Difference between revisions of "Rules"

From SDA Knowledge Base

Jump to: navigation, search
(Rule history linked →‎Common questions)
m (→‎Additional category tags)
 
(33 intermediate revisions by 7 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
−
{{DraftOfficial}}
+
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.
−
 
+
−
Trying to establish rules for so many games can be tough. So to help everyone, this page lists the various rules for what to do and what not to do when planning a speedrun. Runs will be independently [[Verification Guidelines|verified]] to ensure no foul play is involved. Also, if your run has significant room for improvement, it probably won't be accepted. Please do your best!
+
  
 
==Common questions==
 
==Common questions==
−
;Why are rules necessary?
 
−
With any speedrun there's going to be an element of competition. Rules are necessary to ensure fair and equal competition among players. Most of our rules are common sense, but we try to cover as much as we can for completeness.
 
−
 
 
;What if I disagree with your rules?
 
;What if I disagree with your rules?
−
[http://speeddemosarchive.com/forum/ Discuss it] on the forum and explain why. We're always open to suggestions and welcome intelligent discussion. If enough people hate something, maybe we'll compromise. [[rule history|It's happened before.]]
+
[https://forum.speeddemosarchive.com/board/sda_discussion.html Discuss it] on the forum and explain why. We're always open to suggestions and welcome intelligent discussion. If enough people hate something, and have good arguments to present, maybe we'll compromise. [[rule history|It's happened before.]]<br /><br />
  
−
;Why are some things allowed in some games and not others?
+
;What if I have a rule question that is not covered here?
−
Even though we have some basic rules that apply to almost every game, some rules don't make sense for certain games, and certain games need rules that aren't covered here. While we strive to have a basic set of rules that cover all games, sometimes a game's page will have an additional note to observe, such as not accepting a certain difficulty level, version, timer, or glitch.
+
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==
 
