How do I beat him?

I'm probably going to feel really stupid once I get an answer, but how do I beat The Pen? The FAQs said I needed to hit him with a non-upgradable weapon, but all of them are upgradeable, so...

I managed to hurt him with a missile, but I can't aim well enough to hit him again. I got lucky that one time and now he just kills me. I think my Super Wave Gun hurt him once, but, again, I can't repeat that occurrence.

I'm fairly certain I need to hit the point when the cap comes off, but how do I do that without him spinning and obliterating me? Or just ramming me with the cap...

Well, you're right about the missiles, but it's just the missiles that deal out damage, so you'll just have to work at it. Good luck!

-K

This post has been edited by Kasofa1 : 13 September 2009 - 09:30 AM

Watch how he reacts to your movement. I usually just spin right along with him, and then hit the reverse thrusters to throw him off aim.

QUOTE (Kasofa1 @ Sep 13 2009, 07:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, you're right about the missiles, but it's just the missiles that deal out damage, so you'll just have to work at it. Good luck!

-K

So only missiles hurt him? Are you sure about that? I'm pretty sure I hurt him with the Super Wave Gun.

QUOTE (Odie @ Sep 13 2009, 09:30 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Watch how he reacts to your movement. I usually just spin right along with him, and then hit the reverse thrusters to throw him off aim.

Could you be a little more specific?

QUOTE (darthkev @ Sep 13 2009, 10:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So only missiles hurt him? Are you sure about that? I'm pretty sure I hurt him with the Super Wave Gun.

Yep, only missiles will work.

QUOTE (Odie @ Sep 13 2009, 10:30 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Watch how he reacts to your movement. I usually just spin right along with him, and then hit the reverse thrusters to throw him off aim.

Hmm...I'm about 99.9% certain that the pen doesn't react to your movement; the pen (including the removal of its cap) moves in a set pattern that you need to familiarize yourself with and become thoroughly accustomed to. I agree about flying in reverse; learning (and mastering) how to fly backwards just slightly ahead, as it were, of his movement is the method that I've found works best for me.

QUOTE (Lamkin @ Sep 13 2009, 03:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yep, only missiles will work.

Hmm...I'm about 99.9% certain that the pen doesn't react to your movement; the pen (including the removal of its cap) moves in a set pattern that you need to familiarize yourself with and become thoroughly accustomed to. I agree about flying in reverse; learning (and mastering) how to fly backwards just slightly ahead, as it were, of his movement is the method that I've found works best for me.

And I'm 100% sure that he does. Try this: Sit in the middle of the arena when he comes, and watch where he spins towards. Move to his left. Watch where he moves.

Also, when he is almost ready to fire, he turns 50 degrees (give or take a few) in your direction, and then loses his cap.

I fly forwards , not backwards. I follow him on the inside of his spin (not touching him, but staying as close as possible), and then I hit the reverse thrusters in preparation for his 50 degree turn-back.

QUOTE (Odie @ Sep 13 2009, 02:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And I'm 100% sure that he does. Try this: Sit in the middle of the arena when he comes, and watch where he spins towards. Move to his left. Watch where he moves.

Okay, so I'm wrong in that he will move towards you, but it's fairly clear that its general spin, as well as the timing of the removal of its cap, are set, changeless patterns, and my main point was that I'd advise becoming used to (and thus anticipating) those patterns.

QUOTE (Odie @ Sep 13 2009, 02:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Also, when he is almost ready to fire, he turns 50 degrees (give or take a few) in your direction, and then loses his cap.

Yeah, sometimes the pen will reverse the direction of its spin just a few degrees before it comes to a complete stop and removes its cap, and I assume this is what you're referring to; but that doesn't seem to correlate in any way with the movement of the player's ship (meaning, of course, that it doesn't move in your direction) because it's always a counterclockwise turn back, as it's normal spin is always clockwise. Also, it doesn't seem to have any definitive pattern to it regarding how often it occurs; it may happen two or three times in a row and then not happen for three or four times, so it seems pretty random to me.
And just so ya know, I don't at all mean to come off as sounding snooty or snotty.

This post has been edited by Lamkin : 13 September 2009 - 06:49 PM

Don't worry Lamkin, you're not sounding snooty.

Great suggestions, guys. I'll try them out and post the result here.

QUOTE (Odie @ Sep 13 2009, 02:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I fly forwards , not backwards. I follow him on the inside of his spin (not touching him, but staying as close as possible), and then I hit the reverse thrusters in preparation for his 50 degree turn-back.

Ah, I get you. I guess the reason why I fly backwards when dealing with the pen is because the player flies backwards more slowly (and thus more smoothly, if you will) than forwards, so it's slightly easier to precisely control the movement of the ship; it's easier to aim, too, when you're not moving quite as fast. Plus I've found that if I fly backwards when fighters are approaching, I can stay just out of their range so that they can't fire back at me.
Also, as a general tip for the End Zone, I almost always use missiles to destroy cuties because they're so fast and they seem to take a little longer to kill. And, I think the super homing gun is vastly superior to the super wave gun at that point.

