Planet Descent
Community => Descent Gameplay => Topic started by: Kaiaatzl on January 26, 2011, 05:01:39 PM
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I just completed my Descent-skills test that I do every January (started last year). In this test I play through a small single-player campaign on a difficulty level much higher than my normal level and see how far I get. I don't allow myself to save/reload for retries, I only save when I have to leave to take a break, and if I quit the game I must save no matter what my shield/energy/weapons situation.
This year was Descent Maximum on Ace again. I got to level 24 before being beaten by the boss (with many deaths on the way). This is 20 levels up from last year when I was crushed by the Red Fatty boss on level 4. So I can say I've improved :P.
A more detailed report of where I had trouble follows:
I died once or twice on level 4 at the missiles of the Red Fatty boss, but then I managed to beat him by shooting through the doors from outside the room.
I died 5 times on the second lame pun map -- level 15. Mostly it was the reactor that killed me, it is in the worst place in that mine. I didn't die at all on that mine until after I had the red key.
I lost over half my lives on level 16 (guess who I lost them all to :P). That and I didn't make it to the exit in time.
After level 16 I was able to get mostly refilled on weapons and ammo and it went smoothly until level 21 where I was ambushed to death by a green spider bot just after I got the red key.
I died once more on level 23.
I lost the rest of my lives on level 24... one to a boarshed, and the rest to the Alien 2 boss. Game Over.
But I still declare victory over my skill level from last year.
Next year will be Project Mandrill on Hotshot.
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Nice!
I do the same thing (no save/reloads unless I'm taking a break, straight through, see how far I get) every time I play D1 or D2.
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I do a sort of a skill test with Call of Duty. Sorry, not Descent related. But yeah, I'll try veteran on basically all call of Duty games.
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Did I mention there are no energy-to-shield converters after level 16 in Descent Maximum?
Considering how much I use it, it was pretty annoying not having it for the final 2 planets.
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Ha, we should come up with a standard test and post results.
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Hmmm.... ideas are brewing.... wish I had more time.
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if anything, I can only do Descent 3
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if anything, I can only do Descent 3
There are always ways...
Personally I think most of D3 is far and away easier than D1/2.
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Except level 4.
What a difficulty jump :P - for one area and then it's back to normal.
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Come on... Its easy when you get their pattern!
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Do we know if they move faster at higher difficulties?
I always suspected...
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They move a hellofalot faster at higher difficulties. The time in between trains is shortened also. I think that it makes it impossible for a Magnum to get through on insane.
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I just use phoenix for that level now that I've unlocked it.
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I think a good standard would be how many lives does it take to get through D1 level 7 on insane!
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Level fourteen of D3 was always getting me. Usually it's those pesky sharks that are getting me, ganging up on me and cornering me...if only they were bigger, and would stay put long enough for me to shoot them. :P
Of course, level fifteen of D3 can also be troublesome, but it's not so bad because you don't have to go everywhere in the level, you can just get by with covering the basics to get to the Hellion at the end.
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I think a good standard would be how many lives does it take to get through D1 level 7 on insane!
Tried that not too long ago. Would have been only 3 lives, if not for those darn drillers on Level 6! :P
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I still can barely get past lunar outpost on insane.
I think I'll stick with Descent Maximum (:P)
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it's fun to test your skills. I'm glad that my friend will do that when playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. I need it on hardened or veteran, and sometimes, it's still easy.
So far, I am DYING on Black Ops though, one map where you have enemies re-spawning all the time, and you're on veteran. I think it's impossible, but I'm sure it can be done.
Stupid or not, in games like C.O.D., or Descent, etc etc.. I'll try to see how far I can go without getting more ammo and/or energy, etc.
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I've never done a test like that. I'll occasionally go through levels 5-8 on D1 on Insane to see how well I can do, as a challenge.
It's fun, but really hard. I've never done it without a death, but I usually kill the boss without losing the hostages (I hate losing hostages, it's a pet peeve of mine).
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Hmmm... Something different to try.
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I think a good standard would be how many lives does it take to get through D1 level 7 on insane!
I think this is not a good standard because some of us can't even get to level 7 on insane!
I can get to level 2 though!
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Perhaps we should use hacked versions of Rebirth or XL that start the player with 300 lives instead of 3.
:P
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Imma be chugging through D3 on insane. I'll do a level a day.
I haven't done it in a while. It is interesting because the bots really do learn. I'll bunch 'em up when I go into a tunnel and then pop out to shoot them. The third time I tried that, a couple of them started hanging back at opposite corners.
It is also funny how 3 Gyros used to never be a problem, but become a serious threat especially when you are stuck with weak blue lasers for the most part of Level 1.
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I knew the AI for D3 was much more advanced than D1 or D2, but I didn't think it actually learned.
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I seem to remember an interview somewhere, one of the devs from Descent, who said the bots would adjust their behavior according to the situation and tactics used by the player. Not quite 'learning', but more like simulated learning.
To me learning would mean adopting behavior not already programed in. Whereas the bots are choosing tactics already programmed based on some sort of algorithm. I call it simulated learning because the bots are adjusting behavior on the fly. In omega's example, one tactic wasn't working so they switched to another.