The "I Didn't Comment in Another Thread" Thread

[Gradine]

Well, the correct answer isn't "nothing." The correct answer is "controversy."

Nothing worthwhile, then

 

[billd91]

It's always pretty stunning just how far people will go to justify not being decent to people when issues both them.

 

[RealAlHazred]

No, it doesn't.

"I came here for an argument!"
"Oh! Oh! I'm sorry! This is abuse!"
"Oh! Oh I see!"
"Aha! No, you want room 12A, next door."
"Oh... Sorry..."
"Not at all!... under his breath stupid git."

 

[RealAlHazred]

So, I'm doing a thing with shmup (SHoot-'eM-UP) ships in a game system (which one doesn't matter). I posted about it in another forum and got no real responses, so I'll ask here. It's a conversational style thread, and even though this isn't a question about pizza, I believe a number of regulars to the thread play video games, so at least some should have an idea about it.

What tactical elements would you say are common to shmup craft? I have a cannon, bombs, and force fields. Different specific shmups have different variations (like a combat drone that circles your ship and fires the same things you do at the same time) but would people agree those are the basic elements common to almost all shmups?

 

[payn]

So, I'm doing a thing with shmup (SHoot-'eM-UP) ships in a game system (which one doesn't matter). I posted about it in another forum and got no real responses, so I'll ask here. It's a conversational style thread, and even though this isn't a question about pizza, I believe a number of regulars to the thread play video games, so at least some should have an idea about it.

What tactical elements would you say are common to shmup craft? I have a cannon, bombs, and force fields. Different specific shmups have different variations (like a combat drone that circles your ship and fires the same things you do at the same time) but would people agree those are the basic elements common to almost all shmups?

 

[Gradine]

What tactical elements would you say are common to shmup craft? I have a cannon, bombs, and force fields. Different specific shmups have different variations (like a combat drone that circles your ship and fires the same things you do at the same time) but would people agree those are the basic elements common to almost all shmups?

Bigger guns, screen-clearers, shields, adds; you got all the main ones. There's also rear-fire shots.

The Ikaruga color-swap thing became pretty popular in the genre (and other games with bullet hell) after that first came out.

Incidentally, one of my favorite shmups is the NES classic shmup/zelda hybrid The Guardian Legend, which has pretty much all those things (not the color-swap thing obviously), but throws in some additional fun toys like static beam sabers.

Edit: Oh man, how could I forget homing missiles!

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

So, I'm doing a thing with shmup (SHoot-'eM-UP) ships in a game system (which one doesn't matter). I posted about it in another forum and got no real responses, so I'll ask here. It's a conversational style thread, and even though this isn't a question about pizza, I believe a number of regulars to the thread play video games, so at least some should have an idea about it.

What tactical elements would you say are common to shmup craft? I have a cannon, bombs, and force fields. Different specific shmups have different variations (like a combat drone that circles your ship and fires the same things you do at the same time) but would people agree those are the basic elements common to almost all shmups?

Double fire!

 

[Gradine]

Hot take time:
Vertical shmups > Horizontal shmups

 

[MarkB]

Bigger guns, screen-clearers, shields, adds; you got all the main ones. There's also rear-fire shots.

Sideways-firing guns are also popular.

It's a while since I've played one, but I think speed-boosts may also be a thing.

 

[CleverNickName]

Begin rant.

Hard To Swallow Pill: if combat is boring or "grindy," it's your own fault.

Dungeon Masters, if you're bored:

• Stop using the same monster over and over again in the same gaming session. You have literally hundreds of monsters to choose from, and countless more in your head...variety is the spice of life (and dungeoneering).
• Vary the monsters' equipment. A bugbear using a poisoned scimitar and wearing leather armor is a completely different monster than a bugbear in full plate with a longsword and a net, or a bugbear with a dozen vials of alchemist's fire and a hang glider. For the love of Bahamut, get creative!
• Armor class is not the end-all, be-all solution for combat defense, and everybody has a dump stat. If a hero's armor class is too high to hit them in melee, don't just stand there wiffing every round...target their save throws instead.
• Intelligent monsters should make good decisions: they should set ambushes, prepare traps, send out scouts, skirmish, fall back and regroup, learn from previous encounters and reports. "Oh those guys," the orc commander says. "I have fought them before. The one in white robes is their healer, bring him down first. The one in plate armor is dangerous, stay out of reach until he is alone." Et cetera.
• Enemy spellcasters should have bodyguards and the dispel magic spell. Otherwise they are wasting your time and everyone else's.
• And the biggest one: if a hero's every called action is the same, and it feels like they're just standing there pressing the A-button on a video game, the player is bored. Surprise them! It doesn't have to be game-breaking or dangerous, it doesn't need to turn the tide of the battle or anything...it just needs to be entertaining. Drop an ooze from the ceiling. Maybe a bullette breaks through the wall like the Kool-Aid Man and starts gobbling up friends and foes alike! The skeletons start throwing their ribs like boomerangs. Oh snap, that Minotaur has the Sentinel feat. MIX IT UP.

Players, if you're bored:

• Stop creating One-Trick Pony characters. If you hyper-optimize your character to do Only One Thing at the expense of everything else, you forfeit your right to ever complain about "not having anything to do" in combat when you can't do that One Thing. Learn some new tricks, Mr. Ed.
• If you expect to always be able to always use the same thing every time in every battle, standing next to the same people, you should also expect to be very, very bored. Combat zones should not be comfort zones.
• If you don't have a ranged weapon, a melee weapon, and a healing potion, you are not ready for battle and you have no business rolling initiative. Yes, I understand that it isn't "your build." Do it anyway, and thank me later.
• The only character-building advice you should ever take comes from your DM, who knows more about the campaign and the game table than anyone else. The internet lied to you, Reddit doesn't know what it's talking about, and that character guide you downloaded from RPGBot is garbage. I don't know who needs to hear this, but if you're familiar with the name "RPGBot," it's probably you.
• The DM is tired, y'all. They've been up late prepping this gaming session for your enjoyment, probably for several nights in a row. They've got a bunch of surprises that they hope you will find, secrets to unlock, NPCs to meet, and new places to visit. Remember this every time you loudly ask, "Okay, so what's going on? What's happening now?"

End rant.