Experienced player (507)
Joined: 1/18/2013
Posts: 58
I am somewhat interested in TASing this game, however I am unfamiliar with hourglass and got it to load the exe, frame advance correctly and not much else. Seems like the game wont actually accept any input while running through hourglass, but it may just be some settings that need to be tweaked within the program that, again, I am very unfamiliar with. The good news is that there is 0 mouse input of any kind, including clicks. It's entirely keyboard based so I imagine it has a good shot at being workable. I appreciate any advice or help anyone here is able to give me.
Patashu
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(For reference: Undertale was programmed in GameMaker:Studio.)
My Chiptune music, made in Famitracker: http://soundcloud.com/patashu My twitch. I stream mostly shmups & rhythm games http://twitch.tv/patashu My youtube, again shmups and rhythm games and misc stuff: http://youtube.com/user/patashu
Joined: 6/14/2014
Posts: 47
If I could get the Source Code of this game, I could make a way more powerful TAS program than Hourglass. I don't think recent versions of GameMaker:Studio Compiler's compiled games are TASable with Hourglass.
Warepire
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packsciences wrote:
If I could get the Source Code of this game, I could make a way more powerful TAS program than Hourglass. I don't think recent versions of GameMaker:Studio Compiler's compiled games are TASable with Hourglass.
Hourglass is open source you know. Instead of complaining, how about helping? We develop this in our spare time, which is not a limitless resource.
Joined: 6/14/2014
Posts: 47
I am not complaining. I am saying that Hourglass doesn't work with recent builds of GameMaker Compiler. I have no idea how to fix that with hourglass. However, I code with the language of GM:S (GML) and I could do a mod to TAS the game, which is really different from making a new version of Hourglass. To make a TAS mod, I would need the source code (apparently it's trendy to share .gmz project files on GameMaker community). However, I don't think I could help with Hourglass, it would be way too complicated and I don't think I could help. Making Hourglass work on all GM:S games would be pretty cool I guess.
AntyMew
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Joined: 10/22/2014
Posts: 425
For future reference, Undertale needs these settings: Enable hotkeys when > other programs have focus: checked Enable game input when > other programs have focus: checked Frame advance skips "lag" frames: unchecked And all DLLs enabled, due to being a Game Maker game Even with those settings though, it doesn't accept input for some reason
packsciences wrote:
To make a TAS mod, I would need the source code (apparently it's trendy to share .gmz project files on GameMaker community)
I'm a bit late, but there's no chance in hell anyone would share the source code to a commercial game. The best you could do is decompile it, which atm isn't possible for Game Maker Studio (altho the demo is 8.1), and is very questionably legal besides
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arflech
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Joined: 5/3/2008
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I thought I remembered some recent game that requires Windows 7 or later (and therefore will not run under Hourglass) and yet is TASable because the developer implemented that sort of functionality; it's possible that the creator of Undertale would do so in the future, enlisting the help of people like packsciences who can be trusted to not leak the source code they're working on.
i imgur com/QiCaaH8 png
AntyMew
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arflech wrote:
I thought I remembered some recent game that requires Windows 7 or later (and therefore will not run under Hourglass) and yet is TASable because the developer implemented that sort of functionality; it's possible that the creator of Undertale would do so in the future, enlisting the help of people like packsciences who can be trusted to not leak the source code they're working on.
What are you talking about? Hourglass runs fine on Windows 7 Anyway, Hourglass is quite close to working with Undertale. No need to get Toby to do that much extra work on a finished game
Just a Mew! 〜 It/She ΘΔ 〜
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In case you haven't seen, Toby doesn't want Undertale on TASvideos.
<Zurreco> if so called professional players cant adapt to every playing field, theyre obviously not that great
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kwinse wrote:
In case you haven't seen, Toby doesn't want Undertale on TASvideos.
Because the game is so new and unspoiled for many, I would be inclined to honor the game author's request on this, but not indefinitely. Toby, you're not some special sunflower. Speedrunners run games they love. Period.
AntyMew
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Bisqwit wrote:
Because the game is so new and unspoiled for many, I would be inclined to honor the game author's request on this, but not indefinitely. Toby, you're not some special sunflower. Speedrunners run games they love. Period.
I don't think it's just that. There's let's plays all over the place already; a TAS would just be a really fast one. Undertale has... a theme, let's say, which is very contrary to the idea of speedrunning, and especially TASing. I'm inclined to agree with you, that speedrunners can play what they want. But know that his request isn't just "don't spread spoilers"
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Pokota
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Unless you're going full-on Extermination, there's really not much in the way of "speed" as far as Undertale goes, and even then Extermination isn't exactly the sort of run that exemplifies what Undertale is all about.
Adventures in Lua When did I get a vest?
Editor, Expert player (2013)
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I say wait on this run for a little while. Spoilers are still a thing, after all.
effort on the first draft means less effort on any draft thereafter - some loser
creaothceann
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But people have to realize that they'll be spoiled if they watch a TAS... You also don't go to Wikipedia and read the plot of the movie you're planning to watch that day either.
Spikestuff
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Bisqwit wrote:
kwinse wrote:
In case you haven't seen, Toby doesn't want Undertale on TASvideos.
I would be inclined to honor the game author's request on this, but not indefinitely.
My 2 cents using TCRF and Spriters Resource:
Please don't upload these huge sprite sheets online. 
