Hello TASvideos :)
For my first TAS, I choose one of my favourite game and one that will keep me busy for a while. It's now complete and features a little more than a 22 minutes improvment over the japanese TAS from niconicovideo. I hope you'll enjoy it.
About the TAS itself.
Emulator used : Psxjin v2.0.2 svn0
RNG :
We have a pointer located in 0x7b720 and the table related from 0x7b724 to 0x7b92f. Everytime a random number is needed, the game look at 0x7b720 and pull out the number related in the table. When the pointer reached 0x7b92f, the table is renewed and it goes back to 0x7b724. Usually the pointer moves at his own speed depending on what screen your on, but sometimes there's things you can do to make it go faster or slower.
Outside battles :
- Sometimes moving makes the pointer go faster than standing still. This is for exemple used in Alexandria Castle where you have to wait for the rotating platforms.
- When you exit a screen, standing still on the last frame will usually make the pointer go one step further, while walking on the last frame will make it stop one step before, without wasting time.
- If there's a character animation during a dialogue scene, sometimes delaying your entrance to the screen may shortened the animation and thus allow to reach earlier RNs.
In-Battle :
- The RNG bumps ahead everytime a random number is needed. In consequence, you can do some apparently unnecessary actions to make it go faster. This is for exemple used in Ipsen Castle where I hit myself twice (one for the right steal, one for inflicting status).
Random Encounter :
Except when you enter the screen where you have a little bit more time, the game perform a check every 9 steps to see if there's a battle.
First it checks the field value (0x7954F,1u). If it's 0 then no battle is possible (like in town). If not : it checks the Distance Variable and the RNG. If Distance Variable / 8 > RNG there's a battle.
In the World Map there's no other choice than Stop and Go technique to avoid a battle. Also entering or exiting a forest reset the encounter check.
Elsewhere there's 3 possibilities. Stop and Go (wastes 2 frames), walking (if done once, no time loss, twice loses 2 frames), or running along walls.
In-Battle specifics:
Size of the ATB : (60-Speed)*160
Starting ATB : [RN*257] Mod (Size of the ATB)
It fills up by 14 every frame at max speed.
When attacking, you can cancel the animation of your character by pressing L1+R1. This saves around 20 frames each time.
Critical hit :
Depending on the Spirit. With a Spirit < 24 you can't Critical. Which is why I stole the Leather Wist in the Evil Forest. To boost Zidane's Spirit. With a Spirit between 24 and 27, the odds are 6/256. With a Spirit between 28 and 31 like in the end of the TAS the odds become 9/256.
Miss :
Same as Critical.
Counter :
If Spirit >= RN Mod 100, you Counter
Stealing :
Two checks are performed. 1) If RN MOD (Lvl + Spr) > RN MOD (Enemy Lvl) then the steal will be succesful. 2) Then if RN = 0 you steal the Very rare item. if 1 < RN < 16 you steal the rare one. 17 < RN < 64, the uncommon. RN > 64 the common one.
Trance Bar : Has a size of 255 and fills up by [Spirit-[RN*7]] Mod (Spirit) everytime you get hit.
Quina's Limit Glove : Will deal 9999 damage if Quina's HP = 1. Deal 1 otherwise.
Zidane's Lucky Seven : Will deal 7,77,777, or 7777 damage if Zidane's HP end with a 7, depending on RN mod 4. If = 0 then deal 7, if 1 deal 77, ...
Steiner's Charge! : Makes all the characters in Critical HP, attack the ennemy.
Notable battles or tricks:
  • Escape from the Evil Forest :
I manipulate the Plant Spider to only target Zidane while still having the best outcome to fill his Trance Bar, so I wouldn't have to wait for Black Waltz 1 to fill it.
  • Dali :
To make Dagger appear in the Weapon shop you have to visit 3 places first. However there is a bug which allow you to go twice in the pub and still counts as two places.
  • Black Waltz 3 (1st round) :
I set up BW3 first attack to be Thundara (all). However he can only perform that while in the air, and he gets in the air only if attacked by a physical hit. So by not attacking him right away, his attack failed and his ATB is reset to 0. Then as soon as his ATB is refilled, I attack him with Zidane, so his taking off takes priority and is attack is send to the bottom of the queue line. That way he didn't even had a chance to attack ^^
  • Cleyra's Antlion :
I manipulate the Antlion's first attack to be Sandstorm. Attack who lets everybody with 1<HP<10. So Quina could Limit Glove right away. It's faster than just killing and reviving him/her.
  • Cleyra's Beatrix :
