Posts for TheHepper

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Posted: 6/30/2012 1:50 PM
Post subject: lsnes Memory Watch & Lua
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TheHepper
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Player (84)
Joined: 7/25/2011
Posts: 58
Could someone please help me with memory watch expressions in lsnes? I have a listing of addresses I want to load from a snes9x memory watch, but I don't know what syntax to use. For example, I want to see address 7E33DE and I want it to be called "HP". Also, I had a Lua script that would display various memory addresses on screen for snes9x, but now I load it in lsnes and nothing happens? I know Lua scripts that affect memory addresses work, so I'm not sure what to do. Here's a shortened version of the script: while true do emu.frameadvance() hp=memory.readbyte(0x7E33DE) gui.text(232,186,"HP: "..hp) end
Posted: 6/25/2012 9:13 AM
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TheHepper
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Player (84)
Joined: 7/25/2011
Posts: 58
Hey SonOfDog, thanks so much for registering and for your post! Let me hit on the most pressing matter first. I dont know why you cant view the WIP, has anyone else had this issue? I used snes9x 1.43 v17, could it not work on another version? I have the king of poor computers on xp, and would think if I can run it anyone can. Drake HQ I think an earlier run on Drake is a good idea, and probably the best place is after Rat Shaman and getting the heal spell, since I run right past Drake on the way back from docks. Also I won't have Steelflight at this point so he won't lose encounters. I am thinking only up to floor five, since I don't need to kill anyone on six. Could you please clarify what you mean with Summon Spirit? I understand you are suggesting this to reduce lag, but currently I kill them all with one spell. To clarify, you are suggesting if I leave a few alive for the shadowrunners to pick off it will have less lag? I do know you can't use a datadeck if any bad guys are on screen. Please go into some more detail here, I have not tried to reduce lag much but know I need to! Skills For my run, the only required skills are Firearms and the one that lets you get 3 runners. I do get that one first thing at caryards. I need firearms because ideally I should not have missed shots in the run, and gunshots are the best means of luck manipulation. Is there any way to determine how much accuracy changes for each skill increment? I figured I could just boost it to 7, but after Rust Stilettos I really don't need my gun that much thanks to Kitsune. Maybe fewer ranks here could be optimal? I'm not sure how best to think about this, do I need a bot to run some instances? To the other skills, I might put some points in the skill that lets me pay less. This is a really good thought, because a few frames to get the skill could let me save Vladimir. I will play with this some, the best case scenario is I just barely meet my cash needs. However, I may need to put ranks here instead of firearms at the caryards, which could make Rust Stilettos tougher with only 30 hp. Suddenly I am really thinking about firearms. If I don't get it at car yards, and I don't really need it that much afterwards, will there be much benefit at all? I think maybe I do need a good Aneki testrun. I will use Randil's script to reduce my firearms skill and give it a go with Kitsune and Steelflight. Magic The only spell I plan to use is Summon Spirit. I will also use Kitsune's Powerball twice in Bremerton. Kitsune's mana needs are tight with a back-to-back Bremerton-Volcano run, so I will try not to use invis or heal. I also don't plan for Jake to ever cast a spell. I do realize I run right past the dog which has the last item I need for Summon Spirit in Bremerton, but I'm not convinced this is worth the time to pick up. However, let me do a test run of Aneki just to make sure Kitsune's spell can kill them in one hit. General I did not think about mages, this is an excellent idea to save some lag also. On weapons, please let me know your thoughts after you watch the WIP. I use the Ruger exclusively because it is the best I can afford after caryards. I have thought about either continuing to use the baretta or buying a better gun, but I think just the Ruger is the best bet since I don't use the gun much after Rust Stilettos. Also I don't plan to hack any computers for cash, it just takes too long! For armor the answer is none for anyone! Let me know if you still can't watch the run, and I can try to make a video. Can someone help with where I should upload it after making? I tried learning encoding but it's over my head, so the file size would be too hefty for my youtube account. Thanks again for the good ideas! EDIT: I missed a question on skills. There are only 3 optimal times to get skills upgrades. 1) right after caryards, 2) right after my run on Drake, 3) after the Volcano. So without making an extra trip, I do need the 3 shadowrunner skill in the car yards. Honestly, the way my thoughts are running, I might never upgrade skills after the caryards. The only skill that seemed worth an upgrade is firearms, but maybe I don't need it much after all?