==Fundamental rules==
−
* '''No cheating''': Only fairly produced runs are accepted. Ask on the forum if you are unsure about something.
+
* <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.
−
* '''Recording''': In order for us to host or publicize your run, you need to record actual footage of the entire run from start to finish. We're a bit picky about audio/video quality ([[FAQ]]), so don't record with a webcam or a camcorder pointed at the screen unless you're recording a DS game or we tell you otherwise. In extraordinary cases, we might ask you to record footage of yourself while running to prove your run is legitimate.
+
* <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:
−
* '''Hosting runs''': We reserve the right to take down any published speedrun whenever we see fit. For example, if inconsistencies in health are later discovered (although we will give you the opportunity to explain), or if a later run (perhaps even in a different category or on another system) is considered far superior in play quality.
+
: - 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''': We will '''not''' accept speedruns recorded on emulators (ZSNES, VBA, DOSBox, etc.) or other virtualization software (Wine, VMware, etc.). Emulators commonly allow for recording games frame-by-frame and then playing back the input at normal speed. Also, most emulators and virtualization programs have minor inaccuracies in timing and slowdown that inhibit accurate comparisons between runs. Finally, it is generally illegal in most countries to obtain ROMs. Note that an exception is made for officially sanctioned emulators such as the Game Boy Player for GameCube, Virtual Console, or GameTap. Due to problems with many official emulators, however, we prefer that you play on the original hardware whenever possible.
+
: - Virtualization software (VMWare, VirtualPC, etc.) is permitted for games that wouldn't otherwise run natively on a modern operating system.
−
* '''System modification''': 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. The only allowed extra hardware are modchips and boot disks used for playing imports, and official add-ons. For example, the PS2 HDD is allowed, while the HD Loader is not.
+
: - 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]].
−
* '''Game modification''': Removing or altering a game disc/cartridge/files while the game is running is forbidden. Examples of this are the crooked cartridge trick in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and the CD streaming trick in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. If you're not sure what this rule means, think about it this way: don't mess with your system while playing the game, and don't modify the game itself at any time.
+
: - Programs such as WINE that attempt to replicate the Windows system calls and structure on Unix systems are not allowed.
−
* '''Third-party controllers''': 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. Players that display very rapid firing in runs may be expected to show video camera proof of their button mashing ability.
+
: - 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.
−
* '''Codes''': Using a beneficial cheat code is not allowed: something that gives more lives, reduces damage, etc. If a code is only cosmetic, like suitless 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. The Banjo-Tooie Cheato category is persisted under a grandfather clause.
+
* <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.
−
* '''Impossible inputs''': 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.
+
* <span id="sw_modification">'''Software modification'''</span>: the general rule is that an unmodified, official release of a game should be used for speedruns on SDA to ensure there is a level playing field. Manually editing/adding/removing game files is generally not allowed. Note that there can be good reasons to make game-specific exceptions to this rule (e.g. changes that keep competition fair or compatibility reasons). If in doubt, start a discussion in the forum. Also, make sure every change is documented when submitting for the sake of traceability.
 +
* 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).
 +
* As a general rule, speedruns submitted to SDA are supposed to be using the game <span id="patch">'''patch'''</span> that allows the fastest possible completion of the game. SDA doesn't consider different patches to be a reason to create new categories, so make sure that you choose the correct one for your game. The exception is if the fastest patch has severe compatibility issues in a modern OS and cannot be, e.g., run without Windows XP, in which case the fastest compatible version can be separated as a category of its own.
 +
* Many speedruns utilize <span id="glitches">'''glitches'''</span> (unexpected behavior due to the game's programming), to the runner's advantage. Glitches are allowed and runs submitted to SDA are expected to fully utilize beneficial glitches and bugs in their runs to save time within the confines of the game's behavior. In extreme cases, glitches allow you to skip huge chunks of the game and that can warrant a separate category. More about that further down.
 +
* SDA will accept hosting speedruns for many games, but not all. Here are some examples of <span id="accepted">'''games that won't be accepted'''</span>:
 +
: - Alpha/beta versions or early access of a game, unless it represents the most complete version the game is likely to ever have
 +
: - Shareware and demos (i.e. partial full games)
 +
: - Romhacks
 +
: - Game mods (defined as requiring the original game in order to play)
 +
: - Games that can't be sped up. Examples are games that run on a fixed timer or rail shooters. A rail shooter can be an acceptable game choice if there are enough gameplay elements that allow the game to be sped up compared to a normal playthrough. Examples could be lag reduction techniques, particularly long boss fights or boost abilities.
 +
: - Games without clearly defined start and end points.
 +
: - Games where you play against other human players.
 +
: - Games with ”morally questionable” content (extreme racism or adult content etc).
 +
: - A run category that allows for an instant/trivial automatic win with very little or no dependence on execution within the timed portion of the run.<br /><br />
 +
 
 +
==Categories==
 +
<p>Not all categories apply to all games and some games can even have game specific categories not mentioned here. In general, all runs must complete the game to an ending. We have divided the categories into three groups, ”segmentation”, ”completion percentage” and ”additional category tags”.</p>
 +
 
 +
===Segmentation===
 +
SDA accepts speedruns completed either in a single sitting, or in multiple segments recorded over a longer time period.
 +
* Games that allow you to save your progress and continue later can be done using segments. A segmented run implies a higher level of risk-taking and a lower tolerance for mistakes. '''Use as many segments as is optimal''' to achieve the fastest final time. Also do not feel like you must use roughly the same number of segments as a run you are attempting to obsolete. However, to avoid over-segmentation in games with a 'save anywhere' feature, make sure there is a distinct purpose to every segment, e.g. luck-manipulation, clearing a difficult section etc.<br />
 +
: There obviously needs to be continuity between segments in terms of inventory, experience points or whatever is applicable for the individual game. Note however that it's allowed for an SDA-submission to have discrepancies between two segments as long as none of it is to your advantage. This gives you the possibility to later redo segments that are in the middle of the run even in games where it's virtually impossible to end a segment with the exact same stats as before. Be aware that additional caution needs to be taken in games where the RNG seeds carry over between segments. It will in practice often be difficult to determine if this results in an advantage for the player or not. Re-doing segments where the RNG seeds impact future segments in a noticeable way is therefore not allowed on SDA.
 +
* 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''' (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:
 +
: - In Project Gotham Racing 2, all "Roadster Series" races of the "Kudos World Series mode" or all "Street Race" races in "Arcade mode"
 +
: - In Super Meat Boy, all "Rapture Light World" levels
 +
: - In Puzznic, the first 50 levels
 +
For future improvements, each IL may be obsoleted individually.
 +
* 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 />
 +
 
