Joined: 8/14/2014
Posts: 188
Location: North Kilttown
Wow, Moose, it's cool to see you finish the Richter All Bosses TAS. Regardless of how you feel about it I certainly enjoyed it. With Psxhawk do you have any interest in the new ACE stuff?
Joined: 1/26/2014
Posts: 49
Location: United States
I have been testing the Arbitrary Code Execution Credits Warp on BizHawk (specifically 1.11.1) and for some reason it is failing to work... I will trying and figure out what the issue is, but I just wanted to put the info out there.
I have been testing the Arbitrary Code Execution Credits Warp on BizHawk (specifically 1.11.1) and for some reason it is failing to work... I will trying and figure out what the issue is, but I just wanted to put the info out there.
Maybe you should post this issue in the BizHawk bugs thread as well?
Joined: 1/26/2014
Posts: 49
Location: United States
Kurabupengin wrote:
nathan7878 wrote:
I have been testing the Arbitrary Code Execution Credits Warp on BizHawk (specifically 1.11.1) and for some reason it is failing to work... I will trying and figure out what the issue is, but I just wanted to put the info out there.
Maybe you should post this issue in the BizHawk bugs thread as well?
Yeah, I probably will because I think I figured out what the problem might be... when the credits are called, illegal opcodes must be executed and it seems Bizhawk no likey that for some reason, and crashes... lol
I am always messing with this stuff in my free time when I am bored, so I may end up being the person that does the TAS when the Bizhawk bug is worked out and this is what I am now thinking... I have really come to dislike Luck Mode since it is not the "true game" and is more of a extra/special mode, so I worked out how to do the credits call in Alucard Mode and this is where I am currently at... so when the TAS is done in the future it will be similar to this.
Link to video
Joined: 1/26/2014
Posts: 49
Location: United States
@Sockfolder Most would agree that Bizhawk/Medafen is the/or is one of the most accurate PlayStation emulators...
http://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/PS1_Tests
also it is the emulator we must use to TAS the improvements to the SOTN ACE route.
The glitch seems to be failing on Bizhawk/Medafen at the very end when the relics menu is open and the inventory code is read...
Link to video
This is are current PSXfin 1.13 working method that fails to work on Bizhawk.
Link to video
I would not normally bother you sock, but this one has stumped me for like a month...
I think you might have to rebuild the inventory code, like Bizhawk/Mednafen no likey the way it is being read lol
If it fails on illegal opcode, that is the correct behavior. However, the only place there should be illegal opcodes is at the values determined by that 23 sec wait. Perhaps the original TAS saved frames by going earlier than you should, when there are still illegal opcodes. Have you tried waiting a few frames longer at that wait? I think after 23.25 secs is when it is easiest (though I think there is an earlier time that works).
Oh wait, I forgot. The other place there can be illegal opcodes is if you get/don't get certain items. I am still on my laptop so I can't look up the list I had. Perhaps you can look at the console ACE and see if there is a difference in the items obtained.
Joined: 1/26/2014
Posts: 49
Location: United States
sockfolder wrote:
If it fails on illegal opcode, that is the correct behavior. However, the only place there should be illegal opcodes is at the values determined by that 23 sec wait.
Oh wait, I forgot. The other place there can be illegal opcodes is if you get/don't get certain items.
Thank you so much Sock, that was exactly some of the issues that was causing Bizhawk/Mednafen to crash.
During the 23 second wait there are some values that will cause
an illegal/crash and some that won't... pretty much what you said.
There is also a counter that keeps track of how many times you unequip Alucard's
accessories, and if you leave this value set at 01 it will crash the game.
Another thing is if you do not set the relic cursor to the correct location before saving,
the inventory code fails to execute the 03 to give you the best ending.
I now truly believe Mednafen is the most accurate PS1 emulator, it is so
damn sensitive compared to all the other PS1 emulators... I will post the full
ACE method some time this weekend.
Link to video
Joined: 1/26/2014
Posts: 49
Location: United States
I had to void all my other speedruns due to the fact that I now know they would have failed on a real PlayStation 1.
I am done with speedrunning... just lost interest, so I just walked on this run LOL.
I am still going to make a video soon to assist anyone that would like to TAS or speedrun
this route. If no one is interested in TASing it, I will get around to TASing it sometime
in the near future... I just have to get familiar with Bizhawk's TASing tools and what not.
