Rules - Revision history

Ktwo: /* Additional category tags */

2022-07-24T13:44:32Z

‎Additional category tags

Ktwo: /* Fundamental rules */

2022-06-05T15:40:09Z

‎Fundamental rules

Ktwo at 13:20, 10 April 2022

2022-04-10T13:20:33Z

Ktwo: /* Fundamental rules */

2022-03-31T11:55:43Z

‎Fundamental rules

LotBlind: /* Fundamental rules */ Linked the DOSBox discussion thread and expanded on the DOSBox rule a bit.

2021-12-13T19:35:21Z

‎Fundamental rules: Linked the DOSBox discussion thread and expanded on the DOSBox rule a bit.

LotBlind: /* Common questions */ fixed typo and rephrased a bit

2020-11-30T12:35:45Z

‎Common questions: fixed typo and rephrased a bit

Ktwo: /* Timing */

2020-08-30T16:10:27Z

‎Timing

Ktwo: /* Segmentation */

2020-08-30T16:05:03Z

‎Segmentation

Ktwo: /* Fundamental rules */

2020-08-30T16:01:31Z

‎Fundamental rules

LotBlind: added link to allowed clone consoles page

2019-06-22T18:28:43Z

added link to allowed clone consoles page

@@ Line 60: / Line 60: @@
 ===Additional category tags===
-In addition, there are frequently more game-specific categories and tags that are added to a run beyond those. Not every possibility will be listed here, but some or the most frequently used are:
+In addition, there are frequently more game-specific categories and tags that are added to a run beyond the ones regarding segmentation. Not every possibility will be listed here, but some of the most frequently used are:
 * '''Character used''': For games with multiple playable characters that don't just constitute a cosmetic difference, each playable character may constitute a separate category. However, for games with a large roster of characters (such as racing games), you are usually expected to just pick the fastest character instead of having individual categories for all character choices.
 * '''Difficulty''' settings that will always be accepted are the fastest (usually the easiest) setting and the hardest setting. Additional settings (especially the game's default, or special challenge modes) are accepted so long as there's sufficient variation between them and the aforementioned ones. For games with no speedrun history, SDA is more relaxed with the choice of difficulty level. However, if the game starts to see more activity and the game page fills up, runs on ”in-between” difficulties can be expected to be obsoleted in favor of more competitive difficulties. For games that allow you to change the difficulty settings during the game (such as the Left 4 Dead games), you are allowed to mix and match the difficulty in order to achieve the fastest time possible. In that case the run receives a mixed difficulty tag.

