For an introduction / explanation, go to: http://megamanmarathonrun.blogspot.com/2008/08/mega-man-marathon-run-introduction.html
Today, I beat Mega Man 4 without dying after four tries. Each try I made it further until I finally did it.
Believe it or not, I was disappointed in this result. The last time I did MM4 on focused training, I beat it without dying on my first try. I felt like I had regressed a bit on the game.
So I asked myself "what changed?" What happened to cause the regression? Am I not trying? Am I not focused?
Then I kind of put it into perspective. It took me four times to do it perfectly. That's almost as bad as complaining that your last album only went gold.
In reality, I'm not doing bad, I'm just being hard on myself. I will have good days and bad days, and I just need to practice with a steady hand through all of it.
That brings me to my final point. I need to make sure that I learn from my experiences good and bad, and build on any momentum I get. It is this learning experience that will make me victorious.
...
On a side note, I died fighting Ring Man and I got so mad I threw the controller to the ground, consequently smashing my toe. My toenail turned purple for a while but finally subsided. Those controllers are the most sturdy things ever. They should make houses or planes out of them.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Training Update - 9/28/08
For an introduction / explanation, go to: http://megamanmarathonrun.blogspot.com/2008/08/mega-man-marathon-run-introduction.html
I haven't really been excited this week about blogging about practice. Mostly, it was because I didn't feel like I had anything that important to write about, and I'm not the type who likes to post just for posting's sake. However, now that I've let my thoughts about the week set in, I really do have a couple of things to think about. Here's how the week went:
MM2 was bad. In three hours of playing, I did not beat it without dying. The best I did was make it to phase 2 of Dr. Wily. I simply failed to use an E-Tank at the appropriate time and died. After that I became frustrated and died at stupid spots, and I simply felt like I was forcing practice the rest of the day. I was playing after work, but more importantly, I was playing with very little sleep from the night before.
What did I learn? I haven't put a lot of thought into how sleep affects my game, but it has become apparent that a regular bed time might be useful. While I'm not going to be working out the exact hours of sleep I need for optimal performance, I will now have to consider the days I play Mega Man "Priority Sleep Nights".
MM6 was better than MM2. The first thing I noticed with a good night's sleep was my clearly enhanced ability to focus and play. After a few tries, I beat it without dying.
MM5 still needs some ground covered. It always seemed to avoid focused training in the past, so I still haven't quite figured out all of the bosses' weaknesses in the castles, let alone worked out the no death run. In my best run I beat it with 3 deaths, and all of them were fairly stupid moves. This game is still easier than many of the others, so I hope I get up to par with it soon.
The roundabout went a little differently than normal. I was playing with a larger than normal audience, as I was invited to come play in front of people. I played using their Nintendo and my carts. It was a loud gathering of people, so there were plenty of distractions. I'm very happy with what I did given the environment.
Here's the scores:
MM1: 6 points - I stayed pretty consistent with this one.
MM2: 2 points - I was hit in mid-jump in Air Man's stage. Bummer. This will be focused training on Thursday.
MM3: 8 points - This one is still solid.
MM4: 5 points - Again, I died when hit in mid-jump, this time in Bright Man's stage. This will be focused training on Tuesday.
MM5: 2 points - I died when hit by a crystal in Crystal Man's stage... in mid jump! This will be focused training on Wednesday.
MM6: 8 points - I really felt like the focused training this week gave me a lot more confidence with this game. Most improved!
So, I had a total score of 31 out of 46, or 67.3%. Another week, another record. I died only three times in six games, cutting my usual total in half. All of my scores were positive numbers for the first time since I started this.
While I always take notes of my deaths when I play, I didn't make the connection that they were all mid-jump deaths until I wrote this. Perhaps this is something of a skill I can work on, or perhaps it's a coincidence. I'll sleep on it. In the meantime, I'm becoming comfortable with my weekly routine, and I think that's going to work to my advantage.
I haven't really been excited this week about blogging about practice. Mostly, it was because I didn't feel like I had anything that important to write about, and I'm not the type who likes to post just for posting's sake. However, now that I've let my thoughts about the week set in, I really do have a couple of things to think about. Here's how the week went:
MM2 was bad. In three hours of playing, I did not beat it without dying. The best I did was make it to phase 2 of Dr. Wily. I simply failed to use an E-Tank at the appropriate time and died. After that I became frustrated and died at stupid spots, and I simply felt like I was forcing practice the rest of the day. I was playing after work, but more importantly, I was playing with very little sleep from the night before.
What did I learn? I haven't put a lot of thought into how sleep affects my game, but it has become apparent that a regular bed time might be useful. While I'm not going to be working out the exact hours of sleep I need for optimal performance, I will now have to consider the days I play Mega Man "Priority Sleep Nights".
MM6 was better than MM2. The first thing I noticed with a good night's sleep was my clearly enhanced ability to focus and play. After a few tries, I beat it without dying.
MM5 still needs some ground covered. It always seemed to avoid focused training in the past, so I still haven't quite figured out all of the bosses' weaknesses in the castles, let alone worked out the no death run. In my best run I beat it with 3 deaths, and all of them were fairly stupid moves. This game is still easier than many of the others, so I hope I get up to par with it soon.
The roundabout went a little differently than normal. I was playing with a larger than normal audience, as I was invited to come play in front of people. I played using their Nintendo and my carts. It was a loud gathering of people, so there were plenty of distractions. I'm very happy with what I did given the environment.
Here's the scores:
MM1: 6 points - I stayed pretty consistent with this one.
MM2: 2 points - I was hit in mid-jump in Air Man's stage. Bummer. This will be focused training on Thursday.
MM3: 8 points - This one is still solid.
