TASVideos proudly presents King's Bounty in less than 10 seconds. It is a heroic tale of treachery, starring Mad Moham the Barbarian and his faithful horse.
Like before, the epic journey begins as the hero leaves the castle to recover The Sceptre of Order from a location revealed only by completing various adventurous deeds and fighting against hordes of fierce monsters and... What the... Really? The Sceptre is already found? Oh well, just roll the ending cinematics then. *sigh*
The input is 14 frames faster compared to the previous movie. The improvement would not have been feasible without gia's bot, which was used to test a lot of different luck-manipulation patterns automatically.
If you want to learn more about the bot or maybe use it check this topic: Forum/Topics/6886

Explanations

Instead of some random explanations, here is the whole controller input explained frame by frame.
Frame numberInputInput Function
0-62Not applicable
63StartFade logo.
64-231N/A
232-233idle2 frames of luck-manipulation. (Inserted by the bot.)
234StartFade logo.
235-284N/A
285StartFade title screen.
286-340N/A
341StartBegin character selection.
342idleTo register previous input.
343-347idle-Left-idle-Left-idle5 frames of luck-manipulation. As a side effect, switches character. (Inserted by the bot.)
348StartConfirm character selection: Mad Moham the Barbarian
349idleTo register previous input.
350idleLoading the difficulty selection screen.
351DownLuck-manipulation. As a side effect, switches difficulty to Hard. (Inserted by the bot.)
352idleTo register previous input.
353StartTo confirm the selected difficulty and begin the game.
354-580idleWaiting 226 frames for the game to start.
Now the gameplay begins (and lasts for 16 frames):
Frame numberInputInput Function
581ASummon action menu.
582idleTo register previous input.
583UpSwitch action.
584idleTo register previous input.
585UpSwitch action.
586idleTo register previous input.
587UpSwitch action.
588idleTo register previous input.
589UpSwitch action.
590idleTo register previous input.
591ATo select action: Search.
592idleTo register previous input.
593idleLoading the search confirmation screen.
594UpTo switch "No" to "Yes".
595idleTo register previous input.
596AConfirm search.
Input ends here. The search was successful and the sceptre was "recovered from the clutches of the evil Master Villains." (Critical note: The king himself is possibly one of those Master Villains too, but he is not depicted angry (which would prove that he is evil), because the player is on his side.)
Here are some interesting parts after the input has ended:
Frame numberInteresting notes
598This frame lags. Thus, the ending cinematics take 1 frame longer than in the previous publication.
1060-1062Garbled graphics are displayed in the lower part of the screen.
1063Colors a skeleton!
1064Congratulation message is displayed.
Add your own favorite frames here!: )

Game objectives

  • Aims for fastest time
  • Manipulates luck
  • Genre: RPG
  • Genre: Strategy
Also:
  • Uses any skill level for luck-manipulation purposes
  • Colors a skeleton
  • Pacifist
  • Used about 2 million bot rerecords (most of them after the fastest movie was already found)

Epilogue

Thanks a lot to everyone who supported the project and offered help! A more detailed discussion on how this movie was achieved can be found here: Forum/Posts/165570
Is there something else you would like to know? Feel free to ask anything.
Enjoy!

adelikat: Accepting an as improvement to the published movie.

