(Link to video)
Submission Text Full Submission Page
Cyclo 8 0.5 is the first version of the game Cyclo 8. It only has one level, the controls are terrible, and the physics are slightly different from the final game. This TAS aims to complete this unfinished version of the game in the least amount of in-game time possible.

Game objectives

  • Emulator used: libTAS 1.4.5
  • Beat the game's only level
  • Finish with the lowest IGT

Comments

Just like in normal Cyclo 8, the left wheel is the one that drives. So I tilt the bike backwards at the start of the level to start a wheelie, which is the fastest form of movement in this game. However, I can't maintain a wheelie for very long. Cyclo 8 0.5 doesn't have dedicated drive and brake buttons. Instead, turning with the arrow keys also accelerates the bike. This means that in order to drive forwards, I have to tilt the bike to the right, which makes it very difficult to keep the back wheel on the ground. When driving up the big slope at the start, I build up as much speed as I can while also avoiding launching the bike too high in the air. In Cyclo 8 0.5, you can actually control the bike in midair a little bit, so I keep holding right to move the bike farther forwards. After landing, I bounce in the perfect way to land flat on the platform and then I drive off into the flag.

eien86: Claiming for judging.

eien86: This movie fully and reasonably optimally solves an earlier version of a game whose release version's movie has already been published ([5728] PICO8 Cyclo 8 by Merl_, rythin & hiii in 01:35.87).
Given the site rules on game choice, any earlier version should be considered obsoleted by a --reasonably optimized-- movie of the release version. This means that this submission is by default obsolete. Furthermore, the track contained in this version is but a slight variation of track 2 in the released version. Notwithstanding these facts, the physics and inputs of the game are sufficiently different to provide a different experience to the player (although not entirely for the spectator).
Given the above, I reckon this submission is worth keeping in the site and therefore a good fit for Playground.

TASVideoAgent
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This topic is for the purpose of discussing #8857: Merl_'s Linux Cyclo 8 0.5 in 00:08.97
Merl_
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I forgot to put "Platform: PICO8" in the annotations again.
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It would be nice to see a run that gets all the flags.
eien86
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Hi Merl_ I am puzzled by your choice of game. You chose to TAS Cyclo 8 version 0.5 (an early beta) whereas a later (release, apparently) version not only exists but also a movie of it ([5728] PICO8 Cyclo 8 by Merl_, rythin & hiii in 01:35.87) by you and others has been published TASVideos.org rules state that release version submissions obsolete that of earlier versions. Given the only track in this version is highly similar to that of track 2 in the released version, there is also not enough differences between the two versions to consider them different games altogether. Is there anything I am missing here?
Merl_
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The main difference between this version and the release version is that you don't have dedicated drive and brake buttons, instead the left and right arrow keys that you use to rotate the bike also cause you to drive and brake, making it impossible to do things like drive forwards on flat ground. The TAS makes this game look easy, but if you played this version yourself you'd quickly realize how awful this is to play and how much more difficult it is as well. Additionally, Cyclo 8 0.5 has slightly different physics, you are able to affect the bike's speed in midair, and the only level in the game is slightly different from level 2 in a few ways which force you to take a different route to the goal. I had no idea whether all of this was different enough to be publishable, but I at least thought it was worth a try submitting it.