Here is my new "fixed" version of the 1 player pacifist run. I die on the tanks rather than kill them. This costs me 509 frames plus at least 150 more in the level 5 & 6 boss fights (since I no longer had a spread gun). This version is 409 frames slower than my previous version though. This is from a few minor optimizations, better luck in level 6, and better boss fights in the final level.
Also I was more consistent in regards to the spiked walls in level 7. None were even damaged except those that were required.
In level 8 you may think I hit a few enemies but I don't. I checked via ram addresses and no creature was harmed in the making of this movie.

Summary

  • Uses deaths (to achieve goals not to save time)
  • Pacifist
  • Aims for fastest time
  • Uses FCEU .16 Macro patch
Enjoy

Truncated: Rejecting, because the level 5 boss can be done half a second faster. :) Link. (The part up to the boss is the same.)

Truncated: Reopening and accepting. adelikat has tested and managed to improve 44 frames on the boss, but some of the flames in the next level are on a global timer, and 44 frames of improvement is not enough to still get optimal flame placement. (That is, you need to wait 44 frames at the flames instead.)
It might look sligthly better to beat the boss faster and wait at the flames, but I don't see any reason to force a redo just because of that. I just hope that the next person who decides to do this game remembers the trick on the boss.

adelikat: Processing...


TASVideoAgent
They/Them
Moderator
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 15543
Location: 127.0.0.1
This topic is for the purpose of discussing #1396: adelikat's NES Contra "pacifist" in 09:46.38
Active player (411)
Joined: 3/16/2004
Posts: 2623
Location: America, Québec
adelikat wrote:
I checked via ram addresses
Can you write them somewhere?
adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player (3570)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
058x are enemy hp addresses for most enemies. The only exception are: The level 4 bosses are located in 057D & E The level 2 boss is in another address but I have lost that one.
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
Experienced player (614)
Joined: 4/24/2005
Posts: 612
This one seems more interesting than the last one. Probably because the odds were against you; you had to lose the Spread Shot in order to stay within the pacifist goal. I wondered something throughout the movie. Wouldn't it have been faster to destroy the boss by jumping and shooting from the get go (in the level in which you get and lose the Spread Shot, you know, the boss that resembles a flying saucer-like enemy) or was standing there shooting to manipulate the things that come out of it? Or is it no faster either way?
adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player (3570)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
I know what you are talking about. And I considered that too. What I did was the better solution but I can't remember why I thought that. Dunno, maybe I am an idiot.
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
Player (206)
Joined: 5/29/2004
Posts: 5712
Hey, could pacifism include not shooting the footballs for weapons? I'm sure the flying footballs feel pain too.
put yourself in my rocketpack if that poochie is one outrageous dude
Experienced player (614)
Joined: 4/24/2005
Posts: 612
Regardless, this is a really nice Pacifist run so you get my yes vote.
Editor, Reviewer, Experienced player (978)
Joined: 4/17/2004
Posts: 3109
Location: Sweden
>And I considered that too. What I did was the better solution but I can't remember why I thought that. Does the max firing speed depend on when the previous projectiles have left the screen, or is it timed independently? If it's the former, you should jump all the time. If it's the latter, you should shoot the first salvo as far away as possible, and the last one as close as possible, the others doesn't matter. Judging from what you did, it works in the latter way, but I remember it working like the former. I'll check again.
adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player (3570)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
you can only have 4 of your bullets on the screen at one time.
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
Post subject: Movie published
TASVideoAgent
They/Them
Moderator
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 15543
Location: 127.0.0.1
This movie has been published. The posts before this message apply to the submission, and posts after this message apply to the published movie. ---- [756] NES Contra (Japan) "pacifist" by adelikat in 09:46.38
Joined: 2/16/2005
Posts: 462
Congrats on the first published run of the new year!
This signature is much better than its previous version.
Former player
Joined: 6/28/2004
Posts: 219
Location: Raccoon City
and there goes my one feeble claim as a player on this website...
Player (30)
Joined: 9/23/2006
Posts: 207
Location: Moreno Valley, California
