Bonus time vs collecting bonus points

[Martin Laing]

So it is the correct inp now? I really need to delete old inp and zip files once I get a new high score. Ok, so I am starting to get the idea of jumping after the barrel, that makes sense now.

[corey.chambers]

Nice first man, deep into 600K. That spring death on lv. 20 must have got you a bit nervous, perhaps the death was due to being nervous too. But you got to the with a score of 862,500! Great game.

[corey.chambers]

The files are correct now. Hey, if you didn't jump after the barrel then you lose the 100. If this is done on the 5th girder before going up then the on-coming barrels will all be jumped so you will ultimately net the 100 points. I show some of this on the jumping barrels portion of the Point Pressing section in part 2 of my barrel training video.

[corey.chambers]

Martin, your score has been updated: https://donkeykongforum.net/index.php?topic=366.0

[Martin Laing]

That spring death was frustrating. Over the last 2-3 months I am finding I am not moving far enough right to then head up ladder, hence it looks like I sometimes stall. I was also starting to 2nd guess myself for a split second as to where the springs land. Went through a period a while back feeling invincible on springs! Had a bit of luck overall, didn't feel any of the pie stages were too difficult (for a change).

[hchien]

Hank, I notice on barrels when standing in the safe spot on the far right on the 2nd from top platform you will sometimes jump after a barrel if it goes down the ladder, then you will climb up. So that's 100 points but it looks like 100 bonus off timer plus a fraction of a second. I could be wrong on with the time as quite close.

Yeah as Corey is saying this doesn't really gain any points; it's more like stops you from losing 100 points.  Leeching that extra 100 doesn't slow me from finishing the board so there's no downside.

[Martin Laing]

Have done a bit of testing:

Level 1:
Rivets
Bottom 300 bonus points can be gained by collecting straight away then heading up ladder before first fireball appears (most of the time), with only a tick off the clock. Worth the risk on level 1. The right hand and top left 300 bonus points can be gained through the natural collection of rivets.

Level 2:
Elevator
All bonus points worth 500. If the fireball comes down straight away and then goes back up straight away then it is about 500 to 600 points off clock to collect points. So the bottom bonus works out about even in that situation. If you get bottom bonus and then back on elevator it takes 200 time so you are up 300 points. Likewise if you are able to get top left and top right bonus and then get back to same position it uses about 200 off the time, so in both cases you are up in points.
Rivets
Bottom 500 bonus points can be gained by collecting after first fireball then heading up ladder before second fireball appears. Most of the time you don’t have to wait more than 100 time, though can take longer. The right hand and top left 500 bonus points can be gained through the natural collection of rivets.

Level 3:
Pie
All bonus points worth 800. If all goes to plan collecting the bottom and right hand bonus will happen as you skip up the right side of the screen. If it turns to custard then; if standing at top of right hand ladder of middle platform it takes 300 off the time to get left hand bonus and back to same point = 500 points gained. And if standing at top of left hand ladder of middle platform it takes 500 off the time to get right hand bonus and back to same point = 300 points gained.

Will work on other situations soon.

[ChrisP]

Getting both of the left-side prizes on the elevators is absolutely worth it.

Once you have achieved maximum efficiency at this part of the screen with respect to what the fireball is doing, grabbing the prizes will have a high long term positive expectation, no matter how good or bad you are on the springs themselves (since that part of the screen "cancels out").

Or, to put it another way, if you care about points/pace at all - that is, if you're not just going for a barebones kill screen or speed run - it's actually a fairly significant mistake NOT to grab these prizes.

Why?

First, the points are risk-free. It is not possible to die getting these prizes unless you make one of two mistakes. The two mistakes are (1) mis-timing the fireball and (2) jumping incorrectly from the "umbrella platform" back onto the elevator. But it isn't too hard to get these two things nailed down to virtual perfection.

Second, if you should die on a spring, the prizes act as "death insurance." There are many terrible things about dying on springs, but one of the worst is that, unless you get the prizes, they're "zero deaths." If you're gonna die, it will sting a little less knowing that you at least picked up 1,600 points for the death.

So yes, you should get them.

If the left prizes net you just 900 points per level on average over an entire game (starting at L4), that's over 16,000 cumulative points. That's the equivalent of quite a few bottom hammers and/or groupings under Kong.

Consider the risk, planning, and time involved in those bottom hammers/grouping melees, in comparison to the relative (almost patternable) ease of grabbing the prizes. It's not even close.

And if you're going for a million, not getting these is a sin!

[Fast Eddie]

haha, pop quiz, who scored a million without bothering to get the elevator prizes?

 

[ChrisP]

Yeah, I don't take my own advice half the time either. 

I'm just putting that there for the responsible players!

[Martin Laing]

Good break down Chris of the elevator screen.

Haven't had a chance run time trials on other screens yet, too busy writing student reports and marking.