Stealing the Ice Brand from her here is way faster than picking it up in Alexandria Castle. Also this is the first time I switched Characters position so the trade their RNG. I needed Zidane to have the second RN in order to act before Beatrix.
  • Alexandria Castle's Beatrix :
The characters can counter even if the ennemy misses. As Steiner can't survive a hit but deal a whole lot of damage. It turns out to be pretty useful.
  • Fossil Roo :
After passing the last axe, if you go back toward the monster, you'll trigger his spining animation faster than if you just wait for him. This saves about 50 frames.
  • Madain Sari :
You can bring Dagger to the Eidoleon Wall before actually being asked to. This save a back and forth trip.
  • Iifa Tree :
There are 3 "easy" ways to kill undead ennemies. Phoenix Down, Life, Elixir. In order from the fastest to slowest. However Phoenix Down has only 1/11 chance to kill. So it's use as much as possible but not all the time. Also Vivi is killed so Zidane get more Exp. and reach level 17 by the end of Disc 2. That way when he'll equip the HP+20% ability, his max HP will end by 7 and allow him to Lucky Seven.
  • Before Amarant's fight :
This is the only place in the run, where auto-firing X and square makes the RNG go further than it normally would. It doesn't look clean but it's needed.
  • Tetra Master Tournament :
Having two cards fighting each other is extremely time consuming. Flipping a card also cost time. As I needed to win the 3 matches, I had to turn at least one of the opponent's card. Winning the 3 matchs reward you with a Rebirth Ring which will be extremely needed in Disc 4.
  • Mistodons in Alexandria :
By tricking the first Mistodon I managed to avoid the first battle. On the second screen, there's supposed to be a mandatory fight. However, the loading zone of the fight and the exit of the screen are very close. By walking for one frame and standing still on the last frame possible, you reach both zone at the same time. And the exit takes priority.
  • Desert Palace :
Taking the bloodstone, desactive the Boss (Valia Pira) defense enhancement, so Freya can deal a lot of damage. Otherwise she would only do 70 damage. The Shield Armor is a good bonus though.
  • Mont Gulug :
Amarant has Venom has added Status to his Claws, so he can stop the ennemy. If all the ennemies are stopped, the fight end.
  • Ipsen Castle's Boss (Taharka) :
Taharka is vulnerable to heat which happens to be the added effect of Steiner's Flame Saber. When affected by heat, any attack will suicide the character. That's it for a quick death. ^^
  • Earth Shrine's Boss :
It takes 2 Lucky Seven + 33 damage from Quina to get this boss under 25% of his max HP. Which is the limit under which Quina can eat the ennemy. Eating is less time consuming than a Limit Glove.
  • Branbal :
To trigger the FMV, you need to visit all outside places with Eiko. Going back and forth in the third one is way faster than taking the grand detour.
  • Pandemonium (the blue light you activate with a switch):
Normally passing close to a blue light triggers a fight. But by pressing the opposite side for one frame, you're out of the trigger zone and can go straight to the exit.
  • Memoria's Nova Dragon :
Here is the most complicated fight of the TAS. To kill him I needed 3 characters attacking first. One doing a Critical. Nova Dragon not countering any attack (which he does a lot). His 2 attacks needed to be Psychokinesis on Amarant + Aerial Slash that would leave my character in Critical HP. That was a lot to manipulate. Needless to say I was happy when it worked.
  • Memoria's Kraken :
This Boss is particular in the way of you had to kill his 2 arms first. They both have 10000 HP but you can't kill them with Charge, just arm them. So I had to make Charge target one time each arm and twice the middle, then finishing the arm phisically.
  • Final Fantasy IX Final Boss (Necron) :
Another particular ennemy. This one got 4 ATB and can attack with 2 of them whichever come first.
Useful adresses :
0x7b720 : Pointer of the RNG
0x108F28 : ATB Char. 1
0x108FF8 : ATB Char. 2
0x1090C8 : ATB Char. 3
0x109198 : ATB Char. 4
0x109268 : ATB Ennemy 1
0x109338 : ATB Ennemy 2
0x109408 : ATB Ennemy 3
0x1094D8 : ATB Ennemy 4
0x7AE10 : Target of the ennemy
0x109264 : Life Ennemy 1
0x109334 : Life Ennemy 2
0x109404 : Life Ennemy 3
0x1094D4 : Life Ennemy 4
0x8B02C : In Game Timer
0x7AE50 : Distance Variable
0x7954F : Field Value
That's it for now. That was all I had in mind.
I'll add more info if something come on my mind or if any question need to be answer ;)
Enjoy the run !