Okay, I'll be quiet now.

(There's that damn emoticon again.)

This post has been edited by Lamkin : 13 September 2009 - 08:55 PM

QUOTE (Lamkin @ Sep 13 2009, 06:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ah, I get you. I guess the reason why I fly backwards when dealing with the pen is because the player flies backwards more slowly (and thus more smoothly, if you will) than forwards, so it's slightly easier to precisely control the movement of the ship; it's easier to aim, too, when you're not moving quite as fast. Plus I've found that if I fly backwards when fighters are approaching, I can stay just out of their range so that they can't fire back at me.
Also, as a general tip for the End Zone, I almost always use missiles to destroy cuties because they're so fast and they seem to take a little longer to kill. And, I think the super homing gun is vastly superior to the super wave gun at that point.

Okay, I'll be quiet now.

(There's that damn emoticon again.)

You might think the homing gun is better, but it's actually weaker; it does less damage. Plus, I find The Pen tends to try and surround you with beasties giving the homing gun too many objects to target. The wave gun will go through them and do major damage.

As for cuties, I think I may need to save my missiles for The Pen. Unless, of course, he gives you more when you run out...

I agree that the wave gun is more powerful. And yeah, it's obviously also capable of hitting multiple targets at once. It's just that in the End Zone all of the enemies need to be destroyed eventually if you want to have the best possible chance of defeating the pen, and the homing gun is, of course, almost guaranteed to constantly be hitting something at that close of a range, whereas there are occasions when you might not be hitting even one enemy with the wave gun.
I see your point, though, so if the wave gun works better for you then by all means use it instead. (Another thing I just remembered is that I don't ever get the super wave gun because it shaves about a minute off of my overall time, and I'm still trying to break into the top ten for the solo mission high scores.)

I also agree that it'd be best to save all of your missiles for the pen until you get better, which you will. Sure, a box might appear every once in a while which contains a missile, but that doesn't happen very often.
Anyway, it's very cool to see a new person around here. I look forward to playing your levels.
PS I'm also not usually this wordy. (Caffeine has that effect on me.)

This post has been edited by Lamkin : 14 September 2009 - 03:06 AM

Let me go do some tests on the pen. I'll be right back

Okay. Since you don't believe me, go fight the pen. When he gets close to the part where you think he spins counter-clockwise, across the front, and watch where the tip of the pen goes.

I always fly around in a circle shooting the super homing gun for the clone boss, and then switch to the super wave gun for the pen's evil creations. I think the "Boss 7" or pen script in the editor is my all-time favorite boss script, and yes, it definitely does target you. Sorry, darthkev, but I'm afraid Lamkin and Odie have already dished out all the advice I could give. Good luck!

Klublex

QUOTE (Odie @ Sep 14 2009, 09:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Okay. Since you don't believe me, go fight the pen. When he gets close to the part where you think he spins counter-clockwise, across the front, and watch where the tip of the pen goes.

After further review, it does seem like the cap of the pen might come off if you're close to it, which is to say that it may not always happen at a predetermined interval of, say, every four (or however many) seconds. But, other than that, it's really difficult for me say definitely whether or not it's aiming at you.
And yes, I could be dead wrong—I often am.
It'd be nice to have Lars weigh in on this, eh?

I'm pretty sure it is aiming at the player. However, it may not since it seems that Thomas Meinzen used The Pen's boss script for one of the bosses in his Intro Masterpieces. It's in the second intro level, the first boss you face. It has three poles that shoot out at you in a similar pattern to The Pen's cap. Thus, it would be hard to aim them all at you at the same time, so it may not aim.

To save everyone the trouble of looking through the add-on files page to find it, click here to download Meinzen's Intro Collection.

Oh, and, who's Lars?

And has anyone clicked on the link in my signature yet?

• Lars Gäfvert is the creator of the game.
• Thomas Meinzen is none other than our esteemed Klublex.
• I have signatures turned off (or whatever), so I can't see anything.

This post has been edited by Lamkin : 15 September 2009 - 02:09 AM

Sorry to derail the topic, but you can turn siggi's on , y'know.
I would test the Pen but I'm kinda busy trying to do school.
sorry

-K

It's alright Kasofa1, I don't mind getting off-topic once in a while.

Though, that still doesn't answer my last question...

** Edit:** I'VE DONE IT!!! I finally beat The Pen! Thanks, guys, so much for your strategies. That's what did it for me. Of course, it still took me three hours of game time to finish, but still...

This post has been edited by darthkev : 15 September 2009 - 12:40 PM

QUOTE (Kasofa1 @ Sep 15 2009, 11:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry to derail the topic, but you can turn siggi's on , y'know.

Yes, I know, but I prefer to have them off, so I was kind of teasing when I'd mentioned that I couldn't see them.

Anyway, congratulations to darthkev on finishing the game. (It took me way longer than you to finish it for the first time.)