Star Control. Melee: Alliance.

Game objectives

  • Emulator used: Bizhawk 1.13.2
  • Aims for fastest time
  • Uses hardest difficulty
  • Game mode: Melee
  • Faction: Alliance

Comments

Star Control is a game hybrid borrowing elements from Asteroids and Archon. The game mode in this run is called melee. In the melee mode the goal is to destroy all spacecraft of the enemy faction. There are two factions, Hierarchy and Alliance. Both factions have 7 unique spacecraft. Each spaceraft has a normal attack and a special attack. Each ship also has unique rules for fuel consumption and fuel regeneration.
I choose Alliance because after some testing it seems faster. I choose Chenjesu as my champion because it has a very strong weapon with practically infinite reach. A direct hit delivers 6 damage. Each crystal fragment deals 2 damage. Some spacecraft have a large hull, so many fragments can hit at once. The maximum damage that I can deliver with a single shot is with five crystal fragments exploding close to the hull of Vux, for a a total of 10 damage. Opportunities for a shot like that are rare. In the heat of the battle it is often better to do a direct hit or even just a small fragmentary hit. I never use the special attack of Chenjesu because it deals no direct damage and wastes all my fuel which regenerates slowly.

Stage by stage comments

Ilwrath

The special move of Ilwrath is invisilibity. It does not work this time because I know where it is.

Ur-Quan

This is the hardest battle. The enemy is very strong and can easily kill you. We take a lucky position for sniping. Look out! Asteroids!

Mycon

Lucky to get Mycon spawn this close to me. Often it spawns at the other side of the starfield. I also get a friendly asteroid that interrupts Mycon's attempted escape. Very lucky battle.

Vux

Vux always spawns close to the player. It is an ambush spacecraft.

Spathi

Spathi is very afraid of the shots. That is why I need to wait before shooting. Otherwise Spathi escapes.

Umgah

I predict the spawn coordinates and immediately hit Umgah with a normal crystal shot, direct hit. Then I snipe the last remaining crew with sniper fragment shot.

Androsyn

Very hard to get good spawn location for the enemy.

slamo: Given the clunkiness of maneuvering and the limitations on the firing angles, I'm satisfied with the optimization of this run. We can consider Melee to be an individual game because it's independent from other game modes and has a well-defined ending. You mentioned that using Alliance is faster than Hierarchy, but both runs can actually coexist. We consider each of these choices to be separate game modes because the opponents are completely different (ship choices are still limited to whichever one is optimal).
The feedback wasn't that great, and I thought the run was a bit repetitive despite being fairly short, so this can't be put into Moons. Thankfully because we've established this run as a separate game mode, this is still Vaultable. Accepting to Vault.
fsvgm777: Processing.

TASVideoAgent
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Wow! I'm really excited someone decided to do this game. I've long considered doing the DOS version (if I ever get any time to TAS again), so it's a real treat to see your run pop up here. This looks optimal, but there's little variety between the battles. I'll still vote yes, though, as I think it's short enough not to get too drawn out. I really think a showcase of all the ships would make a great future TAS, using one for each battle (sacrificing it after winning to allow for switching). There could be two TASes, one for each side. Anyhoo, good work on this one and I hope we get to see more Star Control love in the future!
Post subject: Movie published
TASVideoAgent
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This movie has been published. The posts before this message apply to the submission, and posts after this message apply to the published movie. ---- [4037] Genesis Star Control "Melee mode, Alliance" by artbreeder in 01:43.10
nymx
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Dang, I wish I would have recognized this when it was first submitted. I loved this playing this game. This looks well done and quick on all the kills. For the Alliance!!! he he he Yes vote.
I recently discovered that if you haven't reached a level of frustration with TASing any game, then you haven't done your due diligence. ---- SOYZA: Are you playing a game? NYMX: I'm not playing a game, I'm TASing. SOYZA: Oh...so its not a game...Its for real? ---- Anybody got a Quantum computer I can borrow for 20 minutes? Nevermind...eien's 64 core machine will do. :) ---- BOTing will be the end of all games. --NYMX