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PSX Qix Neo TAS, Original mode.

Game objectives

  • Emulator used: Bizhawk 2.5.1
  • Hardest difficulty
  • Original mode
  • Aims for fastest time
  • Yes RNG manipulation

Comments

Each round requires 80% area cleared. Another way is to shoot the boss with special item. Mostly the fastest route is to manipulate RNG and get good item from the red block. Sometimes there is no red block, so you need to get lesser item from a grey block.
The best item is the weapon that can kill the boss with three hits. The weapon fires three shots at once, but it spreads wide so you need to be close to the boss. If there is no weapon available, then it is good to get the speed item or timestop from grey block. Some level has no items, so it is very difficult. One frame or one pixel can kill you.

Stage by stage comments

All movement is frame by frame, pixel by pixel. RNG is waited for good item in most levels. Round 6 boss does not need 80% cleared. Only needs to be separated.

Other comments

There is another game mode, but it takes longer and has too many levels.

feos: Rejecting for sub-optimality, as explained in this post.


TASVideoAgent
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This topic is for the purpose of discussing #6902: artbreeder's PSX Qix Neo "Original mode" in 07:26.58
nymx
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I honestly believe that this would be a great watch, but how about an encode?
I recently discovered that if you haven't reached a level of frustration with TASing any game, then you haven't done your due diligence. ---- SOYZA: Are you playing a game? NYMX: I'm not playing a game, I'm TASing. SOYZA: Oh...so its not a game...Its for real? ---- Anybody got a Quantum computer I can borrow for 20 minutes? Nevermind...eien's 64 core machine will do. :) ---- BOTing will be the end of all games. --NYMX
EZGames69
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Encode: Link to video
[14:15] <feos> WinDOES what DOSn't 12:33:44 PM <Mothrayas> "I got an oof with my game!" Mothrayas Today at 12:22: <Colin> thank you for supporting noble causes such as my feet MemoryTAS Today at 11:55 AM: you wouldn't know beauty if it slapped you in the face with a giant fish [Today at 4:51 PM] Mothrayas: although if you like your own tweets that's the online equivalent of sniffing your own farts and probably tells a lot about you as a person MemoryTAS Today at 7:01 PM: But I exert big staff energy honestly lol Samsara Today at 1:20 PM: wouldn't ACE in a real life TAS just stand for Actually Cease Existing
nymx
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Well...thanks EZ for the encode. Now, I was very pleased to see this game. I've been a fan of this game...ever since the arcade version came out. Even though I'm voting yes on entertainment (and yes, it was very entertaining), it was mainly because it was done so much better than human capabilities; however, I do question some areas that seem to be a little slow. IE: Level 14, you don't do much of anything for a few seconds. I'm not sure why that is the only way to affect RNG to bring down the QIX, but it seems that some of this could still be played with...while drawing out a line, even if it is just a little. Still, I think this is a good effort.
I recently discovered that if you haven't reached a level of frustration with TASing any game, then you haven't done your due diligence. ---- SOYZA: Are you playing a game? NYMX: I'm not playing a game, I'm TASing. SOYZA: Oh...so its not a game...Its for real? ---- Anybody got a Quantum computer I can borrow for 20 minutes? Nevermind...eien's 64 core machine will do. :) ---- BOTing will be the end of all games. --NYMX
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I was unable to improve level 14, because you can't trap that boss while he's moving so quickly around the screen. But while watching other levels, and especially after [2292] Genesis Ultimate Qix by Aqfaq in 05:04.38 I got a strong feeling that some bosses can be trapped quicker. And once I touched this game, I was unable to stop, because it's such a cool challenge: invent a neat and simple solution that's faster than a complicated one. I haven't tried resyncing my tests, but I managed to improve 5 levels. Filenames represent the level and the time saved, measured before the next level number appears on the screen. https://files.tasvideos.org/common/SubmissionFiles/6902S/2L60F.gif http://files.tasvideos.org/common/SubmissionFiles/6902S/5L58F.gif http://files.tasvideos.org/common/SubmissionFiles/6902S/8L205F.gif http://files.tasvideos.org/common/SubmissionFiles/6902S/15L345F.gif http://files.tasvideos.org/common/SubmissionFiles/6902S/16L285F.gif Here's the tasproject containing all my improvements as branches: http://files.tasvideos.org/common/SubmissionFiles/6902S/QixNeoSmall.7z It looks like I've spent way too many rerecords on it, but actually most of them are from failed attempts at level 14. Other levels were somewhat easy, aside from #8. The problem is that I have no idea how hard it may be to resync those improvements, or even if they will all work out in a full run. I guess I'll ask what the audience feels about it!
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
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It doesn't sound like the game suffers from sub-optimal play. You just found a new strategy for 5 out of 16 levels. I think the best solution would be to un-claim this submission and go into co-authorship with artbreeder. Another option is to let artbreeder try to implement these improvements and retain sole authorship. Since he would have to re-do the whole run due to rng manipulation this seems fair. Otherwise, I think it would be fine to move forward even though there's a known improvement.
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The problem is I don't actually want to TAS the whole game. My tests were still rather relaxed and sloppy, and I haven't tried other levels because they don't look slow. If reimplemented and resynced, I expect at least 800 frames of improvement, because all my timesaves combined were 953 frames. I feel it's significant, and ignoring such a visible potential improvement would be wrong.
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
ViGadeomes
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Well, maybe wait for an answer from artbreeder who will cancel or ask this submission to be delayed, and if there is nothing from him reject the movie because of known big improvements ?
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That's my plan, yes.
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
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Very good improvement from feos. I don't know how to edit or improve more. You can reject or publish as cooperative level by level.
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Can't you try to incorporate them and resync the rest? It doesn't look like the bosses are completely chaotic.
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
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om, nom, nom... blech, salty!