In this thread I wanted to post what I learn about the birds on the springboard level. This will be either from looking at the code or more likely from observing the game itself.
Premise
This is an on-going study and the content of this particular post continues to change as I add information and modify my views based on new evidence. I want to clarify that there is a difference between what is observed and how the code actually executes the activity that we see on the screen. There will be times when I am sharing hard evidence which is clearly observable, and there will be times when I will be drawing hypothesis concerning what the code might be doing. I do not assume what the code is doing until I have evidence from the code itself. Because of the length and depth of this post I wanted to first establish certain concepts and introduce what I hope to accomplish.
Preliminary Concepts and Introduction
The present study originally came from a desire to understand what the code is doing underneath what I see on the Springboard screen. I decided to take a more practical approach and tackle the study from the game side. I thought that it would be to people's advantage to understand why the board is pattern-able. I was interested myself. In this study I compile data of my observations and then graph out those observations. I then attempt to hypothesize and extrapolate further what the code might be doing. Discoveries within the code my confirm or modify my perspectives on the subject. My primary concern is to keep this study practical so I will be emphasizing particular points at times with bold and then at the end I will be adding videos of patterns that can be used to quickly move through the birds getting all of the smashes and dealing with missed smashes. Although there are many ways to traverse through the birds while trying to get all the fruits and smashes, I will only be adding those patterns which are the most efficient and therefore maximize one's point potential in any given situation.
When we are thinking about the birds on the Springboard screen we want to keep in mind that there are several factors that play a role in how the birds form. In general, I have observed a 15 bird sequence that will occur 5 times until the end of the board. The first tick on the timer begins with the release of the 1st of the 15 birds in the sequence, and then the board stops as the 15th bird on the 5th rotation reaches the far left edge of the board (as observed from doing nothing on the bottom of the screen). [I have observed that if one uses the invincibility cheat it does something to the code and turns the 15 bird pattern into 10. This comment is for factual purposes.]
Memory Limitations
The board never realizes a 6th bird. So there appears to be a 5 bird limitation set for this screen. When there are 5 birds on the screen the earliest we ever see a new bird spawn is immediately as a bird is leaving the board. I presently believe that this limitation causes spacial adjustments to be made in order to ensure the 5 bird limitation.
Spatial Adjustments
As birds are being influenced the sequence begins to be modified. For example, if we do nothing we will continue to see the same 15 bird sequence but if we influence a bird then we will see changes, even if slightly. If a bird normally comes down to the very bottom but we influence it and it comes out on top instead then we are "forcing" that bird to exit the board on the left sooner than it would have because it did not take the time to travel to the bottom before turning left. This is the only way to influence the sequence and I believe it is mainly do to spatial adjustments in order to compensate for the change in keeping with the 5 bird limitation. Precisely how this happens in the code is un-clear. Another observation is that you can influence all the birds that can be influenced by a left or right input and the sequence never appears to change, and in this influences the birds that normally come out on top are only dropping down half way. However, I have observed that if the 6th bird is influenced by itself it will fundamentally alter the sequence into the Alternate Sequence, unless the first bird is also influenced in which case the Original Sequence will just continue. I have 2 hypothesis that I need to test out:
1) New Rotation Adjustments
It is possible that after the 15th bird and before the 1st of the new rotation that there is some kind of adjustment that is made to ensure a solid 15 bird sequence. However, I tend to think that this might be unlikely however there is one observation that would seem to support the possibility.
2) Bird Spawn Timing
It is also possible that the spawn of a new bird is related to an exiting bird, meaning that once a bird begins to exit the new spawn will occur within a particular range. Spacing would occur because if a bird is influenced to come out on top instead of dropping all the way to the bottom then it will exit earlier so we will see an earlier spawn. This idea however could not be an absolute because it would not account for the first few birds at the beginning of the level, although these may be exceptions. On the other hand, we could not merely assume that the release of birds is independent unless we could prove the New Rotation Adjustment concept.
Bird Influence
The key to the changing of the sequence is the player's ability to influence the birds. Some birds will respond to an up input only, some respond to either an up input or a down input, some respond to left or right, and then there are trackers that seek out Junior's position. Most of the time a player does not spend enough time on the screen to see significant changes. In fact, if a player does not get up to the moving platform until the 9th jump - God forbid - none of the birds have been influenced. The mild changes that occur to the sequence are not consequential because no body plays to see this happen in any significant way. One may see an influenced bird or two but that should be it. Where this concept becomes the most practical is that there is a two bird, side by side, moment in each of the 5 rotations of the 15 bird sequence. As we will see, if the player influences either of these two birds we will see an entire new sequence occur after a short transition. If a player gets the first super jump and waits, or gets the second jump with an immediate jump to the moving pole, this is the moment where a player will be able to initiate the Alternate Sequence. More on this later.
Terminology
Sequence = This term is used to identify the consecutive 15 birds
Rotation = This term is used to identify the fact that the 15 bird sequence occurs 5 times. Each of there times is referred to as a Rotation.
