Things not to do

Ever since the first *Chuhou Joutai* game released, there are a set of standards to help newcomers get used to the danmaku genre when it comes to evading massive amounts of bullets. Millions of players have at some point been too inept and have nevertheless been crushed by the enemies and bosses. Furthermore, this article collects a list of things you should not do or forget to make the danmaku experience enjoyable. Making mistakes is an important thing when learning the way a video game works, and don't feel bad if you are following these tips and still make a mistake. If you get bored trying to adhere to the advice below, feel free to ignore it and play the games your way.

## All titles

### Possible death

This section could result in death if not followed.

#### Don't move a lot when enemies perform pointed attacks at you

Many enemies and bosses perform attacks directed at you. While it is imperative to evade their attacks by stepping to the side, you should never do this much when enemies do this repeatedly. Most of the time, this won't stop until the enemies are defeated. If you do this, the screen can be filled with danmaku and make it very difficult to evade or squeeze through (even if you're holding down the Focus button).

#### Being unprepared for boss fights

When reaching the end of a stage or dungeon, there is almost always a boss that will conclude the area. You must bring enough resources and the right equipment in order to survive. Here are some suggestions for excelling in boss fights:

* High-protection equipment
* Powerful equipment
* Healing items

## *Chuhou Joutai*, *Touhou Project NES Demakes*, and other titles

### Possible death

This section could result in death if not followed.

#### Dagger and large danmaku

These two danmaku types can be deadly. The former can take away four health points and the latter can take away five. At the starting HP of 30, it can take six and eight consecutive hits before death occurs. The second *Chuhou Joutai* game also introduced a small gem-like bullet that is just as deadly as large danmaku, taking away the same number of hit points.

#### Certain enemies

* You should stay away from Remikazes at all times as if you get too close to them, they will detonate themselves and throw large amounts of danmaku, even on the higher difficulties. Their danger varies based on the difficulty and how defensively prepared you are. If you happen to get too close you have at least a second to step away. Afterward, the countdown sequence will be canceled. You move faster than said enemy when not focusing. When shooting your own danmaku at these enemies you should maintain distance. Remikazes only detonate when they get close to you.
* Kedamas can be very dangerous even if you are playing alone. They often appear in groups of four and sometimes eight and often shoot pointed danmaku at you within a short period of time after entering the screen. Remember not to move as much when they are attacking or otherwise you can be surrounded or trapped by danmaku. Playing with a friend can make defeating these enemies easier.

#### Lunatic difficulty for beginners

Playing the games on Lunatic may sound fun and/or thrilling, but if you are new to the danmaku genre, you might not have enough experience to do well in said difficulty. On Lunatic, enemies throw substantially more danmaku which can deal more damage.

#### Being unprepared for the Extra Stage

The Extra Stage which is only accessible in Free Play mode after beating the main campaign with all characters in the *Chuhou Joutai* trilogy is a long and challenging stage, often with dangerous enemies and boss attack patterns, even more so if you run out of bombs mid-stage. On Lunatic difficulty, the danmaku volume is much higher than in the main game. The only times when you can heal is by picking up heal berries dropped by enemies. In the third *Chuhou Joutai* game, this is not possible during the game's boss fight with Saori Takarazawa.

### Wasted resources

This section does not result in death but can result in resources and sometimes valuable ones being wasted unnecessarily.

#### Bombs/Spell Cards

Especially during the first stages of a game, you should avoid wasting your bombs (or Spell Cards in later titles). Unlike the health mechanics in the *Touhou Project* NES Demakes, they will not regenerate over time in the *Chuhou Joutai* games. They are valuable and should only be used when you need to escape a difficult situation. If you run out, you will not be able to defend yourself in tricky situations and will need to wait until you get enough points or have a midboss drop one.

Starting in *Touhou Meijinka ~ Song of Divine Tempest*, bombs are now given upon death if you have less than three.

## *Mythos of Phantasmagoria*

### Possible death

This section could result in death if not followed.

#### Not having emergency items

During adventures, always have some items in your inventory at all times. If in the event of an emergency involving one of your party members, items can restore HP and MP, as well as remove status problems and revive fainted party members. You can obtain items by purchasing them in shops or finding them in chests.

