Hi François,(posted 8752 days ago)Your post calls for a few remarks:
"The only thing we don't like is the endless repetition, not the fact we died more or less time than another player."
MKL: The repetiton (even just one!) is no doubt a major problem. But so is the fact that player dies more or less times because worse player gets more points as a result of his own mistakes. Of course, the latter problem is inherent not just to Ghouls but to any other game that does not have a life-bonus at the end. Therefore, the rules we are discussing here should be applied to all those games that have the same problem as Ghouls (I think they're an awful lot).
"I said DQ scores for repetition of the last stage (or not count the points for the repetitions), thats all."
MKL: OK, but the other problem I just pointed out would remain...
"If not, we must apply any other rule for all games without bonus for extra lives."
MKL: exactly.
"Also, I think its denaturing scoring system to add (or remove) points for Extra lives or deaths."
MKL: The truth is that the games without life-bonus are not suitable for hi-score purposes. To make them suitable we have to make ad hoc rules.
"Finally, why we don't use this rule : 1 life and only one by credit without repetition of the last stage. Or only the 3 starting lifes ?"
MKL: This would not do, as very few people can finish the game on one life (or three for that matter)... it would become an elitist game and most players would be discouraged from playing it.
A real alternative is this: points from repetition are not counted and only actual points count, without any sort of bonus. In order to get maximum points best players will have to die on purpose in some strategic areas. It goes without saying that best players will finish the game on their *last* life, because they will have wasted all the other ones to get more points. This strategy does require skill, that's why this proposal should be taken into account. Of course, this holds for all other games without a life-bonus at the end... The game-finished-with-one-life attitude has no longer reason to exist for such games. Sadly...