there was one part where you walk into the wall in the green well cave thing.
Also, in the battle, I think in DW1, it wasn't based on only the command input speed, but also the speed of reading, might be able to manipulate more criticals...
Oops...guess I wasn't paying too much attention...was trying to make sure I avoided the enemy encounters...I'll have to go back and listen for that one.
As for the criticals...what I figured out was this: The damage is based on the frame input after you see "Ragnar attacks!". As soon as that comes up in a fight, and you wait for the little down arrow...frame advance varies your damage...and this game is based on single frame advance, hence all the re-records so early on.
I'll make sure that next go-around, I actually spend the time to find a critical every round if possible. I sort of gave up after not getting one for 100 frames or so a few times.
To be considered a country, you need to have a beer. Sure, it helps to have an airport or nuclear weapons, but at the very least....you need a beer.
Joined: 7/17/2004
Posts: 985
Location: The FLOATING CASTLE
Pretty neat is my opinion. It was hard to see that you were manipulating away encounters. If things go at this rate you are gonna finish the game well under 5 hours...
A couple points, though. The first time through the tunnel you take a suboptimal route, probably because you have to wait for night. However, I thought day/night time only passes when walking in the outer world. Have you checked on this? Also, you can definitely cut a corner by using the shoes as soon as you get to the surface after the well dungeon, you don't need to be in the outer world. Just as long as there's nothing to hit your head on. :)
In the fight it appears as though you could have randomized it better, but for a first pass it's pretty good.
Chapter 2 should be interesting, the early required fight is tougher and you won't be able to simply pick up a quality weapon. The arena fights might be easier to manipulate since they're all one on one. Do you know all the places where metal slimes/babbles appear? Besides the desert and Royal Crypt, I think there are some low-probability spots, but I don't remember all of them.
This also brings up the casino. You can quickly earn a fortune by playing poker and maxing out the double-or-nothing bonus rounds. Coins can't be exchanged back for money, but the items can be sold. Have you decided if you are getting anything? With a Metal Babble shield you would not only be invincible but you would get a free Fendspell, which may be very helpful. Otherwise, it might be good just to get enough here to buy an iron claw for the arena or some other necessary item.
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player
(3574)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
good video
in addition to obviously making sure you get criticals in the boss fight here are some other things i noticed
1) in the cave you didnt take the same route everytime, find the fasest one and stick to it
2) you dont have to talk to the woman before you leave the town, just go straight to alex and talk to him, then go talk to her
Let me see if I can touch on a few of those points:
1. Yeah, I noticed the tunnel part on playback...I'll deal with that today.
2. Day/Night only passes on the overworld.
3. I completely blanked on the shoes...I tried using the wyvern wings in loch tower...so I should have remembered this one as well...thanks for pointing it out.
4. Chapter 2...I've been thinking about that, and took a look at some of the item drops by mobs. I can't remember, but I might pick a fight with a Vampdog or a Razorwind, if I can find either, and snag the drop from them (Thorn Whip and Boomerang, respectively). I'm worried about that first required fight as well, but we'll see how it turns out.
5. I do plan on the Casino. Those shields would come in real handy, and considering I come across Mara/Nara first in chapter 5, that would be a huge bonus. Between the shields and armbands, I think that would tie me over for a while. Money...well, I'll probably try selling off something to afford that claw.
6. I wasn't sure on the woman in Burland...I figured I'd play it safe, but now that I know, I'll make sure to avoid her next time.
I'll probably work on optimizing chapter 1 this afternoon.
To be considered a country, you need to have a beer. Sure, it helps to have an airport or nuclear weapons, but at the very least....you need a beer.
you should be able to manipulate what enemy you fight. the other guy was about to in DW1, so just go to the area they're in... and test frames? something like that maybe.
Well, cleaned up Chapter 1 today...I'm sitting at the fight with Saro's Shadow + the Giant Eyeball atm...and swearing up a storm. This game is HORRIBLE when it comes to critical hits. Not only is the game frame based, but it also is based on how long you hold down a button. Explanation:
Frame 63: Hit "A", advance to frame 64, let go of "A", advance to frame 71 = 19 damage
Frame 63, Hit "Turbo A", keep holding to frame 71 = 18 damage
Frame 63, Hit "Turbo A", keep holding to frame 70, let go for 71 = 17 damage.....
....and so forth. It seems like every frame has 8 possible damage variables. Talk about tedious...and to top that off, it doesn't register till that 8th frame...so memory watching is out.
*grumble* This is gonna take a loooooooong time.
To be considered a country, you need to have a beer. Sure, it helps to have an airport or nuclear weapons, but at the very least....you need a beer.
Well...thank you for taking this run on in the first place, mookish. I think the test movie is pretty good so far, and you seem to have a good handle of the battles as far as manipulation goes. Don't give up!
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player
(3574)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
Well, I've decided to take a stab at this. I've just completed chapter 1, My final time is 13:08, 35 seconds faster than mookish's original attempt. Also I manipulated luck on the level ups and got 10 more HP's which should come in handy later on.
This game is quite tedious when it comes to manipulating battles, I desparately request someone with some hacking skills to help figure out more with randomizer in this game! Something similar to DW1 is probably going to be required, especially in with chapter 3. My main concern there isn't getting the criticals as much as getting enemy drops (In order to get the 7 Broad Swords and 7 half plates)
Anyway you can download the .fcm file here:
http://www.adelikat.com/Temp
The movie desynchs during the last battle of the chapter, causing you to die midway through the battle. (The checksum of the movie and the ROM match, so that's not the problem.)
