A puzzling little blog still looking for its voice, but sometimes gets lost and has trouble finding its way.
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Need More Candy
When I start a new computer game, I prefer to have as much information on it as possible before I begin playing it. Frequently, especially nowadays, that is not always possible. Let's take Candy Crush Saga. I barely knew anything about it before I started playing. I could see that there were six colors/shapes of candy pieces that I had to line up in rows of three or more to clear them off the field. It took me a few tries before I realized that I had only x number of moves to accomplish the goal for a level (such as getting a minimal score, destroying certain blocks, moving special pieces to the bottom, or setting up combinations of matches), and even more before I noticed that I was being compared to all my friends who were playing as well. Still, I got into the hang of it. Now, I frequently set up strings of multiple wins so I can get special bonus pieces at the start of each level. I get more bonus pieces through gameplay, as rewards for winning, or via purchase (although I have never tried). This is especially necessary when facing a new level with many obstacles. As the game has gone on, many of the challenges have gotten harder, and I sometimes have to start a string of wins over. I use a friendly loophole in the game to do so. I replay easier levels to start a new string. Players are actually encouraged to replay levels as a means to get bonus pieces that can be traded n for rewards. My favorite levels to replay are the timed ones. Unlike regular levels, instead of having a certain number of moves, you have unlimited moves, but only a limited amount of time to get a minimal score. Initially, these levels last from one-and-a-half to two minutes long, with extensions of five seconds for each special piece cleared. Usually, these levels only have four or five types of candy on them, making it easier to make chain reactions of multiple lines. Very high scores are possible. My favorite one was Level 27. It has few obstacles, and they are easily cleared and not really in the way. Once, when I really wasn't paying attention to the time, I managed to score over 900,000 points on it, easily taking the high score among my friends. I have no idea how I did it. Whenever I needed to refresh my winning streak, I always try to include this level. However, I have a new favorite, Level 252. When you first arrive, it is swarming with obstacle blocks and only a few pieces of candy. Having at least one special piece on the board at the start is a must if you want to get a minimum score to clear it. However, if you use multiple special pieces at the start, it is much easier. All of the blocking pieces usually get removed in under thirty seconds this way. Then the fun begins. For some reason, it is very easy to set up a cascade of chain reaction matches on this level. I am lucky if I can set up more than five on most levels and maybe up to twenty on most timed levels. Here, I can easily rack up thirty or even fifty from just one move. I have even been able to get past ninety on occasion. My first time through, I thought that my score of over one million would have been good. It didn't make the top three. I have since gotten over five million points on the level, with the top score among my friends at over twelve million! I actually have to find a way to stop playing that level, just to get the rest of my work (and playing time) done. It has gotten a little sad lately, as I have started to outpace many of my friends. Only about half of them have made to the point I am currently at. I have tried a few new games lately, but many are just lower rate clones. Same rules, different window setting, and many of them are not on the same level of quality. I really need something new, or at least something a little different.
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