forums.marpirc.net

just wondering if any expert centipede
players are here..

i've seen the 300k game by mvdv,

are there any higher ones (without leeching?)..

i've tried several times to get the 'shield'
process for the mushrooms working..

(clear out the board, and only leave ones
at the bottom)...but it only lasts for a few
levels...-> see my high score game that i played
for 'centipede (bootleg set 2)' -> centipb2...

theoretically if you get it right,
you can get millions...but i've never
seen it done..

later

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n egati ve 1

Yes this leeching is very hard to do ; you've a good example with Randood's inp in the weird section (200k+ if I remeber correctly)

Don Hayes has the TG arcade record for tournament settings: 7 111 111 points....

Thanks for the intro, Tommi. I actually just joined this board this afternoon.

I haven't played much Centipede on MAME yet since I have the real thing at home anyways. I also want to get a decent trackball controller working before attempting to upload a recording. I recently bought the CompUSA Clear trackball (it was only $20!) but I need to play with the analog input settings in MAME to produce a better "feel". I'd like to hear if anyone else has one of these trackballs (or something similar) and what analog settings you use.

As for the various "leetching" methods, if your goal is simply to break a million, then learn the side feed trap. It's easier to do than the "shield" (aka "blob") method. But remember that these techniques are not considered valid for TGTS high scores. They are considered "marathon" scores and are tracked separately.

Donald

Welcome!

We(or I) are anxiously waiting for your Robotron recording? After that Marp will move to TG-tournament settings

If you use DOS-mame, I can really help you with the trackball/spinner settings? I mean booting machine into DOS, Windows seems to mess the sensitivity settings, I can not kill acceleration there.

dbh wrote:Thanks for the intro, Tommi. I actually just joined this board this afternoon.

hi mr hayes, welcome..i'm new here also..i'm a long time
player of centipede...from the days it came out in the
arcades...i've played that, millipede, the '3d' versions
that came out for the consoles/pc..and the re-released
namco versions (which seems harder?)..

I haven't played much Centipede on MAME yet since I have the real thing at home anyways. I also want to get a decent trackball controller working before attempting to upload a recording. I recently bought the CompUSA Clear trackball (it was only $20!) but I need to play with the analog input settings in MAME to produce a better "feel". I'd like to hear if anyone else has one of these trackballs (or something similar) and what analog settings you use.

i have a trackball also, but haven't set it up yet...its a logitech
trackball.....actually, i've been using the keyboard for all my
play, because i've gotten used to it...

have you played any of the bootlegs (magic worm, or version 1)..
or the other versions? i'm not sure how much of a difference
there is those besides the graphics...

As for the various "leetching" methods, if your goal is simply to break a million, then learn the side feed trap. It's easier to do than the "shield" (aka "blob") method. But remember that these techniques are not considered valid for TGTS high scores. They are considered "marathon" scores and are tracked separately.

Donald

how do you distinguish between a 'non-marathon' score?
just play with 3 men, no extras? i haven't followed the
twin galaxy settings yet..

i look forward to your posts/replays/and replies..

later

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ne ga tive 1

just testing an image from the flyer..



later

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ne g ativ e 1

in case you want pictures of the strategies..

these were posted on the atari age board:

----------
If you're interested in some of the advanced strategies used in arcade Centipede back in the day, Joystik magazine published some pretty cool ones. Luckily they've been scanned and put online for any who's interested.

Links are as follows (Basically it's from pages 22 - 27):

Intro:
http://www.stormaster.com/RGVAC-Manuals ... n83-23.JPG

"Tunnel Strategy"
http://www.stormaster.com/RGVAC-Manuals ... n83-24.JPG

"Blob Strategy"
http://www.stormaster.com/RGVAC-Manuals ... n83-25.JPG

"Safety Zone Strategy"
http://www.stormaster.com/RGVAC-Manuals ... n83-26.jpg

"Trap Strategy"
http://www.stormaster.com/RGVAC-Manuals ... n83-27.JPG

-----

later

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ne g at ive 1

hi mr hayes, welcome..i'm new here also..i'm a long time
player of centipede...from the days it came out in the
arcades...i've played that, millipede, the '3d' versions
that came out for the consoles/pc..and the re-released
namco versions (which seems harder?)..