Original Bird Sequence = When the board starts out and if the player does not influence any birds we will see this pattern. Original refers to the fact that it is the first one that we see.
Alternate Bird Sequence = There are five opportunities on the screen, one per Rotation, where the player can influence the birds into an entirely different sequence than the Original.
Initial Portion of Alternate Bird Sequence = This is the unique transition that occurs as soon as the Alternate Sequence has been initiated and does not repeat
Repeated Portion of Alternate Bird Sequence = Immediately after the Initial Portion, we will see this Portion begin to repeat until the end of the board.
Variation = This term designates a sequence that has been slightly modified by bird influence but will still follow the general sequence, either Original or Alternate
Version = This term designates the two different types of Initial Portions we see depending on which of the two birds are influenced to initiate the Alternate Sequence.
The Original Sequence of Birds
I recommend that you take a look at the level 4 Springboard screen and count off the 15 birds and observe what they look like in reality. This is a crude model of what I observe. It is not perfect but I believe is an adequate representation for the purposes of this study. The sequence begins with O by itself and ends with the same top O. O = Birds.
O l l O l l O l l O
udrl l l udrl l l udrl l l
l u O T l l u O T l l u O T l
l Oe Oe l O l Oe Oe l O l Oe Oe l
O = Birds
u = Influenced by up input
d = Influenced by down input
r = Influenced by a right input
l = Influenced by a left input
T = Tracker
e = Egg dropper
If we break up the sequence, we see after the initial O that starts the sequence, then we see a group of three that looks like a tent, a two, a three, a two, a three, followed by the closer O on the top. I originally segmented this differently but as I learned how the birds are influenced by the player you can see plainly why I changed to this present format. Other than the closer we find all the top birds influencible to both up and down inputs. We see that the first bird in the triple group is only influenced by an up input while the last is a tracker. This is true of all three triple groups.
By looking at the triple and double formations, we find that the second bird within these sequences get closer to the first.
Up Input Birds
#1 Drops down half way but everything quickly reverts back to the original sequence
#2 Comes out on top but everything quickly reverts back to the original sequence
#3 Drops down half way, and will change the sequence to another one indefinitely if the first bird was not also influenced*
#4 Comes out on top, and will change the sequence to another one indefinitely*
#5 Drops down half way but everything quickly reverts back to the original sequence
#6 Comes out on top but everything quickly reverts back to the original sequence
* The Alternate Bird Sequence will be mentioned later. Suffice it to say that there is a small window of opportunity for this to occur.
These birds are influenced by an up input at the moment that the bird drops from the top into its position to turn left. This may be a range or a precise moment - this is presently unclear. I suspect that we will find in the code that once the bird gets to the point where it would turn to the left by default or could turn by input influence, the game scans for an input and then acts according to the presence or absence of an input. This input can be above or below the birds, it does not matter where Junior is. Nor does Junior have to be moving up, all that matters is that there is an up input. So the first bird of the double group will come out on top, while the last bird of the triple group will drop half way down. You can hold up at any other time when it will not influence one of these birds and you will not influence the original sequence. If a bird is influenced with an input, the remainder of the rotation seems to be effected slightly by spacing but will be the same pattern. Once the next rotation of 15 birds starts, all the spacing is reset to normal.
I once thought that as long as you went high enough on the moving pole while transitioning to the left after jumping off the moving platform that it would influence the birds. The birds are not influenced by Juniors position or movement - except for trackers where position is used. It is not the position of Junior on this pole but the fact that you are holding the up input at the right moment. If you make the first jump and then wait on the moving platform, or if you make the second jump w/ insta jump to the left onto the moving pole, this moment is when the 6th and 7th birds in the sequence are coming out. This moment is the only window of opportunity to access the Alternate Bird Sequence. Both these birds are influenced by an up input and will change the pattern indefinitely, with one except which will be noted later, to the Alternate Bird Sequence. I will get to this sequence in a moment, but I thought to show how this knowledge of up inputs is very important and practical to usual game play.
For example, when you go for the "free-pass" pattern as I show in a video, it always works as long as you are not pushing up while the 6th or 7th bird is dropping. If you are not pushing up, the birds will do as they do before in the Original Bird Sequence. If you are still moving up the pole with an up input at the right moment then this will cause the 7th bird to come out on the very top instead of dropping all the way to the bottom. If the bird comes out on the top then we will see the Alternate Bird Sequence. The practical application is that if you prefer the Original Sequence and think that this is more efficient for initiating smashes and transitioning to the top then you will want to avoid an up input at that transitional moment while on the moving pole. This is easily accomplish by staying on the bottom of the moving pole and only moving up once you get to the vines on the left. This will allow time for the 7th bird to pass so that it will not be influenced. More on this later.
