I'm starting a GameCube TAS, and I wanted to know if the site/judges would accept a submission starting from power on with no memory card inserted or with a clear (no data), already formatted memory card (the latter saves one frame in my game).
What a lonely lil' topic.
I would probably not risk a one-frame gain at this point as there's not really any set precedent for Dolphin-run TASes. The rule with other games with memory cards generally has been conservative; best to assume the worst here as well, I think. Realistically I doubt you would get a run turned down over something like this but I'd be cautious anyway.
Weirdly, no one had posted any comments at all in the Dolphin forum since I created this topic.
Acheron86 wrote:
I would probably not risk a one-frame gain at this point as there's not really any set precedent for Dolphin-run TASes. The rule with other games with memory cards generally has been conservative; best to assume the worst here as well, I think. Realistically I doubt you would get a run turned down over something like this but I'd be cautious anyway.
If you go the memory card route, make sure you specify whether it's a empty but formatted memory card or an unformatted one. The two can be handled differently in games.
I would put in the author's comments that the run uses an empty, formatted memory card. If I started the run with an unformatted memory card, it would have to be formatted during the run, which would waste time.
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If you're not going to use saves for anything during the game, I'd say just go without a memory card. Having no memory card is simpler and there will be no doubts about the movie file integrity.
If you'll use the memory card for something on your run, consider what's the default behavior when you insert a "new" memory card to the console. If it's "format", then go that way. Save the dubious 1 frame improvements for when GC runs are more usual.
With any option, there wouldn't be any reason I should have to distribute the memory card I have on my computer, so since anyone can format their own memory card as soon as they start up the emulator, then reopen Dolphin and play the movie, that shouldn't compromise the movie's integrity.
I don't think I would be using a brand new memory card, as formatting it would take too much time.
One minor problem I would have with using no memory card is that if I work very hard on this TAS and it gets published, then someone might use a formatted card, save 1 frame, and obsolete my movie. But I suppose that's pretty unlikely.
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CoolKirby wrote:
One minor problem I would have with using no memory card is that if I work very hard on this TAS and it gets published, then someone might use a formatted card, save 1 frame, and obsolete my movie. But I suppose that's pretty unlikely.
I am assuming this TAS will be over 20 minutes of game play, if that is the case a 1-frame improvent is not considered enough of an improvement to get accepted on it's own.
I am assuming this TAS will be over 20 minutes of game play, if that is the case a 1-frame improvent is not considered enough of an improvement to get accepted on it's own.
^This. I think there would be public outrage and twenty pages of disagreements and furious posts if a long, high-quality run was obsoleted by a one-frame improvement gained from a technical difference.
For reference, look at the huge controversy that came up around the Japanese OoT run that replaced the USA version. And THAT was in a situation where there were actual, significant game improvements, AND the old run was beaten in real-time.
Of course a big factor in that debate was the language difference being a frame-saver, but just the same, it's proof that many people don't want to see a run be obsoleted merely on technical grounds. The gameplay itself must be more optimal, unless the frame wars are on to the extent we've seen with, say, SM64.
All right then. I guess I'll go with no memory card, since I don't need to save anything and it would be easier for others to view my movie. Thanks for the help, everyone!
Since this is related to using a memory card, I'll post it here.
For some reason, my Kirby's Air Ride dtm file never syncs unless I manually delete the save file within the memory card. Are other builds of Dolphin like that too?
I'm using this build of Dolphin, if that helps.
For some reason, my Kirby's Air Ride dtm file never syncs unless I manually delete the save file within the memory card. Are other builds of Dolphin like that too?
Do you mean that your movie starts by creating a save file on the memory card, so when you try playing it back, it doesn't work because there is already save data on the memory card? I'm not sure what else you can do in this situation other than deleting the save file every time you want to watch the movie from the beginning for now. Once you get past the menu, though, you can make a savestate and just play your movie back from after you saved the data every time.
jlun2 wrote:
