EAB/Lemon Super League 2009: Round 11 - Wizkid

[Graham Humphrey]

EAB/Lemon Super League 2009: Round 11 - Wizkid (http://hol.abime.net/1744)

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/4697/wizkid01.png http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/149/wizkid04.png http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/7623/wizkid10.png

Starts: 00:01 October 25
Finishes: 23:59 November 14

Rules

Post screenshots of your scores in this thread, and write your score underneath. You can enter as many times as you like within the round's time frame.

From the Options menu select 'Normal' difficulty level.

For this round, the player with most rounds completed (shown on the highscore table) and LOWEST score wins.

No cheating of any kind (including score leeching) - this includes save states. No continues/passwords allowed. If you suspect a contestant of cheating then don't post it in public (anyone who does so will have their posts edited or deleted) - please PM me, Biscuit or mihcael and we will investigate it. If we find anyone guilty of cheating then they will be banned for the entire season.

Please only post your score on either the EAB or Lemon forums. If you have already played this year you have to post your score on the same forum for the whole season. If you are new, the one you post on first will be your team for the whole season. However you are welcome to discuss the compo, game etc. on the other forum if you wish.

Remember, anyone can join in at any time. Have fun and feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Downloads

- Disk 1 (http://www.planetemu.net/index.php?section=roms&dat=754&action=showrom&id=1081868), Disk 2
(http://www.planetemu.net/index.php?section=roms&dat=754&action=showrom&id=1081869) - WHDLoad-installed (http://www.whdownload.com/games/Pack-W-2007-01-30/Wizkid_v1.0_1449.zip)

Extras

- Full rules and FAQ (http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=41652)
- Results and standings (http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=42485)
- Lemon thread (http://www.lemonamiga.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6984)

Final Scores - EAB, Lemon

1. john4p - F/162,810
2. Robo-Sparkle - F/186,560
3. rexsu - F/274,360
4. Graham Humphrey - 8/371,110
5. mailman - 7/415,840
6. LinesMachine - 4/271,520
7. Biscuit - 3/242,960
8. Simon Humphrey - 2/140,890
9. Kitty - 1/261,660
10. mihcael - 0/149,400

[Graham Humphrey]

Just a quick warning, it does seem very easy to score leech so do be a bit careful with this one.

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/6250/wizkidscore1.jpg

143,180

[john4p]

Or how about just changing this to Walker? ;)

[Graham Humphrey]

I don't think so ;)

[Robo-Sparkle]

Also, don't buy stars if you are at full health: It'll give you the money. And some levels are capable of giving you infinite notes on the 'body' sections (Levels 1 and 2 do, anyway)

What if we changed how we rank this game?

What I mean is, since it's quite easy to score extra points by, for example, missing notes, or not quite being able to clear a particular screen and spending ages on it, would it be better to make this a low-scoring round?

E.g.
Player A makes it through 3 rounds and has 250k points
Player B does 3 rounds and scores 200k points
Player C does 2 rounds and scores 225k points.

Since it takes more skill to get further with fewer points, I would rank it as:

Player B, then A, then C

I.e. Rank by number of rounds, then by fewest points.

In the highscores screen it says how many rounds you completed (which isn't the same thing as the level you reached) this way it also takes into account people skipping out levels for one reason or another.

The other reason I say this is, now I've played Wizkid again, I can see a fair few people being able to complete it (or at least, get quite close) by the end of the comp, and as we get better at playing the game, we're going to be able to get through the early rounds more efficiently, and our scores are going to go down, not up.

Just throwing that out there, what do you guys think?

[TheCyberDruid]

Given I've not played WizKid for a while, I'm a tad confused now. So the better you get through the rounds the less score you'll have? I would think that getting more points within a round is a good thing, no?

[mailman]

E.g.
Player A makes it through 3 rounds and has 250k points
Player B does 3 rounds and scores 200k points
Player C does 2 rounds and scores 225k points.

Since it takes more skill to get further with fewer points, I would rank it as:

Player B, then A, then C

I.e. Rank by number of rounds, then by fewest points.



How come the Player B is better than Player A? By getting less points?

[Graham Humphrey]

Actually although I suspect John wasn't being totally serious I think he has a point. This is going to be a total nightmare.

[TheCyberDruid]

Think I need to play it now to have an idea what Robo-Sparkle is talking about ;)

[jPV]

Or how about just changing this to Walker? ;)

I'd think that one game would be enough... and it probably wouldn't need to be this ;)

[Biscuit]

What the fuck was that!?

I just played something. The tutorial made sense, then I started...

A plane in a blue screen, electrocuted by a mime in stocks, flying back to the same level, a shoot em up, trying to fit a crossword that won't do anything, going in circles over the same levels, buying random items, and a little tune.

