Season 3/ Weeks 7/8 ~ The NEW HSC ~ Radical Wheels Weeks

[CapitanClassic]

Jason_Atari discovered the 10,000 bonus for not falling, and did an impressive 40k run. Well done.

This game will play itself since the course is downhill. Just press the fire button, and gravity will score you 13k. Also testing a theory that you can tabletop on flat ground to score 300 points (you might need a slight declination to the mountain, but this could rack up huge points even without a perfect run).

Edit: Nope, you cannot tabletop on flat land. You need a couple of pixels below you before you land.

Double Edit: Actually, an exploit does exist. Details to come.

Edited April 16, 2014 by CapitanClassic

[StanJr]

tabletop on flat ground? So you just press down? Interesting.

[Mister-VCS]

California Games BMX: 20,520

 

[CapitanClassic]

I don't know if you can tabletop on the ground, but plan to launch stellas debugger for a frame by frame analysis.

[StanJr]

Motorodeo

 

1190

 

Lady luck was with me for once.

 

 

[S.BAZ]

my best at BMX so far: 31960

just starting to get the hang of it & somewhat know the course, so I'll be improving on that & will have my camera back tonight

 

Motorodeo 1180 StanJr, you jumped in right ahead of me with a bigger score just as I was writing this!

Edited April 15, 2014 by S.BAZ

[StanJr]

It's only a tiny bit better. I have no doubt it will be crushed soon.

 

Meanwhile, I managed to shave another 8 sec. off my Skateboardin' score. This is as perfect a run as I can do without a boost from the truck. The problem is my timing is just about a second off from meeting the truck after it stops. I am ahead of it and don't want to lose time waiting for it to take off. Stupid truck.

 

Skateboardin'

0 obstacles 2:18 left on the clock

Edited April 16, 2014 by StanJr

[StanJr]

California Games BMX

28030

 

Slight improvement again in Cali Games. I used to be so much better, but this game requires practice, practice, practice.

 

 

[classicgamer_27330]

Skateboarding 4 second improvement (1:13)

 

Edited April 16, 2014 by classicgamer_27330

[GornThrifting]

This was a rough round for me. Just don't get these games I guess.

 

California Games BMX: 22400

Skate Boardin': 21 (hey, at least I figured out how to duck through the tubes!)

MotoRodeo: 820

 

[Vocelli]

Updated scores

 

Vocelli:

BMX 23160

I kinda like this game.

 

Skate Boardin'

10 Left

Ok Game. I expected more from X-Activision people.

 

 

[StanJr]

Getting better runs, but still some critical crashes.

 

California Games BMX

32660

 

 

[CapitanClassic]

Taking back first place.
MotoRodeo - 1455
Skate Boardin' - 0 Obstacles left/ 2:24 Remaining
Calfornia Games (BMX) - 39,100




Additionally, I would like to point out what I assume everyone would consider an exploit. You actually can perform a tabletop (worth 300 points) on flat ground. The technique I have used to pull it off is to jump first (to orient your bike sprite above the mountain background, then immediately after you hit the ground tap jump and down then release (you can actually hold backwards to brake to slow your descent down the mountain). I am not perfect with the technique, but using it I scored 65,990 points. I think using that technique goes against the spirit of the game. I have included a video below illustrating the technique. (Also, how do we usually handle what someone thinks is an exploit? Should I reveal the technique like I did below? Another exploit exists, and I want to know how to proceed)

Edited April 16, 2014 by CapitanClassic

[Vocelli]

You proceeded correctly on this one Capt Classic. Ask for a clarification before posting it for a score.

Thanks for pointing this out.

This 'Flatground Tabletop Exploit' will not be allowed in the HSC competiton.

Thanks.

 

Vocelli

[CapitanClassic]

You proceeded correctly on this one Capt Classic. Ask for a clarification before posting it for a score.

Vocelli

It was more of a question of how to proceed about details of the exploit. Should I post a video and describe how to accomplish the exploit, or do we want security through obscurity? The other exploit is in MotorRodeo. Still working on details for how to pull it off (and for clarification, the 1455 score above doesn't abuse the technique. With the technique I was able to score 1700+ before the first half of the race.)

[StanJr]

Impressive, Cap. You shaved a minute plus off your previous Skateboardin' time! Did you get a boost from the truck?

[CapitanClassic]

Impressive, Cap. You shaved a minute plus off your previous Skateboardin' time! Did you get a boost from the truck?

Yes. The truck comes at ~3:35 and at ~3:22. If you miss the truck at 3:35 (I don't think you can get to it, but I was able to catch a truck without stopping once after it had left the stop). This will send you over both ramps to the right. Then you can jump duck through two pipes, jump the ramp the wrong way to get the pipe to the right of it. Loop around and get the ramp you skipped, then take the long path past the barricades. I think I can shave off an additional 10 seconds or so if it didn't collide with something.

