Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu 1.51, Arrange A, Arrange B, Novice

[EOJ]

Discuss these modes here. I'll post some basics soon, but feel free to chime in if you'd like at any time with info or questions.

[EOJ]

Some basics about Arrange A:

-Scoring is based upon hit count and bees collected when they flash white. If you collect the bees when they aren't in their "flash", you get close to no points. Get them while in a flash with a high hit count and you can get tens of billions of points with one bee.
-I think you may need to collect all of the previous bees in a level when they flash white in order to gain the really big bonuses from the later bees in the level, but I am not sure about this yet.
-Hit count raises fastest while in NORMAL HYPER mode with SHOT. Use this in dense bullet streams to raise the counter very quickly. Use BOOST HYPER mode with SHOT to clear out bullets. LASER in either NORMAL or BOOST is just used for extra power and to jack up your hyper meter  when close to enemies.
-The more hyper bees you have when you trigger hyper mode, the faster your hit counter will raise. Try to trigger hyper mode with 3+ bees in tow.
-The more hyper bees you have the stronger the hyper laser will be when you trigger hyper mode.
-BOOST LASER in hyper mode makes the hyper timer reduce much faster than any other type of shot.
-Loop conditions are the same as in ver 1.5.
-Bombs don't affect the counter, deaths reduce the counter by about 30% (Similar to Mushihimesama Futari)

[EOJ]

Something else about Arrange A:

-NORMAL HYPER MODE with LASER makes your hyper meter raise the fastest in hyper mode. Only use BOOST HYPER MODE with LASER on bosses for extra power. Otherwise it reduces the hyper meter way too fast and is thus of little use in the stages.

[Special World]

Only played a little bit of this so far, but I think it's my favorite mode. I have some questions though, sorry if they're a little obvious:

1. What are the best ways to raise your hyper meter? Using Hyper-Normal-Laser on enemies and getting flashing bees? Do you have to be on top of enemies to get a Hyper-Normal-Laser hyper meter boost?
2. Is it advantageous to use Hyper-Boost-Shot to cancel bullets once you've added them to one's counter? I assume getting the stars is a good thing, but I could see if they might not be worth it or adversely affect your score somehow. Do these stars add to one's hyper meter in any significant way?
3. Do players need a hyper in tow in order to cash their hit multiplier? Or is ratcheting the multiplier up the goal in itself?
 - If one needs the hyper in tow, does it benefit the cash-in to have multiple hypers trailing, or is the only benefit of the hypers a multiplier to you Hyper-Normal-Shot bullet scans?

[EOJ]

More Arrange A stuff:

1. What are the best ways to raise your hyper meter? Using Hyper-Normal-Laser on enemies and getting flashing bees? Do you have to be on top of enemies to get a Hyper-Normal-Laser hyper meter boost?

Normal laser is the fastest way, in both hyper and non-hyper modes. Boost Laser (non-hyper) works really well at close range too.
Boost Hyper Laser increases the meter the fastest on bosses, when at close range.

2. Is it advantageous to use Hyper-Boost-Shot to cancel bullets once you've added them to one's counter? I assume getting the stars is a good thing, but I could see if they might not be worth it or adversely affect your score somehow. Do these stars add to one's hyper meter in any significant way?

You should only use Hyper Boost shot to clear away bullets when you're overwhelmed. However, I've seen top players use it at the end of stage 5 for a nice score boost, apparently when you have a really high multiplier (200K~400+K), the cancelled bullets add a lot to your score. They quickly tap the normal/boost button instead of staying in boost mode, however.

3. Do players need a hyper in tow in order to cash their hit multiplier? Or is ratcheting the multiplier up the goal in itself?
 

I don't think so - this works much differently from ver 1.5. It's not really a multiplier like in a Dodonpachi game, it's more like a counter in Mushihimesama Futari God Mode, that you cash in at certain spots (in this game, the white-flash bees). The main thing is to use the hit count to score with the white-flash bees. That's where nearly all of the points come from.

Also, do know that you can Hyper cancel by pressing the hyper button when in hyper mode. This is very useful in some spots - the current top score does hyper cancels (and then re-enters hyper mode) over and over on the stage 2-5 boss, for example.

[SP3RRFEUER]

what exactly is the difference in novice mode?

[emphatic]

I just watched the top replay of 1.51 on the leaderboards. WTF is up with the suiciding and the bomb fest during boss fights? Is the scoring broken? It's quite a jump from the second place score to this, so it has me thinking "someone is onto something". 

