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[NesVideoAgent]

This is an automatically posted message for discussing submission: #1068: Acmlm's Genesis Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom in 1:37:56

See details at: http://tasvideos.org/1068S.html

Submission status: published
Last edited by: DeHackEd

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The submission message follows:

• Recorded with Gens movie 9f
• Luck manipulation
• Abuses programming errors

Phantasy Star 3 is a little different from the rest of the series, but still a good RPG by itself, featuring 3 generations and 4 possible endings (all similar, but different characters and plot). It's one of my old favorites on the Genesis, so I decided to try it.

This run only took 2 days, but it's actually my second one for this game, as I made a test run (2:46:10) a few months ago and most of the planning was already done. Since Tetrisphere held me back from this for a while, I guess I got motivated to do it once I finally could ...

Luck manipulation

To determine random battles, a step countdown is used: it's reset randomly (16-79) in specific situations (map change, battle start, fullscreen text) and can only be manipulated by waiting before each reset. Because of this, battles can't be avoided completely, but can still be distanced a bit.

However, I get much more control on the battles themselves:

• Waiting before each affects which monsters I get, so I go for the more convenient groups that can be killed easily but still pay off enough.
• Waiting before each turn affects the order. Combined with the above, I can win all regular battles in one turn before any monster can ever attack. In fact, I never take damage except against bosses (can't beat them in one turn)!
• During a turn, pressing buttons to make a move go early (by a few frames) also affects the damage or a monster's action. Other than optimizing damage and sometimes killing in less turns, this is mostly useful against bosses, to make sure they never use techniques or kill a near dead character when the rest of the turn was otherwise fine.
• There's no critical hits or misses.

For most of the 1st generation, monster groups were manipulated to favorize those giving more meseta (gold), so I could get better equipment (which was still very limited). Otherwise, where I didn't need to fight or no monster was worth it, I only tried to avoid ambushes (monsters going first).

The stat gains on level up are also random and can be manipulated (but I get less control on multi level ups since they're all done at once). I went for full attack power first, then overall stats (HP, speed and defense, the rest can be ignored), since that's all I really need to make fights easier.

I also sometimes had to get townspeople out of the way, by waiting a few frames before they showed up on screen.

Summary

1st generation: Rhys

• I get Mieu as soon as possible, before even buying equipment, so I can get both characters ready at once for the first dungeon.
• On the way to Lena, I sacrifice Mieu's second claw so I can buy 2 Steel Knives for Rhys, as I need them more than anything for the fight against Lyle.
• I stop leveling once I get Lena. Gaining a few more levels and better weapons isn't worth the extra time, as I'd only need them for the boss at the end of the generation and they'd mean nothing later in the game.
• Backtracking to the weather control is unavoidable, the second part can't be done the first time.

2nd generation: Nial

Nial's quest here is rather unusual. Before doing anything, I use an escapipe to go back to Cille where Rhys finished. Sure enough, the king is still there waiting for a rematch, while Maia decided brown was better than blue. Once the king is defeated, the 1st generation ends again ... leading to the 3rd generation!

This is actually (and obviously) a glitch, as Nial's real quest is about as long as Rhys's and makes much more sense, not to mention he's not supposed to ever go back to Cille or the world it's in. It doesn't work for Ayn (the alternate 2nd generation), since he already starts in Cille and everything is different, so there really isn't a choice here.

3rd generation: Aron

Again, I get Aron because Adan wouldn't be able to get the Areo Parts: some of the things I skipped with Nial will have to be done here, like getting the Sub Parts and Laya's Pendant.

• I enter, exit and re-enter the dungeon for the Areo Parts, to fix the escapipe glitch (still in effect). Otherwise, using an escapipe would lead me back to Cille (once again), where I'd be stuck.
• The long walk around a few worlds just to get Laya and Laya's Pendant can't be avoided, but at least the Areo Parts help speeding it up a bit.
• Orakio's Sword must be gotten before Miun's Claw, which in turn must come before I go to Sage Isle (for Siren's Shot and learning about "Nei"), which again forces some backtracking.
• Even more backtracking as I have to visit Skyhaven twice ... once for the Aqua Parts (required for Orakio's Sword and Sage Isle), and again for the Nei weapons (after getting the legendary weapons).
• Even with a full set of Nei weapons (the best ones in the game), Mieu and Kara still need a second weapon to complete, so I get a Planar Claw and Planar Slicer for them. This cost 97800, but there's enough worth of items from chests on the way that I didn't have to fight at all.
• I got to Lashute (final dungeon) with everyone still under Level 10! Being so underleveled, while having all the best weapons and finally having the chance to fight monsters that give a lot more EXP, obviously means it's time for some serious leveling before I reach the last 2 bosses.
• Luck manipulation really does a good job at making Dark Force seem easy (I won with minimal healing), when he'd normally be doing 1 hit kills or wiping the entire party in 3 turns ...

