Crack!

[JDog053]

Highest score so far - 25148
Highest bonus for first asteroid - 3220
Best song combo for high scoring - Loud Pipes - Ratatat and The 1980s Doctor Who Theme

I think in time I can match your scores, but I think you'll always be setting the higher ones first unless I step up my dedication.

Still great scores, I just haven't managed to pass the 3200 barrier for the first bonus, closest that I have gotten is 3175, which is alright. So once I get the those extra few points squeezed i'll be ok.

I also have a unique soundtrack that I listen to when I play Crack, namely "Six Wives of Henry VIII" by Rick Wakeman, and other Rick Wakeman tunes, along with Jean Michel Jarre's "Oxygene" which is perfectly suitable. I just like nice long pieces of music to listen to whilst playing.

[JDog053]

Just gotten a new record for highest Bonus !!! Sorry Khakinator =(

My 35,000 score is also prooving very difficult to beat, but I will, lets just give it time. How are things with your game Khakinator ?

[fog]

I can't get anywhere near either of your scores even in debug mode with the cheats on 

[JDog053]

I can't get anywhere near either of your scores even in debug mode with the cheats on 

Thats encouraging Fog, what do your cheats do ? Uber powerful guns ?

But yeah, I still plan on recording a few of my crack games then posting them on Youtube. It should provide either a lesson for those who want to know my tactic and be a nice watch.

Your next games should have a save replay function which means that you can save your replay, and it gets out putted in Windows media player format or something =).

[fog]

Thats encouraging Fog, what do your cheats do ? Uber powerful guns ?

Any weapon, unlimited energy, level select. etc.  Everything I need to help with testing really.  It's not for cheating purposes as such, it's so I don't have to play through the first 9 levels of something like Echoes every time I want to see the effect of any changes on level 10.

I've got a stack of other standard debug useful tools built into every game that have made things a hell of a lot easier.  Some are just little things like a magnifier so I can zoom in on any portion of the screen but they are really useful.

But yeah, I still plan on recording a few of my crack games then posting them on Youtube. It should provide either a lesson for those who want to know my tactic and be a nice watch.

I want to know your tactic so I can make it harder in the next version

Your next games should have a save replay function which means that you can save your replay, and it gets out putted in Windows media player format or something =).

Tricky.  I could output them to an AVI but it's a very very slow process.

[las6]

Tricky.  I could output them to an AVI but it's a very very slow process.

I wonder if it's any faster to output as image files (with little or no compression) and just release the game with VirtualDub and a specially made script for it which turns the series of images into video. Or it could just be a whole lot faster to use some directx video capturing app. But then there's always the problem of syncing...

[JDog053]

Thats encouraging Fog, what do your cheats do ? Uber powerful guns ?

Any weapon, unlimited energy, level select. etc.  Everything I need to help with testing really.  It's not for cheating purposes as such, it's so I don't have to play through the first 9 levels of something like Echoes every time I want to see the effect of any changes on level 10.

I've got a stack of other standard debug useful tools built into every game that have made things a hell of a lot easier.  Some are just little things like a magnifier so I can zoom in on any portion of the screen but they are really useful.

But yeah, I still plan on recording a few of my crack games then posting them on Youtube. It should provide either a lesson for those who want to know my tactic and be a nice watch.

I want to know your tactic so I can make it harder in the next version

Your next games should have a save replay function which means that you can save your replay, and it gets out putted in Windows media player format or something =).

Tricky.  I could output them to an AVI but it's a very very slow process.

You want me to just tell you the tactic, or shall I just go ahead and make the video first ?

[fog]

Tricky.  I could output them to an AVI but it's a very very slow process.

I wonder if it's any faster to output as image files (with little or no compression) and just release the game with VirtualDub and a specially made script for it which turns the series of images into video. Or it could just be a whole lot faster to use some directx video capturing app. But then there's always the problem of syncing...

It's actually the grabbing the images which is very very slow so anything that involes that will be a problem.  Once grabbed, turning them into an AVI isn't too bad.

The other, faster alternative would be to output the data to our own replay file format which could only be viewed in game.  I'm not sure there would be much demand for that though and it would also mean rewriting the way the replays are currently handled.  Not sure I can justify the time it would take.

You want me to just tell you the tactic, or shall I just go ahead and make the video first ?

No worries.  I'm not going to make any major design changes based around your method so it's not that important.  I'll wait.

[TheKhakinator]

@Jdog - recording your games will generally slow down framerate by a huge degree. There's already replay functionality in Crack; if it was modified to record the whole game, then could be replayed in full after you died, you could then run a capture program on the replay, so it doesn't slow down the game while you play it.

For anyone interested, my basic tactic is to orbit the asteroid with my guns aimed slightly behind me so that I'm always out in front of any debris. My orbit speed is limited to bravery and the speed of the controls; I play with fast movement on, but I'm probably going to explore other options such as mouse movement. Either that or I'll try and hack the source code for the Xbox controller drivers to double my movement speed

[JDog053]

@Jdog - recording your games will generally slow down framerate by a huge degree. There's already replay functionality in Crack; if it was modified to record the whole game, then could be replayed in full after you died, you could then run a capture program on the replay, so it doesn't slow down the game while you play it.

For anyone interested, my basic tactic is to orbit the asteroid with my guns aimed slightly behind me so that I'm always out in front of any debris. My orbit speed is limited to bravery and the speed of the controls; I play with fast movement on, but I'm probably going to explore other options such as mouse movement. Either that or I'll try and hack the source code for the Xbox controller drivers to double my movement speed

Surprisingly, you and I have the exact same technique, but I always make sure to orbit really closely so I get the x5 bonus.

[TheKhakinator]

I orbit closely to, but more cause it's quicker.

Fog uses the same technique if I remember correctly.

[JDog053]

I orbit closely to, but more cause it's quicker.

Fog uses the same technique if I remember correctly.

Still yet to beat my score though

I do plan to do a massive run tonight !!!

[fog]

I orbit closely to, but more cause it's quicker.

Fog uses the same technique if I remember correctly.

Yes I do but I'm obviously not as good at it as you guys

That technique will still work to some extent on the new version, but gravity and some extra objects to avoid mean you wont be able to rely on it all the time.

[JDog053]

I orbit closely to, but more cause it's quicker.

Fog uses the same technique if I remember correctly.

Yes I do but I'm obviously not as good at it as you guys

That technique will still work to some extent on the new version, but gravity and some extra objects to avoid mean you wont be able to rely on it all the time.

We'll see, but thats what play testing is all about !!! I do request however, to playtest the next Crack for you, since (no offence Khakinator) that I am the undisputed champion with a score a good 10,000 ahead of the guy behind (That sounded boastful, but it was simply factual). Please please Fog, I wanna play some Crack, without going through the rigomarole of playing Echoes (Its not that bad, just wastes a few seconds, doesn't it).

[TheKhakinator]

Skills at playing a game do not infer playtesting skills
[/sour grapes]

I'm gonna have a go at ramping up my score as soon as I get some sleep.
Forget sleep.
29875.