Scoring could be as straightforward as awarding a fixed number of points for each target destroyed. Or maybe a different fixed number of points for different kinds of targets. Simple. If this were a game played in real life, that’s probably how it would work. But in the virtual world of Banjax we have the opportunity to apply a little more finesse… we can award higher points for more skilled shots, and make the score more meaningful. This helps encourage players to hone their abilities and climb the leaderboards.
What defines a really skilled shot? Mostly, I’d say distance. Do we measure how far the disc traveled before hitting the target? Well, that fails to take into account the on-rails motion of the game. The design of each level controls the player’s speed—gently speeding up or slowing down as part of the level’s design. This is used to accentuate intense moments or allow for more relaxed parts of the “story” each level tells. Should you really get more points because the game was moving you faster? Considering you’re not really doing any running, that doesn’t seem quite right.
So, the game measures how far you were from the target when you threw the disc. Then it adjusts the distance to account for how much the player’s velocity contributed to the speed of the disc. Taking more time to prepare your shot is going to cost you points. Based on that distance calculation, you’ll score between 400 and 800 points for shattering each gem.
This also opens up a weird strategy. Say you haven’t hit a target until it’s gone right past you… then you turn around. The further you get from it, the longer that distance, the more points you can get for hitting it. Now, taking your time with that shot makes a hit more valuable. Of course, you risk it getting too far away to hit at all! Not to mention you won’t see any obstacles along the way as you run backwards!
Things get a little more complicated when explosives are involved. The area effect of an explosion is extremely helpful, but relying on it should have some penalty. The distance from the center of the explosion to the target can reduce your final points by up to 20%. A direct hit is a direct hit and full points are awarded.
There’s another layer of complication. More advanced players can activate an option to enable banking. (That’s currently tucked away in the settings panel of the main menu.) Normally, the disc flies straight in the direction it was thrown. With this option enabled, if you throw the disc on an angle, it’ll fly a curved path through the air. Disc golfers call this “hyzer” or “anhyzer.” With the left side of the disc angled down, it’ll curve left—that’s a Hyzer. Tilt the right side of the disc down and it’ll curve to the right—Anhyzer.
So this introduces another level of skill. It opens up the chance to send a disc curving around a pillar or tree to strike a target that’s obstructed from view. So satisfying when that happens! To keep it flying perfectly straight, you’ll need to throw it flat horizontal or vertical. Maximum bank is achieved with a 45° angle. Obviously this kind of skill deserves more points! So the game measures the tilt of the disc. With banking enabled it uses that to increase the score by up to 20%.
The biggest part of the player’s score comes from shattering gems. But it’s not the only source of points. Each level has a few extra targets with their own score ranges, but all the same principals apply. One thing: there are never points to be scored by attacking living creatures, even in self-defense. Your reward is survival.
At the end of the level your points are totaled up, along with some more adjustments. Injuries cost you 500 points apiece. Throwing a disc that doesn’t hit anything reduces your accuracy and costs 25 points—deducted at the end of play. So flinging a barrage of discs might increase your chances of hitting the target… but the penalty for wasting all those discs makes it an unwise strategy.
By the way, there’s no need to use your left versus your right hand to hit any particular target. However, ambidexterity can earn you an extra 1000 points! At least 20% of targets must be hit using your non-dominant hand to trigger the bonus.
That’s all for now. Until Banjax launches officially, there might be some adjustments here and there to scoring, as the game continues to evolve. I’ll be keeping this page up-to-date. If any of this sounds a little off, let me know! If you’ve got a better idea how scoring should work, share your thoughts on Discord!