Author Topic: Snaking (Read 11460 times)

Shinji Ikari · « **on:** July 14, 2006, 06:28:58 AM »

I'm an okay snaker. I can beat newbs pretty badly, but I get my butt handed to 3-stars.

Dark_Shark · « **Reply #1 on:** July 14, 2006, 08:54:50 AM »

Yes.I snake.

Vidgmchtr · « **Reply #2 on:** July 14, 2006, 03:28:56 PM »

I do not snake, simply because I'm too lazy to master such a technique. I know it's not cheating, but I do quit out of a game if people snake because I would like SOME chance of winning. That, and the friction from the clicky DS D-pad hurts my thumb after multiple speed boosts.

bobman37 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 14, 2006, 04:21:32 PM »

I would vote for the option of "Yes, but only against other snakers."

SolidShroom · « **Reply #4 on:** July 14, 2006, 04:22:29 PM »

That's what I do too.

Ultima_Blade · « **Reply #5 on:** July 14, 2006, 06:04:51 PM »

question, what is snaking?

Markio · « **Reply #6 on:** July 15, 2006, 10:28:35 AM »

It is the technique in Mario Kart DS in which players turbo-slide on straight tracks back and forth, which if done correctly is faster than traveling in a straight line.

Nimoshi · « **Reply #7 on:** July 15, 2006, 09:17:40 PM »

I do, but only lazily. I will only pick up the pace if they are catching up to me.

BP · « **Reply #8 on:** July 15, 2006, 10:47:18 PM »

I do in time trials and would if I were playing against a person. It's not cheating--it's a skill. If you're tired of losing because your opponent snakes, learn to snake. It's like a sport. If you want to be better, master your opponent's technique. To cheat would be to use a Gameshark to get infinite Stars.

Vidgmchtr · « **Reply #9 on:** July 16, 2006, 12:21:32 AM »

Or, do the lazy thing and quit out of the game and search again to find people who haven't mastered the technique/don't know what it is/how to do it. :D

Cheating? No. Giving racers a way to be laps ahead of unskilled racers who want even a small chance of winning? Yes.

Hirocon · « **Reply #10 on:** July 16, 2006, 10:04:37 AM »

I snake, and I don't think it's cheating, but I do wish that snaking were not part of the game. I don't see the point of including it in the game. It's a rather random skill which doesn't model any actual physics. I'm also tired of its quasi-legal status. I'd prefer if snaking were done away with all together, but if it has to be in the game, it should be an actual part of the game, not a "hidden" technique. They should mention and encourage snaking in the manual, the AI should snake on higher difficulty levels, and the staff ghosts should snake.

BP · « **Reply #11 on:** July 16, 2006, 01:39:43 PM »

What WOULD be considered cheating is turning off your DS right when you're about to lose a match in order to keep your loss record low. How could one be more of a poor sport?

Hirocon · « **Reply #12 on:** July 16, 2006, 02:26:35 PM »

If you disconnect it counts as one or more losses for you and a win for your opponent(s), so disconnecting isn't cheating. In fact it can be a time saver. If you are playing 1v1 against an opponent who wins the first three races, then you have no possible way of winning the tournament (unless your opponent disconnents) so you can save time by disconnecting. It's sort of like resigning in a game of chess when you see that your opponent has a forced win.

bobman37 · « **Reply #13 on:** July 16, 2006, 10:54:05 PM »

Er...

Let's say you're racing against three other people, and you disconnect at the beginning of the first race. You get three losses, because that's how many people you "lost" to, or were racing against when you disconnected. The other three people, however, are unaffected, other than the fact that there is one less person racing.

Now let's say you're racing 1v1 with someone, and you quit right before the end of the 4th race. You had lost all 3 races beforehand. You get a loss, because you "lost" to the guy you were racing against, but the guy you were racing doesn't get a win because he didn't go to the end screen that say "Congratulations you win!" I know, it's messed up, but that's the way the cookie crumbles, so to speak. Other games work may work differently.

Hirocon · « **Reply #14 on:** July 16, 2006, 11:15:19 PM »

Really? I thought you got a win if one of your opponents disconnected, but I could be wrong. Are you reporting from personal experience, or do you have a source somewhere? The win/loss system is very poorly designed if you don't get a win when your opponent disconnects...

BP · « **Reply #15 on:** July 17, 2006, 12:00:50 AM »

Aah. I've... never successfully done a Wifi match, so... that's why. but it WOULD be cheating, while snaking is good use of game elements.

bobman37 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 17, 2006, 08:36:27 PM »

Quote from: Hirocon on July 16, 2006, 11:15:19 PM

Really? I thought you got a win if one of your opponents disconnected, but I could be wrong. Are you reporting from personal experience, or do you have a source somewhere? The win/loss system is very poorly designed if you don't get a win when your opponent disconnects...

