Okay, so I think I have heard indirectly from Taco via Sniq that for the original input sequence for the TAS super short charge, a brute force algorithm was used to find the shortest distance in which a shinespark can be charged via running on a platform.
(Provided this is true,) I assume that among these tests, the options that the algorithm went through were only those that are obtained by choosing for each relevant frame individually to press nothing or pressing Dash and/or Forwards (and/or Shot, since I am aware (due to crumble-block-bridge tests with remaining crumble-blocks after running past those with Speedbooster and then observing the pattern of remaining blocks) of the fact that the running pattern can depend on if one at least did shoot once or if one did not do so) (and/or pressing L or R, which would be very counterintuitive aswell as unlikely to help for minimizing the necessary distance, due to the known forwards-shift that those can cause, but well, at least they influence the running pattern somehow), but did maybe not involve the different motions given by turning Speedbooster on or leaving it off.
Furthermore, since it at that time potentially might not have been known that the current level/value of the Boost-Counter (by that, I refer to the counter which, I guess, can have values among 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 (when echoes will apear) ) is preserved as long as temporary BlueSuit movement restrictions are fulfilled, even if only the value 1, 2 or 3 but not yet echoes (that would correspond to the value 4) appear (*), it could have been that the brute force tests only optimized time/distance for the highest value that the Boost-Counter can obtain, but did not optimize individually for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd level.
(*): As an example, by what I said above, I mean:
If one, with Speedbooster turned on, runs to get to e.g. the first Boost-Counter level, then enters the angled crouch pose (as if having temporary BlueSuit), then this level is preserved as long as the usual temporary BlueSuit movement restrictions are fulfilled (and can be continued if one lands as ball on spikes and unmorphs appropriately, as it is known to be possible).
Is this brute force program that was used for this instance still somewhere available so that one can use it for further tests regarding the super short charge (or maybe other actions that involve only a rather small time interval aswell as only a small number of different buttons that would be relevant for the frames involved, like climbing walls with walljumps or whatever could come to mind)?
Generally, I would be interested in results (given probably by brute force tests) that optimize individually for the following things for both versions, NTSC and PAL, separately:
Optimizing for (i) minimal distance or (ii) minimal time (frame-wise or in-game-time-wise), when trying to either get the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th level for the Boost-Counter.
Further ideas for getting a shinespark charged within little space or time were if one could somehow abuse right+left (and testing both, to run to the left or to the right, since there might be an asymmetry aswell) and/or combine it with Moonwalk (even if it might then not be relevant for TASing anymore); or, in the case of Samus being with her back aligned to a wall next to a (long) platform, to instead of starting the short-charge input sequence out of the static standing pose but start it from different poses that Samus has when moonwalking with her back against said wall and switch from that to the forwards motion since the time at which the magic running pose occurs might depend on that, theoretically.
(Also, Sniq, you know there is an edit button to not have to double-post (although 1st, there usually is not that much action going on in this thread, so it does not break the flow of discussion and 2nd, I don´t know how strictly such things maybe or maybe not are handled on TASVideos)? Of course it is just a minor thing though. And yes, I am aware that if one (usually without changing settings) only edits a post, then it isn´t marked as such, e.g. as I did with my last post where I added the 14%PB-PB option that TAS has, which is not included in the graph.)
collect, analyse, categorise.
"Mathematics - When tool-assisted skills are just not enough" ;)
Don't want to be taking up so much space adding to posts, but might be worth mentioning and letting others know for what games 1) already some TAS work has been done (ordered in decreasing amount, relative to a game completion) by me and 2) I am (in decreasing order) planning/considering to TAS them. Those would majorly be SNES games (if not, it will be indicated in the list) I'm focusing on.
1) Spanky's Quest; On the Ball/Cameltry; Musya; Super R-Type; Plok; Sutte Hakkun; The Wizard of Oz; Battletoads Doubledragon; Super Ghouls'n Ghosts; Firepower 2000; Brain Lord; Warios Woods; Super Turrican; The Humans.
2) Secret Command (SEGA); Star Force (NES); Hyperzone; Aladdin; R-Type 3; Power Blade 2 (NES); Super Turrican 2; First Samurai.
(last updated: 18.03.2018)
