Posts for JoshButro

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Posted: 1/19/2015 6:12 PM
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JoshButro
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Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Former player
Joined: 1/8/2015
Posts: 43
Thanks, 18 frames is 18 frames. I would hold off on anything until the voting is finished. I can probably tell you where the input desyncs on level 5 or later and level 14 and later. There are some very specific frame inputs for jumps to manipulate enemies and most of them are frame perfect. Consecutive frame perfects jumps. That's where I imagine the desync happens.
current TAS: Q*Bert 3 any% v2TAS<br> next TAS: Q*Bert 3 X*Bert levels
Posted: 1/17/2015 9:41 PM
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JoshButro
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Joined: 1/8/2015
Posts: 43
ars4326 wrote:
Also Josh, have you checked out the "X-pert" mode that unlocks once you finish all of the levels?
I have. Those levels can be insanely difficult as a normal playthrough. You get 5 lives to start to get through 20 screens with NO level checkpoints, more enemies that spawn faster, and the paint is ALL 1>2>3>1>2>3. I have a difficult time beating that mode. That was going to be the next TAS based on the reception of this one. I would just need to lay out details like, its takes an options screen code to start from there. I think a TAS of X*Bert would be interesting. Thanks for your feedback ars.
current TAS: Q*Bert 3 any% v2TAS<br> next TAS: Q*Bert 3 X*Bert levels
Posted: 1/17/2015 4:30 PM
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JoshButro
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Joined: 1/8/2015
Posts: 43
For anyone voting NO, any feedback is appreciated so I know whether to look at this TAS again, so if there is not enough interest or anything gameplay related can be improved. Thanks
current TAS: Q*Bert 3 any% v2TAS<br> next TAS: Q*Bert 3 X*Bert levels
Posted: 1/16/2015 4:03 PM
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JoshButro
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Joined: 1/8/2015
Posts: 43
Thanks, first completed TAS, so it was a learning experience, and i can carry Lessons Learned forward to future TASes. I will have to look at TAS Video Editor, the only thing i see at the moment, is the long downtime between levels, and trying to maintain that per how the game is played. I don't want to remove any blank screens to make the game shorter when an RTA play through has you wait several seconds between cutscenes and levels, and just one board to the next. I plan on doing future TASes on Bizhawk 1.9.1, so that should take care of that issue. I see the encode is uploading, so im excited too, even though i've seen the movie more times than i can count.
current TAS: Q*Bert 3 any% v2TAS<br> next TAS: Q*Bert 3 X*Bert levels
Posted: 1/16/2015 2:43 PM
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JoshButro
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Joined: 1/8/2015
Posts: 43
Ok, i see about the cutscene skips. I don't know how to fix it at this point, without having to redo the entire TAS. I guess for now I'll have to take the cutscene skips as suboptimal. I looked at the end of the movie and stopped it after the last input on frame 227145, which will make the movie 1:03:05.75, so should I resubmit or how should that be handled, because it shows the movie as 11seconds longer than it should be.
current TAS: Q*Bert 3 any% v2TAS<br> next TAS: Q*Bert 3 X*Bert levels
Posted: 1/16/2015 2:02 PM
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JoshButro
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Joined: 1/8/2015
Posts: 43
6 Levels and the game start, means i lost about 21 frames for cutscenes. That doesn't sound too bad.
current TAS: Q*Bert 3 any% v2TAS<br> next TAS: Q*Bert 3 X*Bert levels
Posted: 1/16/2015 1:57 PM
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JoshButro
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Joined: 1/8/2015
Posts: 43
He was referring to the level cutscenes, and not have optimal input to skip it. My input is about 3 frames slower than optimal, so on 21 cutscenes, i lost 63 frames (1.05 seconds) over the whole run. Is 65 frames over an hour long run huge in TASing, so just something that can be improved upon in a following TAS?
current TAS: Q*Bert 3 any% v2TAS<br> next TAS: Q*Bert 3 X*Bert levels
Posted: 1/16/2015 1:27 PM
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JoshButro
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Joined: 1/8/2015
Posts: 43
I really appreciate you taking a look at my TAS. I didnt know how to encode, so I thank you for that. The inbetween level parts, I'm trying to see how to further optimize those. I pressed start on every frame before the animation, and it would shows a few frames of animation then get bright as start was accepted, then fade out. I can also submit a movie that ends on the last jump. I wasn't sure when to end the movie, but the last input is jumping onto the last block in 20-4, so if i need to resubmit with that, I can, i believe, that would show up as ~15 seconds shorter. It shouldnt affect the temp encode, so if the process can be to submit that movie ending at 227150 (instead of 228180), let me know the best way to do that. I really appreciate your help Spike, RNG is fun in this game.
current TAS: Q*Bert 3 any% v2TAS<br> next TAS: Q*Bert 3 X*Bert levels
Posted: 1/15/2015 4:36 PM
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JoshButro
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Joined: 1/8/2015
Posts: 43
More questions from me blowing up my own thread. I was thinking for submission where it talks about Stage by Stage comments, of grouping those by Level and not by screen. I don't think anyone wants to read 80 different stage comments, so 20 will be enough. It may take me a day or two to type this up.