 +
===Completion percentage===
 +
Beyond this basic consideration of the type of segmentation, a run usually also falls into one of the following categories:
 +
* '''any%''': This is the most basic goal of a speedrun: beating the game as quickly as possible. The aim is to reach an ending (or for an IL, the end of the level) as fast as you can manage to within the boundaries of the game. This may include skipping entire sections of the game, skipping key items, leaving the boundaries of the game world and abusing programming oversights left in the game. Most runs fall into this category.
 +
* '''100%''': A lot of games, especially ones following an open-world design, have collectibles and core items that a player may or may not pick up over the course of the run. The goal of a 100% run is not only to beat the game quickly, but also to bring it to a 'full' completion in doing so. This usually involves collecting all of the collectibles and items that grant permanent status changes as well as finishing all of the quests and/or levels in the game. This category is usually easy to define for games that track the completion rate, but other games may also have 100% runs. [https://forum.speeddemosarchive.com/post/low100_definitions.html This forum topic] contains 100% definitions for a number of games. This thread is mainly for posting the rulings, not for the discussion itself. If you wish to discuss the 100% definition for a game that's not mentioned in that thread, first post in the relevant game thread (or create one if there is none for your game) and see if you can get feedback from other people who know the game.
 +
* '''low%''': While the 100% category aims to complete a game as fully as possible, the goal of a low% run is the opposite of that: Beat the game using as few resources as possible. This is probably the least well defined of these categories and strongly depends on the specifics of each game. For games that track a completion percentage, the goal is to minimize that completion rate while still beating the game. For other games, the goal is usually to replicate that behavior, which means foregoing as many collectibles and permanent power-ups as possible. It's important to note that as a general rule, the spirit of this category is "not collecting" items, but not "not using" them! If the game gives you upgrades or powers at certain points that can't be avoided, you're expected to use these items to the full extent. As an example, think of the Megaman games. When you beat a robot master and gain their power, you should not just stick to the buster gun (unless of course that is the best weapon for a given situation). See above under ”100%” for how to discuss the definition of the category for specific games. For this category, an accepted run that manages to beat the game on a lower completion rate than a currently published run will obsolete that run even if the completion time is slower.<br /><br />
 +
 
 +
===Additional category tags===
 +
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.
 +
* In some games, deaths can be used to save time by, for example, teleporting back to a location you've been already and must return to or to refill your character's resources, such as weapons or health. Any run with deaths will be placed in the '''with deaths''' category. This also includes the use of continues after a game over.
 +
* Some games have tricks or glitches that allow you to skip a major part of the game. In this case there will be a '''with large-skips''' category for the game (for instance, skipping entire dungeons in Zelda games). Runs using warps that skip large parts of the game (e.g. warp zones in Super Mario Bros.) are treated the same as runs with large-skips, but will be labeled '''with warps''' instead.
 +
* '''with uber large-skip glitches''': Some games contain glitches that go beyond skipping portions of the game and allow you to literally skip the vast majority of the game. Credit warp runs typically go into this category.
 +
* '''Multiplayer''' runs are considered as a separate category to single player runs. The more players you have, the more things can be done at the same time, but can also mean additional lag and the worn-out term ”no chain is stronger than its weakest link” might also apply. There is in general no distinction on SDA between the number of players in a multiplayer run. Use as many players as you deem necessary at any given point during the run to achieve the fastest completion time. This rule also includes runs where one player simultaneously controls two (or more) characters in the game.
 +
* '''New game+/DLC''' means that you use stats, equipment, characters or other game features that are not available when you start a game from scratch. DLC (Down-Loadable Content) should be self-explanatory, while new game+ refers to starting the speedrun from a saved file (usually, but not always, from a completed game file) or a state where for example unlockables have been made available.<br /><br />
 +
 
 +
If you feel that a certain category would make for an interesting run, feel free to ask about it on the forum or contact an SDA admin about it. Please just keep in mind that the more arbitrary the rules are, the less likely it will be seen as a good fit for the site.<br /><br />
  