MM4: 5 points - Again, I died when hit in mid-jump, this time in Bright Man's stage. This will be focused training on Tuesday.
MM5: 2 points - I died when hit by a crystal in Crystal Man's stage... in mid jump! This will be focused training on Wednesday.
MM6: 8 points - I really felt like the focused training this week gave me a lot more confidence with this game. Most improved!
So, I had a total score of 31 out of 46, or 67.3%. Another week, another record. I died only three times in six games, cutting my usual total in half. All of my scores were positive numbers for the first time since I started this.
While I always take notes of my deaths when I play, I didn't make the connection that they were all mid-jump deaths until I wrote this. Perhaps this is something of a skill I can work on, or perhaps it's a coincidence. I'll sleep on it. In the meantime, I'm becoming comfortable with my weekly routine, and I think that's going to work to my advantage.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Training Update 9/20/08
For an introduction / explanation, go to: http://megamanmarathonrun.blogspot.com/2008/08/mega-man-marathon-run-introduction.html
Well, endurance is the magic word this week. I had a GREAT start today in the roundabout, but finished weak. I think I should have taken a break. It seems that about 2 hours in I start to lose focus.
Here's the breakdown:
MM1: 6 points - No deaths! Using the magnet beam in Ice Man saved the day. This gave me such a good start today that I thought I might blast through the roundabout without dying.
...wrong!
MM2: 4 points - I died the same place I died last time: Bubble Man's stage. Those stupid crabs falling from the air just don't seem to be falling in my favor. I'm going to have to come up with a trick or two for them, otherwise I will live in fear. I should also point out that I listed 3 points for MM2 last time. That was an error, and it was in fact 4 points like it is today. That means I had a score of 17 total, which is still bad, but at least it was tied for the worst with my first attempt. This one gets focused training on Tuesday.
MM3: 8 points - All is good here. However, I would like to get a little focused training in on the later levels eventually. It never seems to make the cut.
MM4: 8 points - This game gets a gold star for being my most improved. No deaths.
MM5: -2 points - Yes. -2 points. Horrible. This is where I should have taken a break. I first beat Gravity Man, then I died getting the "A" in Gyro Man's stage. Then, I died TWICE at the crystals that fall above the holes in Crystal Man's stage. After that, I thought I was in the clear. Unfortunately, I died touching the spikes in Star Man's stage. I died four times! Guess which game gets focused training Thursday?
MM6: 0 points - I died once, but early on in Wind Man's stage. It was a freak accident with two spikes near the giant pandas early in the level. After that, I didn't die, but it left me unable to score any more points. This is Wednesday's focused training.
Overall I got 24 points and a -2 score for a total of 22/46, which is 47.8% and my highest score yet. I had three games with a perfect score, but two games with atrocious scores. I died six times in six games, which is where I'm usually at. I should also point out that every death was an instant death situation, and none of my deaths occurred fighting bosses.
Well, endurance is the magic word this week. I had a GREAT start today in the roundabout, but finished weak. I think I should have taken a break. It seems that about 2 hours in I start to lose focus.
Here's the breakdown:
MM1: 6 points - No deaths! Using the magnet beam in Ice Man saved the day. This gave me such a good start today that I thought I might blast through the roundabout without dying.
...wrong!
MM2: 4 points - I died the same place I died last time: Bubble Man's stage. Those stupid crabs falling from the air just don't seem to be falling in my favor. I'm going to have to come up with a trick or two for them, otherwise I will live in fear. I should also point out that I listed 3 points for MM2 last time. That was an error, and it was in fact 4 points like it is today. That means I had a score of 17 total, which is still bad, but at least it was tied for the worst with my first attempt. This one gets focused training on Tuesday.
MM3: 8 points - All is good here. However, I would like to get a little focused training in on the later levels eventually. It never seems to make the cut.
MM4: 8 points - This game gets a gold star for being my most improved. No deaths.
MM5: -2 points - Yes. -2 points. Horrible. This is where I should have taken a break. I first beat Gravity Man, then I died getting the "A" in Gyro Man's stage. Then, I died TWICE at the crystals that fall above the holes in Crystal Man's stage. After that, I thought I was in the clear. Unfortunately, I died touching the spikes in Star Man's stage. I died four times! Guess which game gets focused training Thursday?
MM6: 0 points - I died once, but early on in Wind Man's stage. It was a freak accident with two spikes near the giant pandas early in the level. After that, I didn't die, but it left me unable to score any more points. This is Wednesday's focused training.
Overall I got 24 points and a -2 score for a total of 22/46, which is 47.8% and my highest score yet. I had three games with a perfect score, but two games with atrocious scores. I died six times in six games, which is where I'm usually at. I should also point out that every death was an instant death situation, and none of my deaths occurred fighting bosses.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
MM6 = Toast
For an introduction / explanation, go to: http://megamanmarathonrun.blogspot.com/2008/08/mega-man-marathon-run-introduction.html
I beat Mega Man 6 without dying last night. It took me a long time, and I totally blew past my three hour limit on focused training. There's nothing particularly difficult about the game beyond my complete lack of familiarity with it. That's changing fast.
That's four down. MM5 is the only one where I still have a lot of ground to cover. MM1 just has that gauntlet at the end to get through.
Also, I've started comparing prices on DVD recorders. Hopefully, I'll get some video up soon.
I beat Mega Man 6 without dying last night. It took me a long time, and I totally blew past my three hour limit on focused training. There's nothing particularly difficult about the game beyond my complete lack of familiarity with it. That's changing fast.
That's four down. MM5 is the only one where I still have a lot of ground to cover. MM1 just has that gauntlet at the end to get through.
Also, I've started comparing prices on DVD recorders. Hopefully, I'll get some video up soon.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Running the gauntlet...