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 : - Programs such as WINE that attempt to replicate the Windows system calls and structure on Unix systems are not allowed.
 : - Flashcarts (such as Everdrive) are a grey area. In many cases there is no possibility to distinguish between the use of a flashcart and an original cart, in which case there is no reason not to accept them. However, if any differences would be discovered in the future, applicable runs can be expected to be removed from the site.
 * <span id="modification">'''System modification'''</span>: You are not allowed to modify your system or use extra hardware such as GameSharks and Game Genies. These devices let you alter game parameters and can give you an unfair advantage. Modchips and boot disks used for playing imports and officially released add-ons are however allowed. For example, playing a console game from a local storage device (or even the cloud) is allowed, provided the game itself has an option to install data to it and it's an official or officially supported device. An example of a device that falls outside this category would be the HD Loader for the PS2 and it's therefore not allowed for SDA-submissions. In addition, modifications that enhance the quality of the audio-visual output of a console are allowed.
 * While recording runs, interacting with the game other than through the gameplay itself is not allowed. This rule covers both passive methods (such as '''RAM-watch''') and active methods (such as '''removing or altering a game disc/cartridge/file''' while the game is running).
 * <span id="thirdparty">'''Third-party controllers'''</span>: You must only use features that are available on any controllers that were officially bundled with the system. Thus, turbo-fire is not allowed except for systems such as the TurboGrafx-16 that come with official turbo-fire controllers. Of course, if a game itself provides a turbo-fire option, then it may be used. If the bundled controller features differ between different console releases and it's not clear which ones should be considered as default, you're welcome to open a discussion about it in the forum. If you use an unusual or non-standard input device you should be open about it (for example mentioning it in the run comments), even if it doesn't introduce any additional features. There is probably a reason why you decided not to use a standard controller in the first place. Other people trying to compare themselves with the time you have achieved have the right to know if anything was used that could be seen as a competitive edge.
 * Some glitches/tricks/clips can be more reliably performed under certain game settings (such as frame rate or resolution). <span id="settings">'''Changing game settings mid-game'''</span> is generally acceptable as long as it's done using commands accessible through the in-game (or launch) menus. When available, exactly corresponding console commands may be used and bound to separate keys to lose less time to the graphics refresh.
 * <span id="codes">'''Codes'''</span>: Using a beneficial cheat code is not allowed: something that gives more lives, reduces damage, etc. If a code is only cosmetic, like suit-less Samus in NES Metroid, that is acceptable. A code that increases the game's difficulty, such as Donkey Kong Country 3 105%, may qualify as a separate category.
 * <span id="impossible">'''Impossible inputs'''</span>: Some games, such as The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, show unusual behavior when one feeds them with usually impossible input, such as up+down pressed simultaneously. As such actions require worn out controllers, non-standard controllers or excessive force, they are treated as hardware modification and are thus banned as well.
 * Many PC games allow you to use the in-game console to write <span id="scripts">'''scripts'''</span> or macros to automate certain actions. There are also external input scripting programs such as AutoHotkey. These are not permitted to be used for any form of automation in PC games. You are however free to '''bind''' keys in whatever way the game allows you to do through the game's menu system or config file and it's expected that you use this to your advantage (e.g. binding of a free-spinning mouse-wheel to the jump button in Half-Life games to allow a simple way to bunny-hop).

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:20, 10 April 2022
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−	This page lists the generic rules for speedrun hosting at SDA. Every run submitted to SDA will be independently [[Verification Guidelines\|verified]] against these rules ~~and~~ to ensure that the submitted runs meet the site's quality requirements in terms of audio/video and gameplay.	+	This page lists the generic rules for speedrun hosting at SDA. Every run [https://speeddemosarchive.com/lang/submit_en.html submitted] to SDA will be independently [[Verification Guidelines\|verified]] against these rules to ensure that the submitted runs meet the site's quality requirements in terms of audio/video and gameplay.

	==Common questions==		==Common questions==

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 ==Fundamental rules==
-* <span id="recording">'''Recording'''</span>: Speedruns hosted by SDA should be captured at the native framerate and dimensions (depending on region and platform). The video needs to contain only the gameplay footage and the first audio track needs to contain only the game audio (additional audio tracks can be added with audio commentary though). You can find more information about recording and processing game footage right here in the [[Recording|SDA knowledge base]]. You can also ask for help in the [https://forum.speeddemosarchive.com/board/tech_support.html tech sub-forum] if you didn't find the answer in the knowledge base.
+* <span id="recording">'''Recording'''</span>: Speedruns hosted by SDA should be captured at the native framerate and dimensions (depending on region and platform). Exceptions to the framerate requirement can be accepted, where hardware limits the accessibility of a speedrun, and the video quality otherwise looks good without critical loss of detail. The video needs to contain only the gameplay footage and the first audio track needs to contain only the game audio (additional audio tracks can be added with audio commentary though). You can find more information about recording and processing game footage right here in the [[Recording|SDA knowledge base]]. You can also ask for help in the [https://forum.speeddemosarchive.com/board/tech_support.html tech sub-forum] if you didn't find the answer in the knowledge base.
 * <span id="emulators">'''Emulators and Virtualization'''</span>: We will generally not accept speedruns recorded on unofficial emulators (ZSNES, VBA, etc.). Emulators commonly allow for recording games frame-by-frame and then playing back the input at normal speed. Emulators also give the player access by default to features not present on the original consoles, such as RAM-watch or the possibility to use, for example, keyboard as input device. Finally, many emulators have minor inaccuracies in timing and slowdown that inhibit accurate comparisons between runs. Note that an exception is made for officially sanctioned emulators such as the Game Boy Player, the Virtual Console, and the GameTap. Due to problems with many official emulators, we will place them in separate categories if the known differences make comparison with runs made on other platforms difficult. For the purpose of this rule:
 : - DOSBox can be used for SDA-submissions. It has seen very widespread use for re-releases of DOS-era PC games after the DOS environment was omitted from newer Windows releases and is frequently the only reasonable choice for playing and recording those games. If the game has an official re-release (on a storefront such as Steam or GOG), whatever settings the attached DOSBox config file has can be considered a default and used for speedrunning unless doing so would favor some players. More details in [https://forum.speeddemosarchive.com/post/official_dosbox_settings_discussion_topic_23.html#official_dosbox_settings_discussion_topic_23 this thread].

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 * <span id="recording">'''Recording'''</span>: Speedruns hosted by SDA should be captured at the native framerate and dimensions (depending on region and platform). The video needs to contain only the gameplay footage and the first audio track needs to contain only the game audio (additional audio tracks can be added with audio commentary though). You can find more information about recording and processing game footage right here in the [[Recording|SDA knowledge base]]. You can also ask for help in the [https://forum.speeddemosarchive.com/board/tech_support.html tech sub-forum] if you didn't find the answer in the knowledge base.
 * <span id="emulators">'''Emulators and Virtualization'''</span>: We will generally not accept speedruns recorded on unofficial emulators (ZSNES, VBA, etc.). Emulators commonly allow for recording games frame-by-frame and then playing back the input at normal speed. Emulators also give the player access by default to features not present on the original consoles, such as RAM-watch or the possibility to use, for example, keyboard as input device. Finally, many emulators have minor inaccuracies in timing and slowdown that inhibit accurate comparisons between runs. Note that an exception is made for officially sanctioned emulators such as the Game Boy Player, the Virtual Console, and the GameTap. Due to problems with many official emulators, we will place them in separate categories if the known differences make comparison with runs made on other platforms difficult. For the purpose of this rule:
-: - DOSBox can be used for SDA-submissions. It has seen very widespread use for re-releases of DOS-era PC games after the DOS environment was omitted from newer Windows releases and is frequently the only reasonable choice for playing and recording those games.
+: - DOSBox can be used for SDA-submissions. It has seen very widespread use for re-releases of DOS-era PC games after the DOS environment was omitted from newer Windows releases and is frequently the only reasonable choice for playing and recording those games. If the game has an official re-release (on a storefront such as Steam or GOG), whatever settings the attached DOSBox config file has can be considered a default and used for speedrunning unless doing so would favor some players. More details in [https://forum.speeddemosarchive.com/post/official_dosbox_settings_discussion_topic_23.html#official_dosbox_settings_discussion_topic_23 this thread].
 : - Virtualization software (VMWare, VirtualPC, etc.) is permitted for games that wouldn't otherwise run natively on a modern operating system.
 : - Clone consoles are considered as equivalent to hardware emulation and are generally not allowed. There are exceptions, though. Read about them [[Allowed_Clone_Consoles|here]].

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 ;What if I have a rule question that is not covered here?
-First, use the search function in the forum and see if someone has already asked the same question. Next, if there is a game thread in one of the sub-forums, ask there and see if you get any response. If all else fail, explain the question the best you can in the [https://forum.speeddemosarchive.com/board/sda_discussion.html SDA discussion sub-forum]. Remember that there isn't necessarily an expert among the SDA staff or the forum users at your game. In order for them to be able to help you with an answer, please consider being as clear as you can possibly be when you ask (without being too wordy...).<br /><br />
+First, use the search function in the forum and see if someone has already asked the same question. Next, if there is a game thread in one of the sub-forums, ask there and see if you get any response. If all else fails, explain the question the best you can in the [https://forum.speeddemosarchive.com/board/sda_discussion.html SDA discussion sub-forum]. Remember that there isn't necessarily an expert at your game among the SDA staff or the forum users. In order for them to be able to help you with an answer, please be quite clear about the situation and how the game works so we can tell what would be smartest.<br /><br />
 ==Fundamental rules==