I scored about 250,000 but it still said round 1 and I'm not even sure if it's a valid score now? And I'm a Mod!?

:crazy :guru

[TheCyberDruid]

Er... yes ;) Well, not sure about it either. So far haven't seen any reason why the score should be low to make it a 'good' round :nervous

[Biscuit]

Maybe because everything just went BLUE! :spin

I thought Sensible Software just did games with little people in them, not that the little people lived in their head and force fed them happy pills.

Don't worry I'll chill out in a mo. A minor assault on my senses, that's all.

[Robo-Sparkle]

Sorry, I guess I didn't explain well enough.

What I meant was that you get points for the normal things you'd expect to (killing baddies, bonus points from finishing a round etc)

The thing is, the longer you spend on a round, the more points you'd get, so where's the motivation to move on?

My point on the 'lowest scores, most rounds' thing was that if you get better at going through the levels then you won't kill as many baddies, since you will be better at clearing the screens.

As I said, it's just my opinion on how to avoid the problem of score-leeching, which is really easy to do by accident. Feel free to just ignore it if it's just confusing matters :nuts

Biscuit: If you wear blue specs, everything's going to look blue. The clown electrocutes you if you try to take his stuff without giving anything in return (or the right thing), so don't be a thief. And of course level 6 is a shooter. What kind of game has a level 6 that ISN'T a shooter? Honesty, just look at War Zone! :crazy

But yeah, this game is quite mad. That's why I loved it so much. :laughing

[mailman]

I think I know what Robo-Sparkle means. The aim of the screen is to clear the enemies not the bricks. If you remove all the bricks from the screen you will have nothing to kill them with and you will progress into the next screen but it makes you unable to complete the round. If there is any screen which was not cleared of enemies you will have to rerun the screen later and thus makes you earning points without progressing into the game.

I think that we should reconsider what should be the target in scoring system. Score leeching in the game is very easy. And what's more - it is unintenional.

[john4p]

Robo-Sparkle's explanation sealed it for me: this game isn't suitable for this competition.

[Robo-Sparkle]

I think it is suitable, but we need to think about how to score it, and the time to do that probably isn't while trying to play it (esp since we are playing two games!)

[john4p]

the time to do that probably isn't while trying to play it
Well said. So let's change this now to Walker. Then someday Wizkid may be voted again... ;)

[Biscuit]

I think we should reach a decision today, but the low score option seems possible to me. It should reward skill. If it works then it'll be more interesting than button bashing on Walker.

[Robo-Sparkle]

Personally I think the low score will work fine. Save as many kittens as possible while scoring the fewest points. I don't really want to play two button-bashers in the same round!

[TheCyberDruid]

So the basic formula is : Get through the game with the least points possible. Well, guess I could live with that, but it somehow defeats the point of having a scorelist... ;) (hey, just my 2 cents :D)

[Robo-Sparkle]

There'd still be a score list, but it'd go backwards ;)

Plus, you've still got to save as many kittens as you can! Probably not so great if you're more of a dog person.

[Graham Humphrey]

So in a nutshell...

Primarily it's number of rounds completed, followed by number of points scored - with lowest score winning.

An interesting format and one which can conceivably work.

Would LinesMachine's suggestion on Lemon (score divided by completed rounds) work well? I can't quite work it out :crazy

[TheCyberDruid]

Would LinesMachine's suggestion on Lemon (score divided by completed rounds) work well? I can't quite work it out :crazy

Thought about that too, but that wouldn't work. First the number of rounds completed and then the lowest score for that. Otherwise it's just a 'complete round 1 with the least points' ;)

[Robo-Sparkle]

Would LinesMachine's suggestion on Lemon (score divided by completed rounds) work well? I can't quite work it out :crazy


I don't think it would, since you can concievably get stuck on one level and effectively ruin your score, even if you wound up completing the game.

I think number of levels, then least score is best.

[Graham Humphrey]

Yeah. D'you know what. Sod it. Let's go for it eh?

As long as Biscuit and Mike okay it too. This could be interesting. And besides I don't really want to put another new thread up ;)

[mailman]

142,980

[john4p]

You forgot to write # of rounds completed... ;)

[rexsu]

Sorry for all this mess, it's partly my fault; i chose Wizkid without knowing this game was really very strange :crazy
Nice concept, this game seems fun :)

160,790
I lost quickly in the world 2, it's difficult to control the green ball because the movments are (too?) fast.

[mailman]

142,150 - Round 2

[Graham Humphrey]

I've forgotten how to do round three. I've got the red diamond but how do you get to round four - do you just keep going clearing all the normal screens? I could swear there was another exit in that room that led to a kitten but it's been years since I've played this so I could be making it up...