For an introduction / explanation, go to: http://megamanmarathonrun.blogspot.com/2008/08/mega-man-marathon-run-introduction.html
I made some nice progress yesterday with Mega Man 1. I'm using the magnet beam to make it through the lifts in Ice Man's stage (and in Wily 1). I feel MUCH better about the game in general.
However, I'm now making it to the area of the game I call "The Gauntlet". This is the spot where you have to beat Bomb Man, Fire Man, Ice Man, Guts Man, and two phases of Dr. Wily without any possibility of refilling any of your life. While these bosses aren't necessarily difficult, they are a little harder to do in a row.
I'm able to consistently make it to this area of the game without dying, but I almost always die in the gauntlet during the last phase of Dr. Wily. I just never have enough health going in to finish the job.
Consistency is the issue here, as I have actually beaten this level without dying, but never the whole game. I can usually make it through the entire gauntlet one out of three times. That's fine if I'm just trying to beat the game, but it doesn't translate into a "no death" run.
I guess I'm going to have to practice fighting these bosses with a "no hit" state of mind so I'll be well prepared for the gauntlet. Fire Man in particular is the worst. I need a new strategy for him.
The last stretch of this game gives me a profound respect for it. The level is probably the hardest Mega Man level in any of the original series. If I can master it, nothing is going keep me from my goals...
I made some nice progress yesterday with Mega Man 1. I'm using the magnet beam to make it through the lifts in Ice Man's stage (and in Wily 1). I feel MUCH better about the game in general.
However, I'm now making it to the area of the game I call "The Gauntlet". This is the spot where you have to beat Bomb Man, Fire Man, Ice Man, Guts Man, and two phases of Dr. Wily without any possibility of refilling any of your life. While these bosses aren't necessarily difficult, they are a little harder to do in a row.
I'm able to consistently make it to this area of the game without dying, but I almost always die in the gauntlet during the last phase of Dr. Wily. I just never have enough health going in to finish the job.
Consistency is the issue here, as I have actually beaten this level without dying, but never the whole game. I can usually make it through the entire gauntlet one out of three times. That's fine if I'm just trying to beat the game, but it doesn't translate into a "no death" run.
I guess I'm going to have to practice fighting these bosses with a "no hit" state of mind so I'll be well prepared for the gauntlet. Fire Man in particular is the worst. I need a new strategy for him.
The last stretch of this game gives me a profound respect for it. The level is probably the hardest Mega Man level in any of the original series. If I can master it, nothing is going keep me from my goals...
Saturday, September 13, 2008
An unexpected yet pleasant surprise...
For an introduction / explanation, go to: http://megamanmarathonrun.blogspot.com/2008/08/mega-man-marathon-run-introduction.html
Okay, so if you've been reading today, you're going to notice that I'm having my ups and downs. I'm going to quit while I'm ahead, which is now.
I just played Mega Man 4. I wasn't scheduled to play it, but I had an itch. Something told me to play MM4, and I did. I told myself I was going to stress myself out by playing more hours than I should, but something in my subconscious mind told me it would be okay since I don't have to play again until Tuesday. Then, I promised myself I would stop after I died...
That didn't happen. I beat it without dying. I couldn't believe it. This game has given me soooooooo many headaches these few weeks. I had to buy the big bottle of Tylenol. It turns out I just needed to do it one more time. Admittedly, I used several E-tanks, but I didn't even come close to running out (finished with 5 or 6). My new, conservative strategy is paying off stong dividends.
I managed to play Bright Man's stage twice. For some reason, I selected "continue" when I should have selected "stage select" after I beat him. I still didn't die there, but it was really unnecessary. To be fair, repeating the stage is probably a violation of my own rules, but I didn't miss anything important in that level the first time around. I'll let it slide this time :)
This game now joins MM2 and MM3 on the quickly growing list of games I've beaten without dying.
Bup, bup, bup, and another one bites the dust (man)...
Okay, so if you've been reading today, you're going to notice that I'm having my ups and downs. I'm going to quit while I'm ahead, which is now.
I just played Mega Man 4. I wasn't scheduled to play it, but I had an itch. Something told me to play MM4, and I did. I told myself I was going to stress myself out by playing more hours than I should, but something in my subconscious mind told me it would be okay since I don't have to play again until Tuesday. Then, I promised myself I would stop after I died...
That didn't happen. I beat it without dying. I couldn't believe it. This game has given me soooooooo many headaches these few weeks. I had to buy the big bottle of Tylenol. It turns out I just needed to do it one more time. Admittedly, I used several E-tanks, but I didn't even come close to running out (finished with 5 or 6). My new, conservative strategy is paying off stong dividends.
I managed to play Bright Man's stage twice. For some reason, I selected "continue" when I should have selected "stage select" after I beat him. I still didn't die there, but it was really unnecessary. To be fair, repeating the stage is probably a violation of my own rules, but I didn't miss anything important in that level the first time around. I'll let it slide this time :)
This game now joins MM2 and MM3 on the quickly growing list of games I've beaten without dying.
Bup, bup, bup, and another one bites the dust (man)...
Training Update - 9/13/08
For an introduction / explanation, go to: http://megamanmarathonrun.blogspot.com/2008/08/mega-man-marathon-run-introduction.html
The roundabout today was a little sooner than one might expect. If you read my previous post, I just changed my training schedule. I took yesterday off instead of the event training, and now I'm immediately diving in to the new routine.
Having said that, my score was horrible today. Here's the breakdown:
MM1: 3 points - Yes, I died in Ice Man's stage, twice, in the same spot as always, again. This will be Tuesday's focused training.
