Posts for theenglishman

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Posted: 5/14/2007 10:02 PM
Post subject: Slideshow screenshots?
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
Joined: 3/21/2006
Posts: 940
Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
Is there any way to write a script for a slideshow of images where the TAS screenshot usually is? If so, I've found a good alternate screenshot for Rikku's Mario 64 120-star run:
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 5/14/2007 2:34 AM
Post subject: Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
Joined: 3/21/2006
Posts: 940
Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
I'm starting a brand-new topic on this one because the old Crash topic is too cluttered with stuff from the last game. I am planning on creating a TAS for this game rather than the first because of the Super Slide, allowing for time trials to be done earlier and quicker than the last. It also means I don't have to fight the last boss twice ;). Here's a partial test WIP I made - it has some blatantly obvious mistakes (like accidentally skipping gems altogether :( ) but it shows how the game engine can be abused to my heart's content. The only problem facing me so far is the atlasphere stages, which are EXTREMELY hard to optimize. I hope there's some way to abuse the godawful engine in an entertaining way. Does nitsuja have a speed RAM check for GBA? Anyway, post comments on engine abuse (not on terrible optimization, I know it's bad already thanks) and how this game can be broken, as I attempt to do this bitch for real.
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 5/12/2007 2:52 PM
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
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Posts: 940
Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
After watching the run, I am strongly of the belief that Rikku is actually nitsuja's twin brother. A resounding FUCK YES! EDIT: And I just have one question...is not possible to take the "Manta Ray's Reward" star in DDD before the Bowser's Sub star? *awaits rotten tomatoes and eggs to be thrown at me*
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 5/11/2007 1:07 AM
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theenglishman
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Joined: 3/21/2006
Posts: 940
Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
*agrees with Twelvepack*
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 5/8/2007 1:43 PM
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
Joined: 3/21/2006
Posts: 940
Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
GuanoBowl wrote:
Bueno! http://download.yousendit.com/CB3998760F8EED69 Booya! http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/5486/OoT%20any%25v3.m64
Nice! I'm gonna wait for the AVI, but I'm sure it's great.
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 5/8/2007 1:11 AM
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
Joined: 3/21/2006
Posts: 940
Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
Holy shit...that was awesome...I can't wait for the rest of this TAS to come out. Comicalflop has found his next victim...
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 5/6/2007 6:36 PM
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
Joined: 3/21/2006
Posts: 940
Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
Where's bkDJ's avi?
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 5/6/2007 12:39 AM
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
Joined: 3/21/2006
Posts: 940
Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
I'm bumping this topic just to add my two cents, having actually now played the game. I don't care what anyone says, I just want my opinion heard. Personally, I only agree partially with JXQ. Metroid Prime IS overrated, though it's still a great. It just doesn't deserve to be named as one of the greatest games of all time. I'll go point-for-point on JXQ's article to say what I agree and disagree with. FIRST-PERSON PERSPECTIVE Yes, I also think that was a bad choice, but only because of how Metroid's playing-style is supposed to work. First-person perspectives and platformers rarely go hand-in-hand. To add to this, I think Nintendo should have taken on this project themselves, rather than let a third-party developer do it. It would have been so much better. The first-person perspective might even have worked if the big N had just done its own stuff. VISOR EFFECTS Okay, here I disagree with JXQ. Think about the timeframe here. The GameCube is in its early stages of life and it's being lambasted as a kid's system with no real power. I think Metroid Prime was meant to be the GameCube's graphical killer app (this was WAY before Resident Evil 4, obviously) and these so-called "visor effects", like the raindrops in Tallon IV, were required to show off the GameCube's power. EVERY DOOR LOOKS THE SAME And they didn't in Super Metroid? I seem to remember there were only two (maybe three) types of doors there, and they all made the same sound. Maybe Retro Studios decided to say "fuck it" to doors and focus on that rain in Tallon IV. I don't know. It doesn't matter because it doesn't detract from the gameplay. I do, however, agree with the map issue. Though I think that was fixed in Echoes and definitiely will be by the time Corruption comes out. ARTIFICAL CHALLENGE This whole argument would have been moot if the game had a fucking map. Next. FIELD OF VISION Again, as a graphical killer app, stretching the POV makes it look cooler. IMPRACTICAL VISORS Three words: turn them off. THE GAME IS TOO DARK So was Resident Evil. Sometimes this game can be (somewhat) scary, and thus, the dark rooms. TOO MUCH SHIT ON THE SCREEN I thought shit was brown, not blue... SHITTY CONTROLS If you're talking about responsiveness, they're great. But I do agree that it's poorly spread-out (partly the developers' fault, partly the controller's fault). Once you get used to the awkward scheme, though, it's a breeze. I'll shut up now. Probably for the better.
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 4/20/2007 2:35 AM
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
Joined: 3/21/2006
Posts: 940
Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
Started Crash 2 because it's easier. A (very) rough WIP's here.
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 4/18/2007 10:53 PM
Post subject: Resident Evil Gaiden
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
Joined: 3/21/2006
Posts: 940
Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
I'm taking this one up because I think it's relatively easy to do, and most of the optimization will come from perfect zombie headshots and ammo management. If anyone knows any tricks, let me know. EDIT: Here's a WIP.