@@ Line 77: / Line 77: @@
 : - '''Starting point''': when the player first gains control of the game's character, timing begins. This is defined as the frame before the character starts to move (in case that's hard to define, a reference point, such as fade-in can be used instead). If the game starts by going through menus that have an impact on the gameplay (adjusting stats or equipment) or an overworld map (or level selection screen etc), then those are defined as ”gain of control”. However, if character creation is done as an independent activity before the game starts, it's not considered as part of the run time, even when it involves defining stats, equipment or similar. Having camera control (for example Half-Life), but no means of impacting the character's movement, is not considered gain of control for the purpose of SDA-timing.
 : - '''Ending point''': at the end when control is lost, even if that's long after the final battle, the timing stops. This is generally defined as the frame the character freezes on. If loss of control is hard to define for a game, a reference point, such as fade-out to credits can also be used. For RPGs, we use the frame the hit points of the final hit on the final boss shows up (unless there are gameplay elements coming after that point). Possible movement that can occur during or after the ending credits does not count (unless it involves actual gameplay elements that affect the outcome).
-: - '''Loading screens''' are counted for console games, but not for PC. For segmented runs, timing for a segment stops at the first system-dependent activity. It can be the save screen (automatic saving) or when the save menu screen appears (manual saving). Don't leave the menuing out that leads to the save menu but typing in a save file name is ignored in timing. The starting point for a segment depends on if you actually load a game state or if you're just back at the starting menu with your progress saved. If there is a loading of the save, we will use the frame before the loading screen fade-out as starting point. This means timing might start with a cut-scene, even though there is no character control at that point. In the second case (you start a new segment from the start menu), timing will begin as soon as you activate the menu option that starts the new segment. This is generally the option that leads to a new menu with gameplay-related, and not only cosmetic, options.
+: - '''PC loading screens''' <u>are not</u> counted. For segmented runs, timing for a segment stops at the first system-dependent activity. It can be the save screen (automatic saving) or when the save menu screen appears (manual saving). Don't leave the menuing out that leads to the save menu but typing in a save file name is ignored in timing. The starting point for a segment depends on if you actually load a game state or if you're just back at the starting menu with your progress saved. If there is a loading of the save, we will use the frame before the loading screen fade-out as starting point. This means timing might start with a cut-scene, even though there is no character control at that point. In the second case (you start a new segment from the start menu), timing will begin as soon as you activate the menu option that starts the new segment. This is generally the option that leads to a new menu with gameplay-related, and not only cosmetic, options.
 * For some speedruns, the route and strategies depend on whether the in-game timer or real-time is used. In that case, both types of run can be hosted on the site side-by-side.<br /><br />

@@ Line 46: / Line 46: @@
 * Runs done in a single sitting are referred to as '''single segment''' (SS) runs.
 * '''Single segment with resets''': You are allowed to save and resume in a single segment run as long as it is part of the same game session. This will add the with resets tag to your run.
-* For some games, it makes sense to track times for '''individual levels''' (IL). Usually, this is the case if the game is separated into sections that can be individually selected and are independent of each other (for instance, no status effects or equipment carry over between levels). If there is a minor connection between levels but an obvious base state exists, ILs may be done starting from this base state (for example, the Yoshi's Island ILs all start with 0 eggs and don't permit using any of the bonus game items from the pause screen). If the game does not currently have any IL runs then all of the levels must be completed as part of the initial submission. For future improvements, each IL may be obsoleted individually.
+* For some games, it makes sense to track times for '''individual levels''' (ILs). Usually, this is the case if the game is divided into sections that can be accessed individually and are independent of each other (for instance, no status effects or equipment carry over between levels). If there is a minor connection between the levels but an obvious base state exists, ILs may be done starting from this base state (for example, the Yoshi's Island ILs all start with 0 eggs and don't permit using any of the bonus game items), If the category does not currently have any IL runs, by default, you have to submit a full set of levels for the category of choice. However, for games that come with a particularly large set of levels, it may be permissible to submit just a smaller, logical sub-set initially. Here are some examples of acceptable sub-sets:
 * Some games have timed '''mini-games''' that can be competed in isolation from the rest of the game. These may qualify as additional categories for games that already have a full run.<br /><br />