Submission Text Full Submission Page
Minesweeper in 28 Frames

Game objectives

  • Emulator used: VBA 19.3
  • Goal: Win a game using the fewest frames of input.
  • Subgoal: Beat a board of Minesweeper, of any configuration, with the shortest input.
  • You can decide for yourself whether this is "winning" a "game". I think it is, but I might be biased.

Comments

This beats a board of Minesweeper quickly. There is a "story" mode, but that's just progressively harder (read as: longer) boards.
The default "custom" board is 2 by 2 with one mine. Initially, I thought I could just use those settings. But the movie was 31 frames, which was unacceptable. I thought about it, and I could really reduce some time if I didn't have to move around on the board as much. So, I tried again, and changed the number of bombs to 3. Fortunately, I don't even have to move as the "safe" spot is where I start. This seemed like a stroke of luck (manipulation), but further testing shows that if you choose those settings this will practically always be the case when you are starting a fresh game. Even stranger though: if you set the board to 10 by 10 with 99 bombs, the safe spot will still also be the upper left (starting) position! Any square board that is filled but one seems to do the same thing.
If anyone has this cartridge, I would be curious if this is possible "in real life"... good party trick.

Stage by stage commentsThere's only one stage

I used the "form letter" for this submission text.

Other comments

I don't feel bad piling on questionable movies since the submission queue is so small. Kudos to those involved there. I will also repeat my thanks to all of you out there for providing such a unique community.
PS I'm looking forward to someone trying to obsolete this run, perhaps even with a different game...

mmbossman: A very novel idea, and probably the first run that can be GIF'ed, but the viewer response has been poor. I commend you for thinking differently, but I'm rejecting this movie.

Here's an "encode". A too slow gif version by me is in the discussion thread.
FractalFusion: Re-rejected for not completing the game.


