Posted: 11/10/2017 7:56 PM
Post subject: Definition of a standard branch name for "demo" runs
Quote
ThunderAxe31
Any
Judge, Skilled player (1290)
Joined: 9/12/2016
Posts: 1645
Location: Italy
Arcade TAS of 2023 Homebrew TAS of 2023 PSX TASer of 2022 Gameboy TASer of 2017
I've just noted that that it's beginning to pop out a new kind of runs: the ones that break the demo engine of the game in order to start from later game point. I currently have 4 examples: [984] NES Arkanoid "warps, demo glitch" by Baxter in 04:26.28 [2285] GBA Densetsu no Stafy "demo glitch" by jlun2 in 03:28.68 [3471] GBC Devil Island "demo glitch" by ThunderAxe31 in 02:10.27 #5671: Raelcun's Genesis Toki: Going Ape Spit in 07:09.89 And also note that #5701: droodbot's SNES Porky Pig's Haunted Holiday in 23:14.69 submission text mentions a "recently discovered Demo% Route". My point is that it would be important to have a standard branch name for such kind of runs. For example, we have "game end glitch", which usually is applicable to Vault runs, in order to distinguish them from non-major skip runs that get into Moons tier as a different branch. That's exactly for the same reason that concurring an appropriate branch name would be important. There are many possibilities, but in my opinion "demo glitch" would be the more appropriate, because it's the one that explains what's the run about without the risk of misinterpretations. Other possibilities would include: demo skip demo unlock demo warp demo start demo% game start glitch Apart from this, I don't exclude the possibility of having particular cases that could need to be named on a case-by-case basis. The only one that comes to mind is [984] NES Arkanoid "warps, demo glitch" by Baxter in 04:26.28, because it also abuses a built-in cheat in order to continue after game over, after having made the demo play to desync. What do you think about it?
my personal page - my YouTube channel - my GitHub - my Discord: thunderaxe31 <Masterjun> if you look at the "NES" in a weird angle, it actually clearly says "GBA"
Posted: 11/10/2017 8:13 PM
Quote
feos
Site Admin, Skilled player (1237)
Joined: 4/17/2010
Posts: 11279
Location: RU
NES TAS of 2011
I think naming game breaking glitches in branches started with this post: http://tasvideos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=374098#374098 The point is to describe what the glitch achieves: instant game end, skipping most of the game but not to its end, SRAM corruption, are the most common ones. If the effect of the glitch can't be easily abstracted and described with the above terms, we invent new ones. Demo glitch sounds fine to me and is easily definable, but it can actually result in all kinds of events, with each of them already having naming standards. The question is, should we revise them and insist of mentioning the setup conditions of the glitch instead of its results? I dunno. SRAM glitch mentions conditions too. tl;dr: I don't object, "demo glitch" sounds good, we just need an agreement.
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
Posted: 11/11/2017 5:20 PM
Quote
FatRatKnight
Editor, Skilled player (1173)
Joined: 9/27/2008
Posts: 1085
Terse definition of "Demo Glitch": Letting the game's demo run, then using it's unintended controls or side-effects to skip ahead or gain other advantages. That should capture the intended meaning in a single sentence. I'm all for a standardized branch name for this sort, or at least a tag.