−
==Saving and timing==
+
==Timing==
−
* Games that allow you to save your progress and continue later can be done using '''segments'''. You can retry segments as much as you want, in order to optimize them. Keep in mind that the purpose of segmentation is not to make life easier for you or to reduce the amount of time it takes you to produce a run. A segmented run implies a higher level of risk-taking and a lower tolerance for mistakes. Use as many segments as is optimal to achieve the fastest final time. We will not be more impressed if you use a small number of segments. In particular, do not feel like you must use roughly the same number of segments as a run you are attempting to obsolete.
+
Always remember that speed is the first and foremost priority; side issues such as entertainment are secondary. Someone can beat your run later simply by omitting your time waster. If you waste enough time, the verifiers will reject your run outright. Similarly, if a game lets you skip cut-scenes or advance through text quickly, then you must do so (exception being if the game has an in-game timer that doesn't run during cut-scenes – it's still preferable to skip what's skippable though). Below follows the '''general''' outline for how timing is done on SDA, including some recurring special cases. It's not possible to cover every imaginable situation though, so there will still be many games that must be treated as special cases.
−
* Runs that don't use saves are referred to as '''single-segment''' (SS) runs. A segmented run that is faster than a single-segment run does not obsolete the SS run, as they are separate categories and the SS run is more restrictive. Of course, a SS run that manages to be faster than a segmented run obsoletes the segmented run. Any save and quit from the game will count as a segment. It doesn't matter if you use this to warp around and then keep playing without stopping; your run is no longer single-segment. The only exception is a game that forces you to reset to progress.
+
* The game's '''internal timer''' will generally be used unless it is inconsistent or fails to display the time after completion.
−
* For some games, it makes sense to track times for '''individual levels''' (IL). If your game qualifies (ask if you're unsure), you may submit as many individual-levels runs as you like. However, if the game does not currently have any IL runs, then all of the levels must be completed before any of the runs can be submitted. Note that you do not have to finish all of the IL runs by yourself. In fact, it is common for a group of people to work together to complete a full set of IL runs.
+
* For games without timers, a simple real-time measure is used. There are many different types of software that can do this. Avidemux for example (be sure to use a version that allows frame count, at the time of writing, that means v2.5 or earlier).
−
* Always remember that speed is the first and foremost priority; side issues such as entertainment are secondary. You can include a neat trick that costs a second or two, but be warned that verifiers will see this as a negative, not a positive. Someone can beat your run later simply by omitting your time waster. If you waste enough time, the verifiers will reject your run outright. Similarly, if a game lets you skip cutscenes or advance through text quickly, then you must do so.
+
: - '''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.
−
* The game's internal timer will be used unless it is inconsistent, or fails to display the time after completion. For games without timers, check the [[FAQ]] for an explanation on how timing is done.
+
: - '''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).
−
* For manually timed games, there must be an improvement of at least one second for the run to be posted. Since seconds are dropped from manually timed runs over three hours, the minimum improvement then becomes one minute. If a game has a visible timer that measure fractions of a second, then improvements that small will probably be accepted. If you produce a run that's barely faster than the current one, but more improvement is possible (perhaps given recent discoveries), we might tell you to try again. However, if a run is extremely optimized already, like Contra or Super Mario Bros., a tiny improvement might be all you can manage.  
+
: - '''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.
 +
: - '''Console loading screens''' <u>are</u> counted. However, due to especially more modern consoles often allowing several different ways to load and play a game (DVD/local storage device/ etc), loading times will be factored out should there be a situation where a run is only slower because of longer loading times. For this reason, it's encouraged at the time of submission to provide the technical details of how the game was played.
 +
* 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 />
  
