Battle Garegga/Advanced Rank

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See Battle Garegga for the main page.

Overview

Rank in Battle Garegga is a bounded integer. Its maximum value is 15,728,640, and its minimum value is 2,097,152 for "normal" DIP switch settings and "Arcade" mode in the Battle Garegga Rev.2016 port.

In the arcade release, rank is hidden from the player. However, the Battle Garegga Rev.2016 port allows the player to track rank as a percentage in real time in the "rank graph" M2 gadget. The rank% displayed in the rank graph is a simple linear conversion from the rank variable stored by the game:

rank% = 100 * [(max-rank)/(max-min)]

max = 15,728,640 (0xF00000 in hexadecimal)

min = 2,097,152 (0x200000 in hexadecimal)


Note that rank% is 0.0% when rank=max and 100.0% when rank=min. Thus, high rank means low difficulty and vice versa.

For a rank change from any given source, the conversion goes:

Δrank% = 100 * [Δrank / (max - min)]


Rank is updated every frame according to a value called the frame rank as well as other specific events. These events are firing the ship's main shot, firing an option, picking up an item, deploying the ship's special weapon, sealing an enemy bullet, and dying.

Note: The rank graph only displays rank% with one significant figure, which is larger than many rank changes throughout the game. Thus, tables of rank% will display more significant figures than encountered in game for the sake of accuracy.

HP Scaling

One of the most noticeable effects of rank is how it influences enemy HP. When an enemy spawns, its maximum HP is calculated by the formula:

HP = ((0x300 - 2*(rank >> 16)) * base) >> 8


In this formula, base is the default enemy HP. Note that changing rank will not update the HP values of any enemies on screen, only new enemies that spawn under the new rank value.

What this means in practice is that enemy HP scales linearly from x1-x3 of the base HP value as the absolute rank decreases and rank% increases. Enemies will spawn with their base HP value when rank is the maximum value of a 24-bit integer, 0xFFFFFF. However, the default rank value (i.e. 0.0%) is 0xF00000 so the base HP values are never actually encountered during gameplay. When rank reaches half of a 24-bit integer, 0x800000, this scaling is x2 and enemies spawn with double their base HP. If rank were to reach the minimum value of a 24-bit integer, 0x0, the scaling would be x3 and enemies would spawn with triple their base HP. However, the minimum rank value (i.e. 100.0%) is 0x200000 so enemies with triple HP are also never encountered. (Setting the DIP switch to "hardest" will lower the minimum rank to 0x80000, but since this is considerably greater than 0x0 enemies will still spawn with less than triple HP.)

A summary of enemy HP scaling encountered in game is displayed in the following table:

Rank (hexadecimal) Rank% HP Scaling
0xF00000 0.0 x1.125
0xC00000 23.07692 x1.5
0x800000 53.84615 x2
0x200000 100.0 x2.75
0x80000 111.53846 2.9375

Frame Rank

The frame rank is a value applied to the rank on every frame during a playthrough. Like rank, it is hidden from the player in the original arcade release, but displayed in the upper left-hand corner of the rank graph on the Battle Garegga Rev.2016 port. The frame rank is a singular value the game tracks and updates as needed. However, it can be useful to think of the frame rank as dependent upon two components:

Frame Rank = Base Value + Extras

Base Value

The base value depends on the highest autofire rate activated during the credit. Its default value is equal to 22 for the "normal" DIP switch setting on the Japanese arcade release and the "Arcade" mode of the Battle Garegga Rev.2016 port. Note that returning to a lower fire rate will not lower the frame rank to a previous value, so it is worth carefully considering when to increase the autofire rate.

Note: Because the frame rank is a small number, the total rank% change per second is included as well in the following table.

