Author Topic: What is the best game to start with scoring runs and should I do it?  (Read 2429 times)

Well basically I have been getting a mild interesting in scorerunning,  I never really though about it very much, but recently I (Kanako knows how) got my first 1 BILLION+ SCORE EVER! in my Touhou career on a random Phantasm run despise only playing for survival (I realize its probably a crap score but to me 1 billion is super unique), and this has made me think about getting into scoring...

Not sure what  Touhou  is the best one to start with this, and I am not even sure if I have enough skill to even realistically start attempting them to being with.

The Touhou that's probably the one I mastered/played the most is PCB, is that game a good one to get into scorerunning or it is particularly complex? if so what other(s) would you recommend? Keep in mind I have ZERO clue about the scoring rules or strats for any game, other than capturing spellcards and grazing are probably good...

The other obvious problem is about personal skill, and whenever it is enough to get into scoring runs or not. Now I don't really consider myself to be a complete beginner at these games anymore, I have a couple of the easier Lunatics 1cc?d, did all of ISC No Items, and have some perfected individual Lunatic Stages, but I am still nowhere near the level of some of the people here who can do stuff like UFO Lunatic (< The hardest Touhou ever for me) No Bombs and post about it everyday like its a mundane thing and I am like Damn UFO Lunatic patterns + its demonic gimmick still scare the hell out of me and I hardly get further than Stage 4 before losing xD-

Anyway the point is, how much skill does a decent score run need?
« Last Edit: December 03, 2016, 09:21:02 PM by IlikeBulletZ »

Karisa

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Re: What is the best game to start with scoring runs and should I do it?
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2016, 09:57:20 PM »
There isn't really a "best game", more of a personal preference. Try watching some scoreruns of each to see what you like? Different scoring systems emphasize different techniques-- grazing, planning bombs, spell bonuses, canceling bullets, unfocusing, not dying, etc.

Some scoring systems are more complex than others, PCB and IN in particular. It's not like you have to start with every scoring technique at once, though; you can introduce them gradually. Point item value (PIV) is important in all the games that have PIV systems, so that's a good place to start, along with collecting items to take advantage of that PIV.

In PCB, since you mentioned it, you can start by unfocusing whenever you can, and not shooting bosses during borders-- that, along with collecting point items and good survival, should be enough for over 1 billion Easy/Normal, for instance. Planning your borders for places with the best graze is a major part of PCB scoring, though, so you'd need to start including that sooner or later to continue to improve.

As for what skill level you need to be able to start scoring, you need some decent multitasking ability (to be able to consider scoring mechanics as you play, without randomly dying from lack of attention), something you should have around the level of Extra clears and Hard 1ccs. As well as decent consistency at most of the patterns in whatever difficulty you score. I think you're well over that level already.
« Last Edit: December 03, 2016, 10:33:54 PM by Karisa »

Uruwi

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Re: What is the best game to start with scoring runs and should I do it?
« Reply #2 on: December 05, 2016, 06:44:35 PM »
Either TD or DDC. They're not too hard. TD doesn't depend too much on graze (most of the PIV comes from blue spirits); DDC depends somewhat on graze but bombs also contribute a lot to PIV.
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Re: What is the best game to start with scoring runs and should I do it?
« Reply #3 on: December 06, 2016, 08:35:19 PM »
Ok thanks, I guess I will watch some PCB highscore stuff to being with. Even though its one of the hardest ones... its not like I want to have a super high score, I just want to give scorerunning a try just to see how it plays out.


I might try out DDC next then if its simple.
 TD... is not exactly my favorite Touhou game.

Karisa

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Re: What is the best game to start with scoring runs and should I do it?
« Reply #4 on: December 06, 2016, 10:08:46 PM »
I wouldn't say any are "hardest". It really depends on what score you're aiming for.

MoF, for example, has a very simple, survival-oriented system compared to most of the series (don't die, keep faith from decreasing, collect point items, capture spells, cancel bullets, stay at 5 power on later bosses). So it may be easy to learn, but as a consequence of its simplicity, higher-level scoring becomes much more about minor optimizations, like maximizing spell bonuses/bullet cancels, and collecting PIV before point items.

Meanwhile, as I mentioned in my earlier post, you don't need to use every single scoring mechanic if you're starting out, especially in complex systems like PCB; you can introduce them as you go.

I guess it could be comparable to how most players wouldn't try to go for no bombs when still trying to 1cc a game, despite no bombs being an important element of higher-level survival runs? Scoring isn't really like survival though. In survival runs you either capture each pattern or you don't; dying and bombing are inherently worse. In scoring, you use all the game mechanics when they'll benefit you, there are varying degrees of efficiency, and there's no perfect score the way there's perfect survival. (OK, underflow glitches exist, but I don't think those are taken seriously.)
« Last Edit: December 06, 2016, 10:11:46 PM by Karisa »

Re: What is the best game to start with scoring runs and should I do it?
« Reply #5 on: December 07, 2016, 01:44:36 AM »
I would say IN. Because of Scarlett Team's big graze box, and it generally being a relaxed game overall. Ghost Team destroys stages. Barrier Team is just overall great. Magic Tram is abysmal though. The worst would be, even ad much as I hate to say it, Ten Desires. TD has a earned a place in my heart, because the demo was my first Touhou game. But it is super inconvenient to score, get more lives and bombs. TD is all about memorizing stages to get optimal trance, which is annoying.