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#65614880997999066 - Faxanadu WIP

Faxanadu.bk2
In 09:26.52 (34047 frames), 11914 rerecords
Game: Faxanadu ( NES, see all files )
425 downloads
Uploaded 8/24/2020 11:13 PM by Invariel (see all 16)
Progress through the first third of the game, not quite a second ahead.
Different damage strategy, different magic usage, now with better doors.
This file is a little bit ahead of that temp encode, which is 44 frames ahead of the published run. The project file is 68 frames ahead, and a couple of rooms farther in.
Emulator: BizHawk 2.4.2

#35925051135496342 - Faxanadu Lua Script

Enemy Display.lua
1014 downloads
Uploaded 12/26/2016 9:03 PM by Invariel (see all 16)
Displays enemy statistics, player statistics, RNG value and bits, and other useful counters.

#35707007633245873 - Faxanadu - WIP XIII

Faxanadu v13.bk2
In 13:27.80 (48548 frames), 15776 rerecords
Game: Faxanadu ( NES, see all files )
938 downloads
Uploaded 12/17/2016 1:22 AM by Invariel (see all 16)
With half the game down and half to go, I figured it was time for an update.
4500 Golds have been acquired, three K Keys purchased, and I am now on the road to the Black Onyx. After that, there are three bosses left to take down (the Dwarf with the Battle Helmet, King Grieve, and the Evil One), so a lot of what is left to do is movement optimization.
While I continue to be sad that the Long Sword route ends up taking longer, I've long argued that weapon choice is a routing issue, and keeping the Dagger, in this case, is the fastest route for the game that I know of.
Current lead: 934 frames. (00:15.57 seconds)
YouTube link: , available once it's done uploading.

#35262095943719964 - Faxanadu - WIP XII - No Long Sword

Faxanadu v12.bk2
In 09:48.22 (35351 frames), 12250 rerecords
Game: Faxanadu ( NES, see all files )
920 downloads
Uploaded 11/27/2016 12:29 AM by Invariel (see all 16)
So, it turns out that the Long Sword, while amazing, costs way too much time to buy (walking to the room with the shop + screen transition + walking to the door + screen transition + walking to the shopkeeper + selling the Wing Boots (140 frames of just gaining money) + another shopkeeper interaction + buying the Long Sword (160 frames of just losing money) + leaving the store + screen transition + returning to the screen with the Guru). At the point where I decided I had done the appropriate research, I was behind Lord Tom's run by 1724 frames. I went from a 12-second lead to a 30-second loss. I estimated that in order to most obviously make up the time, I needed to save five seconds in each boss fight just to tie. Checking Lord Tom's run, he beats the first such boss in under five seconds. So, as much fun as it was to theorycraft, and as much fun as it was to try, getting the Long Sword is, at time of writing, not viable.
With that out of the way, I had to see what I could salvage. I had the following issues:
  1. Not getting a second pair of Wing Boots in the Tower of Fortress meant that I wouldn't need to get hit by a bee after the screen transition, meaning that I had three more hit points to play with. Meaning that I wouldn't be able to die after turning the fountain on.
  2. Not getting a second pair of Wing Boots in the Tower of Fortress meant that I wouldn't need to kill that screen of bees, meaning that I didn't need to save a Deluge for them. Meaning that I would look bad for having one shot of Deluge that I didn't ever use.
Reconciling those two facts, I needed to end up with enough health to survive a mage's Deluge so that I wouldn't lose time against the triple bees. Further, I wanted to keep the Triple Kill because I think it looks amazing. I lose 23 frames in that room, but I have a lower health total because of the Mattock room's new strategy (which saved almost a full second) and can't tank a hit from the bee, so I consider it a win, both in terms of strategy and in entertainment, and had to find a way to just barely survive. Fortunately, the enemy that I chose to take damage from to save a Deluge earlier in the run (the room starting frame 18134) deals five damage, the bee I no longer get hit from deals three, and the mage's Deluge deals eight. Victory.
With that out of the way, and several other problematic rooms deciding to behave, everything is resynched up to the second death of the game, and I am starting the process of farming Golds for King keys.
The file currently ends at frame 35349, upon leaving the room the Wyvern dies in; for comparison, Lord Tom leaves that room at frame 36208, giving me an 859 frame lead, ~750 of which come from the beginning of the game, meaning 109 frames have been saved through optimization and routing.
Enjoy.

