Kill Screen aftermath

[Jonesy]

Hey guys,

So, when you guys reached your kill screen.....did anything change? Did you still hold the same amount of enthusiasm for the game? Did it become more enjoyable knowing you had got to the end? Did anybody lose interest for a while and come back? Did you then really get into scoring big? Did you take time out? Does playing become more relaxed/easier? etc

It's pretty easy to work out what the record holders did next but for the majority?

Just interested

Cheers,

Jonesy

[homerwannabee]

From what I have seen from Donkey Kong players it seems that now a days a Kill Screen is no longer good enough.  It seems that most people who killscreen press on until they hit the million mark, and flip the score.  The million mark seems to be the new stopping point.

[Jonesy]

This goes for Junior also George

[LMDAVE]

That's a good question.

Getting that first killscreen back in 2010 was probably my most enthused one. I remember calling my wife and daughter in when I finished rivets for them to come see. The game is listed here on twitch:

http://www.twitch.tv/lmdave/c/1427311

But, after that, it became more of a mission. Next getting 998K and falling so short of a million, then finally getting the million, then having a 1.07M game fall short on level 21 to up my high to 1.026M. The thing is, it's still fun, but it also becomes a chore pushing it higher and higher. I hardly ever tried to duplicate something I've already done. Meaning, with my first killscreen with single hammer getting 914K, I don't ever go back and play that way jsut to do it again. Same with 1 million, I never go back and play at that pace (except for the kong off). I'm now always playing at 1.1M and the results are more frustrating. My games don't go as deep because of the much higher pace. Every now and then one breaks through, and that's why I keep playing, because I feel the break through is getting close. Considering I stream every single game I play, it sometimes is frustrating, because you know you can "put on a better show" if you backed off to the previous pace that was a killscreen, but the goal now is 1.1M. I'm addicted to streaming though, I wouldn't play at home without streaming now.

I was going to ask this same sort of question a few weeks ago. Mainly asking at what point of your playing session does it switch from fun to frustrating. I usually just end the session when that happens. But, it's been happening more quickly lately. If I get to level 3 or 4 and have to restart, the aggravation already starts setting in after a couple of times. When it gets like that, a break from the game is usually neccesary.

[mikegmi2]

I started playing with a goal of trying for the world record, but wanted to get to the kill screen first to 'prove' to myself that it was possible.  Once I made it, I'd say it only made me want to play more.  It was within the first 3 months of playing DK that I got to the kill screen...it was still fairly new to me, so i'm sure that factors in...I felt like I was just getting started.

I didn't lose interest, it didn't make me more enthused to play the game...it was just 1 milestone met...and I simply moved on to the next one.

I still haven't hit 1M, and have had a few close calls, my best being a 923k game that ended 10-11 screens short of the end.

It does get tiresome at times...playing for several days in a row not being able to break 200-300k...when you know you are capable of doing so...but stupid mistakes and 'screwings' get in the way.

I guess you have to have a certain type of crazy determined mentality to keep playing this game.  For me, if you want the truth, I don't get a ton of excitement and joy out of playing this game.  There is no interaction with other human players like a lot of modern games have, no state of the art graphics, no exciting gameplay, the sound can literally drive you crazy (it took a full day of being away from the Kong Off 2 for me to finally get the sound of 16-DK-machines-simultaneously-making-the-jump-sound-over-and-over, out of my head)...but what makes you keep coming back is the challenge...you against the machine...you can't let it win...and if I quit, that's what I've done...let the machine beat me.

[Simpsons99]

That's a good question.

Getting that first killscreen back in 2010 was probably my most enthused one. I remember calling my wife and daughter in when I finished rivets for them to come see. The game is listed here on twitch:

http://www.twitch.tv/lmdave/c/1427311

But, after that, it became more of a mission. Next getting 998K and falling so short of a million, then finally getting the million, then having a 1.07M game fall short on level 21 to up my high to 1.026M. The thing is, it's still fun, but it also becomes a chore pushing it higher and higher. I hardly ever tried to duplicate something I've already done. Meaning, with my first killscreen with single hammer getting 914K, I don't ever go back and play that way jsut to do it again. Same with 1 million, I never go back and play at that pace (except for the kong off). I'm now always playing at 1.1M and the results are more frustrating. My games don't go as deep because of the much higher pace. Every now and then one breaks through, and that's why I keep playing, because I feel the break through is getting close. Considering I stream every single game I play, it sometimes is frustrating, because you know you can "put on a better show" if you backed off to the previous pace that was a killscreen, but the goal now is 1.1M. I'm addicted to streaming though, I wouldn't play at home without streaming now.

I was going to ask this same sort of question a few weeks ago. Mainly asking at what point of your playing session does it switch from fun to frustrating. I usually just end the session when that happens. But, it's been happening more quickly lately. If I get to level 3 or 4 and have to restart, the aggravation already starts setting in after a couple of times. When it gets like that, a break from the game is usually neccesary.

very nice seeing your game play from back then Dave!  You have came along ways!

[Xermon54]

Good question.

Personally, I started playing a little bit more than 4 years ago. I stopped playing a few times to restart playing.