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player
(3574)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
apparently my file was desynched (must have loaded a savestate out of order). Anyway it turns out the be a great thing because I redid the movie and am now over 1 minute faster!
In this version I completely skip healie and fight the boss fight alone! I manipulate luck perfectly in this one with enemies missing attacks and getting all the criticals I need. Also, I manipulated luck better in the level ups and got 5 more Hp's and 2 more strength points.
You can get it at the same place:
http://www.adelikat.com/Temp
the total time for chapter 1 is now 11:55
Also, the DW3 .fcm file is in very preliminary stages, I plan on doing a run of this game to (currently on hold for this run)
[EDIT!!!]
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay this desynchs in the same place. This time I know it worked at one point. I had to replay the movie to continue on to the second chapter (which I made some progress on ). Now when I go back to play it again it desynchs! Also my backup files (which do not have any chapter 2 recorded) do the same thing. I seems to have something to do with the fact that the game saves your progress after chapter 1. Both times after I recorded past that point the run will not play properly. I tried seleting the .sav file before loading the rom but this did not change anything. Unless someone has any ideas whats going on, I'm afraid that this project is over since I can't go pass chapter 1!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player
(3574)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
okay, so I'm a complete dumb@ss.
After recording chapter one I stopped and began testing routes and strategies for chapter 2, to speed up the process I used some game genie codes to level up quicker. Once I figured out my route I immediately replayed my .fcm file and noticed the desynch. BUT I FORGOT TO TURN OFF THE GAME GENIE CODES.
So good news that there is nothing wrong with chapter 1 and I am now making chapter 2.
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player
(3574)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
http://www.adelikat.com/Temp
Chapter 2 is complete, Ive got a few suprises in there. The total time is now 30:20 which puts the total time of chapter 2 around 18 minutes.
One place I lost time it that I bought one more wing of wyvern than necessary. I didn't realize that Brey could get the return spell at level 9. In my test run he didn't get it until lv 10. Since I already had it, I used it instead of the return spell since it was a few frames faster. Total I lost about 200 frames but I didn't feel it warranted redoing some incredibly random fights since I could very easily lose more time if it takes longer to get the criticals.
Also, Manipulating criticals with Alena is MUCH EASIER than with ragnar. Once I leveled her up, the most I had to wait was about 80 frames. One criticals I manages to get on the 1st frame!. With Ragnar I had to wait on average of 100-200 frames.
I'm hoping for some feedback before going on to chapter 3
More More More!
But a few things... on the way into the tournament... did I hear you run into the door before you opened it? Could you not have avoided those herbs during the tourney?
And that one long ass trip to get into the town from the cave in Chapter 1... there was no faster way of luck manipulation? That made me go... "WTF?! JUST GO INTO THE TOWN DAMNIT!"
And in regards to that extra set of Wyvern wings, they may help in Chapter 5? I mean some of the moves now may just help save frames there...
Mr. Kelly R. Flewin
Mr. Kelly R. Flewin
Just another random gamer
----
<OmnipotentEntity> How do you people get bored in the span of 10 seconds? Worst ADD ever.
Joined: 7/17/2004
Posts: 985
Location: The FLOATING CASTLE
But out of the chapter 2 characters, Brey joins first in Chapter 5. There are a few situations where you won't have access to the wagon characters, but it probably won't matter.
By the way, I still need to watch act 2, but you're doing very well, keep it up!
Btw, in Chapter 2, instead of simply using the Door command on the door in the tower, you used the thief key. When you have a key in your inventory, you don't have to use it, the Door option "upgrades" itself.
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player
(3574)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
its actually faster to bump into the wall in that situation (in order to get the menu up at the earliest frame).
The medical herbs in the tourney are not random and can't be avoided.
I have to walk around until it gets dark. It has nothing to do with luck manipulation.
I am trying to plan ahead for chapter 5. That's the reason I leveled up Brey instead of killing him off along with cristo. I know I get him in the party relatively early and his outside and return spells should come in handy then.
I did? didn't notice. I am aware that you can always use the door option
I guess I wasn't thinking at the moment. That's going to bug the crap out of me.
Should I redo chapter 2 for the door command and buying one less wing? I always run the risk of getting some long pauses on criticals and other luck manipulation that would cancel out the time saved to redo it.
Also, It occured to me that some of the enemies in chapter 1 might drop wing of wyverns. I haven't checked the drop list though. It might not save much time since you would have to get into the fight, get a critical hit, get the drop and use the wing. That would negate alot of the time saved.
Honestly I hope none of the enemies to drop em' since I REALLY do not want to redo the boss fight! One of the criticals required me to check every frame for over 200 frames!
well theres no way to do a perfect run of a game the 1st time through so you shouldn't throw away the wings , see if they help you out in chapter 5
if they dont well take them out from your 2nd run ( assuming this is a practice run, it's a good idea for RPG runs )
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player
(3574)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
okay, I crunched some numbers:
I lost 109 frames using thief's key instead of door command
It cost me 288 frames to buy the extra wing.
It is 25 frames FASTER to use the return spell instead of the wing. Originally I thought that the flash animation plus having to scroll through the spell list made it longer but there is a lot more text when using the wing.
So after I change the end to use the spell instead of the wing (which means I have it in case I need it for chp 5) I will have lost 394 frames, or about 6 1/2 seconds. My ruff estimation is that there is a 600 frame risk of recording chapter 2 (from the potential loss of frames when manipulation the treasure chest and the criticals). So unless anyone can think of anymore time-savers, I will not redo this, on move on to chapter 3.
BTW, no enemy in chapter 1 leaves a wing of wyvern forturnately :)Seems the programmers were thorough in making sure you must walk back and forth between the towns.