MM2: 3 points - I was disappointed after such an excellent run on Thursday. I died once in an unexpected place. I died in Bubble Man's stage where the crabs come from the air. One of them hit me in mid jump, and I was in the hole. Otherwise, I was fine. Also, I did extremely well against Metal Man today for some reason. Weird.
MM3: 8 points - This was the highlight of the day. I finally got back up to par on MM3. Hopefully, it stays here.
MM4: -1 point - This was ugly. I died attempting to get an E-tank in Skull Man's stage early on. I ended up getting way more than 9 E-tanks, so I think I just need to skip it from now on. I then died against Drill Man, who has given me trouble before. I just need to be careful (and make better use of E-tanks) here. Finally, I died fighting Ring Man. I am astonished at how much life he takes when you touch him. It's about 10 bars of health. Crazy. This will be Thursday's focused training.
MM5: 3 points - I only died once, and it was in a weird place. I ended up missing a jump with all of the shrapnel missiles in Napalm Man's stage. Otherwise, I was generally happy with my performance here.
MM6: 0 points - Again, I died in an unlikely spot. I was knocked into the instant death fire in Flame Man's stage. Then, I died again fighting my way through the mess at the end of Plant Man's stage. This will be Wednesday's focused training.
Overall my score was 16, the lowest it has been since I started measuring. I might be able to blame my lack of rest from the game this week, but I'm not a big fan of excuses. Hopefully, my new routine and a bit of practice will get me back on track.
The roundabout today was a little sooner than one might expect. If you read my previous post, I just changed my training schedule. I took yesterday off instead of the event training, and now I'm immediately diving in to the new routine.
Having said that, my score was horrible today. Here's the breakdown:
MM1: 3 points - Yes, I died in Ice Man's stage, twice, in the same spot as always, again. This will be Tuesday's focused training.
MM2: 3 points - I was disappointed after such an excellent run on Thursday. I died once in an unexpected place. I died in Bubble Man's stage where the crabs come from the air. One of them hit me in mid jump, and I was in the hole. Otherwise, I was fine. Also, I did extremely well against Metal Man today for some reason. Weird.
MM3: 8 points - This was the highlight of the day. I finally got back up to par on MM3. Hopefully, it stays here.
MM4: -1 point - This was ugly. I died attempting to get an E-tank in Skull Man's stage early on. I ended up getting way more than 9 E-tanks, so I think I just need to skip it from now on. I then died against Drill Man, who has given me trouble before. I just need to be careful (and make better use of E-tanks) here. Finally, I died fighting Ring Man. I am astonished at how much life he takes when you touch him. It's about 10 bars of health. Crazy. This will be Thursday's focused training.
MM5: 3 points - I only died once, and it was in a weird place. I ended up missing a jump with all of the shrapnel missiles in Napalm Man's stage. Otherwise, I was generally happy with my performance here.
MM6: 0 points - Again, I died in an unlikely spot. I was knocked into the instant death fire in Flame Man's stage. Then, I died again fighting my way through the mess at the end of Plant Man's stage. This will be Wednesday's focused training.
Overall my score was 16, the lowest it has been since I started measuring. I might be able to blame my lack of rest from the game this week, but I'm not a big fan of excuses. Hopefully, my new routine and a bit of practice will get me back on track.
A new training schedule
For an introduction / explanation, go to: http://megamanmarathonrun.blogspot.com/2008/08/mega-man-marathon-run-introduction.html
I've been considering some issues with my training schedule, and I think I'm throwing the initial regiment out and starting with a different emphasis. I am a creature of routine. I do everything with extreme preparation in mind. I have an evening routine, a morning routine, several work routines, and even a weekly routine. I very rarely deviate from these things. This is why I think I'm a good candidate for completing my goals.
Having said that, my five day training schedule is interfering with my weekly routine. My workout, my laundry, everything. I'm so dependent on these rituals that I would go mad without them.
So, I have developed a weekly training regiment that I hope will generate a more consistent level of playing. Having the same training days every week lets me plan things better with the rest of my life. Hopefully, it also lets me have a piece of mind when I'm training.
The other thing I've noticed is that my event training segment is virtually useless at this point. I can't even expect to make it through several games if I can't beat MM1 without dying yet. I'm eliminating that portion of the training. Also, I've found the focused trainings the most useful, so I'm going to emphasize them. That means I'll only be measuring my progress on the roundabout once a week, but hopefully it shows a better growth pattern. I will be doing three days of focused training, with a different game each day, and an emphasis on the three worst games from the roundabout, working from the third worst to the worst each day.
So, here's how it's going to work:
Sunday: Off
Monday: Off
Tuesday: Focused Training
Wednesday: Focused Training
Thursday: Focused Training
Friday: Off
Saturday: Roundabout
I've been considering some issues with my training schedule, and I think I'm throwing the initial regiment out and starting with a different emphasis. I am a creature of routine. I do everything with extreme preparation in mind. I have an evening routine, a morning routine, several work routines, and even a weekly routine. I very rarely deviate from these things. This is why I think I'm a good candidate for completing my goals.
Having said that, my five day training schedule is interfering with my weekly routine. My workout, my laundry, everything. I'm so dependent on these rituals that I would go mad without them.
So, I have developed a weekly training regiment that I hope will generate a more consistent level of playing. Having the same training days every week lets me plan things better with the rest of my life. Hopefully, it also lets me have a piece of mind when I'm training.
The other thing I've noticed is that my event training segment is virtually useless at this point. I can't even expect to make it through several games if I can't beat MM1 without dying yet. I'm eliminating that portion of the training. Also, I've found the focused trainings the most useful, so I'm going to emphasize them. That means I'll only be measuring my progress on the roundabout once a week, but hopefully it shows a better growth pattern. I will be doing three days of focused training, with a different game each day, and an emphasis on the three worst games from the roundabout, working from the third worst to the worst each day.
