Encode of the first submitted movie: (flowplayer module removed)
Encode of the second submitted movie: (note: has 48khz sound despite the movie was played with 32khz, read below how I created this) http://www.mediafire.com/file/81gy6k0ey7tkpz4/roadrunnersdeathvalleyrally-tasv2-partyboy1a.mp4
This run plays Road Runner in a fairly fast manner.
Rules:
  • any%
  • takes damage to save time
  • abuses programming errors
Suggested screenshots (the frame number is given in the filename of the image):
(removed)

You must use the following sound settings for the movie to playback properly:
  • Config -> SNES -> Flexible Sound Sample Mix turned off (otherwise you will encounter random desyncs, for example when fast-forwarding)
  • Config -> Sound -> Playback Rate -> 32kHz (desyncs in 5-3 if you use 48kHz)
  • Config -> Sound -> Interface -> DirectSound
  • Config -> Sound -> Interface -> Mix Interval -> 50ms (or more)
  • Sync samples with sound CPU must be turned on, or you will get very bad sound effects

Some tricks I used in this run
  • "Instant stop": while running to the right with full speed without Y, you can use (<Y)(<Y)(>Y)(<Y) for performing an instant stop.
  • "Horizontal jumps from vertical ramps": If you're running up a ramp by pressing right and want to jump from it horizonally (and not upwards and a bit sidewards), press (>Y)(>Y)(<B)(<B)

Comments for most of the levels
1-1: The jump after the elevator is almost impossible to perform, you need exactly the right speed for that.
1-2: The platform at the very top must be hit to let it start moving and at the same time, you need to land on it.
1-3: I need to wait for the elevator in that stage, so it would be useless to be faster in the beginning part.
Boss 1: There are "missed shots", and it's possible to do the last hit about 60 frames faster, but they would all go lost due to a frame rule. I tested what happens if you die while the boss is killed - the battle just starts all over again.
Boss 2: If you find a way to avoid one more damage, this one could be sped up.
3-1: Absolutely straight forward, jumping through a cactus.
3-3: The goal line must be passed as slow as possible, so i use "instant stop".
Boss 3: Exactly as fast as in a non-assisted run because of frame rules and boss design. I hope it was at least a little interesting.
4-3: I found that shortcut when I was just playing around a little. You need to be in invulnerable mode while performing it, otherwise you just fall down.
Boss 4: As far as I know, all events at this boss are timer-based.
5-2: I could use a rather large shortcut here. I'm picking up the bird seed because i do have to wait there for manipulating an enemy, and without collecting it, i would lose several seconds later on.
Final boss: Taking damage is way faster than avoiding it because you can also be hit by the explosions.

Hopefully you enjoy this run.

sgrunt: Replaced the submission file with a 16 frames faster version that also addresses a desync.
klmz: The updated submission file can only be played properly with sound frequency set to 32kHz while the original one could be played properly with 48kHz. As a result, I don't think the updated one is superior to the original one. And the author seems to prefer keeping the orignal submission file.
Flygon: The 32kHz file is unpublishable. SNES9x is incapable if producing a 32kHz AVI and it also refuses to operate correctly when attempting to capture an AVI via .kkapture.
Despite any improvements the 32kHz run brings, I believe that it should not be published simply because an AVI cannot be made without screen capture software. Screen capture software shouldn't be used, however, due to the high risks of dropped frames and the such.
Basically... I'm aware my position of Publisher doesn't exactly allow me to do a Judges work, but unless an encodeless Publication is made, SNES9x has fixed 32kHz AVI dumping, or an alternative means of capture can be made, I seriously think that the 48kHz edition should be reinstated.
partyboy1a: The game behaves different on different sound settings. I saved 6 or 7 frames of random lag and 9 or 10 frames for a jump which is impossible to do on the other movie for unknown reasons. I previously had to cut out two jumps as they suddenly became impossible too. I consider the difference as purely emulator-specific. And as no one seems to be able to encode the faster version, I think it should be reverted to the older file. In case of publication, it might be easiest to write it somewhere as a sidenote like this: "There is a slightly faster version available, see submission text for details."
Edit: I figured out a workaround for that: Play new movie in 32kHz, but create a savestate at frame 62450. Afterwards, switch to 48kHz, start AVI recording, play the movie up to this frame, load the savestate and continue. Edit: I created one myself.

klmz: Delayed due to our technical problems. Please be patient while we are looking for a solution.
klmz: Accepted as no problem was seen during my judging.

