Editor, Expert player (2460)
Joined: 4/8/2005
Posts: 1573
Location: Gone for a year, just for varietyyyyyyyyy!!
Good luck!
Joined: 5/17/2008
Posts: 212
Location: Virginia
Thanks!
adelikat wrote:
It started off fairly tame, but as more balls entered the picture it sure got a lot more entertaining.
Editor, Reviewer, Experienced player (968)
Joined: 4/17/2004
Posts: 3107
Location: Sweden
I watched it, and it looks like publishable quality to me. My tip is to finish one version before starting to redo the whole thing. This way you'll have something to compare to everywhere and a sense of completing something. But a lot of people seem okay with redoing at any point, so do whatever suits you best.
Joined: 5/17/2008
Posts: 212
Location: Virginia
No, I already overwrote my previous video! Just kidding. I'm still working on this, but it's the end of the semester and my teachers decided that now is the time to start piling on all the projects, because my other classes certainly wouldn't think of ever assigning work at the end of the class >_> Unfortunately, Aqfaq's 37 frame gain is nullified because of the elevators. I kept trying to redo the first level, but I end up about 2-3 frames slower than my current run (which I find very odd, considering it's pretty much the same strategy.) I'm still combing my current run for potential improvements, and also experimenting with elevators and the possibility of getting stuck in walls (you get shoved out from the ceiling at high speed if you ride the side of an elevator into it). Truncated, I might just do that. I'll at least have strategies for the redo, and I'll be able to see if there's places for improvement after the first version is done. Also, I can't seem to get the machine gun to multihit the second boss. Delaying fire ends up costing me damage over just having a constant stream of bullets. I might experiment with grenades a little, due to the delay it may be possible to squeeze off a rocket after throwing a grenade and hit the bosses a little faster.
adelikat wrote:
It started off fairly tame, but as more balls entered the picture it sure got a lot more entertaining.
Joined: 5/17/2008
Posts: 212
Location: Virginia
Oh no, an update! First level of the third set beaten, second soon to follow. Finals are nearly over, which means I'll have some free time again! Beats Exilant's time by 7 seconds, mainly due to the mysterious non-spawning enemies. http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/1013524053/Alien%203%20%28UE%29%20%28REV00%29%20%5B%21%5D.gmv Also, aqfaq's 37 frame gain allows me juuust enough time to shoot a rocket at the first door in the first level while still making the elevator. Hurray!
adelikat wrote:
It started off fairly tame, but as more balls entered the picture it sure got a lot more entertaining.
Editor, Reviewer, Experienced player (968)
Joined: 4/17/2004
Posts: 3107
Location: Sweden
Lookin' good! I liked the jump over the alien (never works when playing the game normally) and that you got to use the machinegun on the boss.
Joined: 5/17/2008
Posts: 212
Location: Virginia
http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/1543182814/Alien%203%20%28UE%29%20%28REV00%29%20%5B%21%5D.gmv Finished the third levelset up to the boss. I may have to redo those levels, as I wasn't taking ammo management into consideration. We'll see. I'm going to try and see if there's any way to throw a grenade and launch a rocket at the same time. If so, all boss battle times will probably be halved. I've managed to fire a flame from the flamethrower and shoot the machine gun simultaneously, so maybe it's possible with other weapons.
adelikat wrote:
It started off fairly tame, but as more balls entered the picture it sure got a lot more entertaining.
honorableJay
He/Him
Joined: 8/18/2008
Posts: 104
Location: Albany, NY
how do you shoot 2 guns at once???
Joined: 5/17/2008
Posts: 212
Location: Virginia
You hit the button to fire + the button to switch simultaneously, then let off the fire button for a frame, then hit it again on the same frame the shot is fired. You actually discovered this trick when you posted on page one:
honorableJay wrote:
One thing that's interesting, if you hit A and B on the same frame, then release the A button and continue holding fire, you'll change weapons and fire in a weird way. You'll start firing whatever gun you were holding, yet the next gun will be selected and ready to go. Just stop firing then start up again and you'll fire the gun you previously selected. So if you have the machine gun and you want to fire the flame thrower next, you can hit AB for 1 frame, then let go of A, and start firing the machine gun. Then let go of B to stop and then start firing the flame thrower. I haven't seen how this affects actual ammo counts though, but I will see if I can do some more testing later.
Honestly it may not be truly at the same time, but a frame or two apart. Still, it might help increase the amount of damage per second.
adelikat wrote:
It started off fairly tame, but as more balls entered the picture it sure got a lot more entertaining.
honorableJay
He/Him
Joined: 8/18/2008
Posts: 104
Location: Albany, NY
ah, I thought you actually were firing two guns at once. I'm gonna take a stab in the dark an say that unless some weird glitch is found, firing the grenade launcher and the hand grenade at the same time is near impossible just because of how long they take. The best thing I can think of is to try and time the shots so they hit at the same time. I'm thinking you start on the handgrenade, hit AB to start the weapon switch bug, release A, press A again, release, press, so that by the time you can fire you're already on the grenade launcher. Frame by frame it should look something like: AB, B, AB (ripley winds up to throw), nothing, A, nothing (hopefully by now you'll have the gren launcher selected), some more empty frames, then just B, B, B to fire the gren launcher. Hopefully the game doesn't stop you from weapon switching when you're firing or you'll have to delay the final weapon switch.
