Golden Era Game of the Week 3/12/05: 1942

[Weehawk]

Golden Era Game of the Week

See introduction here

The Game: 1942

romname: 1942

Screenshot:
(click to see current MARP scores)

Reward: $50 (usd)

Deadline for submission to MARP: March 18, 2005 2359 hours GMT

Further Bounty: $100 (usd) for completing the game this week with 95% shooting.

"Shmups". Donpachi. Dangun Fevron. Gigawing. etc...etc... An entire genre of videogames with virtually identical play mechanics, and a following of players whose devotion staggers the normal mind.

I wanted to name a Golden Era game most closely the progenitor of all these. Xevious is earlier, and very much the same mechanics, but slower paced, and I always found the sound in it annoying. I also am not sure if there's a version which is not marathonable by those sufficiently skilled, and therefore suitable for this competition. I consider 1942 borderline Golden Era, but I think it is the most appropriate ancestor of the modern shmup for us to use here.

I have never been able to play these well myself. I find the joystick control imprecise, and especially on later ones where there are so many bullets on the screen, my eyes simply can't track that many objects and I wind up getting killed by something I didn't even see.

Some people, on the other hand are pretty amazing on these. Let's see what they can do.

A MAME .56 recording scoring higher than any on MARP is available at:

http://park10.wakwak.com/~ab2/ab2/mame/ ... _win56.zip

The player, Novice, also answers some questions about the scoring in the game in this thread:

viewtopic.php?t=11923

Not sure what theoretical maximum score is, but the recording linked above finishes with 91% shooting. I'll offer a further bounty for finishing the game this week (reaching the game's ending) with 95% accuracy.

Use WolfMAME .93 or .94.

[BBH]

when did MAME's default setting switch from 3 lives to 2 lives....? That makes no sense.

[The_Pro]

2 lives? Booooo, that's a potential 70K lost. Maybe it was changed to reflect today's cheap arcade operators .

[Weehawk]

when did MAME's default setting switch from 3 lives to 2 lives....? That makes no sense.

Apparently it was changed in .89.

If there is belief that the 3 lives was the factory setting, then I would be in favor of a special rule for the game allowing that setting's continued use for MARP submissions. If that is done quickly I will allow it for this week's competition.

Failing that, if we do stick with the 2 lives setting, I would waive the requirement of beating your own score to anyone having a recording already at MARP using the 3 lives setting.

In actuality, having watched Hisa's recording, I don't imagine it makes a great difference to the top players. I understand the 70k less leeching that Martin mentioned, but I don't see a lot of scores at MARP separated by less than 70.

[The_Pro]

It's listed as 3 lives on the old settings page at cubeman.org. As far as I know 3 lives is factory defualt.

[mahlemiut]

I would figure that the arcade manual may list factory settings. If someone could come up with a scan or something proving that these are the factory settings, then I'd certainly change it. But I'd have to figure that there was a reason for it being changed in the first place.

[The_Pro]

Arcade manual scan here: http://www.cling.gu.se/~cl3polof/arcade/1942_manual.pdf

Hmm, so the manual does recommend the 2 lives setting. However, the setting for 3 lives is both dip switches off, which seems to be the default for all the other settings. Is it this way for other arcade games as well? So yeah, I still think 3 is better though.

[Weehawk]

Sunday's bonus points go to The_Pro.

http://www.gegotw.net/news.html

[The TJT]

Yes, settings have changed at 89:

1)Bonus life 20k 80k
lives 3

=>

2)bonus life 20k 80k 80k+
lives 2

(Difficulty is still same)

My question is that what does it mean in total amount of men...if you finish the game?
...Meaning that do you get TOTAL 2 bonus lives at 1)... and 3 bonuses at 2) ?
(If so, settings are same if you manage to get over 160 000 points)

Asking this for special rules purposes. I think it's like at 1941, you are allowed to use old easier settings.
What comes to gegotw I have no saying if John wants to have more difficult settings than current marp ones. It's John's tournament!

[Weehawk]

Yes, settings have changed at 89:

1)Bonus life 20k 80k
lives 3

=>

2)bonus life 20k 80k 80k+
lives 2

(Difficulty is still same)

My question is that what does it mean in total amount of men...if you finish the game?
...Meaning that do you get TOTAL 2 bonus lives at 1)... and 3 bonuses at 2) ?
(If so, settings are same if you manage to get over 160 000 points)

In either case you are supposed to get one extra ship at 20k, another at 80k, and another every 80k from then on. There are however some odd circumstances in which this can get screwed up, and Novice explains this in the thread I linked in my original post.

The only change in .89 was starting with 2 ships instead of 3.

My question is that what does it mean in total amount of men...if you finish the game?

One less, with the new settings. Of course if you finish with one or more in reserve, and never were down to your last ship, there is no actual effect on that game.

Asking this for special rules purposes. I think it's like at 1941, you are allowed to use old easier settings.

Actually in the absence of a special rule (and it appears none will be forthcoming since 2 ships to start is the setting recommended by the factory manual) MARP rules state:

h) Recording submissions must be recorded with that particular ROMset's defaults or TG (Twin Galaxies) settings. A recording set at easier or different settings is subject to deletion, especially if it is higher than others at more difficult settings. Recording on TG settings, which are the official arcade game settings, is preferred, and will gain your scores further notice from your fellow players.

I've pointed out previously that this rule needs to be flushed down the toilet and rewritten from scratch. Confusing the issue by attaching MARP's acceptable settings to whatever TG accepts was a BAD, BAD idea from the start. Any further discussion on that matter needs to move to the Regulation forum.

What comes to gegotw I have no saying if John wants to have more difficult settings than current marp ones.

For GEGOTW we will use MAME default settings unless otherwise indicated in MARP special rules for the game, or by announcement from myself.

[The TJT]

In either case you are supposed to get one extra ship at 20k, another at 80k, and another every 80k from then on.
....The only change in .89 was starting with 2 ships instead of 3.

Thanks for the info.

I suggest we make a special rule saying that you can use 3 lives to start with. (For Marp, not gegotw)

This is because TG settings are such and we are more or less stuck with allowing them. Also not allowing older, easier settings could lead in some cases to deletion of many very good old scores. Any objections? If none I'll ask an editor make special rules tomorrow. (if there are objections, please move necessary posts at regulation forum JC)

[Weehawk]

BBH's last recording starts with three ships, but since he never uses the extra one, I'll accept it for Tuesday's bonus points.

If you have a recording to submit for Thursday's points, attach it to a post here or email to "weehawk95" at hotmail.com.

http://www.gegotw.net/news.html

[Weehawk]

BBH gets Thursday's bonus points as well.

If MARP remains down, post submissions here or email to "weehawk95" at hotmail.com

Third place is now 600,000 points.

http://www.gegotw.net/news.html

[tar]

dj bbh ****the pro 12,000,000 !!!!

[Weehawk]

Results:
1st: BBH
2nd: The_Pro
3rd: Sampras

The_Pro gets Sunday's bonus points for a total of 9. BBH gets Tuesday's and Thursday's for a total of 14.

Surprised only two people submitted recordings finishing this one, popular as these games are. Oh well. We march on.

And where is Ian?