Revision (current)
Last Updated by dwangoAC on 8/25/2023 10:09 PM
This page reflects [WelcomeToTASVideos] as it existed prior to July 31st, 2023.
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Welcome to TASVideos, a community dedicated to creating and publishing tool-assisted superplay (TAS) videos, which are gameplay demonstrations made with the assistance of emulators and other tools to resemble superhuman playing sessions.
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!! Introduction
[module:youtube|v=0mregEW6kVU|w=256|h=224|align=right|hidelink]
Here at TASVideos, we strive to push games to their limits. The [EmulatorResources|emulators] we use allow for undoing mistakes, slow-motion gameplay, and in some cases even utilizing [LuaScripting|botting and scripts] to do our bidding.
Using these tools, we overcome human limitations to complete games with extremely high precision, entertaining our viewers as our players tear through games at seemingly impossible speeds. The end result of this process is simply a series of key-presses [ConsoleVerification/Movies|which may be performed on the original hardware].
Many of the insights collected during the making of these runs is documented on our [GameResources|resource pages], allowing new players to quickly catch up to our experts. Some of these tricks we use make the games look broken, but we are not breaking the games, just your notion of them.
You are invited to join the hundreds of [Publications/Authors|authors], thousands of registered [Staff|users], and hundreds of thousands of monthly unique [Forum/Topics/148|visitors] that make up our community, [GameResources|share knowledge] of games, [VotingGuidelines|provide feedback] of TAS videos, and you're welcome to jump in and [TASingGuide|make TAS movies yourself].
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!! Mission statement
TASVideos.org is committed to providing the best in tool-assisted speedruns and superhuman play. Our runs are held to high standards, and only high quality runs will be published on the site. We also prefer quality over quantity — a poor quality run will not be accepted whether it is a game new to the site or an improvement to a pre-existing run. Our runs may not be perfect (if that is even possible), but are still high quality and aim to be as entertaining as possible.
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!! Why?
We make these movies because they are entertaining to watch, and because we are curious how far a game can be pushed. The process of creating them is also a form of problem-solving and challenge to our intellect and ingenuity.
If a child receives a box containing an expensive toy as a birthday present, it's possible that he'll enjoy the box more than the toy. This is creativity. We're doing the same for these games. Instead of walking on the paths created for us, we create our own paths, our own legs and so on. And we're not listening to people who say "you can't do that!". Just like children.
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!! How?
The movies on TASVideos are created with the help of emulators that have the capability of recording sequences of key presses — it is the key presses that are recorded, and the video and audio resulting from the emulator playing this back is what can be seen through the videos provided on the site.
The emulators involved have been crafted to provide features specifically designed for optimal game play. The most common features are save states, allowing the author to return to an earlier point in the run (and thereby revert mistakes that are made), and the ability to play one frame at a time (known as frame advance), which removes the limitations of one's reflexes. Where even this isn't enough, some emulators allow for [LuaScripting|programming and 'bots'] to further enhance the process.
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!! More information
* [Newcomer Corner]
* [Site Rules]
* [FAQ]: Answers to frequently asked questions
** [Glossary]: Specific words we often use here
** [Downloads]: Collection of links to often needed programs and utilities, such as emulators, media players, codecs
* [TASing Guide]: Everything you need to know to learn TASing
* [Movie Rules]: Runs submitted here normally conform to these rules
** [Guidelines]: Additional suggestions for creating runs which are likely to be well-received
* [Article Index]: All our articles neatly grouped together
* [Userfiles]: Learn more about how runs are created by seeing them as they are worked on by our expert players
* [Publications/Authors|List of authors]: List of everyone who has contributed a movie that has been accepted for publication
* [Applications]: List of applications which support accessing TASVideos content from your home theater, cell phone, and more
* [Site History]: History of this website
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!! Minimum System Requirements for Site Browsing
* macOS: Sierra or newer
** Safari: 12+
** Chrome: 60+
** Firefox: 55+
* Windows: 10 or newer, 7+ supported in Firefox/Chrome though not recommended
** Internet Explorer: unsupported
** Edge: supported
** Chrome: 60+
** Firefox: 55+
* iOS: 12 or newer
* Android: Technically works back to 4.4 on Chrome 60+ but please use Android 9+ to receive security updates
For technical details, the site requires the OS to trust Let's Encrypt as a cert issuer, which leads to the various OS requirements. The frontend Javascript code's browser requirements will match [https://caniuse.com/mdn-javascript_operators_spread_spread_in_object_literals|this Can I Use list] due to that feature being used by a dependency, the Bootstrap CSS library.
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!! Legal notice
TASVideos does not distribute games nor endorse software piracy.%%%
Game playthroughs we create (emulator movies and their encodes) rely on the [/HomePages/Nach/FairUse|Fair Use doctrine] when being distributed.
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!! Redistribution on Other Platforms
Webmasters, please don't link directly to the files. You may link to any page freely.
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Republication of movies from this site, that are all submitted under the [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/|Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license], is only allowed under the following conditions:
# Video and audio content must not be changed (including the pointers to this site).
# The movies must be labeled as [=Glossary#ToolAssistedSpeedrunTas|tool-assisted speedruns] beyond any chance of mistaking.
# The actual player(s) (always shown at this site) must be properly credited.
Do not label them with speculations. If unsure, ask the [Staff|site staff] for details.
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!! Miscellaneous
For a well-written outside perspective on the TAS phenomenon, check out [https://web.archive.org/web/20130117080724/http://www.crispygamer.com/features/2009-04-20/as-fast-as-impossible-10-insanely-thrilling-tool-assisted-speedruns.aspx?utm_source=TeamCrispy&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=jjt|As Fast as Impossible: 10 Insanely Thrilling Tool-Assisted Speedruns]. This article, written by John Teti, goes more in depth about what tool-assisted speedruns are, and which are the top 10 examples that best demonstrate what these runs are about. Anyone being introduced to these movies should enjoy reading this article, which teaches newcomers how the movies are made, and chooses which are the ideal first movies to watch to become exposed to these speedruns.
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG_9r038Qoc|Tool Assisted Speedrun Lecture]: a lecture about the TAS where you'll find all the basis for a good understanding using concrete examples and videos.
**[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG_9r038Qoc&hd=1&t=55s|What's a speedrun?]
**[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG_9r038Qoc&hd=1&t=6m11s|What does Tool Assisted mean?]
**[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG_9r038Qoc&hd=1&t=9m32s|The objectives / philosophy of TASing]
**[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG_9r038Qoc&hd=1&t=13m29s|The History of TASing]
**[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG_9r038Qoc&hd=1&t=17m42s|How TAS are made?]
**[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG_9r038Qoc&hd=1&t=21m25s|Showing and explaining the tools]
**[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG_9r038Qoc&hd=1&t=34m48s|The spirit of TASing]
**[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG_9r038Qoc&hd=1&t=39m37s|The different types of TAS]
**[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG_9r038Qoc&hd=1&t=52m15s|From the TASpeedrun to the TASuperplay]
* Philip Potter: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uzWxLuXg7Y|Saving milliseconds and wasting hours: a survey of tool-assisted speedrunning]