Joined: 5/17/2008
Posts: 212
Location: Virginia
I'll try it, and I don't believe it does delay you from switching while firing. Edit: No, I'm not dead. I'm still working on this, very slowly (about half an hour per week). This semester has a lot of work (and parties), but hopefully I'll be able to make some progress. Edit2: I'm still not dead, and I apologize for going so long without updates. I've gotten through the boss fight, but I can see that ammo management is going to be a very central part of the real run. Will post an update when I get through the first level in set 4 (currently about 25% done with it).
adelikat wrote:
It started off fairly tame, but as more balls entered the picture it sure got a lot more entertaining.
Joined: 5/17/2008
Posts: 212
Location: Virginia
I'm not dead! Apologies for not having any updates in over 6 months. My coursework simply took up the majority of my time last semester, leaving me no time to work on the TAS. My workload is significantly lighter this semester (with the exception of one class), so expect an update soon.
adelikat wrote:
It started off fairly tame, but as more balls entered the picture it sure got a lot more entertaining.
Editor, Reviewer, Experienced player (968)
Joined: 4/17/2004
Posts: 3107
Location: Sweden
Nice to hear from you. Good luck with the run, i'm waiting eagerly.
Site Admin, Skilled player (1236)
Joined: 4/17/2010
Posts: 11271
Location: RU
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
Editor, Expert player (2460)
Joined: 4/8/2005
Posts: 1573
Location: Gone for a year, just for varietyyyyyyyyy!!
Aqfaq wrote:
You should always test even the craziest ideas. There could be surprising ways to avoid or kill the aliens.
I agree, indeed. The glitch looks promising. ACE, GEG, TC, FAG, here we come!
Site Admin, Skilled player (1236)
Joined: 4/17/2010
Posts: 11271
Location: RU
If you need a level map to plan the glitched route, I can make it.
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
Editor, Expert player (2460)
Joined: 4/8/2005
Posts: 1573
Location: Gone for a year, just for varietyyyyyyyyy!!
Thank you, maps would always be nice. I am interested in testing the glitch to see what can be done with it. I am probably not making a full run, though.
Player (64)
Joined: 4/17/2014
Posts: 69
Is it just me, or do the hits on bosses seem to differ randomly? Perhaps critical hits are by chance? I can't upload onto microstorage, it says unrecognized format, so i'm gonna link it externally. http://www9.zippyshare.com/v/9899537/file.html The strategy/techniques used are very similar to the OP's. though i've tried to keep moving as much as i can, just to chop frames, the Achilles heel being the slower boss kills. 3rd set of stages needs much work, i've spotted a couple of pointless movements, i'll just redo those, i'm defo keeping the deliberately getting hit parts, i thought it's pretty cool since it didn't affect my overall time, its hilarious to watch in reverse using bizhawk, it's like "Huhhhhhhh". Here's daft glitch that happened glitch, i lol'd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3pO2qWWqZU
Nothing to fear but fear itself - Franklin D. Roosevelt
Editor, Expert player (2460)
Joined: 4/8/2005
Posts: 1573
Location: Gone for a year, just for varietyyyyyyyyy!!
It seems that the wall ascension glitch can be executed even without an enemy, check this dude's video at around 23:30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkTQjAvKL3U#t=23m30s
Skilled player (1485)
Joined: 4/28/2005
Posts: 240
Location: Finland
I wanted to test this game so I improved Apo123's run by 212 frames (after 1st boss): http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/182530969/Alien3-boss1-WIP.gmv Also, used 3 less grenade launcher ammo if it matters later.
Projects: Warlock, Ren & Stimpy (impr) / Generations Lost (impr.)
Skilled player (1485)
Joined: 4/28/2005
Posts: 240
Location: Finland
Completed the game: http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/1973551279/Alien3-complete-v1.gmv I will still test if the first boss fights without elevators are optimal. Some enemy hp addresses: 00FF1FD6 00FF1FD7 00FF2066 00FF2067
Projects: Warlock, Ren & Stimpy (impr) / Generations Lost (impr.)
Site Admin, Skilled player (1236)
Joined: 4/17/2010
Posts: 11271
Location: RU
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
Skilled player (1485)
Joined: 4/28/2005
Posts: 240
Location: Finland
Final version: http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/809129849/Alien3-complete-v2.gmv Killed the last three aliens in 15th level faster with critical flame thrower and pulse rifle combination and saved 28 frames there. 7 frames was saved by ending the input in jump. Had to redo the end of final boss battle because pulse rifle critical hit apprearance had changed. I could have improved the first boss by 3 frames but it changed the critical hit appearance in a certain tough alien in 5th level and made the run slower instead.
Projects: Warlock, Ren & Stimpy (impr) / Generations Lost (impr.)