Posts for r-bin2

Posted: 7/12/2020 1:23 PM
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r-bin2
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Player (42)
Joined: 1/19/2020
Posts: 11
Yes, I prefer the loopy credits: User movie #64650819018993037 I'd also like to update the description, after the movie file has been updated. Is it worth to describe the overlay? Or will my video replaced with the generated one anyway?
Posted: 7/11/2020 10:34 AM
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r-bin2
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Player (42)
Joined: 1/19/2020
Posts: 11
Yes. It wasn't planned that way, but #2 and #3 ended up being equally long. Only #1 has an advantage of 1 frame. (With the downside that the boy dies) Chronologically #3 was the first, not very optimized version, #1 was a "how far can I go" and #2 is a fixed version of #1.
Posted: 7/1/2020 10:20 PM
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r-bin2
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Player (42)
Joined: 1/19/2020
Posts: 11
That's the raw lua code I executed in #2: 
	send_init_lda(0x0048)
	send_sta(0x4F51) --dog_x
	send_sta(0x3365) --clear_crashing_alchemy_projectile
	send_sta(0x3377) --clear_crashing_alchemy_animation
	--no longer required: send_lda(0xffff)
	send_sta(0x22EB) --credit_spaceship
	send_sta(0x22F1) --credit_sandpits 
	
	send_lda(42)
	send_sta(0x4EB3) --boy_hp
	send_sta_rts(0x4F53) --dog_y
  • 9 frames of code is the minimum I came up with (It reuses imperfect values, that's why the memory still looks slightly corrupted in the overlay)
  • boy_hp is the frame you lose in #2 to get a "good ending" (The game checks if the boy survives the 0 damage from the cinema)
  • credit_xy "costs 2 frames", because 2 out of the 9 frames are used to set them (Compared to solution #1: #3 has an additional send_lda(0xffff) and #2 the previously mentioned send_sta(0x4EB3) --boy_hp)
In general are most of these values very forgiving. Exception of the dogs coordinate, which has to be inside of either one of the entry triggers (Next to label "Quicksand Area") So it's not slower than anything, I just tried to avoid writing "0 frames".
Posted: 7/1/2020 6:33 PM
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r-bin2
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Player (42)
Joined: 1/19/2020
Posts: 11
I can provide a movie file for 3, as well as description for the overlay. Anything else I can do?
Posted: 6/4/2020 5:55 PM
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r-bin2
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Player (42)
Joined: 1/19/2020
Posts: 11
Since the credits depend on the content of 0x7E22EB and 0x7E22F1, I made a comparison: (From fastest to slowest - "normal" behavior is highlighted as bold)
  1. Costs 2 frames (credit=0x48/0x48, HP=0) Cutscenes after the cinema are missing, B returns to the last save state
  2. Costs 3 frames (credit=0x48/0x48, HP=42) Cutscenes play in a normal fashion, B returns to the opening
  3. Costs 3 frames (outdated route) (credit=0xFF/0xFF) Cutscenes are weirdly ordered and playing in a cascading way, B returns to the opening
  4. Normal outro (HP=0) Cutscenes after the cinema are missing, B returns to the last save state
  5. Normal outro (HP>0) Shows 100% of the cutscenes, B returns to the opening
My preference would be movie #1, or the same run with the outro of #3. In case those glitches are unwanted I added #2 as backup.
Posted: 6/3/2020 11:46 AM
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r-bin2
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Player (42)
Joined: 1/19/2020
Posts: 11
The all bosses category seems to have the messiest rules, and they aren't even spelled out on speedrun.com. To my knowledge they are based on whether or not encounters had boss music, fanfares and loot. You'd recommend to beat all these once? Or just actual bosses?
