In many areas the collision extends well beyond what is visually there as the edge of walls. In many areas I run against the wall intentionally if it doesn't slow me down to start cornering earlier. You turn very slowly in this game so it often helps to take more of the inside of the corner.
Re-record count is a bit on the low side for a few reasons.
- I have the real time record so I am very familiar with the game and mechanics.
- I have recently finished another TAS for the game. I concluded myself this old tas
wasn't optimized enough for submission here and a route change could be done to save time.
- The actual gameplay time is a lot lower because of all the loadscreens and cutscenes.
This new TAS is an almost 2 minute improvement on the previous one I made. The groundwork was all there already from the previous TAS so for many tricks I didn't need that many re-records. The game isn't very technical aside from some of the tricks so there are a lot of relatively simple parts.
I have already finished a new TAS. With the same in game timing it is 29:19 so almost 2 minutes faster! Big improvement. TAS time is 30:15. I takes almost a minute before you can select new game due to the loading screens. The improvement is a combination of better optimization and a route change. This one is really as fast as I know how to go. I have just submitted it to the site as well. Enjoy!
Link to video
Note: The audio clipping issue is present in the final boss area. The machine is extremely loud as well as the attacks of the final boss. Before the youtube upload I have extracted the audio file and used a declipper tool in Adobe Audition to fix it so it is watchable. I regret not taking the 2 seconds to fix the sfx volume but it can also be solved like this.[/video]
What graphics plugin did you use? I honestly doubt it's the cause, but there are a few fringe cases where some of the older plugins cause issues regarding loading times or transition times to (or between) menu screens.
I started this run over a year ago with the Jabo 1.6 video plugin. I downloaded the latest bizhawk and I see that GlideN64 is the default now. I would have to retime it with that one to see if the difference is still there. Here is a video with Jabo 1.6 to show the difference:
Link to videoTheCoreyBurton wrote:
To me, if there's an in-game setting that doesn't affect gameplay and can prevent an intrusive artifact from being present in the final product, I'm all for it being set to the appropriate setting. You later mentioned that it would cause you to lose frames though, so I'm honestly not sure where this would stand. Testing could always be done to see if the clipping can be removed some other way, but I've ran into a bit of computer trouble lately which makes such a test difficult. I would recommend working this out before starting your second run though, as I'd like to see this run improved and submitted!
I did another test now and while the sfx is very loud it doesn't usually cause clipping. It's mostly in scenes with a lot of background noise and repeated shooting. In the TAS that can be mostly avoided without losing any time. The area before the final boss is the worst but in the TAS route I don't need to shoot there. I think I will just go with standard settings. It would cost 2 seconds to go to the options before starting a new game otherwise.
I'm about 2 minutes into a new game already. I think with the new route I have in mind I can just about make sub 30 minutes :).
It came to my attention analyzing the run that there is a slightly faster route through the game which would lead to some changes in the beginning. I guess I won't be submitting this run then but I hope the video is entertaining anyway.
I plan to redo this run from scratch with the intention of submitting it here. I will be recording from powerup like usual in a TAS run. Goal would be sub 30 minutes.
Is it allowed to quickly turn down the sfx in the options to prevent the sound clipping issue even though this would lose some frames counting from power up?
In the end people watch these for entertaiment so I would think it would be.
I have finished making a Tool-Assisted speedrun for the game 🙂. I clocked a total time 31 minutes and 16 seconds (starting from loading a new file to when Legion dies). For some reason loading screens are a bit longer on emulator so on a real n64 it should be sub 31 minutes. I think timing on this website is a bit different.
I started from a save state on the title screen because I wanted to turn the sfx volume a bit down as it's so loud in certain parts that it causes clipping (when loading the gun for example which happens frequently). Not sure if it can be submitted here but I am anyway happy with the result and had a lot of fun making this run. I'll have to look into the regulations for submitting it. I mostly just made it for myself because I love the game and enjoyed doing it.
I have the realtime record for a segmented run using a glitch to reach the final boss very early (similar to a 16 star run SM64 this is a 13 dark soul run for Shadow Man). The route for the realtime record was the basis for the TAS run but I was able to save significant time at certain parts especially in the last boss fight. The PC version has a well known glitch where you can hit the second form boss model during the first form fight as the model is loaded in a corner in the room. I tried everything but it doesn't seem to be possible on N64. With this route you reach the boss very underpowered so it would have really helped but oh well I think the last fight is a lot more entertaining how it ended up dodging bullets like Neo in the Matrix :D .
Anyway enjoy!
Link to video[/video]
Thanks.
Yeah, I think the right place for this info is on a game resources page. I do not have any videos officialy published through tasvideos so I don't think I can edit it myself but maybe jagg2zero can since he has the Jack Cup TAS published.
I did write the full driving mechanics and moves tutorial supplementary to the video here: https://www.speedrun.com/fzx/guide/0ugeo
Also in the playlist with tutorials for each track I explain literally all I know about the game (and it's quite a few hours of video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDcn_lBlLt0yx3vEEehi_aSbGLNBXDfYL
Combined with all the bk2 movie files that should be the perfect start for anyone interested in TASing the game some more or learning more about it.
Thanks for the quick reply!
I was hoping the slowdown wouldn't affect the end result of the avi capture so I made a quick test TAS for the route of the first level. The youtube video I have linked is made with the Bizhawk avi capture method and with async mode turned on. I have tested another PC but with the exact same results...
I have linked the test bk2 movie file here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ugDWzs79ucg2sJFPQqk1bitsViTCQHqP
If there is a way to capture the avi video without the slowdown and audio issues I would love to know how.
I have recently become interested in making a TAS for the N64 game Body Harvest.
This game has bad collision detection problems with all of the video plugins except the latest release of the GLideN64 plugin. In the settings of that plugin you have to enable an option for frame buffer settings called "copy depth to RDRAM" to "use software render" because otherwise collision detection didn't work on most objects. That does completely fix the issue.
Now, the problem is the game has enormous slowdown while using GLideN64 in Bizhawk while the Jabo plugin for instance doesn't have this (but no collision detection).
In project64 the game was running fine for me before with the GLideN64 plugin. I went to check again and to my surprise on the latest release of Project64 it has very similar problems to what I experienced in Bizhawk.
Checking for the differences there were a few settings that completely fix the slowdown problems. Notably the option AI count per byte. When set to 200 it's almost fixed but at 400 it's completely fixed and the game runs flawless (in Project64).
Left image default settings in Project64 2.1.0.1 (the good one) and Project64 2.3.2.202 (with slowdown). Making the settings the same fixes the problem.
https://i.imgur.com/ad9NNnG.png
I couldn't find any equivalent settings in Bizhawk to change this so the problem of being unable to make a TAS remains. Is this something that's fixable or any other advice?
Test video showing the problem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=KSrAbFn1kv4
In the past year I have made a full set of tutorials for F-Zero X. This includes specific tutorials for every track as well as a dedicated driving mechanics and moves tutorial. Every tutorial uses 2 to 4 different strategies for every track. The demos for this are TAS for a clean and optimal execution of the strategy.
Jagg2zero has provided all the demos for the Tracks Space Plant, Sand Ocean 2, Port Town 2 and Big Hand. I did the demos for the rest of the tracks.
Full playlist of F-Zero X tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDcn_lBlLt0yx3vEEehi_aSbGLNBXDfYL
Many of the fastest strategies shown are currently also the fastest TAS demos of those tracks. The full compilation of fastest demos for every track can be viewed in the following video:
Link to video
I have made the Bizhawk movie files public via the F-Zero Central google drive here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1VM9dzMrVm2Q8GJX4HLO-nCQCYMobmUAL
Compilation video for Novice level strategies TAS: https://youtu.be/eWORn34jop4
Compilation video for Standard level strategies TAS: https://youtu.be/nAAVoNz3kXI
Compilation video for Expert level strategies TAS: https://youtu.be/DUt3_enCtPY
Driving Mechanics and Moves Tutorial:
Link to video
I'm glad I could have been of assistence in creating this TAS with some advice it really turned out great. I'll be happy to help again in the future.
I think the nicest would be to eventually link it to the other cups so you could continue with this TAS into the Queen cup so you would have all cups in together but I don't know how easy/ hard that would be.