#34794032377179895 - Faxanadu - WIP X - Major Branch Point

Faxanadu v8.bk2
In 08:08.50 (29358 frames), 6089 rerecords
Game: Faxanadu ( NES, see all files )
876 downloads
Uploaded 11/5/2016 10:35 PM by Invariel (see all 16)
This upload represents the major branching point between the existing TAS and my work. At frame 29357, the first frame of the text box for Wing Boots collection is printed. From here, I will be making eight screen transitions to collect a second pair, then continuing along the projected route. If that proves ultimately to be slower (it shouldn't), then a future TASer can start from here and follow Lord Tom's Dagger route with a 124 frame lead (and slightly lower health and one available shot of Deluge).
A YouTube encode is forthcoming.

#34671014082164298 - Faxanadu - WIP VIII

Faxanadu v8.bk2
In 06:40.69 (24081 frames), 3924 rerecords
Game: Faxanadu ( NES, see all files )
920 downloads
Uploaded 10/31/2016 9:37 AM by Invariel (see all 16)
Finally in Forepaw, fortuituous frame saves in fights finish farming 115 frames ahead.
New content starts at 4:54.

#34354022453190386 - Faxanadu - WIP VII (2)

Faxanadu v7.bk2
In 05:00.90 (18084 frames), 1918 rerecords
Game: Faxanadu ( NES, see all files )
973 downloads
Uploaded 10/17/2016 3:00 AM by Invariel (see all 16)
117 frames ahead of Lord Tom, and this time I collect the coin in Eolis, so that I am on track with how much Golds I should have. This gets to the end of the first dungeon/tower.

#34291986528049835 - Faxanadu - WIP VII

Faxanadu v7.bk2
In 03:32.15 (12750 frames), 886 rerecords
Game: Faxanadu ( NES, see all files )
888 downloads
Uploaded 10/14/2016 7:57 AM by Invariel (see all 16)

#25973633258154730 - Faxanadu - Eolis Complete

Faxanadu - Eolis.bk2
In 03:15.58 (11754 frames), 13 rerecords
Game: Faxanadu ( NES, see all files )
956 downloads
Uploaded 10/5/2015 5:05 PM by Invariel (see all 16)
The first town, complete to pressing 'A' to dismiss the "I've used key." dialog.

#23366978200371129 - Faxanadu WIP III

Faxanadu.tasproj.bk2
In 04:21.32 (15705 frames), 41 rerecords
Game: Faxanadu ( NES, see all files )
972 downloads
Uploaded 6/10/2015 7:41 AM by Invariel (see all 16)
I managed to shave off a few more frames in Eolis, and at that point am 18 frames ahead of Lord Tom.
This heads into the dungeon with the Mattocks, and while I use the key to enter the dungeon 129 frames ahead of Lord Tom, I am 236 Golds behind him. I plan on making that gold up by killing an additional two mages outside of Forepaw.

#23309253951749362 - Faxanadu WIP II

Faxanadu.tasproj.bk2
In 03:15.88 (11773 frames), 41 rerecords
Game: Faxanadu ( NES, see all files )
962 downloads
Uploaded 6/7/2015 5:18 PM by Invariel (see all 16)
Enters and leaves Eolis. Less-than-stellar placement in the final room, so I lost seven frames during the fight and am now only 11 frames ahead of Lord Tom.

#23288780221476689 - Faxanadu WIP

Faxanadu.tasproj.bk2
In 00:50.43 (3031 frames), 41 rerecords
Game: Faxanadu ( NES, see all files )
938 downloads
Uploaded 6/6/2015 7:10 PM by Invariel (see all 16)
From power on to talking with the Guru, this WIP is an attempt to beat Lord Tom's excellent submission at http://tasvideos.org/1877S.html
So far, holding A at frame 1802/1803 turns the enemy on that screen to the left, getting me hit 19 frames before Lord Tom. As a result, this is, so far, a 19-frame improvement over his work.