Joined: 3/18/2006
Posts: 971
Location: Great Britain
Vykan12 wrote:
Python seems like the perfect candidate, so I'll be focusing on that for the next month.
How is Python going?
I just picked it up a few days ago.
Like you, I was working my way through K&R until I realised I know next to nothing about programming, and perhaps C wasn't a good place to start.
To the programmers here, is there any point for me to learn C?
I'm learning programming only as a hobby, and I aim to only make windows applications. My only experience with programming is writing simple ASM programs, which I needed in order to understand FFVII's RNG functions (disasm).
Joined: 3/18/2006
Posts: 971
Location: Great Britain
There is a big fighting game tournament called Evo 2013.
Nintendo attempted to ban Super Smash Bros. Melee from being livestreamed on twitch.tv.
Regrettably, we’ve just been informed by Nintendo of America Inc. that we do not have permission to broadcast Super Smash Bros. Melee for Evo 2013. In light of this, we must make the following changes to the schedule.
However, a reddit + social media war ensued and Nintendo then allowed the game to be livestreamed online by the tournament organisers.
Joined: 3/18/2006
Posts: 971
Location: Great Britain
Of course I did that. Specifically I'm interested in seeing the game beaten in the fastest time, within limits.
I feel opening the disc tray is too much hardware abuse. I am aiming to abuse the game's software rather than the hardware.
Joined: 3/18/2006
Posts: 971
Location: Great Britain
The glitched run also starts from a savestate (at emerald weapon), and I lost my verification movie-file when my HDD died.
Although, it is technically possible to verify that I didn't cheat. But that would require some knowledge of the game and investigating the RAM.
Why not submit it? Finding out how fast it can be completed is one of the main points of this site isn't it? I think the glitchless run would be much more fun to watch, but that doesn't mean that the glitched run isn't valuable too.
Yeah, perhaps. The vault seems like a place where second-rate TASes end up. So, personally, I don't have much motivation to submit it here.
tasvideos.org/vault.html wrote:
Previously we only published movies people found entertaining ...
:P!
Regarding the glitchless run: I think you should refrain from using stutter-walking and the menu trick, though I wouldn't have that much against the former.
Yeah, the menu glitch will definitely not be used in a glitchless run.
I will immediately escape all random encounters anyway.
Joined: 3/18/2006
Posts: 971
Location: Great Britain
I am not planning to submit this. It is just being used as a test run, and to find glitches, time-savers, etc.
I'm only doing this as I'm curious as to what kind of completion time is possible.
Joined: 3/18/2006
Posts: 971
Location: Great Britain
I'm encoding the glitched run now. It is from New Game to the end of Disc 1.
Here's a list of things that might be difficult to optimise:
1. Random Encounter Pattern:
We have the entire walking route, and thus random encounter pattern, plotted on BrutalAl's random encounter calculator spreadsheet. However, we are limited to manual calculations. For this to be optimised, someone would have to write a program in order to find the fastest way through the game.
At the moment I'm plotting the route manually a few segments at a time. This means inputting 'stutter' or 'menu glitch' into the calculator and seeing which method is faster, over a number of segments.
The optimal way would be to plot the whole game from the very first field; clearly infeasible doing this manually.
A sloppy random encounter pattern may waste tens of minutes!!
1.5 Step Fraction:
This is related to point 1. It may sometimes be faster to waste a frame in order to reset the step fraction. If the step fraction is 1 frame away from overflowing, and if a high step fraction results in a battle, then it would be faster to waste a frame by overflowing the step fraction in a 'safe' field.
I will be able to release a 'frame perfect' route once the game has been completed. This will allow other TASers to properly plan their routes and optimise it as necessary.
2. Party Members:
Some party members say more than others. I suppose a script of the game exists somewhere. Choosing the immediate party members that say the fewest words, or the fewest characters, would be most desirable.
Joined: 3/18/2006
Posts: 971
Location: Great Britain
I want to attempt a 'glitchless' run after this. In this run there will be no glitches :D
However, I'm unsure as to whether 'stuttering' is a glitch or not.
Stuttering is where Cloud walks the last frame of a 'run'; thereby counting the 'run' as a 'walked' step. This lowers the danger value resulting in fewer random encounters.
The game thinks the step was a walk rather than a run.
Is this considered a glitch or not? And should it be banned in a glitchless run of the game?
Joined: 3/18/2006
Posts: 971
Location: Great Britain
I'm thinking about adding audio commentary to the 'glitched' run. This is the TAS that contains no battles/boss fights.
I think it might be useful so that I can explain the HUD/stats (lua script) which is displayed on screen. And I can explain the small glitches and time-savers that are difficult to see. I could talk about how many 'stutters' each segment requires, and how many battles I would have got without using this technique, etc.
It may also add some enjoyment to the otherwise boring/battle-less run.
Joined: 3/18/2006
Posts: 971
Location: Great Britain
If the power button, turning off the console, is not considered part of gameplay, and therefore shouldn't be allowed, what about turning on the console?
Is that part of gameplay? (triggered by File - Open ROM- <game>, in emulators).
Joined: 3/18/2006
Posts: 971
Location: Great Britain
I think, under SDA segmented-run rules, it is ignored because it is not part of the speed run.
The glitch only requires one save of the "real run"; this could be at rocket town.
Play from new-game until Jenova and die (not a speed run).
Then decide to continue the segmented run by loading the rocket town save. Fight Yuffie and warp to the final bosses.
SDA already has precedent for using this kind of technique. This sort of thing can also be used to manipulate the RNG and enemy formation possibilities in FF7.
Segmented runs of FF7 (and other games) would have to power off the hardware every time they made a mistake otherwise; in order not to manipulate the RNG/enemy formation. But they don't, they get a game-over or soft-reset instead. Thus intentionally, or unintentionally, changing what goes on in the speed run when they load and continue.
Joined: 3/18/2006
Posts: 971
Location: Great Britain
Thanks Lil_Gecko, that script is great!
I should be continuing work with the glitched run at some point; almost done with disc one.
Link to video
May as well put this here for investigatory purposes. PC version only though. Discovered by someone at SDA. I have not personally attempted this on the PSX.
It allows the game to be completed in a few hours. Yuffie can be acquired earliest around Rocket Town.
1. Die in a battle
2. Load a save file and get Yuffie
3. After defeating Yuffie, the player will be warped to the boss/area in step 1.
Joined: 3/18/2006
Posts: 971
Location: Great Britain
Square-Enix recently followed this move.
All of my Final Fantasy VII videos have recently been flagged:
Dear antdgar3,
Your video "Final Fantasy VII Speed run (TAS) Part 5", may have content that is owned or licensed by Square Enix Co., Ltd., but it’s still available on YouTube! In some cases, ads may appear next to it.