TASVideoAgent
They/Them
Moderator
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 15619
Location: 127.0.0.1
This topic is for the purpose of discussing #2056: alden's GB Minesweeper in 00:00.47
Player (121)
Joined: 2/11/2007
Posts: 1522
I'm very disappointed that this didn't show up as GB Minesweeper in 00:00 :(
I make a comic with no image files and you should read it. While there is a lower class, I am in it, and while there is a criminal element I am of it, and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free. -Eugene Debs
adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player (3575)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
Lol, so fast that NVA couldn't handle it. Congrats on an unbeatable shortest submission record :P Pretty meh unfortuantely. If it had been a large grid that was luck manipulated into a 1 move win, that might have gotten a yes from me. But 2x2, pfff I guess this violates the "play on hardest difficulty" rule :P
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
Joined: 6/26/2007
Posts: 147
Eh, there's really no entertainment in a movie that takes longer to set up and download than it lasts to watch.
Active player (315)
Joined: 2/28/2006
Posts: 2275
Location: Milky Way -> Earth -> Brazil
this is not even a game... The NES Game Genie TAS was way better.
"Genuine self-esteem, however, consists not of causeless feelings, but of certain knowledge about yourself. It rests on the conviction that you — by your choices, effort and actions — have made yourself into the kind of person able to deal with reality. It is the conviction — based on the evidence of your own volitional functioning — that you are fundamentally able to succeed in life and, therefore, are deserving of that success." - Onkar Ghate
Bisqwit wrote:
Drama, too long, didn't read, lol.
Joined: 4/25/2004
Posts: 498
LOL XD The run from NesVideoAgent's point of view: "Oh cool, a new submission, I'll watch it :D" *hits play* *blinks* *"Movie end"* "...uh...wait, what? o_O"
N._Harmonik
She/Her
Joined: 8/27/2006
Posts: 502
Location: Canada
This movie last a few seconds so you're not accepting it? By that definition, Monopoly shouldn't be published so many times!
Why, oh, why do I even <i>try</i> to understand my own species?
Editor, Expert player (2480)
Joined: 4/8/2005
Posts: 1573
Location: Gone for a year, just for varietyyyyyyyyy!!
Minesweeper can be completed in less than 1 second without any tools, so this submission has no point as a TAS. Funny submission anyway.
Joined: 7/26/2006
Posts: 1215
adelikat wrote:
Congrats on an unbeatable shortest submission record :P
The 9-game Barney run was even shorter.
Experienced player (829)
Joined: 11/18/2006
Posts: 2426
Location: Back where I belong
N. Harmonik wrote:
This movie last a few seconds so you're not accepting it? By that definition, Monopoly shouldn't be published so many times!
No, this run lasts less than half a second. I haven't watched it yet, but I have a feeling that 2x2 would be somewhat anti-climactic, but doing a run with the largest board available in the shortest time may be pretty cool. I'll try to watch later.
Living Well Is The Best Revenge My Personal Page
Chamale
He/Him
Player (182)
Joined: 10/20/2006
Posts: 1355
Location: Canada
Yes, I agree with mmbossman, a 2X2 board for Minesweeper doesn't sound like it would be a good TAS.
Player (121)
Joined: 2/11/2007
Posts: 1522
Thanks for watching and commenting! I encoded an AV... I mean, animated PNG: It shows the movie plus another half second afterwards. Also, it's a bit slower than 60 fps, but close enough.
I make a comic with no image files and you should read it. While there is a lower class, I am in it, and while there is a criminal element I am of it, and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free. -Eugene Debs
adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player (3575)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
lol I guess we wouldn't even need an avi, just put that up as the screenshot and we are done.
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
Joined: 4/25/2004
Posts: 615
Location: The Netherlands
The gif isnt working for me. But isn't this kind of cheap?
qfox.nl
Banned User
Joined: 12/23/2004
Posts: 1850
You're four months and four days late.
Perma-banned
Joined: 6/2/2008
Posts: 25
qFox wrote:
The gif isnt working for me. But isn't this kind of cheap?
It's APNG. This is interesting, but feels cheap. It reminds me of what I use to do on windows minesweeper to "win".
(???)
Player (121)
Joined: 2/11/2007
Posts: 1522
Hmm, yeah, it doesn't work in IE for me... works in Firefox 3 and Opera 9.5 though. Xkeeper: or I'm 7 months and 27 days early. It's not really a joke though, I'm serious :P Monopoly is waaaay more complicated than this. And the Barney run is over two seconds longer :)
I make a comic with no image files and you should read it. While there is a lower class, I am in it, and while there is a criminal element I am of it, and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free. -Eugene Debs
Editor, Expert player (2079)
Joined: 6/15/2005
Posts: 3282
Oh wow, I can't believe you spoiled my planned surprise submission. :(
Active player (315)
Joined: 2/28/2006
Posts: 2275
Location: Milky Way -> Earth -> Brazil
One YES vote???
"Genuine self-esteem, however, consists not of causeless feelings, but of certain knowledge about yourself. It rests on the conviction that you — by your choices, effort and actions — have made yourself into the kind of person able to deal with reality. It is the conviction — based on the evidence of your own volitional functioning — that you are fundamentally able to succeed in life and, therefore, are deserving of that success." - Onkar Ghate
Bisqwit wrote:
Drama, too long, didn't read, lol.
Banned User
Joined: 12/23/2004
Posts: 1850
pirate_sephiroth wrote:
One YES vote???
I'm honestly more suprised that it hasn't been rejected yet.
Perma-banned
Post subject: Re: #2056: alden's GB Minesweeper in unknown
Editor, Expert player (2079)
Joined: 6/15/2005
Posts: 3282
alden wrote:
PS I'm looking forward to someone trying to obsolete this run, perhaps even with a different game
Done! Though I'm disappointed that, with one minefield left to TAS, you just had to spoil the fun. At least this submission taught me a lesson for being lazy. Congratulations for creating the shortest TAS that beats something, but I voted no.
Player (150)
Joined: 11/27/2004
Posts: 688
Location: WA State, USA
I could watch this for the rest of my life and still be entertained. Calling this the pinnacle of human achievement would be a gross understatement.
Nach wrote:
I also used to wake up every morning, open my curtains, and see the twin towers. And then one day, wasn't able to anymore, I'll never forget that.
Yrr
Joined: 8/10/2006
Posts: 289
Location: Germany, Bayern
This submission is truly epic. And we don't even need an avi-file.
Post subject: Re: #2056: alden's GB Minesweeper in unknown
Player (121)
Joined: 2/11/2007
Posts: 1522
Well, it took 3 days, I'm impressed :) Thanks to all you well-wishers and sarcastic bastards! I'm going to make an animated GIF to go along with PNG at some point so everyone can share the love. ----
FractalFusion wrote:
alden wrote:
PS I'm looking forward to someone trying to obsolete this run, perhaps even with a different game
Done!
Not quite... to clarify, I was looking for someone to best my major goal: "Win a game using the fewest frames of input." However, I'm very happy there was a "real" game of Minesweeper on my heels :)
FractalFusion wrote:
Though I'm disappointed that, with one minefield left to TAS, you just had to spoil the fun. At least this submission taught me a lesson for being lazy.
Well, I'll try to be less psychic next time... Actually, I think your movie looks all the more impressive in contrast to mine :)
I make a comic with no image files and you should read it. While there is a lower class, I am in it, and while there is a criminal element I am of it, and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free. -Eugene Debs
P.JBoy
Any
Editor
Joined: 3/25/2006
Posts: 850
Location: stuck in Pandora's box HELLPP!!!
How small would the AVI be for this movie anyways?