Also, can someone please explain how you play 1.51? Those lasers kept killing me last time I tried it, tonight I just watched replays.

[HVL]

I just watched the top replay of 1.51 on the leaderboards. WTF is up with the suiciding and the bomb fest during boss fights? Is the scoring broken?

Yes, it's broken alright. See http://www.cave-stg.com/?p=523.

[Thjodbjorn]

Wow... Thanks, EOJ. My arrange A score almost doubled after reading this. I feel good about my leaderboard position, even though it's only Area 2 (URA boss path) Boss, because most of the scores near mine are all area 4 and 5. So it means that something is clicking for me.

Thanks again!   

[antares]

In Arrange A does anyone know why most of the time when you collect a flashing bee all bullets on screen are cancelled but sometimes they aren't?

[cstarflare]

I've been assuming it has some thing to do with whether or not it fills your hyper meter, but if I'm mistaken that would be good to know.

[Shalashaska]

Yeah, cstarflare is right.

[croikle]

You get bullet cancels when you fill a hyper in DOJ, at least in boss fights.

[antares]

But a flashing bee always fills up the hyper meter, still sometimes the bullets aren't cancelled.

You get bullet cancels when you fill a hyper in DOJ, at least in boss fights.

It's the same in Arrange A. Also mid-bosses.
EDIT: sorry, on second thought this isn't true. I think it happens only at the mid bosses.

[EOJ]

I get the bullet cancel when the two circles over the bee (before it is uncovered) are close together or overlap, and when it flashes white when it's already exposed (but you have to time it well, it doesn't work in all parts of the flash sequence).

[antares]

Yes that makes more sense. I'll have to pay attention to it the next time I play it.

I got over 700 billions today and thought I'm finally closing on your score only to see you posted a new one with over 800 today 
 

[EOJ]

Really? I didn't think I uploaded that score. It was a shitty run, ending in Stage 5. Stage 5 kills me in Arrange A, the few times I've gotten past it I've cruised to 2-5 on one life. If I could do that again soon I'd easily double or triple my score. Guess I should spend some time practicing 1-5 in training mode.

[Shalashaska]

You also get the bullet cancel if you are using your laser when the hyper meter fills up (whether you're in hyper or not).

But a flashing bee always fills up the hyper meter, still sometimes the bullets aren't cancelled.

Not fully. It's more like half a meter or so.

[lam47]

Just started playing with this mode and loving it! Can I just check one thing?
When you use hyper boost shot to clear bullets; does this lower score? Say if you managed to not use it and just dodge the bullets would this add more to the multi?
Or do people avoid HBS to clear just to keep the hyper running longer?
Thanks sexys.

[ratikal]

So does anyone know how the hell kuchiniko got his score? There's gotta be some big secret if he managed to get almost double the 2nd place score (iirc). That or he didn't die, ever, but even then, I don't think that would do it.

[EOJ]

Ura Loop. I don't think any of the other scores got to the UL. Must be more points in there.

[ratikal]

The 4 whatever score run I based my runs on gets into the ura loop. He even counter stops the hit meter in stage 5. Maybe for 10 whatever he counterstopped multiple stages. Is there some sort of hidden multiplier that comes into effect somehow...

[ptoing]

It's interesting how in Arrange A bullets which are going to hit you get marked by a faint rectangle around them.
Makes things a bit easier, esp going through rows of fat bullets.
I reckon most people have noticed this anyway.

About the kuchiniko run, the only thing I can think of is that he just dodged better while shitloads of bullets were there and cancel stuff less. And probably get a bunch more hypers. But it is a pretty big gap for sure. I just watched the 2nd best guy and it looks like he indeed made it to the Ura Loop.

Also just watched that counterstop in Area 3 of Arrange B. That's some pretty silly stuff. Some weird bombing thing going on which jacks up the score immensely in certain places. Then again B is pretty zzz.

[wasilewski]

If I'm playing in POWER STYLE what are the advantages of changing between normal and boost?  I always stay in boost mode, but surely normal is there for a reason too?

[EOJ]

If I'm playing in POWER STYLE what are the advantages of changing between normal and boost?  I always stay in boost mode, but surely normal is there for a reason too?

