Speedrunning: Investigation Phase

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NOTE: This page is a work in progress.

Introduction

Many newcomers to speedrunning are eager to get started on a game they're fond of but have little understanding about how to actually go through the process of learning a game from scratch. In the grand scheme of things, I divide a generic speedrunning process as the culmination of three distinct phases: Investigation, Routing, and Execution. Execution is self-explanatory, but Investigation and Routing are often lumped into the same category when they in fact focus on very different things. For the purposes of this document, Routing will refer to the process of planning a run and optimizations. Investigation covers the initial process of understanding and exploring a game in order to make Routing and Execution proceed more efficiently. The topics below will cover some of the basic steps as well as some useful tips and techniques for completing the Investigation phase for any particular game. An example of the full process is available in Appendix A.

Pick a Game

Selection Criteria

Play and Explore

Understand the Game

Search the Web

Tabulate Information

Test and Evaluate

The World is Math

The Scientific Method: Speedrunning Edition

Glitch Hunting

Understand Human Execution

Conclusion

Appendix A: Example Investigation - Radical Rex

Appendix B: Advanced Technique - RAM Watching

Appendix C: Advanced Technique - Trace Logging and Debugging

Appendix D: Advanced Technique - Understanding RNG

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