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adelikat: Unfamiliar RPG's are often hard to judge. It is hard to tell what is going on. The key for me is the quality of luck manipulation, which looks grade A in this run.

Accepting.

[Frenom]

Wow.. this Im gonna watch :) Im on it right now ;P No delays :D

EDIT :

Ummm.. sorry that Im not with you by what you ment with the "step countdown" thingy..
But.. cant the fights be avoidable by just stoping up a frame or something like that just before the fight?



I remember back in the 90's and when this game was new and fresh and I tought that I should give this game a try.
But just after 10 min or so I got boored of the crappy graphics, sound and that he walked sooooo slow ;P
Anyway. Fun to see the ending on this game "I never managed to complete".
And if you ask me this is the "PS series little black sheep". Like..... what did they thinking :P
Phantasy Star to Master System has even better graphics and music. :]

No offence to the run though.. it was great :) good work Acmlm

[Atma]

from me, a yes vote gets this, as this game is rather evil when played on a console, and you completely and totally made it your servant :)

[Twisted Eye]

haha wow, you made this in two days? Yes you had it all planned out and such but that's still pretty awesome to me, considering how long this movie is!

Yeah I know this game, I know how boring in can be, and this run really didn't help too much since it was just hurry here talk to this guy hurry there beat up that guy, but that's typical RPG stuff. It was managed really well and that glitch used to end generation two really early was quite amusing hehe.

I had no problem watching this run, making that fast-forward button my friend for all that SLOW WALKING :P So I give it a yes!

[Xkeeper]

Frenom wrote:

[Frenom]

Ah, okey...
Well, that sucks. Thanks for cearing that out for me Xkeeper. :) Some confusing.

[MattyXB]

I don't like the game itself. But the TAS looks good and fast, so I vote yes.
The luck manipulation looks well done too.

[Highness]

WOW!

That was a nice surprise. I love secrets. :D

Going to watch it now. Thanks.


Edit:

Oh my dog! That game (?) is BORING! It should even been illegal to publish it back in the days. Wonder how many BJ's SEGA got for releasing this? =D

The good thing though, is that this movie was very well made. I can't even understand how your patientness ain't depleeted from 5 minutes with this game.
I now feel more respect towards the coders for the fast forward button! :D

This movie should be published so that people doesn't fool them selves by buying the game for example. Because they must get retarded by playing it!

Thanks for saving the world!

Yes-vote.

[Spoony_Bard]

It's kind of hard to decide how to vote on this.

On the one hand, the game is, without a doubt, pretty boring to watch. If you're not familiar with Phantasy Star lore (and even if you ARE, since this game really is the black sheep of the series) it's hard to enjoy this game. I played it once myself long long ago, and I honestly couldn't muster the energy to play through it. The graphics were weak, the pacing and walking speed was slow, and the music was pretty horrid, with the exception of the 5-member overworld bgm.

But on the other hand it IS very well played and executed. Nice job on the second generation glitch too, that probably shaved off a LOAD of time. It IS nice to see the game finished (finally!), it's only a pity the ending really isn't worth it.

The game has a nice concept, the multiple generations thing is a pretty unique aspect. It's only a pity the game never really executed it well, and that the rest of the game wasn't executed very well either.

But, it's a well-planned and well-played TAS, so I'm giving it a yes vote anyway. Major props to Acmlm, not so much for completing it, but for putting up with the game the whole way through.

[FreshFeeling]

I watched this twice ages ago, and I guess I needed to think hard about how I'd vote on it. This game is amazingly boring, but attaining this time is perhaps even more amazing. I'll give this a yes, I suppose.

[AngerFist]

Was hoping to vote on your but since this is a Final Fantasy type of game and I have 1-2% knowledge of Final Fantasy, I'll refrain from voting but uhm Go Acmlm! :)

[NesVideoAgent]

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This movie has been published.
The posts before this message apply to the submission, and posts after this message apply to the published movie.

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See http://tasvideos.org/713M.html

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[Dasrik]

Good stuff. Yes vote.

[nolem]

Really nice movie!

A Phantasy Star II run would be really cool as well :)

[Inzult]

Whoa. The level design really leaves a lot to be desired :(

But I am a fan of well executed RPG runs, and this looks like it's well executed, anyway. Good work.