Submission Text Full Submission Page
I submit this run as a prime example of a game that's not fit to power play. This game, being more of a programmer's exercise in tedium than actual entertainment, is by it's very nature unfit for power playing. In spite of it's war zone setting, it's very dull. There is no music outside the initial drum roll: 90% of the time all you'll be listening to is your little soldier's footsteps, beeping across the battle field.
No, your eyes are not decieving you: this run only uses 42 reloads. It wasn't hard to make at all: some frame advance stuff at the very beginning and end, some very easy luck manipulation, and you're ready to go. This literally took me no more than five minutes to make, ten if you include the time it took me to find the ROM. Heck, outside the frame advancing, I played at 100% speed! As such, someone playing on a console could easily pull this run off by no slower than half a second if they are lucky enough.
Oh sure, I could do some more "power playing" things, like getting real close to some enemies like I do a couple of times and reduce the amount of unnecassary movements, but would it really make these 9656 frames of sheer boredom more interesting in any way?
The moral of the story: pick your games wisely, lest you end up with a run like this.
  • Pacifist
  • Manipulates Luck
  • Aims for fastest time

Bisqwit: Interesting submission. I remember this game from the multigame pirate cartridges that I've seen many. Objectively judged, this movie is not interesting in the least.
But what really is interesting, is what kind of people have voted "yes" for this submission. It really actually confirms that the votes of movies should be handled with a certain marginal, and that the "confidence" formula at the submissions page has the right idea.

TASVideoAgent
They/Them
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This topic is for the purpose of discussing #497: Ferret Warlord's NES Front Line in 02:40.93
Quietust
He/Him
Emulator Coder
Joined: 7/14/2004
Posts: 250
The ROM I have (Front Line (J).nes, as named by GoodNES 2.01) doesn't have the same checksum as the one you used; this is probably why it desynched (died twice, then got stuck against a rock).
* Quietust, QMT Productions P.S. If you don't get this note, let me know and I'll write you another
Skilled player (1402)
Joined: 10/27/2004
Posts: 1976
Location: Making an escape
Hm. Could have sworn I used the (J) version. Edit: Maybe I didn't. The site I downloaded from didn't list the version.
A hundred years from now, they will gaze upon my work and marvel at my skills but never know my name. And that will be good enough for me.
Post subject: Front line
Joined: 11/13/2004
Posts: 6
Hi! Try it with Front Line (J) [o2].nes or Front Line (J) [o3].nes it's working with both of them. I remember, when i played with this game on nes :) so it's fun to watch this movie, with only one shot :P bye Hondala
Joined: 3/8/2004
Posts: 185
Location: Denmark
So utterly bad it stands as an aphex of cruelty against humanity. I voted yes, only to give it a new award (How not to choose a game), and letting it stand as an epitome to bad game design.
"We observe the behaviour of simple folk, and derive pleasure from their defects." -Aristotle - Book of Humour
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 380
Location: Finland
That was so bad it isn't even funny. There's nothing wrong with the actual playing though. That game is bad that it's entertainment value is far below zero and it isn't too impressive. I don't think it should be accepted because this game hasn't got anything to offer. A link to this thread from the guidelines page might be fitting maybe. And does the game continue looping the same stage or what? EDIT: And at least the [o2] version matched the checksum perfectly.
"Kids! Bringing about Armageddon can be dangerous. Do not attempt it in your home." ( Pratchett & Gaiman: Good Omens )
Quietust
He/Him
Emulator Coder
Joined: 7/14/2004
Posts: 250
Interesting... after changing the original ROM from horizontal mirroring (correct) to vertical mirroring (incorrect), the demo works fine. The overdump was also set to vertical mirroring; this is why it also worked. As for how mirroring affected gameplay behavior, I have no idea...
