I was watching some N64/GC TASes of 3D games that were so unoptimized (I'm not saying that ALL the TASes are unoptimized, only SOME of them). So I decided to help those TASers to optimize them.
Understand that I'm not saying that those TASes suck, just that they should be improved. Please don't think I don't enjoy watching them.
By "3D games" I mean racing/action/adventure games, where you have a 3D move in a 3D world (not like SSB or Star Fox).
Here's a guide to optimizing the TASes:
-First thing you have to know about 3D optimizing is that you must hold the perfect angle in your TAS Input for EVERY move, making you go in the most straight line to the next curve or obstacle, without losing speed.
.In a simple adventure/action game (like Bomberman 64, Chameleon Twist, Billy Hatcher) where you always have the "same" speed, just make sure to don't touch the walls that might stop you.
.In a more advanced adventure/action game (like Super Mario 64, Sonic Adventure, Metroid Prime), be careful to don't lose speed in those movements and try to get more speed as possible in every move.
.In a racing game (like Mario Kart, Diddy Kong Racing, Need For Speed), do the curves in the most inside part possible (with the "limit" input in the TAS Input) without braking. If you can't do the curve without braking, use it for the least time possible.
To understand it more, check out this picture I just made:
Image
-Make sure you're doing every action in its first frame possible. Test using the input that you need in the earliest frame you can do. If you have to wait for an animation to do an action, do it the frame after the animation end.
For example, if you're TASing Sonic Adventure DX, in a part that you're jumping to a higher platform and you want to homing attack (a Sonic move that makes you go with a right speed to front, that kinda regains your speed) there. So you have to do it right when you are in front of the platform, doing it in the first frame possible.
.If you have to use luck manipulation to get an item or some upgrade (or something else), make sure you do it in its first frame possible to get what you want. So, test EVERY frames to be sure that any frame before can give you the same result, but faster. Another thing that can help with the luck manipulation is changing some inputs before doing the luck manipulation (be careful to don't lose any speed) to change its results.
I hope you can optimize your TASes better now!
See ya!
