Presents superhuman solutions to all the levels in the game Puzznic. The ROM has two games built in. The other game is Gravnic, but a Gravnic TAS would be boring due to it being trivial.

Game objectives

  • Emulator used: FCEUX version 2.1.5
  • Abuses glitches
  • Heavy block-juggling

About the run

The solutions depicted to most levels are far from trivial though most are likely to be optimal (or near optimal at least). The run takes heavy advantage of the fact that the game requires for all the blocks on the field to land before groups blocks of common type are destroyed. This allows for solutions that are far faster than would be possible if the blocks didn't have to land. I refer to this strategy as "block-juggling".

Glitches

Blocking an elevator with a block that doesn't touch the ceiling or floor.

This occurs when two blocks are dropped on an elevator with one placed to rest on the other. The bottom block starts falling and if by the time it landed it fell less than a block-height, the top block stays suspended and acts as a barrier to the elevator holding the bottom block. This trick also works if done below the elevator.

Using a block that is temporarily suspended in mid air as a platform for other blocks.

There are a number of examples of this in the run, including removing some blocks from a suspended stack.

Moving a block in mid air.

If you pick up a resting block with a cursor before some blocks are to be destroyed and hold it during the destruction, then the input to move the block will succeed if tried one frame before the game starts making suspended blocks fall and resuming elevator movement. This is used to make some interesting solutions, especially near the end where the level looks like it has been lost until it gets rescued with this trick.

Destruction of lone blocks.

This occurs if two or more blocks of the same type are grouped together for destruction, but before the destruction, some of the blocks in the group are allowed to fall. Even if the group breaking results in some of it's blocks being isolated from the others of the group, they will still be destroyed as though they are still part of that former group. This probably happens because the game does not test for group breaking and thus does not remove these blocks from the list of those to be destroyed.
To save time, suspended blocks are made to fall faster when appropriate by pointing the cursor over the blocks one at a time and tapping A.

Possible improvements in the future

The solutions are not guaranteed to be optimal as many levels contain large numbers of blocks. In the future, I may find faster solutions to any of those levels that may not be optimally solved in this submission.

No ReRecords

This TAS was made by manually editing the file in the Crimson text editor after it was created with the Record Movie option in the emulator. I estimate that I made an average 50 edits per level, if the end-of-level bonus screen is included. There are 160 levels so the edit count would be about 8000. This would have been the ReRecord count if I were to have used ReRecording. If the re-record count is absolutely important, feel free to edit it by replacing 0 this figure before publishing this run.

klmz: Submission file updated with one 370 frames shorter due to changes in certain levels by the author. The re-record count was manually set to 8000+1 as the author suggested.
Mukki: Judging...
Mukki: The viewer response to this one has been broadly positive. While lengthy puzzle games don't often make for good TASes the fact that this run includes many unexpected and seemingly impossible solutions definitely puts it above the rest. I agree that games of this nature can be quite entertaining where the author can become more creative with the puzzles and avoid simply manufacturing a walkthrough. Accepting...
ledauphinbenoit: Processing...