Autofire Rate Base Value (decimal) Base Value (hexadecimal) Rank% Rank% per second
8.6 Hz 22 0x16 0.00016 0.00968
10 Hz 22 0x16 0.00016 0.00968
12 Hz 33 0x21 0.00024 0.01453
15 Hz 44 0x2C 0.00032 0.01937
20 Hz 66 0x42 0.00048 0.02905
30 Hz 88 0x58 0.00065 0.03873
60 Hz* 110 0x6E 0.00081 0.04841

*Note: 60 Hz autofire is only accessible through a glitch and will activate if you tap the shot button on the frame you respawn. In practice, this means you have a 50% chance of activating it if you hold down a 30 Hz external autofire button after dying. Miyamoto can trigger this glitch without needing to die by holding 30 Hz autofire after bombing.

Extras

The extra additions are small values added to the current frame rank upon obtaining certain power ups. Levelling up the main shot with a small shot power up (including the special shot level up) increases the current frame rank by 1. Activating a secret option formation (except for wide formation, which does not affect frame rank) increases the current frame rank by 2. These values are added every time one of the conditions is fulfilled, even if you have already activated the power up or formation during the current playthrough. Losing the power up or option formation will not decrease the current frame rank by the value that was added.

Activation Frame Rank Increase Rank% Rank% per second
Shot Lv Up w/ small shot power up +1 0.000007 0.00044
Special Shot Lv Up +1 0.000007 0.00044
Activate shadow option formation +1 0.000007 0.00044
Activate homing/search option formations +2 0.000015 0.00088

Changing Autofire

When changing the autofire rate, the new frame rank will be:

  • the current frame rank, or
  • the new base value,

whichever is greater. This means that it is advantageous to change the autofire rate after powering up with small shot power ups or special option formations, since the extra additions will be "absorbed" into the new base value if changing to 12 Hz or higher autofire.

Main Shot

The value of the rank increment applied whenever firing the main shot depends on the number of bullet "clusters" in the shot level of the ship being used and whether the cluster is of non-penetrating or penetrating bullets. The increment at any individual shot level is unique for each ship. In addition, if the sprite limit for player shots on screen has been reached due to a high autofire rate, the rank increment for shots not fired will still be applied.

Note: Because the rank increment per shot is a small number for each ship and shot level, the rank% increase per second for each autofire rate is included in the tables below.

Silver Sword

Shot Level Rank (decimal) Rank (hexadecimal) Rank% Rank% per second (8.6 Hz) Rank% per second (10 Hz) Rank% per second (12 Hz) Rank% per second (15 Hz) Rank% per second (20 Hz) Rank% per second (30 Hz)
1 60 0x3C 0.00044 0.00379 0.00440 0.00528 0.00660 0.00880 0.01320
2 60 0x3C 0.00044 0.00379 0.00440 0.00528 0.00660 0.00880 0.01320
3 80 0x50 0.00059 0.00505 0.00587 0.00704 0.00880 0.01174 0.01761
4 80 0x50 0.00059 0.00505 0.00587 0.00704 0.00880 0.01174 0.01761
5 80 0x50 0.00059 0.00505 0.00587 0.00704 0.00880 0.01174 0.01761
Special 80 0x50 0.00059 0.00505 0.00587 0.00704 0.00880 0.01174 0.01761

Grasshopper

Shot Level Rank (decimal) Rank (hexadecimal) Rank% Rank% per second (8.6 Hz) Rank% per second (10 Hz) Rank% per second (12 Hz) Rank% per second (15 Hz) Rank% per second (20 Hz) Rank% per second (30 Hz)
1 60 0x3C 0.00044 0.00379 0.00440 0.00528 0.00660 0.00880 0.01320
2 60 0x3C 0.00044 0.00379 0.00440 0.00528 0.00660 0.00880 0.01320
3 60 0x3C 0.00044 0.00379 0.00440 0.00528 0.00660 0.00880 0.01320
4 140 0x8C 0.00103 0.00883 0.01027 0.01232 0.01541 0.02054 0.03081
5 140 0x8C 0.00103 0.00883 0.01027 0.01232 0.01541 0.02054 0.03081
Special 220 0xDC 0.00161 0.01388 0.01614 0.01937 0.02421 0.03228 0.04842