Link to video
Also my other next main goal is setting up the kinda total control that can execute code with
the PS1 controllers... basically like they did on SMW, and also looking to see if there
is enough room to program in another game on SOTN. There is a NES emulator that
runs on PS1 (Imbnes), so I will use that as a reference to see how much space we probably need.
I would like to see Castlevania 3 programmed in, if there is room.
Link to video
Wow, another console with possible total control?
BTW, do you know if the RoB and SoTN presented in DXC is running via emulator or they are converted to the format of PSP games?
Joined: 1/26/2014
Posts: 49
Location: United States
DXC SOTN is PSP format,
Xbox live SOTN is Xbox 360 format...
but PS3 PSN SOTN is PS1 format running on a internal emulator called ps1_netemu,
which sucks because that makes it harder to emulate and view coding...
but that also means that the PS3 PSN SOTN is pretty much the same as the PS1 version... just with a custom emulator.
Have you ever looked into Rondo of Blood and Akumajyo Dracula Peke from DXC? I guess it's safe to say Rondo of Blood is in PSP format though since it has quick save function and a quit option on the title screen, just like SotN.
Joined: 1/26/2014
Posts: 49
Location: United States
Yeah, Rondo of Blood and Akumajyo Dracula Peke from DXC are PSP format.
I did a little glitch hunting on Rondo DXC awhile ago, but the game is just coded really well...
I had the idea of using Total Control from my SOTN DXC file to then try and take
Total Control of Rondo or at least try and edit/corrupt my Rondo file...
but I couldn't ever get it to work, but that does not mean it is impossible...
Joined: 1/26/2014
Posts: 49
Location: United States
My pal let me use his PS3, and I did some testing... Total Control Achieved on PSN/PS3 version of SOTN.
Link to video
Next step, take total control over the PS3 itself... then take total control over the PSN Store... and then take total control over my jail cell ;)
Joined: 1/26/2014
Posts: 49
Location: United States
Encase anyone wanted to see me use the total control to get to some unused areas in the
game. I am trying to see next if I can use the glitch to jump from the first save straight to the credits and skip the library part on the ace run...
would be cool to see a tas on a ps3 someday if that is possible.
Link to videoLink to video
Joined: 1/26/2014
Posts: 49
Location: United States
I go back in time with total control and kill Dracula but he gets the last laugh.
Link to video
I console confirm ACE on ps3...
Link to video
I found a way to shorten the ending arbitrary code so more to come soon... ace is a slow process.
Hello, I've created an improvement to my Zero Bosses/Dracula Only TAS from eons ago.
Link to video
It saves about a minute thirty through an updated route and improved optimization. To be more specific:
General:
+Improved experience route all around. Despite having to stop for level ups fewer times than before, I actually end up one level higher. Therefore:
+More MP than before. This gives me enough to either wing smash one extra time or mistbrake after more wing smashes in succession than before, making lots of rooms much cleaner.
+I found while making the 12:44 that you sometimes save a frame making short jumps by shield dashing for one frame longer than needed to make the minimum height jump. This saves frames throughout the first castle.
+Screen pause override was implemented, saving the better part of a second each time I level up or get a relic.
+Better bat movement all around - the key idea is that overshooting goals horizontally is good while traveling vertical areas as wing smash goes upwards faster than flying does. This saves entire seconds over the old TAS alone.
+Normally it's better to avoid traveling uphill on foot as wolf, but with Power of Wolf getting the extra acceleration from staying on the ground is more worth it. I removed these erroneous jumps from the old TAS.
+This was made using the shield dash direction randomizing script that I made for the 12:44 TAS. It looks very silly.
+Old TAS used unnecessary manna prisms, which caused a few additional lag frames. I removed pointless item usage in this one.
+Old Zero Bosses was a practice TAS that I made before I made any submissions that I still think are actually any good today. The update was made with everything I learned over all my work in mind. Optimization is therefore improved in general.
Prologue:
+Fight slightly improved. First phase visibly dies a few frames faster and second phase got the cool strat where you throw the holy water bottle on drac's face and damage stack with it to work, which is a plus regardless of actual timesave either way.
