User:1ccsDontMatter/Dodging strategy

Normally in shmups, one wants to avoid danger in the forms of bullets, enemies, and obstacles when aiming for a goal such as a 1cc, 2-all, or score run. Dodging theory is an analysis of the different types of dangers one is likely to face as well as axioms for coming up with solutions to such obstacles.

Avoiding bullets

Routing

In general, the best way to avoid any type of danger, including bullets, is to know what will happen beforehand and to plan a safe route to avoid that danger. Even randomized elements of a shmup can benefit from routing by analyzing the random elements and routing towards the greatest probability for success. For instance, routing oneself into a safer, less bullet-dense part of the screen far away from the source of random danger.

Threat zones

Sources of danger, normally bullets, can be thought of as projecting a threat zone along their path. The closer one is to this zone, the greater the chance the player will make an error and collide with the bullet. It follows then that dodging strategies should be centered around controlling and minimizing these threat zones, thus giving the player the largest areas of safety and freedom that are possible. Todo: elaborate

Streaming / Herding / Luring

One way to minimize threat zones is to force sources of danger to overlap each other via streaming. Todo: elaborate, and --> image of bullet hell game, compressing huge stream of bullets (threat zones) into a single point, leaving most of the rest of the screen as safety

Bullet patterns

Static bullet patterns

Static bullet patterns are the same each time. Static patterns are often solved safely by memorizing safe spots. Todo: --> animation of a nice safe spot

Aimed bullet patterns

Aimed bullet patterns are patterns that are oriented towards or aimed directly at the player. These are the majority of patterns in older shmups.

Aimed evens

Also known as enclosing patterns, aimed bullet patterns with an even number of bullets contain two or more streams of bullets aimed away from the player. Usually the best way to survive evens is to not move and let the danger pass by. --> animation of not tapping even pattern

Aimed odds

Odd bullet patterns contain one or more streams of bullets that are aimed directly at the player. Usually the best way to survive odds is to tap once into a safe place. --> animation of tapping odd pattern

Random bullet patterns

Random bullet patterns are patterns that are not aimed at the player and spawn with a random trajectory. Usually, random patterns are actually oriented in some way towards the player, and are actually aimed random patterns. todo: explain

Homing attacks

Homing attacks are bullets or missiles that spawn with some initial trajectory but continue to curve towards the player for some amount of time. todo: explain how to avoid these based on their turn rate and timeout rate

Magic bullets

Magic bullets (todo: maybe there's another term for this?) are bullets such as rotating bullets (Compile), oscillating bullets, or curving bullets. Todo: give a theory on dealing with them

Hybrid patterns

Aimed random patterns

Aimed patterns with elements of randomness added. They are the majority of bullet patterns in newer shmups. They usually cannot be avoided by memorizing when to tap/not tap like normal aimed bullets and instead must be reacted to.

Static aimed patterns

Combines elements of static and aimed patterns. explain luring the aimed bullets into the static threat zones to reduce danger, etc --> animation of strikers 1945 loop 2 russia boss part 2 would be the perfect example here

Overlapping patterns

The majority of situations, especially during stages, are likely to be different types of patterns overlapping. todo: explain how to use threat zones to analyze and come up with routes through overlapping patterns, blah blah blah