Since PSXHawk emulates Crash Team Racing (and PSX in general) quite well, I'm starting a testrun this week. Not the definite TAS, since this game is complicated. I need some input from you:
1)What game mode to play?PikachuMan wrote:
- A low % adventure mode TAS involving only trophy races and head-to-head
- A 100% adventure mode TAS
- An arcade mode TAS played on hard
- A time trial TAS on all tracks
I believe the mode must be adventure, since it's the only one with a proper ending. And the only one that requires a route plan. About the completion, any% has to beat almost all levels and 101% must enter each level at least 4 times. So, I personally prefer the any%, but I want the opnion of you people.
2)What version to use?
There're 3 versions: NTSC-U, PAL and NTSC-J (named Crash Bandicoot Racing). The regional differences are listed here. The most relevant ones:
i. The language glitch: for PAL only, it makes the text be replaced by "-" symbols. It also glitches some bosses and skips Aku Aku's dialogs after each race.
ii. The ending: PAL version has a shorter scrapbook, to save space on the disc.
iii. Penta Penguin is much faster on PAL and NTSC-J, however not used in adventure mode.
Let's keep in mind that TASVideos states: Console versions of PAL games run at a lower framerate than NTSC games, running at ~50Hz compared to NTSC's ~60Hz, and the games themselves are often not modified or poorly modified to accommodate to the change in timing. Due to this, PAL versions of ROMs are generally not allowed, unless there are significant technical and/or entertainment merits to using this version.
The game play isn't affected very much by using PAL (some levels are slightly better in one version). I'd like to know whether the language glitch is enough to use PAL.
EDIT: as Spikestuff said, this can hardlock the game on PAL.
3) What character to use?
A priori, I have to know which one is the best. The RTA community uses Coco, because she's quite fast, has good accelaration and turns decently when compared to Dingo/Tiny Tiger. However, I'm quite sure Dingo is better with tools, but some viewers like to see the weakest character owning.
Joined: 10/12/2011
Posts: 6435
Location: The land down under.
Amaraticando wrote:
But some viewers like to see the weakest character owning.
Nothing stopping you from using Pura/Polar: http://tasvideos.org/Movies-C3025Y.html
Also about PAL vs NTSC if you can explain enough to why, then it should be fine.
For Example: Crash 2 must be PAL version unless you're doing the "box glitch" where you use NTSC.
The part I'm concerned about it hardlocking the game after you finish.
WebNations/Sabih wrote:
+fsvgm777 never censoring anything.
Disables Comments and Ratings for the YouTube account.Something better for yourself and also others.
Aside from skipping the dialogs and showing funny heads changes, there's no technical/entertanment advantages. I want PAL for being faster, but I'm not sure if the admins would accept it.
Joined: 8/14/2009
Posts: 4089
Location: The Netherlands
If it's not going to have significant impact on run gameplay, then PAL won't be accepted. Skipping a few dialogues doesn't sound as nearly enough of a difference, and a shorter ending doesn't seem like a relevant difference.
Warepire wrote:
If PAL is faster, then it definitely qualifies as a reason to use PAL.
Just being faster is not enough reason to use PAL. Even PAL Super Mario Bros. is faster than NTSC due to broader application of the flagpole glitch, and that is not going to replace the NTSC standard either.
http://www.youtube.com/Noxxa
<dwangoAC> This is a TAS (...). Not suitable for all audiences. May cause undesirable side-effects. May contain emulator abuse. Emulator may be abusive. This product contains glitches known to the state of California to cause egg defects.
<Masterjun> I'm just a guy arranging bits in a sequence which could potentially amuse other people looking at these bits
<adelikat> In Oregon Trail, I sacrificed my own family to save time. In Star trek, I killed helpless comrades in escape pods to save time. Here, I kill my allies to save time. I think I need help.
If it's not going to have significant impact on run gameplay, then PAL won't be accepted. Skipping a few dialogues doesn't sound as nearly enough of a difference, and a shorter ending doesn't seem like a relevant difference.
Warepire wrote:
If PAL is faster, then it definitely qualifies as a reason to use PAL.
Just being faster is not enough reason to use PAL. Even PAL Super Mario Bros. is faster than NTSC due to broader application of the flagpole glitch, and that is not going to replace the NTSC standard either.
The PAL version of the game also skips a few seconds on each aku aku speach, because the language glitch manage to show aku aku soon after you finish the race, while with any other language you have to wait 2~3s. By what is knowing on the speedrun community, NTSC-U is around 20s slower than PAL on any%, that is a huge difference; however, PAL version crashes after beat Oxide on any% with language glitch (hardlock). Just pointing it out to moderators see it and decide whatever they want.
I would test what is the fastest character to go, and use the fast one. I believe Coco is faster than Dingo because she can take some shortcuts that dingo can't (or he waste too much time doing it), such as Polar Pass, [Tiny Arena?], Hot Air Skyway and Oxide Station. About the category: I myself would prefer an any%; however, feel free to TAS whatever you want =]
Courtesy of zah666 who I wished made a TASVideos account.
