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Alright, after some research, here is what I figured out about the new glitch. The explanations will mainly be applied in relation to the linked video and the possible breach through the wall in 1-3, but fundamentally, the glitch appears to be possible with any breakable wall. It's entirely caused by scrolling the camera the right way, but other factors (e.g. enemy placement, position of staircases nearby, may factor into it)
What actually happens is that the breakable blocks are glitched to destroy the tiles around them when hit. I suspect that internally, the game accidentally swaps the breakable block objects out for "draw a name vertical row of tiles" or "create a set of stairs" object when the glitch is performed.
The basic procedure is as follows:
1.Spawn the breakable blocks and approach them.
2.Turn back and go to the threshhold area in which the vertical row with the blocks is drawn in the screen. (1 screen away). Turn around and go to the blocks again once you hit the threshold. The area in which need to do this is very small. If you turned around too early or too late, the blocks will behave normal:
3.If everything went right, the blocks are glitched now. Possible effects are the tile destroying, but also the blocks being uninteractable with and the whip producing "hit sparks" even when the blocks are already destroyed.
Whether or not actually works often comes down to luck. How the blocks become glitched is essentially random and depends on what you did during step 1 and 2. I suspect there's also an element of time to it, rather than just pure scrolling.
During my testing, there's several repeating 'patterns' I've come across, suggesting there is some regularity in the glitch. Unfortunately, none of these would provide enough room to allow me to go through the wall in 1-3. If you try to crawl in, the game kills you, and taking damage always forces you to the left side. I've been able to cause multiple blocks to build stairs before, but in the wrong direction. So two adjacent blocks would need to be set up to eat through the wall for this glitch to save time:
The glitchy behaviour can theoretically be induced in any set of breakable blocks in the game where you have enough room to scroll the camera. I wonder what other applications it might have. Other unusual level objects, like crumbling blocks or the big boulders hiding the secret area in 3-1 might be glitched as well.
Lastly, all this was tested on Snes9x 1.43. I will make a video demonstration on a more accurate emulator.
Update:
(What a tease...)
While I managed to create a larger hole, Simon still can't fit through it, though now, it might be possible to boost through using a damage boost. Unfortunately, I was not able to set it up in such a way I'd have a horsehead ready to get me through yet. If it turns out it's still impossible even with a larger hole and the horse head damage boost you, I will be less than thrilled.
Another thing, the exact pattern you get from destroying blocks appears to be related to what enemies are on screen and may be related to internal enemy slots or something. Killing certain enemies can manipulate the glitched wall, even after it has already been set up. For that purpose, I pulled the three green things from earlier in the room while testing, there needs to be a faster way for this to be practical in a TAS.
Update 2Link to video
Video Demonstration. Made on Bizhawk 1.5.1, showcasing that it's independent of emulation accuracy.
Input file: http://tasvideos.org/userfiles/info/9803222163026098
Additionally, the glitch appears to have been fixed in the U version of the game.
Editor, Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Skilled player
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Joined: 3/31/2010
Posts: 2087
FractalFusion wrote:
I translated it as follows:
(title)
【SFC悪魔城ドラキュラ】新しいバグを見つけたけど【壁破壊バグ】
[Super Castlevania IV] Found a new bug [Wall-breaking bug]
(description)
結局なんの役にも立たなそう。
In the end, there seems to be no use for it.
(uploader comments)
RTAをしていたときのこと
This is from a RTA (speedrun).
「またリセットか・・・いやタイム止めて通し練習にしちゃおうかな」
と思って肉を取りにいくことに。
When I thought "Reset again? No, I'll practice while the time is stopped", I went to take the meat, and...
？！
?!
見たことも聞いたこともないバグに遭遇。
Encountered a bug not seen or heard before.
消された部分は通りぬけできるようになっている模様。
Indication is that one can pass through the disappeared part.
後で検証したところ、
特定の左右スクロールをさせるとこうなることがわかりました。
Afterwards, I tested it. If one does a specific left-right scroll, this will occur.
これを１面で使えば大幅なタイム短縮になるのでは？
TAS更新できるのでは！と思って検証してみることにしました。
As I thought when I tested it "If we use this in level 1, we can save a lot of time, so we can improve the TAS".
