Re:Understanding Pac-Man Ghost Behavior (2010)
by toast0 on Tuesday December 01, 2020 @04:58PM
(#25270535)
I'm sure I'm not the only one who plays with the goal of getting through the most screens. The score is just a number, but seeing the cutscenes is the prize. Although, I'm not that good, so I don't think I've made it to the third cut scene.
Re:Understanding Pac-Man Ghost Behavior (2010)
by JohnBooty on Tuesday December 01, 2020 @10:35PM
(#25272974)
Objectively, you are forgoing most of the complexity. It's sort of like playing baseball without trying to hit the ball because you like watching the pitcher throw baseballs.
Subjectively, of course there's nothing wrong with playing a solitary game however you like. I definitely play GTA as a giant murder sandbox, without bothering with the story or missions. =)
There are three modes of movement for the ghosts: Chase, Scatter, and Frightened. In Scatter mode, each of the four ghosts has a different movement goal, and in Chase mode they have really distinct movement goals.
While not covered by the article, I think the scoring system is sublime and is overlooked by many modern players.
Pac-Man is not fun when played for "survival."
The fun and beauty of the scoring system is only evident if you play for score. Then, it turns into a wonderful exercise of risk vs. reward, with each Frightened ghost worth twice the previous one: 200, 400, 800, 1600.
And you really cannot reach a respectable score without going for those 800's and 1600's!
Here's an example: A perfect score on the first board nets you over 16,000 points and takes just a minute or so. However, if you simply played "to survive" it would take five or ten minutes or more to drudge your way to the same score...