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Season 7, Week 7: Paradroid (C64); Link to ZIP file included
Topic Started: 3 Jun 2007, 11:00 AM (3,064 Views)
russgalleywood
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Mostly harmless
Don't want to get off the obvious subject for this thread but have you Guys played Ranarama, also by Hewson? Quite similar to Paradroid with it's subgame bit.
Two of the many good Hewson games for Speccy and C64.
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merman
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Retro Survival Ed
Ranarama is OK on the C64, graphics are a bit poor in places (black frog on dark blue background - that's nice and visible!)

Paradroid was first, so I think it's the best. Quazatron and Magnetron are alright but don't add a lot to the format (other than the change to isometric view - oh, and Magnetron's magnetic tiles are quite clever).
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opa-opa
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Steakhouse & Brewery
Sputryk
Jun 4 2007, 01:02 PM

Sorry, Opa.  I don't agree with posting a score of 0.  Loading-up the game and then screen-grabbing without any effort to play is just not cricket.  And to lose purposefully is not in the spirit of the League.  Show yourself some respect and post a credible (if terribly low) score to gain the rewards for taking part.  There's a good chap.  :)

You all seem to think I haven't given this game a chance...

Remember I HAD a CBM64 when the Breadbin was brand new, I have given this game more than enough chances over the years but personaly I think it is shit.

I have said to myself in the past I won't be wasting anymore time on this game as I don't think there is anything fun or entertaining about this title what-so-ever no matter how many people try to convince me otherwise.

If my score is causing a problem, I'll post another one, but I don't see why it should be causing a problem, it's not like I scored nearly twice what everyone else has even though it has been proven such a score can only be achived by whoring/cheating...
My score does not rob anyone of any points/places and has given me more time to build my latest joystick creation :) Although I'll post another one if thats what people want.
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paranoid marvin

opa-opa
Jun 4 2007, 04:01 PM
Sputryk
Jun 4 2007, 01:02 PM

Sorry, Opa.  I don't agree with posting a score of 0.  Loading-up the game and then screen-grabbing without any effort to play is just not cricket.  And to lose purposefully is not in the spirit of the League.  Show yourself some respect and post a credible (if terribly low) score to gain the rewards for taking part.  There's a good chap.  :)

You all seem to think I haven't given this game a chance...

Remember I HAD a CBM64 when the Breadbin was brand new, I have given this game more than enough chances over the years but personaly I think it is shit.

I have said to myself in the past I won't be wasting anymore time on this game as I don't think there is anything fun or entertaining about this title what-so-ever no matter how many people try to convince me otherwise.

If my score is causing a problem, I'll post another one, but I don't see why it should be causing a problem, it's not like I scored nearly twice what everyone else has even though it has been proven such a score can only be achived by whoring/cheating...
My score does not rob anyone of any points/places and has given me more time to build my latest joystick creation :) Although I'll post another one if thats what people want.

I have to agree with Opa . Although agreeing posting 0 is not in the spirit of things , if it isn't accepted then it sets a precedent - in future there would have to be a rule setting a minimum score allowable before you got any ranking points
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necronom
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Para(lytic)Droid
9,425

I'll hopefully beat this score tonight.

Posted Image
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paranoid marvin

merman
Jun 4 2007, 03:17 PM
Ranarama is OK on the C64, graphics are a bit poor in places (black frog on dark blue background - that's nice and visible!)

Paradroid was first, so I think it's the best. Quazatron and Magnetron are alright but don't add a lot to the format (other than the change to isometric view - oh, and Magnetron's magnetic tiles are quite clever).