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/3209/wizkidscore2.jpg

2 Rounds - 92,320

[mailman]

118,240 - 2 rounds

[Robo-Sparkle]

Graham: To complete level 3 just clear all the screens (even though some of them are just plain evil without the choppers or the nose :mad), there's no kitten behind the volcano.

[Graham Humphrey]

Thanks! I was going mad then, thought so :D

[Graham Humphrey]

A tale of woe coming up.

I got all the way to the end of the game for a bash at Asteroids and as it's about to play (after I put all my money in) I just get a black screen. Forever. Gutted!

I'm playing the WHDLoad version. Anybody else had this problem?

[Robo-Sparkle]

Ah, I've just had the exact same problem using the .adf files. There's some problem specifically accessing the wizeroids game, since the same thing happens if you use the warps on level 1.

Any idea if there's another, wizeroids-friendly, version out there? :(

[Graham Humphrey]

I actually had a disk version (I got it from PlanetEmu so it should be there, clearly I didn't link to it) that did indeed have a working version of Wizeroids. Shame I can't remember what one it was. But it does exist.

EDIT: Just posted a new thread here (http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=48384) so hopefully help will be at hand...

[john4p]

Oh, what a pity. I suggest we replace this awesome "game" with Walker. ;)

(In case no 100% working version is found.)

[Robo-Sparkle]

I've tried the TKK version suggested on that thread, and wizeroids works fine, so should work fully :)

The ADF disks are HERE (http://www.planetemu.net/index.php?section=roms&dat=754&action=showrom&id=1081868) and HERE (http://www.planetemu.net/index.php?section=roms&dat=754&action=showrom&id=1081869)

The "using extra RAM" screen is different than the other version, but it's the one I remember from my old amiga game, so I believe it's the real deal.

Sorry john4p. By which I mean I'm not sorry at all :cheese

[john4p]

Ah well, that's fine. By which I mean it's not fine at all. ;)

[Graham Humphrey]

ADF links now updated.

[john4p]

Umm...whether you get invited to the crossword-puzzle round or not is completely random, isn't it? Or is there a certain way to trigger it?

[Graham Humphrey]

Looks to be random. Only when you don't clear a screen I think? Not sure but I can't remember triggering it in any way.

It's a waste of time anyway to be honest.

[john4p]

Thanks.

It's a waste of time anyway to be honest.Well, I rather do that than continuously use e.g. the well to earn enough money to buy all the items needed...

[Graham Humphrey]

Got as far as I can possibly get before the thing crashes.

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/1110/wizkidscore3.jpg

8 rounds - 371,110

[rexsu]

I found many secrets of the game but still but not all.
Cursed drawbridge !

465,270

[rexsu]

338,680 - 8
I still have to find one cat to see the end.
It appears that your score is excellent John4p, victory is in the bag !

[turrican3]

which kind of game is this one ? :nuts

[john4p]

It appears that your score is excellent John4p, victory is in the bag !
Thanks, m8. :)

I still have to find one cat to see the end.Just tell me where you're stuck. I found all of the kittens together with a friend about 16 years ago. I think he had a walkthrough back then. I doubt I would've found all of the kittens all by myself (e.g. finding, keeping and later using the holy cross...). So imo it'd only be fair to help anyone who didn't have the luxury of playing this "game" before...

[rexsu]

I finally found the missing cat :cheese
John4p, thank you for wanting to help me but i think the riddles is the main attraction of the game so i wanted found the solution myself. My last problem was against the vampire indeed ;)
But i still have not completed the game, i didn't have enough money to play to the arcade game !
This game is really crazy :spin

420,710

[mailman]

Do you have some route how to progress in this game? During the second round, when I am in the body mode, I can fly a plane. Do use this plane at all? If yes, to which level do you fly to? Level 4 or Level 6? Or maybe further? Any hints about it, please ;)

[Graham Humphrey]

The plane is on the fourth round, not the second, which may suggest that you've taken the 'wrong' route through the game. But you don't want to go to level six, you need to collect the cross when you're on the plane and fly back down to the ground.

[mailman]

The plane is on the fourth round, not the second, which may suggest that you've taken the 'wrong' route through the game.

:help

What does it mean? I just started the game and managed to finish few of the first screens. I didn't go to the shop, I just collected the kitten. There was no route to choose.

[Graham Humphrey]

Right, you need to go the shop. Don't collect the kitten on the first stage. Go to the shop and get the cash to buy everything (if you have got all five stars you will get an extra $100 if you try to buy another one). Then go into body mode and you need to get down the well so jump on the handle a few times until the bucket comes up. Then get down there and experiment with everything...

