Attack From Mars v1.13 - Good for tournaments?

Games
1

I have an AFM running 1.13 code. The big change for tournament settings is that it doesn’t just award 50 million every time you hit stroke of luck. Has anyone used this in a tournament before? Any drawbacks? Here is the full rundown of stroke of luck awards on 1.13:

Added a non-random award system for tournament mode. Random awards are given out according to the following scenarios:

  1. If Video Mode is enabled (from starting super jets), then the award will be Video Mode.

  2. If Martian Attack is starting or running, then
    the award will be 1 Martian Bomb.

  3. If Strobe Multiball is enabled, then the award will
    be Strobe Multiball.

  4. If an Attack Wave is NOT running, then the award
    will be Start Attack Wave.

  5. If Martian Attack can be enabled, and Martian
    Multiball has NOT been earned, then the award will
    be Light Martian Attack.

  6. If a lock can be lit, then the award will be
    Light Lock.

  7. If NONE OF THE ABOVE can be given out, then the award will be 50 million.

1 Like
2

I don’t own an AFM, but have played this code rev many times in comps. I would use with confidence. It’s soooo much better than 50M every time.

9 Likes
3

I agree! But my tournament experience is much more limited and I believe I have only played AFM 2 other times in the 60+ events I have played and both were set to 50M.

4

They were probably running the 1.0 code. I think that’s what’s in the AFMr as well, unless something has changed lately.

5

The AFMr we use is 50 mil every time in tourney mode.

6

I suspect this change was inspired by @sir_tankalot playing AFM in competitions and getting annoyed at all the 50M awards. :smiley:

It’s a good tournament rule.

5 Likes
7

I don’t know why you wouldn’t use it.

There’s a couple other tweaks, too, from my remembery. Martians score 25M+5M now instead of 20M+10M and fixes 2nd+ video mode qualifying.

1 Like
8

It will be included in my tournaments. On a side note, the remakes can’t be upgraded to this version, so they are stuck on 50M.

9

no way to hack the rom files?

10

Don’t believe so. Not on the remakes.

11

In my experience, 1.13 is pretty standard to use in tournaments. Most people I know would consider it “fair”. The awards are predictable/controllable and it adds more interesting strategy to the game imo.

3 Likes
12

I agree. The 50M gets old fast. I made all the players aware of the version and provided them with all the scenarios.

13

Odd that Chicago Gaming didn’t use this version. It’s listed as ‘beta’ on ipdb. Planetary lists 1.1 as the latest rev. - none of the revision notes seem to indicate when the deterministic SOL awards were added. What do the remakes use? 1.0?

14

Remakes use 1.1.

15

1.13 is a “home ROM” that doesn’t support coin-op play, probably why CGC chose not to use that version.

16

1.13b is identical to 1.13 but supports coin-op play, AFAIK.

Back when they announced that they were remaking AFM but hadn’t released it, I asked CGC if they were planning on using 1.13b for the reasons stated here. They said no, but they could/might down the road. Clearly, that mothership has sailed.

3 Likes
17

and they did use the home rom in monster bash

18

This pissed me off also on the remakes so I’ve been working on it and I think I’ve worked out how to change the ROM on a remake, I just need to stop procrastinating and do it. Will have a go next weekend.

4 Likes
19

ok so I’ve done it, I’ve got an image to update the rom, can I just check that the ROM on ipdb.org for 1.13b is the right ROM?

I’ll have a go at updating this weekend and will record the process. worst case its $300 for a new board from PPS :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

Cross your fingers!

20

does it have an file system?
may want to backup the microSD card 1st.
the download file may be an full install