From tarot@netvigator.com Tue Aug 25 02:53:45 1998
From: tarot@netvigator.com (Alan Kwan)
Newsgroups: rec.games.video.sega
Subject: Guardian Force: getting high scores
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1998 18:53:45 GMT
Organization: Netvigator
Lines: 43
Message-ID: <35e1afde.60031@news.netvigator.com>

The scoring system in Guardian Force is not as wonderful
as that in Cotton 2, but there is nevertheless some substance.
Upon the completion of stage A, one's score can range from 1M to 2M;
there can be quite some difference.

Most of the score comes from the badges.  If an enemy is reduced to a
disarmed chassis, a badge will appear when you blow up the chassis.
The score value of the next appearing badge (SVNAP) starts at 100.
When you pick up a badge of which score value is equal to the SVNAP,
the SVNAP is doubled, up to 12800.  Thus, ideally, it is best to pick
up a badge before making the next one appear.  A badge vanishes some
time after its appearance, and the SVNAP resets to 100 when the player
fails to pick up a badge before it vanishes or scrolls off the screen.
It does not reset if a badge is not made to appear.  Sometimes, when
the badge would appear at a place where it is dangerous or
inconvenient to go and pick it up, it is best to leave the chassis
alone (perhaps temporarily) after disarming the enemy.

Sometimes a time countdown appears when fighting a mid-boss.
The countdown is worth a lot of points: 100 points per 1/100 second
(thus 10k points per second).  It may be worth using the special
weapon (bomb) to get more of these points.  Also, destroying the
mid-boss before time runs out gives you a force crystal.

Some bosses and mid-bosses have parts; the parts are worth points.
Some parts of the bosses are worth a lot of points.  For example, the
center main cannon of the practice stage boss is worth 50k.  Also, 
one gets some points for shooting at a boss or mid-boss when it
is approaching, before it becomes vulnerable to damage.

A turret change item appears as one of the 5 colors (depending on the
specific enemy from which it appears), cycles through the 5 colors
once, turns black, then vanishes.  Getting a change item of the same
color as the one you're using gives you 5k points; getting it when it
is black gives you 10-50 k points.