It's always a pleasure to meet another avid Centipede player! What are your current highs on Centipede and Millipede?

i have a trackball also, but haven't set it up yet...its a logitech
trackball.....actually, i've been using the keyboard for all my
play, because i've gotten used to it...

Centipede with the keyboard is definitely impressive! I'm a bit spoiled...I like the feel of my trackball...ie, the one in my real machine .

have you played any of the bootlegs (magic worm, or version 1)..
or the other versions? i'm not sure how much of a difference
there is those besides the graphics...

I've only had minimal playing time with the bootleg versions so far (I've been concentrating on Super Zaxxon recently). The "centipb2" version seems to be the hardest since on the screens that start with lots of individual heads, it tends to channel the heads quickly down the side of the screen triggering the side feed. If there are no other major changes in this version, it will be extremely difficult to turn the side feed over without resorting to a trap or "safe-zone" technique.

how do you distinguish between a 'non-marathon' score?
just play with 3 men, no extras? i haven't followed the
twin galaxy settings yet..

I'm actually not sure if TG has it written down anywhere, but it seems to fall into the "spirit of the game" category. The various marathon methods basically eliminate some aspect of the game that makes it easier to produce high scores with less risk or perhaps even less skill (that could be debated). The non-marathon category is sometimes referred to as "shoot-em-up"...just plain and simple move/shoot/dodge as fast and as long as you can. This is what I did for my 7111111 game and why it only took me 9 hours (almost 800K/hour...the marathon techniques are slower, on the order of 500K/hour). The only exception in my game is the rollover, where I stay in the first wave and control exactly how many things I hit to insure that I get free men after the rollover AND on the normal 12000 point multiples.

BTW, I enjoyed the links you posted from Joystick magazine. Good stuff!

Hey Tommi,

We(or I) are anxiously waiting for your Robotron recording? After that Marp will move to TG-tournament settings

For some reason, I've been having a hard time with Robotron on MAME. I haven't been able to get much above 800K. Again, I have a real one at home so maybe I'm a bit spoiled about having the right feel with the controls, but it definitely seems harder on MAME too. I played my machine the other night on difficulty 7 and easily got above 2 million (even though the movement joystick needs adjustment). With the joystick working properly, I can marathon up to difficulty 7.

If you use DOS-mame, I can really help you with the trackball/spinner settings? I mean booting machine into DOS, Windows seems to mess the sensitivity settings, I can not kill acceleration there.

I am definitely interested in hearing about this! I'm currently using mame060 on a Windows 98 box for most of my play...it runs in the DOS box under Windows but does not run if the machine was booted in DOS mode. I have downloaded most of the older versions, too, so that I can playback various recordings.

Donald

dbh wrote:It's always a pleasure to meet another avid Centipede player! What are your current highs on Centipede and Millipede?

well, i've broken 1,000,000 on the ms arcade version of
centipede (although i know thats not a 'real' emulated
version)....but usually i've only broken 200k on the arcade,
and i've played the psx versions with a trackball, but that
didn't seem to help much (i ended up using a joystick for
that)..

i forgot my high score on millipede (without continuing, i think
it was near 200k also..)..
do you have the record for that also?

Centipede with the keyboard is definitely impressive! I'm a bit spoiled...I like the feel of my trackball...ie, the one in my real machine .

it's been a long time since i've played with a trackball,
so that's why i've gotten used to other controllers...also,
with the keyboard, you have maximum speed constantly
when you move..

i think that when you get to the upper levels that
you play at, you really need the precise control
from a trackball....at lower levels its not that critical..

