The 'Perfect Plus' bounty...

[MDARULZ]

Sorry I didn't get this one out sooner, as promised, but things have been hopping (trip to L.A. in February, March CAGDC tourney planning since January, then the tourney itself, and lately... taxes !!  ).

Well, now I've got no more excuses, with the IRS temporarily sated.  So, I can now offer a bounty of $25 for anyone who can top what I'll dub my 'Perfect Plus' game, on the MAME version of Tetris Plus.  TP, and TP2, are two of my favorite games, and I actually had TP in my first tourney.  Well, I have a great score (the MAME wr) on both variants, with a superb mark on TP of 312,300.  This was using 'Puzzle Mode' (versus 'Endless Mode', which features regular Tetris play), with the 15 stage 'Standard' level choice, versus the 8 stage 'Easy' level choice.  Now, don't think 'Easy' is actually all that easy.  The game awards a bonus of 20,000 points if you finish each stage in 10 seconds or less (actually, they give you a little 'wiggle' room, and still award that maximum bonus even if you're a tick above 10 seconds, for some reason).  Also, there are treasure bonuses given every few stages, and these vary in points, tho if you have perfect 20K bonuses on the previous few screens, you get the top treasure award.

Well, even tho my 312,300 is a great score, and I played extremely well, I 'only' got the perfect 20K bonus on 6 out of the 15 stages.  I got to thinking last year about that, and knew that the 8 stage option had easier screens.  But... they were no pushover.  Still, I decided to go after... perfection !  Well, I got it, but it took a while (maybe 90 or so games).

Now, your goal is to beat my perfection !  How is that possible ?  Well, just like a 'perfect' run on Ms. Pac maxes out the score on everything but the fruit (since that's random), my Perfect Plus (I won't abbreviate it !) run maxed out the score on stage and treasure bonuses, but since you also earn points for eliminating tetris lines on the screen, it's more than possible (tho not easy) to beat me on this part.  And, that's only if you're really good, and really lucky, and clear an extra line or two somewhere.  So... have at it !

OK, I'll be nice, and let this one be open to everyone (at least, if you have PayPal !) on the CAGDC forums (and, there is one really good TP player here, that I know of).  Future bounties will definitely be limited, as far as if you have your 'real' name listed, and / or if you meet a certain number of posts...  So, keep that in mind.  The next bounty will be worth $100, so make sure you aren't DQ'ed out of the gate over 'minor' requirements.

Now, to the details, and requirements.  Of course, you must score higher than my Perfect Plus mark of 174,600 points, playing Tetris Plus, Puzzle Mode, 8 stage option.  And, you must meet / follow the below numbered requirements, too:

1.  Make sure that, as of the date / time stamp of this post, you were a CAGDC forums member.  So far, so good, eh ?

2.  Before posting your INP, you must have a valid, working PayPal account for the prize to be sent to.  Otherwise, don't submit.

3.  You must use TGMAME / AlphaMAME 0.62, available from this link, which I got off of MARP (I would have used WolfMAME 0.101, but the game doesn't work right in that one).  Note that you can use this MAME version to play back my INP, if you wish.

4.  After making sure your entire game plays back perfectly, put your zipped inp file in as an attachment to a post made in this thread.  To do this, click on the Additional Options... phrase that appears at the bottom left under the posting box that you type text into to make a post (you all have clicked on this before, and looked at the options, right ??).

Of course, feel free to make comments on the game that you are turning in.  Hey, I want to hear the story behind it... a really detailed and interesting story !!

5.  If I can't get your INP to play back (after trying on two PC's), you'll have 24 hours after I send a message to you to 'try again'.  However, if another working INP is posted in that time frame, and / or another working INP (the first one received after yours) was already posted, then it will be declared the winner, and all of yours will be disqualified.

6.  You agree to submit your bounty-winning performance for inclusion on the CAGDC scoreboard, and only the CAGDC scoreboard.  Further, any winning performance may be used freely used by myself, for promotional and marketing / sales purposes, and you agree to this.

7.  This offer expires at 11:59 PM ET on April 30, 2008, or (of course) after the first working INP is posted.

Well, that should be it.  Let the gameplay begin !!


Edited to correct level name error.

[George Strain]

Mark, just to set things straight from the start, TP is already taken by Time Pilot.  And I'm not willing to share it

So you'll have to come up with another acronym.

-George

[Permafrostrick]

nah, we TP'd his house.  That was around ages before arcades. 

[MDARULZ]

Yeah, I knew TP could stand for other things, and you guys got me on both !  But... since I am putting up $25 of my post-tax dollars, let me get away with the acronym, this time.