Flying Baron

Shot Level Rank (decimal) Rank (hexadecimal) Rank% Rank% per second (8.6 Hz) Rank% per second (10 Hz) Rank% per second (12 Hz) Rank% per second (15 Hz) Rank% per second (20 Hz) Rank% per second (30 Hz)
1 60 0x3C 0.00044 0.00379 0.00440 0.00528 0.00660 0.00880 0.01320
2 60 0x3C 0.00044 0.00379 0.00440 0.00528 0.00660 0.00880 0.01320
3 80 0x50 0.00059 0.00505 0.00587 0.00704 0.00880 0.01174 0.01761
4 80 0x50 0.00059 0.00505 0.00587 0.00704 0.00880 0.01174 0.01761
5 100 0x64 0.00073 0.00631 0.00734 0.00880 0.01100 0.01467 0.02201
Special 100 0x64 0.00073 0.00631 0.00734 0.00880 0.01100 0.01467 0.02201

Wild Snail

Shot Level Rank (decimal) Rank (hexadecimal) Rank% Rank% per second (8.6 Hz) Rank% per second (10 Hz) Rank% per second (12 Hz) Rank% per second (15 Hz) Rank% per second (20 Hz) Rank% per second (30 Hz)
1 140 0x8C 0.00103 0.00883 0.01027 0.01232 0.01541 0.02054 0.03081
2 140 0x8C 0.00103 0.00883 0.01027 0.01232 0.01541 0.02054 0.03081
3 140 0x8C 0.00103 0.00883 0.01027 0.01232 0.01541 0.02054 0.03081
4 140 0x8C 0.00103 0.00883 0.01027 0.01232 0.01541 0.02054 0.03081
5 220 0xDC 0.00161 0.01388 0.01614 0.01937 0.02421 0.03228 0.04842
Special 220 0xDC 0.00161 0.01388 0.01614 0.01937 0.02421 0.03228 0.04842

Gain

Shot Level Rank (decimal) Rank (hexadecimal) Rank% Rank% per second (8.6 Hz) Rank% per second (10 Hz) Rank% per second (12 Hz) Rank% per second (15 Hz) Rank% per second (20 Hz) Rank% per second (30 Hz)
1 60 0x3C 0.00044 0.00379 0.00440 0.00528 0.00660 0.00880 0.01320
2 80 0x50 0.00059 0.00505 0.00587 0.00704 0.00880 0.01174 0.01761
3 60 0x3C 0.00044 0.00379 0.00440 0.00528 0.00660 0.00880 0.01320
4 80 0x50 0.00059 0.00505 0.00587 0.00704 0.00880 0.01174 0.01761
5 80 0x50 0.00059 0.00505 0.00587 0.00704 0.00880 0.01174 0.01761
Special 80 0x50 0.00059 0.00505 0.00587 0.00704 0.00880 0.01174 0.01761

Chitta

Shot Level Rank (decimal) Rank (hexadecimal) Rank% Rank% per second (8.6 Hz) Rank% per second (10 Hz) Rank% per second (12 Hz) Rank% per second (15 Hz) Rank% per second (20 Hz) Rank% per second (30 Hz)
1 60 0x3C 0.00044 0.00379 0.00440 0.00528 0.00660 0.00880 0.01320
2 60 0x3C 0.00044 0.00379 0.00440 0.00528 0.00660 0.00880 0.01320
3 80 0x50 0.00059 0.00505 0.00587 0.00704 0.00880 0.01174 0.01761
4 80 0x50 0.00059 0.00505 0.00587 0.00704 0.00880 0.01174 0.01761
5 80 0x50 0.00059 0.00505 0.00587 0.00704 0.00880 0.01174 0.01761
Special 80 0x50 0.00059 0.00505 0.00587 0.00704 0.00880 0.01174 0.01761