 

As to the Motor Rodeo exploit, I call this one Infinite collapsing ramp exploit. All you need to do is slowly ascend the collapsing ramp until you are close to the right hand side. Your score will begin to increase by 25 point increments. Then when the ramp goes to vertical, it throws you backwards (you can also score 5 points for landing on your tires). Video below.

 

Regarding my 39,100 score for California Games (BMX). I don't know if this should qualify as an exploit, but I got that score using tabletops instead of flips. The instruction manual says that you score a variable amount of points for a tabletop based upon how long you hold down. I press and release down, which seems to score you the same as performing a flip (i.e. a single flip scores 300, a quick table top scores 300. A double flip scores 1000, a double tabletop scores 1000, a triple flip (supposedly scores 1800, but I cannot do it) a triple tabletop scores 1800). So, is this an exploit?

[StanJr]

I would say no, as long as you are doing tabletops during the course of normal gameplay and not the flat ground exploit you detailed above. I tabletop most of the time as the triple flip is too hard to execute safely. On big air jumps I tabletop as long as possible before landing.

 

It's part of the game and fair play as far as I am concerned.

 

 

As for Skateboardin', that truck is the key. If I can time it right and get the boost and not crash afterwards, I can probably shave more time off my score. But that is a feat! Well done.

[karokoenig]

You're all crazy, guys. Just sayin'

[CapitanClassic]

Agreed StanJr, I don't think it is a exploit, but it is the most effective technique. For example, the very first jump scores the following: (scores approximate, you also score for distance/air time of the jump)

Flip = 300

2Flip = 900

3Flip = impossible (I think)

Hold Tabletop = 500

Quick tabletop = 300

2Q.Tabletop = 900

3Q.Tabletop = 1800

 

I would rather score almost 2x the points than flips (which seem to take longer) or 4x the points of holding a tabletop.

Edited April 16, 2014 by CapitanClassic

[NIKON]

IMHO about the exploits found in these games...

 

If an exploit has been found and this exploit is easily reproducible then that game should be withdrawn from the competition.

 

Furthermore...when an exploit is found please do not make it public...(nothing against CaptainClassic) but rather inform the moderator of the round and let him/her make the the decision of whether to make it public.

 

 

As for me...I say that in light of this that we scrap this round and start another one....along the same lines of wheels but games that are not so easily exploitable and everyone can tell if there has been an exploit used.

 

Again all of which I wrote is just my opinion...it is up to the community to say yey or ney

[CapitanClassic]

NIKON, I pesonally don't believe in security by obscurity. If I found a bug, someone else is likely to discover it. I am sure there are multiple ways to cheat on any game (IRL or emulated). I figure most people in the HSC are ok with the honor system, so revealing an exploit does no harm. Even so, I intended to release video of my high score runs in light of these exploits, just in case someone didn't believe me. (Even video could be faked.).

 

I am fine with throwing out the games as well (although I just scored 40k+ on BMX). The sooner we know, the better, so I don't waste more time practicing.

[StanJr]

Unless there is an exploit in Skateboardin', I say we should keep it in play. I have no problem keeping or ditching the other two, although I think everyone has been playing in good faith and that suspicious scores will be easier to detect now that Cap has shared his info. If I show up later tonight with 60K in BMX and 9000 in Motorodeo, then I think we have a pretty good idea how I got those scores.

 

If I suspected even for a second that someone was not playing on the up and up in the HSC, I would pretty much just stop playing. Everyone here seems to operate in good faith.

[NIKON]

Please understand that I had stated about the exploits being made public was because members are not the only people who see these forum threads...and currently there is a site that collects high scores from video games...and it is virtually impossible to prove cheating over there.

 

I have no doubt that people here at AA play under the honor system...and again as I said it was only my opinion...as for me I will submit scores for the games if they are deemed to remain..but that is all.

[StanJr]

Understood NIKON, but I seriously doubt Cap Classic is the only person who knows about these exploits. If another site doesn't do a good job of verifying their high scores, then they aren't a very reliable institution for tracking high scores in the first place. That has little to do with what goes on here at the AA HSC. There are LOTS of threads here at AA that discuss cheats and exploits, you cannot expect to squash them all.

 

I also see no reason to remove the games (having thought about it). We had this problem a long time ago when playing Mario Bros. for the HSC. There is an easy point scum in that game with slipices. We all agreed not to do it and things went along just fine. If we throw out every game that has a cheat or exploit, then we will be sitting here playing Word Zapper and Space Shuttle. I do not relish that thought.

 

Don't sweat it, though. It is good and healthy for us to mull these things over in the spirit of good and fair competition.