Just because most weird things here ARE used, I'd rather them be seen in context first. 
wait like a year 1st...
if you're just ripping normally seen sprites for spriter's resource or smth idc if you use these 2 make it easier tho
We can wait 1 year (15 September 2016) and we can chuck up a TAS. Also, all we can do right now is a Genocide Run, we cannot spoil anything due to all the wacky shit happening in a Pacifist Run. Which is... the game closing itself due to a certain event/character at a certain point in a Pacifist Run. Also, it's a TAS. The odds of seeing the dialogue is minimal, we miss like 80-90% of the story. GOOD DAY SIR!
WebNations/Sabih wrote:
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Fortranm
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Sorry to break the mood, but... is it even meaningful to talk about waiting for one year when current version of hourglass doesn't work with Undertale, there is no clue when the next version of hourglass will come out, and no one has shown the determination to actually work around with all the obstacles to make a TAS for a Windows game? :P I don't think any of the currently published Windows are done, or even started within a year of the game's release.
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This is a rather...different reason for "why doesn't a speedrun of game X exists?". Actually, that makes me wonder if other companies can simply request this for every single game they create, and thus there will be no more illegal gameplay videos. lol
Pokota
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Posts: 779
In the specific case of Undertale:
  1. At this time, it's impractical to TAS Pacifist as it would just be "Do all the bosses but with perfect navigation"
    • Muffet can be skipped with spider bake sale goods used on turn 1
    • it's possible to reach the 12k ratings threshold on Mettaton EX before the Essay round
    • apparently there's an Out of Bounds glitch during Undyne that allows for a two round match
    • Dogs behave like dogs when confronted with a stick
    • Beat up on Mad Dummy until he starts using his robots, at which point you have four turns left (did I understand that right?)
    Other than those three cases, all the boss matches would be similar in length to normal play, necessitating Shmup-style judging
  2. Because of the nature of the Extermination run, it is not respectful of the game or the story it presents to publish a TAS of it.
  3. The only meaningful TAS of a Neutral run would be one that backs out of an Extermination run at the last minute, which presents the same problems that an Extermination run does, only moreso because then you're presenting the illusion of being able to evade the consequences of Extermination.
  4. As an actual mechanical reason to not TAS Undertale: in all Neutral runs, the game fully exits between the penultimate and final boss battles.
E: Edited #1 to reflect new information from Anty-Lemon, but for the most part the point still stands.
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AntyMew
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Pokota wrote:
1) It makes no sense to TAS Pacifist as that's not materially any different from a regular run of Pacifist with perfect overworld navigation (you still have to survive the same number of turns on all bosses to spare them)
Mettaton can be spared w/12k ratings. He can be finished before the essay There's also 2-round Undyne using an OoB glitch and good movement EDIT: Oh, and all the dogs can be spared after one turn using the stick, and Mad Dummy can be beaten quicker by hitting it with as many of the attacks as possible, until the robots which always take 4 turns. Mad Dummy would honestly be the most interesting boss from a TAS perspective
Just a Mew! 〜 It/She ΘΔ 〜
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Pokota wrote:
Because of the nature of the Extermination run, it is not respectful of the game or the story it presents to publish a TAS of it.
I have no idea what you're talking about, but if people honestly respect a game they won't be finding glitches to break it nor would they bitch about it every time their video gets taken down due to copyright. Or is respect some kind of game mechanic?? Never played nor planning to.
AntyMew
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jlun2 wrote:
Pokota wrote:
Because of the nature of the Extermination run, it is not respectful of the game or the story it presents to publish a TAS of it.
I have no idea what you're talking about, but if people honestly respect a game they won't be finding glitches to break it nor would they bitch about it every time their video gets taken down due to copyright. Or is respect some kind of game mechanic?? Never played nor planning to.
Not respectful as in it's literally genocide. Just on video game characters who are really hard not to feel for, especially after a pacifist run. Undertale does a great job of making you feel like shit for killing everyone I don't see that as grounds to reject an Undertale TAS, though. A reason not to make one, sure, but if someone does it anyway, why not accept it?
Just a Mew! 〜 It/She ΘΔ 〜
Pokota
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MOD EDIT: please no spoilers for brand new games, deleting your entire post because apparently you have multiple in there and i don't wanna take any chances as someone who's too broke to afford the game. sorry! <3 samsara
Adventures in Lua When did I get a vest?
Spikestuff
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Pokota wrote:
  1. The game creator has specifically requested not to publish speedruns or TASes of Undertale
  2. The game closes itself at the end of Extermination and before the final battle of Neutral
  3. The game retains save files between resets, so you have to have a clean start to even hope to sync everything perfectly.
Rebuttal
  1. It doesn't mean we can't start working on a TAS regardless, speedruns exist there is no time or date where he would be fine with this, so we can only assume with his sprite sheet towards The Spriters Resource.
  2. Have you been looking at what I specifically wrote in this thread? No. Want a refresher? We can currently TAS Genocide.
  3. K. I TASed They Need to Be Fed (way back), this point means nothing. An actual point would be basically down to the RNG which is what you hopes syncs.
Pokota, you edited in a second spoiler by the way in your fix up.... and moderator edit, good going, hide the spoilers mate.
WebNations/Sabih wrote:
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Pokota
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Yeah, I really do have to be more careful about that sort of thing. Sorry all And yeah, now that I take a moment to think on it #2 is a non-issue for Extermination given we'd just do the normal "end the input file at the last input" thing anyway. Otherwise Eversion's imperfect ending would be just as much of an issue.
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Spikestuff
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I won't be making it a YouTube module, so bare with me here on how I'm going to explain it. First Semi-TAS that was created, by using a special name in the name field.
WebNations/Sabih wrote:
+fsvgm777 never censoring anything.
Disables Comments and Ratings for the YouTube account. Something better for yourself and also others.