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MESHUGGAH
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AFAIK there is one and only, totally legal service similar but not exactly like this: Console Classix. 2018 news article with more details about legality: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/08/can-a-digital-lending-library-solve-classic-gamings-piracy-problem/ edit: just sharing some notes and experiences - Console Classix comes with a modified emulator. - When you select the game, you download the ROM from their server. - Doesn't seem to be encrypted. ROM is present in memory (no file is being made) The sad truth is that licensee of video games (usually the publisher, the developers and/or someone else with sharing it up for a given percentage) wants profit. They don't get money from people playing these and they don't really seem to catch the original customers, the players wishes... I would really love a service like Gefore Now, where you can verify your purchases of supported games and play it through streaming, running on a cloud computer. There is no ROM sharing. The service also grants security to the titles, in case someone would try to make an illegal copy of the game running.
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MESHUGGAH
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I'm not familiar with Stella other than there were a proof of concept TAS of Dragster with the same in game time as the first published TAS. So you get desync at different points, that is something is changing each time you are trying to replay the movie. According to https://stella-emu.github.io/docs/index.html#CommandLine you should try to disable everything that makes random modifications like -<plr>ramrandom <1>. If BizHawk uses a different pattern, you will probably need to manually change the whole region right before the first line of code would be executed in Stella debugger.
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MESHUGGAH
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^ - Also happens in BizHawk 2.3.2 and any other ROMs. - If the ROM file moved back to original place, you can repair it with a soft reset (Emulation > Soft reset. If the core somehow doesn't have this, you will have to do hard reset). - Exception:
System.NullReferenceException: Az objektumhivatkozás nincs beállítva semmilyen objektumpéldányra.
   a következő helyen: BizHawk.Emulation.Common.MemoryDomainByteArray.set_Data(Byte[] value)
   a következő helyen: BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk.HexEditor.Restart()
   a következő helyen: BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk.ToolManager.Load[T](String toolPath, Boolean focus)
   a következő helyen: BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk.MainForm.HexEditorMenuItem_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
   a következő helyen: System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.RaiseEvent(Object key, EventArgs e)
   a következő helyen: System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem.OnClick(EventArgs e)
   a következő helyen: System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleClick(EventArgs e)
   a következő helyen: System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleMouseUp(MouseEventArgs e)
   a következő helyen: System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mea)
   a következő helyen: System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripDropDown.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mea)
   a következő helyen: System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
   a következő helyen: System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
   a következő helyen: System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.WndProc(Message& m)
   a következő helyen: System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripDropDown.WndProc(Message& m)
   a következő helyen: System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)
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MESHUGGAH
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The important questions to Barrylesjambes: 1. Console unmodified? (non hacked, original parts) 2. Real cart? (not sd card) 3. Original Controller? edit: Notes about Barrylesjambes video - The background music is the same as level 1-2-3-4 boss. It should be a unique track that only used in the final 6-5 boss - The tiles are from 6-4 but the boss is from 6-5 - After beating 6-4 twice, a cutscene should start and the final 6-5 level should start. According to Barrylesjambes, if this could be reproduce (getting hit by second (form) 6-4 boss and spawn the final boss instead of going through the cutscene and others) AND it won't crash (the video seems to tell this), it could be an improvement to both pacifist and any% TAS.
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MESHUGGAH
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apparently FCEUX doesn't sucks. FCEUX 2.1.4 changelog http://www.fceux.com/web/help/WhatsNew214.html (edited link) "New PPU flag in movie headers (doesn't change an emulators PPU state when loading a movie)" While I'm not the developer nor being sure about this, it's much easier to change the PPU setting in FCEUX rather than editing the movie file and replacing the NewPPU value that indicates what PPU mode were being used.
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MESHUGGAH
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The movie synced for me, maybe you need to change PPU? edit: Config > PPU > New PPU
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MESHUGGAH
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Didn't watched the movie. Some notes: - Despite being educational / "calculator dressed up as a game", it has TASing merits like position optimizing. - The speedrun.com leaderboards has the super advanced one wrongly stated as 13:34, actually it's 14:34 - The speedrun.com's fastest any% with skips is 5:42 (this TAS doesn't uses skips) - Difficulty differences from a FAQ:
Normal has totally unique and easier level designs, and less numbers in each level to look for. Advanced has new levels for each area, pellets are counted and a counter is added at the bottom of the screen. The TV screens now move and rotate numbers. Super Advanced has the exact same level design as Advanced. You are given lives as well, so getting injured actually counts for something.
