HSC Season 5 Week 15: Death Trap

[Ze_ro]

Important Note: This weeks competition is over and no further scores will be accepted.

 

You have just graduated with honors from Cadet training. Your first mission is especially important. You must deliver a TOP SECRET diplomatic message to the Emperor of the Glaxiau Empire - immediately! You proceed to cross the galaxy via the latest Black Hole acceleration techniques when your trip is interrupted by a gigantic space ship which intends on ensuring that the message you carry never reaches the Emperor. You heard of rumors in school of IT being out there - the reason for so many missing ships. Your only hope for survival and success in your mission is to destroy ITs powergenerators before IT kills you with intelligent plasma fireballs or disintegrates you with high energy defensive shields.

 

 

Game Information

• Game Name: Death Trap
• Released By: Avalon Hill, 1983
• Left Difficulty: N/A
• Right Difficulty: N/A
• Game Mode: Hard mode (Press the button at the title screen, then use up and down to select the diamond, then hit right to actually start the game)
• Chosen By: rheffera

Post your scores right here in this thread, and I will add them to the list. Remember to play the game with the recommended game mode and difficulty settings as shown above so that your scores will be consistent with everyone elses. The deadline for posting scores is Wednesday, Dec 19th at 1:00 AM (CST).

 

Current High Scores 33,072 (Deteacher) [+11] 20,918 (toymailman) [+10] 17,281 (phaxda) [+9] 16,886 (lucifershalo) [+8] 16,260 (Captain Beard) [+7] 16,130 (Omegamatrix) [+6] 15,617 (Christophero Sly) [+5] 9213 (Impaler_26) [+4] 7715 (LarcenTyler) [+3] 5723 (shadow460) [+2] 5075 (Kurt_Woloch) [+1] 2595 (theking21083) [+1] Best Tips Deteacher [+2] Challenges None TwinGalaxies Top 3 35,065 (Scott Stilphen) 31,499 (David B Yancey) 31,230 (Robert T Mruczek) Game 1, Difficulty B)

Current Standings Deteacher [144] toymailman [125] keilbaca [98] PressureCooker2600 [79] theking21083 [71] rheffera [57] Kurt_Woloch [49] homerwannabee [45] Impaler_26 [44] Recycled [44] SpiceWare [39] Captain Beard [37] DarthCalvin [36] Blackjack [35] Christophero Sly [30] Nathan Strum [29] shadow460 [23] Rom Hunter [23] midnight magicman [19] Butterwasp [18] LarcenTyler [15] phaxda [13] theKLT [11] godzillajoe [11] Artlover [9] Dauber [9] ed1475 [8] keitaro [7] Nognir [5] Goochman [4] atari2600land [4] SeaGtGruff [3] Crazy Climber [2] gospeedde [2] chuchwalla [2] Phantom [2] Snider-man [2] doctorclu [1] lucifershalo [1] RJ [1] KaeruYojimbo [1]

 

Scoring Points in Death Trap

• Readiness - Every few seconds, up to 6 points are added based on your level of readiness. Readiness points are determined by the number of small ships beneath your score.
• Damage - Ten times the total number of hits on ITs power stations are added. (First hit = + 10 points, Fifteenth hit = + 150 points).
• Bonus points - Totally destroying left or right power stations= + 2000 points. Center station= + 5000 points.
• Penalty - You lose 90 points every time IT is able to lower SHIELD C.

 

Hints and Tips

• The moving block in the defensive shields are generated directly below the left and right red guns. Careful timing will allow you to create new blocks on top of existing blocks. This will reduced the amount of interference between you and the guns, and is especially helpful in destroying the central power station when time is limited.

The Manual
As always, you really should read the manual. In case you don't have the manual, AtariAge has a typed copy available. Here are the hints it provides:
Omegamatrix
The strategy seems to be to spend a lot more time destroying the first two power generators being careful to get the blocks to overlap. While this takes a long time and the shields close in on you it will help you lay the third power generator to waste without interfering blocks from shields A and B.
Deteacher
For those that are having trouble getting a handle on this game, my suggestion is to play the easiest level for a while to get some practice in. Once you get an understanding of the game, then move on to the hard level. I played the easy level until I beat it before I tackled the hard level. That really helped me out. Another tip: Learn how to time the enemies' shots. That's critical in timing your own shots. By moving off each side of the screen, you can keep the enemy's shots on screen longer. That'll allow you to either plan your shot, or make a shot on the run. Here's my strategy. 1. I take out the right generator first. I time my shots to keep that shield as small as possible. Learn not only to time the shot, but to speed your shot up to the gun when you need to. 2. Once you've destroyed the right generator, hang out on the right side of the screen and wait for the left gun to fire at you. When it gets close to you, wrap around to the left side. If you time it right, the shot will pass by you, giving you time to fire a shot at the gun. Then wraparound back to the right side and wait for the next shot. Combine this technique with the timing of your shots and you can take out the left gun pretty quickly. 3. If you time everyting well enough, there should be a decent sized hole (or 2) for you to work your shots through to the center generator. Learn how to use a fast moving shot. This skill will come in VERY handy when dealing with the 2nd and 3rd generators. Good luck!