TASVideoAgent
They/Them
Moderator
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 14772
Location: 127.0.0.1
This topic is for the purpose of discussing #2814: partyboy1a's SNES Road Runner's Death Valley Rally in 19:59.67
caitsith2
He/Him
Player (46)
Joined: 3/26/2004
Posts: 194
Edit: Scratch that. This game is way too touchy. Any speedup/slowdown is enough to cause a desync.
MarbleousDave
He/Him
Player (12)
Joined: 9/12/2009
Posts: 1554
I was going to vote, but a desync happened level 5-2. The same thing happened to me in Rocman X in level 6-1, which started the run with one version before finishing with another (same thing that happened with Action 52) Version of Emulator: SNES9x 1.51 rerecording v6 Make a save state right at the end of level 5-2.
Player (116)
Joined: 5/13/2009
Posts: 700
Location: suffern, ny
If you look at the emulator specifications that he used, they seem odd. The have to match in order for it to synch, and to sych with speed change, such as fast forward.
[19:16] <scrimpy> silly portuguese [19:16] <scrimpy> it's like spanish, only less cool
Joined: 8/11/2010
Posts: 18
I'm getting the desync after 5-2, as well. I'm using snes9x 1.51 rerecording svn147. Edit: Forgot to mention that I already made the changes mentioned in the submission text.
Player (136)
Joined: 9/18/2007
Posts: 389
maybe even that's important i used snes9x svn113. i'm sorry for that odd emulator settings, but you can prove yourself that this game has nondeterministic behaviour -start the movie, let it play for a while (i think 1000 frames are enough) -do a ramsearch reset -restart the movie and search for nonequal values. it will help me if you give me a savestate shortly before the desync. edit sorry, yesterday it synced, today it doesnt. i'll give you a new file as fast as possible. should i cancel this submission then and post a new one?
Joined: 8/11/2010
Posts: 18
How close to the when we notice the desync do you want it? I have one that's about 300-350 frames before I see problems. It's in stage 5-3 during the long upward climb, specifically 3 jumps after the flag that you get. It seems like a dash is cancelled out and the Roadrunner doesn't make it to one of the platforms, at which point, it's just running back and forth until Game Over.
Player (136)
Joined: 9/18/2007
Posts: 389
300 frames is fine
Joined: 8/11/2010
Posts: 18
Wow...I've never had so many problems uploading a file online... I hate using MegaUpload, but here's the link to the savestate. http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3BHLX5YP
Joined: 4/14/2010
Posts: 146
Location: France
This run synched for me on snes9x-1.51-rerecording-svn147 Here is my .cfg configuration. I made a bunch of savestates during the play back (but didn't load one once), maybe it helped the movie to synch. Here are a couple of savestates I took during the play back. Note that they are in a complete disorder, because I was lazy. Anyway, a solid yes vote. The pace of the run and the game animations were great. I hope I'll be able to encode this movie, but don't expect to have it before tomorrow - I'm currently in a cybercafe.
Player (136)
Joined: 9/18/2007
Posts: 389
hmmm.... strange for me that it synced. i have fixed the desync and even could save some frames out of nowhere. here it is http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/985937795/roadrunner-by-partyboy-fixed.smv that one is a little shorter, 71980 frames. i'd like to replace my submission with the new file. btw, thanks for the savestate, i could test for syncing with it. i'd like to replace the current submission file. do i need to cancel this and create a new submission for that?
Warepire
He/Him
Editor
Joined: 3/2/2010
Posts: 2174
Location: A little to the left of nowhere (Sweden)
partyboy1a wrote:
hmmm.... strange for me that it synced. i have fixed the desync and even could save some frames out of nowhere. here it is: http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/985937795/roadrunner-by-partyboy-fixed.smv that one is a little shorter, 71980 frames. i'd like to replace my submission with the new file. btw, thanks for the savestate, i could test for syncing with it. i'd like to replace the current submission file. do i need to cancel this and create a new submission for that?
Nah... Just wait for someone with rights to edit submissions and that person will update the submission for you.
Joined: 8/11/2010
Posts: 18
I have to look further into it, but the config settings from Critical Five got it to sync for me. I don't know what the problem was, 'cause my config settings seemed to match with the exception of one of the sound options.
Joined: 4/14/2010
Posts: 146
Location: France
Encode of the first submitted movie: http://ia360704.us.archive.org/5/items/SnesRoadRunnersDeathValleyRallyIn1959.93ByPartyboy1a/roadrunnersdeathvalleyrally-tas-partyboy1a.mp4 Note that to be publishable, the pixel aspect ratio of this encode has to be changed to 1=7:6 A priori, I won't encode the newest submission.
mklip2001
He/Him
Editor
Joined: 6/23/2009
Posts: 2224
Location: Georgia, USA
My snes9x doesn't have the same names for the settings, it seems, as what is listed in the submission text, but I eventually got this to sync by setting my Mix Interval to 60ms and my Buffer Length to 80ms. It was quite an entertaining run with tons of Looney Tunes goodness. The trick in 4-3 is especially an eye-opener. Yes vote.
Used to be a frequent submissions commenter. My new computer has had some issues running emulators, so I've been here more sporadically. Still haven't gotten around to actually TASing yet... I was going to improve Kid Dracula for GB. It seems I was beaten to it, though, with a recent awesome run by Hetfield90 and StarvinStruthers. (http://tasvideos.org/2928M.html.) Thanks to goofydylan8 for running Gargoyle's Quest 2 because I mentioned the game! (http://tasvideos.org/2001M.html) Thanks to feos and MESHUGGAH for taking up runs of Duck Tales 2 because of my old signature! Thanks also to Samsara for finishing a Treasure Master run. From the submission comments:
