1CC vs. High score

[Deca]

Generally you don't want to put too much effort into scoring until you've cleared the game once. Unfortunately I'm bad at sticking to that advice.

[majik989s]

Get a HS or die trying, that's my motto.

This all day long! Lots and lots and lots of dying.

[trap15]

Get a HS or die trying, that's my motto.

Or in the case of Bakraid, get a HS and die (multiple times) in the process!

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Survival is a scoring system. I don't really get why so many people think otherwise. Survival is a big part of scoring in Ketsui, and that's one of the main things that makes it good IMO.

Made me think of Progear too, actually. If you just want a 1cc, it's really not that bad by shmup standards as you have plenty of lives/bombs to use. But to score in it properly, you need to survive. Actually survive, as in don't go dying, especially not early on as it instantly murders your counter, which you build mainly by collecting the max bomb bonus repeatedly, which increases with each bomb, so it's crucial to go as long as possible before your first death so you can get as many max bomb bonuses in a row.

The amount you can raise your counter alone via max bomb bonuses is crazy, which helps your +score per shot bonus (where most of your score will actually come from). The gem collection actually seems to make up a much smaller percentage of your overall scoring potential, getting those max bomb bonuses is where the majority of the scoring gains are at.

[pestro87]

The gem collection actually seems to make up a much smaller percentage of your overall scoring potential, getting those max bomb bonuses is where the majority of the scoring gains are at.

O.o !!! It sounds like I need to revisit that game...

[BareKnuckleRoo]

O.o !!! It sounds like I need to revisit that game...

You didn't realize that? If you look at high level scoring play, sure, you can build up a fair number via the gem system, but the key to those really high scores is to string together the max bomb bonuses (+10000 for getting the max bomb bonus the first time, +20000 every time after) which also increases your base gem value so long as you don't die/bomb. Get to the final boss without dying/bombing, and your base gem level will be at emerald, meaning it's impossible to get anything less valuable (which also makes it easier to cancel bullets), with 90000 of your counter coming just from collecting bombs repeatedly (that's literally half of his score counter, and he was scoring pretty seriously).

[Edmond Dantes]

For me, there's a few different factors.

First of all, I have to absolutely LOVE the shmup in question before I actually care about my performance at it.

If I love a shmup enough to continue playing it after I've beaten it once and seen the ending, then the next tier up would be to 1cc it.

After that, I might play for score, just to give myself an excuse to keep playing.

... There is a flip-side though: I find sometimes if you practice high-scoring techniques, they can sometimes actually make you better at the game and lead to that 1cc victory. So sometimes I take note of scoring opportunities and develop tactics for it even if I don't actually plan to score.

[asu_tenan]

first, i aim for 1cc, then i aim for higher socre

[KyoKusagani1999]

Games with Scoring systems that don't do stupid things that contradict the point of
shooting are more than okay to score with in my book!

THIS is what makes the Deathsmiles 1.1 Arrange MORE FUN than the original game, at least
from my point of view, as it's designed around scoring, much moreso than the arcade version!
Building up to 1000 and picking up all those gold crowns.... It's irresistible! Once you
go for the gold, you don't back down, and when you get into the 100 millions range
along with those extra lives, you can't help but have a big smile on your face.

THAT'S a scoring system. No crap like "Grazing" Where I have to get close to bullets
and risk slamming into them stupidly, that's going against the whole point of the
genre to begin with! Why would you WANT to get close to touch bullets?
They're big, Pink, and ANGRY!

[DEL]

One Japanese player once said that he always plays for 1CC first, then works-back on score.
This is what I do.

[AweOfShe]

1CC mostly. I do want to play for score, but it's like I have ADD and can't stick with one game long enough (Mushi Futari seems to be the only exception at the moment... I always go back to that game).

[Ruldra]

The gem collection actually seems to make up a much smaller percentage of your overall scoring potential, getting those max bomb bonuses is where the majority of the scoring gains are at.

Exactly why I stopped playing Progear seriously. Your score essentially comes from no-missing/no-bombing the game, and that kind of play is infuriating to me.