Arcade Shooters - How to handle continues?

[dxgame]

In true classic arcade fashion, I want each game to have 3 continues. But I'm a little confused on what should be reset?

I'm guessing:

Their score should be reset to 0.
They start at the same level the game ended.
Their power up level should be the same or 1 less, not quite sure ?
Available smart bombs should stay the same or default to 0 ?

Thanks for any input.

[TheMysteriousStranger]

In my experience, the classic arcade shooters did this:

score remains the same as when you lost your last life.
Level remains the same (maybe start from the beginning of that level depending on the gameplay mechanics)
Power-level drops the same as if you lost an ordinary life. So if they lose their power when losing a life, they should lsoe it the same way when continuing.
They should lose smart bombs.

However, do you mean continues as in lives or continues as in sets of lives? (e.g. they continue and get three more lives, so if the default is three lives, with three continues they would have nine lives total)

[dxgame]

Thanks for the comments.

"However, do you mean continues as in lives or continues as in sets of lives? (e.g. they continue and get three more lives, so if the default is three lives, with three continues they would have nine lives total)"

I guess sets of lives, default is 5, so 3 continues would = 15 lives. Not resetting the score to me seems the same as just having a total of 15 lives without the continues. In my youth, continues to me were never a chance for a high score, but just to see further levels. ;)

hmm..

[lakibuk]

Isn't it archaic to use continues nowadays? It was used on arcade machines to make the player insert some more coins.

[Gilzu]

Isn't it archaic to use continues nowadays? It was used on arcade machines to make the player insert some more coins.

I think its more of a tradition. You let the player know he had failed, but give him a second chance at it.

[dxgame]

"score remains the same as when you lost your last life..."

This has me concerned because it might make the online high score list lose credibility. I personally think your high score should be achieved from a fresh game start. :confused:

[oNyx]

In most arcade shoot em ups its like...
-score is resetted
-with 3 upgrade steps 3 upgrade items (or one max upgrade item) are thrown on the screen before the continue question pops up
-you respawn in place (same when you lose a life)
-bombs (usually 1) and lifes (usually 3) are restocked

With console ports the number of credits is usually limited to 3 or 4. There are several reasons for that... for one dying actually makes a difference (otherwise its sorta boring) and you can see if you became any better (getting one level further etc).

edit: this should be over in game design

[TheMysteriousStranger]

This has me concerned because it might make the online high score list lose credibility. I personally think your high score should be achieved from a fresh game start.

If you plan on making the score reset to 0 when they continue, make absolutely sure the user knows that's what will happen if they continue. I'm sure a lot of people will look at a continue as the equivalent of putting another coin in the arcade and keeping their score.

Alternatively, make it so continuing means they cannot submit their scores online, only locally. Again, you'd want to make sure the user knows this before they continue.

[Anthony Flack]

In arcade games, scores usually (with some notable exceptions) reset. Any game with a competitive scoreboard should really have the score reset. The way I managed this over several continues was to have your highest score submitted at the end of the game.

Another feature which never would have occurred to me because it seems unfair, somehow, but actually works really well in practice: have the number of continues you start with increase, depending on how many total hours you've put in to playing the game. I first saw this in Radiant Silvergun, and Treasure used the same trick again in Gradius V, and it's great. The more you play the game, the further you'll get into it. You do this naturally by getting better anyway, but this additional mechanism gives you an extra boost just for making the effort. It's very satisfying for the player because it's exactly what you want to happen when you play a game.

I think they both gave you an extra continue for every hour you put in. I wish I'd put that in Platypus. Actually I wish I'd played both those games before making Platypus for all sorts of reasons (well, Gradius V hadn't been made yet, but...) Radiant Silvergun in particular is stuffed full of left-field ideas.

[NemesisPica]

"score remains the same as when you lost your last life..."

This has me concerned because it might make the online high score list lose credibility. I personally think your high score should be achieved from a fresh game start. :confused:


Some game uses the following schema:

The score unit is 100(beat one enemy),if you continue one time,
the score will be ****01.

You can know someone continue three times because his
score may be 1726703

[Bachus]

Another feature which never would have occurred to me because it seems unfair, somehow, but actually works really well in practice: have the number of continues you start with increase, depending on how many total hours you've put in to playing the game. I first saw this in Radiant Silvergun, and Treasure used the same trick again in Gradius V, and it's great. The more you play the game, the further you'll get into it. You do this naturally by getting better anyway, but this additional mechanism gives you an extra boost just for making the effort. It's very satisfying for the player because it's exactly what you want to happen when you play a game.

I think they both gave you an extra continue for every hour you put in. I wish I'd put that in Platypus. Actually I wish I'd played both those games before making Platypus for all sorts of reasons (well, Gradius V hadn't been made yet, but...) Radiant Silvergun in particular is stuffed full of left-field ideas.

Treasure does this in most of their games. Ikaruga uses it as well. Eventually (six hours maybe?) you get infinite continues.

Scores should reset on continue. Otherwise just give them 12 lives instead of 3 lives plus 3 continues.