TASVideoAgent
They/Them
Moderator
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 14776
Location: 127.0.0.1
This topic is for the purpose of discussing #2025: gia & Aqfaq's Genesis King's Bounty in 00:09.93
Senior Moderator
Joined: 8/4/2005
Posts: 5769
Location: Away
THE ridiculous run has become 14 frames more ridiculous.
Colors a skeleton
Lol.
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
Experienced player (821)
Joined: 11/18/2006
Posts: 2426
Location: Back where I belong
The previous run always made me happy. This run made me 14 frames happier. Yes vote for the run closest to theoretical perfection.
Living Well Is The Best Revenge My Personal Page
Player (244)
Joined: 8/6/2006
Posts: 784
Location: Connecticut, USA
I never watched the previous run of this, but this is pretty amazing. I like to think about what the programmers would think if they saw runs like this. I loled, so yes vote.
Emulator Coder
Joined: 1/12/2007
Posts: 95
I've never seen such a small number of saved frames count for so much. I had to watch it twice to see the spots where I blinked my eyes. Yes vote because I enjoyed the first one, and because of the 2 million bot attempts. 14 frames doesn't look like much until you realize where most of them were removed from compared to the old run.
gia
Player (108)
Joined: 5/3/2006
Posts: 223
Rerecords says 58, should edit that xD
Joined: 8/12/2004
Posts: 651
Location: Alberta, Canada
You manged to improve the best run on the site, nice job.
Editor, Expert player (2457)
Joined: 4/8/2005
Posts: 1573
Location: Gone for a year, just for varietyyyyyyyyy!!
gia wrote:
Rerecords says 58, should edit that xD
Yeah, heh. I can't tell where that figure comes from exactly, but I suppose it is the number of rerecords I used to create the optimal base input file for the bot plus the rerecords wasted on the 16 gameplay frames. It could be edited to include the bot rerecords, but I suppose it would disturb the movie statistics page quite a bit and... uh, I don't even know what the exact number of bot rerecords is. I suppose the rerecord count for this movie is doomed to be inaccurate, even though the movie itself is more or less very accurate.
upthorn
He/Him
Active player, Emulator Coder (387)
Joined: 3/24/2006
Posts: 1802
Aqfaq wrote:
[The rerecord count] could be edited to include the bot rerecords, but I suppose it would disturb the movie statistics page quite a bit and... uh, I don't even know what the exact number of bot rerecords is.
Also, there's precedent for discounting bot-made rerecords. None of the bisqbotted megaman TASes have rerecord counts in the millions.
How fleeting are all human passions compared with the massive continuity of ducks.
Skilled player (1669)
Joined: 6/11/2006
Posts: 818
Location: Arboga, Sweden
I lol'ed so hard that it brought pain to my stomach \o/
Warp wrote:
omg lol this is so fake!!!1 the nes cant produce music like this!
Editor, Expert player (2310)
Joined: 5/15/2007
Posts: 3854
Location: Germany
I look forward to another avi that says "this was a tool assisted recording" lol
adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Expert player, Site Developer, Site Owner (3581)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4736
Location: Tennessee
I think what we have here is another case where pushing a game too far as obliterated the concepts of style and class. The previous run had an optimum blance of speed and entertainment, and this run goes and destroys that with this boring frame whoring. but seriously, I vote yes, and lol. Also we have a new record in terms of submission text length vs movie run length. I've never seen 10 seconds of TAS so well documented ;P
MUGG wrote:
I look forward to another avi that says "this was a tool assisted recording" lol
Rest assured, this will happen.
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
Player (120)
Joined: 2/11/2007
Posts: 1522
This was very satisfying after having seen the original so many times... Great work! And I hope to see future improvements ;)
I make a comic with no image files and you should read it. While there is a lower class, I am in it, and while there is a criminal element I am of it, and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free. -Eugene Debs
Joined: 5/29/2004
Posts: 757
I predicted 10.09 and I was wrong by 0.16 seconds... not too damn bad for a guess. :) And a DAMN fine improvement! I wonder if this will be improved once more yet with a few months bot running... Otherwise? YES ALL THE WAY! And still brings the quote below even more into amusement. ^^ Mr. Kelly R. Flewin
Mr. Kelly R. Flewin Just another random gamer ---- <OmnipotentEntity> How do you people get bored in the span of 10 seconds? Worst ADD ever.
Experienced player (698)
Joined: 2/19/2006
Posts: 742
Location: Quincy, MA
