GDV means Game Deviation Value. Most people who play Solomon's Key are simply trying to complete the game. The next challenge is to achieve higher scores. The final challenge is to achieve the highest Game Deviation Value. But, how do you improve your GDV without knowing the mechanics of the GDV system? Well, Eureka! The the veil of secrecy has finally been lifted!
By testing various pieces information through trial and error, a hypothesis emerged. With this formula, you can now begin to use strategy to develop a high GDV, instead of simply trying to guess what actions you performed which may have influenced the process.
The following formula is the strongest hypothesis, thus far. The GDV Theory.
Do you understand the formula? Basically, it is the most compact way of describing the GDV system. It is written in the language of mathematics, but it is not too difficult to understand. It is elementary algebra.
47 appears to be a constant. At the time of this translation, it was not clear how this number was derived, as the lowest Game Deviation Value is 27.
F(x) (“F-variable”) is a variable that increases with your score.
G(y, z,…) (“G-variable”) is a variable that increases as the number of Fairies, Solomon's Seals, and other items that you collect increases.
When you play to achieve a high Score, you must give up the opportunity to release more Fairies. When you play to release the maximum amoutn of Fairies, your score will be smaller. This compromise is the delicate balance that is now understood, and is the choice you must make when your aim is to achieve the highest Game Deviation Value, which is the specialization of this site!
Another point it is that “A range exists in G-variable”. An excess of Fairie collection can cause the G-variable to exceed 32, and cause the G-variable to reset to zero.
| Score | F-variable | |
|---|---|---|
| min | max | |
| 0 | 99,990 | 0 |
| 100,000 | 199,990 | 1 |
| 200,000 | 299,990 | 2 |
| 300,000 | 399,990 | 3 |
| 400,000 | 499,990 | 4 |
| 500,000 | 99,999,990 | 5 |
Through our investigations, we discovered the data in the table to the left. Because the GDV is given in integers (whole numbers), the F-variable becomes a step function.
When your score is between 100,000 and 199,990 points, 1 it is added to the GDV. When your score reaches between 200,000 and 299,990 points, an additional GDV point is awarded.
If your score steadily increases under these conditions, the F-variable will continue to rise. However, when your score reaches 500,000 points, the F-variable reaches it's highest level! So, for the kind of person who's aim is to reach the highest GDV, 500,000 points seems to be an excessively low hurdle, this may leave one with a feeling of loss.
Every 1-Up from the recovering of Fairies will increase the G-variable by a factor of .5, or ½. This variable honors the integer stepping function, mentioned above, by rounding up the G-variable up for all odd numbered 1-Ups to the next whole number.
Notice that Fairy Recovery 1-Ups above 63 will permanently reset the G-variable to zero.
Of course, a 1-Up by Fairy recovery is not the only component that determines the G-variable. The addition of collecting Solomon's Seals, sealing Solomon's Key, the rescue of Fairy Princess Lihita, clearing stones, and the remaining number of 1-Ups seem to be intertwined in a complicated way. This is the numerical value which results as the G-variable.
Exactly how the the addition of items, other than fairies, exert influence on G-variable is presently in the midst of investigation. It is a mtter of finding the spare time.
| Fairy Recovery 1-Ups | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | ... | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 |
| G-variable | 01 | 01 | 02 | 02 | 03 | 03 | ... | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 0 |
We need to take a survey on the results from all experiments related to Solomon's Seals and the G-variable. The GDV results from Tokoro are different, and are not included in the table below. The table below is the result of our experiment.
Although Solomon's Seals are important items in the game, it becames confusing as to why ones GDV changes only by collecting Solomon's Seals from Room 9 and from Room 47. Perhaps this method of inspection is flawed, but as we collected more Seals, the GDV did not increase as we expected.
| Room No. | 9 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 29 | 46 | 47 | Page of TIme | Page of Space |
| GDV Increase | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
According to Dark Lord of the Castle, information from an article in Famitsu (a Japanese gaming magazine) states that the maximum Deviation Value is 84. There is an interesting theory that “a Game Deviation Value of 84, being highest number, any value exceeding that number will return the GDV to 54". This would occur by reaching the highest value of the F-variable and the G-variable, which is GDV=47+5+32=84.
As it is improbable that you will complete a perfect game. Therefore, it is best to die in rooms where you can collect the most Fairies.
Room 3: Use one regular Fireball (火球) to kill the two fire-breathing Dragons (ドラゴン) in the room's center. Using one fireball to kill two demons often results in a better item being dropped. Reset the game if the Dragons do not drop a Medicine of Mapros (マプロスの壷).
There is also a demon that may drop two Medicines of Mapros, Possibly the Panel Monster (パネルモンスター). Further, either the Panel Monster or the Gargoyle (ガーゴイル) may drop a Bell of Lyrac (もライラックの鐘を).
Room 4: Drop the Dragon on the right to release a fairy. Kill the Dragon on the left side with a fireball. Collect the two Bells of Lyrac to recover two more Fairies, and collect all of the other items.
Kill yourself, than
repeatedly clear this room, until you are on your last life. You should receive a 1-Up for collecting 10 Fairies. This room is the most efficient for Fairie collection, before Room 9.
Hidden Room Aries: Be sure to collect the Jar of Manda, the Super Fireball (ビッグファイアーボ).
Room 5: Use the Super Fireball to burn the 4 Gargoyles on the left side, as it is very likely that one or more of the Gargoyles will drop a Bell. Be sure to drop the top-right Gargoyle to recover another Fairy.
Similar to Room 4, Room 26 provides another opportunity to for you to sacrafice your extra lives to rescue additional Fairies. Again, losing one life does affect your GDV, but it appears that losing more than one life does not add to the penalty.
The most efficient room for collecting Fairies is Room 26. However, unlike Room 4, there is almost no chance that a demon will drop a 1-Up.
Game Deviation Values are sorted in order of the associated score.
Here is the link to Japanese Leaderboard.
Join Us! If you have a High Score or a High Game Deviation Value, by all means, send your result here! You can report your score on the bulletin board, or it's fine if you send it via e-mail.
Because it is very difficult to achieve a GDV greater than 84, we have to rank the submissions in order of the associated score.
The GDV Leaderboard consists of scores that have been submitted. This seems to be a fair way, don't you think? If you feel that a score is being reported improperly, or have an issue with the way the list is grouped, submit a complaint report. please don't complain on the Message Board, as complaints will be immediately removed.
We think this is the fairest way (^^). Huh? Mt. East's scores aren't even listed?! ~Sigh!
By the way, Dark Lord of the Castle, has submitted a Game Deviation Value of 54 & 55, indicating the G-variable limit. This has not been added to the table.
Honesty speaking, Mt. East is not the most skillful at playing Solomon's Key. Especially in high score and in high deviation value. This work could have only been made with the help of Dark Lord of the Castle, whose work revealed the upper limit of the GDV system. It was this work that proved the hypothesis.
In addition, Dog Fighter compiled the information on the best strategy for Room 4. It must be acknowledged that Dark Lord of the Castle, and Dog Fighter offered very valuable information. Thank you very much.
Also, Tokoro from Fukami, and with other information from Hols, Watashi taught us the method for scoring over 5,000,000 points in the Princess Shrine. Thank you for the tip!
You must enter the shrine of Princess Lihita (リヒタ) with more than 20 extra lives, and repeatedly sacrafice Dana! After studying this method in many ways, the GDV would never change. Even after increasing the score by such a great number, it seemed more appropriate to develop methods that favored the rescuing of Fairies, don't you think!