In the beginning, I used to play a lot, but after I reached my first kill screen (after 9 months I started playing), I only played the barrel stage (1-1 and 5-1 by using a savestate) for like a year (just for fun, trying for the highest barrel score, and the highest score for 1 stage).

After that, I played a few games to reach my first million game.

But to be honest, I never really enjoyed playing Donkey Kong that much. The only thing I truly enjoyed was to try for the highest barrel score on 1-1/5-1 for fun.

What I always enjoyed, was watching Donkey Kong streams and chatting on the chat. But I will always keep playing Donkey Kong: Not because I enjoy it, but because that's a very cool challenge to try for the highest score.

For me, it's like a work: you have a job because you need to get a pay, whether you like it or not. I personally play Donkey Kong because I have to, whether I like it or not.

I don't say to myself:"Alright, I'm gonna play Donkey Kong, restarts again and again and again, and play a 3 hours game to reach a good score!" haha.

After 4 years, me and Donkey Kong are a old couple: We won't break up, we will stay together for ever, but it's definitely not the same kind of love as the beginning of our relationship!

[Jonesy]

This is great keep 'em coming guys!

I personally play Donkey Kong because I have to, whether I like it or not.

Haha!! I like this alot!!

[stella_blue]

It does get tiresome at times...playing for several days in a row not being able to break 200-300k...when you know you are capable of doing so...but stupid mistakes and 'screwings' get in the way.

That pretty much describes my most recent sessions, Mike.  I've played 6 full games over the past 3 days.

My lackluster scores, in order:  312k, 338k, 325k, 278k, 246k, and 380k

My starts have been decent (118-132k), and I've been averaging 54-56k per level.  I'm just not surviving long enough for the pace to become meaningful.  Most of the deaths (75%) have been my fault, due to either poor decisions or sloppy execution, so that's actually encouraging; I won't be a careless idiot forever.

I have yet to reach the kill screen, so I'm technically not qualified to post in this thread.

Please pardon the interruption.   

[Jonesy]

It does get tiresome at times...playing for several days in a row not being able to break 200-300k...when you know you are capable of doing so...but stupid mistakes and 'screwings' get in the way.

That pretty much describes my most recent sessions, Mike.  I've played 6 full games over the past 3 days.

My lackluster scores, in order:  312k, 338k, 325k, 278k, 246k, and 380k

My starts have been decent (118-132k), and I've been averaging 54-56k per level.  I'm just not surviving long enough for the pace to become meaningful.  Most of the deaths (75%) have been my fault, due to either poor decisions or sloppy execution, so that's actually encouraging; I won't be a careless idiot forever.

I have yet to reach the kill screen, so I'm technically not qualified to post in this thread.

Please pardon the interruption.   

Makes me feel a whole lot better knowing it's not just me that ' knobs it ' early on in games repetitively!!

[danman123456]

Yeah ive gotten close but no KS yet. No the most frustrating part is the deaths that are my fault. I had one death starting board 17-6 and really thought that game was going to be a KS but just lost it. 18-6 was 100% my fault. 17-6 and 19-6 were debatable but in hindsight I think I just played 19-6 wrong and paid for it. I want a KS first and then realllly want to get serious about the 1.1 Million Game.

[ChrisP]

The thing is, it's still fun, but it also becomes a chore pushing it higher and higher... I'm now always playing at 1.1M and the results are more frustrating.

Dave nailed something here.

I am of the belief that the kill screeners list will continue to grow considerably, as will (to a lesser extent) the million-point list, but when it comes to 1.1, I don't see more than four or five more people out of the current crop of known players who will ever push their DK game there (Dave being one of them, probably Phil T, et al.)

As for 1.15+, I can see Hank, Vincent, and Jeff all joining Dean at that level, but it would not surprise me if nobody except those four specific people ever does it.

What Dave said here is exactly the reason why I believe this. When you're squeezing the game for every last drop, it just starts getting really tedious to play.

Every DK "achievement" calls for a more and more concentrated degree of (for lack of a better term) obsessiveness, and 1.1 and higher is demanding in a way that getting a kill screen or a million just isn't. You're not learning anymore (not very much at least), so that aspect is gone, there are no more breakthroughs or new personal bests, etc. The fun and novelty is gone. Now you're just grinding, grinding, grinding at it until the right game comes together.

Plus, as more people hit 1.1 or 1.15 (or whatever) it naturally dis-incentivizes doing it. How cool to be the first or second to do something, but pushing and pushing just to be the seventh or whatever? Not so much.

I can tell you right now that I will never go for 1.1! The things you have to do, and the lack of bad luck you have to wait for in order to complete a 1.1 game is not interesting to me.

I'm not saying that those who push for 1.1 and beyond are wrong, but it calls for a very particular psychological outlook and approach. Dean, for example, enjoys playing the first 4 levels over and over for 2 hours in order to get a good start. There's nothing wrong with that, more power to him, but that would make me miserable. The maxout approach is definitely not for me, and not for a lot of players who otherwise enjoy the game. I think many of us would say that if we can get through all the screens and flip the score over, awesome. That's enough for us.