TASVideos

With regard to the newest version of your video, why don't you just control Tails with controller 2? I suspect it's faster that way, but even if it's not, it looks cooler. This just made me think of something else, as well. In the CN2 boss fight, Robotnik is not always flashing, because you can't get Sonic in position fast enough. If it's possible to get Tails back on the scene soon enough, you should control Tails at the same time and alternate hits when necessary.

Posted: 2/14/2005 9:19 AM

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xebra

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Joined: 5/3/2004
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I knew there was a reason I couldn't sleep ... You seem to have trouble with frame counts, so allow me to elucidate with pictures: 7:54:43 Press and hold (Jump).

7:55:05 Release (Jump).

7:56:03 Press and hold (->).

7:56:46 Release (->). Press and hold (V).

7:56:51 Begin your spindash.

7:56:57 Release your spindash and all buttons.

39 seconds!

In case those pictures aren't explicit enough, here is an old version of your replay, modified with my faster ending path: http://www.geocities.com/xebranick/fix.zip . Note that the replay I used didn't have the Tails trick or your modified path over the initial seesaw. Who knows, put them all together and you may hit 38. (For those readers both curious and unfamiliar with the quirks of the Sonic 2 engine, note in the third to last picture that you can begin charging your spindash before you have even landed on the ground.)

Posted: 2/14/2005 6:14 AM

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xebra

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I actually encountered this myself, but when Tails broke the block I then had to walk forward far enough to 1-point jump up to the ledge (which took about 20-30 frames, almost the same amount of time saved from having Tails break the block). In any event, I'll test it to see exactly how many frames are gained/lost.

You may try a 1-charge spindash jump up to the ledge, or something. I'm sure there's a way to milk frames out of Tails there. And if it's at least not slower, you may as well do it for style.

Posted: 2/14/2005 6:12 AM

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xebra

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This maneuver alone will get you an improvement of 36 frames over your current video, enough to knock your time down to 39 seconds: 7:54:43 Press and hold (Jump). 7:55:05 Release (Jump). 7:56:03 Press and hold (->). 7:56:46 Release (->). Press and hold (V). 7:56:51 Begin your spindash. 7:56:57 Release your spindash and all buttons. If you are feeling adventurous, you may as well go back to 7:50:45 and let Tails break that block, instead. I believe that will let Sonic reach the next ledge faster, and besides, abuse of Tails is fun. Of course, if you do that, my times above obviously won't be correct, but I'm sure you can figure it out. One last thing ... from 4-6 seconds, are you sure you have found the optimal way to get over that first seesaw and the spikes and lava afterwards? P.S. Excellent use of spindashing on the seesaws! Very enjoyable!

Posted: 2/14/2005 5:48 AM

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xebra

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Lo! I just tested it, and he can. Quietust, I suspect it is faster to break that block with Tails. Also, I am testing a (possibly) slightly faster S-pipe exit at the end.

Posted: 2/14/2005 5:34 AM

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xebra

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Can Tails break blocks?

Posted: 2/12/2005 7:50 AM

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xebra

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Can someone please post a link to the 26:15 video?

Posted: 2/11/2005 4:41 AM

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xebra

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Looks much better than before, I'm very impressed.

Posted: 2/11/2005 4:40 AM

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xebra

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Voted no for "no point." I agree with your opinion, FODA.

Posted: 2/11/2005 4:37 AM

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xebra

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I, too, appreciate your good humor with my constant nagging :) . Excellent work!

Posted: 2/10/2005 9:52 PM

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xebra

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You can shave more than 30 frames off of AR2 by rolling off the first spring (and holding down as you traverse the level.) If you need to be on your feet for the jump, you may jump into the corner on the cieling at the very bottom of the enclosed portion before the jump, at 9 seconds. You should also save some time by rolling off of the second spring, but I did not test this as I am not familiar with the conditions you need to spawn the boss in the manner which you prefer. Just rolling off of the first spring alone is enough to lower your time to 39 seconds.

Posted: 2/9/2005 11:00 PM

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xebra

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It would just make it so I wouldn't have to hex movies together. You'd need to imput the emulator because different movie formats have different crap in the header, and probably use different numbers of bytes for a frame. Anyways, it always takes me 18 years to hex crap together, a utility would make my day.

Posted: 2/9/2005 10:27 PM

Post subject: Request: Movie Splicing Utility

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xebra

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Joined: 5/3/2004
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It would be really cool if someone could throw together a utility where all you do is select two movies, the emulator they are for, the frame where you want one file to end and the other to begin, and then it spits out a spliced movie. I know this is not a difficult thing to program (I just don't know how to do it), so someone do this please!