Sorry , I strongly disagree - Quazatron was a far better game . The graphics were much better , the different types of weapon were clearly visible when fired and there were slopes you could climb up or freewheel down. Also klp-2 's energy level was visible by seeing if he was happy or sad

The most important difference however was in the transfer scheme - you were able to cannibalise different parts from different droids , taking the weapon from one and the drive from another for example , making the game a much more tactical affair.
Also how well you won the transfer game depended on how many parts of the droid you took over were left undamaged. Only win by 7/5 for example and you may only be able to take one component

The C64 version may not have been able to cope with Quazatron's graphics , but there was no reason not to use the same transfer system.Then again , Paradroid came earlier , so you would expect some tweaks/improvements .
Magnetron was rank in comparison
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necronom
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Para(lytic)Droid
paranoid marvin
Jun 4 2007, 05:59 PM
in future there would have to be a rule setting a minimum score allowable before you got any ranking points

I was thinking the same earlier. It would have to be something like "ignore the top three scores, then get a score of at least 10% of the average of the other scores".

I'm not bothered myself. If I was crap at a game and couldn't get at least 10% of the majority's score, then I wouldn't feel I deserve to have my games in the pot, but I'm happy to do whatever everyone else wants. If people don't play, then I'm okay with them getting their games entered, as long as they don't get any score.

I always give the games a good go, even if I initially hate them, and I've ended up liking quite a few like that.
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paranoid marvin

can anyone better my capture of a 821 unit with my 001?
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necronom
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Para(lytic)Droid
paranoid marvin
Jun 4 2007, 06:09 PM
the different types of weapon were clearly visible when fired. Also klp-2 's energy level was visible by seeing if he was happy or sad.

The different Paradroid weapons are look different when fired, and the energy is visible by looking at how fast the droid rotates and how quickly the sound hums.
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paranoid marvin

necronom
Jun 4 2007, 05:14 PM
paranoid marvin
Jun 4 2007, 06:09 PM
the different types of weapon were clearly visible when fired.  Also klp-2 's energy level was visible by seeing if he was happy or sad.

The different Paradroid weapons are look different when fired, and the energy is visible by looking at how fast the droid rotates and how quickly the sound hums.

Ok , but it's really just the difference between 2 bolts or one - Quazatron had better looking weapons

Didn't know about the rotate/sound thing , but I do think the smiley/sad face of the Seccy version gives the guy more personality

Both good games though.

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paranoid marvin

necronom
Jun 4 2007, 05:10 PM
paranoid marvin
Jun 4 2007, 05:59 PM
in future there would have to be a rule setting a minimum score allowable before you got any ranking points

I was thinking the same earlier. It would have to be something like "ignore the top three scores, then get a score of at least 10% of the average of the other scores".

I'm not bothered myself. If I was crap at a game and couldn't get at least 10% of the majority's score, then I wouldn't feel I deserve to have my games in the pot, but I'm happy to do whatever everyone else wants. If people don't play, then I'm okay with them getting their games entered, as long as they don't get any score.

I always give the games a good go, even if I initially hate them, and I've ended up liking quite a few like that.

The thing is, what happens if the decision is that Opa can't pos 0 , so he goes away and then posts a score of , say, 1 , would that then be acceptable?


I'm sure Opa's capable of posting a reasonable score , but if he's prepared to lose points by not playing very much , then that's his choice

For what it's worth , I agree with Opa's reasoning that high/improbable (delete whichever you feel is most appropriate!) scores should also be queried , especially in regard to last week's game
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opa-opa
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Steakhouse & Brewery
375

Posted Image

Ok here is a score, I played the game for as long as I could stand and feel I have let myself down a bit as I promised (myself) I would never play this again but I don't want to be the cause of an argument.... (It still sucks by the way, just as it did when Zzap lied to me about how great it was and just as it did when I discovered emulation...)
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merman
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Retro Survival Ed
paranoid marvin
Jun 4 2007, 06:10 PM
can anyone better my capture of a 821 unit with my 001?

I managed to take over an 883 with 001 earlier on
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SirClive
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Curious
opa-opa
Jun 4 2007, 06:39 PM
375

Posted Image

Ok here is a score, I played the game for as long as I could stand and feel I have let myself down a bit as I promised (myself) I would never play this again but I don't want to be the cause of an argument.... (It still sucks by the way, just as it did when Zzap lied to me about how great it was and just as it did when I discovered emulation...)