Shoutouts and thanks to mklip2001 for arguably being the nicest and most supportive person on the forums.
Player (136)
Joined: 9/18/2007
Posts: 389
ok... as far as i have seen the original submission syncs if you also set sound frequency to 48000hz while the "fixed" one requires 32000hz. is that right? then i just would stay with the original submission, and i add that to my submission text. edit although i just copied all the moves, the level is completed 3 frames slower, but the boss starts faster for whatever reason. there is only one move (the very last jump) executed a little faster (less than 7 frames), and we already have an encode for the original run. if one wants to encode the newer movie, it would be ok to use the newer file, otherwise it's a little easier just to keep the original. i thought it to be not syncing at all when i posted the "fixed" version. sorry for making it a little difficult for you.
Active player (432)
Joined: 4/21/2004
Posts: 3516
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Thanks for the encode Critical Five. I enjoyed this run. The author seems to planned his run very well and it payed off. Congrats to your first submission partyboy and I hope it will get accepted. Used to play all the time this game when I was a tiny fist :P
Nitrogenesis wrote:
Guys I come from the DidyKnogRacist communite, and you are all wrong, tihs is the run of the mileniun and everyone who says otherwise dosnt know any bater! I found this run vary ease to masturbate too!!!! Don't fuck with me, I know this game so that mean I'm always right!StupedfackincommunityTASVideoz!!!!!!
Arc wrote:
I enjoyed this movie in which hands firmly gripping a shaft lead to balls deep in multiple holes.
natt wrote:
I don't want to get involved in this discussion, but as a point of fact C# is literally the first goddamn thing on that fucking page you linked did you even fucking read it
Cooljay wrote:
Mayor Haggar and Cody are such nice people for the community. Metro City's hospitals reached an all time new record of incoming patients due to their great efforts :P
Player (136)
Joined: 9/18/2007
Posts: 389
i'd like to know if the updated version works for you (set sound frequency to 32khz, set the rest as described in the submission) - and if someone is willing to encode it. if yes to both, it's a good thing to use the newer file.
Warepire
He/Him
Editor
Joined: 3/2/2010
Posts: 2174
Location: A little to the left of nowhere (Sweden)
Watched the encode and I totally loved this run. There is some great planning here and nice shortcuts. Yes vote.
Experienced player (953)
Joined: 12/3/2008
Posts: 936
Location: Castle Keep
This was hilarous to watch, the game doesnt seem very interresting but jokes was great and action is realy fast paced, easy yes vote. Nomination for funny tas ? :p
Editor
Joined: 3/10/2010
Posts: 899
Location: Sweden
This was entertaining and well run, yes vote.
Joined: 8/11/2010
Posts: 18
I agree with the others here who have watched the run. It is incredible. It is a perfect example of excellent game choice and gameplay, with just a little bit of glitch abuse. If I could vote Yes more than once, I would.
Joined: 11/2/2007
Posts: 103
I think i'd be more interested in an all flags run or something. The levels are usually straightforward until the whole flag collecting deal comes into play.. that's about where things start to get interesting from a platforming perspective. much of the time they're in some pretty strange places. Still, I've been waiting for just a fun run of this game, period, so I'm behind it.
Joined: 5/14/2007
Posts: 525
Location: Pisces-Cetus filament
Great TAS of a somewhat boring game. It should be published.
Cheezwizz wrote:
I think i'd be more interested in an all flags run or something. The levels are usually straightforward until the whole flag collecting deal comes into play.
Me too.
AzumaK wrote: I swear my 1 year old daughter's favorite TASVideo is your R4MI run :3 xxNKxx wrote: ok thanks handsome feos :D Help improving TASVideos!
Player (136)
Joined: 9/18/2007
Posts: 389
Cheezwizz wrote:
The levels are usually straightforward
No, they are not. Just try playing the game, you will notice most levels are more like a maze with much trial-and-error, I just make them look like that. Even in 3-1 where I'm running to the right all the time, you won't find the right path on your first try. I consider an "all flags" run to be at least 10, maybe even (edited) 60 minutes longer, for example 4-3 will be at least one minute longer, that could be quite long for that game. For making that movie, you would at least need pictures of the complete level layout like they exist for Sonic (I don't know how to create them), and it requires much more spare time than I have at the moment. You're free to try it, I think you will require at least 200 hours. I would give you hints for doing it. Just a note: For the nice bird seed management, I TASed all the levels while consuming the least possible amount of seed (I always used seed to start running as it saves more than 20 frames, except in one place where it would be too "expensive"), and afterwards, I thought of where using additional seed saves the biggest amount of time. However, only level 5 required bigger amounts of seed management since you don't have enough to use it for every opportunity. This gets much more complicated in an "all flags" run since you also would have to consider using death to refill seed and to pick up seed more often. And, of course, thanks for the positive feedback. Edit: I tested an "all flags" run for 1-1 (it's not going to replace the submission). You can get it here (use above sound settings and use 48kHz). It is somehow optimized, but far from perfect. I think much of the fast pace the submitted run has goes lost for collecting the flags. Since that's becoming a little bit off-topic, it might be a good idea to discuss about it in the SNES forum.