Indeed, that driving stage can be lag. There is no way I can reverse it using glitch techniques either. I was only able to kill one car per section, the rest I couldn't reach.
I'm looking to clean up on my run, hopefully for the last time. The way the game throws bullets and objects (in all different directions) at Quaid makes the game more compromising and tougher to TAS through. But as long as I have at least 2 whole units of energy to clear damage from falling rocks in Mars (going toward the end / very hard to avoid and even get a damage boost from), the rest of the game should go through smoothly.
My three main objectives that I believe would shave at least another second or two off my previous WIP, are:
To have 5.5 to 6 units of life ready to face the trenchcoat man at the cement factory just so I can set a faster time of hitting him quicker. I may need to hold off getting a damage boost or two from the red guards to make sure I am ready.
I am also looking to get damage boosts from UFO bombs in Mars' 1st stage, but that is only if I have enough life to do that. However, I still need to make sure I have enough to clear the falling rocks.
My other main objective is to try to score more saved frames by slightly improve the driving in Mars. In the 1st and 3rd sections, I slowed down, waited, and then punched the gas again. In the 2nd stage, I slowed down, went up, and punched the gas again to barely clear that.
Altogether, I might look at a shave-off of at least 140 frames. Beyond this, please accept as my contribution. =(
I wish I knew. I'll have to review the walkthroughs and see. All interrogations and hostage rescues should put Snake at 4 stars like the last time. If not, six.
There could be a few things that are different between the first (MG1) and second (SR).
If you insert the correct card to a door...
MG1: The door snaps open, saving time.
SR: The door "scrolls" open, that could kill a few frames.
When you bring up the menu...
MG1: It quickly appears at the upper-right, saving time.
SR: It scrolls from status interface (life/rank) to menu on the bottom, kills a few frames.
If you use a ration to restore life...
MG1: It is instantly restored to full, should save frames.
SR: The bars count one-by-one to full, could kill frames.
If you are looking to return to the game from the menu...
MG1: Pushing select will take you straight back to the game, should save frames.
SR: Pushing select puts you back on the menu (bottom of screen) and then selecting "RTN", definitely kills frames.
And finally, if you need to use the Transceiver to contact someone...
MG1: You have to use the tuning arrows to change frequency while Konami expects you to mentally memorize each frequency channel; may kill frames.
SR: Your contacts are pre-stored in memory, may save frames.
There are things that the player has to consider when playing with speed or playing with patience. Speed and patience are two big differences I know.
franpa wrote:
it is a pretty good game with improved graphics, music, loading, animations and stuff
Okay, I been reviewing maps from a walkthrough website, now I'm reading through the strategy guide and determining the best paths to run smoothly through this game.
I am looking to aim to get 100% (all items, weapons, and hostages rescued) in the fastest time. This means seeking nearly every room on the maps and quickly switching items to do what has to be done in order to survive. I would ignore using the transceiver if the game will let me.
I will have to hold off on looking for flaws or glitches in this game, and it won't help to get a "boost" on damage. Although, maybe the pause glitch could help Snake swim through water here, even take a bullet. Who knows?
more entertaining than Total Recall, haha, I learned that lesson already. =P
NES Metroid and SNES Metroid 3 (SM) have became one of the most popular TAS'es I have seen. Due to certain goals set and shortcuts that blew away another game player's mind are the two reasons I can't argue too much about what gets obsoleted and what stays in the TAS video archives, among these two games.
You pre-saved Samus' whereabouts (Norfair and Tourian) to straighten up the glitches, right? What would happen if Samus used the x-ray scope at Mother Brain's area while that place was still glitched out?
Then maybe I should try fighting throughout the Earth stages and hold the gun off until I get to Mars (Quaid always starts with a gun when getting transported there)? In that case, I seek any good tactic that would knock out that gun chick as fast as possible. At least try to get her cornered at the open door (apartment) so Quaid is right there when the game gives the hand signal to go (the hand is above the apartment's TV).
Twisted Eye, I noticed you were pretty quick at firing the gun at the security skeletons at the subway! But can I still put up a show by shooting the first three guards, and then punch the fourth one at the end of the stage so I can make Quaid walk through air like I been?
That's where you know you're fast, but that's also where you noticed the glitch, so I am trying to get a better result just by abusing a programming error toward the end of the stage. If I can at least put up a speed/entertainment tradeoff as I shave off a few frames, would that be enough? We got options here. =)
If I can get lucky, maybe I can shoot the first three guards, and then corner the last guard toward the end just to shoot him. And then as soon as he is shot, that's where I can quickly switch into fist, stand near the 1-up, and hundred-hand punch around the mark where Quaid jumps through the window and try to walk through air. Again, we got options. We know how to optimize a TAS, but this takes more time.