Yeah, it's from experience. Try it: Before a wifi race, look at your win-loss record and write it down somewhere. Then, play online, and after each race, go check your win-loss again and write it down again. Keep doing so until you run into a race where someone disconnects (shouldn't take long), then keep track of how many people are left, if you beat them or not, etc. It should only give you a win for each of the remaining racers, assuming you beat them. Yes, I agree, the win-loss system in that game is poorly designed, and I like the Tetris DS system more: If you disconnect in that game, you automatically lose, causing your online score to drop as if you had actually lost, and if you are playing against three other people, you get last place even if you were fighting against the last person, and the people you were playing against are treated as if they had beat you. Sorry if that was confusing.

Hirocon · « **Reply #17 on:** July 22, 2006, 05:50:27 PM »

I just tried this out myself and it looks like you're wrong. My record before a match was 41:28. I raced three opponents. One disconnected after the first race. I won the match. My record after the match was 44:28. So, it looks like I got a win for the opponent who disconnected.

Spüne · « **Reply #18 on:** July 29, 2006, 10:07:54 AM »

I don't snake. I know how to, but try not to. It's because I beat people without doing it normally, but that isn't important. I play it for fun, and don't sweat over not winning. I just play because I want to have a nice little round of Mairo Kart, and I don't take it too seriously. Also, why do people bother switching their games off if they loose, sometimes, mid game. It is just such a wicked thing to do. :D

-FoxMcCloud- · « **Reply #19 on:** July 29, 2006, 10:33:20 AM »

The question of whether snaking is cheating was put to Nintendo Power a few months ago. Their answer says it all.

Quote from: Nintendo Power issue #202

For those of you who don't know, "snaking" is drifting back and forth down a straightaway to get a constant speed boost. Since you can do it without altering the game in any way, we wouldn't consider it cheating. That said, most of us think the technique is kind of lame and goes against what the developers originally intended.

Vidgmchtr · « **Reply #20 on:** July 29, 2006, 05:33:12 PM »

Quote from: Spüne on July 29, 2006, 10:07:54 AM

Also, why do people bother switching their games off if they loose, sometimes, mid game. It is just such a wicked thing to do. :D

I do that only if there are snakers, and that's due to the fact that I would like SOME chance of winning.

Suffix · « **Reply #21 on:** July 29, 2006, 06:52:21 PM »

Cheep-cheep! For the honor of battle, I must not disconnect!

In all honesty, I have never disconnected via the power button. Just like in chess, I figure that losing makes you better.

bobman37 · « **Reply #22 on:** July 29, 2006, 06:57:54 PM »

I have disconnected via power button maybe twice. First time was when I had my very first race online, and I thought there was only one race, not four, and I was done playing so I turned it off. Oops.

Second time was actually in Tetris DS, when my friends came over unexpectedly and I couldn't be like "OK yeah hang on wait till I finish this", although now that I think about it I probably should have just lost on purpose and then ended the game. Not that it would have made any difference... My disconnection still benefitted the opponents.

Markio · « **Reply #23 on:** July 29, 2006, 07:27:01 PM »

I kinda agree with Suffix. Whatever doesn't kill me makes me stranger.

Suffix · « **Reply #24 on:** July 29, 2006, 09:31:05 PM »

...An analogy that might not work in Metroid Prime Hunters... (I have an honorable reputation in that as well)

While I'm at it, I might as well mention that while I say "via the power button," I have not purposefully disconnected. Saying "via the power button" leaves space for, say, disconnecting the internet.

bobman37 · « **Reply #25 on:** July 29, 2006, 11:01:31 PM »

Quote from: Markio on July 29, 2006, 07:27:01 PM

I kinda agree with Suffix. Whatever doesn't kill me makes me stranger.

Er.... I hope you mean stronger, because otherwise that's a weird motto.

BP · « **Reply #26 on:** July 30, 2006, 03:52:51 AM »

Quote from: -FoxMcCloud- on July 29, 2006, 10:33:20 AM

The question of whether snaking is cheating was put to Nintendo Power a few months ago. Their answer says it all.

"What the developers origianlly intended," huh? They intend on having us depend on items. That's no fun, depending on auto-targeting weapons to win.

Markio, you couldn't BE any stranger.

Markio · « **Reply #27 on:** July 30, 2006, 10:11:52 AM »

No one catches the reference...

-FoxMcCloud- · « **Reply #28 on:** July 30, 2006, 05:12:23 PM »

Hey, that's not me talking, it's NP. Plus, "what the developers intended" is usually how the game should be played. I can't really talk, because I don't even own MKDS, let alone play it enough to learn how to snake.

Vidgmchtr · « **Reply #29 on:** July 30, 2006, 07:30:33 PM »

Well, I won't disconnect from MPH or Tetris DS, mainly because there aren't strategies like snaking in those games. :P

coolkid · « **Reply #30 on:** July 30, 2006, 08:46:37 PM »

It's the only way I drift.

bobman37 · « **Reply #31 on:** July 31, 2006, 09:36:03 PM »

Quote from: Hirocon on July 22, 2006, 05:50:27 PM

I just tried this out myself and it looks like you're wrong. My record before a match was 41:28. I raced three opponents. One disconnected after the first race. I won the match. My record after the match was 44:28. So, it looks like I got a win for the opponent who disconnected.