If you think TP was bad, keep in mind that, at least I didn't abbreviate the Perfect Plus...

OK, back to the bounty / the topic !

[Welby]

Time = Time Pilot.

[Permafrostrick]

BTTB!

[MDARULZ]

Time = Time Pilot.

"It's not 'Paperboy', it's 'Paper'." "Do you say 'Paperboy', or do you say 'Paper' ?"  -  Mark Alpiger, from the Extended Interviews section of The King of Kong.

Yeah, Mark B., I probably would say 'Time', versus TP.  So... it's official, George.  TP = Tetris Plus.

Speaking of which... I think there's one forums member madly playing away for the bounty on TP.  We'll see if he ends up claiming it...

[MDARULZ]

I just had to throw this in, after my last post:

click to hear MP3 file

[U.K Jon]

  classic !!

[***PL***]

Hey Mark, you got the end of your own quote backwards!!   

"I abbreviate; I don't know if these guys abbreviate.  Like, it's not 'Marble Madness', it's 'Marble'.  It's not 'Crystal Castles', it's 'Crystal'.  It's not 'Paperboy', it's 'Paper'.  I dunno -- do you say 'Paper' or do you say 'Paperboy'?"

[MDARULZ]

Hey Mark, you got the end of your own quote backwards!!   

"I reject your reality, and substitute my own."  -  Mark Alpiger  (OK, it's really Adam Savage)

OK, you're right Pat !  Wow - I can't even remember my own quotable quotes !  Darn videotape - I can't get away with improving on my sayings with all this technology around !

Now, as far as the topic goes, is anyone trying for the bounty ??

[Billhouse]

Just putting this thread back in the limelight. I have been trying quite a bit, but that's a damn good score. My best is 169,500. Now if I could only splice together the best score I've had on each stage  .
Good luck to anyone still attempting, I'll give it another run in the next 2 days, but I think your record is safe for a bit Mark.

[MDARULZ]

Just putting this thread back in the limelight. I have been trying quite a bit, but that's a damn good score. My best is 169,500. Now if I could only splice together the best score I've had on each stage  .
Good luck to anyone still attempting, I'll give it another run in the next 2 days, but I think your record is safe for a bit Mark.

Thanks, Bill, for: the post (for limelight purposes, as you say !); the update on your pursuit of the bounty; and, on how good my score is.  Hey, wait a minute - it's better than good... it's perfect !  Well, I guess since it can be beaten, it's not quite perfection.

I am proud of my score, and of my ability on the whole TP arcade series.  But, your score is not shabby, either.  As you say, it's all about putting everything together, tho it must be (of course) during the course of one game !!  And, keep up the effort, Bill.  It might just pay off.

Maybe someone else out there is giving it a go.  I checked with the one person I referenced earlier in this thread (tho not by name) - Donald Hayes.  He got the TP arcade wr (on the 15 stage option) at my 2006 CAGDC Tourney, with a nice 280,400 points (I beat it a few weeks later, at the Pompano Beach event, with 284,800).  Well, when I checked with Don last week, he said he wasn't going after this bounty, so... it's ripe for the picking, Bill !  But, from what you're saying, it looks like I'll reign supreme, for a while longer !

Oh, one tip for all you TP'ers out there - I don't just get lucky on the pieces, in case you're wondering.  Frankly, I can't believe that everyone misses a fact that I consider to be semi-obvious in the game.  Even Don didn't catch what was going on, until I showed him.  Maybe that'll help you a little, Bill, if you can decipher what I mean...

[FGS]

ummmm  Mark.....I started playing TP recently myself, and it seems fun..my best so far is 152,000 or so, but im weary of playing more and more of these type of games as they rely of quickness of mind as well as of reflexes..the later im ok with its just my mind that worries me...

[MDARULZ]

ummmm  Mark.....I started playing TP recently myself, and it seems fun..my best so far is 152,000 or so, but im weary of playing more and more of these type of games as they rely of quickness of mind as well as of reflexes..the later im ok with its just my mind that worries me...

Wow - I'm very surprised that you tried this one, Frank.  I know you don't favor the puzzlers, and thot you didn't like anything Tetris-related.  See - you're expanding your horizons in your old age (BTW, congrats on reaching the 45 years mark yesterday, precisely 22 days after I did on April 6th !).  But, as you infer, I guess things will (slowly) go downhill now that we've reached well into our 40's; I mean, both mind and body are going to be a step slower than our peak (the 20's, at least for me).

Well, you have about 36 more hours to win $25, so maybe you can give the game another try.  Good luck to you, and everyone, as we wind this one down...