So, here's how it's going to work:
Sunday: Off
Monday: Off
Tuesday: Focused Training
Wednesday: Focused Training
Thursday: Focused Training
Friday: Off
Saturday: Roundabout
Friday, September 12, 2008
A Milestone and A Humbling Experience
For an introduction / explanation, go to: http://megamanmarathonrun.blogspot.com/2008/08/mega-man-marathon-run-introduction.html
Admittedly, I was playing with a chip on my shoulder yesterday after such a horrible performance the day before. However, I did not expect to do what I did yesterday.
In my focused training for Mega Man 2, I managed to play it from beginning to end without dying. I followed all of my rules, and I played it on difficult.
This game now joins the exclusive club with MM3 as the only two that I've beaten without dying. This is, of course, a big contrast from my horrible score of zero from the day before.
That brings me to my next point. The place I kept dying in MM2 wasn't really near the end, it was at the beginning. I was dying fighting Metal Man. Before I get flamed for that, let me point out that he is much harder on difficult mode because you deal far less damage to him than he does you. He's easy as pie on normal mode, which is what I based my robot order on. Also, because his weapon is so useful, I have to get it early. He might as well be first.
While sometimes I was beating him without death, other times I was not going into his lair with enough health, nor was I dodging his blades well enough. I finally found the solution in an unexpected place...
I was reading an article about Sean Payton, the head coach of the New Orleans Saints (American Football). He is known for his aggressive risk taking and creative play calling. He recently reached a very humbling moment for himself where he reluctantly called a run on a third and long near the end of a game when they were ahead. They punted the ball away, and a near scoring drive turned into a clock killer, effectively winning the game. If he had called for a pass in an obvious passing situation, they could have turned the ball over in a one possession game with enough time on the clock for the other team to score. Yes, coach Payton finally had to suppress the risk taker in him for his team's benefit.
How does this relate to me? Well, as I approached Metal Man's boss doors, I had about three quarters of my health, which quite frankly worried me. Then, I remembered my E-tank. The first E-tank shows up before any enemies in that level. Then I thought to myself "I can't use an E-tank in the first 8 levels. I just have to learn to live without it." I am much more dependent on E-tanks in the castle levels, but I pride myself on making it through the initial levels without them. I will fight bosses with only a peg of health left, and sometimes I still win. I preserve E-tanks like they're an unborn child for some reason. They are a last resort.
Then I remembered that article about coach Payton, the youngest head coach in NFL history. Eventually, his experience kicked in and he realized that he had to swallow his pride to win games. I then promptly made skilled use of the E-tank when my health went low, and Metal Man was toast. It turns out, I would end up holding on to four E-tanks (the max.) throughout most of the castle. I didn't need that tank anyway. I then proceeded to beat the game without dying, and I had two E-tanks left over.
Thus developing my new mantra: "Smoke 'em if you got 'em".
Admittedly, I was playing with a chip on my shoulder yesterday after such a horrible performance the day before. However, I did not expect to do what I did yesterday.
In my focused training for Mega Man 2, I managed to play it from beginning to end without dying. I followed all of my rules, and I played it on difficult.
This game now joins the exclusive club with MM3 as the only two that I've beaten without dying. This is, of course, a big contrast from my horrible score of zero from the day before.
That brings me to my next point. The place I kept dying in MM2 wasn't really near the end, it was at the beginning. I was dying fighting Metal Man. Before I get flamed for that, let me point out that he is much harder on difficult mode because you deal far less damage to him than he does you. He's easy as pie on normal mode, which is what I based my robot order on. Also, because his weapon is so useful, I have to get it early. He might as well be first.
While sometimes I was beating him without death, other times I was not going into his lair with enough health, nor was I dodging his blades well enough. I finally found the solution in an unexpected place...
I was reading an article about Sean Payton, the head coach of the New Orleans Saints (American Football). He is known for his aggressive risk taking and creative play calling. He recently reached a very humbling moment for himself where he reluctantly called a run on a third and long near the end of a game when they were ahead. They punted the ball away, and a near scoring drive turned into a clock killer, effectively winning the game. If he had called for a pass in an obvious passing situation, they could have turned the ball over in a one possession game with enough time on the clock for the other team to score. Yes, coach Payton finally had to suppress the risk taker in him for his team's benefit.
How does this relate to me? Well, as I approached Metal Man's boss doors, I had about three quarters of my health, which quite frankly worried me. Then, I remembered my E-tank. The first E-tank shows up before any enemies in that level. Then I thought to myself "I can't use an E-tank in the first 8 levels. I just have to learn to live without it." I am much more dependent on E-tanks in the castle levels, but I pride myself on making it through the initial levels without them. I will fight bosses with only a peg of health left, and sometimes I still win. I preserve E-tanks like they're an unborn child for some reason. They are a last resort.
Then I remembered that article about coach Payton, the youngest head coach in NFL history. Eventually, his experience kicked in and he realized that he had to swallow his pride to win games. I then promptly made skilled use of the E-tank when my health went low, and Metal Man was toast. It turns out, I would end up holding on to four E-tanks (the max.) throughout most of the castle. I didn't need that tank anyway. I then proceeded to beat the game without dying, and I had two E-tanks left over.
Thus developing my new mantra: "Smoke 'em if you got 'em".
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Training Update - 9/11/08
For an introduction / explanation, go to: http://megamanmarathonrun.blogspot.com/2008/08/mega-man-marathon-run-introduction.html
I must admit, I was a bit bummed yesterday after I played. I believe this is the same phenomenon that occurs when you learn a piece of music. At first, everything is good, then you get worse, then it gets better slowly. I think I've actually gotten worse since last week.
