User Files from FatRatKnight

Emulator: VBA-RR v23.6 svn480 (How is VBA-M v24, anyway?)

The only thing I do is give myself an odd name to change the unlock password, set up the options as usual, then unlock Jet Vermilion with password and select it for Pawn Expert.

I expect someone to beat this time by a few frames sometime in the future. There's only 20 trillion names to check.

Oh, and watch as I manage to input the 8th character of the name before the 7th character to speed up the name entry. That should cause some worry for any distance algorithms to take into account that trick.

Emulator: VBA-RR v23.6 svn480

I don't actually know if these two laps with the Fire Ball in Bianca City - Stretch Circuit (28"18 and 23"67 in the first Pawn track) is any good for TAS. I haven't found any ridiculous speed tricks, though.

I did mess with the in-game controls (to type 6) so that up triggers the boost instead of L+R. L and R buttons do a pretty good job at making you go a bit faster, especially if you're holding one opposite of where you're turning. Freezing this helpful boost for a few frames waiting for the boost to trigger is one way to slow you down, so I shift controls to the less-used up.

This is the script that I made for Zeupar.

It predicts what will come out of that ? ring box. It also counts RNG rolls. It doesn't really do much else, but I am showing that I worked out the mechanics of the RNG to some extent.

So, uh... I'm un-hiding it now.

We're having trouble syncing my Solar Jetman TAS on console. If this version works, I'll slap my headband. This version omits the initial reset and inserts 512 frames, all of which ended up being lag that doesn't read the controller.

There should be two blank non-lag frames followed by a start press on the third non-lag frame.

Exact script I've been using in my TAS of Solar Jetman. Wait, why didn't I upload this earlier?

Can be run without TASEditor engaged. The display works fine without it, don't worry.

Shows the following:

If you're going to complain about the fact I use hexadecimal often, I do it because it is not intuitive for me to recall that the maximum speed is 768 rather than 0x300, and 768 does not instantly tell me that it's 3 pixels per frame, while 0x300 does. It gets really bad on screen space if I decide to divide 768 by 256 so I see 3 at max speed but 2.99609375 when I'm really close. Also, if I do divide by 256, how am I supposed to memorize that 0.00390625 is the smallest unit? How much of a full pixel if I see a decimal 98, anyway?

If the numbers line up cleanly in decimal, I would have used it. Most of them don't, for my purposes. So I read them in hexadecimal. Makes sense to me. This is the exact script I'm using, specifically for my use, except TASe_XOR_SJ.lua is the filename I use. This is likely the final version of this script, as my TASing attempts for Solar Jetman is near its end.

Seems that eye boss uses the RNG to determine when to open those eyes after the first time. I have not figured out how to prevent an eye from spawning, though I did figure out how to get those eyes to open exactly when I wanted them to. The time they take to close again is fixed, that can't be manipulated. 10 HP, only enough time for nine shots before they close, but they can re-open very quickly.

The last stage is tiring. Was not a fun thing to TAS when I've got a lot of time for interesting nothings in particular.

Note my weapon bar is draining the whole time. The game forgot to shut off the Anti-Gravity I had. Has absolutely no effect here either way, so it empties without any interference.

188 frames saved (edit: where's my math skills?). Skipped the Time Bomb, plus I optimized getting Planet 13's ship part.

After I aligned the RNG back to what I had in my prior TAS, it synced perfectly. Note player 1's input at the crystal results screen. That's a bit of work I don't have to do now. Of course, I also removed the extra movement necessary to select the item after the bombs, as I no longer have them. Still syncs.

This is the version with two Anti-Gravity items bought and used.

See me drag that wormhole through the maze even though you never see me use the wormhole itself. I need its mass to go fast. The Anti-Gravity helps make things very fast.

Destiny summons.

Without the Anti-Gravity, it's kind of difficult to fool around with wormholes. I can't get vertical speed boosts with gravity either capping the speed or going against the direction I want. I probably could get horizontal boosts if I tried, but this time I haven't.

In any case, it's less interesting, too. Good thing I also did an Anti-Gravity run where I bought a second one. It synced just fine when I inserted several frames for the extra purchase.