Link to video
Looks nice. I have never touched CTR on the TAS level but that looks optimizable to me (for example the jump at the very beginning, I feel he could land a few frames earlier if he cut the corner better)
Joined: 6/9/2005
Posts: 171
Location: Southern California
oxysoft wrote:
Looks nice. I have never touched CTR on the TAS level but that looks optimizable to me (for example the jump at the very beginning, I feel he could land a few frames earlier if he cut the corner better)
CTR actually has a pretty interesting mechanic called the "Hang Time Turbo," where a kart gets a speed boost on landing based on the amount of time spent in the air. Minimizing air time by landing a few frames earlier might result in a smaller speed boost and an overall slower time!!
Lots of testing to do to ensure optimization.
Those skips were awesome! Those were the kind I used to try and find in Crash Nitro Kart (the one I played) but was unsuccessful.
I hope zah666 decides to make more of these.
I am a speedrunner of this game and I have made some 'TAS' of time trials back in the PSXjin days. Here are the video links:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCKFo-uVLOs - Hot Air Skyway lap in 22''67.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S43yTMdndpI - Roo's Tubes lap in 21''28 (begin the lap with SG might be faster than what I did in the very beggining of the video).
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBUWhOXV5Ns - Coco Park lap in 23''30. First one I made and it was really bad, can be improved by a lot (I didn't beat the rta wr in this 'tas' lol). I did it more like a test run to be honest.
I would be glad if it be helpful to anyone. Unfortunatelly I am not good at anything related to TASing; however, I got some interest in TASes that are making me want to go further and learn how to TAS properly.
Well, your videos look good, I am pretty sure you already know all the basic stuff about TASes (to be short : savestates and frame advance). These articles may help you if you want further information, else I would be glad to help you.
I have done some TAS tests to proove that Tiny Arena shortcut is possible with Tiny/Dingo and Coco/N.Gin. I didn't try to optimize anything, it is just a proof:
Tiny Tiger: https://youtu.be/M-UjI9mYq0I
Coco Bandicoot: https://youtu.be/_1jezJa4p1o
I hope it helps anyone who is TASing this game or wants to TAS it. Those videos can also help as a base for the shortcut; however, it can be optimized much more than this especially by getting a SG earlier and froggying until the SC.
By the way here is a special, so don't waste your time trying it: https://youtu.be/fEDZOWjkDHw
Joined: 10/12/2011
Posts: 6435
Location: The land down under.
zah666 has uploaded new ones, and lets hope he doesn't delete it. P:
-video deleted-
-video deleted-
-video deleted-
And a full one:
-video deleted-
aaaaaaaaaaand zah666 deleted them all... again.
WebNations/Sabih wrote:
+fsvgm777 never censoring anything.
Disables Comments and Ratings for the YouTube account.Something better for yourself and also others.
It seems to be possible pass by the doors in the adventure mod without having it keys, at least the speedrunner Pwulla did it in the hub 3 to 4. I used BizHawk to cheat and do the same having every trophie before Hub 4, and this is what happened:
-> Races are unlocked, this means you can beat every hub 4 race and get 16 trophies.
-> After beating Oxide Station, Pinstripe will talk to you and you can fight he.
-> After defeating Pinstripe, you will trigger the Oxide cutscene and warp to hub 2.
-> Unfortunatelly Oxide door will still be locked, meaning that you still need to get every key to beat the game.
So, the only option to have a huge skip in CTR any% is get through Oxide's door (if it's possible, we might skip every race and just drive to Oxide race) or get through Pinstripe's door for an early key, so we can skip N. Gin Labs, Cortex Castle, Hot Air Skyway and Oxide Station.
If we can do Oxide ==> GG.
else ==> Try Pinstripe.
If we can go through Pinstripe ==> Check Komodo Joe.
If we can go through Komodo Joe ==> Check Papu.
If we can go through Papu ==> Check Ripper Roo.
Special thanks to Karlie for helping me testing it and creating the Joe skip theory.
EDIT: you can't really skip the door opening cutscene by passing it with 3 keys, the cutscene trigger is just too huge, also you can't really go much to the left to get the trick (pretty sure you need to hit the wall way more to the right spot than I did in this gif) B(. Here is the gif proofing it (w/ cheats): http://giphy.com/gifs/xT0BKKGsYH9TK8cCbu
I just finished a Hot Air Skyway lap TAS done on BizHawk. I managed to beat Zah666's former record by 0'00''22 and finally achieved the sub 22''50! Video link: https://youtu.be/ael5BueKl28
I have also created a topic on speedrun.com listing the TAS records for this game, so make sure to check out: http://www.speedrun.com/ctr/thread/xpsd7
I found a video wich may contain some little known shortcuts.
About the version debate: I think it would be nice to see PAL Polar Penguin on Time Trial mode.
I also suggest to unlock the Turbo Counter, for any mode. It may be nice thing to see in a TAS.
Joined: 10/12/2011
Posts: 6435
Location: The land down under.
We're not the RTA community, the RTA community can call it whatever the hell they please.
TASVideos is going to have it called "game end glitch" 'cause that's how we call everything with that style.
WebNations/Sabih wrote:
+fsvgm777 never censoring anything.
Disables Comments and Ratings for the YouTube account.Something better for yourself and also others.
