Using VBA-RR v8.24.0.422 I get the error "Unknown RTC command 6c" during the sensor check in Boktai 2. I'm fairly certain its because of the IPS patch that allows in-game control over the solar sensor, mostly due to the fact that in some earlier versions of VBA you had to have RTC off to run Boktai 1.
Any idea if there's something I can do to fix it? Or is it something I can't work around short of not using the sensor crack? Having RTC on reduces intro lag by 10-25 frames but I'm not sure if the error will mess anything farther along.
Restarted my WIP and saved a handful of frames (some weird combination of a+b+left+right on rapid saved me like 14 frames just in the intro alone. no idea why). I think I'm about 3000 frames faster currently, might be less. There was some bad routing in my first WIP i've improved, and I think I can cut a couple rooms out completely.
For planning stats, I think i only have to pump AGL, depending on when it caps out. 2 STRG = 1 Damage, I don't see putting point into it being very useful. I put points into STRG 2 times during the old WIP, but I may go back and change that. Every 4 AGIL = an 8 frame speed increase, so I'll likely only need to spend stat points per 2nd and 3rd levelups. I am not sure about upgrading SPRT, it would be dependent on points left from upgrading AGIL or STRG. I shouldn't need mana enough to bother spending points there since I'll have max sunlight for most of the run and plenty of fruit (i think).
The thing about weapons is that getting a more powerful weapon increases damage more than stat points do. I think you can only buy stronger weapons as you forge, but I could be wrong. So it depends on how long rare drop weapons will last (and if I can get them) whether or not I ever have to forge.
Which brings me to to the problem that's halted all progress with the run so far... I can't figure out how to manipulate drops. My initial testing made it looks like it was coordinate-based in relation to where you are from the monster, but there also seemed to be a certain window from when your last hit lands (something like 15 frames) where you either have to stop moving completely, or find the specific area where the drop will spawn. I wasn't able to manipulate rare drops at all.
I'm going to try and pinpoint exactly how the RNG works but I'm still a new at watching/finding memory addresses. If I can't find anything useful I'll give up on that and see how I do just buying items. Hopefully I'll get lucky with finding the RNG, though.
EDIT:: Speed caps at 42 agility per 8 stats. Unless Strength does something significant later on I might not use stats past there
My times for P1-7-9 were 13, 370, and 30 frames slower respectively, 1-9 didn't save for some reason but I hadn't finished it anyway. In 1-7 I used puukko instead of ax, in 1-8 I used flygun to manually kill the fly and then grab the other objects by hand (you can grab objects under you several frames before the attack on the fly actually goes through). I thought that was more entertaining than just summoning something to kill them all; I threw NITRO at the fly and ended 230+ frames faster but couldn't scroll to see the explosion and still collect the star. 1-9 I used teargas to break the bottles.
Also it's 1 frame faster to use the repeat button than typing CAT three times on the farmer level.
I had started doing the next few levels (I was on 1-10p), but it was taking me awhile to try out different things that might be entertaining and RL time constraints stopped my continuing. Really nice job on finishing all of the gardens, didn't know you could glitch through walls like that.
I'll see how far I can get before friday unless you wanted to start the next level.
On subject of requests, when 2-2p comes around I want to use the Shotgun.
It looked nice, but also confusing. I think this run should focus on entertainment and disregard speed altogether.
I've played the game a bit, but I still couldn't figure out what you were supposed to do in some levels, because I don't remember. That wasn't really entertaining, at least for me. So, I propose that a TAS of this game would show each "Do this to win the level" message and then solve it as surprisingly and creatively as possible.
You mean not skip the mission message on the first frame possible? If you're watching the movie file you can just freeze on the 1 frame when the text is visible. Why not just subtitle the mission text into an encode? I agree that the run should sacrifice some speed for entertainment, otherwise you're better off using handcuffs glitch all the time or something. Maybe just save longer/obscure words for later in the run? I dunno.
errror1 wrote:
in the submission we need to put, "sacrifices time for empanadas"
Very strange. It was more entertaining than Feel the Magic but the combination of the horrible sounds and repetitive game-play (it looked to me like every level was just a screen tapping exercise) make it hard for me to judge.