Dammit, I should have kept my mouth shut, looks like you are gonna beat me now!

And to add to the earlier question about whether a score of 1 would be acceptable, I would say yes. It proves that you have played the game, even if only for 15 seconds.

Thanks for doing the decent thing though Opa and stopping it becoming a long drawn out debate. Can't have been easy for a stubborn ox lik yourself :P
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SirClive
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Curious
Sputryk
Jun 4 2007, 02:02 PM
Can't see why this game can be so hated. It is possibly the greatest C64 game of all time.

A question and the answer in the same post :D
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tk421
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Happy Days
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my first and last go
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Sureshot
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Test your might
7385

Was doing relatively well, that room where you have to clear a load of 751s is a bitch though. In the end, a 751 in another room knocked me down to 001, then I somehow managed to lose to a passing 139 :(

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necronom
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Para(lytic)Droid
37,340

:D My best score ever! By a long way. I was only one or two decks from clearing the second ship "Metahawk". It wasn't an unfair death, either (like some are).

I'm very pleased.

That worst score of the day isn't there. You are seeing things. I definitely didn't start a game, then die on my first transfer attempt to a 500 series. Oh no. ;)

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RS200
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vroom vroom !
Well, stuck in my hotel room busy playing this has made me happier than if I was a pig and room service had just bought me up a load of mud in a bowl!

This is one seriously great game ... love it more now than ever before.

12995


that's one awesome score Paul! - I'm gonna have trouble beating that I think.

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RS200
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vroom vroom !
SirClive
Jun 4 2007, 06:25 PM
Sputryk
Jun 4 2007, 02:02 PM
Can't see why this game can be so hated.  It is possibly the greatest C64 game of all time.

A question and the answer in the same post :D

It IS though ... I think when you talk about how good the C64 was - you must add this game in the same sentence! along with Delta, Creatures and Hawkeye IMHO this game is what the C64 is about.

I think the only thing what is missing in Paradroid is MUSIC .. now if only Rob had got a call from Hewson! ....
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titch

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8155
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supermario
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Well I can see why it falls into the Marmite (tm) category

2185

Posted Image

I don't like it at the moment...
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paranoid marvin

Posted Image16085 getting better
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fr@ser1

del
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Freshmetal
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Latest: 7585
Posted Image

Managed to get a #999 droid this time too, but I still ultimately got killed by getting zapped twice in really quick succession.
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Elgin_McQueen
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King Hanafuda Sandcrab IV
Much more appealing on PSP though, controls a lot better.

I didn't like droid 999, burned out really quickly, was the only time I saw it happen too.
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a.j.green
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Its not easy...
6880

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RocketRanger
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Kind of like it, never got into it before. But finding the sub-game very tricky.

I guess it makes a nice change to bullet-hell shoot-em-ups :-)

4185

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necronom
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Para(lytic)Droid
RocketRanger
Jun 5 2007, 08:07 PM
finding the sub-game very tricky.

Use the "decide your side" time to check the circuits for "safe" connections - i.e. ones that the other side can't change. This can be ones with repeaters, or ones that are in-between a split on the other side. Also check for the most number of connections you can change - if one has two splits and a repeater, and the other has a two-to-one and a blocked link, then choose the first. Also look out for colour change nodes.

Then, once you start, fire all the safe ones first. When you have waited as long as you dare, quickly fire the rest to change as many as possible after the other droid had done its connections. Remember, the last one to fire a connection will win that line at the end.

Most of that is pretty obvious, but it may help a bit if you don't know the game much.

Paradroid does have a lot of strategy involved. As well as the transfer game, you have to think about your route through the decks, and plan your game carefully otherwise you will be controlling a 302 Messenger Droid, trying to clear something like the Mid Cargo deck.

