I first posted this idea in this (url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/webboard/Forum67/HTML/000310.html")topic(/url), but it was kind of ignored (plus it wasn't really a bug). But as this board seems kind of dead, i'll put it back up here with it's own topic. I know feature requests probally won't do anything, but at least we can have some more discussion on this board (and it is a really cool idea, in my biased opinion).
After one reaches a certian point of skill, the pop pop AI no longer holds any real challange. The only way to play a good game is to find someone good on the tracker, which can be difficult sometimes. That is why i propose the pop pop time trial. Basicly, it would be a practice kind of game mode. You would not really be playing against an AI. Rather, you would be the only pop 'field' on the monitor (much like the existing target practice mode) and you would choose your basic game settings (number of bricks that fall each minute, number of specials activated on your screen each minute, precentage of hollow bricks returned as metal ones, the rate that the bricks fall, etc.) before the game. This would be better in some ways than the existing pop tournament game, because you can really customize the dificulty of your game, and it can be much harder than the AI is now because the computer does not have to figure out how to move the paddle about to send the bricks over, when to power up, how to dump massive amounts of bricks, etc. I know this would be a pretty big addition, but it would be good to see what others think...
I know it's kind of a long post, but what is thought of this? It seems easier than a 'learning' or 'evolving' pop pop AI.
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:) "why buy postage stamps when we can make our own?"
The Dead Milkmen, Swordfish