For this game a GP TAS isn't particularly interesting because there isn't a lot of interaction with the AI drivers using these kind of strategies. Unlike MK64 there are no items you can use and you can't really abuse the AI much to your advantage for shortcuts or anything since you'll go so much faster than them that on almost all tracks you have almost no interaction untill you lap them.
WMJ: I note on the Mr Fix-It site there is a new record from March 20th for MC1 with times for PAL and NTSC...I'm guessing the site just does an algorithmic conversion and that you didn't actually run the NTSC time? If you did run it, do you have a video? Thx! :)
Edit: Just watched the improved PAL WR...sweet! Will get working on a wip using the floating strat asap
The TAS you made of the regular strat is truly amazing. I had never expected this much improvement to be possible on that record. On the MFO world records page the purple color indicates the system the time was set on. For all world records in the game that is PAL except for Silence 2.
I have done the strat on NTSC for fun but I didn't beat my PAL time. I expect quite some imrpovement to be possible when the strat gets optimized. Possibly sub 1'05 NTSC. My best PAL splits were something like 33"6 - 24"1 - 20"8.
There are no differences between PAL and NTSC besides the speed difference that only has to do with the frames per second. I'm 100% sure all of this is possible on NTSC.
The elevating is done by activating a glitch. By landing in the rail and immediately leaving the track you get a in mode of gameplay that's in between driving normally and floating. When you float at a crooked angle like I did you can gain height rapidly. The only difficulty is in gently steering to avoid sliding in the air. To get in a crooked angle you can steer gently, do side attacks and/or tap the A button.
EDIT:
I improved it again.
Mute City - 1'19"915 PAL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8zy41W8Am0
I've improved the world record by over a second with a completely new strategy. This is just the first run I completed like this too. At least most of the opener TAS you made is still relevant :).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK1mu4xOJWs
This looked very good. I hadn't thought there was this much improvement left in the world record run from the opener alone. You can use the side attack into slide method for the second boostplate as well when you railslide into the tunnel. This is the most optimised non-assisted word record for sure so no wonder it is tough to really get a significant improvement.
I watched the wip. I used exactly the same settings you described but it keeps desyncing for me every time on the 3rd boostplate. The beginning of the lap seemed really good though so keep up the good work.
From my experience with this track it is really tight with the energy and there is practically no room to recover energy in later laps and still stick to the strategy. It might be possible to skip the first or the second boostplate in lap 2 because you can do the railslide into the little tunnel with almost no energy loss if optimized.
I briefly contructed a lap 1 on Port Town with this in mind so I suggest you beat me (with a better DTD in particular; watch the WR videos) before going any further.
That way to do the DTD is really slow. I roughly beat that opener by 0"6 on console and I have gotten even better openers using this strategy.
I watched the 1'04'' WR yesterday and start to shame:D
The WR is 1'01 actually. It was a good effort but the DTD is still far from optimised. The cruising speed after landing the DTD is the most important and not the maxspeed you can land it at.
This video is closest to the current WR: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq-_IUquA7w&feature=channel_page
On a side note, I have finally figured out how to do the Mute City fast lap strategy myself and have now beaten the WR: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpXyFnv9FeU
So, in case anyone was interested in this that video should be of help.
What I think would make an interesting TAS for this game would be a best lap on Mute City 1. JKT used a special strat there where he entered the lap with a TDD or TDDTD (True diagonal double tap dive).
Nobody I've spoken to (Westu and some others) really understands how this can possibly be used in a beneficial way for a lap time. I think it would be really interesting to see how much can be gotten from such a dive.
There is a description of the lap strategy in this guide: http://www.mrfixitonline.com/viewtopic.php?t=200
I'd like to add that I've done time attack runs for all the tracks back in 2005 that could be of help here: http://speeddemosarchive.com/EpisodeIRacer.html
This game has indeed a lot of TAS potential so it shouldn't be a problem to beat those times. The only track I've done which is really outdated now is Abyss where Myles Bukrim has found a huge shortcut. I think using Ben Quadinaros on a lot more tracks should also give faster times.
For individual time attack runs like those done for F-Zero X upgrading the Pod racers is irrelevant since it's very easy to get a fully upgraded pod racer at the end of the game. I.e. you can easily buy the best parts for the pod racers by the end of the single player game.
