments). High score lists are for recognition, if you're not near the top nobody really cares (other than the people in the next few slots below you).