Does anyone have more detailed information on master mode in TAP? Specifically, what scores do you need for all the different grades, and are there any time limits or checkpoints that you need for Gm like in the original TGM? I know about the invisible challenge at the end, of course, but do you need to do anything else before you get there? The wiki has plenty of info on death, but not much on master. It would be nice to have that info too.
Master is very complicated. VERY complicated. I'll explain it in detail on the wiki someday, but it's nontrivial to explain it because there's so much math abtracting the process. I'll make it as simple as possible in plain English. Score is completely ignored. There is an invisible variable, which I will call "grade points", that determines when you go up a grade. Once you collect 100 of these points your grade increases and the points reset to zero. It's a tricky variable: You increase it by clearing lines. It's not proportional (4 singles is waaay worse than 1 tetris). The higher your level, the more a given line clear is worth. Combos also get a bonus. It decreases slightly every frame you have active control of a piece, until it reaches 0. The higher your current grade, the faster it decreases. Whenever your combo variable is above 1 (ie. when you've cleared 2 or more lines, or a single following 2 or more lines) it will not decrease during active time. So, to sum it up in even plainer English: Get as many tetrises as you can as fast as you can. It's a really complicated system, but in the end it simply rewards natural skilled play. (Unlike Battle Garrega with it's rank system, if there are any shmup fans reading.) If you're only hitting your S5 at a late level, you probably are playing too slowly and are losing too many grade points. Odds are you probably need more large line clears too. Hopefully I got that right. It was written from memory. Oh, and there's a bunch of extra conditions to get to the intant invisibility challenge (required for M and Gm). But you guessed it... it's more complicated than TGM1. Again, play consistently, fast, with tetrises, and you won't have to think about it.
Damn. I never figured it was that complicated. Thanks for the explanation! Silly me thinking it would actually make sense. I think my S5 came at around lvl 700, but I don't remember exactly. I can't do it consistently yet. I can usually get to 1 or S1 by lvl 500 at around the 5 minute mark. That's a bit on the slow side, I guess, but it's the best I can do right now on a regular basis.
Ken: I haven't played Master much in the last few months, but the times/grades I remember are only slightly better than yours (except I can survive to 999). That's assuming of course you're not hitting S1 at 500. It's nearly impossible to do that because of how the grading system works, though 1 is very possible. I normal hit 1 from 450-510. If I remember things correctly, there is a big boost in the amount of points lines are worth every 250 levels. So the final stretch of 750-999 is particularly important. If I could give any "unnatural" advice for getting a higher grade, it would be to start stacking the screen higher at 700 in preparation for clearing a lot of lines after the change at 750. You'll know you've reached 700 because the music changes and the game speeds up. That won't be a useful tip for people who can solidly hit S9. (Which isn't anybody outside Japan right now except possibly Jago.) But it will help you milk the system for all it's worth.
eric's being silly... the M/GM requirements aren't that difficult to notate. these guys just decided that it wouldn't be pertinent to do so... not sure i agree, but whatever, saves me some wiki effort.
Maybe you forget the M/Gm requirements? There's the main stuff like at least 2 tetrises in every section (except the high speed 900-999 which can be tetrisless if you like), and a section time every section being mandatorily below... 1:05:00 was it? Aside from that you need a final time of at most 8:45:00 or something. Plus some grade by level requirements. Plus some redundant requirements that are guaranteed to be met if you meet other requirements. Plus are we even 100% sure we've got them all? In my opinion that qualifies as complicated with waaay too much superfluous crap. Honestly, "get as many tetrises as fast as you can" is all you really need to know. That's the spirit of the game right? None of the specific requirements are all that important, because a great player will rarely be borderline. Maybe give just the final clearing time so you know the general speed to shoot for (aka way faster than we are now ). I'm reminded of an interview with Mihara, where he was told players were starting to lack motivation and could he give some advice on how to achieve Gm. (No player has yet attained this in TGM3.) He replied "try for more tetrises".
A tetris is worth 14 levels (10 pieces + 4 lines). Has anybody managed to make 70 tetrises on any TGM game?
Probably, but I doubt such a play would set any time records (at least in TGM/TAP). In TGM3 you get a +2 level bonus for Tetrises... So instead of needing 71 and change you'd need only 62 and change. And it seems more realistic at high speeds with the increased previews and Hold. The over-a-year-old MasterM video shows a guy almost getting only Tetrises to level 500, so I bet some of the better talents have come pretty close to hitting 62.
Unless one is trying to document the requirements enough to make a simulator. Imagine a game that gives 1 garbage for each single, 2 garbage for each double, 3 garbage for each triple, and 0 garbage for each tetris. How much of a pain in the ass would that be?
i bet there's a rerecording option on one of those mames. if someone had the time, they could do an all tetris/death run. unlocking the never before seen super awesomo grand master rank.
KEN-P You must finish the five first section in 1min05, so you must be at 5x1min05=5min25 at lv.500, there is an unpredictible thing who gives you the grad S2 and S3, I've searched for long time, and I finally think you must be lucky, and maybe you will be able to reach S4 just before lv. 700..Then you must reach lv.999 at 8min45 to be a Master, and finish the M-roll to be Gm..Easy no??
hello, don't listen to colour_thief ! Only if you want to understand all the calculation algorithm of the death guru Mihara... And Amnesia explained the most important : - keep under 1m05 for each section until level 500, - complete the game under 8min45sec, with a s9 grade to unlock the invisible roll (m grade), and survive for Gm. The grade calculation over s4 is also plenty of guru stuff. But since our goal is to reach M and Gm, just keep in mind that performing lot tetris is the key. (2 or 3 tetris on final section is recommended)
I like how the record in TGM1 (made not 1 week ago!) is just barely under 9 minutes. And 8:45, a time probably beyond human limits in TGM1, is the minimum performance for M/Gm in TAP. That's a pretty dramatic change.
well you have to take into accound that tap has the instant drop also. That makes for much faster play.
exact! But I don't understand how the japanese guy does to reach 999 in tgm1 with 1minute in less(without instant drop) than me on tgm2 (with instant drop)
i suspect he had to build up at the top as much as possible at first to lower the time a piece needs to fall.