TAS検証に移ります。
So I tried to verify it by TAS.
まず、左右スクロールによって壊れる壁をバグらせます。
（バグったかどうかは目には見えません）
First, use the left-right scroll to glitch the wall. (Whether is it glitched or not cannot be seen.)
スクロールのついでに馬を連れて行きます。
While doing the scroll, take the horse along.
普通に行くと挟まれて死んじゃいますが、
馬のダメージの無敵時間を利用するとこれを回避・・・
Normally when going through, one is squeezed to death, but I tried using the horse for invincibility damage to avoid it...
できると思ったけどダメでした。
I thought it would be possible, but it didn't work.
Thanks a million, Fractal!
It clears up quite a few things I was wondering about from the video. I just hope I can disprove his assumption it's useless :P
Editor, Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Skilled player
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Hello. Sorry for my post in English, I don't speak Japanese, but that is why I'm here.
I'd like if someone could translate for me the comments and description of this video: http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm21538215
The glitch in the video could be a huge improvement to the current SCV4 run, but I do not understand what causes it or how to perform it. Therefore I'd like to know what the comments say and see if they contain any useful info. If anyone can help me translating them, that would be hugely appreciated.
Thanks and sorry again for posting in English
-scrimpeh
Editor, Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Skilled player
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So FerretWarlord notified me towards a certain trend in this thread and asked me to contribute accordingly.
As I was checking out the thread it dawned upon me. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo? Jeez, what am I gonna draw then?
[URL=http://imgur.com/seJOvxZ][/URL]
"Hi, tasvideos!"
Mugg: Really nice work there. I like the 'fuzzy' quality Scootaloo has, it makes the entire image feel warmer
This ought to be fun when people begin arguing which countries are even recognized or not. Kosovo? What is this madness?
For the record, I got about 140 countries or so right. Woulda been more if I knew how to spell certain ones. At least I now learned you spell it Tajikistan and not Tadjikistan >_>.
Editor, Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Skilled player
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Joined: 3/31/2010
Posts: 2087
hellagels wrote:
Yes vote. It is awesome to see a new zipping glitch. NKT...
Will this submission replace cpadolf's movie?
I wouldn't hope so, as cpadolf's movie shows off considerably more of Julius mode. Anything I can say about the movie has already been said, it's technically very well made and smooth, but the bosses drag on a bit. I vote yes, but I'm not entirely sure whether it's a moon or a vault one.
Editor, Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Skilled player
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Joined: 3/31/2010
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I'd like to make a case for the Souls games here. They sparingly use music outside of boss battles, but the places where it is used, it's all the more effective. Your milage may wary on those, as I'm not sure how well the themes stand on their own without experiencing the actual moment in the game they are associated with. Nevertheless, I feel they're worth a listen.
Demons' Souls:
Maiden in BlackFlamelurkerDragon God
Dark Souls:
Great Grey Wolf SifGravelord NitoArtorias the AbysswalkerGwyn, Lord of Cinder
//For something unrelated:
The Binding of Isaac has a very haunting Cave Theme
yes
Editor, Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Skilled player
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Wall of text incoming:
Hi, Mediosthenes and welcome to TASvideos. The situation with obtaining ROMs is a tough subject indeed, but for the site, you're just not allowed to post links to copyrighted ROMs or ROM sites on the forum.
As far as the legal situation of obtaining ROMs is concerned, copyright law holds that you're permitted to obtain a ROM if you already own the game legally - as a copy for yourself - under fair use. (In fact, you could even dump a ROM from the cartridge yourself if you have technology.)
However, the law isn't entirely clear on the matter and it probably only applies to the US if at all, so it falls into sort of a grey area overall. If you wish to avoid downloading ROMs, your best bet are free- and shareware games, but they are very uncommon outside of Home and Personal Computers. You mentioned the SNES in your post, for which freeware games are very rare, so if you want to TAS systems like it, I fear you're kinda out of luck.
Do note that the movie files themselves are not subject to copyright, and those are what you end up actually submitting. As long as the movie plays back correctly for the judges, everything is good.
However, realistically it's very, very, very, very unlikely that you ever will get in trouble for downloading ROMs due to their age and small size. (There's also the concept of abandonware, but it doesn't apply for many games, especially with digital distribution of old games becoming popular) And, in practice, nobody ever asks where you got your ROMs from.