While Contra just isn't Contra without exploding stuff everywhere, this movie accomplishes its goals nicely. Yes vote.
"The way to move out of judgment is to move into gratitude." — Neale Donald Walsch DannyLilithborne on IRC
Banned User
Joined: 12/26/2006
Posts: 231
Location: Lonely City
It is surprised and wonderful.Author evev can move so fast by odinary weapon.His jumping in stage3 is too good.
work hard
Player (52)
Joined: 10/6/2005
Posts: 138
Location: Oregon
Very cool. Sorry to cast doubt on your original, but I think this looks way cooler than the non-dying, tank-killing one.
Banned User
Joined: 12/26/2006
Posts: 231
Location: Lonely City
It is good.I like "pacifist".But I prefer to pacifist with fire all the time.~~~~hehehehe
work hard
Former player
Joined: 2/12/2007
Posts: 105
Add this category: Abuses programming errors in the game because he used Jumping Glitch in Stage 3. On Stage 5, you died on Tanks rather than killing the Tank to achieve the Pacifist Goal.
adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player (3570)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
"Abuses Programming Errors in the Game" added. Thanks.
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
CrazyTerabyte
He/Him
Joined: 5/7/2005
Posts: 74
(after almost one year this movie has been published) I ask to myself why does he shoot in the middle of the stages. Sometimes he shoots diagonally upwards onto nowhere (for instance, at the level with spiky walls). Why does he does that? To manipulate luck or something? Also, I was watching both the new and the obsoleted videos (AVI versions) side-by-side. The obsoleted used an US version, while this uses a Japanese version. I'm curious about the changes between these versions. I noticed the pre-level screens were skipped in JPN version. It also has has animated tree leafs, snow and animated alien background. However, the US version appears to have more enemies on the first level and at the stage 4 boss. So, I ask: were these enemy changes just manipulated in the movie or the ROMs have slightly different enemies on some levels? Also, the JPN version looks faster (it gets further in game before the US version). Does this happen because of improved TAS-playing or because JPN version is actually a bit faster? I'm just curious, I don't plan to make any TAS soon. :)
adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player (3570)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
1) When I shoot diagonally up or down it is with the spread gun. This is to set up a "single stream" spread gun. This technique is explained futher in my 2-player version. 2) There are no differences between the J & U versions other than what you meantioned. Level transitions are skippable and there is extra level animation in some levels. 3) Enemies are manipulated away since it is a pacifist run and this keeps me from having to jump over them (which costs 1 frame). 4) In addition to the Rom being faster due to the level transisions, there is significantly better TAS playing which is where most of the time savings comes from. I reccomend reading the comments on the previous version of this TAS: http://tasvideos.org/1368S.html Most of the relevant info is in that submission text.
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
CrazyTerabyte
He/Him
Joined: 5/7/2005
Posts: 74
adelikat wrote:
1) When I shoot diagonally up or down it is with the spread gun. This is to set up a "single stream" spread gun. This technique is explained futher in my 2-player version.
I see a few shots onto nowhere at 08:01, 08:05, 08:11, 08:18, all of them without the spread gun (which you get at 08:23). (I'm using the AVI file for convenience)
adelikat wrote:
I reccomend reading the comments on the previous version of this TAS: http://tasvideos.org/1368S.html
Yes, I've read the comments from that movie, and also from your 2-player run. I asked because I still had doubts about it, even after reading those comments. Thank you very much for replying so fast!
adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player (3570)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
Ah, I see what you are talking about. Those shots are to manipulate enemy patterns. Either to manipulate them to not appear or to appear behind me rather than in front of me (or vice versa).
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
Banned User
Joined: 12/26/2006
Posts: 231
Location: Lonely City
Level transitions of U versions is a little long,and it's no meaning. I think the efficacy of picture in J versions is nicer than in U versions.Because U versions is 128K,and J versions is 256K. adelikat~~~It seems that you jump up in your 2-Player but not this run. Look here
work hard
adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player (3570)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
I did the pacifist run before the 2-player, and I didn't discover the jump until the 2-player movie. I have a wip of the pacifist run that finishes level 3 60 frames faster due to that jump. But I haven't had the motivation to finish it.
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects