The purpose of score.

[sethsez]

I hear people talk about how they enjoy games with score, but what is the point of it? Obviously opinions differ on this, so I'll break down how I see it.

First, there's score that just exists in the background and is never particularly important. Mega Man is a good example of this... did anyone miss the score when it was removed for Mega Man II? Not realy, because nobody plays Mega Man for score. The score exists purely as an indicator of how well you're doing, but it's not a goal in any sense.

The second type of score is a goal, but it doesn't change how the game is actually played. Nobody plays Galaga to get to the end (after all, there isn't one), they play to get a high score. However, with or without score, the game would be played the same way. The score once again is a measure of how well you play, rather than defining how you play.

The third type (and the one that tends to be the most dividing) is score that determines how the game is played. For example, playing DoDonPachi for score is a different experience than playing for survival. The same goes for Psyvariar and Ikaruga... without the score, these games would play differently. Rather than being a measure of how a gamer naturally plays a game, it dictates rules of the game which would not otherwise exist.

Which is your prefered style of score? Do you think there's a "right" approach, or does it depend on the game? Do any of these styles annoy or bore you?

[BulletMagnet]

I can enjoy most any "scoring style" as long as it's well done. I like Space Megaforce a lot even though a higher score generally just means you've gotten farther, while at the same time I also like DoDonPachi, wherein score truly separates the experts from those who are good, but only good enough to finish the game without bothering with score. I do have hesitations about the Ikaruga/Psyvariar style though (although it doesn't completely turn me off to those games), since if you don't play for score in those games you're missing almost everything the game has to offer; you're pretty much forced to knuckle down and tackle the scoring system right off the bat, since the game isn't nearly as enjoyable without it (imho), and there's really no "in between" way to play it as you learn, you're either doing it "right" or you're not. Others disagree with me on that, though, so it's pretty much personal preference on my part for that last bit.

[Andi]

Score makes games competitive. When you have a system for comparing yourself to other players, it is impossible not to.

[sethsez]

Well, yes, but that's not really what I was getting at. I guess the basic question is whether a high score should be the ultimate goal, or if it should just be a measure of how well you're playing. You can get a high score in Galaga without thinking about the score, but you can't in Psyvariar. One's just a ranking after all is said and done, the other is an integral part of the game.

[TWITCHDOCTOR]

I would rather beat the whole game (1CC), rather than have a high score for it.
I'm sure some can beat my scores in DoDonPachi at the 4th stage...but I'm happy just making it to the end.

Maybe after I've mastered the game, then I'll focus on scoring.
Some games you can earn 1UPS with certain scoring criteria, so in that case, score will help. But no, its not my ultimate goal in game playing.

Even "old school" type games like Defender, I never played for score...it was to see how long I could last, and what "Attack Wave" I could reach.
Still, its cool to have your initial up there in the top ten players...especially if you're number 1!

[BulletMagnet]

I guess the basic question is whether a high score should be the ultimate goal, or if it should just be a measure of how well you're playing.

This sort of translates (if I read it right) to "Should all games have 'scoring systems' or not?" since if a game has one then the score will be the "ultimate goal" for it, and if it doesn't, then it's a "measure of how far you got." There's not a heck of a lot of in-between, since what the score "means" to a game is pretty much entirely dependent on the setup of the game itself. And again, I say there's room for both types of games, as I enjoy playing both, and most others do too, to some extent or another.

[Specineff]

Score =Gaming pen#s.

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

Yeah, game score measures how long your gaming pen1s is. That is why every kinda game has some sort of "score." Think about it. Even RPG's have a score system. What did you think status screens, levels, number of hours played, etc do?

They measure how long your gaming pen1s is.

[captain ahar]

Even RPG's have a score system. What did you think status screens, levels, number of hours played, etc do?
They measure how long your gaming pen1s is.

then my brother's girlfriend has the largest pen1s i have ever seen. she's named it Final Fantasy.

[TWITCHDOCTOR]

Seriously here...you geeks need to separate your penis from your gaming.
Not unless of course you're playing some Hentia...
or shooter wise, "Soak you in Gay hentai". (Yea, thats my "make fun of" a certain Raizing horzie vert/published by Electronic Arts)

[sven666]

i actualy prefer games that force you to play for score (read raizing), sure theyre alot harder to get into but i think alot more fun in the long run..

i totally dislike DDP DOJs scoring system.. its possible to 1CC the damn thing and still get a lower score than a skilled player gets on the first stage.. also the 1UP system is totally whack for a game like that where there is no rank..

scoring wise (and otherwise btw) caves best games are esprade (in spite of a few milking flaws) and ESP galuda imo..

[TVG]

also the 1UP system is totally whack for a game like that where there is no rank..

what?

typo or something?

[captain ahar]

also the 1UP system is totally whack for a game like that where there is no rank..

what?
typo or something?

no, i think he is just wrong...

[alpha5099]

This is the comp out answer, but it really depends. I can't get behind games like Ikaruga or Psyvariar that really require you to learn the scoring system to play them. I don't mind DoDonPachi, because even if the experiences of playing for survival and playing for score are fairly distinct, both are viable ways to approach the game, and if you want you easily could ignore chaining and still do well in DDP. There's just no way to step away from the polarity in Ikaruga, it's so central to the game, it can't be played without it. I can say fuck it to chaining, but I still have to be aware of so many of the things that I would be if I were bothering with chaining, it really just becomes pointless.

In short, I like a game where scoring isn't important, where it really is just a measurement of progress. I don't mind scoring gimmicks, but if they force me to completely overhaul how I approach shmups *cough*Garegga*cough* then no thanks.

[FatCobra]

It really depends on the game for me.

I like racing games with a proper time attack mode (i.e. no infinite laps, just three laps and recording the total time of all three), because a fast time is the racing equal of a shmup's high top score.

As for shmups, on verts, I tend to care more about score, but on horis, I tend to worry more about survival, especially if it's a Gradius game. This is why I enjoy playing the SNES Gradius III even though it doesn't save the high scores (which incidently, gives me the urge to put in silly initals like ASS and SEX and giggle like a little kid).

[8 1/2]

Let me lay it down for all of you.

Score is my mother and I am an abused child. She stands over me and watches me while I do my homework, which is playing these games. Trouble is that I'm thirty-six and I live at home. My homework is not from elementary school, but rather is from an online course I've signed up for. I want to be a vetrinarian. I train every day to become this. My mother says, "You've always had such potential, but you squander it with your weakness." She touches my shoulder as I start in on an assignment and I flinch, remembering that hand...

I want to get better. I want to get better FOR YOU MOTHER.

[Randorama]

Which is your prefered style of score? Do you think there's a "right" approach, or does it depend on the game? Do any of these styles annoy or bore you?

score-based games are an arcade approach, so you cough in more coins in order to improve your score. I grew up in arcades, so i always played for score (bigger arcade penis, and arcades are a social context: the one with the biggest penis can be the alpha male, usually).

I like the style proposed by Taito or to a lesser extent by Capcom, or: simple but not simplistic mechanics (i.e. simple scoring system, elaborate level design), games that can be finished in half an hour most of the time, and i like more their "shooting approach" (like shikigami: every point is important and no passage is fundamental), more than the bubble bobble approach (i.e. one life and meet some conditions to trigger huge bonuses). Speed is also a key: i like fast-paced games, and the combination " short game+fast pace" is perfect if you don't have too much time to play, you can have 2-3 complete runs in an hour.

I also like other possible styles, but this is my favourite, so far.

Ah, and i play for score only if i like the scoring engine, else i find other "goals": learning to get good scores and thus to manipulate the engine properly is something i do for fun, else i avoid it entirely (example: elevator action returns involves heavy milking if played for score, but except for that, i really adore the game and play it periodically just for the experience).

[Davey]

I think the learning curve is more important than whether or not the game keeps score. A game should hook you in with simple fun and gradually add more depth and challenge as you go. If it does that well, then I really don't care if my goal is XXX,XXX,XXX points or blowing up a final boss, because it'll be fun along the way either way.

[FatCobra]

To me, the whole reason I got into videogames was because they are FUN. It's all about the joureny the game takes you on, and the fun of just interacting with the TV screen. Some games do keep score however, and of course you want to get better and improve your records. It really depends on the game however. With vertical shmups, I tend to care more about score since they tend to more geared towards scoring. With horizontal shmups, like Gradius, I tend to focus more on just surviving. Usually the scoring systems for horis tend to simplistic anyway, some older titles (like Gradius III for SNES) don't even save the high scores when you turn the machine off.

I also like racing games because of the Time Trial function. To me, a fast time on a particular track is like a high score on a shmup. Plus, memorizing the track and just zipping around it as fast as you can is fun. I love Super Mario Kart just because it feels so right on the tarmac tracks, it's fun to race them over and over again to improve my time.

As long as I am having fun, it really doesn't matter if the score counts or not.