Touhou Despair Thread - Endless 8

[Erppo]

How the hell I fail so hard on PCB Normal when I make it all the way to Ultimate Buddhist in Extra thanks to the awesomeness that is Reimu A?
...
By the way, what`s the easiest and most efficent way to dodge Princess Tenko -Illusion-?

Not using ReimuA. That card gets pretty tricky with low powered shot types that can't end it before it gets too fast. Other than that, just seek to dodge as many waves as possible by waiting for Ran to teleport on top of you and then moving straight down for maximum damage output. When you need to direct her back up, try to stay on top of her as long as you dare.

PCB's Extra was the first one I cleared and I remember how much I struggled with it. I did many many attempts with SakuyaA, thinking that the homing would make it easy but just couldn't do it. Then I decided to try SakuyaB and cleared the whole stage on my first try. I just checked how ReimuA works in that stage and seriously, all attacks take freaking forever to finish (I did capture Unilateral Contact and Izuna Gongen though).

[MTSranger]

That card gets pretty tricky with low powered shot types that can't end it before it gets too fast.

I time it out all the time. It's seriously loleasy.
semi-related note: decided to play Ran... epic fail...
died in her opening, her first spell, and then tackled her right after when auto-collecting
Then no death the until the survival, and game overed by ramming my face into bullets.

[Critz]

The thing is: without homing cards like Banquet of 12 General Gods turn into survivals for me, as I can`t really keep myself in line with Ran when I`m barely surviving/bombspamming. Just watch how chaotic my movements are on Princess Tenko. With other shottype, I would never finish this spellcard. Same with Soaring Guardian God. Plus with Reimu A I manage to deathbomb sometimes. Her focus speed is just perfect for me and her bomb lasts longer than Evil Sealing Circle/Duplex Barrier and still clears most of the bullets, and does some damage too.
Sakuya A is too fast on focus to me, her homing is worse. No deathbomb for me too, so I use all of her 4 bombs way too fast.

Here`s my best attempt so far:
http://replays.gensokyou.org/download.php?id=9401

[MTSranger]

You should post your questions/difficulties in the spell card help thread if you really need help.
But anyways, I watched your replay, and...

1. Seriously get more point items ! You are letting them drop like leaves. You should get the 200 point extend during the stage and the 500 point extend somewhere in Ran. You will really need them.
2. Reimu A is seriously really really crippling. Try Reimu B or Sakuya for god sake.
3. Don't rely on death bomb; plan your bombs and border breaks to maximize free shooting time and clear bullets.

Soaring Guardian God
Follow Chen and macrododge all the bullets. You only have to micrododge one or two waves.
I recommend watch a replay to really understand how Chen moves.

Banquet of 12 General Gods
Don't worry about the position of Ran. Just DODGE as best as you can. Watch a video or replay for strategies.
It looks really really scary, but the bullets are slow enough for you to micrododge.

Charming Siege from All Sides
Learn the hitbox of the bubbles and aggressively move through them to avoid walls.
Don't let the bullets come to you or you get walled.

Princess Tenko
If you can't stay under Ran, there is a much easier path to time it out than your chaotic movements.
Basically, misdirect the aimed shot so that it's not straight down or up.
Then, unfocus and move vertically through the straight part of the ring. Repeat until time is out.

Ultimate Buddhist
It's really easy once you get it. Listen for the sound and circle close to Ran when the red laser activates.
Exit the red lasers and move to bottom center when you hear the sound again.

[Arcengal]

Using Reimu A simplifies the Extra Stage, but it makes Ran ridiculous in some ways. I haven't played as anyone other Reimu B for ages, so I did a run just there. Some of her cards actually become harder because they take *forever* to clear, two of them being the ones you mentioned as being easier (Banquet and Princess Tenko), and Chen's midboss spell easily took twice as long as it would be with Reimu B. Genuinely the only card it helped with was Descent of Izuna, and I still had to bomb that when what I thought was a safespot turned out to be a death trap during the blue wave.

Replay here: http://replays.gensokyou.org/download.php?id=9402

Ignore the stage, didn't get as many borders as I expected so bombed to get point items instead. Ran shows how to do most spells except Charming Siege (I suck at Charming Siege). Note that the unilateral contract technique I use sometimes just doesn't work; have your finger on the bomb button.

[Erppo]

That replay looks so familiar. If you look at Ran's movements in General Gods in that replay you'll see that she's actually following you when you move to the right. I'm pretty sure you would have cleared the card quicker with ReimuA. Also you should notice that bomb time and damage are not much of an issue in Extra, because the boss is invulnerable to bombs during spell cards.

