DKPace, a new pace calculator

[WCopeland]

DKPace
Version: 0.2
Last Update: Jan. 3rd, 2014

0.2 Patch Notes:

• Deaths will no longer crash the application.
• "+" can be used instead of "k" or "K" for thousands short-hand.
• "-" can be used instead of "D" or "d" for death short-hand.
• Both forms of short-hand can now be used in the same entry without causing any issues.

Hi all.  Since achieving my first kill screen a few weeks ago by running boards, I've been working a lot on drilling each and every board to increase my pace so that I may one day hit the big 1M.  While Pauline is great, unfortunately it is only compatible with WolfMAME, which does not support save states.  It also does not work in a real arcade setting.  Don't get me wrong, Pauline is a great and amazing application.  This program is really not intended to be a replacement for it yet.  I wrote this program primarily to help me figure out pace in a live arcade setting and help my own personal training, and I decided to share my work.  Here are the basic features I needed:

• Extremely quick no-brainer input.
• Data visualization via a chart.
• Tracking of how good/bad my start is.
• A complete game projection, including how I'd fare with reserve sacrificial lives.

I think I've come up with a calculator that has all of these features:



Features:

• Free and open-source.
• Quick short-hand input. Rather than typing 105000 as a score, you can just type 105k and press Enter. Decimals work too, so something like 66.5k is valid.
• Total visual representation of current and projected performance for the current game.
• Reserve lives taken into account... L5+ barrel board average added to L21 projected score.

Here are some things I'd like to do in the future:

• Investigate MAME integration of some form or fashion.
• Performance tracking over time, so a user can see if they're improving or not.

Download URL: http://bit.ly/JOeuPf
Github Source Code Repository: https://github.com/wescopeland/DKPace

I'm open to any suggestions.

[xelnia]

Hey Wes,

Congrats again on your KS! This pace app looks pretty cool so I'm interested to see how you'll tweak it in the future. I played around with it for a few minutes and here are some initial thoughts:

1) I can't seem to find a way to go back and fix entry errors, and there's no way to see if I actually made an error.
2) When you're entering scores for quick entry, using keypad and "k" is kind of awkward. Maybe using keypad and "+" could be another option. Obviously, typing in the whole score works too.  Maybe setting the "k" or "+" as the key that submits the score could be another efficient method.
3) How does it track death points and factor them into your pace equation?
4) This is more a comment for everyone who is working on pace apps, not just for you: Customization would be awesome! Being able to set goal pace, final score, averages, death points, etc. would be great.
5) I really like the visual layout. Props.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this program evolves.

[WCopeland]

Hey Wes,

Congrats again on your KS! This pace app looks pretty cool so I'm interested to see how you'll tweak it in the future. I played around with it for a few minutes and here are some initial thoughts:

1) I can't seem to find a way to go back and fix entry errors, and there's no way to see if I actually made an error.
2) When you're entering scores for quick entry, using keypad and "k" is kind of awkward. Maybe using keypad and "+" could be another option. Obviously, typing in the whole score works too.  Maybe setting the "k" or "+" as the key that submits the score could be another efficient method.
3) How does it track death points and factor them into your pace equation?
4) This is more a comment for everyone who is working on pace apps, not just for you: Customization would be awesome! Being able to set goal pace, final score, averages, death points, etc. would be great.
5) I really like the visual layout. Props.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this program evolves.

1) Currently no way to do this... I have an idea how to fix this in an update though. Good idea. Maybe entering "-" can remove the previous entry so a correction can be made.
2) This is a great idea. Definitely implementing this in an update.
3) When you die, enter your current score with a "D" or "d" at the end. I should have documented this... ... anyways, the number of lives you have remaining is tracked in the background. Any lives in reserve are factored into your L21 projected score as an additional barrel board based on your barrel board average (which is also tracked in the background).
4) That's a good idea... something I'll give some thought to for sure.
5) Thanks!

[lifereboot]

Nice calculator, Wes.  It reminds me of Mitch's friend Alex's DK Pace program, which was available on the web less than six months ago, but it appears the link no longer works.  This is a fine substitute.

I'll echo the feedback from xelnia above, but for a different situation.  Yes, there's not much time in between screens to read and type your score to use this easily when playing on arcade.  Searching for the "k" key would not be faster than typing "000" on the numpad.  Continuing in that thinking, searching for the "d" key to enter after a score on a screen you died on isn't efficient.  You don't have enough time to go "oh crap!" dust off the nerves, realize you need to type your score at time of death into the pace calculator, and find that blasted d key, and return to the controls with a "shake it off" mindset.  It would be better if entering a score appended with a period "." registered a screen that you died on.

I tested entering a score using the "k" shortcut, and that works as expected.

When I test and enter a score using a "d" shortcut, the application crashed.

Great job on this visual tool so far.  Honestly, even though I think these calculator programs are awesome, unless they're automated I find them to be more harmful to my games than helpful.  Trying to enter scores quickly between screens is distracting enough to get me out of "the zone" as I'm playing, and having tried it a few times before, I know that they're not for me.  That doesn't mean it's not still a great tool, it's just that it's something I'll tinker around with out of curiosity, not something I'll actually use while playing.  I'd be interested to hear if you find the same is true for you as you're working towards your first 1M game, Wes.

[stella_blue]

Nice calculator, Wes.  It reminds me of Mitch's friend Alex's DK Pace program, which was available on the web less than six months ago, but it appears the link no longer works.  This is a fine substitute.

The site has moved, Shaun.  You can find it here:

Donkey Kong Pace

[WCopeland]

Okay, I've pushed out a quick update that fixes a lot of the concerns raised so far.

0.2 Patch Notes:

• Deaths will no longer crash the application.
• "+" can be used instead of "k" or "K" for thousands short-hand.
• "-" can be used instead of "D" or "d" for death short-hand.
• Both forms of short-hand can now be used in the same entry without causing any issues.

I'm still investigating a good way to quickly undo a mistake... I have a few ideas on how to implement this.  Also, xelnia, I loved your customization idea and I'm working on implementing that too.

[lifereboot]

The site has moved, Shaun.  You can find it here:

Donkey Kong Pace

Glad to know it's not gone.  Thanks Stella!

[marinomitch13]

Sorry about the confusion, Shaun.  My bad! Thanks for posting the new link, Scott.

Nice calculator, Wes. It actually is quite like the one my friend Alex made. Alex and I were thinking about getting around to making a GUI of some sort with it with a ton of customizable features and stuff, but if you can beat us to it (Alex and I are too busy this time of year to get around to this, it seems ), then feel free, and more power to ya!

[WCopeland]

Feel free to extend what I've already written if you want. There's a link to the freely available source code in the OP. It's written in C#, but if you don't know the language I made sure to heavily document my work so far.