Entrance 1:
-Slightly worse zombies. Not worth it to manipulate, zombies are a function of in game time as far as I'm aware. Better money drops I guess
+I save a frame by jumping into the first skeleton after Death skip at a different timing than before, to get the maximum horizontal movement from the damage boost due to the wall in the way.
Alchemy Lab:
+I do not damage boost off the Blood Skeleton in the first room. I found a faster strat that does not require taking damage anyways, I'm not sure why I did this in the old one besides it was an old TAS and I was bad at SotN back in those days.
+I heal while waiting on SlograGaibon skip, which lets me do more damage boosts later in Marble Gallery.
+I make Alucard do a silly dance while waiting on SlograGaibon skip, which I think is more entertaining than what I did in the old TAS.
(I did not waste time on the elevator, it always pauses for a moment when it hits the second floor)
Marble Gallery:
-I found out later that using summon spirit to skip two skeletons at once is very slightly slower. I think I lose one frame total having done it both times I pass this one pair of them.
+I use the strat from ABRSR where I force the diplos to walk backwards when I go back through them, saving a damage boost on each of them.
+Much faster Meal Ticket drop and collection. Thank you oh goddess of randomness
+Instead of just doing it and being done, I manipulated the skeleton on the way back to throw his thick, hard bone at me with greater X velocity so I can get hit by it sooner by positioning Alucard at a specific distance from it, and get hit by it faster still by coordinating Alucard's X position just right to brush right past the Skeleton's hitbox instead of having to go entirely around it.
(For those uninitiated into the SotN cult, this is needed for the Toadstool skip to work.)
-I don't waste time manipulating the Flea Man on the return trip; RNG manipulation in general is better in this section.
Olrox's Quarters:
(The breakable wall here works oddly, hitting it again while the spark from hitting it the first time makes it look and sound like your second hit does something but it actually doesn't. I instead delay my hits to avoid this phenomenon.)
Colosseum:
+I do a corner boost jumping up to the platform at the end of the first room. This is one of the only practical corner boost opportunities in the whole game. It's so minor, I don't know if it even adds up to a whole frame saved.
+I found a way to do the version of MinoWolf skip from ABRSR with the summon spirit happening even sooner, when the ABRSR skip was already faster than what I did in the old Zero Bosses TAS. Almost no time is spent waiting on anything in this version of the skip.
+I avoid having to jump to land in the corridor after hitting the switch by the mist relic by forcing Alucard's X position to a specific number that lets him just barely hit the ledge with just fall speed.
+Much better Claymore room; I manipulate some solid crits, and use screen pause chains to get a level up that only stops Alucard's movement for a few frames.
(Yes, the Herculean leap after the Claymore room is optimal as far as I'm aware.)
-I had to fight extra enemies getting to the library card; this was an unavoidable consequence of changing the experience route but ultimately worth it.
+However, I alter my menuing to end up with a shield this time around, which saves time over the fast backdashing all the way to the library card I did in the old TAS.
+Through intense RNG manipulation I also ended up with many more hearts than the old TAS did and this allows further timesave in the Library.
+I grab the Library Card with the horizontally extended hurtbox you get from turning a backdash around; this saves a couple frames.
Long Library 1:
+I clear the legendary Book Jump using one less mist than before. Although this requires waiting for a moment on the book to move closer to Alucard, this is still faster.
+I jump from the Fairy Card ledge instead of falling, this is faster.
+I do Library Escape using three axes instead of a summon spirit and two axes; this is faster. I also jump into the shiftline sooner.
Outer Wall 1:
+I hit the elevator switch using two body checks and an axe instead of three body checks. This saves 5 frames despite looking ugly as hell.
(Opening the door near the wolf relic optimally looks like I'm wasting time getting too close before opening it. I'm not, it just looks weird for some reason.)
Entrance 2:
(Jumping up to the descending wall like that is actually optimal despite looking ugly. You can delay when you start the jump quite a bit actually, but Alucard still lands on top at the same time and X position (or worse, if you take too long) no matter what you do.)
+++Approximately 50 second time save by not getting Skill of Wolf for Lesser Demon skip.
-This makes first hallway a tiny bit slower because I can't skip the zombies and part of the hallway with the wolf clip, but I can briefly say hi to that one boss I didn't fight.
+The second boomerang jump up to Power of Wolf is slightly faster.
