Post by Brushy

Posted: 4/9/2006 2:56 AM

Post subject: Solstice

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flagitious

Player (201)

Joined: 7/6/2004
Posts: 511

I'm surprised to not find a topic for this game already, except the published movie page for Exim's run. There are not any maps available on the web for this game except some crude ascii ones. This game looks pretty interesting and has a great theme so I'm interested. Also of interest is an impressive 100% completion run by Lucid Faia. First order of business is to rip some maps from the game. I've never done any reverse engineering of video games or anything for that matter so it looks like a good educational experience for me. Anyone have any advice on how to rip maps from the game? I might also like to disassemble and comment some of the game if possible later. Which version of the rom should be used? Exim uses the Europe version, but I don't know why so I would probably choose the US version. Choices are: Solstice (E) [!] 72 kb Solstice (J) 74 kb Solstice (U) 72 kb Solstice (U) [a1] 72 kb Solstice (U) [o1] 72 kb

g,o,p,i=1e4,a[10001];main(x){for(;p?g=g/x*p+a[p]*i+2*!o: 53^(printf("%.4d",o+g/i),p=i,o=g%i);a[p--]=g%x)x=p*2-1;}

Posted: 4/9/2006 3:05 AM

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hero_of_the_day

Player (89)

Joined: 11/14/2005
Posts: 1058
Location: United States

I think he used the (E) version because afaik the (U) version does not run in famtasia. I would either go with; Solstice (J) 74 kb or Solstice (U) 72 kb.

They're off to find the hero of the day...

Posted: 4/9/2006 3:14 AM

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nesrocks

He/Him

Player (246)

Joined: 5/1/2004
Posts: 4096
Location: Rio, Brazil

there is a map at vgmaps.com

aka Nesrocks http://www.youtube.com/user/UoBtExFODA https://nesrocks.com https://twitter.com/bitinkstudios

Posted: 4/9/2006 3:29 AM

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flagitious

Player (201)

Joined: 7/6/2004
Posts: 511

Thx for the map, don't know how google/me missed that one, grr. I find it amusing that the jpeg map is 2.4MB but the original game is only 128KB.

g,o,p,i=1e4,a[10001];main(x){for(;p?g=g/x*p+a[p]*i+2*!o: 53^(printf("%.4d",o+g/i),p=i,o=g%i);a[p--]=g%x)x=p*2-1;}

Posted: 4/9/2006 7:56 AM

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Brushy

Former player

Joined: 11/13/2005
Posts: 1587

Randil has a very good WIP of this game. I'm not sure when he's gonna finish it though.

Posted: 4/10/2006 12:54 AM

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flagitious

Player (201)

Joined: 7/6/2004
Posts: 511

Should the subscreen code B S S B B S S B B S S S B S B B B S S S B S B S S B S S B B S B S be allowed? It would save some time if Exim's route was used because he needs to go out of his way to get an extra potion. This game appears to accept input only once every other frame. Here are some memory locations: y = 002D x = 0031 z = 0035

g,o,p,i=1e4,a[10001];main(x){for(;p?g=g/x*p+a[p]*i+2*!o: 53^(printf("%.4d",o+g/i),p=i,o=g%i);a[p--]=g%x)x=p*2-1;}

Posted: 4/11/2006 12:30 PM

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Randil

Skilled player (1827)

Joined: 4/20/2005
Posts: 2161
Location: Norrköping, Sweden

Hi flagitious. It is true as Guybrush said that I have a WIP of the (E) version of this game, as well as a full run of the (U) version. I don't intend to submit the (U) run, and I won't likely ever finish the (E) run either, so I leave this game to you and wish you the best of luck! :) Here, I'll upload my runs: The E WIP The full run of the U version I don't believe that the "B S" cheat is allowed, although you would need to ask Bisqwit about that, I guess... And this game does indeed only accept input every other frame. Bisqwit stronly recommended to me to use the E ROM, by the way, if you don't have a good reason to switch ROMs. Hmm, other than that, I don't have much else to say. I hope my fcm:s help out some to you. And I wish you good luck on this! :)

My own page on this site.

Posted: 4/11/2006 12:33 PM

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Bisqwit

Editor, Active player (297)

Joined: 3/8/2004
Posts: 7469
Location: Arzareth

flagitious wrote:

Should the subscreen code B S S B B S S B B S S S B S B B B S S S B S B S S B S S B B S B S be allowed?

