Tempest Strangeness

[FrizzleFried]

Can someone tell me why,  when I start playing Tempest with multiple credits "ticked" in,  that I get scores of around 90K at level 15 (having started on the hardest level available after power down),  but when I start playing Tempest with a SINGLE credit "ticked" in,  about 8/10 times I get scores in the realm of $150-$200K by level 15 (again,  having started on the SAME level as the score for $90Kish)?!?

Is there some score doubling bonus I am hitting but not noticing???

Which score is more accurate to what it should be at level 15?  $150K-$200K or $80K-90K?

[ChadTower]

The score "bonus" you get after skipping levels is much lower than you would have gotten by playing through them.

You're much better at Tempest than I am.

[FrizzleFried]

The score "bonus" you get after skipping levels is much lower than you would have gotten by playing through them.

You're much better at Tempest than I am.

I know that part my brotha...74K I believe is the bonus where I start...but I started on the SAME LEVEL each time and got two hugely different scores.

BTW:  I made it to my first red stage last night...I didn't even KNOW there was red stages!  I guess there are other colors too.

[ChadTower]

Oh I get it now... no idea what that would be happening.  I can't get anywhere near those levels.

[SavannahLion]

Maybe you tend to play better with one credit vs many ticked in?

I haven't touched a Tempest game in years so I recall very little about it. Maybe Tempest decrements the score when eating a credit or gives a additional points when ticking one, after you start playing? I remember a couple of super cheesy games in the late 90's that gave you additional points when you pop a coin to continue.

[ChadTower]

Why isn't yours set on freeplay?

[FrizzleFried]

Why isn't yours set on freeplay?

It will be tonight.  I am pulling the 6100 out to rebuild it tonight,  at the same time I am going to set the DIP to FREE PLAY and change the number of men back to stock (it's at 5 or 6 now).

[ChadTower]

(it's at 5 or 6 now).

So that is why your scores are so high! 

[RayB]

This is very interesting Frizzle. You should do several more test runs and see what comes of it. Maybe play only ONE level, doing the exact same thing (if possible) and see what happens.

Wouldn't that be an interesting revelation if it were discovered that Atari purposely programmed the game to shorten game length when the machine "knows" it has more money already in it?

PS: Is there a super zapper bonus? Maybe it has to do with those.