−
==Special considerations==
+
==Hosting==
−
* Many PC games allow you to use '''scripts''' or macros to automate certain actions. There are also external input scripting programs such as AutoHotkey. Scripts may now only be used for weapon changing and nothing else. Under a grandfather clause, scripts are still allowed in the Half-life series and Portal as a separate category. Of course, a run without scripts that is faster than a run with scripts will obsolete that run.
+
* Speedruns accepted on SDA will be made available both on SDA's server and on archive.org.
−
* Some games that allow you to save at any time (usually in a menu) will not place you at the same spot when you resume the game. This is referred to as '''save warping'''. You can use save warping as much as you want. Most runners save warp in games wherever possible, since most people don't care to watch backtracking.
+
* For each game there can be multiple categories of runs that are posted on SDA. These generally exist independently of each other and are also improved and obsoleted independently, except for when a new run in a more restrictive category beats the time of a currently posted run or when a new run in a comparable category improves on an existing run beyond the scope of the category difference. For instance, a run on an easier difficulty that significantly improves on an existing run beyond the time saved from playing on an easier difficulty level or a run on a faster version that clearly improves on an existing run more than the version difference accounts for. Cross-category obsoletions are done on a case by case basis.
−
* In some games you might be able to commit suicide in order to save time (by teleporting back to a location you've been already and must return to) or to refill your character's resources, such as weapons or health. This is referred to as '''death abuse'''. Death abuse is usually encouraged to avoid backtracking.
+
* Once a speedrun has been published on SDA, it will be hosted until it's obsoleted by another run or if there are doubts about the validity of the speedrun (for example cheating, inconsistencies in segmentation or not sticking to the category rules). The obsoleted run will still be available on archive.org, though.
−
* There's also dying that ''costs'' time, which is typically unintentional. While a death in a long single-segment run might be acceptable, deaths in a segmented run look very bad and are inexcusable. An unintentional death in a segmented run means it will most likely be rejected as not good enough. Because it can be hard to measure intent, any run with deaths is considered a separate category from a deathless run.
+
−
* Many speedruns utilize '''glitches''' (unintended behavior due to the game's programming), to the runner's advantage. Most glitches are allowed, including out of bounds (commonly referred to as OOB) and warping glitches. A glitch that lets you skip almost the whole game is generally not allowed.
+
−
* In speedruns where the OOB, clipping, or warping glitches only skip a small portion of the game (such as Mega Man X's Flame Mammoth ceiling trick or Ocarina of Time's Deku Tree skip), the speedrun is '''not''' considered a separate category. However, when the OOB, clipping, or warping glitches let you skip large chunks, or even whole stages of a game (such as Metroid Prime's secret worlds or Castlevania: Circle of the Moon's summon warp) then the speedrun will be a separate category. A faster run that does not use these glitches will naturally obsolete a slower run that does.
+
−
* Console games must be played at the refresh rate they were made for, i.e. games from PAL/SECAM regions at 50 Hz and games from NTSC regions at 60 Hz. PC games must not be tweaked to run at higher frame rates than intended by its developers (e.g. original Quake I is locked to 72 Hz and runs have already been banned for playing with this limit removed).
+

Latest revision as of 07:44, 24 July 2022

This page lists the generic rules for speedrun hosting at SDA. Every run submitted to SDA will be independently 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

What if I disagree with your rules?

Discuss it on the forum and explain why. We're always open to suggestions and welcome intelligent discussion. If enough people hate something, and have good arguments to present, maybe we'll compromise. It's happened before.

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 fails, explain the question the best you can in the 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.

Fundamental rules

  • Recording: 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 SDA knowledge base. You can also ask for help in the tech sub-forum if you didn't find the answer in the knowledge base.
  • Emulators and Virtualization: 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 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 here.
- 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.
  • System modification: 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.
  • Software modification: the general rule is that an unmodified, official release of a game should be used for speedruns on SDA to ensure there is a level playing field. Manually editing/adding/removing game files is generally not allowed. Note that there can be good reasons to make game-specific exceptions to this rule (e.g. changes that keep competition fair or compatibility reasons). If in doubt, start a discussion in the forum. Also, make sure every change is documented when submitting for the sake of traceability.
  • 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).
  • Third-party controllers: 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). Changing game settings mid-game 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.
  • Codes: 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.
  • Impossible inputs: 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 scripts 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).
  • As a general rule, speedruns submitted to SDA are supposed to be using the game patch that allows the fastest possible completion of the game. SDA doesn't consider different patches to be a reason to create new categories, so make sure that you choose the correct one for your game. The exception is if the fastest patch has severe compatibility issues in a modern OS and cannot be, e.g., run without Windows XP, in which case the fastest compatible version can be separated as a category of its own.
  • Many speedruns utilize glitches (unexpected behavior due to the game's programming), to the runner's advantage. Glitches are allowed and runs submitted to SDA are expected to fully utilize beneficial glitches and bugs in their runs to save time within the confines of the game's behavior. In extreme cases, glitches allow you to skip huge chunks of the game and that can warrant a separate category. More about that further down.
  • SDA will accept hosting speedruns for many games, but not all. Here are some examples of games that won't be accepted:
- Alpha/beta versions or early access of a game, unless it represents the most complete version the game is likely to ever have
- Shareware and demos (i.e. partial full games)
- Romhacks
- Game mods (defined as requiring the original game in order to play)
- Games that can't be sped up. Examples are games that run on a fixed timer or rail shooters. A rail shooter can be an acceptable game choice if there are enough gameplay elements that allow the game to be sped up compared to a normal playthrough. Examples could be lag reduction techniques, particularly long boss fights or boost abilities.
- Games without clearly defined start and end points.
- Games where you play against other human players.
- Games with ”morally questionable” content (extreme racism or adult content etc).
- A run category that allows for an instant/trivial automatic win with very little or no dependence on execution within the timed portion of the run.

