Robotron: 2084: Hand-Eye Coordination

Phetishboy

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How do you do it? I find that I both hands are trying to do the same thing, ie: moving dude in the same direction I am shooting. It gets me killed every time. I am worried more about where I need to shoot than where I need to move to avoid being hit and dying. How do you mentally separate your hands and control each individually? Is this a pat your head/ rub your tummy game? I see someone put a 355,000 score on my machine, and I can't seem to break 80 G's. I'm pissed.


Signed,

Up yours JPM in Avon
 
Try playing any modern FPS on a console. The left hand always controls movement, and the right will be where you look/shoot. You'll get the muscle memory down in no time.
 
I kind of unfocus my eyes a little and use my peripheral vision. I'm sure most of my attention is on my guy's location, and I try to shoot in the direction I'm moving first in order to clear the path. The once I get to a wall, it's all about dodging shots and shooting bad guys.

But I too know the pain of running into a block whilst shooting robots...
 
You need to focus grasshopper.

I play looking directly at my guy on the screen shooting what ever is around me.

There are other hints too,
1. Kill the red circle before they turn into the flying\shooting menace.
2. On the Tank level shoot the balls before they become tanks.
3. On the Brains level gobble up points by rescuing the women, and look for the missle that is the hardest to hit.
4. Always rescue 'Mikey' Last as the HULK robot will head for him instead of you.
 
You need to focus grasshopper.

I play looking directly at my guy on the screen shooting what ever is around me.

There are other hints too,
1. Kill the red circle before they turn into the flying\shooting menace.
2. On the Tank level shoot the balls before they become tanks.
3. On the Brains level gobble up points by rescuing the women, and look for the missle that is the hardest to hit.
4. Always rescue 'Mikey' Last as the HULK robot will head for him instead of you.

Man, I just started doing # 1, if you let those bitches spawn robots you're in trouble. Those Ne-palm Jacks they throw at you are murder.
 
It is kind of a pat your head and rub your tummy kind of game... good analogy.

But since I'm not a musician and don't have greatest separation of control between the left and right hand...what works for me is getting out towards the edge and work in a spiral. This way I can somewhat concentrate the direction of fire towards the front and inward...

My highest score is around 320K...
 
Robotron is one of those games where you are forced use both sides of the brain, similar to playing the piano, or organ.

I have reached 1mil multiple times. avg game is in 600,000 to 800,000 range.

My friend and I used to play a 2 player games for 30 minutes on one of those painted red quarters at the local cade BITD.

I must finish my control panel for my multiwilliams project to fire up some robotron, just not the same on my mame cab.

Its an addicting game, keep practicing it gets easier, as you learn the tendencies of the bots, brains etc.
 
I've noticed that playing Robotron on a 13" monitor (cabaret) really forces you to be sharper and more decisive about your movements and your shooting. The end result, though, is that you get better at it in a hurry - and that skill translates well to the UR when you play it.
 
Man, I just started doing # 1, if you let those bitches spawn robots you're in trouble. Those Ne-palm Jacks they throw at you are murder.

When they start firing they fire in your direction changing driection and avoid getting caught up against a wall and you'll make it.

If they shoot pull a Han Solo and charge them firing at will you'll usually knock out thier firepower and them too.
 
How do you do it? I find that I both hands are trying to do the same thing, ie: moving dude in the same direction I am shooting. It gets me killed every time. I am worried more about where I need to shoot than where I need to move to avoid being hit and dying. How do you mentally separate your hands and control each individually? Is this a pat your head/ rub your tummy game? I see someone put a 355,000 score on my machine, and I can't seem to break 80 G's. I'm pissed.


Signed,

Up yours JPM in Avon

Well, that would be me. My personal high before I sold mine last year(wish I would've kept it) is 1,618,XXX. Took me a LONG time practicing to even get 100K, let alone to finally break 1M. I played it on your Multi-Williams twice. Little rusty, but it sure was fun! Practice for a month or so and you'll blow that score out of the water Phetty.....
 
Keep practicing. By the sound of your score you are not getting past the first brain wave, or are dying on the next wave. There are lots of strategies for this game, but I believe that a person with average reflexees and eye hand coordination can score over a million points with ample practice and by employing some strategy.

I was in a bar last weekend and they had a dedicated. I watched two people walk up to it, put two quarters in it, and each took a joystick, thinking it was a two player game.

Needless to say, it was a very short game.
 
Keep practicing. By the sound of your score you are not getting past the first brain wave, or are dying on the next wave. There are lots of strategies for this game, but I believe that a person with average reflexees and eye hand coordination can score over a million points with ample practice and by employing some strategy.