Miyamoto

Shot Level Rank (decimal) Rank (hexadecimal) Rank% Rank% per second (8.6 Hz) Rank% per second (10 Hz) Rank% per second (12 Hz) Rank% per second (15 Hz) Rank% per second (20 Hz) Rank% per second (30 Hz)
1 60 0x3C 0.00044 0.00379 0.00440 0.00528 0.00660 0.00880 0.01320
2 60 0x3C 0.00044 0.00379 0.00440 0.00528 0.00660 0.00880 0.01320
3 60 0x3C 0.00044 0.00379 0.00440 0.00528 0.00660 0.00880 0.01320
4 60 0x3C 0.00044 0.00379 0.00440 0.00528 0.00660 0.00880 0.01320
5 100 0x64 0.00073 0.00631 0.00734 0.00880 0.01100 0.01467 0.02201
Special 100 0x64 0.00073 0.00631 0.00734 0.00880 0.01100 0.01467 0.02201

Bornnam

Shot Level Rank (decimal) Rank (hexadecimal) Rank% Rank% per second (8.6 Hz) Rank% per second (10 Hz) Rank% per second (12 Hz) Rank% per second (15 Hz) Rank% per second (20 Hz) Rank% per second (30 Hz)
1 60 0x3C 0.00044 0.00379 0.00440 0.00528 0.00660 0.00880 0.01320
2 80 0x50 0.00059 0.00505 0.00587 0.00704 0.00880 0.01174 0.01761
3 80 0x50 0.00059 0.00505 0.00587 0.00704 0.00880 0.01174 0.01761
4 80 0x50 0.00059 0.00505 0.00587 0.00704 0.00880 0.01174 0.01761
5 120 0x78 0.00088 0.00757 0.00880 0.01056 0.01320 0.01761 0.02641
Special 120 0x78 0.00088 0.00757 0.00880 0.01056 0.01320 0.01761 0.02641

Option Shot

A rank increment is applied for every individual option bullet fired. The value of this increment is the same for all ships except for Gain and Miyamoto, whose option bullets have larger rank increments.

Ship Rank per bullet (decimal) Rank per bullet (hexadecimal) Rank% per bullet
Garegga ships, Chitta, Bornnam 20 0x14 0.00015
Miyamoto 60 0x3C 0.00044
Gain 240 0xF0 0.00176


Items

The value added to the rank when collecting an item depends on the item, with two exceptions. The first exception is when collecting a shot power up, option, or weapon fragment at max capacity, which will increase the value added to rank. The second exception is when collecting a small shot power up or small weapon fragment that levels up the main shot or fills a weapon stock, which will also increase the rank added.

The total rank increase from collecting 40 small weapon fragments is also included in the table below for an easy comparison to collecting a single large weapon fragment.

Small Shot Power Ups

Pickup Type Rank (decimal) Rank (hexadecimal) Rank%
Normal 2048 0x800 0.01502
Max Shot Level 10240 0x2800 0.07512
Shot Level Up 10240 0x2800 0.07512

Large Shot Power Ups

Pickup Type Rank (decimal) Rank (hexadecimal) Rank%
Normal 8192 0x2000 0.06010
Max Shot Level 16384 0x4000 0.12019

Small Weapon Fragments

Pickup Type Rank (decimal) Rank (hexadecimal) Rank%
Normal 2048 0x800 0.01502
Max Bomb Stocks 10240 0x2800 0.07512
Weapon Level Up 67584 0x10800 0.49579
40 Fragments 147456 0x24000 1.08173

Large Weapon Fragments

Pickup Type Rank (decimal) Rank (hexadecimal) Rank%
Normal 65536 0x10000 0.48077
Max Bomb Stocks 73728 0x12000 0.54087

Option Power Ups

Pickup Type Rank (decimal) Rank (hexadecimal) Rank%
Normal 65536 0x10000 0.48077
Max Options 73728 0x12000 0.54087

Medals

Value Rank (decimal) Rank (hexadecimal) Rank%
100 8192 0x2000 0.06010
200 18432 0x4800 0.13522
300 28672 0x7000 0.21034
400 38912 0x9800 0.28546
500-4000 118 0x76 0.00087
5000+ 119 0x77 0.00087

Note: Only the rank amounts up to value 400 were originally intended to be used as rank values, the remaining medals use a subsequent data table for their rank amount due to a bug.

