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https://tasvideos.org/UserFiles/Info/638493212958853010
Another improvement of 30 frames from using Pause Quick Fadeout (https://tasvideos.org/8303S#TricksAndGlitches ) on the last 3 of the 8 menu sessions.
Technically all of them should use the trick by pressing Start to quit the menu immediately after the last action instead of waiting for the Cancel button to be responsible to save some frames, but changing the earlier ones at this point would complicate luck manipulation a lot and the end result may or may not be worth it, so this improvement just applies the trick to the menus sessions after the last room entry with luck factor.
There are noticeable differences between the nature of the games (with regards to "character choice") listed in Groups 1 and 3 and those in Group 2 here imo.
The character choices in the former are strictly mutually exclusive, either as "mode" choices at the start of the game (Super Mario Bros. 2 and Castlevania: Bloodlines) or path options at some point during the game (Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse). In other words, it is an internal condition in these games and a choice made at a single point.
On the other hand, the "character choices" in the latter are arbitrary constrains: there are either multiple chances to change the character being used throughout the game(Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Mario Advance) or many, many different possible combos of team member choices (in the case of Final Fantasy, there are 6 choices for each of the 4 team members, even if the optimal route ends up being choosing the same type for all of them). In other words, it is an external condition in these games as it is either a consistent constraint applied throughout the entire game or a route choice out of a number of options too many to count (not literally but still), and there likely is not a reasonable way to name the default branch with "character choices" in this case as it's not a single choice.
In this context, I think it's generally much more reasonable to name the branch with the character choice when it's an internal condition and not so much in the other case.
feos wrote:
And the problem here is that putting chars into Standard labels may make it look like we accept different chars to Standard on their own, which we don't.
That is true but the FastestCompletion flag (literally) should help distinguish it in addition to the Alternative mark. The current placement of the Fastest Completion mark kinda makes it hard to notice but I guess that's a different topic.
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I have started a separate Silver glitchless attempt that uses Unown (Psychic 70) and Sudowoodo instead.
https://tasvideos.org/UserFiles/Info/638281529686572485Link to video
Most route differences have converged upon entering Route 38 gate.
Unown/Sudo is at 44:54, remaining differences:
*Teaching Surf: 5 secs
*1 more suboptimal move activation: 7 secs
*1 more level up move learning: 4 secs
*Catching Dratini: 27 secs
Rat (WIP) is at 45:56, remaining differences:
*Goldenrod Tunnel fights: -104 secs
*Catching Gyarados: 8 secs
*Teaching Iron Tail: 16 secs
*Boxing: 19 secs
*Unboxing: 10 secs
*Teaching Waterfall: 7 secs
*1 more level up: 3 secs
*Suboptimal overworld movement to Blackthorn: 4 secs
*4(?) more turns: 22 secs
Which means my route is about 4 secs after on paper at this point. It's kinda a situation where we don't know whether it's gonna be faster until it's actually done.
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gabraltar wrote:
I didn't find out until today that the overworld Suicune events weren't required for the Ecruteak Suicune encounter, I looked up guides that said they were. It was my fault for assuming they were but fwiw, the one on Route 42 would have been required anyways for the Friend Ball
So it would be way too late to get the berry on Route 42 after the event at Tin Tower (which would be done after E4)?
As for the publication screenshot, I think it might be better to use moments where Kanto starters (around 2:30:00 or 4:18:00) or fossil mons (around 3:16) are used in Gen 2 games with Dragonair being used in Yellow because it looks more "exotic" this way. :D
Finally finished watching this. Truly fantastic. Easy YES vote.
I have a few more questions:
1. King Rock is acquired in both C and S via revisiting Slowpoke Well to talk to an NPC, but the item actually has a chance to be held by wild mons that could evolve with them. Would it be faster to manipulate for that instead?
2. Dratini is acquired in C by catching it, but it is supposedly available as a gift in this game. Would it be faster to go for that instead?
3. Following up on my previous question about Eevee in Y, given that Y finishes about 2 hours earlier, would it be possibly faster to have yet another reset in the middle to grab one more Eevee instead of breeding one in C? This should grant more exp (from both combat and Candies) along the way as well. Also, regardless of this, is it actually worth it to fight Surge and get Fly in the initial Y playthrough when the reset happens before that badge becomes necessary?
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Chamale wrote:
Are the overworld Suicune encounters (other than the first) actually necessary to catch it or Ho-oh? I remember being able to find Suicune despite not running into it on Route 42 or Route 35.
They aren't. I remember being able to trigger the post-Rocket Suicune event without doing any prior overworld events.
I haven't finished watching this masterpiece yet, but here are some routing related questions I have so far:
1. Is it not faster to do the second trading session between C and S after the former gets Cut instead so that it can send over a mon with Cut to allow S to skip getting it? I guess it wouldn't be a big time save if at all since getting Cut in Johto games only involves some overworld movements.