Posted: 6/24/2012 11:16 PM
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TheHepper
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Joined: 7/25/2011
Posts: 58
In this update our hero defeats the dragon and saves the day. There are quite a few computer sequences left to do in Aneki Tower, but I'm going to end this test run here and start working on the final version. I did a brief run using Randil's lua script to make sure I can complete the game, and there's not much value in optimizing computer sequences. http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/224638948/Shadowrun%20v32.smv Goals for final run: No HP upgrade (the only reason my HP dips below 30 in this run is because Steelflight left in Volcano), no MP upgrade, no heal spell upgrade (won't even cast heal, I only do in the Volcano bcuz no Steelflight), no stat upgrades except for Charisma and Firearms, no armor, no cash pickups from enemies (except for Rat Shaman for the $3K). Aims for fastest time, takes damange to save time (manipulating a perfect damage free run would not be practical and would cost additional run time). Would any one consider not defusing the cortex bomb straight away a speed entertainment tradeoff? It is faster the way I do it. A note on Drake: In the fight against Drake, the purpose of the Jester Spirit is to reduce Drake's health, and left alone will take it from 250hp to 70hp (Drake's HP is: 7E3546). So if each of my spirit spells can deal 25 damage, one would think I can take him down the second the Jester Spirit spell finishes. Unfortunately, the game is designed to cap the help provided by JS based on how much damage the player has already dealt. So if Drake's HP is taken down by over a certain threshold, JS only takes him down to 40HP. It's more complicated than that though, here are some scenarios: if you deal 75 damage, Drake will have 40hp after JS, if you deal 40 damage, he will have 40 hp, and if you deal either 39 or 49 he will have 31 hp which is as low as it gets. (Does this make sense to anyone math wise?). Since 31 HP is as low as he'll go, it takes 2 summon spirit spells to finish him off, and there is some waiting until Jester Spirit is complete to hit him at the earliest possible moment (otherwise the JS will stop its attack and Drake'll still be >31). Notes on the final route: I forgot you need the "Head Computer" keyword to get into Aneki, so I will have to do the doctor sequences because only the last doctor gives this keyword after deactivating the cortex bomb. However, I won't bother with boosted reflexes. To afford the additional funds for the operation, I'll stake Vladimir for $5K. I'm also going to make a run into Drake Tower with Norbert, Jetboy, and Kitsune after Rust Stilettos. I will fight up to the 5th floor, clearing all encounters that need battles and hacking the required computers, but not hacking for cash. Doing an initial run up Drake Tower costs an additional 2K frames, but saves a run back to the hotel (also around 2K frames). This, however, will enable me to run Bremerton and the Volcano back-to-back for more entertainment. Then I'll rest just before Aneki. The biggest flaw with my test run is Steelflight leaves before Aneki, and he absolutely has to stay with me for his datadeck. I found the RAM addresses for how long shadowrunners will stay with me (7E2DFA is for first position shadowrunner, 7E2DFC is for second position). It's interesting, as long as the bad guy is the only guy on the screen and he dies, it counts down against you, even if there are other bad guys just off screen. Watching this now I should be able to optimize this so he stays for Aneki, especially since we only had 1 encounter to spare when we went to the Volcano. There were a lot of encounters on the Rat Shaman path that he won't have against him in the final run. Since I'm confident I can keep Steelflight till the end, I won't pick up the datadeck. That saves 800 frames in the current run. I estimate I can save around 6-7 minutes in optimization, and Aneki should take about 10 minutes (7-8 of which are in the Aneki building). I think that lands us at 50 minutes for the run. To the best of my knowledge, the unassisted speedrun records are around 90 minutes. I would be happy if the run could get below 45 minutes, but I think that's a fairly good spread already. Some other things to change: 24) I fight one guy in the Bremerton stairs, but I think I could avoid that battle with luck manipulation. 25) The poison ooze fight took a while because I could not select Kitsune for a spell. This should not be a problem in the final version since Kitsune will no longer be the tail end of the party. 26) I can activate first computer in Drakes from the front side of desk 27) I should be able to manipulate the elevators by changing when I log into the computer 28) There's a fairly long wait where I don't move with Drake, but I wanted an idea for the perfect timing. 29) It's worth noting for the matrix sections that you can hold down the arrow key to move over squares, but after turning, tapping the direction you want to go is faster than holding down 30) I forgot you can use "Select" button to exit menus, this may improve the karma boosting sections. Any thoughts and ideas would be appreciated!