I raced a couple times, and got varying results. Here is my theory, which I believe to be true:

SCENARIO ONE

I checked my win/loss record. It was 199:44. I raced against three other people. During the race, one person disconnected. We finished all four races and got to the screen that says "Congratulations you win!" (I won.) I checked my win/loss afterward: 202:44.

SCENARIO TWO

I checked my win/loss. 202:44. I raced three people. In the first race, everyone disconnected. The screen came up that said "Your opponent has disconnected blah blah blah press A." I checked my win/loss. 202/44.

CONCLUSION

You only get credit for the disconnections when you reach the final page after the fourth race. If everyone disconnects beforehand, no wins for you.

BP · « **Reply #32 on:** August 01, 2006, 12:01:49 AM »

I love how the last two options are the same as voting the second.

Hirocon · « **Reply #33 on:** August 01, 2006, 12:24:34 AM »

Thanks for the info bobman. This rases the question... does disconnecting still count as a loss for you if your opponent(s) never get to the match ending screen?

Kirby (cheat wizard) · « **Reply #34 on:** August 01, 2006, 03:32:52 AM »

I said it was cheating. but it isn't really it's just a tactic that people that suck at Mario Kart use to be good.
All non-snaking matches I've had I won 7 vs 44......

bobman37 · « **Reply #35 on:** August 01, 2006, 05:37:54 PM »

Quote from: Hirocon on August 01, 2006, 12:24:34 AM

Thanks for the info bobman. This rases the question... does disconnecting still count as a loss for you if your opponent(s) never get to the match ending screen?

Hm. Good question. Too bad I can't think of an effective way to test it.

BP · « **Reply #36 on:** August 02, 2006, 12:09:00 AM »

Quote from: Kirby (cheat wizard) on August 01, 2006, 03:32:52 AM

it's just a tactic that people that suck at Mario Kart use to be good.

Somebody who sucks at Mario Kart can pull off power slides every inch of the road? Define being good without snaking. Picking a good character/kart combo? Getting good items? Praying that your opponent bumps into obstacles?

Lizard Dude · « **Reply #37 on:** September 27, 2007, 09:36:55 PM »

I was reading a hard copy of Sirlin's excellent book, Playing to Win, when this section turned my thoughts to snaking.

N64 Chick · « **Reply #38 on:** September 27, 2007, 09:54:22 PM »

I haven't had a whole lot of experience with MKDS, but I have snaked on Figure-8 Circuit in time trial. I might have tried snaking on SNES Koopa Beach 2, but I don't remember. It's my boyfriend's cart, not mine.

Kimimaru · « **Reply #39 on:** September 29, 2007, 02:46:04 PM »

I find one problem with this poll. Snaking IS NOT cheating. It is simply a technique used in the game. It's not really anything different than using a lot of mini-turbos constantly. I do it most of the time though. I know real cheating. People send others to Pipe Plaza (The pipe stage in battle) with an action replay, and wait until they disconnect so they can get losses. Anyway, about the disconnect win/loss thing. I was racing some people and they disconnect after the first race, making it the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th race. I check my record and I have 3 more wins. The strange part is that this doesn't happen all the time. Sometimes I get wins after they disconnect on the 2nd/3rd/4th race, and sometimes it just becomes a waste of time and I don't get anything.

ShadowBrain · « **Reply #40 on:** September 29, 2007, 05:55:01 PM »

I never play online, so I don't really have any reason to. Actually, I may do it sometimes in Ghost races, but I'm probably not doing it RIGHT...

BP · « **Reply #41 on:** September 29, 2007, 06:09:33 PM »

It's not complicated. You just power slide back and forth to keep a constantly high speed. It's actually very easy. Actually, it's impossible for one to not be able to learn how to do it. Actually, I bet most of the people who label it cheating just don't know what the term means and could/would do it if they thought of it.
CHEATING

Going against the rules of play
Using an external device to manipulate the game

Snaking goes under neither of these. Anyone can snake. Seriously. It might be a bit tough to get the hang of it and to learn how to do it effectively, but EVERYTHING is like that. If you can't it's your own fault. Besides, even a snaker can lose to a scrub thanks to blue shells.

bobman37 · « **Reply #42 on:** September 30, 2007, 12:15:48 PM »

To no one in particular:

Snaking is not cheating, for every reason Bird Person and other people in this thread has stated.

Your lack of snaking knowledge is merely due to your gaming n00bness and inability or unwillingness to learn how to play the game better.

If you are complaining about snaking being cheating, it's only because you don't know how to snake, and I find it hard to respect you as a gamer.

Poll

Do you snake?

Author Topic: Snaking (Read 11460 times)