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MESHUGGAH
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First of all, good job on your first TAS Riyanoid! As other's said, I think this should have uploaded in the userfiles instead of submitting. Regarding this PAL TAS: Pro: - Only the Europe version has this change. - Checked up to first two levels and bosses: general inputs, movement and boss fights seems optimized with good efforts Contra: - Slower than NTSC run - Different level order without real reason? - Scrooge is faster in this version and "allows to skip the helicopter" which I guess is the amazon (2nd level in this TAS) where the player needs to grab it and jump from there to the next platform that isn't much stuff, I mean it saves only 1 jump in a 8 minute run (like let's say 0.5 second save?). Maybe if other stuffs could be found to further abuse the difference would be an okay from me, but simply being different than the original version shouldn't be much that of a factor, regardless of Europe vs USA edit: but I don't see this happening. The speed (and maybe the only, other than being 50hz) difference only changes the possibility of enemy spawns and despawning, while much more lag frames coming up, somewhat negating the efforts in the long run. - Lack of lag frame removal techniques (and this version lags sometimes like hell, especially on 2nd level and 3rd level): For example changing the position and length of jumps can avoid 3 lag frames on 1st level Moon before the 1st boss, so I have 1322 xpos (going left to boss) versus 1327 xpos on frame 1617. Another trick is removing 1 R if it can save at least 2 lag frames. In this version, it seems the ground/air speed pattern is 1.204, 1.948, 1.948, 1.948 1.948 ice speed pattern 1.220, 1.980, 1.996, 2.012, 2.772, 2.044, 2.050, 2.076, 2.836, 2.108, 2.868, 2.128 2.872.... Ice max speed changes after every frame between 2.872 and 2.128. Personal opinion: Maybe if other stuffs could be found to further abuse the difference would be an okay from me, but simply being different than the original version shouldn't be much that of a factor: if they are different other than 50hz vs 60hz, they should be allowed, because the route probably isn't the same. They should have a record being stored (but it's TASVideos with full of entertainment). On a side related note: - The Ducktales HUD Lua scripts seems to work on this verison too. edit2: link to the script and other information: Wiki: GameResources/NES/DuckTales - NTSC Ducktales TAS desyncs after 2nd level on Japanese. I guess it's either text or lag frame related.
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MESHUGGAH
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I'm MESHUGGAH and I approve this message TAS. Good job Masterjun, ais523 and Alyosha of course! For DPCM related questions, I think I covered all I could: Not present in BizHawk 2.3.1 > 2nd tab Subframe inputs @ Wiki: MESHUGGAH/ForbiddenTechniques
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MESHUGGAH
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Ramzi: - All the posts from the previous pages you skipped, in one place: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kEjJk6uFgubSlqcFp2IntZvbrW7VsjI6KKuWiRfPMRI/edit#gid=0 - The techniques that doesn't allowed at the moment (note: movie publishing related problems are not included): Wiki: MESHUGGAH/ForbiddenTechniques Added some examples to your hypothesises or what. For the Liberals, the Spirit of ~S is regarding what is or is not "natural input". For the Conservatives, the spirit of ~S is or is not "what is intended as the game." --> Doom TASes using logitech racing wheel (not listed, because in this case, this is about a "third party controller having a first party support", albeit you still need to get that third party controller, and it's still a racing wheel...; Debug and cheat codes; I think the resolution is simple. There are just different classes or categories of TASes or <thing>. [...] As this is clearly marked, like the condition ~C, the controversy is resolved and general consensus is quickly reached in the community. In both cases, the guiding principle or the antidote to the controversy is transparency and honesty and clearly marking and categorizing what is and is not a <thing> as relevant facets or conditions of <thing> come into public consideration. --> "Trivial and non superhuman" TASes (many examples a few posts above and previous page); Anything that is not allowed at the moment; Eventually it is discovered that some CC glitches are mutually exclusive when using a Newtonian simulator over the quantum simulator. --> this hits too close to home. Any TASes relying on specific starting RAM values; Game versions (multicart); and in generally, any glitch that is mutually exclusive to a technique. Some glitches are allowed to be used if you are not using it directly (debug and even cheat codes in some cases). edit 1+2: In the case of Zelda, you can just unplug your controller and plug it in the 2nd port. This would also apply to Famicom TASes, where the 2nd controller is missing the Select and Start buttons, you could theoritically swap the controller from port to port, if we exclude "Select and Start buttons on same both controller at the same time".
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MESHUGGAH
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Just wanted to say I didn't started on working on this yet, but RTA runner WhiteHat94 already messaged me about this route improvement. Nor discussed anything with AIVV73. (More details about route improvement: instead of going through the end of the first section, you can drop down to a stone and skip 1 note and a lot of walking.) Potential improvements with the new route I see after comparing the RTA run and this submission (details in my previous submission "impossible improvements"): - Improve bridge section: find best level orders and minimize losses from inoptimal enemy positions + horizontal vine boost + rock jump before bridge section (Potential saves: 0~30 + 1~2 + 1~2) - Make sure no other skips remain undiscovered.
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MESHUGGAH
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1. File > Open ROM: Load ROM. 2. File > Movie: Load Movie. 3. File > AVI/WAV > Configure and Record: Click on it. A dialog will list at least these two important ones: AVI writer and FFmpeg writer 4. Select AVI writer or FFmpeg writer. Click OK on this dialog. 5. New dialog pops up to change path to save your once completed video file. Click OK. edit: 6. depending on which "writer" you choose, you will need to set up your configuration for example which codec you want to use. 7. If everything worked, you will see this in the bottom left corner where the game would be displayed: A/V capture started.
