Do you follow set routes when playing shmups?

Bananamatic · Post by **Bananamatic** » Sun Dec 08, 2013 8:37 pm

I've been wondering about this, seeing how a static route is the way to go for pretty much every shmup and a ton of people are still having problems with laser wheels and other stuff that takes a little planning.
I usually just bruteforce games that aren't too hard to clear(Futari Original/Maniac for example) and actually make routes for stuff that takes some effort and can't be cleared by flailing(second loops for example)

KAI · Post by **KAI** » Sun Dec 08, 2013 9:13 pm

Routes are meaningless in Ibara and Pinksweets.
Randomness Banzai.

CStarFlare · Post by **CStarFlare** » Sun Dec 08, 2013 9:48 pm

I learn where to be to kill enemies as they spawn and neutralize threats before they become too dangerous, but that's about as far as my routing goes... my mind wanders too much to remember and follow exact routines.

Legendary Hoamaru · Post by **Legendary Hoamaru** » Sun Dec 08, 2013 9:55 pm

Can't route much at all in Eschatos, especially stage 3.

I remember spawn locations, and have set strategies I try to follow for different areas, but RNG can turn that around quickly and force you to play very reactive.

iconoclast · Post by **iconoclast** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 12:03 am

Creating/learning routes is pretty much the entire reason why I enjoy playing shumps.

nesrulz · Post by **nesrulz** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 12:17 am

Feeling (your fingers/stick and game/monitor), concentration, perception, and reflexes, it is primarily. Learning the routes is not so important. Which is of course necessary if you chase your/world records...

ratikal · Post by **ratikal** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 1:26 am

Legendary Hoamaru wrote:Can't route much at all in Eschatos, especially stage 3.

I remember spawn locations, and have set strategies I try to follow for different areas, but RNG can turn that around quickly and force you to play very reactive.

This is partly untrue. Some enemies do have set location spawns and some will spawn opposite of you. You need to be able to exploit this and the F-bomb timings to be successful.

But yes, Stage 3, ESPECIALLY the Crystal Clusterfuck section, is impossible to make a solid route for. That's the stage you should just throw scoring out the window and just minimize your losses.

Ruldra · Post by **Ruldra** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 1:45 am

CStarFlare wrote:I learn where to be to kill enemies as they spawn and neutralize threats before they become too dangerous, but that's about as far as my routing goes... my mind wanders too much to remember and follow exact routines.

Pretty much this. Unless you are chaining in DDP, you don't really need a set route to beat a shmup.

Legendary Hoamaru · Post by **Legendary Hoamaru** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 1:51 am

ratikal wrote:
Legendary Hoamaru wrote:Can't route much at all in Eschatos, especially stage 3.

I remember spawn locations, and have set strategies I try to follow for different areas, but RNG can turn that around quickly and force you to play very reactive.
This is partly untrue. Some enemies do have set location spawns and some will spawn opposite of you. You need to be able to exploit this and the F-bomb timings to be successful.

But yes, Stage 3, ESPECIALLY the Crystal Clusterfuck section, is impossible to make a solid route for. That's the stage you should just throw scoring out the window and just minimize your losses.

Yea that is why I put the second sentence there

. There are areas like beginning of stage 4 where you can follow the same routes.

Squire Grooktook · Post by **Squire Grooktook** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 3:29 am

I tend to prefer games like Eschatos/Cho Ren Sha on hard/etc and such where RNG can really prevent you from having a concrete start to finish route., or at least provides plenty of areas of the game where you have to improvise.

I enjoy "figuring out" patterns and devising the most efficient way to dodge against them, but I'm not really a fan of games based on really strict routing. That being said, if I'm aiming for a score, 1cc, or no miss run, than I will absolutely take advantage of everything I can, including whatever routes I can devise to make it easier on myself. To do anything else would be scrubby.

beatsgo · Post by **beatsgo** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 4:17 am

Ruldra wrote:
CStarFlare wrote:I learn where to be to kill enemies as they spawn and neutralize threats before they become too dangerous, but that's about as far as my routing goes... my mind wanders too much to remember and follow exact routines.
Pretty much this. Unless you are chaining in DDP, you don't really need a set route to beat a shmup.

Third this, adjusting on the fly is an incredible skill to build if your game plan is thrown out of the window.

Damocles · Post by **Damocles** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 4:28 am

CStarFlare wrote:...my mind wanders too much to remember and follow exact routines.