Posted: 6/22/2012 7:10 AM
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TheHepper
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Player (84)
Joined: 7/25/2011
Posts: 58
Thanks trytoguess! I did some testing earlier today, and I think I can bypass activating the cortex bomb entirely so the ticking noise would never happen. But it depends on whether I can keep a shadowrunner alive to hack the final computer (which is required to beat the game). I will miss that hilarious dialogue with the doctor though...ooops! I might have activated a bomb in your brain, I think? Well, good luck with that. I feel the need to clarify that I consider this WIP as more of a highly optimized test-run than anything that will become a final product. From the beginning I intended to redo the run (hence some decisions like picking up the datajack, even though I may not need it), and the final version will be in lsnes. Still, I need a highly optimized run for comparison purposes, and the final route depends on what I can accomplish in a TAS. i.e., can I keep Steelflight alive so I never need to use the datajack, can I keep Kitsune alive to get the "Best" ending, can I do all of this with no armor, how much HP or MP will I need to accomplish this, do I need to hack computers for money, etc. Currently I'm doing what I think is fastest and things most speedrunners do, but obviously I'm noticing mistakes here and there that just become part of an ongoing list. This is my plan if I can keep Steelflight alive until the end game: Skip the operation that activates cortex bomb, hire orifice and jetboy, let jetboy die (or kill him) before picking up Steelflight and after he finds $2K), skip drake tower sequence (until later in game), get Kitsune on first run to Wastelands but get Steelflight on second trip, get dock keyword when get heal, skip the computer section in Dark Blade (just run past the first guard without opening dialogue box), skip boosted reflexes, get ice keyword on second trip to Wastelands. This gets me to Bremerton with $50 to spare and saves over 20K frames (5 minutes). Lastly some additional things I will change: 19) Don't give Kitsune the mesh jacket, she can't wear it 20) I don't need the Rust Stilettos keyword from the guy at the train station 21) Try only killing the Rust Stilettos leader, I don't need as much health as I thought for the later sections and I may not need the karma. 22) I only need to ask Vladimir about Jester Spirit on the second stake. 23) I can get the "Ice" keyword from the catwalk just before I get it delivered to the docks. Thanks for watching!
Posted: 6/21/2012 12:28 AM
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TheHepper
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Player (84)
Joined: 7/25/2011
Posts: 58
Alright, work was brutal for a while, but I've got a big update here. This run goes all the way to Bremerton in 1/2 hour. http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/651580759/Shadowrun%20v26.smv Also I have a simple Lua script I put together to show stats for Jake and the shadowrunners. This is the code: while true do emu.frameadvance() --SET VALUES hp=memory.readbyte(0x7E33DE) mp=memory.readbyte(0x7E3C96) xp=memory.readbyte(0x7E3C11) ka=xp/8 nu=memory.readbyte(0x7E3C0D)+memory.readbyte(0x7E3C0E)*256+memory.readbyte(0x7E3C0F)*65536 kh=memory.readbyte(0x7E340B) km=memory.readbyte(0x7E3C9D) st=memory.readbyte(0x7E3410) no=memory.readbyte(0x7E33F7) je=memory.readbyte(0x7E33F2) of=memory.readbyte(0x7E39F1) --DISPLAY gui.text(232,186,"HP: "..hp) gui.text(232,196,"MP: "..mp) if ka<1>1 then gui.text(220,206,"KARMA: "..ka) end end gui.text(208,216,"NUYEN: "..nu) gui.text(30,206,"KI HP/MP: "..kh) gui.text(79,206,"/"..km) gui.text(0,176,"OR: "..of) gui.text(0,186,"JE: "..je) gui.text(0,196,"NO: "..no) gui.text(0,206,"ST: "..st) end -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lastly, this is my ongoing list of things to improve in the final version: 14) The bouncer in the Cage bar - maybe give him tickets first, then make calls 15) Hamfist - Whether I get him instead of Jetboy will depend on whether I get boosted reflexes. See below 16) I was being dumb when I did the first