CapitanClassic

Only 15 or so people posted scores this week. Is this normal, to lose 2/3rds of the HSC less than half way through? (Or is it just Spring Break?) Also, are the next two weeks games (Week 9/10) going to be posted next .Saturday? I liked the teaser for this week Vocelli.

Now that I think about it, there are 4 animations for the car uncrushed, Crushed right, crush left, and crushed flat. This is obviously intentional, you can crush the car 3x for (60 points total). To do so I usually have to roll my moster truck. If I don't, my wheels don't seem to crush it, but the hood does for some reason.

This might be a game where we just throw out the scores. I think I have calculated the theoretical maximum, so I know what I think a perfect run would be. The problem is, getting some of these points is very hard without unintentionally scoring points (the only one that is really hard to avoid is the Collapsing Ramp exploit. Usually you will only score an additional +25 points). If you pay attention to your score, you can know if you accidentally scored points. There is another scoring (possible bug) that allows you to crush a car 3x. I am not sure if you are supposed to be able to do this more than twice. I assumed that the proper behavior is 3x, since the brick walls are the same. Still practicing for a near perfect run for Skate Boardin'. Skate Boardin' - 0 obstacles 2:36 time left (this video isn't my best run, but it is only off by 2 seconds. I think the theoretical maximum is somewhere between 2:47-2:55) I think I will just give up on California Games (BMX). I calculated the theoretical maximum score, and I don't think I can do much better than I currently am unless I master the timing of my jumps on the ramp (and the pressing/releasing of the down/tabletop trick). I can settle for second place on this one as well. (this video doesn't show my highest score, but does give some good examples of how you can pull off a triple jump, and you can score a couple of easy 300 point tabletops where the ground drops a bit.) California Games (BMX) - 42,840 45,720

I am throwing out my 1455 score. I cannot verify if I didn't accidentally score an exploit. I have a new recorded run. The video says I scored 1380, but when I looked over the video several times I unintentionally scored points (I bounced on a platform multiple times (+75 points), I accelerated too short a distance up a collapsing ramp (+25), and I was thrown backward (+25) points, and one other one I am forgetting. My new high score is: Capitan Classic Motor Rodeo (PAL) - 1230 (the video isn't really 8:00 long. Somehow when editing I inserted black video for 5 minutes)

Wheelie - hold down. (you can also hold down-left or down-right) If you perform a wheelie while hitting an obstacle like a brick wall, on the third hit (or first if going fast enough), you will get lots of air. I don't think the top of the car matters besides graphically. I have only been testing with Trax, but the instruction manual says Then select the type of vehicle, truck or blazer, equipped with either tires or trax. Tires allows you to go over obstacles easier. With trax you bounce higher

Capitan Classic Skate Boardin' - 0 obstacles with 2:34 remaining (The trap is set. bwah, ha ha.) (@Vocelli, sorry about posting the map(s). Didn't know that sort of thing was discouraged.)

You actually don't have to double-jump. I have found that I can get the timing better by performing a double jump. When I failed to discover the flat ground tabletop exploit using Stella (I wasn't aware of all of its features. I am slightly better at using it now), I resorted to attempting the trick without using the frame advance feature at normal 60Hz speed. I seemed to remember back in my grade school days on an Apple IIe that the exploit existed, and figured that it might exist on the VCS as well. The double jump helps me time releasing the down button immediately after the jump, or perhaps it changes the orientation of the sprite at the beginning of the tabletop allowing you to complete the tabletop animation before hitting the ground. I haven't done extensive testing in Stella to figure out exactly how to pull off the trick, because I am trying to score 55k IRL. I don't have time to go to deeply into something that doesn't help me accomplish that.

I do worry about these things NIKON. For example, just telling everyone that an exploit exists might cause cheaters to go looking for it. Openly showing how it can be done just makes it easier to cheat. I have the same worries about revealing the theoretical maximum scores or a game, that might encourage cheaters to inflate their score just below that maximum (the same could be said about posting a score. A cheater knows they can post a score that high with no worries of being caught as a cheater (perhaps we should perform a sting operation. Tell Vocelli we are posting a fake score, and wait for cheaters to post a score that beats it. perhaps I already did that, bawah, ah, ha, ha). As for cheating/varification on other sites, if HighScore.com accepts just photos for verification, that is there issue. In all honesty, even video can be faked. (hence the huge tool assisted video craze, where people are encouraged to use tools to perform amazing speed runs and other tricks). The only real way to verify anything is to watch it live (or perhaps multiple recordings of a game at dfferent angles, one screen capture, one focused on player joysticks, and a simultanious joystick/video capture.) Speaking of which, I am more than willing to start a network spectator game of any of the games I have posted scores for HSC using PCAE and killinator (or whatever that network emu client is called). If Vocelli thinks it is an issue, I won't post info about exploits in the future.