Special Weapons

A rank increment is applied to the rank whenever activating the ship's special weapon. This value is applied regardless of whether a full bomb stock was used.

Rank (decimal) Rank (hexadecimal) Rank%
16384 0x4000 0.12019


Sealing Bullets

A rank increment is applied for each individual bullet sealed. For the total rank increase, multiply this value by the number of bullets sealed for enemies that fire many bullets at once.

Rank (decimal) Rank (hexadecimal) Rank%
2048 0x800 0.01502


Dying

The rank increment upon death depends on the number of extra lives the player has on hand.

Extra Lives Rank (decimal) Rank (hexadecimal) Rank%
5 261120 0x3FC00 -1.91556
4 391680 0x5FA00 -2.87335
3 522240 0x7F800 -3.83113
2 655360 0xA0000 -4.80769
1 785920 0xBFE00 -5.76547
0 (Game Over) 785920 0xBFE00 -5.76547


DIP Switches

Changing the DIP switch in the arcade version or in "Custom" mode of the Battle Garegga Rev.2016 port changes two things, the minimum rank and the base values that determine frame rank.

Because of the different minimum rank, the maximum in-game difficulty will change between settings even though the starting difficulty will remain the same. Even though the minimum rank changes, the rank% will still be calculated using the minimum rank of the "normal" DIP switch setting. As a result, the maximum possible rank% will change to a number greater or lower than 100.0% depending on the DIP switch setting.

DIP Switch Setting Minimum Rank (decimal) Minimum Rank (hexadecimal) Maximum Rank%
Easy 4,194,304 0x400000 84.6
Normal 2,097,152 0x200000 100.0
Hard 1,048,576 0x100000 107.6
Hardest 524,288 0x80000 111.5

Because of the different base values, the frame ranks encountered at different autofire rates will change accordingly.

Easy

Autofire Rate Base Value (decimal) Base Value (hexadecimal) Rank% Rank% per second
8.6 Hz 16 0x10 0.00012 0.00704
10 Hz 16 0x10 0.00012 0.00704
12 Hz 24 0x18 0.00018 0.01056
15 Hz 32 0x20 0.00023 0.01409
20 Hz 48 0x30 0.00035 0.02113
30 Hz 64 0x40 0.00047 0.02817

Hard

Autofire Rate Base Value (decimal) Base Value (hexadecimal) Rank% Rank% per second
8.6 Hz 28 0x1C 0.00021 0.01232
10 Hz 28 0x1C 0.00021 0.01232
12 Hz 42 0x2A 0.00031 0.01849
15 Hz 56 0x28 0.00041 0.02465
20 Hz 84 0x54 0.00062 0.03697
30 Hz 112 0x70 0.00082 0.04930

Hardest

Autofire Rate Base Value (decimal) Base Value (hexadecimal) Rank% Rank% per second
8.6 Hz 36 0x24 0.00026 0.01585
10 Hz 36 0x24 0.00026 0.01585
12 Hz 54 0x36 0.00040 0.02377
15 Hz 72 0x48 0.00053 0.03169
20 Hz 108 0x6C 0.00079 0.04754
30 Hz 144 0x90 0.00106 0.06338

References & Contributors

  1. ST: Battle Garegga, https://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=351
  2. Battle Garegga Rank Percentages, https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1--_IPOmSNxo6ShxzS2Up_q-DNEo2wPCHbuQMyj9NIwE/edit#gid=0
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