 

--Zero

[Impaler_26]

Dude, what a quirky game!!! I guess i need to read the manual carefully before i continue playing this!

 

First try -

 

1,940.

[Captain Beard]

After a few initial attempts: 9362

 

I'm kinda baffled by this one, so any tips from those who already know what the heck to do would be most appreciated.

[Omegamatrix]

Great game! I missed out Jr Pac-Man cause I'm doing exams right now, but I got a little time today for this one.

 

[theking21083]

2,595 for my first attempt. This is a fun game but I need alot of practice.

[Christophero Sly]

14,908

[Omegamatrix]

After a few initial attempts: 9362

 

I'm kinda baffled by this one, so any tips from those who already know what the heck to do would be most appreciated.

The manual has a good tip:

 

Careful timing will allow you to create new blocks

on top of existing blocks. This will reduced the amount of interference

between you and the guns, and is especially helpful in destroying the central

power station when time is limited.

 

 

The strategy seems to be to spend a lot more time destroying the first two power generators being careful to get the blocks to overlap. While this takes a long time and the shields close in on you it will help you lay the third power generator to waste without interfering blocks from shields A and B.

[shadow460]

5723

[Impaler_26]

Minor improvement.... i'll need a lot of practice to get a halfway decent score on this one...

 

4,040.

[Kurt_Woloch]

First try... 5075.

 

[Christophero Sly]

15,617

[toymailman]

My first submission. Almost had the center thing destroyed too! Maybe next time. This game is all about patience and timing.

 

20,918

 

[Captain Beard]

13,534

 

Not sure how much more patience I'm gonna have for this game at this difficulty level.

I've tried multiple methods of timing shots and none of them work.

It doesn't help that spaces between shields are completely unforgiving about letting shots past.

In short: I'm still sorta baffled.

[Impaler_26]

6,728.

[Deteacher]

First submission: 10,785! I'll post a screenie later.

 

I can defeat the first power generator with little problem. I'm able to keep that shield pretty small (or at least manageable.) I'm still working on doing the same for the second one. I can get that power generator down about 3/4 before it becomes nearly impossible to get a shot through. I'm hoping that I can get some more work on it this weekend.

 

For those that are having trouble getting a handle on this game, my suggestion is to play the easiest level for a while to get some practice in. Once you get an understanding of the game, then move on to the hard level. I played the easy level until I beat it before I tackled the hard level. That really helped me out.

 

Another tip: Learn how to time the enemies' shots. That's critical in timing your own shots. By moving off each side of the screen, you can keep the enemy's shots on screen longer. That'll allow you to either plan your shot, or make a shot on the run.

Edited December 22, 2007 by Deteacher

[Deteacher]

New score for me: 24,687!

 

I only needed 2 or 3 more shots to finish the game, but I ran out of room. I had a big fat hole to shoot through too. It just took too long for the hole to open up. Hopefully I can beat this thing before Wednesday.

[phaxda]

This is a weird game. The first time I tried it, I hated it. Then I got kinda used to it, and made it over 10k before sinking below the bottom line. I hate it when that happens; I tend to do it a lot.

 

This morning I decided to give it another chance and was much more patient with it and wound up doing all right. 15,472. I was down to the center one with very little space to shoot through. Tough game.

 

[Deteacher]

WHOO HOO! Finally beat it: 32,357!

 

That score can be improved on, though. I only had a couple of ships toward the end. If you can keep your whole fleet alive, that'll definitely boost the score!

[toymailman]

WHOO HOO! Finally beat it: 32,357!

 

That score can be improved on, though. I only had a couple of ships toward the end. If you can keep your whole fleet alive, that'll definitely boost the score!

Nice job! I knew someone was going to do it.

 

I haven't been able to improve my score yet, but will keep trying.

[Impaler_26]

A bit better but it seems i don't have the patience needed for this game...

 

11,005.

[Deteacher]

Here's my strategy.

 

1. I take out the right generator first. I time my shots to keep that shield as small as possible. Learn not only to time the shot, but to speed your shot up to the gun when you need to.

 

2. Once you've destroyed the right generator, hang out on the right side of the screen and wait for the left gun to fire at you. When it gets close to you, wrap around to the left side. If you time it right, the shot will pass by you, giving you time to fire a shot at the gun. Then wraparound back to the right side and wait for the next shot. Combine this technique with the timing of your shots and you can take out the left gun pretty quickly.

 

3. If you time everyting well enough, there should be a decent sized hole (or 2) for you to work your shots through to the center generator.

 

Learn how to use a fast moving shot. This skill will come in VERY handy when dealing with the 2nd and 3rd generators. Good luck!

[lucifershalo]

I wanted to participate this week end

but my cart is dead

at the end (today)

i played by dl it with my CC1

on my 2600 with Rf crappy connection

only did one game, in easy mode and have 16886

I am happy

 

it is a good game

too bad there are no explosions when you finished the generators

[Deteacher]

33,072!

[phaxda]

I definitely need to lay better groundwork before getting to the center one. Slight improvement, though: 17,281.

 

 

[Captain Beard]

OK, so instead of just crying like a whiny brat, I decided to try patience...

 

GRRRRRRRRRRR!

 

Slight improvement: 16,260