[GUIDE] Deckball Trophy Guide

[HiroiSekai]

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This is a nice little game that seems to have tapering interest because of the whole Flash takedown. However, there is a way to get it up and running, hitting the best score, and also successfully submitting it to the leaderboards.


The Monthly Reset
First off, check the high score tables for the game, and do this for any game in general that you're aiming for a trophy in. In the event of a capped max score game like Deckball, the first people to submit the max approved score of 200 will stay at the top. It's not your typical leaderboard where the newest player to submit 200 points will overtake the leader, they will just sit at the bottom of the other 200 point players.

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Remember, Gold trophies are awarded to those who are listed in the Top 3 on the leaderboard. If the top 3 currently are all 200 point scores, then play for the time being for experience and the NP, but don't expect to get the gold yet. If there's a spot within the Top 3 to slip a 200 score into, then you're all go.

Otherwise, you'll have to wait for the monthly reset, where at 11:50PM NST on the last day of the calendar month, TNT resets the leaderboards to allow other players to get trophies as well. Optimally, you wait for that reset and submit your score to get on the new leaderboard first. Be aware that there are some games with a "cumulative" leaderboard as well, like Pyramids, where you continuously rack up a total score and the reset doesn't happen for a longer period of time.

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Do NOT waste your effort on the game's description point stating that Timed mode has a max of 1000 points. You have a mere 3 minutes and you have every factor working against you. No room for defence, having to avoid items, being slower than your opponent, etc. Choose Survival and play it at your own, safe pace.


Ruffle
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Since Flash is dead, in order to run Deckball (or any other Flash content on Neopets), you need something extra. There is a way to get older or alt browsers that still support actual Flash, but I can't recommend them overall, as you're running a plugin that was killed because of security risk. On top of that, I find most of the options here often have performance issues and it's harder to find things like good Adblockers to hide the massive Neopets ad spam.

So in my opinion, you should consider (you need an account to see links). Ruffle is an extension that is continuously in development, but it can be installed to modern browsers alongside good Adblockers and especially Tampermonkey/Greasemonkey for UserScripts too. Ruffle replicates Flash features by using reworked code, and while it is still unable to action things running on ActionScript3, it does a great job with most of the stuff on Neopets, including Deckball. This guide will assume you use Ruffle.


The Ruffle UserScript
Now one issue with Ruffle is that by itself, it doesn't seem to submit scores for Flash games successfully, resulting in an error message or an infinitely loading loop. There is an easy solution though, a UserScript! You do need a script extension like Tampermonkey, but once you have it, visit (you need an account to see links) and click on the Raw button on the right side. Tampermonkey should pick it up and ask you to install it. Once it is installed, scores should send properly.


Deckball's Settings
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So we've finally got all the pieces necessary to play and successfully submit scores. Boot up Deckball, and let's ensure you're putting your work into the correct modes to ensure you can get the verified 200 score we need.

Quick note: With Ruffle, I found that on Deckball, the dropdown menu targets are rendered in weird spots. You'll find you click on the menus to change the difficulty or mode, and nothing happens. Everyone's displays are different, so my general recommendation is that if you have this problem, slowly pan your cursor around and clicking frequently as you go. The menus will drop down once you find the right spot.

With the Game Mode, there is Timed (score as much as you can in 3 minutes), Survival (play until you are scored upon), and Points (first to 5 points wins). In my experience, Survival is the only reliable way to get 200 points, so we'll go with that.

With the Difficulty, there's also 3 options. Swabby (Easy), First Mate (Medium), and Captain (Hardest). The game actually does not acknowledge any high score submissions unless you're on Captain, so make sure you select it.


Playing Deckball
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Okay finally! We're playing the game. The goal of Deckball is simple: it's a game of soccer where you control a Pawkeet, and your opponent plays a Mirgle. Our goal in the Gold Trophy hunt is to score 10 points in Survival Mode (Captain Difficulty) without getting scored on. Here are some considerations to help:


1. Get comfortable with the movement. The deck is waxed up and is quite slippery, and your Pawkeet has momentum and mass to consider. Left/Right Arrow keys rotate your Pawkeet, and the Up key will push it forward.

2. Remember that in Survival mode, "survival" is key. There is no time limit in this mode, and your only goal should be protecting your goal whenever necessary.

3. The AI controls the Mirgle pretty laughably 75% of the time. If you persist in defending your goal, a lot of times, the AI will bump the ball in the wrong way into their own goal.

4. There is an occurrence that I call "the phase effect" to greatly consider. If a PetPet shoves the ball into a corner and keeps pushing against it, the ball eventually phases through them. The Mirgle does this a lot, but don't let it surprise you. The one precaution is that if you happen to be bashing the ball away from your goal and the Mirgle is pushing back in the opposite direction, there's a chance the ball can phase through you and into your goal. Just be careful there, try and angle your Pawkeet slightly down or up to sneak it past the Mirgle.

5. Be careful about angles. The ball is like a billiard ball, sliding and bouncing off of walls and continuing forward at different angles. If you get aggressive and assume you're safe because you're not playing in the center of the screen, you could fall victim to an unlucky bounce that sends the ball into your goal.

6. And finally, there are random events and powerups! To me, 90% of these are detrimental to your goal. For events: a hole can open up in the middle (any ball that lands in the hole is spat back out, slowly rolling in a new direction, either net can temporarily receive a barricade (useful), or a mast can spring up from the middle. The mast is especially annoying- your Pawkeet will bounce off of it and so will the AI and ball, and the hitbox is weird on it. Defend your goal and try not to go towards the mast until it disappears.

7. Regarding powerups, a cracker that temporarily increases your PetPet's speed or an anchor that temporarily slows it down can appear. Both of these in this mode are a detriment as well. The game is awkward enough to control normally, but now you have to fight against an adjusted speed while trying to defend your goal. Don't pick these up.


Ultimately, your goal is to PROTECT. YOUR. GOAL. Even if the game drags on and you're on a roll, one single mistake will end your game. There is no time limit, and as such, there is no good reason to rush. When the game begins, set your Pawkeet in front of your net (and make sure there are no gaps between them!) and stay there as much as possible. As the AI chases the ball, keep a close eye on the ball's path, and use the Left/Right arrow keys to rotate your Pawkeet in place, ready to defend if needed. Should the ball come straight at your goal, kick it away in whatever you determine is the safest path with no obstructions. Remember to always consider the phase effect, and remember that the Mirgle itself can also bash into you and change your Pawkeet's trajectory.

If you can get comfortable playing for an iron defence instead of playing to score points, the Mirgle will work for you and eventually score on itself. Once you reach 10 points, you're safe. The next time the Mirgle scores, you'll reach the submit score screen, and the game should inform you that you scored 10(+) goals, so your score is 200 (max possible).

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Final Warning Before Submitting. Depending on how long you play, I've found that Neopets' StackPath security can unexpectedly log you out of your account while you're playing. You won't see it happen because you're active in the Flash window, but if it does this and you submit your hard-earned 200 score, it won't submit to your account and you'll lose it. To combat this, right before you click the "Send Score" button, open a new tab in your browser, visit Neopets there and make sure you are still signed in, and sign back in if you're not. Once you've confirmed that you are logged in, send that score!



This game's Gold trophy used to be a massive clawing match back in the day. Now that Flash is gone and the workaround to play/submit scores is less known/used, you have a solid chance of getting this trophy. Best of luck!