Some other pointers:
- You should move to the middle in Soaring Guardian God when Chen is going around in a big circle. None of the small bullets will reach you there. That card is pretty confusing at first but it becomes pretty easy when you learn a good movement pattern for it.
- In Fox-Tanuki Youkai Laser, streaming slowly to one side will just get you cornered. You should rather alternate directing the blasts left and right. Leave some space between two blasts so you don't get tangled in the previous one while dodging the next.

I attached the replay of my first ever clear of the stage in case you're interested. When I did that I couldn't even 1cc normal without increasing the starting lives so at least it shows how I dealt with most of the stuff without any real dodging skill.

[Critz]

That way to dodge Soaring Guardian God seems pretty crazy to me, but I`ll try it. Why the hell didn`t I think about misdirecting on Princess Tenko >_> *slaps self*. Now I`m afraid that I`ll die horribly once I reach Unilateral Contact...but I can`t be too greedy. I just want to once reach the hell that is Kokkuri-san's Contract. Thanks for your help. I`ll play some more once I get some sleep. G`night.

[theshirn]

Formless points out some cards that i can agree are considerably more difficult than Genetics and Suwa War. I don't really fear any of them but they are certainly tough by EX standard.

You think Froggy Braves the Elements is harder than Suwa War?  And Rorschach is harder than Genetics?

I have no idea what the hell you're talking about anymore.

Also

FIVE DEATHS WITH FULL POWER

GOD

DAMN

IT

[Zengeku]

You think Froggy Braves the Elements is harder than Suwa War?  And Rorschach is harder than Genetics?

I have no idea what the hell you're talking about anymore.

Lets get one thing straight. I don't think either Genetics or Rorschach is hard at all but Rorschach provides much smaller gaps.

As for Froggy and Suwa War: They aren't really that threatening. Suwa War might be a harder can than Froggy but if what you care about is survival then its easier to know when to bomb at Suwa War than it is as Froggy.

Then again, i sometimes mess up Suwa War but i'm consistent at Froggy so you might be right there.

[Iryan]

asdgfasdghjk

Not only am I playing much much worse than 3 months ago, failing deatbombs with border team (!!!), but my best IN lunatic try yesterday and my best IN lunatic try today ended at the exact same spot. No, that is not right...

Both times I game over'd at the exact same bullet! (large fairy at the very beginning of stage 5, going up after killing it and getting hit by the exact same stray bullet)

 :colonveeplusalpha:

[Elric of Grans]

*smugly*
I have been playing for around six or seven years now, and I have still not managed to complete Embodiment of Scarlet Devil!

Actually, my record is mostly quite consistent (almost all games played on Easy Mode):

Highly Responsive to Prayers - Stage 2.
Story of Eastern Wonderland - Stage 3 (Boss).
Phantasmagoria of Dim.Dream - clear (x1).
Lotus Land Story - Stage 5 (Mid-Boss).
Mystic Square - Stage 4 (Boss).
Embodiment of Scarlet Devil - Stage 5 (Boss) [only game I play on Normal and the one I have played the most].
Perfect Cherry Blossom - Stage 5 (Boss).
Immaterial and Missing Power - clear (x2).
Imperishable Night - clear (x4).
Phantasmagoria of Flower View - clear (x many).
Shoot the Bullet - Stage 6 (partly done).
Mountain of Faith - Stage 4 (Boss) [not played much].
Scarlet Weather Rhapsody - barely played [struggles to run on my old laptop].
Subterranean Animism - Stage 4 (Boss) [not played much].
Undefined Fantastic Object - Stage 5 (Boss) [largely thanks to my old laptop slowing down under heavy fire].

I have not played Touhou Hisoutensoku at all, and not (yet) bought Double Spoiler.  I almost always play Lasermari.

[ark]

arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghhhhhhhhh

[Sen]

Gave the EoSD Lunatic 1cc another try today. I got up to Patchy again, felt pretty good about myself, unlike I usually am when facing MarisaA!Patchy.

Right as I was about to capture Sylphae Horn High Level for the first time ever, a fly buzzed in my ear and I freaked out and started spazzing around and took a bullet to the face. That shattered my confidence for the rest of the run, and I game overed before even reaching midboss Sakuya

[Zengeku]

*smugly*
I have been playing for around six or seven years now, and I have still not managed to complete Embodiment of Scarlet Devil!