My score was the same as last time, but it wasn't nearly as pretty. Here's the breakdown:
MM1: 3 points - I died the SAME EXACT PLACE I die every time in MM1 - Ice Man's stage. Those stupid lifts are giving me fits. I actually died twice on them before I made it through. Otherwise, this was fairly uneventful.
MM2: 0 points - I died fighting Metal Man. I was low on health coming in, and I should have used an E-tank, but I just simply didn't. After that, I didn't die at all. It's still never any fun to die on the first level.
MM3: A VERY disappointing 2 points - I died fighting Needle Man. Who dies fighting Needle Man? I can't remember the last time I died fighting Needle Man. Simply put, I shot the gemini laser at him, and missed. It bounced off the walls, and I shot again. I only have to hit him three times to kill him. Apparently, that was too much. That was the only time I died. *Hangs head in shame.*
MM4: 4 points - After three disappointing games, I took a break and ate supper. My morale and blood sugar were both low. I came back to play MM4, and the break helped. I died in Toad Man's stage with one of the jumps in the rain. Again, this game boils down to patience. I just need to be more patient with my jumps.
MM5: 8 points - I finally got it on record that this is an easy game. I used an E-tank fighting Wave Man, but I was really low going in to it. Otherwise, this was the first good news of the day.
MM6: 3 points - I died in Plant Man's stage in the very hairy part with the holes, the lifts that open, the springs, the jumping cannons, and the horizontally moving bugs. Way too much going on, but it's usually not where I die. Otherwise, no deaths.
So, another total of 20 out of 46. That's 43.4% Exactly where I was last time, except my scores feel so much more demoralizing. I should also point out that I only took one day off instead of two. Perhaps I need more of a mind refresh. I am leaning toward two at this point, but I'm going to try it a couple of times more before I make a decision. Another thing I'm mulling around in my head is adjusting my training schedule for some kind of 7 day cycle. Believe it or not, I actually do have other things to do with my time, but many of them are scheduled weekly. I'm thinking about a three days on, one day off, one day on, two days off schedule. I'm also considering extending focused training to two different days. It seems that the focused training really helps me more than the others.
The good news is that I did not receive any negative scores. There were no major hangups except for those stupid lifts in MM1.
I will be playing MM2 for focused training today.
I must admit, I was a bit bummed yesterday after I played. I believe this is the same phenomenon that occurs when you learn a piece of music. At first, everything is good, then you get worse, then it gets better slowly. I think I've actually gotten worse since last week.
My score was the same as last time, but it wasn't nearly as pretty. Here's the breakdown:
MM1: 3 points - I died the SAME EXACT PLACE I die every time in MM1 - Ice Man's stage. Those stupid lifts are giving me fits. I actually died twice on them before I made it through. Otherwise, this was fairly uneventful.
MM2: 0 points - I died fighting Metal Man. I was low on health coming in, and I should have used an E-tank, but I just simply didn't. After that, I didn't die at all. It's still never any fun to die on the first level.
MM3: A VERY disappointing 2 points - I died fighting Needle Man. Who dies fighting Needle Man? I can't remember the last time I died fighting Needle Man. Simply put, I shot the gemini laser at him, and missed. It bounced off the walls, and I shot again. I only have to hit him three times to kill him. Apparently, that was too much. That was the only time I died. *Hangs head in shame.*
MM4: 4 points - After three disappointing games, I took a break and ate supper. My morale and blood sugar were both low. I came back to play MM4, and the break helped. I died in Toad Man's stage with one of the jumps in the rain. Again, this game boils down to patience. I just need to be more patient with my jumps.
MM5: 8 points - I finally got it on record that this is an easy game. I used an E-tank fighting Wave Man, but I was really low going in to it. Otherwise, this was the first good news of the day.
MM6: 3 points - I died in Plant Man's stage in the very hairy part with the holes, the lifts that open, the springs, the jumping cannons, and the horizontally moving bugs. Way too much going on, but it's usually not where I die. Otherwise, no deaths.
So, another total of 20 out of 46. That's 43.4% Exactly where I was last time, except my scores feel so much more demoralizing. I should also point out that I only took one day off instead of two. Perhaps I need more of a mind refresh. I am leaning toward two at this point, but I'm going to try it a couple of times more before I make a decision. Another thing I'm mulling around in my head is adjusting my training schedule for some kind of 7 day cycle. Believe it or not, I actually do have other things to do with my time, but many of them are scheduled weekly. I'm thinking about a three days on, one day off, one day on, two days off schedule. I'm also considering extending focused training to two different days. It seems that the focused training really helps me more than the others.
The good news is that I did not receive any negative scores. There were no major hangups except for those stupid lifts in MM1.
I will be playing MM2 for focused training today.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Training Update - 9/6/08
For an introduction / explanation, go to: http://megamanmarathonrun.blogspot.com/2008/08/mega-man-marathon-run-introduction.html
Okay, the roundabout went much better today.
My total score was 20, or 43% just a little better than last time. However, I think my score is going to jump up next time. I'm simply not enduring the long playing time yet.
Here's the breakdown:
MM1: 4 points - I died the same place I died last time: Ice Man's stage. He has these lifts that shoot from their ears which move vertically AT RANDOM. It makes it very difficult to get down my timing when that happens. The penguins don't help, but they're really not the problem.
MM2: 8 points - Perfect! I didn't die through any of the bosses at all, and I played it all on difficult. I'm very happy with my progress here. It's also turning out to be one of my new favorites.
