Arcade/MAME HSC 2018 Round 1: Time Pilot '84

[Zoyous]

Great scores! I hope to have some more time to play soon.

 

Edit: Okay, I just had a little time to play and try out my new MAME cabinet! I was doing great but got nervous when I saw I was close to 100,000.

 

 

I'm starting to figure out that there are certain ways you can make the higher score formations of enemies spawn. If you can take out the "Pain Train" in stage 01, you'll get 8,000 points and immediately spawn the "woop woop" formation for 1,000. Each subsequent time the "woop woops" come along they're worth 1,000 more than the time before. There are also some locations on the map where a higher value target will appear... the trench with the red lights has one enemy that quickly appears and disappears (shown in the image in the first post of this thread) but if you hit it with a missile you get 5,000 points. The squadron of jets will give you 8,000 but they're hard to get in your sights without them getting away. If you get the Time Pilot bi-plane it gives you an extra life.

 

By the way, it's a classy touch how the game thanks you for playing.

Edited August 16, 2018 by Zoyous

[Ramses]

106700. My goal of breaking 100000 has been reached. Level 6 is crazy. I still haven't seen the biplane. What level does it usually appear in?

Edited August 17, 2018 by Ramses

[Zoyous]

I think I saw it in stage 3 or 4, and I think I was pretty far "north" on the map. I'll try to remember more specifically the next time I see it. But it seems like different special targets might appear in specific areas in that way.

[S.BAZ]

121,000

I got the biplane! yup, extra life. Been taking out the 8,000pt squadrons now, too. I've gotten as much as 48,000 and 49,000 in the first stage.

[youxia]

Wow, this one will go down to the wire 100K has been truly breached.

I thought a lot about the spawn paterns and think they're actually quite random. I had stuff appear just about everywhere, regardless of map position and timing. That's why you can sometimes clock 40K plus in the first stage and sometimes barely 20K. There's lots of luck involved in this game when playing for HS so it's sort of "unfair", but it's also so addictive and great that it doesn't matter really. My only real gripe is with the inconsistent lock-on for missiles...it's why I die a lot when trying to pull some super tight maneuvres and it does not catch on.

 

In the run with the score below I had everybody and their dog appear in Stage 1, so managed to get 42K, then the biplane spawned next to me so I of course had to crash right into it

 

EDIT: Actually, Zoyous could be right, the trench seems to have higher probability to spawn things: I got the jets like 3 times in a row there and the ground thing also appears maybe more often. But only on the first level. That makes me think, perhaps different levels have different probability zones. There's got to be something happening in the desert, right?

 

Damn, I really wish I had arcade stick for this. My thumb is dying.

 

113,700

 

Edited August 17, 2018 by youxia

[youxia]

132,700

 

It's definitely good to have a carrot score to beat. But now I'm the target 36 hours left, gentlemen.

 

[S.BAZ]

168,000 !

 

extra life at 140,000!

 

Level 06 is the hardest for me, after that it was a little easier -- it starts recycling enemies from previous levels, just throwing one group of each at you simultaneously.

 

the stuff that spawns on the ground has certain spots where they spawn, but I think if you pass that spot and come back it may be too late. or maybe if you die with that spot in the screen. Sometimes it's just not there.

[Leto27]

168,000 !

Time Pilot '84 (MAME) 168000.png

 

extra life at 140,000!

 

Level 06 is the hardest for me, after that it was a little easier -- it starts recycling enemies from previous levels, just throwing one group of each at you simultaneously.

 

the stuff that spawns on the ground has certain spots where they spawn, but I think if you pass that spot and come back it may be too late. or maybe if you die with that spot in the screen. Sometimes it's just not there.

impressive, I was sitting commfortable in my first place, my spot. I have to play again, and see if can beat your score

[youxia]

Lol, 168K - that's another level. No way I'm touching that.

Sort of glad this round is over, can go back to playing other games

[Leto27]

Time Pilot 194000 points, my last post for this game. @S.BAZ you are eight, after stage 6 with the combination of two distinctive enemies from different stages becomes easier.

 

[S.BAZ]

186,300

 

that Leto is tough to beat!!

 

I keep getting trashed! ...but still getting up to 150k or so here and there. I've made 108 attempts so far...

[S.BAZ]

Take 112:

234,700

 

1up @ 200k

New enemy in Stage 11

 

my one criticism of Time Pilot '84: It doesn't seem to follow in the theme of the original. You don't start in 1984, but in a futuristic setting. You don't seem to time-travel between stages. It's apparently always in the same time period and on the same planet. It has controls like Time Pilot. you fight and try to press for points until boss shows up. Fun game, i like it about the same as Time Pilot. Fun sounds... but I think it kinda fails in that one department. ... maybe our hero got trapped in time and now just fights the machines in the future?

Edited August 20, 2018 by S.BAZ

[AtariWarlord]

Time Pilot '84: 48,000. Played on MAME 0.175.0.0. Difficulty: Hard. Extra lives at 20,000 and 60,000. It's not going to change my overall standing but at least it's a good improvement.

[AtariWarlord]

Time Pilot '84: 48,000. Played on MAME 0.175.0.0. Difficulty: Hard. Extra lives at 20,000 and 60,000. It's not going to change my overall standing but at least it's a good improvement. Sorry for the double post.

Edited August 20, 2018 by AtariWarlord