Categories

Not all categories apply to all games and some games can even have game specific categories not mentioned here. In general, all runs must complete the game to an ending. We have divided the categories into three groups, ”segmentation”, ”completion percentage” and ”additional category tags”.

Segmentation

SDA accepts speedruns completed either in a single sitting, or in multiple segments recorded over a longer time period.

  • Games that allow you to save your progress and continue later can be done using segments. A segmented run implies a higher level of risk-taking and a lower tolerance for mistakes. Use as many segments as is optimal to achieve the fastest final time. Also do not feel like you must use roughly the same number of segments as a run you are attempting to obsolete. However, to avoid over-segmentation in games with a 'save anywhere' feature, make sure there is a distinct purpose to every segment, e.g. luck-manipulation, clearing a difficult section etc.
There obviously needs to be continuity between segments in terms of inventory, experience points or whatever is applicable for the individual game. Note however that it's allowed for an SDA-submission to have discrepancies between two segments as long as none of it is to your advantage. This gives you the possibility to later redo segments that are in the middle of the run even in games where it's virtually impossible to end a segment with the exact same stats as before. Be aware that additional caution needs to be taken in games where the RNG seeds carry over between segments. It will in practice often be difficult to determine if this results in an advantage for the player or not. Re-doing segments where the RNG seeds impact future segments in a noticeable way is therefore not allowed on SDA.
  • 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 (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:
- In Project Gotham Racing 2, all "Roadster Series" races of the "Kudos World Series mode" or all "Street Race" races in "Arcade mode"
- In Super Meat Boy, all "Rapture Light World" levels
- In Puzznic, the first 50 levels

For future improvements, each IL may be obsoleted individually.

  • 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.

Completion percentage

Beyond this basic consideration of the type of segmentation, a run usually also falls into one of the following categories:

  • any%: This is the most basic goal of a speedrun: beating the game as quickly as possible. The aim is to reach an ending (or for an IL, the end of the level) as fast as you can manage to within the boundaries of the game. This may include skipping entire sections of the game, skipping key items, leaving the boundaries of the game world and abusing programming oversights left in the game. Most runs fall into this category.
  • 100%: A lot of games, especially ones following an open-world design, have collectibles and core items that a player may or may not pick up over the course of the run. The goal of a 100% run is not only to beat the game quickly, but also to bring it to a 'full' completion in doing so. This usually involves collecting all of the collectibles and items that grant permanent status changes as well as finishing all of the quests and/or levels in the game. This category is usually easy to define for games that track the completion rate, but other games may also have 100% runs. This forum topic contains 100% definitions for a number of games. This thread is mainly for posting the rulings, not for the discussion itself. If you wish to discuss the 100% definition for a game that's not mentioned in that thread, first post in the relevant game thread (or create one if there is none for your game) and see if you can get feedback from other people who know the game.
  • low%: While the 100% category aims to complete a game as fully as possible, the goal of a low% run is the opposite of that: Beat the game using as few resources as possible. This is probably the least well defined of these categories and strongly depends on the specifics of each game. For games that track a completion percentage, the goal is to minimize that completion rate while still beating the game. For other games, the goal is usually to replicate that behavior, which means foregoing as many collectibles and permanent power-ups as possible. It's important to note that as a general rule, the spirit of this category is "not collecting" items, but not "not using" them! If the game gives you upgrades or powers at certain points that can't be avoided, you're expected to use these items to the full extent. As an example, think of the Megaman games. When you beat a robot master and gain their power, you should not just stick to the buster gun (unless of course that is the best weapon for a given situation). See above under ”100%” for how to discuss the definition of the category for specific games. For this category, an accepted run that manages to beat the game on a lower completion rate than a currently published run will obsolete that run even if the completion time is slower.