MM3: 0 points - Goose egg! As I mentioned previously in one of my posts, transitioning from MM2 to MM3 was going to be a problem. I immediately lost my rhythm due to the fact that the controls feel very different when moving to MM3. This is my best game, and I died right off the bat in Snake Man's stage! Very embarrassing. However, after I died I made it through all of the levels without dying. I just had to get back into rhythm. At least I managed to prevent the tragedy of a negative score on this one.
MM4: 7 points - ...and this one made me mad. I died in a hole shortly before the boss gates to Ring Man. Again, I need to adjust. Jumping from a slide operates differently between MM3 and MM4 (slightly). It was just enough to get me killed on one of those sliding platforms. Obviously, the focused training has helped out here. It's much better than the -2 I received last time, but I would have liked to have made it through all of them.
MM5: 2 points - I knew better here. I died in Crystal Man's stage where the crystals fall from the ceiling (at random intervals). I need to remember that they're random, and no matter how I time it, I just have to wait for each jump individually. Other than that, this was easy.
MM6: -1 point - I think I know which one gets focused training tomorrow. It's actually not too bad, except that I died in Wind Man's stage right off the bat. This is mostly because I wasn't paying enough attention to the tricky jumps with the wind machines. I died later in Knight Man's stage with the tricky jump over the spikes with the slowly descending spikes.
So, I died for a grand total of 6 times in 6 games. That's still a striking improvement over the 11 times I died in the last roundabout. If I can transition to MM3 better, polish up MM4, and stick to my guns in 5 and 6, I'll be getting much better scores. I think those that have been watching my practices agree.
One final note: I took two days off between trainings instead of the previous one day off. I feel fresher, but I don't know if that's too much. I'm going to continue experimenting until I determine what's helping me the most.
Okay, the roundabout went much better today.
My total score was 20, or 43% just a little better than last time. However, I think my score is going to jump up next time. I'm simply not enduring the long playing time yet.
Here's the breakdown:
MM1: 4 points - I died the same place I died last time: Ice Man's stage. He has these lifts that shoot from their ears which move vertically AT RANDOM. It makes it very difficult to get down my timing when that happens. The penguins don't help, but they're really not the problem.
MM2: 8 points - Perfect! I didn't die through any of the bosses at all, and I played it all on difficult. I'm very happy with my progress here. It's also turning out to be one of my new favorites.
MM3: 0 points - Goose egg! As I mentioned previously in one of my posts, transitioning from MM2 to MM3 was going to be a problem. I immediately lost my rhythm due to the fact that the controls feel very different when moving to MM3. This is my best game, and I died right off the bat in Snake Man's stage! Very embarrassing. However, after I died I made it through all of the levels without dying. I just had to get back into rhythm. At least I managed to prevent the tragedy of a negative score on this one.
MM4: 7 points - ...and this one made me mad. I died in a hole shortly before the boss gates to Ring Man. Again, I need to adjust. Jumping from a slide operates differently between MM3 and MM4 (slightly). It was just enough to get me killed on one of those sliding platforms. Obviously, the focused training has helped out here. It's much better than the -2 I received last time, but I would have liked to have made it through all of them.
MM5: 2 points - I knew better here. I died in Crystal Man's stage where the crystals fall from the ceiling (at random intervals). I need to remember that they're random, and no matter how I time it, I just have to wait for each jump individually. Other than that, this was easy.
MM6: -1 point - I think I know which one gets focused training tomorrow. It's actually not too bad, except that I died in Wind Man's stage right off the bat. This is mostly because I wasn't paying enough attention to the tricky jumps with the wind machines. I died later in Knight Man's stage with the tricky jump over the spikes with the slowly descending spikes.
So, I died for a grand total of 6 times in 6 games. That's still a striking improvement over the 11 times I died in the last roundabout. If I can transition to MM3 better, polish up MM4, and stick to my guns in 5 and 6, I'll be getting much better scores. I think those that have been watching my practices agree.
One final note: I took two days off between trainings instead of the previous one day off. I feel fresher, but I don't know if that's too much. I'm going to continue experimenting until I determine what's helping me the most.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Training Update - 9/1/08
For an introduction / explanation, go to: http://megamanmarathonrun.blogspot.com/2008/08/mega-man-marathon-run-introduction.html
Happy Labor Day!
Okay, I've finally determined most of my training regiment.
I'm going to focus on three different types of training, alternating between different approaches on each day. I will then take a break from MM on the fourth day. I'm still undecided as to whether or not I need to break for two days or one, but I will experiment with both, and see how I do.
1. The Roundabout
The first type of training is designed to give me an all around workout on all of the games. I call it "the roundabout". Basically, I've set an arbitrary goal of beating all of the robot master levels in all of the games in a row without dying pursuant to the additional rules in my blog. The roundabout lets me train for this goal. When I expand my goals, I will modify it to accommodate them. I've been working through this approach for a good portion of a week, and I think I've determined the best way to track my progress on it. I've devised a scoring system that rewards me for perfection, and penalizes me for anything less than that.
Each time I start the roundabout training, I start with a different game, and then work through them sequentially. After MM6, I return to MM1 until I have made it through my goal areas in each of the games. Because this training can take a LONG time to accomplish, I stop playing after making it through my goal areas. This means that even if I beat all the robot masters without dying, I move on to the next game. For each game, I give myself a point for each level I complete without dying in a row. If I die, I still have to complete the levels in the goal area, but I don't get any more points for it. If I die more than once, then every death from that point on subtracts from my score. If I game over in a game (which hasn't happened in the roundabout yet), I will subtract a point for each unfinished level, and move on to the next game. Ouch!