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 4/17/2007 1:46 PM
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
Joined: 3/21/2006
Posts: 940
Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
A few questions: - Do you know if you need to finish the training course for 100%? - Are you using Down+A dashing instead of regular running? (It's about 20 frames faster for long distances) - What drilling technique are you using for long sets of walls?
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 4/16/2007 12:53 PM
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
Joined: 3/21/2006
Posts: 940
Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
Why can't you post any WIPs? I'd at least would like to see where you're at... I'm remembering a line from Xplay about this game that should be used in the description: "I like to drill things...I like to drill things hard."
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 4/15/2007 10:59 PM
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
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Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
I'm bumping this topic for one more award: Funniest Use of Controller Input JXQ's Super Metroid 100% "Input Commentary" For sheer entertainment value, it's worth eating up another 165 MB on your hard-drive to watch the sheer originality of this work of art. By plugging in five separate controllers, everyone's favourite TASer not named nitsuja spells out ASCII words for commentary, keeps track of the number of items he collects, and even plays games of Pong and Tetris during cutscenes. It's laugh-out-loud hilarity that's well worth breaking the fourth wall to enjoy. Honourable Mentions: None. This is one-of-a-kind.
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 4/15/2007 10:52 PM
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
Joined: 3/21/2006
Posts: 940
Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
AKA wrote:
I'm confused by this thread then isn't it a greatest run ever to be rejected thread, which was mainly caused by a bad game, I think the run I did a couple of months ago might contend that and perhaps win hands down. http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-4195610917658849494&q=speedruns.net EDIT: I fogot Streets of Rage 3 might strongly contend for that as well
Your all-emeralds Sonic 1 run was the best rejected run ever made.
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 4/15/2007 8:06 PM
Post subject: Drill Dozer
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
Joined: 3/21/2006
Posts: 940
Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
While I don't plan to run this game, I'm hoping someone will. It looks like it has potential for a great TAS. While it's pretty well-programmed (boo hiss for us), who doesn't like to see a bunch of Japanese girls drilling in mech suits? XD
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 4/10/2007 8:28 PM
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theenglishman
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Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
Go ahead. I encourage open discussion in this topic about anything. As promised, here is my fictional-character grief editorial. This also incedentally happens to be my 300th post :). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dumbledore’s Dead! Noooooooooooooooooo! I don’t know why, but I always feel a stronger connection towards fictional characters than I do to actual people. It’s a sad trait which I have, but it’s true. I feel especially close when one of them dies. For example, in Pan’s Labyrinth, I jumped out of my seat and started yelling at the screen when the main protagonist, Ofelia, was shot and killed. There is also – I am not making this up – a grief counselling hotline which going to be set up in the UK that will help readers deal with the deaths in the newest Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, set for release in mid-July. I’m going to try and dissect why such connections can be connected between viewers/readers and people who do not actually exist. My first theory is that of perfect character development. Grief is never an easy thing to deal with. It’s even worse to deal with when someone’s death is deliberately timed and built up to garner the greatest amount of emotion from it. In literature, authors deliberately develop their characters so that readers can identify with them. Usually these characters are stereotypical exaggerations or truly deep and complex characters that one can still feel sympathy for. It’s part of how authors get their readers into their stories. The same kind of method applies to films as well, though this kind of connection is enhanced even further by the fact that you actually see your characters go through the steps. This added element of trickery, showing the character as “real” in front of you, makes it even more painful when they die. Another theory I have is that this connection is another deeper layer in the elements of escapism. We connect with fictional characters in a fictional world because we want to be further immersed in this world that the author/director has laid out for us. Understanding the characters means fully understanding the universe. Even in anti-escapist books or films, like Double Indemnity, you can still connect with characters as part of a full emersion into this alternate universe. My last theory is that of caring and sympathy. The characters are so likable that one can’t help but feel for them like one would for a real person. This would also explain why one feels hatred towards antagonists and detestable characters. Good acting helps this illusion for films, while smart dialogue helps for books. For example, Forest Whitaker’s portrayal of Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland sent shivers down my spine because a) his performance was very, very good AND b) he was able to slowly make the transition between acting benevolent and evil once he had gained the trust of the protagonist, Dr. Gallagher. We want to scream out to Gallagher, warn him that the man he has just befriended will turn on him, but we cannot, because the audience has no effect on the static performances of a film. This sense of hopelessness, of desperate cries of warning to no avail, also helps create a connection. When we escape to another world, we expect the characters within it to be protected from harm. And once they die, we feel like a hole has been cut out in our hearts. We have been given a slap in the face, a reminder that nowhere is completely safe.
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 4/10/2007 3:34 AM
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
Joined: 3/21/2006
Posts: 940
Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
Boco wrote:
So your next rant is about moe, and your current avatar is about ocarinas.
Not just any ocarinas, sweet potato ocarinas!
