It's a very complex problem that requires extensive spatial reasoning, which is an area where AI / expert systems have yet to come close to catching up with human abilities. There are computer programs that try to solve these kinds of problems (c.f. Folding@Home) but from what I understand they're mostly "try each possible configuration until a working one is found", which, given the complex nature of the molecules in question, takes a very long time.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
Not exactly. Most distributed computing doesn't require any user input beyond signing your computer up as a node in the network. This is more demonstrating the power of teamwork. If your problem makes for an interesting puzzle (or you can make it into one), then there are large numbers of people out there who might be interested in taking a crack at it; give them access, and help them work together, and they can get a lot done.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
Never thought I'd see Barbie doing the ninja run. Also, now we see what Barbie does with her math books -- she stands on them.
Ehhh...technically well done as this may be, I have to say it wasn't really entertaining beyond the mirror room, and that wasn't enough to save it. Meh vote; bad game choice IMO.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
For survival gear, I guess I'd go with a multitool (ideally including flint and magnesium) and an axe.
For getting off the island, a satellite phone and a generator.
For silliness, a spaceship and a Green Lantern ring.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
You're still trading one fight's worth of grinding D. Machines with Life abuse vs. many fights of grinding Cecil without access to high-value targets or ways to quickly kill entire encounters (since presumably the twins are KO'd to get Cecil more experience). D. Machines give 41500 experience, and it all goes to Rosa. You need multiple D. Machine kills to get Rosa to a sufficient level to learn Wall. That's a lot of Ordeals fights.
I don't have a good feel for the numbers involved here. Presumably you can save some time on the intervening boss fights thanks to having higher-leveled characters, but how much? I bet even one Ordeals fight takes long enough to easily wipe out the gains from one boss fight going faster.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
I think the simplest explanation is also the most likely here: SM64 not only displays at 30FPS; it also only receives input at 30FPS. The extra polling the console does is ignored.
Of course this should be tested, but it just strikes me as extremely unlikely that this hasn't already been considered.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
I have trouble believing that grinding for Cecil would be advantageous. The existing run is basically a low-level run except that it raises Rosa's level high enough to get Wall so Zeromus can be killed with reflected Nukes (and it does that grinding in a single fight!). The other boss fights don't seem to suffer for having underleveled characters, in part thanks to guest party members (c.f. Tellah, FuSoYa), but mostly because all-out offensives are much more viable when luck-manipulation means you don't have to worry about healing.
For normal games, I'm given to understand that Cecil can level very effectively on Mount Ordeals if you want to, but I've personally never really felt the need.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
SM64 doesn't run at 60FPS (I think it's 30 or 20FPS instead), even if the console is polling for input that often. I'm not familiar with the systems involved, but it's not inconceivable that the movie format would include a specifier for target framerate, so that it wouldn't have to include input for frames the game doesn't care about. If so, you should be able to stretch the input file to cover more time.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
Especially since all that's required to max out the score is to make 3 32+ combos; extra blocks don't really contribute meaningfully unless they could somehow cut that down to only 2 combos, which seems improbable.
Nice work, zvsp!
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
To my knowledge basically all TAS-oriented emulators have Windows-specific code in them. I compiled FCEU for OSX once, and it wasn't difficult, but all of the UI and Lua stuff was Windows-only. Annoying, but it's difficult to complain when the devs are donating their time.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
Clearly it's some intersection between the software and the hardware that can be handled properly in software, since SNES9x and VBA work. A random stab in the dark -- possibly it's a vsync issue? If the emulator isn't getting the appropriate signal, then it might never update the visuals. Try fiddling with the display settings in FCEUx.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
Presumably the guards have a list of behaviors they can choose from randomly, based on the RNG value. E.g. 0-10: crouch and shoot; 11-20: stand and shoot; 21-30: run to the side; 31-40: gun jams; 41-50: throw grenade, etc. So you have to get the RNG to the right value at the time the guard is choosing his behavior (obviously he's not choosing a new behavior every frame) if you want him to throw a grenade.
Probably the best way to figure this out is to manually set the RNG value and observe how the guards behave. For example, if you fix the RNG to 0, then the guards should always do the same action, assuming that the random number is the only input on their behavior. Actually behavior probably depends also on the guard's position with respect to the player (for example, IIRC guards never shoot unless they're on the same horizontal plane as the player), but at least for a given RNG value and situation the guard should always do the same thing. Anyway, once you've determined the values you need you can go about figuring how to achieve them without cheating.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
In general, I regret regretting. It's a good impetus to learn from my mistakes, but it's all too easy to wallow in past failures instead of building on them constructively.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
Not to mention that the default Genesis controller doesn't have enough buttons to handle all inputs correctly; you need six buttons plus the D pad. I doubt most people had the extended controller.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
I assume he's talking about the loading that occurs while you're waiting for a door to open, which certainly would include the timer. If normally you spend 7-8 seconds waiting for doors, but Dolphin loads instantly, then that's 7-8 seconds saved.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
As an American, I remember once getting marked down in school for using a British spelling in a vocabulary test. I'd learned the word (outside of school) with its British spelling and didn't see any need to re-learn a different spelling when I already knew one correct one. My teacher evidently felt differently.
I always thought the "two spaces after a period" thing was rather silly, too.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
That's pretty limited, since the only copyable abilities are the neutral B moves; all of Kirby's other moves remain the same. It wouldn't inject all that much variety, I'm afraid.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.