I'll just vote Meh bordering on weak yes.
http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/1344105649/snauts.dsm
Here's 0-4 to 1-2 Action. I tossed in EMPANADA for fun; IMO showing off some of the items you wouldn't otherwise see is worth the loss in speed since the game has such a huge dictionary.
Also, I was able to glitch the game into giving me control of Maxwell before a level actually started (meaning after the yellow text boxes are gone.) I got it to work once just before the first yellow box on 0-4 and once right after the START on 0-4 goes away. Unfortunately when I reloaded a savestate to see if I could save time on 0-1 I couldn't replicate the glitch again. I'll keep trying but I don't think it'll happen to me again, nor do I have any idea what I did. Silly me for saving over the state :|
Alright, cool. The pacing and inventiveness of the game totally make up for any other boredom, and there is a lot of variety otherwise. Giving this a solid Yes on my part.
I agree with this. Also the ending was hilarious to me for some reason.
I'll mess around with time and see which monster spawns are affected, it could help with getting better rare drops depending on which spawns change (I only know a couple off the top of my head).
I need to find a rom without the Rising Sun intro thing as well. I think I saw a prepatched/cracked U version without the intro somewhere... If not I'll just patch an E version.
I didn't have any desync problems, weird.
One more thing comes into mind: Isn't this game using a battery-powered Real-Time Clock? Your wip didn't go with RTC emulation enabled, though.
EDIT: There's one infamous possible cause why you have desynch problems: VBA v19.x has a bug that sometimes it mysteriously erases the Lag Reduction flag from your new movie files. Be sure to replay any GBA movie that you just started to record and see if Options->Emulator->Lag Reduction (GBA) is checked. If not, you may check it and start over, or hex-edit the byte at 17h in your lagged movie file to 30h (RTC disabled) or 34h (RTC enabled).
This bug has been fixed in v21-interim.
See also: VBM format
I think it was one of the setting I had messed with, I just ran one of my backups instead and it was fine. I saw so many things I did wrong, lol. I should've rewatched my progress more often.
What does the RTC do, exactly? I messed around with it on and off once but I didn't see any difference. In any case, the only thing I can see using the clock for is changing monster spawns and money duplication, and changing the time for former requires a lot of planning.
Yeah, the talking seems to be a recurring problem. I had forgotten how much dialogue there was until I started the TAS. Maybe eventually I'll find a way to skip some of it.
As to lag, I'm not really sure what's up with it. I think it's an emulation problem and I've not yet been able to fix it. Sometimes it's there and other times it isnt. I originally thought it was my computer, but I guess that's not the case.
I don't know why it starts from the snapshot. I had recorded from power on originally.
How far into the movie did you get? I'm having desynch problems with it.
It would seem the most damage I'll be able to do after manipulating a Mace off a Golem and using the 9 stat points I have at lvl 11 is 13 to the first 2 forms of Durathor, 16 if I use darkness. However, I remembered that you can use wolf on her final form which inflicts 23 damage per bite. That should speed up the end of the battle significantly, but I see this damage/str cap being a problem down the road as it isn't possible to get better weapons without forging or spawning a crimson monster, which I have no idea how to go about doing lol. Either solution might prove to provide to little entertainment to make the run viable... such a shame. I hope I find something to prove otherwise.
If someone wanted to watch the less-optimized WIP, let me know what you think about the entertainment factor. I've figured it's probably low, I just wanna know for sure. Here's a link, be sure to use US version.
http://www.mediafire.com/?nz4jdbzyt05http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/82452022/Boktai%202%20-%20Solar%20Boy%20Django%20TAS.vbm
I have to say, it was pretty boring. The levels were repetitive to the point that it looked like the same obstacles over and over when I fast forwarded through, and the gameplay was just hold right and jump/shoot when appropriate. You probably could've done something a little more interesting during the boss fights as well.
You really should've picked a better game, there's plenty of games that haven't been run yet that are much more TAS worthy than this.
Hmm, my previous post looks a little messed up... however you seem to understand what I tried to express.
Well, I'm just curious about which patch you are using at the moment. I've only seen a Boktai 1 patch using L for the solar gauge.
No Frills has an L button patch for the E version, and I'm pretty sure there's a select one somewhere (though I could be mistaken). I'm using a pre-patched version of the U rom, though.