TASVideoAgent
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This topic is for the purpose of discussing #3364: rchokler's NES Puzznic in 29:02.75
Skilled player (1703)
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With a minor improvement like this, you could have asked a moderator to replace the submission file for you. Maybe you should do that next ime. :)
Player (144)
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 68
Location: Brookline, MA
OK. I'll do that next time around. Thanks.
Editor, Experienced player (607)
Joined: 11/8/2010
Posts: 4012
For now, you should cancel the old submission since it's slower and there's no reason to have two nearly identical submissions of the same game in the Workbench.
Player (144)
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 68
Location: Brookline, MA
The older submission was cancelled just before I posted the newer submission, but thanks anyways.
Editor, Experienced player (607)
Joined: 11/8/2010
Posts: 4012
TASVideoAgent may have messed up again and not cancelled the submission (it's still in the Workbench). Maybe if you cancel it again, it will set it as cancelled this time.
Site Admin, Skilled player (1234)
Joined: 4/17/2010
Posts: 11251
Location: RU
LOL, is editing a text fm2 file in crimson editor easier than this? Wiki: EmulatorResources/TASEdit
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
Player (144)
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 68
Location: Brookline, MA
Well, in the case of Puzznic, the input density is very high during each level's solution, and there are a number of patterns that I had to learn to allow for quick copying and pasting. Of course alot of analysis went in to find the right input sequences and there were many dead ends encountered during the creation of this TAS and many times where I tested multiple options for the order in which blocks should be moved by the cursor and picking the fastest option. This TAS proved very doable using regular text editing because all inputs except for the speeding through the intermissions were movements of a cursor and the blocks, so it wasn't too hard to keep track of the future positions in my head for the next 15-20 frames before testing the input to make sure it behaves as desired. This would be very difficult to do in most other games because there would be too many elements that move at rates of 1 pixel per frame (e.g. super mario 1).
Spikestuff
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and I had the encode ready =P oh well Ill encode it again XD
WebNations/Sabih wrote:
+fsvgm777 never censoring anything.
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Active player (282)
Joined: 3/4/2006
Posts: 341
I have some experience TASing this game, so I should mention a couple things you seem to have missed. 1. If you get a combo bonus while clearing the last blocks in a puzzle, it costs 47 frames while you wait for the bonus to disappear. Sometimes this is worth it, and sometimes it isn't. 2. For every fifth block you clear (at the same time) after the first 5, it takes an additional 22 frames to clear them. Having one of them selected as they are being cleared will reduce the effective number of blocks (for timing purposes) by one. Thus, if you clear exactly 10 or 15 blocks, having one of them selected will save 22 frames. For a concrete example in which both of these apply, your run is 40 frames ahead of my WIP before 3-5, but 32 frames behind after 3-5.
Player (144)
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 68
Location: Brookline, MA
For the combo part, the 47 frames cost is in the rising bubbling score number, since the destruction of blocks is 58 frames minimum (for up to 5 blocks). So if you save one destruction with minimal extra manipulation, it can save a few frames. On the other hand, having much larger numbers of blocks destroyed is good speed-entertainment tradeoff, where some speed sacrifice is used to create a more entertaining result.
Player (144)
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 68
Location: Brookline, MA
Also, the 47 frame cost only applies if the last destruction is a combo, as you regain control after each combo right as the bubbly score number starts to rise rather than when it dissapears 47 frames later.
Player (144)
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 68
Location: Brookline, MA
I'll test the second suggestons and have the moderator replace the zip file in my submission in the next few days. Thank's Nitrodon, and I give you credit for this analysis.
Player (144)
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 68
Location: Brookline, MA
To Spikestuff. I will try to update this submission to make some improvements suggested to me by Nitrodon. You may want to hold off on the encoding until that update.
Player (144)
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 68
Location: Brookline, MA
Interestingly, I noticed that the block you hold doesn't have to be one of those being cleared to save the 22 frames. Level 3-6 demonstrates this.
Player (144)
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 68
Location: Brookline, MA
Never mind, there were 8 blocks being destroyed in the combo of level 3-6, not 10.
Warepire
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Please use the edit button to add info to your last post if no one else have posted after you. Unless a long time has passed, then you can make a new post to bump the thread.
Spikestuff
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rchokler wrote:
To Spikestuff. I will try to update this submission to make some improvements suggested to me by Nitrodon. You may want to hold off on the encoding until that update.
Dont know why you didn't use edit..... but anyway I will hold off I might upload this one as a WIP submition
WebNations/Sabih wrote:
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Player (144)
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 68
Location: Brookline, MA
I noticed that the game has an exception to the 22-frame rule that Nitrodon mentioned. The rule seems to only apply if there are at least 4 blocks of the same type being cleared as a part of a massive combo. I will double check this with the other levels where I form massive combos that don't include 4+ blocks of one type. For an illustration, see the run of level 4-10 which is the earliest case of this exception. In it I clear 11 blocks in a combo, but it takes only 57 frames (minimum number for block clearing events) rather than 57+22=79 frames expected for the 10-14 block range. The cursor doesn't even have any block selected during the clearing. The blocks include 5 types consisting of one triple plus four pairs.
Joined: 12/19/2010
Posts: 126
will vote after encode
live life
Player (144)
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 68
Location: Brookline, MA
I just finished making final adjustments to my TAS, but don't know how I can attach it so that a moderator would be able to replace the file. Could I get some help? I really don't want to cancel another submission. Anyways, the new version is 104737, which is 321 frames (5.3 seconds) faster.
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Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
Player (144)
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 68
Location: Brookline, MA
Feos, If you see two duplicate encodes, that is because I wasn't immediately sure if the earlier attempt succeeded. In that case you can remove the duplicate copy.
mklip2001
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Ok, I finally got a chance to check this out. I'm not quite sure what to think of it. It's not even clear how to judge this movie, I think, based on the site's precedent with puzzle games. Pros of this movie: * The difficulty noticeably ramps up as time goes on. * Many things happen at once. I like levels like 7-10 where the whole thing is beaten in one combo. (In fact, I approve of using bigger combos, at the expense of a little time wasted from score messages, as a speed-entertainment tradeoff.) * Glitches! (Though I'm not sure these glitches are apparent to a watcher who's unfamiliar with the game) * The speed of moving pieces is pretty fast. Cons of this movie: * There doesn't seem to be any randomness. * It's LONG. 16 "worlds" with ten "levels" each is a lot. * The music and sounds get on your nerves. * Ultimately, despite some awesome moments, the movie is pretty repetitive. Comparing this movie to other puzzle games: * It has the fast switching action of games like Wario's Woods and Puzzle de Pon. * It's much shorter than Adventures of Lolo 3 (the longest puzzle run published), but it exhibits less action-y elements and less variety. Similar statements could also be said to compare this to Humans. * It's longer than Kwirk, but it moves at a (in my opinion) more interesting pace. * The solutions are much less easy to execute than Fire & Ice (which was rejected). There are some other puzzle games published, but I've mentioned the ones that seem like they provide the best comparisons. At this point, I don't quite know what to vote. I'm leaning towards Meh. I think you did a very nice job technically, but I'm not sure that the game is particularly publishable.
Used to be a frequent submissions commenter. My new computer has had some issues running emulators, so I've been here more sporadically. Still haven't gotten around to actually TASing yet... I was going to improve Kid Dracula for GB. It seems I was beaten to it, though, with a recent awesome run by Hetfield90 and StarvinStruthers. (http://tasvideos.org/2928M.html.) Thanks to goofydylan8 for running Gargoyle's Quest 2 because I mentioned the game! (http://tasvideos.org/2001M.html) Thanks to feos and MESHUGGAH for taking up runs of Duck Tales 2 because of my old signature! Thanks also to Samsara for finishing a Treasure Master run. From the submission comments:
Shoutouts and thanks to mklip2001 for arguably being the nicest and most supportive person on the forums.
Spikestuff
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rchokler wrote:
I just finished making final adjustments to my TAS, but don't know how I can attach it so that a moderator would be able to replace the file. Could I get some help? I really don't want to cancel another submission. Anyways, the new version is 104737, which is 321 frames (5.3 seconds) faster.
Cancel this as you have obsoleted your own run and it makes it easier for the encoders cause I am still planning to encode this when you post the updated version
WebNations/Sabih wrote:
+fsvgm777 never censoring anything.
Disables Comments and Ratings for the YouTube account. These colours are pretty neato, and also these.