High Score Competition #121 Qix

[Comtek]

Previous winners:

#001 thru #099 - For list of winners for those competitions  please refer to this link
#100: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: Winner - Gray_Area, Second - Tafoid
#101: Marvin's Maze: Winner - Kixfan, Second - Hammerfist
#102: Rally-X:  Winner - Tafoid, Second  djm858
#103: Lock 'N Chase:  Winner - Kixfan, Second - Jasonbar
#104: Space Fury: Winner - Gray_Area, Second - kixfan
#105: Pig Out: Winner - Kixfan, Second - Gray_Area
#106: Carnival: Winner - rick6668, Second - Kixfan
#107: Rastan: Winner - popsicle, Second - rick6668
#108: Peguin-Kun Wars Winner-dancawar, Second - Popsicle
#109: Blood Bros.* Winner - harveybirdman, Second - Jasonbar *scores reflect use of game features considered cheats
#110: Rabbit Punch: Winner - jasonbar, Second - mimic
#111: Alien Syndrome: Winner - mimic, Second Comtek
#112: Block Hole: Winner - Comtek, Second - idsane
#113: Pepper II: Winner - Comtek, Second - Kixfan
#114: Break Thru: Winner - jasonbar, Second - mimic
#115: Ninja Baseball Bat Man: Winner - mimic, Second - Tafoid
#116: Shao-lin's Road: Winner - mimic, Second - Kixfan
#117: Scramble: Winner - Kixfan, Second - jasonbar
#118: Lost Tomb: Winner: Jasonbar, Second: mimic
#119: Green Beret: Winner: LeapinLew, Second: popsicle
#120: Lady Killer: Winner: Comtek Second: Mimic
Competition #121: Qix


Qix (rev 2)
There are no dip switches
Last Day is monday August 12,2013

The objective of Qix is to fence off, or “claim”, a supermajority of the playfield. At the start of each level, the playing field is a large, empty rectangle, containing the Qix — a sticklike entity that performs graceful but unpredictable motions within the confines of the rectangle.

The player controls a small diamond-shaped marker that can move around the edges of the rectangle, with the goal to claim as much of the screen as possible via drawing lines. When the player completes a closed shape, the captured area (defined as the side of the Stix opposite to where the Qix is) becomes solid and points are awarded. To complete a level, the player must claim most of the playfield (the game was shipped at 75 percent for level completion, but the arcade operator could adjust the requirement between 50 percent and 90 percent).

The player's marker had the option of moving at two different speeds; areas drawn at the slower speed (red on the screenshot shown) were worth double points.

The player has a limited number of lives and can lose a life if the Qix touches a line as it is being drawn, or by being touched by spark – enemies that traverse all playfield edges except uncompleted lines. Additionally, a fuse appears if the marker stops moving while in the process of drawing Stix, disappearing when the player starts moving again. The player has no defenses thus all enemies must be outmaneuvered.

A time meter located at the top of the screen is responsible for the countdown of the entry of additional Sparx and the mutation of all sparks to Super-Sparks, which have the ability to chase the player even up an unfinished line.

After the player completes two levels, the difficulty increases. This includes multiple Qixes and sparks, speed increases, and the eventual appearance of only super sparks. In levels with multiple Qixes, the player can also complete the level by drawing a line that splits the playfield into two regions each containing a Qix, thereby scoring a bonus.


General Rules:
- One Credit, No Continues.
- Highest score wins.
- No savestates, savestate practices, etc. during the round.
- MAME INP recordings are encouraged but optional.
- A screenshot is required to enter a score (press F12 to save screenshot showing your final score) or take a photo of the game screen.
- If you're a MARP competitor on this title, keep in mind this is just a friendly competition among forum members, so maybe you shouldn't enter. However, if you're a forum member and this is a game you're good at and nobody knows about it, this is your time to shine!
- Even if you don't have a competitive score or if you don't *think* that you have a competitive score, please post it anyway to keep the thread fun & to give everybody a good sense of score ranges.
- Please make sure your scores are from games that take place during the competition period (no posting your best score from last year, etc.).
- Use of autofire or other non-standard hacks within MAME or your PC's OS are not allowed.  No program or other person or entity of any sort may manipulate your controls during your game.  Coaching & back-seat driving is fine as long as the party doesn't directly influence the game or controls.
- If you can beat any of the high scores from the previous competitions, you can submit your score to the BYOAC High Game Scoreboard.

[epetti]

Okay, I'll kick it off.  First competition and first time I'm playing this game, so if I post early then at least I had the lead for a brief moment. 

59,160

BTW, how do you get snapshots to use the proper aspect ratio?  I have snapsize set to "auto" in my mame config but for some reason it came out 256x256.

[jasonbar]

I played a few games last night. I tried using the "tree" technique where I made a thin line up the center of the screen, then branches left & right to try to trap the Stix to be able to block it off & get a big fill %.

I managed to break into the high scores (30k +) only once, after 3-4 games. Blah.



As for screen grab aspect ratio, epetti, just take the F12 screen grab & get used to the distortion--it seems to be common...don't sweat it. :] I use cruddy cell phone pics these days--easier for me, now that my cab is in my garage, rather than in my office, where it was right next to my laptop (which made it easy to take a screen grab, pop in a thumb drive, copy the screen grab, pop the thumb drive into my laptop, & post).