Pretty much this. After a while you start to follow relatively set routes without explicitely learning them...unless it's a particularly tricky part that requires specific practice. I'm looking at you final boss of Shiki 1.

Bananamatic · Post by **Bananamatic** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 5:19 am

iconoclast wrote:Creating/learning routes is pretty much the entire reason why I enjoy playing shumps.

let's play "spot the best player in this thread"

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 6:19 am

I try to go different directions but I always end up the same place.

Blinge · Post by **Blinge** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 12:30 pm

Ed Oscuro wrote:I try to go different directions but I always end up the same place.

Haha^ I tend to do this in cave games also. It's a bad habit to fall into for most people as experimentation is often rewarding.

Then take a game like Ikaruga (I never shut up about it), which is totally based on following your route. What feels most awesome in that game is when you somehow mess up your route/chaining and have to suddenly improvise to survive or get back into your rhythm, so to speak. Pulling this off successfully makes you feel godlike.

yorgje · Post by **yorgje** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 3:19 pm

Bananamatic wrote:
iconoclast wrote:Creating/learning routes is pretty much the entire reason why I enjoy playing shumps.
let's play "spot the best player in this thread"

hi

chempop · Post by **chempop** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 6:24 am

I like creating my own routes and then trying to improve upon them.
I'd say 95% of how I play is purely based on what I've figured out, the other 5% is leaning from replays (and that's generous).

As far as following my own set routes, it usually depends on the game, or how much experience I've had with it. Obviously something like Raiden or even Garegga I will stick to a set route for the first 4-5 stages, I sorta have to. But then in the final stages I just do what I can and flail around.

Futari Maniac is another where I followed a very set route, making small improvements along the way. It is easy to measure progress and accuracy because of the multiplier and maxing on the cash in spots.

LastDancer · Post by **LastDancer** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 12:06 pm

Following routes is a must in most games and learning other people's routes saves time. If I don't know the trick for certain games (for example, create a wall of cube in cube rush of Gradius III) I will never 1cc them.

PAPER/ARTILLERY · Post by **PAPER/ARTILLERY** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 1:32 pm

I feel like SDOJ is basically impossible unless you have a route planned out well, especially from stage 4 onwards. It could just be that I don't have mad skills though.

Captain · Post by **Captain** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 3:12 pm

only when i play to win, since it removes much of the fun.

Jeneki · Post by **Jeneki** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 3:20 pm

Routes happen whether I want them to or not. Yay, something worked? Next time my brain wants to do the same thing, unless I make a conscious effort to do otherwise. Just like real life.

PROMETHEUS · Post by **PROMETHEUS** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 5:35 pm

I never play with a set route, so boring!

that's not true

I never not play with a set route, so not boring!
actually no fun for me to play without set route because then the game is mostly luck (undodgeable unforeseeable situation => 1 less bomb or try luck dodge)
I'd rather play mario kart

that's an exaggeration

Oniros · Post by **Oniros** » Wed Dec 11, 2013 12:44 am

Not really, but again I'm still learning.

hail good sir · Post by **hail good sir** » Wed Dec 11, 2013 1:27 am

I do when I decide I actually care and get in super serious practice mode, but that's only ever happened with Ikaruga, DFK Arrange A first loop, Mushi 360 arrange, like the first stage of Futari BL Original, and Imperishable Night. Most of the time I just fly around.

To Far Away Times · Post by **To Far Away Times** » Thu Dec 12, 2013 6:31 am

In something like R-Type I follow a strict route with just a couple of areas where I'll try to react to everything.

However, with something like a Cave game, it's the opposite.

Captain · Post by **Captain** » Thu Dec 12, 2013 4:29 pm

To Far Away Times wrote:In something like R-Type I follow a strict route with just a couple of areas where I'll try to react to everything.

However, with something like a Cave game, it's the opposite.

Eh...I don't see why you do that In the first R-type.

R-type final is chess with spaceships though.

Squire Grooktook · Post by **Squire Grooktook** » Thu Dec 12, 2013 9:06 pm

GradiusuiraD wrote:
To Far Away Times wrote:In something like R-Type I follow a strict route with just a couple of areas where I'll try to react to everything.

However, with something like a Cave game, it's the opposite.
Eh...I don't see why you do that In the first R-type.

R-type final is chess with spaceships though.

Yeah, agreed. The original R-Type is more in line with Gradius with pretty light memorization. I don't think the series became really heavy on trial and error till they introduced having 2 meters to your charge attack, forces you to plan a lot more.

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