NIKON, I pesonally don't believe in security by obscurity. If I found a bug, someone else is likely to discover it. I am sure there are multiple ways to cheat on any game (IRL or emulated). I figure most people in the HSC are ok with the honor system, so revealing an exploit does no harm. Even so, I intended to release video of my high score runs in light of these exploits, just in case someone didn't believe me. (Even video could be faked.). I am fine with throwing out the games as well (although I just scored 40k+ on BMX). The sooner we know, the better, so I don't waste more time practicing.

Agreed StanJr, I don't think it is a exploit, but it is the most effective technique. For example, the very first jump scores the following: (scores approximate, you also score for distance/air time of the jump) Flip = 300 2Flip = 900 3Flip = impossible (I think) Hold Tabletop = 500 Quick tabletop = 300 2Q.Tabletop = 900 3Q.Tabletop = 1800 I would rather score almost 2x the points than flips (which seem to take longer) or 4x the points of holding a tabletop.

Yes. The truck comes at ~3:35 and at ~3:22. If you miss the truck at 3:35 (I don't think you can get to it, but I was able to catch a truck without stopping once after it had left the stop). This will send you over both ramps to the right. Then you can jump duck through two pipes, jump the ramp the wrong way to get the pipe to the right of it. Loop around and get the ramp you skipped, then take the long path past the barricades. I think I can shave off an additional 10 seconds or so if it didn't collide with something. As to the Motor Rodeo exploit, I call this one Infinite collapsing ramp exploit. All you need to do is slowly ascend the collapsing ramp until you are close to the right hand side. Your score will begin to increase by 25 point increments. Then when the ramp goes to vertical, it throws you backwards (you can also score 5 points for landing on your tires). Video below. Regarding my 39,100 score for California Games (BMX). I don't know if this should qualify as an exploit, but I got that score using tabletops instead of flips. The instruction manual says that you score a variable amount of points for a tabletop based upon how long you hold down. I press and release down, which seems to score you the same as performing a flip (i.e. a single flip scores 300, a quick table top scores 300. A double flip scores 1000, a double tabletop scores 1000, a triple flip (supposedly scores 1800, but I cannot do it) a triple tabletop scores 1800). So, is this an exploit?

It was more of a question of how to proceed about details of the exploit. Should I post a video and describe how to accomplish the exploit, or do we want security through obscurity? The other exploit is in MotorRodeo. Still working on details for how to pull it off (and for clarification, the 1455 score above doesn't abuse the technique. With the technique I was able to score 1700+ before the first half of the race.)

Toonces look out.

Taking back first place. MotoRodeo - 1455 Skate Boardin' - 0 Obstacles left/ 2:24 Remaining Calfornia Games (BMX) - 39,100 Additionally, I would like to point out what I assume everyone would consider an exploit. You actually can perform a tabletop (worth 300 points) on flat ground. The technique I have used to pull it off is to jump first (to orient your bike sprite above the mountain background, then immediately after you hit the ground tap jump and down then release (you can actually hold backwards to brake to slow your descent down the mountain). I am not perfect with the technique, but using it I scored 65,990 points. I think using that technique goes against the spirit of the game. I have included a video below illustrating the technique. (Also, how do we usually handle what someone thinks is an exploit? Should I reveal the technique like I did below? Another exploit exists, and I want to know how to proceed)

I don't know if you can tabletop on the ground, but plan to launch stellas debugger for a frame by frame analysis.

Jason_Atari discovered the 10,000 bonus for not falling, and did an impressive 40k run. Well done. This game will play itself since the course is downhill. Just press the fire button, and gravity will score you 13k. Also testing a theory that you can tabletop on flat ground to score 300 points (you might need a slight declination to the mountain, but this could rack up huge points even without a perfect run). Edit: Nope, you cannot tabletop on flat land. You need a couple of pixels below you before you land. Double Edit: Actually, an exploit does exist. Details to come.