computer in Drake's tower, so that can be improved a bit. Also I need to kill the Mage before the elevator goes back up. 17) I may not get boosted reflexes in the final version. I spent 12K frames getting cash and performing the operation (6.5K and 5.5K respectively). What this does is it reduces the delay between gunshots from 35 frames to 25 frames. So I need to fire my gun 1.2K times to make this worth it. However, gunshots are also the primary means of luck manipulation, and I may need this with the huge fights coming up. 18) I was also being dumb when I forgot to get the keyword "Docks" after learning the heal spell, so I spend 4.7K frames back tracking. EDIT: I forgot to ask, would anyone find the ticking noise from the cortex bomb annoying if it continued for the entire run? And does anyone think this is too boring for submission?
Posted: 5/3/2012 1:53 AM
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TheHepper
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Player (84)
Joined: 7/25/2011
Posts: 58
Brandon, I thought this was an awesome run. Definitely demonstrates superhuman play in how you saved presses. And was entertaining the whole way through (except for the intro when I thought my speakers weren't working) because I was always anticipating the next press. Yes vote!. With that said, I wondered if it was possible to save a press at 2:52 by jumping off the first bomb and holding A long enough to land on the pipe once the screen scrolls?
Posted: 1/28/2012 12:04 AM
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TheHepper
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Joined: 7/25/2011
Posts: 58
Very good! I enjoyed the coin dodging and other various entertainment choices. Yes vote.
Posted: 1/12/2012 3:07 AM
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TheHepper
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Player (84)
Joined: 7/25/2011
Posts: 58
Just watched the run and it looks great! I enjoyed the stylistic choices you made to improve the run's entertainment value. Yes vote!
Posted: 1/7/2012 10:25 PM
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TheHepper
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Thanks for looking into those and explaining to me. I know half a second is not a big improvement, but I saw those with my naked eye so others would too and may conclude it's not fully optimized. Let me try to explain what I meant on a couple of those. 1) I'm glad this one could save some health too. I would avoid jumping over the second to last guy before the stage ended. That one stood out to me as obvious (but only if its not faster than avoiding other damage). Also some of the earlier hits synched with the music, which was cool. 4) You might have the most optimal approach already, since there are a lot of skull throwing guys. One thing I noticed on my Rocketeer run, was if I attacked or jumped at the right frame before a level ended, the enemies would change their patterns in the next level. Maybe something like pulling out your claws before you walk through the previous stage door could change enemy patterns and let you take that skull hit by moving other enemies in the level optimally out of your way? 5) What I meant here, is that on the 2nd step, you seemed to run into the 3rd step and pause before jumping over it. I was just thinking you could land on the far right of the 2nd step, so you had time to jump over the 3rd step without hitting it? Although after reading your comments, the Wolverine appears to defy the laws of physics by not accelerating, so maybe this doesn't matter. I really think you're close to a fully optimized run. I bet this one was easier than Kickle Cubicle huh? EDIT: I watched again, and had 2 more questions :) 11) I'm guessing vertical swim speed is different than horizontal speed, because at 1:55, it looked like you were able to swim down faster by going down for long enough, but then this didn't happen at 2:03. Is there any way to make it so you swim down that fast there too? I.e, by trying different combination of button taps? 12) At 2:47, why do you jump over the guy since you still take damage? Does that change other enemy patterns?
