CAVE staff quitting

[KAI]

extra game modes, illustrations, BGM modes, etc

Valhellio has all those things and no one here is playing it. A shitty game is a shitty game even if it has lots of extras.

[Hagane]

Well, I took good visuals, sound and game design for granted I guess.

[VixyNyan]

Use Superplays to properly promote the games

Shooting Love 200X on the X360 has this, there's an extra disc that comes with the game and shows videos for Shmup Test, Exzeal and Trizeal, and Developer commentary as well. This is a great idea to get inspired and learn from other skilled players, it's fascinating and fun to watch.

Mini-Games

This. We need more extras like Tsukaima Race in DSIIX (which they even bothered to make online leaderboards + replays for).

The bouncy fun coupled with Manabu Namiki DS1 music. I loved it, would be great to see more mini-games.

[Op Intensify]

The bouncy fun coupled with Manabu Namiki DS1 music.

It's also an homage to the Compile PC-98 game Ceramic Ball.

[VixyNyan]

The bouncy fun coupled with Manabu Namiki DS1 music.

It's also an homage to the Compile PC-98 game Ceramic Ball.

Ah, the more you learn! Thanks for info. ^^

[iconoclast]

Why would you even play DSII Arcade Mode when DSIIX Mode exists, though? It's a huge improvement in every possible way.

I disagree completely. The scoring in IIX is slow and boring in comparison imo, arcade mode is much better.

But what also sucks about arcade mode is that Lei is missing tons of slowdown. It's impossible to get anywhere near WR level scores with him.

[finisherr]

Do not allow credit feeding on ports

I know this seems strict, but we need to give players incentive here. I think a good system might be forcing a one credit situation on players, but allowing players to unlock levels once they reach the level on one credit. That is to say, once they reach that level, they should be able to "train" on that level in the training section. If the games come with a video of the mysterious final stage boss and the superplay player completely slaying it, I think it might creative enough excitement and incentive to want to put in the hard work and get there.

I think this would be a great idea and would reduce the "quarter munchers that can be cleared in 30 minutes" criticism we often see in casual players a bit.

I don't like unlocking core game options such as difficulty modes though. You could instead have easier difficulty modes, but leave the best unlockables (extra game modes, illustrations, BGM modes, etc) for the hardest mode. You could also have TLBs or extra final stages for the hardest setting only, to promote getting better at the game.

Good idea! I'm not sure exactly how to handle the details, but I think eliminating credit feeding is definitely a good thing.

[Meseki]

Not allowing any continuing at all would be bad, because the people that would just credit feed through it once would then just say the game is too hard and then be done with it without clearing it. Having something like Crimson Clover is probably the best compromise: buy your expendable credits with something like Item Points and the more you have at once, the more expensive they are. Something like Ikaruga (GC) or Gradius V where you have to keep playing for more credits is fine too.

[Aliquantic]

Why would you even play DSII Arcade Mode when DSIIX Mode exists, though? It's a huge improvement in every possible way.

I disagree completely. The scoring in IIX is slow and boring in comparison imo, arcade mode is much better.

Thank you for that, as someone who's actually played the game seriously And opinions and all that...

[Hagane]

Not allowing any continuing at all would be bad, because the people that would just credit feed through it once would then just say the game is too hard and then be done with it without clearing it.

They could then stick to the lower difficulties that even a complete casual could 1CC with a bit of practice. Think Touhou on Easy.

[Cuilan]

They could then stick to the lower difficulties that even a complete casual could 1CC with a bit of practice. Think Touhou on Easy.

...or better yet, they could implement it like how they did in Deathsmiles.

[KAI]

Shmups and casual gamers decisions:


or

_O/<I like this one!)

*He later found out that they were both the same game.

See the point?

[VixyNyan]

They could then stick to the lower difficulties that even a complete casual could 1CC with a bit of practice. Think Touhou on Easy.

...or better yet, they could implement it like how they did in Deathsmiles.

That is a good option at least. It gives the player multiple difficulty choices for each level and in that sense, it would add replay value by letting the player try the harder difficulties when they are ready to do so.

[Aliquantic]

That is a good option at least. It gives the player multiple difficulty choices for each level and in that sense, it would add replay value by letting the player try the harder difficulties when they are ready to do so.

That would sadly work out a lot better if there was an incentive to pick higher difficulties aside from score, and if the difficulty levels were a little bit more even... compared to the negligible difference between rank 2 and 3 in Deathsmiles, or how much harder the Castle is compared to the earlier stages, especially with rank 1. DSIIX is even worse there, or MBL level 999 with its punishing bosses.

It's a good idea in practice, but the implementation isn't great compared to the four Touhou difficulty levels (with significant gaps between them).

[Op Intensify]

Forcing the player to unlock credits through time release or an in-game shop is the way to go, I think. Free play should never be available--it should max out at 9 like in Radirgy Noa.

The Metal Slug 3 Xbox way of handling things REALLY forces players to meticulously practice each stage, but everyone moaned about that version of the game being impossible, and SNKP never experimented with such a system again. So the opposite extreme to starting with unlimited credits doesn't work either.

(In a Cave game where survival isn't the focus, there would probably instead be a par score you'd have to meet for each stage to pass to the next one.)

[VixyNyan]

(In a Cave game where survival isn't the focus, there would probably instead be a par score you'd have to meet for each stage to pass to the next one.)

Speaking of that, DoDonPachi Maximum tried something similar. If you just keep playing the game normally, without any specific requirements, you would be sent to the next stage at its easiest difficulty setting. If you returned to the previous stage but finish it without getting hit, without using bombs and/or destroy 100% of the stage enemies (you had to do at least 2 of these requirements), you would be sent to the harder version of the next stage. When you keep doing this, eventually you reach Stage 5-E, the hardest stage, where both Golden Disaster AND Hibachi will mess you up.

[Op Intensify]

But the problem with that is it doesn't give casuals any incentive to stop credit feeding. A similar, more difficult alternate path that they'll never find out about on their own isn't going to change their behavior. They need to be forcibly prevented from progressing until they at least spend more time playing the game with only a couple credits, and clearly shown what they need to do to improve (through objectives, tutorials, superplay videos). Work 'cheevos/trophies into it if you have to, we all know how easily people are manipulated by those.

I kinda wish it could still be like in the golden age of arcade ports where you were given ~3 credits to work with for the whole game, no ifs, ands or buts, but now people will scream on the internet and not buy your game.

[VixyNyan]

Well that is the thing with Maximum, it only has 3 lives and no credits. But the way Cave (EVAC INDUSTRY) handled it is that they added a Stage Select instead of forcing the player to start from the very first stage every time.

[BulletMagnet]

It's also an homage to the Compile PC-98 game Ceramic Ball.

Gah, another thing to add to the HG101 article...