No.

Posted: 4/11/2006 1:15 PM

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flagitious

Player (201)

Joined: 7/6/2004
Posts: 511

Ok, what is the reason for the E version instead of the U version? Is it to remain consistant with the previous runs? Would the U version run 17% faster. Thanks for the WIPs Randil

g,o,p,i=1e4,a[10001];main(x){for(;p?g=g/x*p+a[p]*i+2*!o: 53^(printf("%.4d",o+g/i),p=i,o=g%i);a[p--]=g%x)x=p*2-1;}

Posted: 4/11/2006 1:16 PM

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Bisqwit

Editor, Active player (297)

Joined: 3/8/2004
Posts: 7469
Location: Arzareth

flagitious wrote:

Ok, what is the reason for the E version instead of the U version? Is it to remain consistant with the previous runs?

Yes.

Posted: 4/13/2006 7:24 PM

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flagitious

Player (201)

Joined: 7/6/2004
Posts: 511

Randil, your U version completed is very good. I think you should submit it. I don't see the need to continue to use the E version just because that is what the previous version used. If I make a tas of this game I'll do it on the U version too.

g,o,p,i=1e4,a[10001];main(x){for(;p?g=g/x*p+a[p]*i+2*!o: 53^(printf("%.4d",o+g/i),p=i,o=g%i);a[p--]=g%x)x=p*2-1;}

Posted: 4/13/2006 7:31 PM

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Randil

Skilled player (1827)

Joined: 4/20/2005
Posts: 2161
Location: Norrköping, Sweden

Oh, well thank you! :) I have noticed a few minor mistakes in it that cost me ~20 frames in total, but overall I think it's quite good too. It means a lot that you like it, but if you have ways to improve it, then go right ahead... If anyone else who reads this has watched my U run, please tell me what you think, and if I should submit it...

My own page on this site.

Posted: 4/13/2006 8:56 PM

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MattyXB

Player (25)

Joined: 4/23/2005
Posts: 435
Location: Germany

Randil wrote:

Oh, well thank you! :) I have noticed a few minor mistakes in it that cost me ~20 frames in total, but overall I think it's quite good too. It means a lot that you like it, but if you have ways to improve it, then go right ahead... If anyone else who reads this has watched my U run, please tell me what you think, and if I should submit it...

Do you mean, that you not push the one stone up like Exim do it in his movie, that it came faster down again? In the movie from Exim near the time 5:25. By your movie near Frame 19800? When you mean this, why not change it and submit the movie then? Its near the end from the movie. When you mean a different mistake, maybe its possible to HexEdit? But the movie looks great and its faster then the puplished one.

Last TAS finished: Final Fantasy Adventure (4.0 Warp Glitch Run) WIP in the moment: Tail Gator (GB) Matty

Posted: 4/13/2006 9:08 PM

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Randil

Skilled player (1827)

Joined: 4/20/2005
Posts: 2161
Location: Norrköping, Sweden

Oh right, thanks for pointing that out MattyXB, I missed that. :) I could probably replay the movie from there, unless someone wants to help me hex-edit it in, because I have no clue about hex-editing. :P The room that I know is improvable is the room i visit around 2:01 in Exim's avi, while he exits that room in like 7 frames or something, i take around 20 frames or so... I'm just guessing here, but I know I'm a little slower. It's no biggy though, but it would be nice if someone could hex-edit it. But I won't redo the movie from that point or anything like that. Anyway, big thanks for watching the movie and for your comments, I'm glad you liked it! :) But be careful when comparing times between that run and Exim's, even though my movie is faster in gameplay, the ROM-switch makes for quite a lot of time too. In gameplay time, my movie is probably around 8 seconds faster than Exim's.

My own page on this site.

Posted: 8/16/2006 8:26 AM

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Randil

Skilled player (1827)

Joined: 4/20/2005
Posts: 2161
Location: Norrköping, Sweden

I'm bumping this thread because I was revising the route today, and I actually found a quite big improvement. It's a quite drastic routechange around the second staffpiece, and it is at least 429 frames (8,58 seconds in PAL) faster than the current route. It's unfortunate that my run just got published just hours before I found this improvement, but I really think that a 429 frames improvement is well worth redoing the run for. So, my question now is, should I still stick with the E ROM? Now that the current run is made with FCEU, it will be quite easy to compare this new run with the current run, making sure that all rooms are handled exactly as fast. I would personally prefer the U ROM, because I think the game runs a little slow on PAL emulation. What is everyone's opinion on this matter this time? And would a run made with the U version still get accepted? I could post a .fcm showing this routechange if anyone's interested.

