The Vault is a new category of movies we have added. Previously we only published movies people found entertaining, now we also publish movies in this category for record-keeping purposes.
The vault is the lowest publication tier at TASVideos. Its focus is exclusively on collecting tool-assisted speedrun records.
Overview
- This category represents the fastest completion times for a minimum set of goals.
- Its purpose is to fulfill the site's goal of being a TAS records site, and a central repository of tool-assisted literature and information.
Entertainment requirements
- Entertainment value has little to no significance
- However if a movie has entertainment significance which is deemed negatively, such as sickening camera angles, seizure inducing activity, and other rectifiable presentation decisions within it, the movie is ineligible for this category, or any other category for that matter.
- Opportunities to entertain the audience where it does not affect time is not a requirement. However, it is encouraged and can be used as a tie-breaker for two equally fast movies.
- It is possible for a faster movie to be published in this category while a slower but "more entertaining" movie is published in another tier.
- Aims to fulfill the site's goal of being a Tool-assisted Speedrun records site, as well as be an information based central repository for the body of TAS literature.
Technical requirements
- Must beat all known unassisted records and beat or match all known tool-assisted records.
- Must show a proficient understanding of TAS techniques and be perceived as well optimized. I.e. should not have obvious pauses, mistakes, or sloppy play.
- In rare cases, there will be a sloppier movie that is faster than a more optimized movie due to the use of a major skip discovery. In this case, the faster of the two movies is preferred.
- The guidelines for difficulty settings, and password use still apply.
- Must be distinguishable from the best real-time speedruns.
Game choice
- Must be clearly definable as a game, which has achievable goals.
- A game which is simply about wandering aimlessly is not a proper game.
- A game which is about free form creativity is also not a proper game.
- Examples are the main feature of Mario Paint or Color a Dinosaur.
- Hacks (defined as being modifications of an existing eligible game) are not eligible for this category. We demand hacks with entertainment value, therefore they are judged by the Moon tier requirements.
- Unlicensed and homebrew games are eligible but may be judged on a game-by-game basis based on their notability.
- Games on multi-carts are acceptable unless there is a standalone version available. (For instance, Duck Hunt is okay, but not Duck Hunt on the Mario/Duck Hunt combo cart.)
- The gameplay still needs to standout from non-assisted play.
- Example of a (mini)game which does not is Desert Bus.
- For the purposes of this tier, a game which is a board game, sports game, educational game or game show game is not defined as a serious game. Fighting games such as Street Fighter are however, eligible.
- If a game consists of presenting a story, with little to no user creativity altering the game in any way, then it is unacceptable.
- This includes games which are overwhelmingly made up of cut scenes, with little to no user interaction anywhere.
- For example, Super Adventure Rockman.
- Games which are of a Choose Your Own Adventure story book variety, where the user has no creative control beyond choosing between predefined choices.
- For instance, the Arcade version of Dragon's Lair
- This includes games which are overwhelmingly made up of cut scenes, with little to no user interaction anywhere.
Goal choice
- Must be clearly definable as having completed the game.
- Games that loop endlessly can still be defined. The completion point is one where there is no new content, and the game is no longer increasing in difficulty.
- Goal choice is limited to fastest completion time (any%), or full-completion (such as 100% or best ending).
- Exception: for games with separate, independent level sets (modes, episodes) officially available from start, each level set can have its TAS in Vault.
- Other goal choices are not eligible for this category.
- Goal choice criteria must be clear and non-controversial (a clear consensus on what constitutes full-completion or when a game is completed).
- Easter eggs are not expected to be a requirement for full-completion