So, for an example, let's say I'm playing MM3, and I beat Snake, Gemini, and Needle. I have 3 points. Then, I die in Top Man's stage. I don't receive any more points if I beat Top Man or anyone else, but I still have to finish the other four bosses. I'm not penalized in my score for my first death. However, let's say I die again in Spark Man's stage, then I'm down to 2 points. After I finish all of the bosses, I record the score for that game and move on to MM4. The scoring resets for MM4, and I can start earning points for that game until I die, up to a maximum of 8.
Once I am done with all of the games, I add up the scores, and divide it among possible levels within the goal area.
I've had to make this scoring system complicated because I need it to motivate me to play for so long attentively, especially after I die.
I've only done the roundabout with this scoring system once, and here's what I got:
MM1: 4
MM2: 0
MM3: 8
MM4:-2
MM5: 1
MM6: 4
15 points out of a possible 46. Yuck! That's 32.6%. At least I have a base line. I've actually beaten all of the bosses in all of these without dying, but never in a row. It's obviously different when trying to do it endurance style.
While it may look like I did much better in MM1 than I did in MM2, it's actually the opposite. I just died a lot earlier in MM2.
One last note: The roundabout training takes me about 3.5 to 4 hours to complete.
2. Focused Training
The next day of training I focus on one specific game. This is usually the game I did the worst at in the roundabout. As you can see from the score, tomorrow I will be working on Mega Man 4. I may try a variety of different things in focused training. I may repeat levels for practice, even when executed correctly. I may beat the game repeatedly, or I may try it event style, and reset the game every time I die. Whatever gets me the best progress is what I'm going to do. I'm going to put a time cap of 3 hours on focused training.
3. Event Training
The third day of training is the hardest. This is where I attempt to actually beat all 6 without dying. I start at MM1, and pursuant to all of the rules, attempt the feat itself. If I die or mess up any of the rules, I start right back at the beginning. I'm putting a time cap of 3 hours on this, but I will continue on if for some reason I'm still alive at the 3 hour mark. If I consistently make it further, I will move the time cap further back.
4. Resting
On the fourth day of training, I abstain from playing Mega Man. This mental rest is what I need to keep going. I may extend this to a two day rest if it helps my performance on the roundabout. We'll see.
Happy Labor Day!
Okay, I've finally determined most of my training regiment.
I'm going to focus on three different types of training, alternating between different approaches on each day. I will then take a break from MM on the fourth day. I'm still undecided as to whether or not I need to break for two days or one, but I will experiment with both, and see how I do.
1. The Roundabout
The first type of training is designed to give me an all around workout on all of the games. I call it "the roundabout". Basically, I've set an arbitrary goal of beating all of the robot master levels in all of the games in a row without dying pursuant to the additional rules in my blog. The roundabout lets me train for this goal. When I expand my goals, I will modify it to accommodate them. I've been working through this approach for a good portion of a week, and I think I've determined the best way to track my progress on it. I've devised a scoring system that rewards me for perfection, and penalizes me for anything less than that.
Each time I start the roundabout training, I start with a different game, and then work through them sequentially. After MM6, I return to MM1 until I have made it through my goal areas in each of the games. Because this training can take a LONG time to accomplish, I stop playing after making it through my goal areas. This means that even if I beat all the robot masters without dying, I move on to the next game. For each game, I give myself a point for each level I complete without dying in a row. If I die, I still have to complete the levels in the goal area, but I don't get any more points for it. If I die more than once, then every death from that point on subtracts from my score. If I game over in a game (which hasn't happened in the roundabout yet), I will subtract a point for each unfinished level, and move on to the next game. Ouch!
So, for an example, let's say I'm playing MM3, and I beat Snake, Gemini, and Needle. I have 3 points. Then, I die in Top Man's stage. I don't receive any more points if I beat Top Man or anyone else, but I still have to finish the other four bosses. I'm not penalized in my score for my first death. However, let's say I die again in Spark Man's stage, then I'm down to 2 points. After I finish all of the bosses, I record the score for that game and move on to MM4. The scoring resets for MM4, and I can start earning points for that game until I die, up to a maximum of 8.
Once I am done with all of the games, I add up the scores, and divide it among possible levels within the goal area.
I've had to make this scoring system complicated because I need it to motivate me to play for so long attentively, especially after I die.
I've only done the roundabout with this scoring system once, and here's what I got:
MM1: 4
MM2: 0
MM3: 8
MM4:-2
MM5: 1
MM6: 4
15 points out of a possible 46. Yuck! That's 32.6%. At least I have a base line. I've actually beaten all of the bosses in all of these without dying, but never in a row. It's obviously different when trying to do it endurance style.
While it may look like I did much better in MM1 than I did in MM2, it's actually the opposite. I just died a lot earlier in MM2.
One last note: The roundabout training takes me about 3.5 to 4 hours to complete.
2. Focused Training
The next day of training I focus on one specific game. This is usually the game I did the worst at in the roundabout. As you can see from the score, tomorrow I will be working on Mega Man 4. I may try a variety of different things in focused training. I may repeat levels for practice, even when executed correctly. I may beat the game repeatedly, or I may try it event style, and reset the game every time I die. Whatever gets me the best progress is what I'm going to do. I'm going to put a time cap of 3 hours on focused training.
3. Event Training
The third day of training is the hardest. This is where I attempt to actually beat all 6 without dying. I start at MM1, and pursuant to all of the rules, attempt the feat itself. If I die or mess up any of the rules, I start right back at the beginning. I'm putting a time cap of 3 hours on this, but I will continue on if for some reason I'm still alive at the 3 hour mark. If I consistently make it further, I will move the time cap further back.
4. Resting
On the fourth day of training, I abstain from playing Mega Man. This mental rest is what I need to keep going. I may extend this to a two day rest if it helps my performance on the roundabout. We'll see.
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