Knuckle Cracker

Last week we had quite fierce competition for the top spot, with some of the players playing and replaying maps several times to squeeze a few seconds of the time.

With that in mind, I think the theme for this week should be competitions, so I did a google of Famous competitions and picked out maps I thought looked interesting. Whether or not they are actually worthy of the word famous might be another matter.

Anyways, here is the result.

A few useful links:
All Tournaments (http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=7410.0)
Code Map Scoreboard (http://knucklecracker.com/creeperworld2/viewscores.php)
Tournament Score Tool (http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=7477.0)



Theme:
Famous Competitions



   
   
   
   
   
   

Map Name:	Size:	Complexity:
Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest	Medium	High
Strongman (strength athlete)	Small	Medium
International         Wine Challenge	Small	High
The International Tchaikovsky Competition	Small	Low
StarCraft: Brood War professional competition 2	Medium	Medium

Links to wiki for each of the competitions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan's_Hot_Dog_Eating_Contest
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strongman_(strength_athlete)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Wine_Challenge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Tchaikovsky_Competition
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StarCraft:_Brood_War_professional_competition


Have fun with the maps!

Why are there so many spaces in "International         Wine Challenge"?

Quote from: Wheatmidge on September 24, 2012, 12:46:51 PM
Why are there so many spaces in "International         Wine Challenge"?

Because the one with no spaces looked very boring :)

Auw no 'Ironman' competition D: . That hot dog eating sounds... intresting :P

*Dough* Now that I think about it, I should of course have listed "Weekly 5-map tournament" on that list.

So for those in the mood for some extra, have a go at:
Penguin'sWeekly 5-map tournament (Note the lack of space)

21 scores, 8 players on day 2. Not bad, looks like it could be another interesting week.

Intermediate scores here you go:
Results Per Player


   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Rank	Name	Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest	Strongman (strength athlete)	International         Wine Challenge	The International Tchaikovsky Competition	StarCraft: Brood War professional competition 2	Total Score	Total Time
1	J	12054	11411	10518	11593		45576
2	Helper	12208	11630		11861		35699
3	Wheatmidge	12634	11593	10716			34943
4	UoADeadeye		11105		11700	10962	33767
5	inept_celt	11109	10998		11525		33632
6	TheSmileyCoder				11850	12428	24278
7	dt42	12460	11458				23918
8	ctuna				11891		11891

Best scores in Bold.
Scores recorded at 2012-09-25 03:39:46 forum time.

Quote from: SmileyCoder on September 24, 2012, 12:48:34 PM

Quote from: Wheatmidge on September 24, 2012, 12:46:51 PM
Why are there so many spaces in "International         Wine Challenge"?

Because the one with no spaces looked very boring :)

I always try to look at the maps and go for something un-common. Thats why there are so many spaces in that map, and its why there is a 2 at the end of the last map, and a The added in front of the 4th map.

Results Per Player


   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Rank	Name	Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest	Strongman (strength athlete)	International         Wine Challenge	The International Tchaikovsky Competition	StarCraft: Brood War professional competition 2	Total Score	Total Time
1	Helper	12208	11630	10762	11861	12447	58908	41:00
2	J	12054	11411	10518	11593		45576
3	inept_celt	11109	11208		11680	11346	45343
4	TheSmileyCoder	12852			11850	12428	37130
5	Wheatmidge	12634	11593	10716			34943
6	UoADeadeye		11105		11700	11455	34260
7	dt42	12460	11458				23918
8	ctuna		11574		11891		23465

Best scores in Bold.
Scores recorded at 2012-09-25 16:25:27 forum time.

Helper has taken the lead as the first to complete all maps, and top scorer on 3 maps. Well done so far.

Quote from: SmileyCoder on September 25, 2012, 05:27:53 PM
Helper has taken the lead as the first to complete all maps, and top scorer on 3 maps. Well done so far.

LOL!
Thank you, but way too early in the week for me to think those times are going to stand.
I have a stack of 'submitted' maps to play, then will be back trying to shave a few seconds here and there.

I think this is going to be another week, just like the last one.

Well I have knocked you off the top, but I feel quite sure that it wont stand.

Results Per Player


   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Rank	Name	Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest	Strongman (strength athlete)	International         Wine Challenge	The International Tchaikovsky Competition	StarCraft: Brood War professional competition 2	Total Score	Total Time
1	TheSmileyCoder	12852	11487	10979	11850	12428	59596	34:34
2	Helper	12673	11630	10762	11861	12447	59373	37:23
3	J	12054	11411	10518	11593		45576
4	inept_celt	11109	11208		11680	11346	45343
5	Wheatmidge	12634	11593	10716			34943
6	UoADeadeye		11105		11700	11455	34260
7	dt42	12460	11458				23918
8	ctuna		11574		11891		23465

Best scores in Bold.
Scores recorded at 2012-09-26 04:19:32 forum time.

I love the smell of competition in the morning.
:)

[EDIT] - Unless it includes Experimentals or Fields.

Whoa Nellie!
My latest lead didn't hold up for long.
I'm going to re-start Missions 3 & 5 from scratch and see if I can find some extra minutes.

TSC - nice scores.

Thank you, bit of a unfair advantage, been home with a sick kid today, leaving me a bit of time to play.

I have tried "Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest" 5 times now, and I still cannot come near your score. grrr.

I won't be able to play play any more maps this week so I'm out :)

Quote from: J on September 26, 2012, 04:39:18 PM
I won't be able to play play any more maps this week so I'm out :)

Dam, knowing how close your maps usually cut it balance wise, I was really looking forward to the competition from you!