Long Library 2:
+I do the wolf jump up to the back of the library earlier, getting a much lower jump that lets me skip mist braking, saving time.
+I big toss off a Flea Armor instead of wolf superjumping through the ohdeargod room, this saves a bunch of MP and lets me start doing the Lesser Demon skip faster.
+I get up to the ledge to start the Lesser Demon skip with one less mistrise.
+Faster mist zip during Lesser Demon skip that saves travel frames and lets me divekick once I'm out of the floor.
Outer Wall 2:
+Better bat movement is really noticeable here. At least an entire second is saved here alone.
Clock Tower:
+Wing Smashing all the way to the first Harpy room is actually faster than the wolf charge I had to do in the old TAS.
+The awkward movement in the start of the Sword Lord room is actually optimal, as it lets me fit through the first corridor with a wing smash faster than any other way I could find, even though it looks very ugly.
+Faster movement before Karasuman skip; more intricate wing smashing beforehand let me get much farther ahead before changing back to human.
Castle Keep:
-No Skill of Wolf, so no wolf charge Richter skip. Low mana also means cutscene Alucard has to walk part of the way into the teleporter.
Inverted Keep:
+First fire boomerang jump is done sooner by exiting bat quicker. Optimization logic error in old TAS
-Slower wolf run momentum stall over the tombstones at the end due to no Skill of Wolf; could not wing smash the whole way because I needed to conserve mana, so this was still optimal.
Inverted Chapel:
+More mana equals faster first room strat.
+I kill the Balloon Pod and Black Panther slightly faster; I also manipulate a Masamune for killing the Guardian later.
+I half blood off Medusa several frames sooner by flying a bit towards her instead of just waiting.
+I save a chunk of lag by manipulating the Imps' positions instead of mistbraking through them once, but could not avoid the second one I did in the old TAS.
-I had to waste a fraction of a second to avoid hitting any with my wing smash, as new experience route means they would have leveled me up. Perhaps finding a way to not kill the owl back in Entrance 2 would have avoided this?
+Moderately faster and infinitely more badass-looking Mablung Sword drop. I also avoid one more level up pause here than my old TAS did.
+Mablung Sword strat saved a menu over old TAS.
Reverse Colosseum:
+I believe wing smashing through the whole upper route would have been faster even with Skill of Wolf. Blatant optimization overlook in the old TAS, I have no excuse.
+Not burning all my mana on wolf charge means I can avoid the big toss at the very end, saving even more time.
Black Marble Gallery:
+I kill the Guardian with Masamune crits instead of Alucard Shield spell, saving a bit of time.
+I do a totally different relics skip that saves a menu and a mistrise.
+I grab the Heart Refresh with wing smashes instead of boomerang dashes. I believe the old one stayed in human form because I didn't learn wolf could trigger events until partway through working on ABRSR.
Inverted Center:
+I wing smash while under the floor instead of flying to the left, this saves some frames.
(Unfortunately, wallgrabs are still the Worst Thing.)
Final Drac:
+I do a strat that Desquall found that lets you hit him more before he reaches the ground at the beginning. I also manipulate some juicy crits.
I've been wanting to make this for well over a year, since ZX497 informed me you could skip Lesser Demon without Skill of Wolf some time ago, but I always lost motivation until the past few weeks. It was kind of fun working on this game again.
Hello,
I have a question about Castlevanie SotN. While it shouldn't help a lot in a TAS, I think only you could give me a correct answer:
What are the boni got after the prologue?
While some of the boni are agreed by everyone, everybody give different stats boni for the others. (For example: some say that having less than half of your life increase your stats, other say that getting 40 heart increase your Int, ...) I have gone on 12 different site and none of them have the same answers.
The only thing agreed is: Beat <1min : +5 all stats
Untouched: +5 HP
Without subweapon: +5 HP, +5 LCK
With Holy Water: +5 MP and heart
With Cross: +10 MP and +5 heart
Get 40 heart: Neutron bomb
Die: Potion
No heart: Heart refresher
(Though, for some of these, some say that you get more)
If nobody ever searched for this, I am sorry to have bothered you. I'll try to etablish by myself a true table of the boni and post it (maybe here or on the speedrun ressources, though I doubt that it will be of real use when time is counted)
