Quolerus (Compute's Gazette)
Many light years from Earth, near the rim of the Milky Way galaxy, a solar system called Quolerus spins silently in the vacuum of space. Quolerus is not an unusual system in terms of composition (a single star and five planets), but it is unique in situation.
Quolerus, having no inhabited planets, is rich in certain minerals that are used to make interstellar flight affordable. Two nearby inhabited systems, Daertes and Gliphos, had been mining the planets of Quolerus for eons. Last year, previously unknown race called the Knarbots erected force field around Quolerus so that they might mine the system alone.
You, young hero of Gliphos, have designed a powerful new space fighter. You must break down the force fields of the Knarbots while evading their interplanetary forces.
When you play "Quolerus," you're not just trying for high score; you're fighting for justice.
The article for this game can be found on page 55 of Issue 65 (November 1988): https://archive.org/details/1988-11-computegazette/page/n55/mode/2up
Why TAS This Game?
My continuation of TASing games from my all-time favorite magazine, Compute's Gazette. This makes my 14th TAS from this series.
I remember getting this magazine, not in the mail (as my other previous issues), but when my Mom would take me to "Read-A-Book" (now out of business), which was a tabaco and magazine shop. When I saw the screen of this game, it became first on my list to type in. I was not disappointed, as this became one of my top favorites on the Commodore 64. This is a game that I would continue to play today, as it is a classic and resembles the game "Yar's Revenge".
Previous Compute's Gazette submissions include (In order of submission):
- Astro-Panic!
- Royal Rescue
- Miami Ice
- Chopper 1
- Spike
- Heat Seeker
- Omicron
- Alien Armada
- Star Dragon
- White Water
- Space Gallery
- Bagdad
- Race Ace
Game Ending
In this TAS, level choice is not provided. It starts as the easiest play, and progresses for a number of rounds until it levels off with a repeating pattern. The ending is chosen at Round 10, because Round 11 mimics Round 8...where is repeats the same scenario over and over for Rounds 8 through 10. I have provided a verification movie so that you don't have to play the game to confirm what I'm saying: https://tasvideos.org/UserFiles/Info/638232480754428096
Below is a round by round analysis.
| Round | Barrier Width | Attack Size |
| 1 | 4 | 1 |
| 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 3 | 4 | 3 |
| 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | 6 | 2 |
| 6 | 6 | 3 |
| 7 | 6 | 4 |
| 8 | 8 | 2 |
| 9 | 8 | 3 |
| 10 | 8 | 4 |
Thereafter, 8 through 10 loops indefinitely. I've included a "End Verification" input file, so that a judge can easily see why I chose to end after Round. The verification TAS, plays Rounds 11 through 13...which mimic Rounds 8 through 0.
Effort In TASing
I struggled through this entire TAS. After reaching the end, I would start all over again...due to continued learning. My final time through (4th time), I finally applied all my understanding without learning any new technicques. The final round times were more consistent, yet extremely difficult to achieve. I was completely surprised, that a "Type-In" game could offer such levels of optimization. It almost reminds me of the difficulty I had with Omicron.
Human Comparison
I've become very appreciative of the YouTube channel, "Lost 8-Bit Caverns". Once again, this player had a video of game-play for Quolerus. It demonstrates a good effort, yet you'll quickly discover how this TAS surpases the abilities of a Human.
ThunderAxe31: Claiming for judging.
ThunderAxe31: Well, this is another impressive C64 TAS. Accepting.
despoa: Processing...