NORMAL has a few important uses. First and foremost, using NORMAL during a hyper increases your HIT count much more than BOOST does (except on midbosses and bosses). Second, autobomb during NORMAL unleashes a full bomb, but during BOOST you only get a partial/half bomb. Third, as an advanced technique, using NORMAL laser on some boss patterns allows you to "milk" the boss for a large score increase.

During an actual stage, NORMAL is also of use when chaining certain enemies, as it allows you to kill them slightly later than with BOOST (due to the weaker firepower of NORMAL), thus preventing a chain break in some tricky sections.

[wasilewski]

If I'm playing in POWER STYLE what are the advantages of changing between normal and boost?  I always stay in boost mode, but surely normal is there for a reason too?

NORMAL has a few important uses. First and foremost, using NORMAL during a hyper increases your HIT count much more than BOOST does (except on midbosses and bosses). Second, autobomb during NORMAL unleashes a full bomb, but during BOOST you only get a partial/half bomb. Third, as an advanced technique, using NORMAL laser on some boss patterns allows you to "milk" the boss for a large score increase.

During an actual stage, NORMAL is also of use when chaining certain enemies, as it allows you to kill them slightly later than with BOOST (due to the weaker firepower of NORMAL), thus preventing a chain break in some tricky sections.

Thanks EOJ. 

So I should mostly use NORMAL and then BOOST on bosses?

[EOJ]

Yes, when in hyper mode. When out of hyper stick to BOOST for the most part.

[wasilewski]

Yes, when in hyper mode. When out of hyper stick to BOOST for the most part.

Thanks again! 

[Queen Charlene]

what exactly is the difference in novice mode?

this is an old quote but i noticed nobody answered this (probably nobody knew at the time), and i'm sure there are plenty of folks who'd like to know the exact differences. i may as well contribute while i'm here , so here are some differences i've noticed in my last 2-3 months of grinding DFK, ping-ponging back and forth between modes;

• bullet density and speed are basically chopped in half in the first loop. the Novice Omote loop is similar/equivalent to 1.5 Normal (loop 1), and the Novice Ura loop is in a spot of difficulty between 1.5 Normal Omote and Ura.
• auto-bombs don't break your chain, so accidentally bumping into a bullet won't tank your score.
• in general, chaining is easier in 1.5 Novice mode. you get more meter, and your meter drains slower.
• collecting a bomb refill will instantly refill all of your bombs and put you in MAXIMUM mode. if you've died enough to have a six-bomb stock, this basically gives you six extra bombs every time you collect a refill. this allows you to do a strategy where you can open up a bomb refill, let it fly around, bomb the shit out of the boss, and then collect the bomb refill to get ALL of your bombs back. this could be particularly effective against the 2-5 boss, since at this point you're typically not restricted from bombing anymore (this is just theory, as i typically try to avoid bombing when i play regardless, but sometimes my finger slips lol). keep in mind though that bombing will still break your MAXIMUM multiplier, so you'll still want to avoid bombing if you're aiming for a purely score run.
• due to the reduced bullet density, chaining has to be done a little differently than in Normal 1.5, and the scoring potential is much lower in the early game; however, if you jack the rank up early, you'll basically be playing the game in 1.5 Normal. i believe that if you can make it work, jacking your hyper rank up as much as possible before you hit stage 2 will greatly increase the scoring potential (but also the difficulty obviously) of the later stages of the game. 1-3 and 2-3 in Novice and Normal don't actually look that different from each other, especially if you haven't died and have used lots of hypers before those stages.

the great thing about Novice mode is that you can still access both second loops and face Hibachi at the end, so the mode can serve as excellent training of your stamina, reactions, and fundamentals, while wrapping your head around the dense mechanics of DFK, but without beating your skull mercilessly against the later stages of the game on Normal.

Hibachi (and most bosses in the game) have more gaps inbetween their bullet showers in 1.5 Novice, so you have a tiny bit more breathing room when you're getting hailed by some of the trickier patterns of the late game (and this also slightly changes your optimal dodging patterns, as some strategies in 1.5 Normal are hard/impossible to set up in 1.5 Novice, and you can often apply simpler strategies to greater success). here's what Hibachi looks like in 1.5 Novice mode (by me), compared to in 1.5 Normal (by Jaimers).

i'll update this post as i find more information regarding the difference between the two. note that while i'm writing these notes about 1.5 Novice, most of these changes also apply to Black Label Novice. also, if i'm off-base on anything, please feel free to let me know.

[EOJ]

Thank you for providing the info on Novice, which was lacking before!