Also, trying to shoot the higher level droids like the 700 series and above is usually a bad idea. It's much easier to transfer (assuming you have at least a 500 series yourself).
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Sureshot
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Test your might
13770

Got quite far this time, my run also involved taking over an 834 as an 001. In the end, I died doing Benny Hill with an 821 in a 751 :(

Dunno if I have much more patience for this game, that last one took fecking ages :blink:

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Sputryk
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5960

Grrr..., not getting the time to get what I know I can do. Regularly having to commit harakiri to do other things.

Did overtake a Dalek with 001 droid, though! Lost my 629 going in for a grapple with 883 and could not then avoid a grapple as 001. Many droids closing in and as soon as I won the grapple I got shot to pieces! :(
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zaphod79
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Like 69, but bigger

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7100

That'll do for my first go in ages - now need to get some practice in :-)



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RocketRanger
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necronom
Jun 5 2007, 07:21 PM
RocketRanger
Jun 5 2007, 08:07 PM
finding the sub-game very tricky.

Use the "decide your side" time to check the circuits.. <snip>

Thanks for the tips, I'm finding the subgames a little more bearable now...

Thing is....I've got myself a shiney 520 (or whatever) robot and I've apparantly charged up my health because the points won't go down anymore when I sit on one of those bubbling things.....

I've finished this floor and it's all gone gray, so I make my way down a level.

...After just a few seconds on the next level I apparantly flash and then die for no obvious reason (really really quickly!) and I'm left with my little 001 droid again. Who starts to flash and dies before I can get him back to one of those bubbling things.

Why does this happen? What causes it and is there any way of stopping it? ....Anybody?
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RS200
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vroom vroom !
RocketRanger
Jun 5 2007, 10:20 PM
necronom
Jun 5 2007, 07:21 PM
RocketRanger
Jun 5 2007, 08:07 PM
finding the sub-game very tricky.

Use the "decide your side" time to check the circuits.. <snip>

Thanks for the tips, I'm finding the subgames a little more bearable now...

Thing is....I've got myself a shiney 520 (or whatever) robot and I've apparantly charged up my health because the points won't go down anymore when I sit on one of those bubbling things.....

I've finished this floor and it's all gone gray, so I make my way down a level.

...After just a few seconds on the next level I apparantly flash and then die for no obvious reason (really really quickly!) and I'm left with my little 001 droid again. Who starts to flash and dies before I can get him back to one of those bubbling things.

Why does this happen? What causes it and is there any way of stopping it? ....Anybody?

that'll be the 751 with the disruptor weapon!

naaaaaasty!

... plus you can only stay in a "host" for a certian amount of time and the higher (better) the number of the robot the shorter that time is ... that's why I like 476 - nice weapon and you can stay in it for ages :-)
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RocketRanger
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RS200
Jun 5 2007, 10:25 PM

that'll be the 751 with the disruptor weapon!

naaaaaasty!

Oh....So a baddy can kill me without being in the same room?

Remind me why this game is so fondly remembered? :-D
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RocketRanger
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..am I missing out on some prior knowledge of each droid and it's numbers apparant significance required to progress in the game?

Should I stop whinging and go look this up on the web?

I think I should. :blink:
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merman
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Retro Survival Ed
Actually the 751 doesn't have a disruptor ;)

RR, the higher the number the stronger the droid's weaponry and the more pulsers it gets in the transfer sub-game.

To make things easier when transferring, try to keep the range in numbers between you and the opponent as small as possible. Transferring in small steps means you have less disadvantage (in terms of pulsers) and it is easier to win.

The disruptor damages all droids onscreen.
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Sureshot
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Test your might
As long as they aren't too low compared to your current number, transferring to another droid is usually a good idea when you're low on energy, rather than hitting your score by using the pads too much. Also, if I'm losing a fire-fight with a droid, I'll generally slink off-screen, switch to transfer mode and return with a flying charge on the bastard. Unfortunately, this has resulted in me piling into a passing 100 or 200 series on more than one occasion ;)
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RS200
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vroom vroom !
merman
Jun 5 2007, 11:08 PM
Actually the 751 doesn't have a disruptor ;)

Ok, Ok... it's the 711!

