Full Extent of the Jam : Playing Shmups Competitively

ProMeTheus · December 09, 2010, 04:17:38 PM

The Full Extent of the Jam

Hello fellow shmuppers !

After a lot of strategy, practicing and technical talks on various threads, I had decided, a long time ago, to write a document containing all of the most useful advice that I can give to other players looking to get better at their shmup of choice, using DoDonPachi as a reference for all examples, since it is the shooting game I have played the most by far.

New comers should find this a particularly good read, as it contains, all in one place, a lot of info and answers that you typically are looking for when you start getting into STGs : which controller is the best ? How do you pick your ship ? How do you practice ?

I have tried my best to go further and give more in depth advice which I hope will be helpful to many players of various skill level. Practicing and performing methods, as well as dodging techniques, are covered in the document.

I want this to be as helpful, easy to read and understand as possible, so please, if you have read it and found that some topic deserves more elaboration, that something is missing, or that some paragraphs are confusing... Please write about it here, and I will see what I can do to make it better.

Hoping many people will find it useful !

Download from : www.shmupemall.com
Full Extent of the Jam.pdf, 28/11/2010 version, 3.3MB, 44 pages

xax974 · December 09, 2010, 10:36:27 PM

Awesome stuff! Thanks for sharing your experience on the game

Big congratulations on your score again.

And to have done it on a keyboard... Really super f#@%ing impressive, and inspiring

Plasmo · December 10, 2010, 05:05:42 AM

I don't get what's so special about a keyboard, it's a controller like anything else. Once you've mastered it, you can do anything with it. I use pads for my consoles, an arcade stick for my PCBs and a keyboard for every shmup on my PC and to be honest I can't see any differences between them.

Animaitor · December 10, 2010, 05:54:39 AM

Thanks ProMeTheus for taking the time to write this guide. I'll read it this weekend. Probs on your score!

xax974 · December 10, 2010, 06:27:38 AM

Quote from: Plasmo on December 10, 2010, 05:05:42 AM
I don't get what's so special about a keyboard, it's a controller like anything else. Once you've mastered it, you can do anything with it. I use pads for my consoles, an arcade stick for my PCBs and a keyboard for every shmup on my PC and to be honest I can't see any differences between them.

True, it's just a question of what you are used to. Let's say impressive for doing it on MAME without turning the screen then :p

cstarflare · December 10, 2010, 01:14:21 PM

QuoteIf after reading all this you're still not convinced you should practice using MAME, you are an asshole!

wisdom

ProMeTheus · December 10, 2010, 01:24:09 PM

Quote from: cstarflare on December 10, 2010, 01:14:21 PM
QuoteIf after reading all this you're still not convinced you should practice using MAME, you are an asshole!

wisdom

Haha I see some people dislike that sentence, you're the second one who pointed it out to me. It's not meant to be offensive at all, just humour, but if some people don't like it written this way I'll "tone it down a bit". The point behind that sentence is "seriously, MAME is by far the best way to go for practicing".

HVL · December 10, 2010, 01:28:53 PM

Interesting read, got a lot of inspiration from it.

cstarflare · December 10, 2010, 01:53:45 PM

Quote from: ProMeTheus on December 10, 2010, 01:24:09 PMHaha I see some people dislike that sentence, you're the second one who pointed it out to me. It's not meant to be offensive at all, just humour, but if some people don't like it written this way I'll "tone it down a bit". The point behind that sentence is "seriously, MAME is by far the best way to go for practicing".

Don't take it the wrong way, I thought that part was hilarious. You should keep it.

ProMeTheus · December 10, 2010, 01:59:03 PM

Quote from: cstarflare on December 10, 2010, 01:53:45 PM
Quote from: ProMeTheus on December 10, 2010, 01:24:09 PMHaha I see some people dislike that sentence, you're the second one who pointed it out to me. It's not meant to be offensive at all, just humour, but if some people don't like it written this way I'll "tone it down a bit". The point behind that sentence is "seriously, MAME is by far the best way to go for practicing".
Don't take it the wrong way, I thought that part was hilarious. You should keep it.

Sounds good

ProMeTheus · February 09, 2011, 05:42:59 AM

1000 downloads already ! Glad to have helped or at least interested so many players, I never expected that many readers.

MagicT · February 09, 2011, 11:15:33 AM

Quote from: ProMeTheus on February 09, 2011, 05:42:59 AM
1000 downloads already ! Glad to have helped or at least interested so many players, I never expected that many readers.

Downloaded!