DarkKobold: Judging, for great justice.

DarkKobold: Easy acceptance.

natt: Processing...


Jungon
He/Him
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Joined: 4/2/2009
Posts: 376
Location: Porto Alegre - Brazil
I was seriously thinking about voting Meh, because the 2 first hours of disc 3 are quite boring +__+ and I was mostly expecting that the final bosses wouldn't be defeated by Quina's limit glove ... ... and one fact almost made me vote No: why do you get the excalibur 2?? The real TASsy thing to do would be to avoid it even allowed, unless it's a much better weapon against the final bosses, would it be impossible to fight them without it? O_o Voted Yes, very interesting planning for fights, and ... may I ask, what are the final levels for each character (counting 8 characters) (did Quina stay on level 4 for the entire run or what??) o_o
*Jungon*/*Johnnyz* smilie weirdo =P ^^ o.o @__@ +D
Lil_Gecko
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Joined: 4/7/2011
Posts: 520
Thanks guys. @Jungon : Of course it would be possible to fight without Excalibur II, just slower. It boosts Steiner's attack from 65 to 108, which allows him to do ~8000 damage instead of ~5000. Basically with it you do in 2 turns more damage that you do in 3 without it. Would there be just one fight, it would have been a close call but with three fights in a row it saves time. I didn't just take it for the sake of taking it but to save a turn on each fight. Final Levels are : Freya : 18 Steiner : 22 Zidane : 26 Amarant : 19 Quina : 4 Dagger : 20 Vivi : 13 Eiko : 15
Joined: 5/2/2006
Posts: 1020
Location: Boulder, CO
Going to vote meh I'm afraid. I couldn't sit through it without getting bored and doing something else, which tends to be my threshold for a yes vote. Still seemed well done from what I saw. I realize how much work this must have been, so compliments are still in order!
Has never colored a dinosaur.
Joined: 11/22/2004
Posts: 1468
Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Lil_gecko, could you contact me via PM? I think we're pretty much ready to publish (edit: from a technical viewpoint; judging isn't complete yet), aside from some minor housekeeping issues, so if we could finish the commentary one of these days, that would be grand. But don't worry, there's no hurry of course. We can do it anytime. I've got plenty of time this week.
Joined: 8/7/2011
Posts: 166
One question: Would the speed this TAS takes be quick enough to reach Excalibur II in the PAL version? The time to beat to get to Excalibur 2 is a lot faster in the PAL version because of some glitch or other regarding regional differences, and as a result, getting Excalibur 2 in the PAL version is thought to be impossible without skipping FMVs.
Editor, Emulator Coder, Site Developer
Joined: 5/11/2011
Posts: 1108
Location: Murka
Currently shoving a 26.4 GiB mess down youtube's throat. (I don't believe the twenty giggerbites limit!) Downloadables are done (with new video dump, a bug was fixed in psxjin svn 718), just awaiting subtitles and upload. I never actually posted a sync report, so here: Syncs on psxjin 2.0.2 svn718 Greatest hits "1.1" CDs (box with green stripe)
  File: final fantasy 9 1.img
CRC-32: 7a46108f
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   MD5: aabe193e058f166d1a88d99219792598
 SHA-1: 8b8feaf91f63ae615d763803b094833dc20ca63c

