PBA Bowling - Game 2: Pick-Up Spares

Um...it's bowling.

Game Notes

  • As standard games of bowling are not acceptable for the site, this run completes the challenge mode which tasks the player with knocking down 10 frames worth of spares to earn points.
    • As each frame can be any of 32 different pin layouts, the game cannot be completed by simply repeating the identical inputs for each frame
    • The player is given 2 attempts on each frame to pick-up the spare. A higher score given for accomplishing this in 1 throw as opposed to 2 throws.

TAS Notes

  • Uses a challenge mode to comply with rules for acceptance of a bowling game.
  • Optimization
    • Uses a left handed bowler so the ball curves to the right when curve is applied to a roll
      • The targeting portion of the approach occurs before the bowler starts moving and always starts at the top of the lane sweeping downward; thus using a right handed bowler requires waiting longer on each frame for targeting purposes before throwing the ball.
    • Uses very strong curves through application of curve and loft on nearly all frames to minimize targeting time and throw the ball sooner.
      • Curve and loft application occur while the bowler is in the swing phase of the approach animation. Thus the degree of curve can be altered without delaying the throw itself.
      • The 10th frame takes more time targeting, but foregoes loft to end input sooner than would otherwise be possible. This does very slightly delay the actual end of the animation.
    • Uses RNG manipulation
      • The pin layout of each frame is RNG dependent.
      • Input timing during targeting and curve/loft application affects the RNG of the game and is manipulated to yield a series of pin layouts on the 10 frames that resulted in the shortest overall input time I could achieve.
  • Completes the challenge mode as quickly as possible.
    • A Max-Score run could be completed using different RNG manipulation to yield pin layouts that offer higher scores than ones demonstrated in this submission (see manual)

Potential Improvements

  • It's possible that someone could find a better sequence of pin layouts via RNG manipulation that may save time. I completed multiple complete variations of this run and this submission was the shortest input time.

Acknowledgements

  • It's Spikestuff's fault that I even looked into this game.

Samsara: I guess I have some spare time, now.
Samsara: Well, now we got more bowling, but this time it's luck-manipulated bowling, which makes it even more acceptable! Accepting to Vault.
I feel like Spike's got this one covered for some reason. I dunno, I just have this feeling.
Spikestuff: Publishing.

TASVideoAgent
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This topic is for the purpose of discussing #6997: DrD2k9's INTV PBA Bowling "Pick-Up Spares" in 02:25.68
Spikestuff
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DrD2k9 wrote:
It's Spikestuff's fault that I even looked into this game.
I'm a great influence. Bowling is a great influence. Bowling is love. Bowling is life. It is all bowling now.
WebNations/Sabih wrote:
+fsvgm777 never censoring anything.
Disables Comments and Ratings for the YouTube account. These colours are pretty neato, and also these.
Experienced player (677)
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Posts: 76
Location: United States
Not the most riveting speedrun but it was Intellivision so of course I voted yes ! It was actually kind of funny how close the ball came to going in the gutter on most of the shots.
mklip2001
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Nice idea of a challenge mode actually. I voted yes, as it's solid enough entertainment for two minutes. Lazy of the game to have a right-handed animation for a left-handed bowler though ;-)
Used to be a frequent submissions commenter. My new computer has had some issues running emulators, so I've been here more sporadically. Still haven't gotten around to actually TASing yet... I was going to improve Kid Dracula for GB. It seems I was beaten to it, though, with a recent awesome run by Hetfield90 and StarvinStruthers. (http://tasvideos.org/2928M.html.) Thanks to goofydylan8 for running Gargoyle's Quest 2 because I mentioned the game! (http://tasvideos.org/2001M.html) Thanks to feos and MESHUGGAH for taking up runs of Duck Tales 2 because of my old signature! Thanks also to Samsara for finishing a Treasure Master run. From the submission comments:
Shoutouts and thanks to mklip2001 for arguably being the nicest and most supportive person on the forums.
Experienced player (677)
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I've actually found a potential improvement to this. I uploaded an edited movie file which shows that the menuing at the beginning could be 21 frames faster by using the second controller to squeeze in more commands. Unfortunately, it desyncs after the second throw so much of it would need to be redone. I would volunteer to help finish it myself but I am unfamiliar with the game's mechanics, nuances, and such. Hope this comes in handy!
DrD2k9
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Winslinator wrote:
I've actually found a potential improvement to this. I uploaded an edited movie file which shows that the menuing at the beginning could be 21 frames faster by using the second controller to squeeze in more commands. Unfortunately, it desyncs after the second throw so much of it would need to be redone. I would volunteer to help finish it myself but I am unfamiliar with the game's mechanics, nuances, and such. Hope this comes in handy!
Very cool find. I will look into this as soon as I can. I'm going to leave this submission up for now (as it's yet to even be claimed for judging). If the improvements carry through, I'll provide an updated full completion run to userfiles. Regarding using your menu improvements: If they don't save at least 21 frames over the course of the actual gameplay, then my run (while starting actual gameplay slightly later) would still be the faster gameplay. If I'm not mistaken, the site prefers better/faster gameplay over faster menuing when there's a slight discrepancy. But I'll make sure to comment here later with what I can find/accomplish.
DrD2k9
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Ok. I've completed multiple versions of the game starting with Winslinator's userfile that completes the menu stuff 21 frames earlier than this submission. Here's where things stand: This submission (slow-menu approach) has 8,590 frames of gameplay from the first frame of controlling the first ball until the final input. The fastest run I could attain using the fast-menu approach, has 8,617 frames of gameplay from the first frame of controlling the first ball until the final input. In other words, I was unable to complete the actual gameplay faster using the fast-menu approach. However, that doesn't really matter, because (even with the earlier start) the best fast menu approach run finished 6 frames after this submission. 27 frames slower gameplay - 21 frames save in menu = 6 frame slower total run. Interesting side note: I have a second slow-menu approach run that completes the gameplay portion in 8,612 frames. Meaning there are at least 2 methods using the slow-menu approach that yield faster gameplay portions than any fast-menu approach I could accomplish. TL:DR While finding a way to do the menu stuff faster was interesting. The improvements aren't sustained through the entire run. The submission as it stands is the fastest known completion of the game.
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The original pattern was just too good! Welp that’s too bad, thanks for testing it out anyway
nymx
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Woah! D2D2k9...you TASed the wrong console! This is Intellivision! :P Oh...Yes vote. XD
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
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. ---- [4398] INTV PBA Bowling "Pick-Up Spares" by DrD2k9 in 02:25.68