Edit from March 16th: Please consider my latest userfile of Rayman 3 GBA Any%.
A major skip was discovered in Wretched Ruins by the current RTA WR holder Payman, and a smaller skip found by me in Hoodlum Hideout. New strats and improved movements have been found to save frames when passing the Hoodlums in Hoodlum Hideout and the pirates in Vertigo Wastes. A faster damage boost route was found in The Underlands and The Mettleworks. A new strat in Garish Gears was found. The last improvement is in the second phase of the final level, a new instant missile shot trick has finally been figured out to save frames, but this trick depends on each RNG seed.
The updated movie from March 16th is truncated at Frame 198466. The new time in 55:22,85. The RTA run would start at frame 866 and end at frame 198129 or a time of 55:02.73.
Details about the new improvements:
I haven't described this since the 1st version of this TAS. In Wanderwood Forest Screen 2, I'm grabbing an edge instead of landing on it. The reason is that it reduces the lag count by the end of Forgotten Forests. Grabbing this edge is slower by 3 frames but I'm not losing a framerule (which is 4 frames long in this game). So I'm not losing any frames.
In Shining Glades Screen 2, during the autoscrolling part, I do some goofy movements in order to manipulate Jano's RNG specifically for his last cycle. Indeed, if Jano is at his lowest position there, I cannot damage boost to reach the other side. So I need Jano to be at his highest or medium-high position. Here it's the highest position.
The goofy movements also modify the RNG of the Final Boss. Coupled with other manipulations in Razor Slide Screen 2, I fell back on my faster seed.
Moreover, those goofy movements reduced the lag count by 1 frame and saved 2 frames during the transitioning screen to Hunted Dreams. I don't understand why.
A new strat emerged in Garish Gears:
- It is faster to destroy the upper gear first and the lower gear next. Indeed, I'm waiting less longer to punch the upcoming bombs. That time save allows Rayman to throw the last barrel before getting hit by the last bomb. Thus I'm saving a full vertical throw with the last barrel. I saved 126 frames.
- Another 2 frames are saves thanks to the framerule but I'm not sure since the framerule here works differently. Something else is interfering with it which makes me lose or save another multiple or 4 frames. I still don't understand what is going on.
3 new strats emerged in Hoodlum Hideout:
- A faster way to pass the 3 wooden-shielded Hoodlums in Screen 1. It is possible to damage boost and fly over them. It saved 64 frames.
- A faster way to kill the 2 first metal-shielded Hoodlums in Screen 2. By punching before facing them, they will defend instead of throwing a grenade. Thus I can punch twice and hit the switch sooner. It saved 38 frames.
- I discovered a new skip at the end of Screen 2. After damage boosting behind the last Hoodlum then jumping against him, it is possible to clip under the floor. Rayman falls directly towards the pole. It saves 144 frames.
6 new strats emerged in Vertigo Wastes:
- In Screen 1, a faster route which consists in passing under the first pirate then killing him on the way back. It saved 10 frames.
- In Screen 1, a faster way to kill the second pirate saved 4 frames.
- In Screen 1, a faster route on the trampolines which saved 25 frames up to the cage, and 9 frames saved on the way back. So 34 frames saved in total.
- In Screen 1, an improved movement to kill the pirate after breaking the cage. It saved 6 frames.
- In Screen 1, a faster way to activate the 4th switch saved 14 frames.
- In Screen 2, a faster way to pass the first pirate. It saved 2 frames.
In Void of Bones, I lose or save some frames during the transitions after both poles. I still don't understand why it happens.
In both Screens of The Underlands, a new damage boost route and better optimizations of the flights saved 112 frames. Surprisingly, in Screen 1, it was slower to walk on some spiky floors, flying is faster by 10 to 20 frames.
2 improvements emerged in Wretched Ruins:
- In Screen 1, it is possible to damage boost over the second to last gate, so we don't need to hit the switch. The new damage boost route saved 232 frames.
- In Screen 2, a new skip has been discovered by Payman. It is possible to wall-jump and get over the central wall. However, in order to make it work, I had to reroute the beginning of Screen 2. I had to break the third wooden bridge instead of crawling near the spiked ball. This skip coupled with the reroute saved 920 frames.
2 improvements emerged in The Mettleworks:
- In Screen 1, an improved movement made Rayman land sooner on a moving platform. It saved 5 frames.
- In Screen 2, a new damage boost route was found based on the same new strat to pass the wooden-shielded Hoodlums. I keep an extra life point in order to fly over a blue pirate, which requires 2 life points for damage boosting. That extra life point made me lose 20 frames, but then I saved 77 frames. So that's a net profit of 57 frames.
After exiting The Mettleworks, I lost 2 frames because of the framerule.
I had to keep a slower RNG seed for the Final Boss in this updated movie. In phase 2, a new instant missile shot trick has finally been figured out. It's a double frame perfect trick which depends on the speed of the fireballs. It can save frames, or be slower than normal missile shot. It seems that it doesn't work on the last missile. So missile 2, 3 and 4 can be shot instantly. For this specific seed, only missile 2 is shot instantly which saved 18 frames.
To conclude, this new version of Any% TAS is 1703 frames faster than the previous version, or a time save of 28.51 seconds.
I hope you'll enjoy this updated TAS. Regards,
NinjaCocktail
feos: Claiming for judging.