  • Mandatory bosses - They literally block the way to next screen
  • Skippable bosses - Glitches in tricks allow the player to bypass them (includes "Tiny", which is a maze with boss music)
  • Optional bosses - "Face" is not required to beat the game regularly
  • Skippable mini bosses - The "Viper Commander" (second boss of the game) reappears in the volcano, and respawns (not required for all bosses)
  • Skippable monsters with different music, but loot - The raptors at the start
  • Optional monsters without different music, but loot - The raptors in the cave (not required for all bosses)
Posted: 6/2/2020 2:22 PM
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r-bin2
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Player (42)
Joined: 1/19/2020
Posts: 11
What are the requirements for a Secret of Evermore 100% run? I'd propose to remove the illegal and redundant rules from RTA:
-Beat the game as fast as possible -Collect all Charms/Trinkets/Market Items (There's a few exceptions, Tinker's turn-in's) -Collect all Weapons/Armor -Collect all Alchemy/Call Bead spells -Pre-existing save on game to skip intro -Must verify that all items were collected (save in Ruffleberg's lab; load after final boss) -Does not include killing all bosses.
Which would lead to the following rules: And excludes:
  • Showing secrets and Easter eggs
  • Getting as many alchemy ingredients, trade items, Bazooka shells, consumables and Tinker turn-in's as possible (In theory you can glitch the turn-in's and end the game without turning them in)
  • Dirty SRAM to skip the intro
  • Redundant save states
  • Killing optional/skippable bosses
  • Using the ACE glitch to stock up on reagents, to make the first bosses easier
Posted: 4/29/2020 7:32 PM
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r-bin2
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Player (42)
Joined: 1/19/2020
Posts: 11
Thanks, I'm really happy with the outcome! Here is one last improvement, due to an even better spot to execute the ACE in: User movie #62991437943364718 (In total a 730 frames improvement over the currently listed one, but don't look at the reset counter) Link to video At last my to-do list is completely empty. I might look into the 100% category in the future
Posted: 4/24/2020 5:15 PM
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r-bin2
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Player (42)
Joined: 1/19/2020
Posts: 11
When I mentioned up to 350 frames that could be optimized I did not factor in new findings. That's why I proudly present a 662 frame improvement: Link to video It features:
  • Heavily improved luck manipulation and execution
  • Playing the Boy and the Dog at the same time by abusing the AI
  • Faster executed ACE (Thanks to a lua based "RNG bruteforcer" and "ACE outcome predictor")
  • More efficient ASM (Which leads to the even more glitched outro)
  • A lua based overlay that visualizes the buffer overflow
User movie #62859660987629518 In case the glitched outro is a problem I added a version, that executes the same ASM as before:
  • 14 frames slower, because the ASM wasn't improved
  • Instead of an abrupt end 10 minutes into the outro (Which looks kind of hilarious, which is why I personally would prefer it), the game ends with a "The End"
User movie #62839603507324198
Posted: 2/4/2020 7:10 PM
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r-bin2
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Player (42)
Joined: 1/19/2020
Posts: 11
Thanks! And I agree that the previous route deserved some negative votes, because there was not much room for creativity. Finding a new route was not on my radar whatsoever. While trying to port the exploit to be RTA viable I somehow realized that the Bugmuck map is way bigger than expected. The last 30ish pixels are enough to point at the value behind the frame counter, which happens to be a copy of the first controller. (Manipulation that is slightly easier) Not only was it the breakthrough for the TAS (especially when it comes to making it more entertaining), but I also managed to enter code with RTA like inputs! The exploit is completely open source, by the way: https://datacrystal.romhacking.net/wiki/Secret_of_Evermore:Alchemy_RAM_manipulation#TL.3BDR
Posted: 2/2/2020 5:37 PM
Post subject: Update!
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r-bin2
Experienced Forum User, Published Author, Player (42)
Joined: 1/19/2020
Posts: 11
I just posted an updated version which is 30% faster, because it no longer relies on the frame counter! Thanks for the kind words, the past month has been very fun. I started speedrunning, TASing, assembler development and SNES hacking 40ish days ago and I'm very happy with the outcome! Also this is my favorite game, which makes me twice as proud. Now I want to push the exploit to it's limits and try to perform it without frame advancing!