Question about elevator stage

[DonAtreides]

I was watching Dean's 1.2m run and I noticed that on the higher elevator levels he only leeches the top-right fireball for a very short time. Why is that?

[stella_blue]

Hey Don,

The timer ticks down more quickly after Levels 02 and 03, so it isn't as advantageous.

In other words, you're only marginally "beating the clock".

[DonAtreides]

Ah, that makes sense.  Thanks!

[hchien]

Didn't think this deserved it's own thread.... but is it ever necessary to retreat on L3 springs?  I only died on 1 spring board during the entire KO4 and it was on L3 lol.  I usually run on a long spring and don't look back... that seems to work 99% of the time.  But sometimes/rarely if the next spring is very long, I get hit.  I'm guessing I didn't get a good enough head start and it should always be passable.

[xelnia]

Didn't think this deserved it's own thread.... but is it ever necessary to retreat on L3 springs?  I only died on 1 spring board during the entire KO4 and it was on L3 lol.  I usually run on a long spring and don't look back... that seems to work 99% of the time.  But sometimes/rarely if the next spring is very long, I get hit.  I'm guessing I didn't get a good enough head start and it should always be passable.

If you get a bad jump on the shortest-longest combo on L3 you can get tagged. Well, with a bad jump you can get tagged on any combo on any level, really. 

Anyway, with a [0,14] and [0,15] combo you have to be frame-perfect and hope that Jumpman's sprite-drawing routine doesn't delay you by a frame. With [1,14] and [1,15] combos you have an extra frame of wiggle room. Those 4 combos are the most dangerous on Level 3. This is assuming the standard approach from the left-side safe spot. From the right side, you can never make it on [14,14], [15,14], [14,15], or [15,15] combos. Right-side [13,14] and [13,15] need to be frame-perfect and [12,14] and [12,15] have an extra frame of wiggle room.

[danman123456]

Didn't think this deserved it's own thread.... but is it ever necessary to retreat on L3 springs?  I only died on 1 spring board during the entire KO4 and it was on L3 lol.  I usually run on a long spring and don't look back... that seems to work 99% of the time.  But sometimes/rarely if the next spring is very long, I get hit.  I'm guessing I didn't get a good enough head start and it should always be passable.

I retreat if its the real long spring. That can hit me sometimes but 90-95% of the time you can just go for it I think. I only go slightly left if the next spring is long. Anything else i just keep going up. Almost the same strat I use on Lvl 4+ springs to be honest.

[DadsGlasses]

Didn't think this deserved it's own thread.... but is it ever necessary to retreat on L3 springs?  I only died on 1 spring board during the entire KO4 and it was on L3 lol.  I usually run on a long spring and don't look back... that seems to work 99% of the time.  But sometimes/rarely if the next spring is very long, I get hit.  I'm guessing I didn't get a good enough head start and it should always be passable.

If you get a bad jump on the shortest-longest combo on L3 you can get tagged. Well, with a bad jump you can get tagged on any combo on any level, really. 

Anyway, with a [0,14] and [0,15] combo you have to be frame-perfect and hope that Jumpman's sprite-drawing routine doesn't delay you by a frame. With [1,14] and [1,15] combos you have an extra frame of wiggle room. Those 4 combos are the most dangerous on Level 3. This is assuming the standard approach from the left-side safe spot. From the right side, you can never make it on [14,14], [15,14], [14,15], or [15,15] combos. Right-side [13,14] and [13,15] need to be frame-perfect and [12,14] and [12,15] have an extra frame of wiggle room.

Xelenia: can you elaborate for me as to the meaning of these bracketed numbers as they relate to springs?  Or point me to a spot where I can learn what these mean?

[xelnia]

Didn't think this deserved it's own thread.... but is it ever necessary to retreat on L3 springs?  I only died on 1 spring board during the entire KO4 and it was on L3 lol.  I usually run on a long spring and don't look back... that seems to work 99% of the time.  But sometimes/rarely if the next spring is very long, I get hit.  I'm guessing I didn't get a good enough head start and it should always be passable.

If you get a bad jump on the shortest-longest combo on L3 you can get tagged. Well, with a bad jump you can get tagged on any combo on any level, really. 

Anyway, with a [0,14] and [0,15] combo you have to be frame-perfect and hope that Jumpman's sprite-drawing routine doesn't delay you by a frame. With [1,14] and [1,15] combos you have an extra frame of wiggle room. Those 4 combos are the most dangerous on Level 3. This is assuming the standard approach from the left-side safe spot. From the right side, you can never make it on [14,14], [15,14], [14,15], or [15,15] combos. Right-side [13,14] and [13,15] need to be frame-perfect and [12,14] and [12,15] have an extra frame of wiggle room.

Xelenia: can you elaborate for me as to the meaning of these bracketed numbers as they relate to springs?  Or point me to a spot where I can learn what these mean?

A lot information on springs is here: Spring Theory. It's a long read. 

When you get to the section/charts about combos, that's when the bracketed numbers come into play. The left vertical column of those charts represents the "leading" spring...the spring most people use as a signal to start their move up the final ladder. That's also the first number in the bracket. The top horizontal row is the second number in the bracket and represents the very next spring, the "trailing" spring. That's the spring people look at (or try to) to decide if they can continue up the ladder or need to retreat back to the safe spot. There are 16 different spring "lengths" and they're numbered 0 to 15.