Shock Troopers Mathematics 101

BBH · Post by **BBH** » Wed Nov 28, 2001 12:30 pm

If you don't give a rat's ass about Shock Troopers or my war with it, ignore the rest of this message.

Why am I posting this stuff? I guess to prove just how obsessed I am with this game. A while back I was taking down my scores after each level was over, because by doing that I could chart my performance on each level and get an idea of the kind of score I could expect to get assuming I could maintain that peak level of play for all levels. So I took down some data from my last three .inps.

Game #1 
Stage 1 - 06303000 (6303000) 
Stage 2 - 09671000 (3368000) 
Stage 3 - 15704800 (6033800) 
Stage 4 - 17534300 (1829500) 
Stage 5 - 23613800 (6079500) 
Stage 6 - 27943800 (4330000) 
Stage 7 - 32245800 (4302000)

Game #2 
Stage 1 - 06294000 (6294000) 
Stage 2 - 09593000 (3299000) 
Stage 3 - 15107300 (5514300) 
Stage 4 - 17013800 (1906500) 
Stage 5 - 23541300 (6527500) 
Stage 6 - 28231800 (4690500) 
Stage 7 - 32562300 (4330500)

Game #3 
Stage 1 - 06419000 (6419000) 
Stage 2 - 09656000 (3237000) 
Stage 3 - 15442800 (5786800) 
Stage 4 - 17427800 (1985000) 
Stage 5 - 24077800 (6650000) 
Stage 6 - 29002800 (4925000) 
Stage 7 - 33084300 (4081500)

So... taking these scores into account, the best performances for each level can be found. The best score on Stage 1 was from the Game #3, while Stages 2 and 3 both were highest on Game #1, which is the lowest overall score here. After that, Stages 4, 5, and 6 were the best on Game #3 again... the only high point of #2 was the last stage.

6419000 + 3368000 + 6033800 + 1985000 + 6650000 + 4925000 + 4330500 = 

33,711,300. 

So for right now, that's the current limit. Until I can improve upon scores in each individual level, of course.

I always pay such close attention to the first level, and it still seems like I could squeeze another 100k out of that... hmm.... maybe 34 million is possible after all with perfect play.

If all this has bored you, hey, I told you not to read it. 

-BBH

--
lordbbh@aol.com

BBH · Post by **BBH** » Thu Nov 29, 2001 12:30 pm

data from the latest recording:

Stage 1 - 06553500 (6553500) 
Stage 2 - 10136500 (3583000) 
Stage 3 - 15739800 (5603300) 
Stage 4 - 17645300 (1905500) 
Stage 5 - 24476300 (6831000) 
Stage 6 - 29230800 (4754500) 
Stage 7 - 33483800 (4253000)

6553500 + 3583000 + 6033800 + 1985000 + 6831000 + 4925000 + 4330500 =
34,241,800. Looks like 34 million is very possible with near-perfect
play.

-BBH

--
lordbbh@aol.com

BBH · Post by **BBH** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 12:30 pm

I just majorly screwed up the end, which would have resulted in a
33,68x,x00 score... I'm so pissed at myself right now but I know I can
better that... unfortunately I wasn't taking down all the scores,
especially since I got 7.4 mil on Stage 1! I don't remember the exact
score but it was about 7.43 mil. So rounding it off and adding up the
totals again...



7430000 + 3583000 + 6033800 + 1985000 + 6831000 + 4925000 + 4330500 =
35,118,300



Oh shit! 35 million!



-BBH

--
lordbbh@aol.com

BBH · Post by **BBH** » Thu Dec 13, 2001 12:30 pm

notable things from the last couple recordings... 

stage 3 - 6,184,800 
stage 4 - 2,047,000 
stage 5 - 6,934,500 
stage 6 - 4,964,500 

7430000 + 3583000 + 6184800 + 2047000 + 6934500 + 4964500 + 4330500 =
35,474,300 

Of course, it's funny to think that I've already passed the previous
two "limits" I posted

-BBH

--
lordbbh@aol.com

Tenchi · Post by **Tenchi** » Thu Dec 13, 2001 12:30 pm

Well, I don't know anything about Shock Troopers, but looking at the
inps there seem to be a lot of instances where you shoot guys without
them dropping anything... so maybe 40 million is possible?
the "maximum" for level 1 did rise by 1.1 million, after all.

Any interest in going after 30 million in Shock Troopers 2?

--
rpeng@usc.edu

Barry Rodewald · Post by **Barry Rodewald** » Thu Dec 13, 2001 12:30 pm

Enemies only drop items when you kill them with a close range attack.

--
bsr@hnpl.net

Tenchi · Post by **Tenchi** » Thu Dec 13, 2001 12:30 pm

Right, so in the "perfect" game you would shoot all such enemies at
close range.

--
rpeng@usc.edu

Barry Rodewald · Post by **Barry Rodewald** » Thu Dec 13, 2001 12:30 pm

Well, you get the most points from shooting them and then moving in
for the close range attack. Depending on the enemy, you get between
500 and around 5000 per hit from bullets, and a close range attack is
double that (but only one hit). So, shooting an enemy worth 3000
points, say 8 times (24k), then a close range attack (6k), and the
item (most likely to be the 30k blue diamond). There's 60k there,
instead of 36k for just a close range attack.



Okay, I think I've rambled on enough there...

--
bsr@hnpl.net

Tenchi · Post by **Tenchi** » Thu Dec 13, 2001 12:30 pm

I see... so there are definitely a lot more points out there, but
it's too much for mortal man to get too close.



(Waits for BBH to take umbrage)

--
rpeng@usc.edu

BBH · Post by **BBH** » Thu Dec 13, 2001 12:30 pm

grrr, you two ruining my thread!

jk


Okay. The key to high scores lately is the multiple shot-into-close
range attack combo kill. Like Barry noted, you get a certain amount of
points per shot. You can unload approximately a dozen shots into them
before they fall down, so a close-range attack must be done before
then. A close-range attack is worth double the "base" value of
whatever the soldier is.



Purple soldiers have a base value of 5000, and thus it's always worth
going for multi-shot kills on them. Even if you make them drop, you
can still earn 60k from them alone. Getting in 10 shots and a
close-range kill would also give 60k, and a chance at a 30k diamond...
so that's 90k from one enemy alone.



White soldiers have a base value of 3000. Almost always worth trying
to get multi-shot kills on them too.



Green soldiers vary a lot. A few examples... the ones that walk
towards you, but then back away and fire, those pussies only have a
base value of 1000. So it's best to just roll through their shot and
stab them. Most green soldiers that come out from "stalling" are only
worth a base value of 500, even worse. The ones that "jump down" from
the top of the screen, or the ones sliding down the hills on Jungle 1
and Jungle 2, are worth 3000. Soldiers that "get distracted" (such as
the two that are "talking" at the beginning of Jungle 1, along with
the one repairing the vehicle) are worth 5000. Their AI is
unpredictable, as sometimes they'll freak out and run away, sometimes
they'll try to stab you, sometimes they'll just shoot like mad. The
last major type of green soldier are the ones located behind
barrels... for instance there's two sets of them early on in Jungle 1.
They're worth more than any other, 7000 points per shot!!! But it's
tough to get multiple shots on them for some reason, I can't seem to
figure out a reliable way (your shots make them fly up the screen for
some reason)



oh, and there's the rocket launcher guys, I think they're worth 3000.



Anyways, the reason some of them don't drop items is because I
probably fired too many shots at them before getting in range for the
close attack... or I accidentally shot them before I planned to (this
happens a lot when you pick up a special weapon, a few shots will go
off automatically if you just did a close-range attack). Or, not every
enemy in the game actually drops an item. 98% of them do, but some of
them will never drop an item even if you do a close-range attack on
them. There are quite a few in the last level that never drop items,
so once you figure out which ones they are it's better to just unload
shots into them until they drop.



I really don't believe 40 million to be possible... my patterns are
pretty tight (although Barry chastised me on IRC for not leeching
enough on Jungle 3, hahaha), although I still make a lot of screwups.
I don't think there's too much left to squeeze out, I'm already going
for as many combination kills as I can. I already thought 35 million
would be tough to do, but it's obviously very possible now. 36
million? I doubt that, but who knows what I'll be thinking in a couple
weeks. That's the great thing about this game, every time I think I've
hit the wall, I find something out to increase points even more. I
don't know how much longer I can keep that up, but if I know higher
scores are possible, I'll definitely keep playing. Speaking of which,
that's a good idea, I'm tired of typing and feel like playing.

oh, and 30 million on 2nd Squad... ummmmm... there must be something
I'm missing there O_o



-BBH

--
lordbbh@aol.com

BBH · Post by **BBH** » Sat Dec 15, 2001 12:30 pm

Stage 1 - 07235000 (7235000) 
Stage 2 - 11187500 (3952500) 
Stage 3 - 17226800 (6039300) 
Stage 4 - 19054800 (1828000) 
Stage 5 - 26219300 (7164500) 
Stage 6 - 31141300 (4922000) 
Stage 7 - 35689800 (4548500) 

Stages 2, 5, and 7 were new highs. 

7430000 + 3952500 + 6184800 + 2047000 + 7164500 + 4964500 + 4548500 =
36,291,800 

So I was only 600k off that score... nice. Yes, 36 million is now
possible with perfect play. 

-BBH

--
lordbbh@aol.com

BBH · Post by **BBH** » Sat Dec 15, 2001 12:30 pm

Heh... just 100k shy of the 36-million mark. Not as big an improvement
although there were some new level records - 

Stage 1 - 7499000 (old high: 743XXXX, unrecorded) 
Stage 4 - 2144500 (old high: 2047000) 
Stage 6 - 5188500 (old high: 4964500) 

7499000 + 3952500 + 6184800 + 2144500 + 7164500 + 5188500 + 4548500 =
36,682,300 

It seems like it would be pointless to keep updating like this when I
keep raising the limit, but it's nice to know how many points are
possible at the current time... gives me something to shoot for. God I
love this game! 

-BBH

--
lordbbh@aol.com

dissolute city · Post by **dissolute city** » Mon Dec 17, 2001 12:30 pm

THIRTY-SEVEN MILLION.

--
mdenham@coinet.com

BBH · Post by **BBH** » Mon Dec 17, 2001 12:30 pm

UNLIKELY.


done quite a bit of playing the last two nights and the best score
I've managed was 35.5 million. Attaining peak levels of play on each
level is tough, and sometimes things you just can't control happen...
such as a red gem fucking you over.



The limit may finally be reached.

--
lordbbh@aol.com

BBH · Post by **BBH** » Mon Dec 17, 2001 12:30 pm

Minor updates from a score that was a mere 8200 points shy of my
current shocktrj recording... 

Stage 1 - 7515500 (old high: 7499000) 
Stage 3 - 6273600 (old high: 6184800) 

The funny (or is it sad?) thing about the Stage 3 score is that I
screwed up the close-range kill on one of the clawed dudes. Which
explains why the hundreds digit is a 6 instead of a 3 or an 8. That
score could've been 75200 points higher. 

7515000 + 3952500 + 6273600 + 2144500 + 7164500 + 5188500 + 4548500 =
36,787,600 

-BBH

--
lordbbh@aol.com