Additional category tags

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.
  • In some games, deaths can be used to save time by, for example, teleporting back to a location you've been already and must return to or to refill your character's resources, such as weapons or health. Any run with deaths will be placed in the with deaths category. This also includes the use of continues after a game over.
  • Some games have tricks or glitches that allow you to skip a major part of the game. In this case there will be a with large-skips category for the game (for instance, skipping entire dungeons in Zelda games). Runs using warps that skip large parts of the game (e.g. warp zones in Super Mario Bros.) are treated the same as runs with large-skips, but will be labeled with warps instead.
  • with uber large-skip glitches: Some games contain glitches that go beyond skipping portions of the game and allow you to literally skip the vast majority of the game. Credit warp runs typically go into this category.
  • Multiplayer runs are considered as a separate category to single player runs. The more players you have, the more things can be done at the same time, but can also mean additional lag and the worn-out term ”no chain is stronger than its weakest link” might also apply. There is in general no distinction on SDA between the number of players in a multiplayer run. Use as many players as you deem necessary at any given point during the run to achieve the fastest completion time. This rule also includes runs where one player simultaneously controls two (or more) characters in the game.
  • New game+/DLC means that you use stats, equipment, characters or other game features that are not available when you start a game from scratch. DLC (Down-Loadable Content) should be self-explanatory, while new game+ refers to starting the speedrun from a saved file (usually, but not always, from a completed game file) or a state where for example unlockables have been made available.

If you feel that a certain category would make for an interesting run, feel free to ask about it on the forum or contact an SDA admin about it. Please just keep in mind that the more arbitrary the rules are, the less likely it will be seen as a good fit for the site.

Timing

Always remember that speed is the first and foremost priority; side issues such as entertainment are secondary. Someone can beat your run later simply by omitting your time waster. If you waste enough time, the verifiers will reject your run outright. Similarly, if a game lets you skip cut-scenes or advance through text quickly, then you must do so (exception being if the game has an in-game timer that doesn't run during cut-scenes – it's still preferable to skip what's skippable though). Below follows the general outline for how timing is done on SDA, including some recurring special cases. It's not possible to cover every imaginable situation though, so there will still be many games that must be treated as special cases.

  • The game's internal timer will generally be used unless it is inconsistent or fails to display the time after completion.
  • For games without timers, a simple real-time measure is used. There are many different types of software that can do this. Avidemux for example (be sure to use a version that allows frame count, at the time of writing, that means v2.5 or earlier).
- 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).
- PC loading screens are not 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.
- Console loading screens are counted. However, due to especially more modern consoles often allowing several different ways to load and play a game (DVD/local storage device/ etc), loading times will be factored out should there be a situation where a run is only slower because of longer loading times. For this reason, it's encouraged at the time of submission to provide the technical details of how the game was played.
  • 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.

Hosting

  • Speedruns accepted on SDA will be made available both on SDA's server and on archive.org.
  • For each game there can be multiple categories of runs that are posted on SDA. These generally exist independently of each other and are also improved and obsoleted independently, except for when a new run in a more restrictive category beats the time of a currently posted run or when a new run in a comparable category improves on an existing run beyond the scope of the category difference. For instance, a run on an easier difficulty that significantly improves on an existing run beyond the time saved from playing on an easier difficulty level or a run on a faster version that clearly improves on an existing run more than the version difference accounts for. Cross-category obsoletions are done on a case by case basis.
  • Once a speedrun has been published on SDA, it will be hosted until it's obsoleted by another run or if there are doubts about the validity of the speedrun (for example cheating, inconsistencies in segmentation or not sticking to the category rules). The obsoleted run will still be available on archive.org, though.
Retrieved from "https://kb.speeddemosarchive.com/index.php?title=Rules&oldid=43984"
Personal tools