Actually, my record is mostly quite consistent (almost all games played on Easy Mode):

And you have played for six or seven years?  :/

[GuyonFire]

I'm out of practice after a month or so.

I...I can't 1cc IN anymore.  I used to have no problem with it...

[CK Crash]

*smugly*
I have been playing for around six or seven years now, and I have still not managed to complete Embodiment of Scarlet Devil!

Actually, my record is mostly quite consistent (almost all games played on Easy Mode):

you see kids, this is why you should start trying normal/hard mode early, or you'll end up using stage bosses as markers of your skill rather than difficult levels  :ohdear:

but yeah, even if you have no dodging skill whatsoever you should try 1CCing by memorizing places to bomb (aside from the non-shooters and SA :V)

[Turtlesaur]

but yeah, even if you have no dodging skill whatsoever you should try 1CCing by memorizing places to bomb (aside from the non-shooters and SA :V)

Actually I'd say SA is the easiest on Easy out of the later games. SA Easy is toned down so much that it makes MoF look hard and most importantly, it doesn't have the pure cement wall known as VoWG at the end.

I used to recommend MoF because everyone else did, but seriously, take a look at easy Stage 5 & 6 and ask yourself if you think you could do that without knowledge of the hitboxes. Then look at SA's and note that even on the hard cards, there's usually at least gaps you can fit your entire sprite in, even if there are more bullets.

I still consider 6-8 better to begin with due to the amount of resources they throw at you, but SA Easy really isn't the brutal game that SA Lunatic is.

[Formless God]

Eeeh seeing as I failed SA Easy right after getting my first UFO Normal 1cc, I wouldn't recommend it.
Now how is SA Lunatic brutal ?

[ebarrett]

Now how is SA Lunatic brutal ?

Mostly Orin, and the "discomfort zone" caused by the different engine. People who started with EoSD/PCB/IN struggle a lot more than usual with MoF/SA/UFO, and vice-versa.

[ふねん1]

Eeeh seeing as I failed SA Easy right after getting my first UFO Normal 1cc, I wouldn't recommend it.

Well, that's just you. I 1cc'd SA Easy the day after I started Touhou, so it's certainly possible.

[CK Crash]

Well I find it hard from a survival perspective, rather than the danmaku itself.. The bombs barely affect the bosses, and leave you weaker against subsequent attacks. Lives can only be gotten by not dying. In general, it plays more like a huge extra stage than the other games. I still struggle to beat it on Normal, even though I've cleared MoF Lunatic.

[Naut]

Shit. Failed at least four spells I usually capture, too. Reimu A. Worst parts of this image are the non-black stars.

[Turtlesaur]

Eeeh seeing as I failed SA Easy right after getting my first UFO Normal 1cc, I wouldn't recommend it.
Now how is SA Lunatic brutal ?

That's funny, I wasn't able to 1CC UFO Normal until after 1CC'ing pretty much everything else on Hard. SA was the only Easy 1CC I got on my first try too. Meanwhile, I still can't 1CC UFO Normal reliably and my UFO Hard runs tend to have some serious creditfeeding in them.

I don't actually consider SA Lunatic all that brutal, it's just that it takes a lot of practice to get through Recollection & Orin without losing all of your lives. Once you get that down, it's almost a free 1CC when compared to UFO (and dare I say it, MoF). Still haven't done it but it's closer than the others with less time invested.

As for the despair part... yeah I'm terrible at IN Hard too. Keine & Marisa should've swapped places with Eirin & Kaguya, seriously.

[Chronojet ⚙ Dragon]

No fair, ZUN. Why does Lunatic keep getting harder with each game!?

[Drake]

So players don't wipe the game in a week then get bored of it.

[Zengeku]

No fair, ZUN. Why does Lunatic keep getting harder with each game!?

They doesn't always. PoDD -> LLS.
EosD -> PCB
IN -> MoF

Sometimes the lunatic modes are easier than their previous installments.

[Sen]

Really? I think EoSD is the easiest Lunatic to 1cc :/

Well, in the Windows series at least.

[Iryan]

Really? I think EoSD is the easiest Lunatic to 1cc :/

MoF would like to say hi, but it can't because I bombed it to death.  :derp:

[Bananamatic]

tbh UFO lunatic isn't that hard either as long as you memorize a UFO route(and st3)
many people here can 1cc it, but it takes way too much effort outside of dodging

[ebarrett]

I suck at shmups

That sums up the last two days, I guess

 :fail: