Generic techniques - Revision history

Zeupar: /* Planning */ Fixed spacing and rewrote something

2011-02-27T12:18:59Z

‎Planning: Fixed spacing and rewrote something

Zeupar: /* Studying the game */ Expanded the section

2011-02-27T12:15:57Z

‎Studying the game: Expanded the section

Najzere: /* Additional items */ cleanup

2010-08-31T19:13:44Z

‎Additional items: cleanup

MarioGalaxy2433g5: /* Additional items */ Fixing Link

2010-08-30T16:15:48Z

‎Additional items: Fixing Link

Manocheese: /* Lag reduction */ Active tense

2010-05-09T02:54:47Z

‎Lag reduction: Active tense

Moozooh: some updating and recategorizing.

2010-05-09T02:15:12Z

some updating and recategorizing.

Show changes

Manocheese: Added another example.

2009-09-07T01:10:47Z

Added another example.

Manocheese: /* Performing difficult tricks */

2009-09-02T03:54:25Z

‎Performing difficult tricks

Manocheese at 01:39, 2 September 2009

2009-09-02T01:39:30Z

Manocheese: Added "Performing difficult tricks

2009-09-02T01:36:49Z

Added "Performing difficult tricks

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 * Look for a different way to do something. Just because the first posted video of a trick shows it being done a certain way, it doesn't mean that is the only way to do it. Maybe you can tweak the positioning and timing to make the trick faster and/or easier, or perhaps there is a completely different way to accomplish the same thing.
 * Do something unusual, set up glitches, try your best to confuse the game and see if it grants any unexpected results. Think outside the box, don't be shy to experiment. That's how many great glitches are found.
 ==Item collection==
-Some games, like the Zelda or Metroid series, require items to access formerly inaccessible locations of the game world or increase the player's health or ammunition.
+Some games, like those of the Zelda or Metroid series, require items to access formerly inaccessible locations of the game world or increase the player's health or ammunition.
 ===Hoarding powerups===
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 More often than not the best strategy for 100% item route planning is coming up with a route that eliminates as much backtracking as possible. In other words, every area should ideally be visited 1-2 times (where the second time is usually called cleanup). Even if a game has a powerup that massively speeds up the player, it often takes more time to return to a previous area than to pick up all its items the first time around, even if the process by itself is slower.
 =Using emulators=

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 ==Studying the game==
 * Knowledge is power! Make sure you have studied all the available material on the game you have chosen from [[SDA_Strategy_Wiki#External_links|reliable sources]] before making any actual attempts. There is always a possibility that you are overlooking something already known. Being overconfident in this respect can be detrimental to your performance.
-* If there already is a speedrun of the game online, be sure to check it carefully and be able to explain every single one of the player's actions. If there is an up-to-date TAS, that's also great: if you read the run comments and discuss the tricks with its author(s), you should be able to learn new ideas for timesavers and adapt them to your capabilities.
+* If there already is a speedrun of the game online, be sure to check it carefully and be able to explain every single one of the player's actions. If there is an up-to-date TAS, that's also great: if you read the run comments and discuss the tricks with its author(s), you should be able to learn new ideas for timesavers and adapt them to your capabilities. Also, if you find or suspect that the game you are speedrunning has an engine similar to another game that has already had a speedrun submitted, check it out to see if particular tricks or glitches used in it are applicable to your game as well.
 * Look for a different way to do something. Just because the first posted video of a trick shows it being done a certain way, it doesn't mean that is the only way to do it. Maybe you can tweak the positioning and timing to make the trick faster and/or easier, or perhaps there is a completely different way to accomplish the same thing.
 * Do something unusual, set up glitches, try your best to confuse the game and see if it grants any unexpected results. Think outside the box, don't be shy to experiment. That's how many great glitches are found.
 ==Item collection==

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 After you've determined the minimum of items required to go through the game, you can see if there are items along your way that can speed the run up further. In this context, pay attention to everything you can pick up without deviating from the general route. Items like these usually have higher ratio of time saved per time spent getting. Do note that an early game item might be skipped in favor of a later one that gives more substantial benefits.
-If the game has an item that speeds the rest of the game substantially but requires a large detour to get, make sure to run tests (emulators can come in handy with their assorted timing capabilities, see the [[Generic techniques#Using_emulators|using emulators]] section below).
+If the game has an item that speeds the rest of the game substantially but requires a large detour to get, make sure to run tests (emulators can come in handy with their assorted timing capabilities, see the [[#Using emulators|using emulators]] section below).
 ===100% item collection===

@@ Line 158: / Line 158: @@
 After you've determined the minimum of items required to go through the game, you can see if there are items along your way that can speed the run up further. In this context, pay attention to everything you can pick up without deviating from the general route. Items like these usually have higher ratio of time saved per time spent getting. Do note that an early game item might be skipped in favor of a later one that gives more substantial benefits.
-If the game has an item that speeds the rest of the game substantially but requires a large detour to get, make sure to run tests (emulators can come in handy with their assorted timing capabilities, see the [[Using_emulators|using emulators]] section below).
+If the game has an item that speeds the rest of the game substantially but requires a large detour to get, make sure to run tests (emulators can come in handy with their assorted timing capabilities, see the [[Generic techniques#Using_emulators|using emulators]] section below).
 ===100% item collection===

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 A common factor that creates or increases lag is large amount of objects (or polygons, for 3D games) on screen, such as explosions, enemies, or bullets.
-Methods of reducing lag in 2D platformers include killing enemies and minimizing the number of shots on screen. One of the techniques used to reduce lag in early 3D console games was looking at the floor or walls to reduce the amount of processing required to draw frames.
+Methods of reducing lag in 2D platformers include killing enemies and minimizing the number of shots on screen. You can reduce lag in some early 3D console games by looking at the floor or walls to reduce the amount of processing required to draw frames.
-−
 ==Building up momentum==

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 * Use sounds effects to help you time things. Like using the surroundings to position yourself, this is heavily dependent on the individual game and trick. One example is in Super Mario Sunshine, where you can reach a certain ledge early by using a triple jump and then hovering at the peak of your jump. The camera doesn't always let you see Mario when he's at the peak of his jump, but the "whish whish whish" sound can be heard no matter how bad the camera is and can be used to reliably time your hover.
 * Use the surroundings or the character's movement to help you time things. Again, this depends on the game and trick. An example of using the character is in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, where you can time bomb hovers by looking at Link's breathing. An example of using the surroundings could be something as simple as "put a bomb down when you pass a certain point."
 * Look for a different way to do something. Just because the first posted video of a trick shows it being done a certain way doesn't mean that is the only way to do it. Maybe you can tweak the positioning and timing to make the trick faster and/or easier, or perhaps there is a completely different way to accomplish the same thing. Experiment.

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:36, 2 September 2009
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	If a game has random events, it is possible to retry a segment (or a full run if length allows) until the odds are in the player's favor. These retries can save a lot of time in games that have critical hits or instant-kill attacks, like RPGs.		If a game has random events, it is possible to retry a segment (or a full run if length allows) until the odds are in the player's favor. These retries can save a lot of time in games that have critical hits or instant-kill attacks, like RPGs.

−	It should also be noted that in some games, the random events aren't really random: they depend solely on the player's input. In these cases it means there might be a pattern of input that produces the same or similar results if repeated. This manipulation is very important for boss fights, where you want the boss to behave as you want it to.	+	It should also be noted that in some games, the random events aren't really random: they depend solely on the player's input. In these cases it means there might be a pattern of input that produces the same or similar results if repeated. This manipulation is very important for boss fights, where you want the boss to behave a certain way.
		+
		+	==Performing difficult tricks==
		+
		+	Speedrunning frequently involves the use of high-precision tricks. Mastering these tricks is often the key to a successful speed run. Every trick is different, but there are a few things to keep in mind that can improve your success rate:
		+
		+	* Use the surroundings to help position yourself properly. For example, maybe there is a certain part of the floor where it's easiest to do a trick; in this case, you might look for some markings on the floor to know where to stand. Another example is that you may want to aim in a certain direction before performing a trick. To help you do this, you might line up a certain part of the surroundings with a health bar or other on-screen display.
		+	* Adjust the camera. Many tricks can be made much easier by just having a different camera angle. You can combine this with the above tip.
		+	* Use sounds effects to help you time things. Like using the surroundings to position yourself, this is heavily dependent on the individual game and trick. One example is in Super Mario Sunshine, where you can reach a certain ledge early by using a triple jump and then hovering at the peak of your jump. The camera doesn't always let you see Mario when he's at the peak of his jump, but the "whish whish whish" sound can be heard no matter how bad the camera is and can be used to reliably time your hover.
		+	* Use the surroundings or the character's movement to help you time things. Again, this depends on the game and trick. An example of using the character is in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, where you can time bomb hovers by looking at Link's breathing. An example of using the surroundings could be something as simple as "put a bomb down when you pass a certain point."
		+	* Look for a different way to do something. Just because the first posted video of a trick shows it being done a certain way doesn't mean that is the only way to do it. Maybe you can tweak the positioning and timing a little to make the trick faster and/or easier, or perhaps there is a completely different way to accomplish the same goal. Experiment.