Down Input Birds
All three birds that are influencible by a down input adjust the same as they do with an up input. They all drop down half way. Of these three birds, only the 6th bird in the sequence will change the sequence to the Alternate Bird Sequence, the other two reset back to the Original Bird Sequence.
Right and Left Input Birds
The only right and left input birds are those that are influenced by all directions. In each case these birds are normally coming out on the very top, a left or right input will influence them to drop down half way.
Tracker Birds
The last bird in each of the triple groups is a tracker, meaning that it will come out on the right towards you based upon your vertical location. The next bird coming out is not influencible at all. However, by the time the tracker gets to the left, the bird that can be influenced by an up or down input is coming out. This is curious placement in the sequence. This influential bird will only drop down half way with either input instead of coming out on the top. So if you wait till the bird gets to you in order to dodge it you will most likely be influencing the up/down influencible bird, unless you dodge down early in order not to influence it.
Egg Dropping Birds
The first and third birds in every triple segment are egg droppers. Every tracker is also an egg dropping bird. Apparently these were programmed with a licence to kill. Also, the up-only influencible birds are also egg droppers. Birds that can not be influenced are not egg droppers. Birds that can be influenced by both an up and down input are not egg droppers.
The Alternate Sequence of Birds
The Alternate Sequence has two basic portions, the Initial Portion and the Repeated Portion. The Repeated Portion can not be altered once it starts, meaning that you can never return to the Original Sequence. We will see that this portion will have slightly different variations depending on the influence of birds during the Initial Portion and through out the sequence itself. As we will see once the Initial Portion starts there are three possible outcomes:
1) No Nothing. This will allow the Alternate Sequence to move into the Mainline variation of the Repeated Portion.
2) Influence the 5th bird in the Initial Portion. This will force the birds back into the Original Sequence once the rotation is complete.
3) Influence the 6th bird in the Initial Portion. This will slightly alter the Repeated Portion to a different variation.
There are two general versions of the Initial Portion. The first and most important is influencing the 7th bird in the Original Sequence. The other is the 6th bird. The only difference is that the 7th bird is the most applicable and has a much stronger influence. For example, if you influence the 1st bird but then influence the 6th, then we will not see the 6th bird influence version of the Initial Portion of the Alternate Sequence, rather it will just continue with the Original Sequence. For the sake of brevity I will show the 6th bird influence version but keep in mind that we are more concerned about the 7th bird.
7th Bird Influence Version of the Initial Portion
------------------Original-------------------------------|---------------------Initial Portion of Alternate-------------------------|
| |
O l l O l | Ae l A l A |
ud l l ud l | u l l ud |
l u O T l l | l A T l u A |
l Oe Oe l O l | l Ae l Ae |
O = Birds of the Original Sequence
A = Birds of the Alternate Sequence
u = Birds influenced by up input
d = Birds influenced by down input
T = Trackers
e = Egg droppers
I added the first 6 birds of the Original Bird Sequence so you can see that it is the 7th that is being influenced. The first alternate bird is all the way to the top due to the up input as mentioned before. The next segment appears to be the last three birds of the original sequence except that there is slight spacing- but the shape and the tracker are all the same. The following segment appears to be the first three birds of the original sequence- likewise we see a shape and bird function parallel to the Original Sequence. It appears that there is something in the code that states if the 7th bird is influenced then the code skips to the end of the Original Sequence, and then starts another with only the first three birds but then immediately goes to the Repeated Portion of the Alternate Bird Sequence. This is the portion that repeats over and over until the end of the board.
These numbers relate to the Initial Alternate only:
Up Input Birds
#1 Drops down half way and causes the sequence to revert back to the Original Sequence*, perfect spacing once new rotation begins
#2 Comes out on top and influences the format of the Repeated Portion of the Alternate Sequence. We will examine this variation the Repeated Portion of the Alternate Sequence later.
* It is interesting that once the Alternate Sequence has been initiated, there is one and only one bird that can revert the sequence back to the Original Sequence in the entire board. This is the only bird within the initial portion of the Alternate Sequence, and this initial portion only happens once before the Repeated Portion occurs. Once this Repeated Portion occurs, the birds are forever locked in the Repeated Portion of the Alternate Sequence. In other words, there is one and only one bird in one location on the entire board that can revert the birds back to the Original Sequence. This is interesting because as we found out earlier there is only a two bird, side by side, opportunity to initiate the Alternate Sequence, except that there are 5 rotations where this can occur.
Down Input Birds
#1 Drops down half way
-------------------------------Repeated Portion of Alternate-----------------------------------------------------------------
R R R
ud ud ud
T u R T u R T u R
Re R Re Re R Re Re R Re
Up Input Birds
#1 Comes half way down
#2 Comes out on top
#3 Comes half way down
#4 Comes out on top
#5 Comes half way down
#6 Comes out on top
Down Input Birds
#1 Comes half way down
#2 Comes half way down
#3 Comes half way down
Notes:
The 4th and 6th birds would be smashed in the fast pattern.
