And I took a look at the random encounters just now ...
There's a 3 byte counter at $2000478-200047A (low byte first) that goes up while you walk on any area with monsters (per pixel), and causes a battle to start once the high byte ($200047A) reaches $10.
It goes up at a varying rate, which changes at specific times (like entering any area), so you'd have to manipulate it to be as low as possible ... but the only way I found was to go in and out multiple times.
Areas without monsters don't reset the counter, either ...
Two questions:
- Will there always be a monster encounter after a given period of time or does the time between battles vary? In other words, does the amount the counter is incremented by stay the same per step?
- How do I view the counter?
Okay. First of all, I don't think the encounters in the "3 years ago" intro are random(there are always 3), although I could be wrong, and I can run away from them anyways.
So I used turbo to jump past the intro, and in Sol Sanctum, I can't find the place in memory that changes as I walk. I don't know what to search for.
Also, I can't hold up and left simultaneously with frame skip on my keyboard. I think I need a new one.
On the other hand, I know this game can be beaten with 100% Djinn and both secret bosses(Storm Lizard and Deadbeard) killed in under 10 hours without rushing, so this game should lend itself nicely to a ~2.5 hour TAS. One can even sequence break to skip the ability Force.
I thought I'd amuse myself by making an unoptimized Golden Sun run. However, I have no idea how to avoid random battles. How can I look into memory and find what controls random battles?
I plan on redoing Wario Land II the next time I have a free week. I can definitely save at least 2 seconds. Would the movie still be weak enough to be rejected?
Personally, I say no. The game is a pitiful excuse of a monkeyball game, as it's extremely slow paced and the controls are slow to respond. I suppose its because I own one of the GC versions of it that I think this way, but eh.
I'd more than likely vote no or meh on a game like this if it was submitted, given how visually unappealing it can be.
Those are hardly the main issues. The game is dull, indeed, but the biggest gameplay problem is a lack of camera controls. It can be downright impossible to make a turn go exactly right in real play.
I know it has to be unlocked first, but the unlock process could go quickly(only 100k points in main mode). Is there any chance of seeing a run of this game mode?
Excellent movie. Even though some stars are gotten with obsolete methods, it still is amazingly fun to watch. Only problem I had: Sometimes, it looks like FODA ran in the wrong direction when it didn't save time. I don't doubt that it did, but it looks weird.
The bonus game for the map pieces isn't so bad once you beaten it once, since it changes from 50 coins per tile to 1 coin per [time unit]. So for a 100% run, after finishing the game once, you'd only need to collect enough coins for the hard treasure box.
Actually, in a TAS, you don't need to turn any tile at all. Just find the correct number by saving & loading and pick it immediately.
You need to pay 50 coins to even play the game. But 100% would take at least 3 hours, due to all the cutscenes and unskippable parts.
Writing most of it from scratch is probably a necessity anyway when you're going between such different hardware while both ends need to be written in assembly and emulation is impossible. You would think they would still have the source for one of the Sonic Advance games, but my guess is that they couldn't use it because it would be technically inadequate to handle the (ironically) more demanding Sonic 1.
I honestly wouldn't mind if this game had Sonic Advance graphics/engine - it would be better than the steaming hunk of fecal matter that he have now.
I know... mostly because I currently for the life of me cannot find a solid run to work on... when I was doing DKC2 102% it was clear I was the only one doing it, and I had a goal that I could do it as my first submission, and that I wouldn't have any difficulties in making it.
As of now, I've looked at a bunch of different runs- Kirby Dreamland 3, Majora's Mask, Yoshi's Island, Spiderman 64, Worms Armageddon, Rayman 2, Starcraft, DKC2 any%, the list goes on. the N64 runs are desynching like all hell, and the others are either being done or lost interest for me.
I just need to find one (two max) runs to work on, and I'm trying to find which one(s) that is. whether it's this or invariably (and most likely) something else, I simply NEED to find something to work on, hence the ambitiousness and "taking on" and abandoning many different projects.
I just noticed the popularity of the Megaman Quad run, and thought I'd mention that the Donkey Kong Country games have enough compatibility to possibly do the same.
The major pain in doing this will definitely be the levels that require movement in "the other direction".
First of all, I voted yes. And you know what? If this game beats it so quickly, you probably have enough time to go into 8-4 with level select, win, and STILL obsolete the published run. Legit, right?
2BR(0)2B=?4W2RS(!=BLR)NDMND2-)+<)FOTRGS42NER2TKRMS VS CFTRBLS+BI VS NDM2DYE2SLP(!=>)+BISLP2CENDD<3EGG+DKNTRLSHKSTHTFLSHSERR
2SAKONSUMATIONEVOUT2BWSHD2DYE2SLP2SLP4CHNC2DRMSTRB4NTSLPFDTHHTDRMSACUMNWEFSHUFLDFTHSMRTL
---
MSTGIVS...STRSPCTTMAKSKALAMITYFOLON(1UP)4?WOODÖT--*+SCRNSF(18:49)TOPRSR=(1=2):)>:(</3...8|+TSPRNST...MRTOT :(TKSWHN<-:(MITE<-QUIET_USKBDKN?WOODFRDLSÖ2:/+[1UP/,:(]DRDX(...???CNTRYFRM?SEBOURN0TRVLReTURNS???TWLL+8K SRTHRÖDOSELSEFXLY2OTTERSENO(!=)FSJIMINYS8KCOWDSFSL+ST8VUF640BY480SX(/+TALECSTFTOT+NTRPPPRIZSF!PTCH+MOMNT
+SEERDERR^^^>>>ORRY+?TNAMO'AACTNSFTU(18:49)TFUROPHELIANIMFINDYORRYSSUNSBLYINS=X
Okay, so I lied.
