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MARP currently already has special rules for this game but I propose they be revised.

Players currently score 1 point per checkpoint or goal reached. If you complete the game that's 9 points.

I played this game for the very first time yesterday. I played it once using continues just to see the entire game, then I started a new game recording and finished it in my first real attempt playing the game.

Given how simple overall it is to finish this game having all that finish tied at 1st with 9 pts each getting 100pts seems too easy. It's an easy 100 pts. It's almost like saying all that finish Pole Position are tied for first with 100pts each. It's as easy to finish this maze game as it is to race Pole Position to the finish...about same time also!

Given you have special rules already why don't you also base it on the time to complete?

You could have some simple formula like 500 points per checkpoint or goal reached except the final goal that would be worth 6000 points, completing the game. Then subtract off from that 10*seconds for those that actually complete the race.

Under this if someone just got through 6 checkpoints/goals they would get 3,000 pts. Someone that completed the course in 5:00.74 would get 10,000 points for completing(8*500+6000 for the last goal) minus points based on their time.

10,000- (10*300.74secs)==6,993 points.

The game at the end shows a final screen that displays the total time to race very clearly to even a 100th of a second.

This would make the game much more interesting plus more skill based as those with the best skills would be able to complete it faster.

The 6000 pts for the final goal are so even someone that completes the course but takes quite a long time to do it still gets a higher score than someone that doesn't complete the maze.

The current submitted scores allow for readjust of the score as well cuz the couple that finished it posted their times. A confirmer can always watch to confirm and get the time that way also.

This formula is easy to follow also. You could say if you don't complete the game you get 500 points per checkpoint/goal reached. If you complete the game your score is

10,000 - (10*seconds to complete) = final score

I have found for this game if others play it though do not pop a credit and instantly start a game when recording. Let it do that little neogeo graphic spin thing and show the splash screen for the game before you pop a credit. I have found if you pop a credit quickly on playback it ends up just going into service mode! ahhh!

Give the game the extra few seconds to run before you pop a credit.
Hopefully if others agree some poll can be taken or the editors just agree among themselves and just adopt it or something similar.

yeah i agree, it's kinda hard to see the total time so in order for you to confirm it you have to actually watch the recording, but it would be nice to have some time in there.

Yes, I agree too, this seems the most sensible way to deal with such "tie" situatons.

Do you intend to start a poll, seeing that, I guess that, is the only official way to change gameplay special rules?

Kranser.

I agree too. But I don´t agree to that Pole position is easy to finish! Not for me on mame using a psx pad

Cheers

QRS, hehe. I just use my mouse for steering in Pole Position. It takes many races to tune the analog sensitivities but once you do it works very well.

Well, I figured only editors could start polls about changing the rules for a game...not anyone.

Note that I've proposed that a few months ago ; we've discuss that with Brian McLean there :

viewtopic.php?t=7582&highlight=irrmaze

You will find detail of scoring proposed with an applied example to Brian's input

That system is more complicated Phil cuz you are adjusting for time for each reached checkpoint somehow. My above makes it a clean simple little formula with 1 for if you don't finish the race and a second if you do finish the race.

I say no time element unless you complete the game. Yes that does mean all who reach only the 6th checkpoint would be tied. I don't think that's a biggie though since it's not a tie for first....and almost anyone that plays this game more than a few times and tunes their controls well can complete this game. Enough would be finishing the race that anyone that just reaches a certain number of checkpoints wouldn't get very many MARP points anyway so whether you tie them all or separate by time to reach that checkpoint doesn't really matter so no need to complicate those score with some time factor.

I found it fairly trivial to complete. I did it on my first honest attempt to play the game. The only part that was any challenge at all is the last part with the robot ears for both robots.

So, let's get it as a poll then. I thought for special rules changes only editors can submit a poll for that stuff so I leave it to them to make a poll for approval of the above versus what the special rules currently are.

The current rules make the scoring pretty bogus and too easy to get 100 marp pts to tie for first. I'm surprised more haven't played that game.

I don't think like you : finishing this game is not so easy ...at least it was not for me : it took me a lot of attempts

And the spirit of Marp is to make scoring also for those who don't manage to finish games : you have 9 checkpoints, if you clear 5 you deserves something about half points ; I know finishing the game deserves a bonus, but not too big (ask all the guys who play 1942 in deca 2002 !

Phil Lamat wrote: I know finishing the game deserves a bonus, but not too big (ask all the guys who play 1942 in deca 2002 !

Damn 10M bonus points

Francois

Phil Lamat wrote:And the spirit of Marp is to make scoring also for those who don't manage to finish games : you have 9 checkpoints, if you clear 5 you deserves something about half points ; I know finishing the game deserves a bonus, but not too big (ask all the guys who play 1942 in deca 2002 !

Yes, and my formula follows that fairly well overall.

My example of someone finishing in 5 minutes results in a score of 7,000.

Someone that gets through the first 6 checkpoints, would get 6*500=3,000 regardless of how long it took them....which you really wouldn't know. Remember I'm adding a bonus for finishing but then subtracting off of that based on the time it took you...so that bonus won't end up being very large if you took 7-8 minutes to finish.

That's not quite half but pretty close. You need to make sure the difference is large enough so even if someone is really slow at finishing they still get a significantly larger score than someone that plays only through all but the last checkpoint, 8 check points would be 4,000. Plus as you know those last few checkpoints are the most difficult part with the robots.

1 score for this game the person took 6 minutes to complete it. With my formula above that would be 6,400 points....which sounds pretty fair versus someone going through 8 checkpoints getting 4,000 IMHO...cuz you need the room to separate scores for all that do finish it based on time differences...which can be quite substantial.

I'm not sure where that prompted you to think I'm giving a bonus that's too large for finishing the courses(?).

Did you see the time I submitted earlier this evening? It's 3'16"58. It only took me 5 more attempts to get that run. So I have done a total of 6 attempts, completing 2 of them. The first I did right at 5 minutes...which had me start this thread. Then tonight I ran 4 more runs truly racing through it this time versus just trying to survive through it. It's mainly all in the analog sensitivity tuning and using your mouse. The other 2 that finished posted times of around 4'38 and 6'00. My run scores 8,034. That 6 minute run scores 6,400. You could argue there should be even a larger difference in those scores for that time difference, but it's a compromise so those that don't finish the race still get a fairly decent score. It fits in with rules I have seen for other games based on time.

I'm not saying my formula above is what should be adopted, but threw it out there as an example of something that'spretty easy and works fairly well. It can be tweaked some sure. I welcome tweaking it.

Someone tweak it and post a poll to vote on it versus the current 9 pt max score.

I agree many might not find it as easy as I did. However, with any real effort of playing the game and not worrying about the time except to finish quickly enough so the game doesn't end, most would be able to finish the race. Yes, it might take them 20 tries. Given each game lasts no more than about 5-6 minutes, that's only a couple hours of play.