The "centipb2" version seems to be the hardest since on the screens that start with lots of individual heads, it tends to channel the heads quickly down the side of the screen triggering the side feed. If there are no other major changes in this version, it will be extremely difficult to turn the side feed over without resorting to a trap or "safe-zone" technique.

yes, i did notice heads would come out faster from
the side..also the namco arcade classics version of
super-centipede seems to ramp up much quicker also..
and gets very challenging...the spider seems to home
in on you much quicker...

The non-marathon category is sometimes referred to as "shoot-em-up"...just plain and simple move/shoot/dodge as fast and as long as you can.

don't you have hunt spiders in between 800k and 1million?
since you don't get any extra men? or do you just barrel through
those without getting rid of the mushrooms? (i thought the fleas
would keep coming out if you dont...)

later

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n e gati ve 1

Hi Don Hayes;

I have the best scores here on MARP on Robotron.
(3.300.000) , but my best is 4.500.000 (not yet submitted).
I have done also 475.000 on 5 man (diff. 5) during Deca2001.
(My best 5 man is around 520.000).

Please send me an email: skrzypek@im.uj.edu.pl

I'd like to develope my skills so maybe you could help me somehow.
I have a few questions.

BTW: I am playing only on keyboard (i have hot-rod but i was not able to switch).

I know there are some "tips" by great players. (There was a book on arcade games and Robotron was included). But I couldn't found any.

I knew Robotron plays against player VERY HARD. I have experienced that when i start game playing great (like close to 500k 5 man) then the "game" retaliates VERY HARD - and i was loosing my mans very fast.
My best scores was made when 5 man score was around 200k-320k.
Last night I was 5 man score 50k (I missed Mickey) and around 500k I was more then 10 mens, i ended up with 2.400.000.

Drop me a line man.

SLA

here's a button i have, (i got it from an e3,
where they were debuting the new centipede)




also mr. hayes,

you may want to download analogMame,
as it might give you better control:

http://rain.prohosting.com/urebel/download.html

later

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ne gative 1[/img]

well, i've broken 1,000,000 on the ms arcade version of centipede (although i know thats not a 'real' emulated version)....but usually i've only broken 200k on the arcade, and i've played the psx versions with a trackball, but that didn't seem to help much (i ended up using a joystick for that)..

200K is quite good for both Centipede and Millipede. I haven't played the MS Arcade version, but 1M has to be good as well.

i forgot my high score on millipede (without continuing, i think it was near 200k also..).. do you have the record for that also?

No, I do not have the Millipede record. The current record is just under 7 million, my personal best is 2.96 million.

don't you have hunt spiders in between 800k and 1million? since you don't get any extra men? or do you just barrel through those without getting rid of the mushrooms? (i thought the fleas would keep coming out if you dont...)

Hunting spiders after 860K is part of the "blob" method, because the spider goes back to travelling through all 12 lower levels of the screen and he will eat your blob.

You do still get free men at this point. The place where you don't get free men is immediately after then rollover. The machine keeps track of how many things you hit from 996,000 to 1M and for each thing you hit it avoids giving you a free man. For example, if you hit 10 things before the rollover you won't win your next free man until 116,000 (and, no, that's not a typo, but I'll leave that explanation for some other time). Of course, there is a way to circumvent this...another explanation I'll save for later.

My playing style does not normally entail trying to keep the fleas from falling. I generally let them fall and shoot as many of them as I can. This does make the game much more risky...you can end up with a bad setup of mushrooms in the lower portion of the screen and lose 3 or 4 men in a matter of a few seconds.

you may want to download analogMame,
as it might give you better control:

Thanks! I will give it a try.

Those TG records for games like centipede need to be removed if they did in fact use the leeching type tricks. Once setup it takes very little skill to amass a really high score.

With the arcade version I could consistently get in the 200-250k range.
In MAME, I haven't played it a lot but am getting near 200k.

With millipede I also have near 200k playing a new game starting at "00".
I have only tried that maybe 5-10 times in MAME as well.

At some point I was going to do runs and submit scores for these.
These games are even picky for playing back the inp correctly even within the same mame version.