...more damage boosting--you can take another good 5 hits at the end of the game. Little stuff like that...
For that, I'll need another Soylent soda or two to better manage energy. There are still a few things that I had to avoid, so we'll take it beyond extreme.
I missed a shot or two, to get him to jump just so I can score about 4 to 7 hits (or more) in the air as he lands back on the ground. The final boss always jumps everytime Quaid fires a laser! I guess Acclaim programmed the final boss to do that, and it can't be reversed in memory either. Heh!
Let me add that some of the improvements include a slightly faster climb at the cement factory, plus a trick from Twisted Eye that I managed to learn and master at the first stage, and that I spent less time at the first stage of Mars, a few frames of improvement there. =) Thumbs up!
Now beaten in 5:31.1 - about 58 sec. difference! LOL
http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/1172611554/total-recall-tas-symbolic_X.fcm
And this time, I did use frame advance quite a bit. If I stopped any, it was more likely my strategy of saving energy, at least to have enough to get through the falling rocks in Mars. I can't think of any other ways to shave off more frames, but this is where it gets extreme. If not, beyond that! Dunno about you guys, but I'm stuffed. I'm about ready to submit, but even if this is enough, I don't feel right until everything's okay. =/
Big thanx so far =)
There is also a hidden Soylent soda on one of the four windows above Cinema III. It could be better to take that energy gain and then jump to Quaid's apt. than to fight through a backalley and get lost.
BTW, I tried out that huge leap to the edge of Quaid's apt. (1st stage) and it did work! I approve that, thank you! =)
Jump up on top of the subway and LET the guards kick you for a damage boost.
Right yeah damage boosting, always do it. Guards in stage 4. Rising and falling maces/spiders/balls of hurt in stage 5. Glory holes in stage 1 (wait they're fists?). etc. etc. damage boost whenever possible.
I like the idea of getting boosted from damages, but Quaid's health is limited to such number of hits.
Another thing, I don't think this will save frames, but it is strategy. One of the backalleys of Stage 1 (where a homeless guy drags Quaid in) has a Soylent soda that instantly gives Quaid maximum energy. And yes, that should be plenty for damage boosts further in the game and taking the guesswork out of stopping to avoid enemies and stuff.
http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/629104368/TR_soylent.fcm
I'm looking at speed and strategy in this game. Is it enough to set another new record?
You can continue recording from a movie (any movie), if you pause the emulator where you want to start "rerecording", make a savestate, and then load the savestate (also make sure you are not in Read Only mode, press Shift-8 by default to toggle in FCEU).
Alden: is there a way I can record my input to the end of your first-stage WIP (picking up where we left off), making it where both of us set a faster time for this game? I think we can shave a few extra frames off.
I'll give frame advance a try, review the first level alden gave me, and I'll probably spend more time looking for glitches if I can be that lucky.
My next concern is speeding up a little bit in the first Mars stage by taking damage from buzzing bombs instead of shooting them. I'm also checking to see if I can take damage from a car bullet around Cinema III in the first stage (the key is to get on the right side of the bullet to get a boost). Energy management is also a concern.
For those of who haven't watched my latest FCM yet, let me explain that I slowed down a little bit after defeating Digger Dan (in Mars) because I wanted to make sure I had enough energy to get through the two zapping things that were close together. Whether or not this was a wise decision, it did allow me to hang on a little bit longer and still finish strong with only 1/2-unit of energy left.
One of the biggest sources of improvement was part of a floor in the cement factory stage, where after I obtained a white briefcase (it was probably full of heroin) from some trenchcoat guy, I got past the first ball and chain and jumped straight down to a small room where a 1-up was held. That saved me probably 20 to 30 seconds.
My other improvement, sort-of-speak, was the last boss where I made him jump at the first shot of laser, then defeating him in just two jumps after that. I figured since there were three or four jumps in my previous run, maybe this is the improvement. If it is, cool beans!
I've seen a couple movie posters from the Total Recall movie. And then I figured since I pretty much killed that game so badly, I thought I would rebuild the logo a little bit:
I've constantly set the emulation speed to as high as 50% and low as 6% when I did this attempt, so slowing down the frames a little bit allowed me to play that way. I don't go 100% or higher unless I am manipulating luck based on long term.
Back when I did Magic of Scheherazade, I selected an animal off the roulette wheel and then set the emulation speed to 1600 to have the game "finally" tell me what its red ball landed on. It did take quite a while for that wheel to stop, so that's an example.
The version of FCE I have is 0.98.25. I do not know if that had the frame advance feature (and I couldn't find it in the menus), so I probably went without it. Yes, I'm being honest.
I fear that NESVideoAgent will look at this movie as desynched like it did a few others. I'm laying low until it's safe. That robot is not going to ruin this one! Please understand. =)
