/vr/ - Retro Games

Maybe I'm missing something, but what exactly is the problem with DDP that makes certain posters so ass-pained about it?

The game holds up really well. It feels very tight; the bullet patterns are a bit simple by todays standards but well thought out. The scoring is simple to understand and the games loop requirements are not insane. From playing the game, it feels like it would be quite a nice challenge to 1-all. For the 2-all, there is enough of an added challenge to really motivate skilled players.

As for the complaints about the scoring, I can only imagine that the people making the complaints have unrealistic standards; this game has been played and dissected for years by a community of high-level players. Of course they have dissected it down to pixel-perfect timing and accuracy. The game is over 17 years old. Unless you are seriously practicing for a record score, trying to do the same things as these players and getting angry when you don't is insane. Do you get mad when you do a 100m dash four seconds slower than Usain Bolt?

Scoring in shmups is a risk vs reward thing. Eventually if a player gets good at clearing a game, they will be facing easier/weaker enemies the same way every time. Scoring systems reward a player for being more aggressive and taking risks, keeping those parts of the game interesting for experienced players.

So...

After a lifetime of not really playing these games outside of a few casual playthroughs of the occasional shooting game, in the last few days I have fallen pretty hard for STG games. I finally got around to trying a couple touhou games, but almost immediately after I ended up downloading shmupmame and Dodonpachi and holy fuck that game is so fucking awesome.

Since then, I've been taking a stab at trying to get better at DDP, and it's been satisfying watching my credit feeding slowly go down as I play the game. I am actually pretty astonished at how much depth STG's have once you start playing for 1cc (and hopefully for score, if I improve enough). All the fun I've been having has really driven me to visit a whole bunch of other games in the genre as well. I've been having a riot taking stabs at Espgaluda, BWR Plus, Hydorah and a whole lot of other ones.

I'm still really green, so alot of these games are quite difficult for me, but I have to say it's been especially rewarding learning them, and I've been having a blast. Is there any advice you guys can give for a person new to the genre like me?