It takes very little time to buy, I have to remove my time bomb to save it anyway, and carrying that wormhole around for the boosted speed appears very useful.

It beat my older time by a fairly decent margin, too. Reported Down+A at 41326 -- Old time at 42147, 821 frame saved!

Since that made pretty heavy use of the special jetpod for dragging wormholes, I have no doubt it's worth spinning the crystal. Hope to beat this game soon!

... It's tricky dealing with things to swing. I'm never really sure if I am keeping things as tight as possible.

Here. Have my updated progress!

I like TASEditor. It lets me tweak for the slightest adjustments without having me to remember all of what I did in my complicated steering. Except for certain things like keyboard controlled precision edits, but I'm using a lua workaround for that.

I'm asking myself is it worth getting Anti-Gravity from the second shop. I only have to scroll past one item to get it, and it should let me carry that wormhole all the way to the last fuel, taking advantage of the 4.0 pixels per frame the whole way.

TASEditor reports that I press down+A at frame 42147, which is when I select to go back into the item menu to get my bomb and spare thrusters. A note to myself for when I go back and retry with the Anti-Gravity.

Actually, after I get all the items in the area, I still drag a wormhole for slightly longer. This is not for show -- Dragging stuff around allows me to reach speeds up to 4 pixels per (non-lag) frame, where the usual maximum is only 3. I keep this speed as long as I do not make a thrust that would otherwise add speed to the same axis.

Because of this unforeseen speed boost, I'm a lot more confident that dragging wormholes is worth the crystal spins necessary to get this fancy jetpod.

Also, I'm used to thrusters that barely push me around, and sorely lacking when it comes to tethering items around. Having something this strong is taking some time to get used to it.

Cleared Planet 7 while giving that crystal another spin. 354 frames saved over my last attempt. I also collect the money necessary for my shopping, with plenty to spare.

With the way I handled getting through with a tethered crystal, I'm now constrained by how quickly I can give that crystal a whirl. I held on to it up until I get to that large wormhole with the Golden Ship Part.

Planet 8 is just a quick warp to Planet 13. I shouldn't have too much trouble getting to Planet 12 at this point. I'm given the impression that this game is pretty sync-stable, with the only thing to worry about is future RNG. Using player 2 can deal with any RNG related mess.

... I seemed to have gotten back to this one. Sorry for those who expected more Soul Blazer.

Run FCEUX. Engage TASEditor. Make sure readonly mode is on. Tap a key you've set for player 1. Note it updates TASEditor with the key you just tapped. If Recorder "All" option is selected in TASEditor, the script will use controls you set for all four players. If an individual player is selected for the Recorder, only player 1 controls are checked, but will toggle button presses of the selected player.

May seem odd, but the script requires readonly mode active in order to work properly. If, for some reason, you set the "Recording" check box, be sure to either stop the script or clear the "Auto function" check box. I have not defined a behavior for the script to follow when readonly mode is off.

It is very similar to a script I posted a while back. The only real updates are that it reports what input changed in the history box, and that there are comments indicating where to stick your own code if you need something more. If, by some chance, the script picks up multiple pressed keys at the same time, it will report all pressed buttons in the history without problems.

Intended to reduce reliance on the mouse for precision edits of the input movie. I suppose you could TAS backwards with it if you really wanted to...

Last TASing session of this file was Dec 28. I'm having difficulties getting back into TASing it. Sorry...

I need more GEMs. If I continue, I'll probably spend less of them against that odd jellyfish thing.

My attempt in trying Soul Blader for a bit. Wow, the text sure is fast.

Notably, due to timing differences in text, I can pick up two larger GEMs in the first room without a single frame delay.

Regardless, potential improvements are noted:

I hope to have 39 RNG calls by the time I release the bridge guard (currently, it's 40 calls). This will allow for two large GEM drops from the later enemies I have to fight, and make up for the lacking GEMs I'm left with.

Cleaned up a few things in code. Also, it displays hitboxes! Well, green rectangles of some sort. Not entirely sure if they are hitboxes, but it seems to be so for most things. The player's rectangle isn't a hitbox, it seems.

Still gets the same false positives for lair information. Aside from added boxes and some code cleaning for (hopefully) easier maintenance, it's largely the same as the previous script.