Posted: 2/9/2005 9:24 PM

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xebra

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Before you continue your run, you might find it profitable to shave a few frames off of CP1. 17 seconds is possible. Here is where and how to modify your run: @ 13 seconds - Make your jump up to the final platform more efficient. You lose 10 or more frames here. @ 15 seconds - Jump up this ramp so that you can land on your feet at the top and stop. I believe the absolute last frame you should be ducked by is 2:02:48. I'm sure you can do better than that, though. @ 15 seconds - Spindash and balls to the wall straight to the end. Enjoy!

Posted: 2/9/2005 5:39 PM

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xebra

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Awesome! Doesn't take much to entertain me ;) .

Posted: 2/9/2005 10:23 AM

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xebra

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FODA, are you not going to make a custom track where you break the speed of light?

Posted: 2/9/2005 10:18 AM

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xebra

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I normally don't bother, and I know English isn't your first language, but you rarely make blatant errors and strike me as someone that cares to know when he does. Anyways, I think you mean "arbitrary" and not "ad hoc." (One could of course argue that you mean your decision about the IRC channel was impromptu or specific to a particular situation, and therefore ad hoc, but hopefully you will trust me when I say the shading of the word is such that it should not be used in the manner in which you used it.) Edit: Lol.

Posted: 2/9/2005 9:58 AM

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xebra

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Joined: 5/3/2004
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K, I just got a 12 hit run. I didn't record it, but I will describe the essential improvements over your video; you should have no trouble pulling this off. Hit 1-2: During spawn, no change. Hit 3-6: Top, bottom, top, bottom. No change. Hit 7: Top. This is where you need to start being very precise with your movements. You need as low as possible clearance over the fire so that you fall to the ground in the least number of frames possible. You also need to be holding (<--) in preparation for hit 8. Hit 8: Bottom. If your clearance on hit 7 was low enough, you should be able to land hit 8 before he stops flashing (that is, there is no lag between hits 7 and 8.) Again you must strive to minimize your jump, so that you land as quickly as possible. As soon as you hit you need to be holding (-->) to position yourself for hit 9. Hit 9: Top. Land the hit as quickly as possible (I was not able to land hit 9 before he stopped flashing, but speed is essential.) After landing the hit, do not bounce back over the flame. You need to fall on the left side of the flame. This is not terribly easy, but it can be done because he begins settling back in preparation for his launch. (It's much easier to pull off this maneuver if you are not very quick in landing hit 9. It is essential, however, that you both land hit 9 as fast as you can, and bounce off the hit in such a way that you can fall through Robotnik without being tossed into the flame.) Hit 10: Bottom. Land it before he stops flashing. Hit 11: Bottom. Counterintuitively, you do not want to land hit 11 before he stops flashing, because if you do, you will bounce upwards off the hit. Wait long enough to land the hit so that you bounce downwards off the hit (but still be speedy about it! Let him stop flashing for 1 frame at most.) Hit 12: Bottom. You should land from hit 11 before he launches. Jump with all your might. If hit 11 was fast enough, Robotnik will fall to pieces just when you think he's going to get away. The key steps are hits 9 and 11, that is falling through Robtonik on the left side of the flame, and hesitating to land hit 11. I didn't bother to finish the level, but with a perfect spindash the screen should fade on 42 or 43. I hope you enjoy the strat, and please try to optimize all the levels just as much as EH1, CP1, and DE now are. Don't be afraid to try counterintuitive strategies! Keep up the good work, I can't wait to see the finished product.

Posted: 2/9/2005 8:37 AM

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xebra

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Posts: 1203

I showed your vid to the S2 champ at TSC and he made these comments while we were discussing it: - AR1 and AR2 should be at the top of his improvement list - MZ3 could be improved considerably if he were prepared to take a hit or four - point of interest: he doesnt like the ceiling jump technique - i suspect it isnt necessary to spindash that much [in the AR2 boss fight] And we both think you need to abuse spindashing more.

Posted: 2/9/2005 7:14 AM

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xebra

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One more thing, in my console runs I never failed to hit Mecha Robotnik 3 times while he was launching. I haven't really examined the timing of your jumps to see why you only manage an 11-1, but it makes me wonder if there isn't some way to pull off 12 hits before he launches. (Because on a console 11-1 runs depend on that third hit during launch ... yours doesn't.)

Posted: 2/9/2005 6:28 AM

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xebra

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Awesome, that's what I get for watching on full speed ;) . Keep up the good work.

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