This is a speed oriented TAS for MK3.
Game objectives
- Emulator used: <Put the emulator name and version here>
- Complete single-player mode in Very Hard difficulty, Master tower.
- Do it in fastest time possible.
- Removes sound to minimize loading and victory fanfares.
I was fiddling with the mk3 shortest round combo, which is a Kabal infinite, but I found it too finicky to execute in most characters. I decided to train my TASing skill in mk3 instead by optimizing the RTA strategies in TAS settings. What I found out however was that the RTA strategy could actually be faster than the combo I saw, but only if I could manipulate the enemies to eat all my punches instead with the infamous HPT.
What is the High Punch Trick?
Punches in the classic mk series can be chained a few times to combo. In mk3, you can combo four standing punches of any kind and the game will prevent you from punching further by making the opponent stumble into a pushback animation. If the fourth punch didn't combo, there would be no pushback. RTA runners abuse this by delaying their punches in a very specific pattern to let enemies out of hitstun for a very brief moment and punch the enemy when it's just trying to fight back. However, some enemies have very finnicky hitboxes which make this strategy inconsistent for RTA. In TAS settings, I discovered they just need to be manipulated into having only 1 frame of recovery out of hitstun in order to use the HPT. Some enemies would still be able to get out, but because the CPU reads inputs, they can actually be manipulated by doing commands inside the attacks, even if those commands do NOT RESULT IN ANY ACTIONS!
High Punch is preferable to Low Punch as it causes more damage, but in a few cases a LP could be thrown there just to keep the still in the manipulated pattern.
Based on Innarik's MK3 WR, it looks like you can't do it in RTA against Sindel, Nightwolf, Sub-Zero, Stryker and Liu Kang. I believe Kano too, even though in RTA they could use LP instead for him.
How many moves does it take to kill someone in mk3?
I don't have damage values but it takes:
21 LP in mk3, 16 HP (one of them could be changed into a LP and would still be),7 High Kicks,8 Low Kicks ,7 Jump Kicks , 6 Uppercuts
Conclusion: best strategy would be to punch as much as you can and do a big ender to finish the round. The first round would ideally always be finished with uppercuts, but uppercuts don't combo at all so it's up to RNG to save the day in order to use this strategy. HKs and autocombos are the next best thing, and they combo from the pushback of four punches. In ROUND1, it's just doing the best finisher possible, but in ROUND2, I tested if i could activate the WIN message faster by which moves, and the main priority seems to kill the enemy initially faster but with less hitstun possible. Seems weird because the juggles actually allow the WIN message to come earlier while hitstun doesn't. Low hitstun moves and sweeps were also the possibilities for getting the WIN message earlier after the FINISH HIM message.
Uppercuts have faster recovery when used as ROUND2 finishers as well.
Character choice
Based on RTA's choice, I figured I might need some help from CYRAX special moves for some enemy, but I never had anything very specific only he could do the whole run.
Shao Kahn and Motaro
The reason these guys have their own section is simple. All enemies were manipulated into eating basic moves left and right, but these guys have a horrible AI and a different body type. It's possible another character has an edge against them, but i couldn't find any faster fight in TAS or RTA settings.Motaro has protection against autocombos so single hits are better, but he won't eat many of those without losing time, so I figured I would damage him as a form of manipulation.
Shao Kahn is very hard as well because his moves are insanely faster, so a lot of empty commands are used to manipulate him into eating all the JKs. I managed to do some "reground" autocombos but I believe they're not real combos just a glitch in the Combo Counter.
IMPROVEMENTS I BELIEVE IN
Shao Kahn and Motaro
Another character may have better combo routes for them.
Wouldn't another character improve the normal fights as well?
I do not believe so. The special moves in MK3 cause a boatload of hitstun and nothing I tested was a better finisher than normal moves.
They just push the enemies further and further,delaying the Win message.
RNG would help boss fights and a few more normal fights in the run as well.
Time wasted by choosing this character in selection.
Screenshot: 9596, 12263 anything with the capoeira pose by Cyrax
Thank you for reading, TASvideos for the amazing community and MK SPEEDRUN Discord for providing the most valuable input and support.
feos: We don't put "any%" in branch labels,
feos: Claiming for judging.
feos: Much faster than the
human record, no obvious (or even known for sure?) improvements in main gameplay, accepting.