Quote from: J on September 26, 2012, 04:39:18 PM
I won't be able to play play any more maps this week so I'm out :)

Just knock out #5 real quick and you will have a very solid score.
TSC is kicking the tar out of this thing, but the rest of us can battle for second and third place.

wow - I am still in awe of the scores...   I apparently need a class in optimizing my way through these maps!!!  I can usually get there, but my scores suck!!  Regardless - love the tourneys!

No rest for the wicked I see. Helper has upped has game with some impressive scores, and I now see that mopa42 has entered the scene and allready he/she is beating several of my scores.
Results Per Player


   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Rank	Name	Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest	Strongman (strength athlete)	International         Wine Challenge	The International Tchaikovsky Competition	StarCraft: Brood War professional competition 2	Total Score	Total Time
1	TheSmileyCoder	12852	11665	10979	11939	12710	60145	31:19
2	mopa42	12816	11627	10874	11953	12744	60014	32:26
3	Helper	12869	11630	10925	11863	12635	59922	32:59
4	UoADeadeye	11089	11105	8806	11700	11455	54155	90:21
5	J	12054	11411	10518	11593		45576
6	inept_celt	11109	11208		11680	11346	45343
7	Wheatmidge	12634	11593	10716			34943
8	dt42	12460	11458				23918
9	ctuna		11574		11891		23465

Best scores in Bold.
Scores recorded at 2012-09-27 05:00:03 forum time.

Quote from: UoAdeadeye on September 27, 2012, 12:36:08 AM
wow - I am still in awe of the scores...   I apparently need a class in optimizing my way through these maps!!!  I can usually get there, but my scores suck!!  Regardless - love the tourneys!

If you are a beginner I suggest simply taking one of the maps and play it through 3-4 times and each time try to see what you can do differently.

Most maps are about:
Grabbing all crystals that are easy to reach
Building as fast as you can without starving
Don't build weapons untill you need (Save energy for reactors)
Don't wait too long to attack, the sooner you attack, the less creeper will have been released.
If you have enough energy, attack several caves at once.

I wish I had more time this week! 

Other tips from someone who was usually in last place for a while and now occasionally sees second or third place. 
1)  Make sure you upgrade the game software if you haven't.  I had started playing on a version that didn't have different speed controls...that makes a huge difference to play in slower mode.
2) It has helped me to never run at an energy deficit if I can help it.
3) play around with what tech upgrades work best in which situations.

Good luck...

I've completed the last map, good enough for a 4th place

Ha - I feel ashamed - I never updated!!!  thanks!   

Also thanks for the other tips... will see if I can improve some times/scores before the weekend is out...

Quote from: deety42 on September 27, 2012, 03:09:02 PMthat makes a huge difference to play in slower mode.

Guess its a matter of playstyle. I prefer to play in fast mode, with my hand on the pause button.

Thats the advice I forgot to give earlier, pause alot so that you have time to think. Remember you can build while paused.

I pause about every 2 to 10 seconds playing time :D still too lazy for micro-managing. And now I really don't have any more time to play (maybe when I'm out of school 40 minutes earlier).

Yikes!
Where did that score for #3 come from?

Time for the rest of us to re-think that one.
Nice score SC.

Most of the maps chosen for this week was chosen because they seemed to allow different tactics. One of the maps has a huge cavern you can fly into, one of the caverns has heavy upward-left gravity which also allows for some unusual tactics.

Map #3 has heavy drones, and heavy fields. Using the fields properly can allow you to squeeze in shields and subsequently a nullifier. Its hard though, because the dam drones keep banging my shields.

For comparison, iirc, I think I nullified the first emitter just before the 3 minute mark. It should still be possible to squeeze a better time in then mine, I didn't play as good as I could for the last 6 mins of that map.

Well, the wine challenge is kicking my butt - I guess the hints above aren't enough for me. Maybe next week.

Final scores for this weeks tournament.
Results Per Player


   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Rank	Name	Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest	Strongman (strength athlete)	International         Wine Challenge	The International Tchaikovsky Competition	StarCraft: Brood War professional competition 2	Total Score	Total Time
1	TheSmileyCoder	12852	11665	11559	11939	12710	60725	26:21
2	Helper	12869	11731	10925	11910	12718	60153	31:23
3	mopa42	12816	11627	10874	11953	12744	60014	32:26
4	dt42	12460	11458	10652	11738	11948	58256	44:40
5	J	12054	11411	10518	11866	12290	58139	47:17
6	UoADeadeye	11846	11105	8806	11700	11490	54947	82:33
7	inept_celt	11109	11208	9001	11680	11346	54344	86:42
8	Wheatmidge	12634	11593	10716			34943
9	ctuna		11574		11891		23465
10	Martin					12118	12118
11	FreeForTaking	10293					10293

Best scores in Bold.
Scores recorded at 2012-10-01 02:17:48 forum time.

Thank you for all the pressure you guys put into it. Makes it much more fun!

Since I also won last week this means its up to the runner up to host next weeks competetion. Congrats to Helper for some pretty nifty scores. He actually scored better then me on 3 of the 5 maps, but the big headstart I got on "Wine challenge" was too much to catch by being awesome on the other maps.

My bad - I thought the "Wine Challenge" included me knocking back a few glasses as I played (joke).

I beat on that thing several times and just couldn't get a decent start. The best I could do was take out that first Emitter in about 6:00.

You played that very well.

Let me putting my thinking cap on and figure out a new format for this week's tournament.

Well played to everyone - really nice participation.

Haha @ your joke.

I was actually quite impressed by most of your times, I don't think I would have been able to beat you this week, had it not been for the wine challenge.