* Quietust, QMT Productions P.S. If you don't get this note, let me know and I'll write you another
Emulator Coder, Skilled player (1299)
Joined: 12/21/2004
Posts: 2687
Why actually submit an example of what not to submit? (Some terrible games are still fun to watch being beaten quickly... but not this one.)
Skilled player (1402)
Joined: 10/27/2004
Posts: 1976
Location: Making an escape
As an example and warning.
A hundred years from now, they will gaze upon my work and marvel at my skills but never know my name. And that will be good enough for me.
Quietust
He/Him
Emulator Coder
Joined: 7/14/2004
Posts: 250
Want an even better/worse example? Bokosuka Wars
* Quietust, QMT Productions P.S. If you don't get this note, let me know and I'll write you another
Player (66)
Joined: 3/11/2004
Posts: 1058
Location: Reykjaví­k, Ísland
There should be a special area on this site devoted to games like this. Then the main site wouldn't need to be stenched up by putrid pukes of games like this one. It could be called "trash dump" or "filthy public toilet". Sorry, this run isn't entertaining in the slightest, in fact, about halfway through I said this is enough and fast-forwarded through the rest of the game. In fact, if you fast-forward, you can STILL not miss any of the action, the game is that slow-paced.
Skilled player (1402)
Joined: 10/27/2004
Posts: 1976
Location: Making an escape
Blublu wrote:
Sorry, this run isn't entertaining in the slightest
Congratulations, you got the point.
A hundred years from now, they will gaze upon my work and marvel at my skills but never know my name. And that will be good enough for me.
Player (66)
Joined: 3/11/2004
Posts: 1058
Location: Reykjaví­k, Ísland
Ferret Warlord wrote:
Congratulations, you got the point.
But I thought the point of this site was to have entertaining runs. Are you perhaps counting on this run being rejected? Yeah, that would make a point, "if you make a crappy run, it will get rejected".
Skilled player (1402)
Joined: 10/27/2004
Posts: 1976
Location: Making an escape
The point of the site is indeed to provide entertaining runs; the point of this run is to show to potential authors what happens if you choose a boring game. It's not about the run itself: it's about the game. Pick your game wisely, or else the quality of the run will be beyond your control. If anything I'd go with Tombad's idea of including this submission in the guidelines. But this is Bisqwit's site, and I shall let him do as he pleases.
A hundred years from now, they will gaze upon my work and marvel at my skills but never know my name. And that will be good enough for me.
Joined: 3/8/2004
Posts: 185
Location: Denmark
Ferret Warlord wrote:
If anything I'd go with Tombad's idea of including this submission in the guidelines. But this is Bisqwit's site, and I shall let him do as he pleases.
Opinion seconded. Might keep some repetitive runs from coming in.
"We observe the behaviour of simple folk, and derive pleasure from their defects." -Aristotle - Book of Humour
Joined: 11/15/2004
Posts: 804
Location: Canada
That's actually a pretty good idea. I wouldn't mind seeing a "Perfect but not entertaining" section. (It could be called anything from "(Dis)Honorable Mentions", "Also Ran", "Bad Runs", "Raspberrie Awards", or "Darwin Awards") It would give people something to laugh at, and show people what games will never make it onto the official list. Weird as it sounds, I'm actually nostalgic about some of the incredibly bad games I used to play in the early 80s. I'd watch the video once, remember why the game sucked, have a chuckle and never watch it again... until it was time to show my kids the crap we used to play, give him a good laugh, then return to his PlayStation 4.
TASing or playing back a DOS game? Make sure your files match the archive at RGB Classic Games.
Joined: 10/2/2005
Posts: 79
I will probably get flamed for this, but... Now that we have a "Hacked games / concept demos" category, I think it would be a good idea to put this in there. As a demonstration of what not to do. Or maybe I am just stupid. Please do not kill me.
Joined: 1/31/2005
Posts: 121
Since it's a hacked version, I find the hero can walk "in" the side wall. And, if it can go on the tank, does anyone think it'll be a little more entertaining?