Pokémon X, along with Pokémon Y, is the first mainline 3D Pokémon game, the first mainline Pokémon game to feature diagonal movement or movement not on a grid, the first mainline Pokémon game on the 3DS, the game that introduced the Fairy Type and changed the Type advantage chart for the first time since Gold and Silver, and the highest critically rated games in the series. Duraludon uses RNG manipulation and the latest RTA strategies to skate through the game in record time, proving Steel-Types are still the best despite the Type advantage nerfs.
Game objectives
- Emulator used: BizHawk 2.10.0 (Encore)
- The objective is to beat the game as fast as possible, defeating the Champion and then losing the final post-Champion fight (because it's faster than winning).
- Sync settings:
- Is New 3DS: True
- Region value: USA
- Use Real Time: False
- Initial Time: 12/20/2001 7:06:08 AM
- Random Initial Ticks: False
- Initial Tick count: 0
- Note that while the initial time is set to 7AM, the game should interpret this as 11PM. When the player character leaves her house, it should be dark outside.
- Goal: Fastest Completion
- Uses intentional deaths
- Heavy luck manipulation
- Genre: RPG
Comments
I mostly used the RTA world record video for help with movement and the latest RTA route (no Lucky Egg v4, with Metronome).
I did not plan to get or maniplate Pokérus. I don't know when I got it.
From my testing, battle RNG is based on when the battle starts; waiting inside a battle (like in Gen 3) does not change the results of moves (e.g., crits) while waiting to start a battle (like the SoulSilver TAS) does. Waiting to select a static Pokémon (e.g., Chespin) will change their stats and Nature. I do not know how to manipulate an encounter's stats/etc. provided one happens, but I can manipulate an encounter to not happen.
Doing the Elite Four with just Lucario was non-negotiable. Not bringing Bulbasaur on this route is likely a TAS-only strat.
The run is not completely optimal, but still incredibly fast. Getting wind on Route 13 was the most painful time loss.
Every fight I did RNG manip was faster than the fight would be if they were not manipulated. For some fights, it was faster to do the less optimal fight because the manipulation would have taken too long.
Lysandre 2 was the least likely fight to maniplate. Gyarados needs to be Knocked Out by a max roll (1/16) critical hit (1/16) Rock Tomb (95% accurate), which is a 1/269 chance.
Due to TAS timing, it was not worth it to manipulate a crit from AZ's Torkoal. A faster RTA time would use Swords Dance, but it would increase the TAS timing unless timing the "Mashing End."
Time comparison
This movie beats the current RTA WR by 22 minutes and 36.93 seconds (RTA timing, "Mashing End"), and beats the community Sum of Best time by 16 minutes and 43.84 seconds.
Other comments
Future improvements:
- Better starting RNG seed so I don't have to wait to manip a runnable Chespin, crit on Froakie, or take extra steps to encounter Bunnelby.
- Better Roller Skates and Bike movement.
- Faster text mashing, should such a thing be possible.
- RNG manip more fights.
- Don't buy Repels or the Antidote, as they are unneeded. Also catch Hawlucha in a Poké Ball or Luxury Ball so I don't have to buy a Dusk Ball.
- Get fewer encounters in Glittering Cave (three or even two instead of four).
- Tighter money routing so I can afford another Protein.
- Get Pokérus earlier to make some fights faster and/or easier.
- Bunnelby, the Kanto starter, and/or Lapras are Shiny because that would be really funny.
- Catch Xerneas in a Repeat Ball for the same reason.
- Better stats on Hawlucha: best Attack and Speed, and a + Attack neutral Speed Nature.
- No encounter or item on the Rock Smash rock in Victory Road. Despite being a 1/3 chance for each, I got a string of items followed by a long string of encounters
- Start at a time earlier to guarantee no wind on Route 13. There is no wind for the entirety of 2001-12-19, and any time where the minute starts with a 1, 3, or 5. In this run, the time when I entered the Route was around 12:47:40 A.M.
Note to encoders: there are two known desynchs:
- If Froakie is not fainting on frame 15295, start over.
- Make a savestate on frame 78801 and reload it. This fixes a desync in the text mashing.
Submitted movie ("Earliest End") ends at TAS timing. An alternate movie file that gets the fastest RTA time ("Mashing End") was also created but I don't know how to submit it. I also don't know how to get my rerecord count or if the count is accurate because I started this project on a different .tasproj file.
Suggested thumbnail screenshot frames:
16053, 128478, 558202, 573274, 666588
16053, 128478, 558202, 573274, 666588
All of these only need the top screen in the screenshot, if possible.
CoolHandMike: Claiming for judging.
CoolHandMike: Despite the author noting some potential improvements this looks well optimized. Movement and route were well planned, and fights are over in one or two moves. There needs to be a save state saved then loaded immediately for sync reasons, but this is acceptable since this during the movie that is currently playing.
Accepting to Standard.
Great job!
CoolHandMike: Replacing file with a 0 re-record count per request.