2. Both C and S are at the point where Time Capsule is unlocked by the time Y gets Surf. Is it not faster to skip getting Surf in S as well by sending in a mon with Surf from Y, similar to what's done for C (if I didn't remember it wrong)? Or is the exp from Eevee trainers in S important enough to make up for that?
3. Is it really faster to evolve an Eevee into Jolteon in C instead of doing it in Y and trade? Y wouldn't have any use for Thunder Stone otherwise.
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Geinuhayst wrote:
NOTICING THAT YOU CAN'T DO THIS TRICK AT THE RIGHT SIDE OF A ROOM, since you will be forced to the next room before menu can be called.
When I tried to do it on the left of the Custos gate room, there seems to be a few frames where I could save the game again before being pushed to the right. In fact, I think this is the only way to reach Final Approach early via this glitch because the actual Custos gate room does not allow Suspend to be used.
I suppose this glitch technically allows skipping revisits to Minera Prison Island and Tymeo Mountains by saving the villagers on the first visits, but it's probably not worth it.
I found a major skip involving getting to Final Approach early to get the wings in combination with Boss Rush OoB in replay mode (as in the game has been completed once).
Link to video.
Apparently, after beating Death in Boss Rush, any room visited will be marked as having all of its events completed. Visiting the Custos gate room in this state would allow triggering the Dracula fight after saving and reloading.
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https://tasvideos.org/UserFiles/Info/638171462191305515
I have made a longer version that reaches the 999 mark, around which the speed of the tentacles and parachutes no longer increases. The YouTube video link has been updated accordingly as well.
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I have found 3 addresses relevant to the difficulty:
0x0F0FC4: the maximum number of parachutes on screen at a time
0x0F188C: the speed of tentacles (and parachutes)
0x0F188D: also related to the speed of tentacles
Apparently, the latter 2 values stay the same after the 999 mark, but the first value varies from 1 to 10 until it stabilizes at 8 after the 9999 mark.
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So I decided to make a proof of concept movie that shows what I think would likely be the optimal any% route involving save corruption.
Link to video
Input file: https://tasvideos.org/UserFiles/Info/638134309645288598
RAM watch: https://tasvideos.org/UserFiles/Info/638142827147555872
The general idea:
1. Go for Spider Ball via the same path from [1175] GB Metroid II: Return of Samus "select glitch" by Ferret Warlord in 23:47.40
2. Grab a missile expansion (to be able to have 40 missiles in total to kill 8 Metroids) and Ice Beam and then save properly
3. Reset the game and start a new game on the same save slot; save at the first save station and reset right after the location values are overwritten to have a save file at the starting area with Spider Ball, Ice Beam, and 40 missile limit
4. Head to the end game area via secret worlds
5. Grab Space Jump via secret worlds
6. Defeat 8 Metroids, save at the closest save station while resetting right after the number of Metroids is overwritten, replenish missiles, rinse and repeat
7. Reach a missile recharge spot after the Metroid count reaches 0 to trigger credits
Now if only someone makes an optimized movie with this route :)
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HappyLee wrote:
Here's a new argument, a relevant example that's maybe worth thinking and discussing about.
What if (hypothetically) Super Mario World is made this way, that every road on the map is already unlocked when you first enter the game, and you're allowed to walk everywhere or start at any level on the map?
Now this is funny. This actually (kinda) exists, as the Arcade variant of SMW. XD
To be honest, I actually wouldn't mind seeing the "all exits" category being done on this version with a starting point other than the first one, as long as it still does complete all exits in the game. However, it would feel a weird to call an any% movie done on this version with a different starting point that somehow ends up being faster the any% of SMW, but even then a movie like that might actually have more of a reason to be published as a separate branch if it features a completely different set of levels being played while this movie simply jumps to a later point in a set of levels without any branches.
Also, to give this movie some benefit of doubt:
No power-up is taken.
This movie is different from the W8 portion of the published one in the sense that Mario stays Small while he is in the Fire state in the latter, but this doesn't seem to make too much of a difference for this game, unfortunately.
5. Grab Space Jump via secret worlds
6. Defeat 8 Metroids, save at the closest save station while resetting right after the number of Metroids is overwritten, replenish missiles, rinse and repeat
7. Reach a missile recharge spot after the Metroid count reaches 0 to trigger credits
Now if only someone makes an optimized movie with this route :)
To be honest, I actually wouldn't mind seeing the "all exits" category being done on this version with a starting point other than the first one, as long as it still does complete all exits in the game. However, it would feel a weird to call an any% movie done on this version with a different starting point that somehow ends up being faster the any% of SMW, but even then a movie like that might actually have more of a reason to be published as a separate branch if it features a completely different set of levels being played while this movie simply jumps to a later point in a set of levels without any branches.
Also, to give this movie some benefit of doubt: