What determines your ship choice?

FatCobra · Post by **FatCobra** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 2:57 am

For those shmups that offer multiple ships to choose from, what is the most important factor that determines which ship you will use often. Do you go for pure firepower? Something fast and zippy? Ease of use? Or just simply because it looks cool.

Me, I tend to go for ease of use. The less I have to worry about manupliating my craft so I can use it effectively, the better chances I have of saying alive.

jp · Post by jp » Sat Jun 04, 2005 3:05 am

Really depends on the shmup.

In Batsugun, my best ship is Type B, because I can kill shit quickly.

But in Batsugun Special Version, I'm better with Jeeno for reasons I'm yet to understand.

And then in Souky, I get Mackeral, because... I just like it better.

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 3:09 am

If there's a girl pilot, I'll pick that one.

Until I get better and find a ship more suited to my play style... since female characters tend to be wide shooters, whereas I prefer linear shot ships for aggressive point-blank play.

FatCobra · Post by **FatCobra** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 3:12 am

iatneH wrote:If there's a girl pilot, I'll pick that one.

Until I get better and find a ship more suited to my play style... since female characters tend to be wide shooters, whereas I prefer linear shot ships for aggressive point-blank play.

Oops, I'll guess I'll add that option too.

Capt. Takehiko · Post by **Capt. Takehiko** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 3:17 am

I chose the "depends on the shmup" option because there are many shmups where the ship that you choose is purely cosmetic and you don't need to use a whole lot of strategy.

And then there are the games with obvious differences between the ships power/speed/defence etc. So it boils down to the series or game that I am playing and whether its the first time I'm playing or if its a game that I can 1cc.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 3:20 am

Typically the speediest. Can't stand slow ships. I like strategy, but there's a point where it becomes too methodical and with slow ships you can't weasel out of mistakes as easy.

FatCobra · Post by **FatCobra** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 3:29 am

Rob wrote:Typically the speediest. Can't stand slow ships. I like strategy, but there's a point where it becomes too methodical and with slow ships you can't weasel out of mistakes as easy.

It's good to be fast, but being too fast can harmful as well. I wonder how you deal with those tight bullet patterns where a slower ship might be more useful. On the other hand, being really fast allows you to grab powerups and goodies alot quicker and fly away from danger faster. It's a double-edged sword I guess.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 3:35 am

FatCobra wrote: It's good to be fast, but being too fast can harmful as well. I wonder how you deal with those tight bullet patterns where a slower ship might be more useful. On the other hand, being really fast allows you to grab powerups and goodies alot quicker and fly away from danger faster. It's a double-edged sword I guess.

Tapping for slow movements.

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 4:00 am

I guess I like the heavy fire power. I seem to get much further when I choose the big guns. In Souky and SNS2 it made a huge difference to how far I could get. And in Neo Zanac I've been enjoying using Fat Cobra. I assume this is the heavy shooter. In any case the power-ups for this ship carry some serious bang.

benstylus · Post by **benstylus** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 4:14 am

depends on the shmup.

For most shmups i choose firepower over speed, though there are a few exceptions. Any game with a million point items to collect I usually go for speed.

For Konami shmups I choose my favorite ship that comes with a ripple laser. I love the ripple laser.

Tomtom · Post by **Tomtom** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 4:54 am

I usually go for the firepower, and concentrated as much as possible. That's why I go for the A-L ship in DDP. I like the type A ship in Batsugun, though, just because of its "insane wall of bullets" style.

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 4:54 am

FatCobra wrote:
iatneH wrote:If there's a girl pilot, I'll pick that one.

Until I get better and find a ship more suited to my play style... since female characters tend to be wide shooters, whereas I prefer linear shot ships for aggressive point-blank play.
Oops, I'll guess I'll add that option too.

Adding the girl pilot or the shot type? :p

alpha5099 · Post by **alpha5099** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 6:12 am

I don't like fast ships. It's my main beef with Dangun Feveron, it's pretty much required to play on speed 4, which is just far too fast for me to be comfortable. I often use the slowest ships, the Type C or the fourth ship in Garegga. I don't always use the slowest ship though, I can never handle how slow Valpiro (the Russian robot, is that his name?) in GunBird 2. But then again, I've never really settled on a character in that game, I experiment, playing with everyone but Hei Cobb.

I'm a fan of homing shots, so Morrigan in GunBird 2 and Z-Dyne in Game Tengoku are favorites. Although I don't like Marion, especially in Sengoku Blade. Partially because everyone complained she was supercheap and made the game a cakewalk, but I've tried her, I don't like her. I'm a fan of Ayin, his charge shot is so fast, and his bomb is a boss killer.

I like coverage. All things being equal, I'll take the ship with a spread shot over the ship with a straight forward shot. I like to kill everything as fast as possible, and spread makes it easy to clear the screen of popcorn enemies quickly.

It really all depends, I like the variety, although games like Bakraid and Batrider intimidate me with their massive number of ships, there are too many to try them out quickly. 3 is a good number of selectable ships. 5 or 6 is alright, but it's pushing it. I'll try out all the ships, starting with whatever seems to fit my preference, like a slow ship with spread. If that doesn't strike my fancy, I'll try out some others, sometimes I find I end up being most comfortable with the speedy straight shooter.

Weapon selection obviously plays a role too. I use the second player side in Kyuukyoku Tiger II Plus, because I like the green weapon, the magnetically charged rail gun. I don't bother with changing player sides if there's no difference in weapons. I prefer the player two alternative to Beltiana, but it's silly to pull out a second controller just to play as her. Especially because I only have one good Saturn pad, so it's a whole to-do for nothing.

In a game like Gradius or Parodius, I've got a few criteria. I try to use characters that have a force field instead of shields (that's why I prefer Gradius II to Gradius I, I don't like using the shield), and I try to pick a character that can power-up quickly and efficiently, without sending the rank through the roof. That's why I love Ran in Chatting Parodius, he only needs about a half dozen options, once he's got the homing bells and the bouncing paw shots, he can do a lot, even at the lowest power levels.

IlMrm · Post by **IlMrm** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 6:25 am

iatneH wrote:If there's a girl pilot, I'll pick that one.

That's me. Whenever I play a new shooter, I always pick a girl pilot.

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 7:21 am

I like playing as the girl pilot in shooters too.

alpha5099 · Post by **alpha5099** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 7:31 am

Is it my imagination, or are there a disproportionately high number of female shmup pilots. I mean, relative to other video games, obviously there are more men than women. It seems like in most genres, it's very rare you find a female protagonist, but there seem to be a lot of shmups with women at the helm. Pulstar, MUSHA, Spriggan, Arrow Flash, Gley Lancer, some others I thought of that escape me now. It seems like when you have an anonymous spaceship destroying the alien menace, there's a higher than normal chance that the back story states it's a lady piloting.

cfalcon · Post by **cfalcon** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 8:26 am

I look for the ability that is totally different than the others, because that one is usually way worse (and you know it real fast) or way better than the other, more balanced abilities.

The Jp chick in Aerofighters stops time, whereas everyone else just drops bombs or shoots beams. That ability is super, allowing you to focus fire on sections of enemies or grab powerups while still clearing the screen. Also combos great with another player.

Gradius III I always went E-Laser (the only laser that defended you), R-Option (same), and Reduce (because not getting hit seems to be the name of the game).

Well, I'll admit, the fact that four options with E-laser sort of "stopped time" didn't hurt either.

So basically, I'm looking for the exploit.

If all ships are equal, I'm the player two ship.

And I have no earthly idea why.

Accutron · Post by **Accutron** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 2:21 pm

Shot type. I prefer a powerful straight shot.

sffan · Post by **sffan** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 2:33 pm

I have no consistent pattern of choosing. Usually the straight, concentrated shot because I like to know what I'm aiming at.

Sometimes I'll just choose the cute girl.

Sometimes I'll choose the smallest ship because it will seem like I can dodge more easily.

TVG · Post by **TVG** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 3:54 pm

depends.

usually the most effective tho, even if i tend to pick the girl/cool ship/whatever at first, my choice ends up being based on some gameplay factor like picking the ship that kicks ass rather than the one that sucks.

but in some cases i stick with a less poweerful ship, even if its a handicap, like the shinden in strikers 2 lately. but that game is special, i discovered i liked to play with all the ships in that one, save for the ugly pancake and the useless focke wulf.

in psyvariar, i pick the 2 player side, a red ship helps visibillity enormously in that game, seeing how everything is blue or alike.

the real question is: who picks type A or B in donpachi (and can get past stage 4)?

according to the scoreboard, none.

black mariah · Post by **black mariah** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 4:28 pm

Whichever one I have to think the least about. Typically this means whatever ship has the hitbox in the center or near it and has decent speed and firepower. If I have to work around the ship's limitations, I do no good.

Palmer Eldritch · Post by **Palmer Eldritch** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 4:31 pm

I´ll go for the coolest looking ship anytime, anygame.
I don´t have to worry about the performance of the individual ships, bacause basically...I rock

--Michael

dpful · Post by **dpful** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 5:15 pm

I always go with who has the straightest laser
Red ship in gigawing
blue ship in mars matrix
etc..

Diabollokus · Post by **Diabollokus** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 6:55 pm

I always go for the ship with full power to the gunners, longer I play the greater the chance the boss is going to hit me.

in soukyugurentai i'm always the swordfish but its balance type yeah?

Think a fast ship with no armour and powerful weps would be my preference bit like agility attack cross in panzer dragoon saga dragon morphing.

speed really is important to me silvergun pissed me off with ship speed but i forgave it as i got better.

Andi · Post by **Andi** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 4:23 pm

I try to pick the ship that I don't think anyone else would play. I'm just striving to be an individual.

Post by **Shatterhand** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 4:39 pm

alpha5099 wrote:Is it my imagination, or are there a disproportionately high number of female shmup pilots. I mean, relative to other video games, obviously there are more men than women. It seems like in most genres, it's very rare you find a female protagonist, but there seem to be a lot of shmups with women at the helm. Pulstar, MUSHA, Spriggan, Arrow Flash, Gley Lancer, some others I thought of that escape me now. It seems like when you have an anonymous spaceship destroying the alien menace, there's a higher than normal chance that the back story states it's a lady piloting.

Someone once said this happens because women are smaller, so they fit in the cockpit better

The Bullet Dodger · Post by **The Bullet Dodger** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 10:02 pm

Firepower. Speed is 2nd (especially with manic shmups).

But it really depends on what shmup I'm playing.

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What determines your ship choice?

The main reason I favor one ship over another is....

What determines your ship choice?