Posted: 1/7/2012 6:51 PM
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TheHepper
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No WIP update until later next week due to work. But after watching my current WIP a few times, here is a listing of some improvements I would make on the final product. Please let me know if there are others you see so far or in the future. 1) The path I take out of the first room is not as optimal as the second time I come in. 2) I can get closer to the gate before the conversation with my "best friend" triggers. Also, it has to be said: Who let the dog out? *Woof* *Woof* *Woof* *Woof* 3) I know there are minor movement improvements, like getting around corners faster or getting to the next screen at the earliest frame. Also if I have to re-position myself, doing so while the screen fades in so its not obvious to the viewer. 4) After I pick up the dog collar, it is probably possible to just barely get on the curb of the sidewalk, which would "warp" me closer to the stairs in the next screen. A similar warp was used on my way to the graveyard. 5) It would probably be faster to get right next to the first gunman I fight, and bring the cursor down to pick up the baretta. I may also grab the armor then, and take a route close to the corner after I meet the dog. 6) Grim reaper's club: I wouldn't improve much. Previous WIPs showed a lot of movement while waiting for the barkeep, but I noticed doing so slows down how long it takes him to bring your drink. I need to test whether it is better to talk to the man while the barkeep is stopped or while he's moving. 7) Grabbing the datajack. Still not sure if this is necessary if I have the right shadowrunners. 8) On the way to the arena, I should probably go above the barrel rather than below it. This is the path I take on the way out. 9) Arena fights: 1st guy (gang member): There is a long pause that stopped me from taking damage. I know how to use the cursor to manipulate the RNG now, so will take that out. 3rd guy (heavy dude): It might be optimal to move right just enough that his path freezes him off screen without me having to reposition. 4th and 5th guys (mages): No point using grenades here. They hit hard, but they have no armor, and I can use the cursor + shooting delays to avoid damage. 10) The king: Fans of this game might appreciate how well I glitch the king. I think that is optimally done, but for a TAS it is not as fast. What I would try to do is use the 2 grenades I save from the mage fights on him, manipulate the RNG to survive his onslaught, and position myself optimally. 11) Stat upgrades. Getting the point in "firearms" is definitely worth the time spent, but I probably won't upgrade my "body" stat here on the real run. If I upgrade the stat at all (man that would be awesome if I didn't), it is most efficient to do it all at once. 12) I'm starting to wonder if I should grab Hamfist at the Grim Reaper Club instead of Orifice (yes that's his name). Hamfist has a faster firing rate but less accuracy, and he's also a decker and would let me take on Drake Tower before getting Steelflight (He's expensive, maybe I wouldn't get him until after the Dark Blade mansion). If I do this in the current WIP, I would choose to not hire Orifice, but take the train back to the Grim Reaper club. It will make the WIP look horrible, but it's not worth the time trying to re-optimize the arena fights only to do it again in the final version. FYI, taking on Drake Tower early lets me afford Boosted Reflexes, and the longer I have that the more time I save overall. I may have to do two runs that split off where I am now and see which is faster. 13) The 2 guys in Daley station: It would probably be better to approach from the left side rather than walking over to the key. I'll leave it in the WIP for now though. I think that's everything. I hope you're enjoying the run so far. EDIT: Although another possibility is to go back into the car yards and fight the remaining guys for 21K nuyen, which is enough for the time bomb operation + boosted reflexes. However, I wouldn't try this without going to the weapons shop first for the Ruger, which makes doing the whole run up to the king without resting pointless (I could stop after the samurai warrior, then return and fight ferocious orc, king, and the rest in one go which would be even harder than what I've currently done). Plus I think I could afford to get the bomb, reflexes, Norbert and Steelflight all at once before hitting the Rust Stilletos, then stick with Orifice until I have to return to the Jagged Nails club for the *Strobes* keyword to pick up Kitsune. Decisions, decisions... EDIT 2: So I'll try all 3 in a non-optimized way to see which is the fastest. It will be entertaining for you to see the car yards and drake tower routes even if I don't use them.
Posted: 1/7/2012 2:29 PM
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TheHepper
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I like this! I know we don't normally accept fighting games TASes that don't have a ton of obvious glitches, but I was entertained the whole time. There was a good variety of combos and characters, only a couple spots I saw with move repetition, and we fought each character for only one round. Most fighting games bore me to watch, but this one didn't, so yes vote! Also, I laughed at how the last boss just gets kicked in the face repeatedly, but then is like "There was no way I could lose according to my data".