I was in a bar last weekend and they had a dedicated. I watched two people walk up to it, put two quarters in it, and each took a joystick, thinking it was a two player game.

Needless to say, it was a very short game.

You are exactly right. First Brain wave (which I love) is where I am dying.
 
Keep practicing. By the sound of your score you are not getting past the first brain wave, or are dying on the next wave. There are lots of strategies for this game, but I believe that a person with average reflexees and eye hand coordination can score over a million points with ample practice and by employing some strategy.

I was in a bar last weekend and they had a dedicated. I watched two people walk up to it, put two quarters in it, and each took a joystick, thinking it was a two player game.

Needless to say, it was a very short game.

*sigh*

Why does this NOT surprise me? Before 2 weeks ago I had never played Robotron, and even I KNEW what the hell was going on with that game.

*sigh*
 
You are exactly right. First Brain wave (which I love) is where I am dying.

First off, you should change the settings on the game to easy and give yourself 10 guys to start the game. This will give you ample time to practice on harder levels so you don't have to keep restarting the game. I'd try this for a while, then put the game on TG settings once you can score a few hundred grand.

You should not lose a life before the first brain wave. The waves leading up to it are all easy.

There are several strategies for the brain wave. Mostly I keep firing non-stop and go for as many humans as possible. On the first brain wave, there is a lone Mikey human. If you can keep him safe, the brains will not turn the other humans into Progs and you can grab more humans and score more points. Sometimes I will try to save him, but usually I will blast and grab on the brain levels. I've found that trying to save Mikely is rarely worth the risk and when I have, my score is rarely that much better and I have usually lost more lives doing it.

If there are a few humans left and one brain, I will go for the humans and not shoot the brain until the humans are saved. If you do a decent job on the brain wave, you should have around 100,000 points when it ends, and you will have lost 1 or 2 lives. Sometimes you can make it through the entire brain round without losing any, other times you can lose more, especially in the later brain waves.

In addition, you have to learn how to shoot the smart missiles that the brains are shooting. A good strategy is to learn to run away from them and keep firing at the missiles. You also needs to learn to shoot them head on. A lot of casual players just try to avoid the missiles but learning to shoot them is key to losing less lives on this level and scoring more points.

Another key on this game is learning to shoot diagonally in all directions.

Good luck.
 
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*sigh*

Why does this NOT surprise me? Before 2 weeks ago I had never played Robotron, and even I KNEW what the hell was going on with that game.

*sigh*

This is a bar with 17 classic games and the lowest earning game by far is Robotron. Younger people just don't understand the game, and think it's too hard. That's unfortunate. On the night I was there, I scored a little over a million points and it was the #1 all time score on the machine. Of course, we all know that a million points is really nothing on this game, and the great players can play indefinitely on one quarter. I am of the opinion that the average person can score 1-2 million on this game but to do better it takes someone with better than average eye hand coordination and reflexes. Anyone can score a million points on Robotron with enough practice.
 
Anyone can score a million points on Robotron with enough practice.
On which difficulty setting? I keep mine on "10," average gamers wind up at about 250K and above average players are able to score 800K or more. IMO anything below "10" is too easy once players understand the basics.
 
On which difficulty setting? I keep mine on "10," average gamers wind up at about 250K and above average players are able to score 800K or more. IMO anything below "10" is too easy once players understand the basics.

I am talking about TG settings, not "10". I never have mine set to 10, but I might try it to see how I do compared to those scores you mention. I think the one I scored a million on last weekend was probably set at TG. I am aware that the inventor of Robotron, Eugene Jarvis, says the only way to play the game in on 10, otherwise it is too easy and you can play forever...but I certainly can't play the game that long. I start to wear out physically around 1.5 million. I have no idea how someone managed to play this game for two straight days, but I'd guess they weren't a middle aged man like me.
 
Keep practicing. By the sound of your score you are not getting past the first brain wave, or are dying on the next wave. There are lots of strategies for this game, but I believe that a person with average reflexees and eye hand coordination can score over a million points with ample practice and by employing some strategy.

I was in a bar last weekend and they had a dedicated. I watched two people walk up to it, put two quarters in it, and each took a joystick, thinking it was a two player game.

Needless to say, it was a very short game.

This made my night. What a pair of schmucks.

- M1A
 
...but I certainly can't play the game that long. I start to wear out physically around 1.5 million.

Get bent














JK
I love Robotron (but suck at it) and have serious respect for anyone who can score that big!
The game is BRUTAL but addictive...
 
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