current TAS: Q*Bert 3 any% v2TAS<br> next TAS: Q*Bert 3 X*Bert levels
Posted: 1/14/2015 6:29 PM
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JoshButro
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Joined: 1/8/2015
Posts: 43
http://tasvideos.org/userfiles/info/20112709402709039 i believe it is complete if anyone has any feedback on it. thanks everyone
current TAS: Q*Bert 3 any% v2TAS<br> next TAS: Q*Bert 3 X*Bert levels
Posted: 1/14/2015 6:26 AM
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JoshButro
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Joined: 1/8/2015
Posts: 43
http://tasvideos.org/userfiles/info/20101699169599030 TAS through level 20-1, i will probably be finished tomorrow, and watch it through again to see,
current TAS: Q*Bert 3 any% v2TAS<br> next TAS: Q*Bert 3 X*Bert levels
Posted: 1/13/2015 5:20 PM
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JoshButro
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Joined: 1/8/2015
Posts: 43
Im not sure on that. I use v1.53, so v1.52 may have an issue reading .smv files from a version after it. I don't know on the desync question because this is my first TAS, I'm still learning the emulators. There are some screens i can use the green guys (Sam and Slick) to my advantage. They will only change paint from 2>1, 3>2, or 1>2(in a 3 paint color level), so I can use them to eliminate some jumps. In the beginning levels where speed is slower, a jump from block to block takes 33 frames, so any block the Sam/Slick jumps on saves ~.55 seconds per jump, but is less in later levels, but any timed saved is the idea.
current TAS: Q*Bert 3 any% v2TAS<br> next TAS: Q*Bert 3 X*Bert levels
Posted: 1/12/2015 5:31 AM
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JoshButro
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Joined: 1/8/2015
Posts: 43
http://tasvideos.org/userfiles/info/20056401274897975 Here is the latest TAS WIP that is 60% through the normal game (through Level 12-4). It is turning into a very fast run compared to RTA.
current TAS: Q*Bert 3 any% v2TAS<br> next TAS: Q*Bert 3 X*Bert levels
Posted: 1/10/2015 11:05 PM
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JoshButro
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Joined: 1/8/2015
Posts: 43
AH, i misunderstood, sorry about that. I have watched that NES Q*Bert TAS a few times, it's a really good one. Playing RTA, people don't show much interest, but TASing it, I've received some great positive feedback to show off what this TAS could do. It is more complex, and looks good so far. I usually work on it some everyday, so there should be plenty of progress on WIPs daily. Just more screens added each time.
current TAS: Q*Bert 3 any% v2TAS<br> next TAS: Q*Bert 3 X*Bert levels
Posted: 1/10/2015 6:16 PM
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JoshButro
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Joined: 1/8/2015
Posts: 43
So far from what i have read, SNES9x ver 1.53 is ok to use. I am about 26% through the game, so I am learning the TAS routes on this first TAS, so i will finish this one on SNES9x, then as more things are pointed out, do a second TAS on Bizhawk. Like I've said, my main goal is to demonstrate a deathless optimized run, because no TAS has been made of this game before, so it's my project to make the very first one. The link for Q*Bert you provided llinks to the NES version, not the SNES Q*Bert 3 version. Many people haven't played the SNES version, because it is different than NES. The NES version is 36 pyramids that get harder. The SNES version is 80 screens that are all different and more complex.
current TAS: Q*Bert 3 any% v2TAS<br> next TAS: Q*Bert 3 X*Bert levels
Posted: 1/10/2015 2:55 PM
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JoshButro
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Joined: 1/8/2015
Posts: 43
Thank you for the feedback. The beginning levels are a bit slow paced, there isn't anything that can be done to speed them up. Taking an optimal path is about the only way. The speed starts to pick up in later levels. I do 'time-attack' each screen to ensure it is the fastest time, and how solved each screen a few different ways to ensure the optimal solution. Thank you for checking my optimization. There may be a few frames here and there on menus, as this is my first TAS, and it is still a learning process. I use Snes9x v1.53 for now because I have used it for a while, I downoaded Bizhawk and will take a look at it. I usually work on this TAS everyday, so wasn't sure if uploading WIPs everyday was excessive or not. My main goal is to make a deathless run of this game, to show off how this game can be played. I have completed through Level 6-1 and have uploaded that WIP at http://tasvideos.org/userfiles/info/20020734002551220
current TAS: Q*Bert 3 any% v2TAS<br> next TAS: Q*Bert 3 X*Bert levels
Posted: 1/9/2015 3:10 AM
Post subject: Thanks
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JoshButro
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Joined: 1/8/2015
Posts: 43
Thanks for the warm welcome ars. I have a feeling i am breaking new ground. I uploaded my WIP so far, and the game isn't even listed, so this is new territory. Keep in mind, it is Q*Bert, so i don't know how interesting some people may think it is. It is routing jumping on blocks and manipulating enemies and objects. I think it's interesting, but i like Q*Bert, and this is my fun project. I uploaded WIP, so let me know, the first few levels are slow based on them being essentially beginner levels. Level 5 the 'paint' (way to change colors of blocks) gets harder, so that will really show off what the TAS can do.
current TAS: Q*Bert 3 any% v2TAS<br> next TAS: Q*Bert 3 X*Bert levels
Posted: 1/8/2015 9:36 PM
Post subject: Q*Bert 3
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JoshButro
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Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Former player
Joined: 1/8/2015
Posts: 43
I am currently working on a TAS of this game. Through all the research I have done, I can not find any current TAS or WIP or RTA speedrun of this game (besides my own). I know of 2 people on Twitch (myself being one of them), that would have knowledge/strats for completing this game as it is a giant routing puzzle. If anyone else has any suggestions that would be helpful, or any input on this game, i would love to hear it. So far the TAS is complete through Level 3-4 (Stage 12 of 80) with the levels being as optimized as possible (except 1-4 having a 5f more optimal path due to lag from enemies and an unused Freezeball which will be included in a second TAS) Thanks.
current TAS: Q*Bert 3 any% v2TAS<br> next TAS: Q*Bert 3 X*Bert levels
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