Thanks,
-Jason

[epetti]

The tricky thing with this game is that all the points come from a high fill % at the very end of the level.  So if you don't beat the level all your work is pretty much for nothing.  The best I did was in the mid 30k's each time I got past Level 1.  My very last game I got past the second level (and a bit too quickly past the third) and died immediately on the 4th.

[JDFan]

The tricky thing with this game is that all the points come from a high fill % at the very end of the level.  So if you don't beat the level all your work is pretty much for nothing.  The best I did was in the mid 30k's each time I got past Level 1.  My very last game I got past the second level (and a bit too quickly past the third) and died immediately on the 4th.

Another tip is to make the large fills with the slow speed (you get double points for using slow speed) so outline the area using small thin quick speed boxes then close a large area using slow speed for the points - haven't played this in awhile so may have to give it a try.

[Vigo]

(you get double points for using slow speed)

Never knew that! 

[mimic]

Which rom are you guys using? Comtek didn't post any dip switch settings or rom name. Are you using qix set1, 2 or 3?

[epetti]

Which rom are you guys using? Comtek didn't post any dip switch settings or rom name. Are you using qix set1, 2 or 3?

I was just using the one named qix.zip which I believe is set 1, with default settings.

[mimic]

I got some odd problem. Qix started just fine, but after I exited and tried to go back, it flashes for a split second some kind of mame message and then goes black and it looks like it's out of range (the monitor doesn't say it, it's just turns off the screen) I didn't adjust anything.

49,044 after second game, but I can't get back in.

[JDFan]

Must be a bit rusty ! 57,476 was the best I could get this evening.

[SORHP]

Ugh... My uncle has a mame machine with Qix on it, me, my dad, and my brother had a little competition, my high score was just over 105,000
If I get a picture of the high score, I'll post it

[GeoMan]

There are ways to block the sparks running around (except the first two), make it very easy to avoid them and complete each level at 99%

See the pic carefully and you will understand! 

[SORHP]

Wow! That's pretty crafty

[SORHP]

Here she is, just got this score this weekend

edit, the upload didnt work the first time..
here is a better one

[kixfan]

Well, I was just ready to post my score of 62,544.   Dang!   

[kixfan]

Well, A little better but not enough.    This game is quite infuriating!

84,072

[Comtek]

i aqree ičm only getting around 60 - 70 myself

[Comtek]

Finally broke into the 100,000 mark but hit a wrong key and never got a screen shot.
ičll have a worthy score before monday

[kixfan]

Finally broke into the 100,000 mark but hit a wrong key and never got a screen shot.
ičll have a worthy score before monday

Nice!   Your score should be in the high score table screen, no?    My Qix keeps my previous scores.

By the way, Twin Galaxies has the high score as 1,666,604.    I really expected it to be maybe a 200k cause this game gets so difficult so quickly.

[Comtek]

my scores reset when I exit and I exited by accident

[Comtek]

141,636

[Vebbo]

141,636

Nice score, got 80K myself.


How do you get those arrows on 4th and 6th place.

[UFO]

I got some odd problem. Qix started just fine, but after I exited and tried to go back, it flashes for a split second some kind of mame message and then goes black and it looks like it's out of range (the monitor doesn't say it, it's just turns off the screen) I didn't adjust anything.

49,044 after second game, but I can't get back in.

Had the very same problem... not sure what the issue is? !?!

[Comtek]

141,636

Nice score, got 80K myself.


How do you get those arrows on 4th and 6th place.

I think it's from not entering any name

[kixfan]

141,636

After this is over, I like to hear your strategy cause mine is not working!   

[Comtek]

use that spark trap that buddy showed up above and be patient and try and lure the qix into narrow spaces

[Vebbo]

141,636

Nice score, got 80K myself.


How do you get those arrows on 4th and 6th place.

I think it's from not entering any name

I cant manage to do that, anyone else who manage this? Either its a blank input or a letter from a-z.

[Comtek]

here is another screen shot I played one game then exited while the name entering screen was up

[Comtek]

check JDFan's post above he has them as well

[Vebbo]

check JDFan's post above he has them as well

Yeah. I can also get one entry with the arrows and then take a screenshot. Not 3 entries at once.[size=78%] [/size]

[Comtek]

they are from previous games not 3 entry's at once
they stay in the list from game.
if I beat the score in the screen shot I have posted above and exit then the top two will have arrows.
they stay in the high score list as shown by these two screen shots that I took when I boot the machine and just let it run

[Vebbo]

I manage to do it myself, dont know how but here's my entry. This score is without "capturing" the sparks

[SORHP]

I didnt score my 105k capturing the sparks either, I played a little more this weekend, and never broke past 70k, I would love to see the guys game play that breaks 1million, youtube sucks for strategy on this game, nad the qix ++ for the 360 isnt the same as the original... congrats

[jasonbar]

It looks as if <- <- <- is the best Qix player by far, out of all of us. I hope that <- <- <- picks a good game tomorrow.

-Jason

[Comtek]

I used this guys strategy

\

[kixfan]

I used this guys strategy

\

I've been trying this strategy for a while (minus the trap and 99%).   The thing is the Qix is all over me.   In this video the Qix is off in the corner all by himself. 

I'm ready for the next game

[SORHP]

I love this game, I hope I get better and better, I hope you guys do too, it's been fun! Thanks for the videos!!

[Comtek]

My second win so that makes it SORHP's turn to pick a game and set up the thread
hope these are right
1st - Comtek
2nd - SORHP
3rd - Vebbo
4th - Kixfan
5th - epetti