  File: final fantasy 9 2.img
CRC-32: 575e60d5
   MD4: a5ff608ec2e21f7785b935adc32ecb35
   MD5: a18dfcec1e01c4616cdf1bedd0e2b89a
 SHA-1: 232c9b94f232006798f466c126a121d256e4122b

  File: final fantasy 9 3.img
CRC-32: a1d53b67
   MD4: d68058633184efa6a374d84e5c01e673
   MD5: 5aa1d8663d6b9b50b3ce6112b3cccf23
 SHA-1: f7177bd1194ff1a642494cf867819d2d3b897c99

  File: final fantasy 9 4.img
CRC-32: a4c892a4
   MD4: 5471328af061ba51f0ba84f6e4898461
   MD5: 5796b286ddd0335db2d9631701153a42
 SHA-1: ce78c21e3793e04e594429133b05ddf24ed3fc6b
Joined: 11/22/2004
Posts: 1468
Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
natt wrote:
Currently shoving a 26.4 GiB mess down youtube's throat. (I don't believe the twenty giggerbites limit!)
I've already done the HD encode for FF9. If the Youtube file size limit doesn't really exist, I'd prefer it if I could instead upload my own complete HD encode that also surpasses the 20GB limit.
Joined: 11/22/2004
Posts: 1468
Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
deuxhero wrote:
One question: Would the speed this TAS takes be quick enough to reach Excalibur II in the PAL version? The time to beat to get to Excalibur 2 is a lot faster in the PAL version because of some glitch or other regarding regional differences, and as a result, getting Excalibur 2 in the PAL version is thought to be impossible without skipping FMVs.
I don't know the exact time, but I think Excalibur II is obtained at around 7:18. So let's be conservative and say 7:30. The difference you're talking about is probably between 50fps and 60fps with the timer still running at the correct speed, so that would mean in PAL time he'd reach the sword after around 9 hours. That's well within the time limit of 12 hours.
Joined: 8/7/2011
Posts: 166
Cool, thanks.
Post subject: Movie published
TASVideoAgent
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Posts: 15629
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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. ---- [2022] PSX Final Fantasy IX by Lil_Gecko in 7:37:12.28
Joined: 11/22/2004
Posts: 1468
Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
The final version of the HD encode of this run can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7AC5604250FC29AB Screenshot and description are being worked on now. edit: since there's no screenshot yet, here's what I suggest based on the reactions from the page 2. jpg (43,856 bytes) png (45,228 bytes, looks slightly better to me, maybe someone can scrape off a few more bytes to get it under 45,000 bytes?) Description suggestion:
This is the much-anticipated tool-assisted speedrun of the ninth installment in the Final Fantasy series (and the last to be made for the PSX). With its many references to the older games, it's a trip down memory lane for those familiar with the series. A lot of route planning has gone into this run. Reading the author's comments is recommended. The encodes (both the MKV and on Youtube) also have explanatory subtitles to read along with. The famous Excalibur II quest, which requires the player to get to the end of the game in under 12 hours, is soundly beaten with more than 4 hours and 40 minutes of spare time. Note: due to an emulation error, some areas have rather loud background sound effects (like Alexandria during Vivi's first appearance).
Joined: 1/20/2013
Posts: 4
Hello ! About Final Fantasy IX, do you think it is possible to glitch the clock or the inventory ? Of course, the purpose of my question is to get Excalibur II other than ending the game in less than 12 hours... because developers have probably not thought about the PAL version, which makes it the perfect party almost impossible to achieve for us Europeans. Therefore, it would almost be fair to use a bug to succeed in this challenge :D Thank you in advance and sorry for the up of this thread
Joined: 11/22/2004
Posts: 1468
Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Not to my knowledge, but if all you want is the Excalibur II without it having to be a speedrun or a legit playthrough, you could always just use a cheat code: http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps/197338-final-fantasy-ix/answers?qid=13501 (these are NTSC codes but if you google I'm sure you can find the PAL ones)
Joined: 1/20/2013
Posts: 4
Well, in fact, my goal is to use a glitch and not a cheat code, because I think glitches are more acceptable than codes. I know, sometimes, this is a thin border ^^ For example, I think that using the X-Item Materia Glitch in Final Fantasy VII or the Upgrade trick in Final Fantasy III are acceptable, but not a cheat code.