Joined: 6/13/2006
Posts: 3300
Location: Massachussetts, USA
The problem with TASing Steam games (which I know, I tried with Portal) is that all of the tools for TASing are present, but they cannot be used in tandem.
Let's assume that there's 2 main important tools in TASing: slowdown (or frame advance) and rerecords. Steam games have both of these (and even very advanced forms of memory watching and genie codes, but I won't get into that.) The problem lies in the code itself. When you activate time scale (slowdown) or single step (frame advance) the way the game reacts after loading a save (rerecord) is very bad. The game itself literally freezes. When you load a save, the game spends a random number of frames where the game itself is frozen; even trying to create a load save script to wait a number of frames before unpausing will cause the game to crash; and even then you won't have consistent frame advancing to certain frame numbers that you made a save at.
To summarize, you can EITHER use rerecords, or frame advance; but not both. The movies on this site are made using both; movies made with only one are usually rejected.
I don't know that he was trying to submit it here flop. I think he was just trying to show us something cool, which he did.
I enjoyed No Mercy, haven't had a chance to check out the 2nd one.
A few questions - before the 'rescue call', I never saw a hunter, or smoker, and only 1 boomer. How did this happen? Also, was this at easy difficulty, or did no zombie ever hit you?
Also, is it a PC only thing to play by yourself? I've only played on the 360, and the CPU players are always there.
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.
I thought the main problem with this kind of tasing was that slowing down the timescale changed the physics, so that things where possible that shouldn't be.
there was talk at SDA about making a mod to make hl tasable but it hasn't happened.
I don't know that he was trying to submit it here flop. I think he was just trying to show us something cool, which he did.
I enjoyed No Mercy, haven't had a chance to check out the 2nd one.
A few questions - before the 'rescue call', I never saw a hunter, or smoker, and only 1 boomer. How did this happen? Also, was this at easy difficulty, or did no zombie ever hit you?
Also, is it a PC only thing to play by yourself? I've only played on the 360, and the CPU players are always there.
Don't plan on submitting, just wanted an appreciative audience.
You may have noticed the number of Common Infected was pretty sparse too. When you're running with only one guy and not stopping for anything, the Common Infected in the area I'm running from don't even see me, so they just stand there. This causes the next area to not spawn CI since theres a bunch already spawned. A similar thing happens with the special infected. They only spawn if you are in an attackable position. Since i move so fast, they just stay in ghost mode chasing behind me.
It was on easy and i do get hit a few times.
Yes, i deleted the other survivors. pc only.
errror1 wrote:
I thought the main problem with this kind of tasing was that slowing down the timescale changed the physics, so that things where possible that shouldn't be.
there was talk at SDA about making a mod to make hl tasable but it hasn't happened.
hmm i dont think this applies to l4d. you can do all the things i did on an xbox if your patient enough.
anywho im gonna make more if you like it.
Joined: 4/18/2006
Posts: 179
Location: East Petersburg, PA
A number of things:
You can bunny hop in L4D. If you jump as soon as you hit the ground, you keep the same speed you were going. This is useful for any level with ramps or hills.
I don't know what version of L4D you used (I didn't get to watch the videos fully yet), but the release version of the game is the best version to use for speedrunning. It has tons of glitches, and if you were going to do a TSA (Timescale Assisted) or TAS (Using the frame advance built into the game), then you should do it on the Release version.
You should keep watch on the SDA L4D thread, as information there is very useful. Also, there is a L4D speedrun that has been verified on SDA and will be release hopefully soon, but I'm told it doesn't do all the glitches possible in the Release version :(.
If you need any other info (like improvements to your current runs), just ask. I'm glad to help.
"I think we can put our differences behind us... for science, you monster."
It's not the release version. At 3:30 in the No Mercy video, you can see a metal automatic door. This door replaced a normal door that can be destroyed with a pipe bomb - a good example of a way a run in the release version could be faster.
I don't know if it's compatible with the release version, but a TAS of Crash Course would be very impressive. It's shorter than the other ones, so a time around 7 minutes would be possible.
Your No Mercy video mentions that this is possible on a 360. How do you access the console on an XBox 360?
A number of things:
If you need any other info (like improvements to your current runs), just ask. I'm glad to help.
Thanks for the tips! this is really just to jumpstart L4D tasing, but if no one else moves in on the scene then i will definitely implented bunnyhopping. as far as version glitches, trust me i know :p but im not sure how i would go about unupdating it. any ideas?
Chamale wrote:
Your No Mercy video mentions that this is possible on a 360. How do you access the console on an XBox 360?
You can't, but in theory nothing i do in that run would be impossible. i think.
I don't know if it's compatible with the release version, but a TAS of Crash Course would be very impressive. It's shorter than the other ones, so a time around 7 minutes would be possible.
speaking of which: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpkMXn0dFyQ i could probably get 7 minutes if i kill the tanks faster. i need to use more luck manipulation, which(seeing as it would something along the lines of "play the whole level and then see if you get gas cans at the VERY END") is a real pain.
anyways, enjoy.
quick question: how can i make my updated version go back to the release version?
Find L4d on DVD, install it, don't let Steam update it (uncheck 'let Steam automatically keep this game up to date'), and play offline.
Should work I'd have thought.
quick question: how can i make my updated version go back to the release version?
Find L4d on DVD, install it, don't let Steam update it (uncheck 'let Steam automatically keep this game up to date'), and play offline.
Should work I'd have thought.
would the version theyre selling not have the updates on it?
quick question: how can i make my updated version go back to the release version?
Find L4d on DVD, install it, don't let Steam update it (uncheck 'let Steam automatically keep this game up to date'), and play offline.
Should work I'd have thought.
would the version theyre selling not have the updates on it?
I don't think so.
Finding a DVD from the original release date should be on the safe side though.