I was looking forward to thism unfortunately I cannot watch it, it's not like I don't know what happens though. ;) Awesome job guys. It's just too funny that this game can be beaten like this.
Super Mario Bros. console speedrunner - Andrew Gardikis
Post subject: Re: #2025: gia & Aqfaq's Genesis King's Bounty in 00:09.93
Joined: 5/9/2005
Posts: 748
NesVideoAgent wrote:
As a side effect, switches difficulty to Hard.
Thats an interesting way of picking difficulty.
Post subject: Re: #2025: gia & Aqfaq's Genesis King's Bounty in 00:09.93
Joined: 7/10/2007
Posts: 280
Paused wrote:
NesVideoAgent wrote:
As a side effect, switches difficulty to Hard.
Thats an interesting way of picking difficulty.
This, of course, also has the side effect of doubling his final score.
Joined: 6/1/2006
Posts: 64
So does that mean we can add the "plays on the hardest difficulty" tag? Or is there something higher than hard?
adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Expert player, Site Developer, Site Owner (3581)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4736
Location: Tennessee
Hard is the 2nd most difficult. It also has an "Impossible" setting. Settings only affect the number of days you have to find the sceptor and final score, IIRC. And of course in this TAS, effect nothing since he plays all of ~16 frames :P
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
Joined: 7/7/2008
Posts: 3
I had to register just for this. :D About time I do so too. Am I the only one who finds the fact that NVA has a black screen as a screenshot hilarious? If I could vote, yes would be the answer.
Joined: 11/4/2007
Posts: 1772
Location: Australia, Victoria
TRON wrote:
I had to register just for this. :D About time I do so too. Am I the only one who finds the fact that NVA has a black screen as a screenshot hilarious? If I could vote, yes would be the answer.
You are not the only person amused by this.
Skilled player (1633)
Joined: 11/15/2004
Posts: 2202
Location: Killjoy
For this run, I like to think of the King as being a forgetful, paranoid, senile old fart. 'Evil Wizards have stolen my scepter!' 'No, actually, you dropped it outside, on your last walk. Here you go.'
Sage advice from a friend of Jim: So put your tinfoil hat back in the closet, open your eyes to the truth, and realize that the government is in fact causing austismal cancer with it's 9/11 fluoride vaccinations of your water supply.
Editor, Expert player (2457)
Joined: 4/8/2005
Posts: 1573
Location: Gone for a year, just for varietyyyyyyyyy!!
DarkKobold wrote:
For this run, I like to think of the King as being a forgetful, paranoid, senile old fart. 'Evil Wizards have stolen my scepter!' 'No, actually, you dropped it outside, on your last walk. Here you go.'
Heh, good one. It is always hilarious when a TAS gets to a point where a viewer needs to explicate the events like that. This movie indeed looks really strange, when you consider the plot of the game, so some speculations on "what really happened" are reasonable. Oh, by the way: It takes 10 days to search for the sceptre, so one square might represent a quite a large area in reality. The sceptre seems to be close to the castle, but it might actually be miles away from it. The concept of distance is usually one of the most poorly constructed elements in most fantasy worlds anyway.
Skilled player (1633)
Joined: 11/15/2004
Posts: 2202
Location: Killjoy
Aqfaq wrote:
Oh, by the way: It takes 10 days to search for the sceptre, so ....
Clearly, you don't know much about ye olde government work. It takes at least 3 forms (scrolls in days of yonder) to get permission to search for the scepter, which you can clearly see sticking out of the bush. Once you 'search' the area, and by search, I mean point out the considerably obvious observation that it is, in fact, sticking out of said bush, you need to call the ye olde union.... God knows you can't let non-union workers do the job of card holding union member scepter carriers. However, since vacation days comprise at least 90% of all days of the year, you have to wait 4 days for the scepter carriers to get back to work. Then, you yourself need your vacation days, so that takes the remaining 3 before the scepter can be moved 100 feet in to the castle. This is how good gov't work gets done. I really prefer the silly explanation to this movie then anything serious.
Sage advice from a friend of Jim: So put your tinfoil hat back in the closet, open your eyes to the truth, and realize that the government is in fact causing austismal cancer with it's 9/11 fluoride vaccinations of your water supply.
Editor, Expert player (2457)
Joined: 4/8/2005
Posts: 1573
Location: Gone for a year, just for varietyyyyyyyyy!!
Oh, the bureaucracy... of course...
DarkKobold wrote:
I really prefer the silly explanation to this movie then anything serious.
Me too. Everything gets even sillier when you consider the full name of the game: *fanfare* King's Bounty: The Conqueror's Quest *fanfare* *fanfare*