Here's my lsnes script for Soul Blazer. It's currently set up for (U), though I have a commented line packed somewhere in there that would make it compatible with (J) instead. The lair listing code needs it, as it's the address for the pointer to the first object.

Top-left corner: Position of player
Right side: RNG, direction a certain enemy will go next
More right: List of lair information: Position, count, timer
Other odds and ends: Count of detected lairs, count of objects, RNG frame timer

This script gets false positives for lairs at times. I have tried to search through the object data some more to tighten the detection, but without success. The attempts are minimal, however, as there are no observed false negatives, and I usually can weed out the false positives while TASing.

Nothing real fancy, though. Haven't even put in the boxes that I feature in the Snes9x script. It serves well enough, though.

A demonstration of the sort of luck I should be getting. USA version, by the way.

22 GEMs. Up from just 4. I get two big ones. They should have a 1% chance to appear at this time. Yet I get two. I just looked at the RNG and figured out it could do that.

47 frames lost in manipulation. Even if all I get are four fireballs, and waste them on nothing more than killing 3 HP enemies sooner, that's 64 frames saved in return. I'm optimistic about this.

In any case, I spent the 47 frames on the name screen.

Something I was doing. Add it to the pile of projects I've started. Oh, this is using the USA version, not JPN. Sorry about any confusion.

Improves approximately 100 seconds over the published movie to the end of GreenWood.

I think it can be done a little faster... I didn't figure out a few things involving luck, and almost certainly need to do them. Also, judging from the next thing I need to do, I didn't end with enough GEMs. Either manipulate more or grab that 50 GEM chest. I'm guessing the "manipulate more" part is doable.

I pick Hard mode just because of some post for the recent submission.

Do note, sometimes in the menu, you can use a directional key at the same time you press the B button. Also, use the wraparound effect of the digits, as going down to 6 has us go 0 -> 9 -> 8 -> 7 -> 6 instead of going up through 0 -> 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 5 -> 6.

Finally, I have fooled around TASing the early parts of working on the railroad, using an identical layout to the submission. I suspect building it downward might still be done a little faster than how I did it, but it's only a quick test. Down is different from up, due to how the cursor works.

BizHawk has a... Certain learning curve. It also doesn't have my MtEdit script, I ought to figure out how to port that.

... Uh, what is going on?!

Turbo to the end of the movie (apologies for not savestate anchoring it). Here I am, minding my own business, TASing like usual, when... This happened.

Those stationary big enemies I need to get past? They're... Not so stationary.

Uh... What is going on?!

Manipulating them takes a while. But progress exists, I tell you!

There is one enemy I missed on the way through, a high-value enemy that could give another 28. I did go back to get it, but even with identical RNG state for later, it desyncs. This isn't motivating. I blame an ADC instruction being used without a known carry flag state for my Y speed, thus moving me 30 subpixels up.

For whatever reason, while trying to add P2 to my file, I ended up resetting the rerecord count. It was 7545 before this reset. I haven't manually added in this number, at this time.

For your entertainment and information, I added a few subtitles.

A bit over 1000 frames slower than skipping the crystal (1068 by my measurements). That's less of a loss than I expected.

I don't know how many frames it would save to drag around wormholes, but 1000 frames doesn't look to be a hard goal to achieve. Might want to look at a few routes and estimate whether it would save roughly 20 seconds or so.

All it needs is a little optimization and some extra enemies to manipulate. Note, however, that fuel is really, really tight. With all the walls I've been crashing into, I had to stop thrusting because one more frame meant I lose the pod. I should be glad for that canister I shot.

No crystal spinning. It's this fast without spinning up that crystal.

Minimal luck manipulation attempted. Only enough has been done to avoid enemies making well-timed fatal shots at me. Presumably, I can pull a little more money out of spawning a few easily shot enemies along the way. Mostly, I want to see how fast I can get through this planet.

Compare the published run. From first frame of Planet 7 to clearing the "travel to next planet" animation, I took 924 more frames compared to the published run. This is due to the fact I skipped some planets that would have given me items to go faster with, such as time bombs and boosters. However, the direct warp from 1 to 7 saves somewhere over 20000 frames, as opposed to going through Planet 2 and a bit of 3.