[john4p]

You collected the "wrong" kitten. Go into body-mode (after filling all the notes) and then find the correct one (there are 2 more kittens in level 1 - only 1 of them being the "correct" one which brings you to level 2).

[Robo-Sparkle]

Good luck, you will need to explore level one fully to get all of the kittens in the game. If you get stuck, just ring the bell for assistance. ;)

[mailman]

Right, you need to go the shop. Don't collect the kitten on the first stage.

Ah, so this is the trick. I always collect it. What's more I try not to collect any coins because they give me extra points when I finish the round. And since we are fighting to have the smallest score...

Go to the shop and get the cash to buy everything (if you have got all five stars you will get an extra $100 if you try to buy another one). Then go into body mode and you need to get down the well so jump on the handle a few times until the bucket comes up. Then get down there and experiment with everything...

I know what to do in the body mode but I though that in the first round it is not necessary to go there.

[rexsu]

I had 42 credits to beat the score of the mouse.
And i beat her at the first game :D
The end is surprising :)

In level 1, i found a kitten who send you to last level !!
However it's not useful for the contest...

309,290
Now i can play to Ware Zone ;)

[Robo-Sparkle]

Go to the shop and get the cash to buy everything (if you have got all five stars you will get an extra $100 if you try to buy another one). Then go into body mode and you need to get down the well so jump on the handle a few times until the bucket comes up. Then get down there and experiment with everything...



I know what to do in the body mode but I though that in the first round it is not necessary to go there.

You don't need to go there to complete the first round. But later on in the game you'll wish you had... :agree

[mailman]

289,000 - 5 rounds

[rexsu]

Improved useless, i'm light-years from Lemoners !
Quite obviously i didn't catch all the subtleties of Wizkid :o

274,360

[Graham Humphrey]

Only three EABers for this game :confused

[rexsu]

Yes, it's not a great success ;)
This game is maybe too strange !

[TheCyberDruid]

Yes, it's not a great success ;)
This game is maybe too strange !

Maybe you should stop voting for random games you don't know ;) Just a thought matey :D

[AmigaFriend]

Maybe you should stop voting for random games you don't know ;)

I second that. :D Walker would be a much nicer game to play. In this, I don't even dare. :guru

[rexsu]

:laughing :lol
It's nice to discover new games and there is an additional challenge but it's true, there is a risk in this approach :D

[Graham Humphrey]

Surprised by the lack of enthusiasm for this game though - I think it's really good fun, completely bonkers and has a great sense of humour but I wonder... I've noticed that those of us who like it are English and I'm not sure its humour really translates that well to people outside the UK. It's a British game developed by British people with a British sense of humour and I wonder if that means a lot of you don't really get it, or just don't find it funny at all?

Just an idea. Might be talking rubbish (again).

[rexsu]

The level with the woman who barks (woof woof), it's a humour that i understand because in french there are phrases to insult the women "de chiennes" (chiennes = feminine of chien = dog), basically bitches :cheese

[Kitty]

261,660 - 1 Round (First time I have ever played this game btw)
Got to Level 4 dunno if thats good or not :lol

http://i36.tinypic.com/21cv1ja.jpg

[mihcael]

Surprised by the lack of enthusiasm for this game though - I think it's really good fun, completely bonkers and has a great sense of humour but I wonder... ...

The game makes no sense at all to me, i get the impression its a puzzle game but i dont know how it works. :crazy

Anyone wanna make a video with some commentary??

[Robo-Sparkle]

I would, but it already exists! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V12cYRmlekE&feature=related

[john4p]

It's a British game developed by British people with a British sense of humour and I wonder if that means a lot of you don't really get it, or just don't find it funny at all?I honestly don't know anyone who doesn't like British humour. But good humour =/= good game. I don't even see Wizkid as a game. In my opinion it's neither a game, nor educational software, nor a useful application. "Interactive psycho-dream" maybe?

[TheCyberDruid]

I would, but it already exists! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V12cYRmlekE&feature=related

Cheers for that Robo-Sparkle :great (should have looked for something like that myself). After watching part 2, I know why this isn't my game at all :nuts :D Don't think it's the humour Graham, but rather the strange, non-linear, whatever type of gameplay. Guess I'm too old to get my head around it :( Guess I'll just watch the Let's play and enjoy it that way ;)

[mailman]

I just watched the videos of this game on YouTube. If you are full of stars and you buy another one instead of paying 100 coins for it you obtain 100 coins. Is it allowed according to the rules? ;)

[mailman]

415,840 - 7 rounds

[Graham Humphrey]

And this one's done as well :)

New round (whatever that will be ;)) and Knockout voting to follow.