My own page on this site.

Posted: 8/16/2006 8:32 AM

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Bisqwit

Editor, Active player (297)

Joined: 3/8/2004
Posts: 7469
Location: Arzareth

If you make a improvement that would be large enough even if sticking to the same version, go ahead and make it with either version. Personally, I don't have problem with the European version. It seems the right speed to me. :) I think "8 seconds" is large enough at this point for Solstice.

Posted: 8/16/2006 8:42 AM

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Randil

Skilled player (1827)

Joined: 4/20/2005
Posts: 2161
Location: Norrköping, Sweden

Allright, thanks for the quick answer, Bisqwit. I think I'll go with the U ROM then, since it's on NTSC-speed, and I would personally prefer if the game ran a little faster. :) If anyone else has an opinion on this, just let me know. Otherwise, I'll start doing this new run, this time on the U ROM. I think it was good that I first did the run on the E version though, now I have a .fcm to compare to, not an .fmv.

My own page on this site.

Posted: 8/16/2006 12:25 PM

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Kyrsimys

Former player

Joined: 4/16/2004
Posts: 1286
Location: Finland

For what it's worth, I'm with you on using the U ROM. There is no reason to use E.

Posted: 8/16/2006 5:32 PM

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qFox

Joined: 4/25/2004
Posts: 615
Location: The Netherlands

Having never played this game, so knowing nothing about it (I really thought you died that one time you used a teleporter ;) this run looked very good to me.

qfox.nl

Posted: 8/17/2006 8:27 AM

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Randil

Skilled player (1827)

Joined: 4/20/2005
Posts: 2161
Location: Norrköping, Sweden

I just wanted to inform that I found 2 new timesavers, one saves about 5 seconds, I haven't timed the other one, but it probably saves about 2-3 seconds. So the new run will be about 16-17 seconds faster, if not more. Also, since it will be played on the U ROM, the time will probably go down to under 6 minutes. Just wanted to let you know these good news! :) EDIT: For everyone who's interested, here's a map of the route I will use. If you know the game, you might even figure out the new tricks' I'll use! ;) The route is the green line, as you might have figured. Here's the map. Also, it doesn't seem that the second trick will work, so the improvement will be about 14 seconds or so.

My own page on this site.

Posted: 8/18/2006 8:31 PM

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Randil

Skilled player (1827)

Joined: 4/20/2005
Posts: 2161
Location: Norrköping, Sweden

Sorry for the doublepost, but I was wondering if anyone would be interested in seeing a 100% run of this game? I don't know if this game is good enough to deserve two published runs on this site, nor if there is any interest in seeing a 100% run of this game. What is everyone's opinion on this matter? For those who don't know, with 100% I mean picking up all items and visiting all rooms. A 100% run would probably be about 14 minutes long or so.

My own page on this site.

Posted: 8/18/2006 8:56 PM

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Grambo

Joined: 11/26/2005
Posts: 16
Location: Storrs, CT

I think that it would be neat to see a 100% run. I would definitely watch it even if it wasn't published.

Posted: 8/11/2010 12:52 PM

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Randil

Skilled player (1827)

Joined: 4/20/2005
Posts: 2161
Location: Norrköping, Sweden

Ironically, it's been almost exactly 4 years since I proposed a 100% run of this game. These past few days, I've been working on a 100% run of this game, and I finished it just now. I did the run solely because I love TASing Solstice, whether or not this is submittable material is up to you viewers. The route used is the same as Lucid Faia's run, found here. However, I use many new strategies and better bottle use. As always, one shouldn't compare a real time run with a TAS, but to give some kind of comparison, my TAS is roughly 2min 37sec faster than the SDA run. Here's the .fm2. I have also uploaded the run on my youtube channel into two parts: youtube part 1 youtube part 2 Enjoy!

My own page on this site.

Posted: 8/11/2010 10:30 PM

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