Posted: 1/7/2012 2:01 PM
(Edited: 1/12/2012 3:21 AM)
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TheHepper
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I'm excited! EDIT: Just watched the run, and it was great! The arcade version is the one I was most familiar with, and watching this brought back some memories...Not all of them good. This game is really hard, and I enjoyed watching it get thrashed. Yes vote!
Posted: 1/7/2012 4:51 AM
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TheHepper
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Hey goofydylan8, I just watched the run and I think its pretty entertaining. For the most part it looks well optimized, but I did have some nit-picky questions that might save you a few frames here and there. 1) At the 45 and 56 second mark, can you take more advantage of the magnets pulling you along by maximizing your time on those platforms? I.e., by jumping earlier to land on them sooner? 2) At around the 2:33 mark, it looks like you hit the wall because it takes a while to sink down. If you jumped immediately after landing, so you hit the water slightly earlier, would that save you from stopping there? 3) At around 2:55, would it be faster to not swim against the wall, but sink down a little away from it, so you have time to gain top swimming speed as you clear the corner? 4) I watched the trial by terror level a few times. Would it be possible to jump earlier or do a shorter jump, so you land on one of the longer sections of the skull pile so you don't have to pause at the top? Also, is there no way to manipulate the game into not throwing that skull in your path? That turn around takes away from the run's momentum. 5) At the 4:00 mark, could you not avoid the delay on the stairs by landing just at the right-most edge of the step? Then, right after that, is it just me or does hitting the ceiling stop you briefly? 6) At 4:53, would it be faster to jump a little away from the ledge, so you don't run into it? This way you don't have to regain top-speed. 7) At 6:25, would it be faster to jump a little further out from those ledges, so by the time you can go under them you're at top speed going the other direction? Jumping before the ledges may also reduce the time you spend falling since you can pass the ledge at your top falling speed. 8) At 6:39, would it be faster to jump back some, so as you go over the top of the orange block you already have top speed? This might also apply at the high pillars around 7:21 and 7:30. 9) At 6:55, is there no way to not pause at that bottom rock? Maybe by jumping differently? 10) At 6:59, with the platform that halfway accelerates you to the left, is there no way to stay on it longer to increase your speed? For instance, landing at the exact spot it would begin accelerating you, and then jumping at the last frame possible so you land at the farthest corner of that pillar? Anyway, I like the run and look forward to seeing the final version!
Posted: 1/6/2012 5:34 PM
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TheHepper
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TheKDX7, this is an enjoyable run, but the bar is set pretty high on this site for Mario games. Some people have said there are optimization problems, but Mariowiki.com says many glitches in the original Mario were removed from this game, and the gameplay itself looks pretty good to me. While collecting the red coins and yoshi eggs is really entertaining, some of the more mundane point collecting, like stopping to grab mushrooms and fireworks, just make the run look slower. I agree with Metarkrai. It's a good run, but it appears there could be more optimization in regards to how much time is spent collecting points to get the max score on each level. After thinking about it, I'll vote Meh. It's entertaining, but I think the run should only be published if, at the time, it is as optimized as we believe possible. Another attempt that better optimizes the time spent point collecting would definitely earn a yes vote from me.
Posted: 1/6/2012 12:23 AM
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TheHepper
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It took me a little while to understand what was going on, but I like this run. It was entertaining to me, and the luck manipulation is very impressive. Yes vote.
Posted: 1/6/2012 12:21 AM
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TheHepper
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Actually, the jumping in the forest is because its a way to glitch the game into letting me go faster by using the rocket without losing any fuel. This game is very stingy with the rocket fuel, and outright takes it from you in some levels, so you have to be careful to use it well. I'm glad you enjoyed the run!
Posted: 1/5/2012 3:29 PM
(Edited: 1/5/2012 9:08 PM)
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TheHepper
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Thanks Randil, that lua script is awesome.