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MESHUGGAH
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- The name of the ROM you are using? for example Super Mario Bros.nes - The core you are using? for example NESHawk or QuickNES
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MESHUGGAH
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- Which emulator? (BizHawk 2.3.2 for example) - Any settings you modified from default?
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MESHUGGAH
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^ Obviously not. Source: Wiki: TASBot edit: "current site policy" is that anything else than Wiki: Nach/FairUse which only talks about video game speedrun encodes?
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(Just uploading what I wrote on IRC a few days ago) Looks really nice! Some features could be added. - as magneticduck told, you can't just jump to a level. I was going to add that a while ago, but my workflow didn't need it.. - the loading function is probably this: window.load('bigassstring') - controls: X/Space + arrows
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MESHUGGAH
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MESHUGGAH
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Who on earth would think "the TAS is too close to the real-time speedrun. Let's reject it and not publish it."
I also opposed against these "Too close to RTA", "no superhuman involved", "trivial, educational" etc stuffs. Some submissions that got rejected because of these reasons #5799: Flip & ajfirecracker's Genesis Aladdin, Disney's "game end glitch" in 00:02.64 #5332: Ready Steady Yeti's DS Victorious: Taking the Lead "100%" in 44:29.04 #5104: PikachuMan's NES Palamedes "Tournament" in 06:26.56
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Yes, that's where it's incomplete. What does critical ending routines consists of? Just compare the two judgement note about what is required for game completion and what happens in the TASes. #4308: pirohiko & finalfighter's NES Mega Man in 00:32.11 <-- accepted TAS #3903: Masterjun & FractalFusion's GBC Pokémon: Red/Green/Blue/Yellow Version "glitched" in 01:10.47 <-- rejected TAS
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MESHUGGAH
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Thanks Patashu, yes, I've thought about Overlord specifically, for pokémon I've thinking about another one but this is also excellent examples.
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MESHUGGAH
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^ This is more of a movie rules / judging issue (eg off topic). I don't remember this submission but usually the judgement for these were "Too trivial to standout from a non-assisted run", that is the "TAS can be easily replicated without tool assistance". These TASes (those which really reached the ending and submitted to TASVideos) does completes the games. edit:
I think this goes once again to the question of what constitutes "completing" the game. Clearly simply showing the end credits is not enough. Something else needs to be done in addition to that. But what, exactly?
From Wiki: MovieRules.html#MovieMustBeComplete Where applicable, the movie must reach an ending screen that positively signifies a game is finished successfully. Reaching a game-over screen is not considered beating the game. If a game shows the same ending screen regardless of success or failure, reaching it is not considered successful completion. Also note that this rule isn't complete. For example one of the pokémon TAS got cancelled/rejected/delayed which only jumped to the "THE END" graphic. More information about game ending and that example: How to define a game's ending? Thread #10470: How to define a game's ending?
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MESHUGGAH
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dwangoAC + Feasel Wii Punchout TAS demonstration: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/443965863?t=07h30m41s I think this was a really cool demonstration. - Done before the blindfolded run, which was already present in past GDQ's so viewers had an easy time figuring out what's up - For whatever reason, maybe the clothes, or the body language, but it looked and sounded casual, easy to understand and somehow easy to relate (maybe the good examples shown in A/B test or lack of hard, technical words)
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Post subject: Re: TASBot at ESA, SGDQ, RPG LB, and Desert Tesla Charity Drive
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Helping post.
dwangoAC wrote:
Yes, this is a *lot*. Some of this may come as a surprise as I personally haven't made update posts here due to the TASVideos forums being slower than using the https://Discord.TAS.Bot server and there are fewer people here that seem to want to help as evidenced by the feedback in the last thread.
- For me the surprise is what you wrote despite that multiple users expressed their intention to help as evidenced by the some good feedback feedback in the last thread - Please use feos' format so people are aware of and be able to help rather than trying to figure out how to help. Post #480508 I mean, I think you misinterpret the situation. You are right that there aren't posts about "hello I'm going to help you, give me a task!!i". But there are people who would like to contribute to these events as well, regardless of intention. (edit: removed last sentence) Quoting DrD2k9:DON'T stop asking for help! Also looking forward the TAS Block.
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edit: (referring to jlun2's post of RachelB's memory card thingy) I've also added it with my notes to my Wiki: MESHUGGAH/ForbiddenTechniques page Techniques conflicting with rules > No tampering with the files the game is composed of > last example.
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While I said already this "use same logic for a counter argument as someone tried to use it as apro argument" edit: bringing us to nowhere but group of folks playing with words, can we settle down this "Digital input is OK" and "Can detect and react to it" once for all? If you see my sheet page 2 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kEjJk6uFgubSlqcFp2IntZvbrW7VsjI6KKuWiRfPMRI/edit#gid=1352960988, all the techniques listed in this debate can fit in the OODA loop. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OODA_loop. In other words, all these techniques can be defended straight from the software side and yes, I did used the most straightforward and cheapest (as in resources) example per attack techniques. Also I think these arguments don't make sense, as most of the techniques listed in my forbidden techs shares this too while they don't get a pass on TASVideos.
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