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 4/10/2007 3:21 AM
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
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Posts: 940
Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
A quick note to those who slam me for lack of evidence: these papers are meant to be editorials, not solid fact. I welcome anyone who wants to oppose (or support) my opinions, but please don't say that I give no evidence to back anything up because a) I don't try to back up any of my claims AND b) I don't care.
pdk wrote:
and on a side note i like TEM's name, it reminds me of tam-tam
Thank you. My next paper will be on potential theories of why some people become so attached to fictional characters that they grieve for them when they die as much as - or more so than - a real person (yes, I know several who wept openly when Dumbledore was killed; I myself yelled at my copy of Half-Blood Prince and threw it down in disgust).
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 4/10/2007 3:13 AM
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theenglishman
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Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
...still trying to submit a publishable run. 27th time lucky?
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 4/9/2007 12:30 AM
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theenglishman
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Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
I doubt Mel Gibson himself knows what goes on in his head sometimes.
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 4/9/2007 12:29 AM
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
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Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
Thank you all for your suggestions. They've been really helpful.
hero of the day wrote:
Kraid's theme from metroid is another classic song.
I dismissed Kraid's Theme early on because you can't exactly add anything to the series of solitary notes. I do, however, plan to do the main theme from Metroid.
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 4/8/2007 8:38 PM
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
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Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
A less-serious article to tide you over: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Big Headed Mode Isn’t Just a Cheat Code Anymore I don’t understand why certain people in the entertainment industry think that their names will make them more money than their products. It’s as if they want to believe that it’s only them who will make money, and not the hundreds of other people working with them on any given project. Does ego really have to be this all-consuming, that bigwigs in business will want only their status to show everyone how to make greenbacks? Take game developer American McGee, for example. When he first started out in the game business, he immediately set to work on a huge project based on the Alice in Wonderland universe. Guess what he called it? American McGee’s Alice. And guess who whipped up all of the promotional hype and pre-release interviews? American McGee himself. Not a developer, not a representative from Electronic Arts (who financed the game), none of the humongous big-shots from EA who could have generated a lot of press – American McGee himself just had to promote a game with his name on it. And who could blame him? He had a head-turning name, he was a young, up-and-coming prospect in the business, and he was putting a dark and mature twist on classic literature to boot. But just what happened after Alice was released (to critical acclaim)? He continued to put his name on his games despite the fact that his presence was no longer needed to sell them. It also became harder for him to disenfranchise himself from terrible projects like American McGee’s Bad Day L.A. when it had his name on it. Sometimes, this ego-ridden self-admiration can work. Mel Gibson directed himself as the protagonist several times, including in Braveheart, which is one of my favourite movies for entertainment value (though not for historical accuracy). The only thing that really bothered me about the movie was Gibson’s insistence that he star as the main character. Do you mean to say that he couldn’t have found anyone else to play William Wallace? I’m sure there would be at least several hundred real Scotsmen who would jump at the chance to play such an historical figure. Why Gibson himself? Because, like in the case of American McGee, his name sells, though in a different way. Gibson was already an established filmmaker by the time he made Braveheart, so he didn’t have the whole “hot young talent” cachêt on his side. It still doesn’t make sense that he would want to be Wallace. If so, why didn’t he hire someone else to direct it and make Gibson seem less self-admiring? On the flip side, Alfred Hitchcock used his name in a self-deprecating fashion. Hitchcock would always use his name as a money-generator and then slam himself. Trailers that he made (most prominently, those for Psycho and The Birds) consisted of the big man giving tours of the set while cracking witty jokes. He banked on the two things he knew would make money: his name and self-deprecating comedy. For example, in his trailer for The Birds, he makes sarcastic comments about how we have always treated birds in the nicest fashion, while showing off objects like vulture-feather hats and eating turkey. It’s the best of British humour, and if I were alive at that time, I would have seen The Birds just because of that trailer, even if I had no idea who Hitchcock was. So you see, I just can’t fathom why people use their names to make money, unless they are doing so in a humourous fashion, rather than promoting their ego. Shouldn’t a brilliant movie or game or book be enough to sell millions? It doesn’t make sense to me, and it probably never will. Bankable stars should not have to use their own names to promote a film. It’s as if a movie or game is too ordinary to promote itself. Do we really need big-headed industry gurus to slap their names on products?
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 4/8/2007 8:02 PM
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
Joined: 3/21/2006
Posts: 940
Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
nitsuja wins the Internet. Yes vote and a star.
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 4/8/2007 5:59 PM
Post subject: I'm making an NES piano compilation...
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
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Posts: 940
Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
...to be posted on YouTube. I'd like your opinions on what songs should be added. So far, my lineup is thus: - SMB1 theme/dungeon/underwater - Gradius Intro Flight and Level 1 - Castlevania Prologue and Vampire Killer - Zelda 1 Overworld and Dungeon - Zelda 2 Overworld and Dungeon - Tetris Hard Theme What else would you like to see/hear. PS - This is all being done by ear. I just listen to the MIDI file and reinterpret it on the piano. It's awesome.
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
Posted: 4/8/2007 4:22 PM
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theenglishman
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Active player (441)
Joined: 3/21/2006
Posts: 940
Location: Toronto, Canada
PSX TASer of 2013
Sounds like a TMNT ripoff to me.
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!) My username is all lower-case letters. Please get it right :(
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