Mr Pedantic man :lol: ;)

.. It was late, ok? ;)
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Sureshot
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Test your might
One thing I wish they had implemented into the game is greyed-out floors on the elevator map once you clear them. Would give a much nicer overview.
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necronom
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Para(lytic)Droid
RocketRanger
Jun 5 2007, 11:20 PM
...After just a few seconds on the next level I apparantly flash and then die for no obvious reason (really really quickly!) and I'm left with my little 001 droid again. Who starts to flash and dies before I can get him back to one of those bubbling things.

Why does this happen? What causes it and is there any way of stopping it? ....Anybody?

If the whole screen flashes and you here a noise, it's what RS said - a Disrupter from one of the droids on screen, otherwise it's your droid burning out from over-use.

While you are controlling a droid, it is gradually burning out. This is the maximum your health can get to. If you get shot, you can re-charge up to this maximum. If you have been a 999 for about a minute and get shot, then re-charge, you won't go back to how it was when you first got it. You will only go to the overall limit that is constantly reducing.

Keep your eye on the speed of rotation of your droid. The slower the spin, the lower your health (I think I was wrong about the humming earlier, I don't think that changes).

SS, yes, grey decks would have been a good idea. I usually do a quick check of all the decks on a lift shaft when I'm getting close to clearing one area of the ship - just a quick half second on each one to make sure they are all powered down before moving on.

I was playing it on my widescreen TV last night, which was great. I almost cleared the first ship, then for some unexplainable reason lost a transfer to a low droid and it was game over :( I'll try again tonight.
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RS200
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vroom vroom !
Nice Avatar Paul! .... you changed him to a 999!

.. and as always AJ gets into the spirit of things with his Avatar :-) It's worth logging on each week to see which Spectrum sprite he rips out this time! :D


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necronom
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Para(lytic)Droid
:D

I always like AJ's, and since my usual one is a Paradroid, I thought it would be appropriate for a temporary upgrade (especially since I've currently got the top score). Maybe when I'm pushed to third place or something, I'll do another change if I can be bothered.
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Sureshot
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Test your might
Initially, I always thought 001 looked like 2 eyes, with the 1 being the side bit of the visory thing, a bit like a Zeroid. I didn't realise there were any numbers involved.
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paranoid marvin

This may help others - play your emulator in a window - it's easier (for me at least) to win the transfer game when the full screen is in my main viewing area
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necronom
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Para(lytic)Droid
Sureshot
Jun 6 2007, 06:42 PM
Initially, I always thought 001 looked like 2 eyes, with the 1 being the side bit of the visory thing, a bit like a Zeroid. I didn't realise there were any numbers involved.

Yeah, that's one of the reasons I picked it - it looks like a face. I don't know if it was intentional, or if it was just a nice accident, but it's a great graphic for the player character (and an avatar, IMO).

I actually have the 001 as my startup screen on my phone:

Posted Image

and the screen saver anim before it blanks the screen is this:

Posted Image

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Collywobbles

1635

Loved this game when it came out, I hope I get time to play it a bit more to get a better score.

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Sureshot
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Test your might
Managed to deadlock a 999 with the 001. So close :P
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necronom
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Para(lytic)Droid
I can't manage to clear the first ship again. I get to the last few decks, then have a nasty encounter that loses me my droid, so I attempt to transfer from the 001 to a 302 (or something equally rubbish) and fail :angry:

I sometimes find it harder to go from the 001 to a 300 series, than from, say, a 300 to a 700 or 800. Having the extra pulsers makes it much easier, even if your apponent has lots more.

I think my best 001 transfer this week has been to a 700 series.

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paranoid marvin

This game seems harder emulated than on my C64 , the droids seem faster and the ambushes are not like I remembered them - then again , I mainly played the Amiga version
Anyone else feel this?
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