And to really grind the knife in, it's not possible to completely skip Bremerton even though the Jester Spirit is wholly unneeded against Drake. There's no other place to learn the "Volcano" keyword. This is a real shame because that would allow us to skip Dark Blade."
Is this really true? Could we not maybe do something like you did in your Deja Vu run to get this in our list? It would be a huge time saver. If you can help me with that, I don't mind would be happy doing the rest of the speedrun and adding you as a co-author for doing that one part. Just let me know. EDIT: Even better, if we got the "Aneki" keyword we could probably skip the Volcano too and waltz right into Aneki Tower.
Posted: 1/5/2012 9:53 AM
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TheHepper
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Thanks Randil! I'm really not familiar with lua scripting at all, so any help you can offer would be appreciated. I know I looked through the articles on the site at one point and didn't quite get it. Also, after killing the local monarch and with a ticking bomb in our head, we leave Old Town never to return. http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/28293735/Shadowrun%20v8.smv
Posted: 1/5/2012 3:28 AM
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TheHepper
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Very good, yes vote. I wish I could teleport around like that.
Posted: 1/5/2012 2:50 AM
(Edited: 1/5/2012 9:12 PM)
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TheHepper
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Joined: 7/25/2011
Posts: 58
You two are awesome. antd, thanks for posting that WIP. Randil, those RAM addresses are just what I was looking for. I'll need to play around with them, especially the RNG. What makes the king fight tough is that the only thing I'm currently using to advance the RNG is timing of shots, but a lot of shots that would change the RNG to stop me from taking damage are either misses or absorbed by the King's armor. Can't have missed shots in a TAS. In my experience, the only other thing that changes it is movements by your character. IE, if you move the cursor enough that he looks a different direction, that affects RNG. Other posters have said just moving the cursor by 1 or 3 frames affects it, but that hasn't been my experience, so maybe that RAM address will help me determine what exactly I need to do. That other speedun is also on youtube at the below link. I think a lot of what makes it so long is that the author used actual saves throughout the game, rather than playing through in one go like I will. My 9 minute run gets me to around part 9/21, which is approximately 21.5 minutes into his run. Plus I'm taking a quicker route than they used. I think mine will definitely be under an hour, and possibly even below the half hr forty five minute mark. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mNEUg4e-WU&feature=related EDIT: I think the address for RNG is 7E1705. It changes when the damage I take from the King changes, and does not change, even after I fire, if the damage is the same.
Posted: 1/4/2012 4:53 AM
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TheHepper
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Player (84)
Joined: 7/25/2011
Posts: 58
The below WIP gets me through the ferocious orc without resting. However, I haven't been able to kill the king in the same run. I know it's possible to get through the fight with 9 health, since Maximus only lost 6 on his attempt. I tried all sorts of positioning glitches, but I think I just need to go toe-to-toe with him like Maximus did in his earlier WIP. http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/1227413011/Shadowrun%20v4.smv I just have to laugh at these fighter brothers. One says he'll teach me the meaning of pain then promptly dies. The other says he'll avenge his brother and promptly runs away. In response to my earlier post, grenades is definitely the way to go for powering through the arena.
Posted: 1/3/2012 5:00 AM
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TheHepper
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Joined: 7/25/2011
Posts: 58
Shadowrun was one of my favorite games growing up, so I'm going to work on getting us a completed speedrun. I currently have a test run up to the car yards. I had wanted to wait and post a test run that completes the game, but I got excited with the progress and wanted to share. (Emulator is snes9x 1.43 v17) http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/668620201/Shadowrun%20v4.smv Inspiration for the work so far came from the WIPs and discussions in this and the prior WIP thread (Thread #4277: ), as well as two speedruns on youtube. However, going forward my route will be based on the below walkthrough. http://www.gamespite.net/talkingtime/showthread.php?t=4850 Essentially, the plan is to skip the magic quests (except for heal) and rely on shadowrunners for spells and DPS. I will also keep Kitsune alive for the entire game, which should give the "best" ending. Potential improvements for the final version 1) I purchased grenades from the business man to help in the car yard, but I may revisit this. I think the fastest approach to the car yards would be to fight the ferocious orc and the king without resting, and postpone boosting my stats until I am ready to leave. Grenades should help with that, but may not be worth the time it takes to purchase them. 2) I'm sure there are tricks I won't discover until I'm deeper into the run, so I have not bothered trying to get through each and every screen perfectly (this is just a test run). I have however optimized sections that use the cursor and the menus, and barring discovery of other tricks I will use these inputs in the final run. 3) I haven't started looking for RAM addresses yet, but if anyone knows some good ones I would appreciate the help. Also, Shyft, can you please let me know where those safe spots are for the fight with Drake? The next few months get busy for me at work so progress may be slow, but I'm excited about this run and promise to see it through till the end.