I understand it however if you do not wish to violate copyright, and it really is a barrier most people don't even consider anymore. Legally, you quite honestly should have nothing to worry about in any case but if your concerns are ethical, you may want to only stick to ROMs of games which you've bought or games which are freeware.
If you just want to try out some TASing, you can also look for homebrew games like Battle Kid for the NES. While they also are for sale, they usually have free Demo versions which you can use.
Hoping that helps.
Editor, Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Skilled player
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Joined: 3/31/2010
Posts: 2087
Personally, I think we should give the credit to the hard-working industrious playerbase at tasvideos, allowing for this amazing feat by submitting such an extraordinary amount of movies lately. Wouldn't have been possible without them.
Editor, Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Skilled player
(1407)
Joined: 3/31/2010
Posts: 2087
I highly anticipated the movie, and you certainly did not disappoint. The precision and attention to detail stuck out throughout the entire movie, and there were a ton of small little highlights that made the run special, especially towards the item cleanup. The shinesparks chains and speed boost space jumps were a treat as well. Great watch and an amazing improvement to the existing run. Yes vote.
Editor, Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Skilled player
(1407)
Joined: 3/31/2010
Posts: 2087
I'd be excited to see an Adventure: Rebirth TAS, I wonder how much it'd differ from the unassisted runs. Other than not using the copout of easy difficulty to skip the second form of the final boss, naturally.
What actually happens is that the breakable blocks are glitched to destroy the tiles around them when hit. I suspect that internally, the game accidentally swaps the breakable block objects out for "draw a name vertical row of tiles" or "create a set of stairs" object when the glitch is performed.
The basic procedure is as follows:
1.Spawn the breakable blocks and approach them.
2.Turn back and go to the threshhold area in which the vertical row with the blocks is drawn in the screen. (1 screen away). Turn around and go to the blocks again once you hit the threshold. The area in which need to do this is very small. If you turned around too early or too late, the blocks will behave normal:
3.If everything went right, the blocks are glitched now. Possible effects are the tile destroying, but also the blocks being uninteractable with and the whip producing "hit sparks" even when the blocks are already destroyed.
Whether or not actually works often comes down to luck. How the blocks become glitched is essentially random and depends on what you did during step 1 and 2. I suspect there's also an element of time to it, rather than just pure scrolling.
During my testing, there's several repeating 'patterns' I've come across, suggesting there is some regularity in the glitch. Unfortunately, none of these would provide enough room to allow me to go through the wall in 1-3. If you try to crawl in, the game kills you, and taking damage always forces you to the left side. I've been able to cause multiple blocks to build stairs before, but in the wrong direction. So two adjacent blocks would need to be set up to eat through the wall for this glitch to save time:
The glitchy behaviour can theoretically be induced in any set of breakable blocks in the game where you have enough room to scroll the camera. I wonder what other applications it might have. Other unusual level objects, like crumbling blocks or the big boulders hiding the secret area in 3-1 might be glitched as well.
Lastly, all this was tested on Snes9x 1.43. I will make a video demonstration on a more accurate emulator.
Update:
(What a tease...)
While I managed to create a larger hole, Simon still can't fit through it, though now, it might be possible to boost through using a damage boost. Unfortunately, I was not able to set it up in such a way I'd have a horsehead ready to get me through yet. If it turns out it's still impossible even with a larger hole and the horse head damage boost you, I will be less than thrilled.
Another thing, the exact pattern you get from destroying blocks appears to be related to what enemies are on screen and may be related to internal enemy slots or something. Killing certain enemies can manipulate the glitched wall, even after it has already been set up. For that purpose, I pulled the three green things from earlier in the room while testing, there needs to be a faster way for this to be practical in a TAS.
Update 2
Link to video
Video Demonstration. Made on Bizhawk 1.5.1, showcasing that it's independent of emulation accuracy.
Input file: http://tasvideos.org/userfiles/info/9803222163026098
Additionally, the glitch appears to have been fixed in the U version of the game.
[/URL]
"Hi, tasvideos!"
Mugg: Really nice work there. I like the 'fuzzy' quality Scootaloo has, it makes the entire image feel warmer
[/URL]
...Oh god.