Newbie here

[Josh the FunkDOC]

Well, if it's not a problem, can another noob join this thread?

I've had an account on the MARP site itself for awhile now, but not uploaded anything. I'm mainly a competitive fighting game player (Guilty Gear being my best game, with Virtua Fighter soon to join hopefully), but I'm currently taking a break after a hectic tournament year (traveled to Pittsburgh multiple times, Columbus *many* times, Michigan, Chicago, Maryland, Washington DC, Iowa, and southern California). To make a long story short, during this time I've discovered the generally-unknown arcade game known as Dragon Unit (or Castle of Dragon), and it's grown on me for some inexplicable reason. I think it's mostly due to the fact that it involved swords, anime, and heavy metal some 9 or 10 years before Guilty Gear, but it could also be because your reward for beating it on one credit is a Japanese guy giving you the finger.

Regardless, I remembered MARP and checked out the Dragon Unit scores, and since then it's been my mission to get #1 for this game.

Which leads me to a question, since I recall someone here saying earlier that the leaderboard isn't regarded all that highly. There are a few different inputs I'd like to make for this game: The high score run (obvious since it's what the leaderboard counts), the speed/consecutive powerup run (that is, beat the game in the fastest time possible, including time spent on bosses, while ALWAYS having a sword powerup from the moment that you get one until the last boss), and the single-life run (self-explanatory, no deaths). Now, it *might* be possible to get the #1 score and not die (unsure about this mostly due to some issues with the last level), but speed and overall score are not conducive to each other. So I might be looking at 2 or 3 inputs here...which one should I send? On one hand I want that #1 spot, but I also want something that people will actually want to download, which the scoring input probably won't be if I have to die somewhere along the line.

Thanks for reading this far,
Josh.

[Buttermaker]

Upload the recording with the lowest score first and the one with the highest score last. Then put links to the other recordings in the description. That way you'll get first place and people can still download the other recordings.

Recordings never get deleted from the server.

[LN2]

Which leads me to a question, since I recall someone here saying earlier that the leaderboard isn't regarded all that highly.

I think you are misinterpreting this some.

The "leaderboard" refers to the overall leaderboard you can view by clicking the "Leaders" link at the top at MARP.

It's not referring to the "scoreboard". Many scores for many games are held in very high regard.

It's that leaderboard that many don't like. It's mainly cuz let's say for example you get good at Space Invaders or gauntlet. Well, there are close to 20 clones of Space Invaders and something like 15 Gauntlets.

Once you have mastered one of them, you also likely would be able to get the high score on all the others also.

This gives you tons more leaderboard points than someone else mastering 2 games where there is maybe only the 1 set for each game or only 2-3 clones.

Both players in this example have mastered 2 "games"...but the one player will have 25-30+ scores versus the other having only let's say 3 or 4 cuz of the differences in clones available.

Others don't like the leaderboard much also because someone can play tons of games..submitting mediocre scores for each game...and getting some points for each score...and get way up the leaderboard just from mostly mediocre scores.

So....set your high scores for a few games. That means little for the "leaderboard" but benefits the scoreboard by having better scores and replays showing the skill on the site.

[Phil Lamat]

Which leads me to a question, since I recall someone here saying earlier that the leaderboard isn't regarded all that highly. There are a few different inputs I'd like to make for this game: The high score run (obvious since it's what the leaderboard counts), the speed/consecutive powerup run (that is, beat the game in the fastest time possible, including time spent on bosses, while ALWAYS having a sword powerup from the moment that you get one until the last boss), and the single-life run (self-explanatory, no deaths). Now, it *might* be possible to get the #1 score and not die (unsure about this mostly due to some issues with the last level), but speed and overall score are not conducive to each other. So I might be looking at 2 or 3 inputs here...which one should I send? On one hand I want that #1 spot, but I also want something that people will actually want to download, which the scoring input probably won't be if I have to die somewhere along the line.

An old debate (recalls me the ghouls 'n ghost debate) : I personally largely prefer a one-life complete game than a highest-score complete game where usually someone mastering a game spends all his lifes except one gathering some points.

I had proposed a long time ago for some games like ghouls (or dragon unit ?) to add to the final score of a complete game a sort of bonus based on the number of deaths .
Example : add (10-nb deaths)x1000000 to final score ; it is like adding a digit in front of the real score : the less you die, the higher the digit is .
It should also prevent us from a lot of leeching issues in many games

[LN2]

Phil, that kind of policy won't work overall.

Consider this..for some games there is actually some skill involved in planning deaths etc. which might allow you to get through a tough area that if you did your best to try and get through it on 1 man initially will end up making it more difficult to nearly impossible to get past it.

Yes, there are others where sacrificing a life/lives leads to more points.

However, in many cases those with better skills will have more lives later to do that with.

I agree there are other games where it makes for a more boring replay.

[Hunter Killer-DF]

And that´s so much fun in MARP... when you think your scores suck, you get the motivation to improve them...

And when you think you´re the world´s #1 player at game X or Y, someone goes there and dumps your so damn great score... and sometimes, the score difference just throws your ego away...

All in a friendship and peaceful atmosphere. The *perfect* arcade zone. :)

Oh, many ppl are wondering, "you didn´t send an inp since six months ago! wtf happened???" Simple, I had to work in a new section where I work, and let´s say, it drained all out of me.

But expect inps from mine soon. I´ve gone through stomach surgery last 10th (Capella), and though I´m today in the city where I did it, next monday I´m going back home, after the doctor removes the surgery´s stitches. This means also I´m off from work till february... I must say, it works better than I ever expected. I weighed over 300 lbs last 5th, now I am at 280! LOL

Well, INNUENDO also knows this story, and just saying again, I´m pretty well. We´ll meet when I get back to Brasilia.

[Chad]

welcome back! hope your stomach feels better and Hope the doctor doesn't botch the "stiches removal" surgery and remove something else :)