Posted: 12/23/2011 11:24 PM
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TheHepper
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Joined: 7/25/2011
Posts: 58
Everyone, thanks for the kind words! mklip2001: Thanks for your interest. The jumping before the corridors is because if the Rocketeer falls from a great height, he will ordinarily have to crouch on the ground for a couple seconds. But if you jump just as he lands, you can avoid this delay. However, the ceiling physics changed in the last chapter. Normally the Rocketeer would bounce off the ceilings in a corridor, but in that chapter he sticks to them and slows down. Jumping against the corner of the ceiling before the corridor was faster. This is also why, in the long corridor with the 2 gun shooting guys and the runner, I don't try to kill them since the Rocketeer has to stop to shoot. By the way, it was very hard manipulating the game to let me run through that corridor and only take 3 hits, instead of 4. In regards to the embed glitches, I don't think there are any, but finding them would be the best way to improve the run. My experience is the Rocketeer moves too slow to trick the game into letting you pass through a wall, even with the jetpack. I also don't think the walls have block physics you can get between like in Mario. And, tricks with up+down or left+right don't work, because the game just chooses down and left by default. I was able to get stuck between a crate and a ceiling once in ch5, but the game just sent me straight down through the crate to the floor beneath and I lost momentum. I never noticed that part about their legs moving faster than the Rocketeer, that's hilarious! EDIT: I forgot to mention, there are a couple spots in the first stage of the last chapter where you aren't forced to crouch down if you perform a high-jump. So I take advantage of this where possible.
Posted: 12/22/2011 5:13 PM
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TheHepper
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Joined: 7/25/2011
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Thanks amphoterite! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to learn how to encode on my own, so we might have to wait for someone to offer. If necessary, I could split it up into several 2 minute youtube posts, but my computer is horrible and takes 3 hours for each upload.
Posted: 9/7/2011 3:55 AM
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TheHepper
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Joined: 7/25/2011
Posts: 58
Thanks so much for the comment and for taking an interest in the run. 1) I took another look, and I think I can get through that area without jumping. Two extra hearts are necessary to make it through, because going through the flames makes it impossible to avoid the gunner at the bottom of the pit after you get the jetpack. But I just realized that I can get 2 hearts by avoiding the bullet at 3617, and manipulating a heart out of the guy at 4615. Avoiding the bullet, however, desyncs the entire jumping section at 4615 4967, and will carry forward to the rest of the game, so it will take some time to work it out...but I think I can make this work. Thanks! 2) That was a clever idea. You can't turn the rocket back on without landing again, and turning off the rocket immediately reduces speed (there's no way to conserve momentum even with precise jumping). But you can do this duckwalk method to preserve the fuel tank by repeatedly jumping and killing the fuel before it decreases. It doesn't allow for 7 frames every time, the usage pattern for my experiment here was 7-5-1-4-1-3-2, but its definitely faster than walking and doesn't use fuel! So I'll use this in the factory and the woods stage to save time. Also, there should be a way to avoid those 1 frame boosts, since they are actually slower than walking. 3) Correct me if I'm wrong (if there's one thing this game has a lot of its levels with crates), but I think you're referring to frame 34345 where I kill the guy? I had originally jumped twice to shoot him without stopping, but taking a second look I can do one jump, punching him just after I leave that narrow area. What other areas there were sloppy? Sometimes it's hard to look at my own run objectively. Thanks for the help, it will take a little while to implement these changes, but I'll post the result when I get it worked out.
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