This was discussed on Discord but here's the summary.
Since using a different character is not more entertaining than the current publication, it'd need to be faster to obsolete it. It could still go to Playground (until rules on different chars in Standard change), though that's different from a publication. A fully entertainment based branch would be publishable.
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.
While I wait for my TAS to finish being judged, I have made this other TAS of a SMW Creepypasta Hack. I would like to send it as a submission, but because of its gore I have doubts whether it will be admitted or directly canceled for this same reason. Is this Hack admissible?
Link to video
While I wait for my TAS to finish being judged, I have made this other TAS of a SMW Creepypasta Hack. I would like to send it as a submission, but because of its gore I have doubts whether it will be admitted or directly canceled for this same reason. Is this Hack admissible?
Link to video
We couldn't reach a complete agreement among staff, but at the very least publishing such a movie would require a content warning system, which we plan to add but don't have yet.
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.
hello, wanted to ask a question about a movie for beatmania 2ndMIX i was thinking about submitting, but wasn't entirely sure if i should. it's normally an arcade rhythm game, which would usually probably warrant something like a max score run with a lot of showiness in extra keypresses, due how the game works involving scoring and bonuses. but, the movie i made uses a hidden code/button combination in the game's song select to skip playing any songs at all, jumping straight to the ending (detailed more here -- normally, this allows you to play any song in the game).
would something like this be worth submitting, or should i just abstain and try for something a bit more interesting? i'm not entirely sure if using something that technically falls on the category of level select (even though in a rhythm game, you pick the songs freely) such as that would be considered not OK.
hello, wanted to ask a question about a movie for beatmania 2ndMIX i was thinking about submitting, but wasn't entirely sure if i should. it's normally an arcade rhythm game, which would usually probably warrant something like a max score run with a lot of showiness in extra keypresses, due how the game works involving scoring and bonuses. but, the movie i made uses a hidden code/button combination in the game's song select to skip playing any songs at all, jumping straight to the ending (detailed more here -- normally, this allows you to play any song in the game).
would something like this be worth submitting, or should i just abstain and try for something a bit more interesting? i'm not entirely sure if using something that technically falls on the category of level select (even though in a rhythm game, you pick the songs freely) such as that would be considered not OK.
Skipping everything and simply calling an ending sounds like skipping any and all gameplay, which then raises the question "what are you even speedrunning?" But yes, skipping straight to the ending has been disallowed for a very long time.
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.
Skipping everything and simply calling an ending sounds like skipping any and all gameplay, which then raises the question "what are you even speedrunning?" But yes, skipping straight to the ending has been disallowed for a very long time.
gotcha, appreciate the info. at the very least, now i've got a different new movie idea to draft at some point!
Joined: 7/18/2016
Posts: 87
Location: United States
I was wondering what, specifically, the latest movie rules mean by "adding gameplay" when pertaining to the use of in-game codes.
In-game codes that add gameplay are allowed for a separate branch, as long as such codes are used optimally. Codes that modify or disable in-game mechanics are not allowed, unless they unlock an in-game item or a skill that does that.
In particular, I want to talk about things like "final boss" and "credits warp" codes, as while almost all instances would remove significant amounts of gameplay over their full-game TAS counterparts, they often times do bring some new gameplay to the table. Here are some examples of what I'm talking about:
I submitted a movie to the site about 7 years ago for the Kid Chameleon "plethora warp", which requires a specific combination of inputs at a specific place in the 2nd level to the warp to the final boss. This was rejected simply for using a debug/cheat code. Clearly however, in-game codes are now allowed, but does this qualify as adding gameplay? While the cheat cuts out much of the game from the current publication, 52% of the gameplay in the video itself is new, as all gameplay after collecting the Red Stealth helmet in the second level is different gameplay you would never see in a full-game TAS.
I found a 1-frame improvement since making that submission so here is the updated video:
Link to video
Additionally, there is the Vectorman "credits warp", which is a code you input at a specific spot in the 1st level to warp right to the credits. Again, technically 64% of the gameplay in the video itself (not including the title screen) is stuff not seen in the published TAS, although significantly more gameplay is removed than is added overall.
Link to video
So my main question is what exactly is meant by the movie rules when the in-game codes must "add gameplay"? If a particular code also removes gameplay, how much must be added to offset what as removed? Do the examples I listed even count as adding gameplay or is this just modified gameplay?
We define gameplay as "an in-game task or puzzle that is meant to be accomplished or solved by a human while playing the game, by sending inputs to the game and getting its reaction".
If a code instantly moves you ahead in the game, it doesn't add any new task or puzzle beyond what was originally there. It quite obviously removes the task that was there - playing through the levels to get to that point normally.
It would have added gameplay if it unlocked a level or a character, or at the very least an item. While items are not in-game challenges, they were agreed to belong to unlockable gameplay, and maybe the definition above is a bit old now (it was added when we tried to decide whether there's any gameplay still left in #6466: Masterjun & ais523's NES Super Mario Bros. 3 "game end glitch" in 00:00.78). If it was an item that you could use to make shortcuts, it'd fit. But if the code is already the entirely of the shortcut, it's not allowed for Standard.
However it's fine for Alternative now if it's entertaining!
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.
Would maxed out character stats be enough to be considered “added gameplay” for using a password/code?
Here’s a theoretical: the recent boxing game i TASed (NES World Champ) gives a password after beating the game that allows you to carry stats into a new play session (without any other type of save feature). Using that password starts the game in the final weight class (of four).
I know how modify the given password to allow for having the higher/maxed stats for the player’s boxer while still starting in the first of the four weight classes, effectively allowing for a complete playthrough of the game with a maxed out character. This would be similar but faster than a non-password based run due to the player character dealing more damage to earlier opponents.
I assumed such a movie that used the modified password be Alt only? But if it could be standard, I’ll make it.
EDIT: The game does have training modes where a player could max out their stats before fighting any ranked opponents, but it would take around 200 training sessions to max out the character.
