Difference between revisions of "Verification Guidelines"

Revision as of 15:08, 8 October 2007

Congratulations on being chosen to verify a speed run. The verification stage of run submission is the first line of defense against cheating and poor quality video.

Confidentiality

Please do not give anyone the link to the run or the video files themselves. Further, if the information has not already been made public by the creator of the run, do not tell anyone the final time, what tricks were used, or any other information about the run. Some people prefer not to be "spoiled" in this way. Finally, do not tell anyone that you are verifying the run -- not even its creator. This ensures that your opinions are not swayed by anyone else.

Cheating

Be sure you are up to date on the official rules, and report anything suspicious you see to Mike immediately, either by email or by SDA or M2K2 Forum Private Message. The creator of the run will be given the opportunity to explain the situation.

Quality (Capture)

The verification copies of the runs do not usually represent the quality of the final products. However, if you notice any serious problems with the video or audio quality (such as the picture going completely blank or the audio sounding overpeaked, on only one channel or completely missing), or if you notice a missing segment/mismatched segments, please report it to Mike immediately. Also, if there are failed attempts in the video, please tell Mike when the run actually starts.

Quality (Gameplay)

SDA gameplay standards are high, but some measure of mistakes in the run is acceptable so long as the mistakes are not blatant (for example, making an error that costs several seconds at the beginning of one segment of a segmented run). If you feel that the run does not meet SDA standards and that adding the run will not spur others to beat it within a short period of time after it is posted, then tell Mike. The reputation of the site cannot be maintained if subpar runs are found on it. Also, if the run is 100%, make sure it actually meets the 100% definition. The same goes for low%.

Do not feel ashamed if you are rejecting a run. Ask yourself whether people would really want to see this run. Sometimes people submit sub-par runs just so they can get their name on SDA.

If you are not sure what is considered reject-worthy, here is a small list of reject-worthy mistakes:

• A death that costs a significant amount of time.
• Using the wrong weapon against enemies or bosses.
• Failing to use the fastest method of movement when it could have easily been used.
• Sloppy minor mistakes (missed jumps, whiffed attacks, failing to perform a shortcut) that cost 5-10 seconds throughout the whole run

Timing

If you are asked to help decide how a run will be timed, give this information to Mike via email or SDA Forum private message (mikwuyma on the forum). Nate has no responsibilities as far as timing goes. If the game needs to be manually timed, please tell us when character control starts and ends. Unless if you are using VirtualDub to get specific start and end frames, DO NOT time the run yourself. If you are using VirtualDub to time the run, then please tell Mike the start and end frames. If you want to help time a run, but don't know how to use VirtualDub, just ask. Mike likes it when people help time runs; he just wants it done correctly.

The Importance of Verification

Verification is the only thing that separates SDA from YouTube. In the past, there have been very few cases of a run being taken down after being posted due to verifiers missing something, and we'd like to keep that number as low as possible. Thus, we remind you that verifying is a serious task. If you're just looking to watch the newest runs before they're posted, verifying is not for you. When you volunteer to verify, you agree to commit your fullest energy to making sure that when a run is posted, it meets SDA's standards 100%. When a viewer sees the label "VERIFIED: NO CHEATING" at the beginning of a run, we want them to be able to rest easy in the knowledge that it is the truth.

Return to the front page.