#### Enemies using magic

While your party members can learn all sorts of spells, don't forget that all monsters can use one of these at some point. Keep these points in mind:

* The Water spell can slow down party members, forcing them to wait longer before they can act.
* Be wary when attacks are orange as touching them can result in burns. The same thing goes for purple danmaku as they can result in poison.
* Pay attention to the enemy names. If you know your roots and suffixes, and their definitions, they can give you a hint on what spells they might cast, or the special skills they may pull off.

#### Exploring early in the game

At the start of the game, your main objective is to gather resources as your team isn't well-equipped yet. You should stay away from any monsters that can kill you at the beginning of the game as you do not have much of an arsenal for weapons, armor, and items. For some experienced players, this won't be much of an issue as stronger monsters can provide you with a challenge that you are experienced enough to handle. Some monsters are more difficult to defeat than others and you should be extra careful about them. If you're not sure how to defeat specific monsters, you can look them up in the bestiary in the game's help section by pushing the TAB key or Select button (if you're using a gamepad).

#### Forgetting to equip weapons when in dungeons

A weapon such as a sword and axe will always be your best friend when in dangerous situations. One of the locations where it is definitely recommended is in dungeons. When exploring these areas, you will almost always stumble across monsters in tight spaces. It is important that you defeat monsters that are near you.

#### Getting lost

Remember to know the locations for some of the basic facilities for survival, such as inns and shops. Many are tempted to venture farther into the overworld far from a town or city to look for resources and explore. Even if you're in an area situated in the wilderness, you can become confused and forget how to return. Without knowing where an inn or shop is, you are in danger of losing time and may have to start over. If you prefer not to start a new save file, it is also much easier to have all members of your party faint during a wild battle and return to an inn from the last town you visited, though you will lose some money.

If you need to know where you are, open the map in the menu.

#### Forgetting essentials

When you plan to venture far away from a town or city, you should carry potions, ethers, and other healing items, as well as a weapon and some armor.

#### Poison and Burns

Some enemies that use moves that can inflict burns or poison can be hazardous as the affected battler can lose HP over time. This effect generally takes place after a battler makes a move. It is advised you bring antidotes and antiseptics with you when venturing to locations that contain monsters known to use these moves.

### Wasted resources

This section does not result in death but can result in resources and sometimes valuable ones being wasted unnecessarily.

#### Magic Points (MP)/Physical Points (PP)

If you start a new game, you should avoid wasting your Magic Points or Physical Points. If they run out, a party member will not be able to perform special skills or magic spells. Stronger attacks drain it much faster than weaker attacks. It is recommended you conserve it and only use it if necessary.

An exception to this is during the second mission of the first act, where a youkai-born woman will heal you after every battle. This will not apply when returning to the Forest of Magic after finishing the mission.

#### Equipping accessories

When finding a new accessory, it is advised you keep it because many items in these categories only have one location. If unequipped, party members can easily end up being defeated by monsters. Additionally, some of these items are very expensive in the shops and if you sell a one-location item, the item will be gone forever and you will not be able to find another one.

## Technical

### Playing with high settings on weak devices

Doing this can slow down your system and ruin the experience. Lag will also make you more likely to make a mistake and be unable to fight enemies.

### Playing older games on newer systems

Drillimation games developed in newer frameworks have different data structures than previous games. Additionally, the source code for operating systems differs between versions. Attempting to play an older title not designed for a modern OS or the other way around can result in stability problems and unsatisfactory gameplay. Sometimes, the source code for the game you are trying to play is so old that it might not run at all on some systems. In this case, you may need to use a virtual machine (operating system emulator) to get the best experience.

### Possible crash

Performing any of these actions can lead to lag, and if it is bad enough, the game can become difficult to play or even crash. Also, don't modify the game to do any of these for a similar reason.

#### Pausing and unpausing excessively

Pausing requires the game to unload all instances and load them back in when unpaused. If there is a lot of danmaku on-screen, this can be a lot of work for your system. As a result, this can lead to lag.

#### Inputting large amounts of danmaku

This may seem fun and/or intimidating, but this can create lag because the game must put each bullet into memory. If there isn't enough room for more danmaku, a large enough set of danmaku can cause lag.

#### Dropping large numbers of items

If enemies drop too many items at a time by killing a lot of them, then a large number of items that are spewed can add lag to the game.