No more restarts!

[Rastan78]

Okay, I decided to completely quit pointless restarts when I play. One reason is that I think I actually slow down my progress on some games by restarting over and over. You get locked into this pattern of messing up and then restarting to get the perfect level 1 score, perfect chain or whatever. This way you miss out on learning what you need to learn in later levels.

Also, I think I have more fun when I dig in and try to make the most of each credit as if I was playing in an arcade where every credit costs some coin. Botched your run 30 seconds in and lost a life or dropped a few million? Make up for it later and try for the 1CC on every credit is my new creed. Sometimes that crappy run turns into one of your best later on or at least maybe you can use the credit to learn something new or experiment.

Do you guys ever get stuck in that restarting rut? Do you ever feel that A: it's counterproductive and B: it sucks the fun right out of the game?

[Dave_K.]

For me, it seems to get worse the better I get, I really can't stand starting off a game with a missed bee or screwed up chain halving my score at the end of the first level. I know its been posted here a hundred times before, to start playing for the 1CC, then and only then come back for better score via collecting bee's and/or chaining, or whatever the game requires. But when you want the extra men to help you 1CC, you want a better score at the start when its easier to do the chaining...aaaarggg! I have to unlearn a lot whenever I start a new game, and probably not watch the replays so early on.

[pixelcorps]

same here.. gotta get a decent score to get the extra lives to get closer to that 1CC...

it's a vicious cycle..

[freddiebamboo]

Yeah, I've been at DOJ recently since the thread here dragged me back and if I don't get the first level right I pretty much always restart.

The worst part is the constant repetition of the first stage,the fact that you actually stop enjoying the game cause of the sheer monotony of it all.

I'm all for no restarts and just playing out the credit, it makes for a more interesting game - it's just hard to keep playing when you know you could have an extra 10 million coming into stage 2.

If you're having to restart all the time, just take a break and do something else. Absence makes the heart grow fonder y'know...

[Rastan78]

That's exactly what I'm talking about, Dave. Sometimes it's easy for me to forget that an all clear should always be priority number one.

When I start going for risky scoring opportunities and a "perfect play" that's really over my head still, that's when I get stuck in the ever-frustrating restart land.

I think playing with the 1cc in mind and then gradually working in achievable scoring tricks while still maintaining survival is where true skills can come from. That's where the gradually part comes in because if you start getting too aggressive you will lose the consistency with the 1cc.

You know, I think it was some of the DC shmups like Ikaruga and Shiki 2 that got me started down the path of evil with their training modes. You think you're going to perfect each and every nuance of the game in training mode and then put it all together later in one brilliant run, but if you're constantly dying, then something's wrong.

[professor ganson]

There really is a challenge of striking a balance with restarts. When I was playing Gunbird 2, I made it a rule:
If you lose a life on stage 1-1, then restart.
On the one hand, that might seem to hinder progress with the game because presumably you don't play later levels quite as much. On the other hand, I thought it was reasonable to demand of myself at the very least that I get through 1-1 without losing a life or a bomb. After all, that's pretty easy to do. In the end I think this rule was fine and didn't hinder my progress.
There are obviously other rules, however, which really would hinder progress. You just have to pick your methods of restart wisely, methinks. No need to abolish restarts altogether.

[Damocles]

In reference to the Shikis. I think that their practice modes are a wonderful idea. This way, I don't have to plod through the first few stages to reach the ones I'm ass at. I'd rather be able to play just one level over and over to get it down, rather than the first three or so every time.

[landshark]

Okay, I decided to completely quit pointless restarts when I play. One reason is that I think I actually slow down my progress on some games by restarting over and over. You get locked into this pattern of messing up and then restarting to get the perfect level 1 score, perfect chain or whatever. This way you miss out on learning what you need to learn in later levels.

I've been running into this lately. I've started recording my mame games (mostly) and submitting some to MARP. Because of this, I tend to quit many games if they don't start off perfect.

This is both frustrating as well as a waste of time since I'm supposed to be playing these things for fun, not to get angry.

Last night I got my highest Strikers 1999 score, and it was with a game where I died in level *2*. Fucking level TWO! Died in level 6 as well. Kept playing and went on a spree (well, sorta).

Dimahoo is a game where I tend to restart alot. The game is just too damned difficult to get sets consistantly for me.

[Icarus]

I've been trying to get out of the restart habit for months. Not very successful, mind. When I do, though, I end up breaking an old record.

And when I don't, I want to break a joypad -_-;;

[zakk]

I tend to restart if I die on the first stage of Ketsui. Usually because it's something really dumb like running into a popcorn enemy. Anything after stage 1 and I'll continue playing. I even credit feed a bit so I can practice later stages.

[Triple Lei]

I've developed a healthy compromise for DOJ:

1) If I mess up somewhere in stage 1, I'll try to salvage that game by just playing normally, not hung up on chains or deaths or whatever.

2) A game over later, I will try for that perfect game and restart if something bad happens. I gotta practice with rank in mind and I don't want early deaths screwing it up, you know?

3) The next game I'll try a different ship or a different tactic and see how far I get.

4) I repeat steps 2 and 3.


(at least, that's the plan...)

[sffan]

I only restart if I die in the first level of a game.

I never restart if I miss a scoring opportunity.


Here's something I experience: If I mess up early in a game either by dying or missing points, and I don't restart, then the game from then on I treat more casually, not caring if I die again, and so I'm less careful and take bigger chances and sometimes I get lucky with a great score at the end.

[zaphod]

WEll as people say, sometimes missng a scoring change in stage 1 can kill your hopes of beating the game. DOJ is particularly anal about that. you mess up in level 1, and your scoring run is tOAST and you just wont' get the extens you need for the all clear.

Of ocurse we all know what caused the restart habit. all those pesky games that cannot be beaten without one lifing them.

[Neo Rasa]

Here's something I experience: If I mess up early in a game either by dying or missing points, and I don't restart, then the game from then on I treat more casually, not caring if I die again, and so I'm less careful and take bigger chances and sometimes I get lucky with a great score at the end.

I'll do this too, it improves my game often anyways since by playing more recklessly I end up discovering more quirks of the game system/hit detection/etc.