Speedrunning Discussion Topic

[King Dumb]

Speedrunning is basically running through a game as quickly as possible, given a certain set of conditions.

Conditions usually include a % completion minimum or maximum, and in some cases, banned techniques or required areas to be completed. Other conditions can include handicaps like no deaths or a health cap.

For any given game that is popularly speedrun (the past form of speedrun is speedrun), there can be a number of categories, each with different conditions. Two of the most common categories for a given game are any% and 100%.

Speedrunning often involves using glitches, bugs, etc. in games to improve times. Many speedruns involve sequence breaks, which simply means things are done out of order compared to how the game would normally (casually) be played. Sometimes large section, or even near entireties, of game content can be skipped in speedruns.

There is another kind of speedrunning, called Tool-Assisted Speedrunning, or TAS, that allows for the use external software to augment the timing or other technical skills of the speedrunner. TAS does not include the use of external hacks to break games, but merely the use of external software to maximize the usage of the game's own glitches, programming, etc.

Speedrunning is very popular on the Internet, with sites such as Twitch hosting a myriad of people who stream speedruns quite often. These people and many more are part of the large community which is based in the site Speed Demos Archive. Speed Demos Archive hosts speedrunning events at various times and is generally a place where speedrunners gather.

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Personally, while I don't really have much experience speedrunning, I thoroughly enjoy watching speedruns, and listening to runner commentary at the same time. I enjoy seeing my favorite games pushed to their limits, as well as seeing new and fun games that I otherwise never would have heard of. It's also a fun new way to look at video games in general.

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This topic is simply for discussion about anything related to the world of speedrunning!

To get the ball rolling: Summer Games Done Quick 2013, the second of Speed Demos Archive's largest semiannual speedrunning events (the first is Awesome Games Done Quick, which takes place in January) just recently concluded. Anyone see it? Lots of fun games were run, and even a couple of world records, including in Diddy Kong Racing. Personally, I would have liked to see more Zelda titles, but that's just me. The schedule of SGDQ 2013, which ended July 30th and ran for a little over 100 hours (yes, it lasts a few days and speedruns are streamed live 24 hours a day).

[Dr. Freeman]

Forgive my crazy bump here.

Since like Juneish I've been getting into watching speedruns because I find it really nifty to watch people just utterly break games, though I honestly prefer Real Time to TAS's most of the time because commentary makes it so much more entertaining.
Though Mega Man and Bass TAS is the best thing ever.

I've been wanting to get into speedrunning and I've fooled around with a couple things, though right now I'm trying to find a game that I can play and be decent at and can just play forever. Because it's fun and I've always done mini "LET'S STRESS OVER TIME" (MEGA MAN 9) things before this.

Also AGDQ is sometime so that's neat I guess.

[Knux]

I guess I made a speedrun of Pilotwings SNES the other day. I skipped a few lessons thanks to bonuses and didn't fail anything. It took me about half hour, roughly.

It was also on a real SNES with it's original controller. Very nostalgic.

[King Dumb]

Bumping because they've released the at least tentative list of games to be run at AGDQ 2014, which will be occurring January 5th-January 11th 2014.

Here it is. It's a google doc, yes, sorry.

So basically lots of hype. There's a lot of commonly run stuff here, but I find that stuff just as entertaining as new games. We've got Wind Waker, Majora's Mask, Ocarina of Time race, Super Metroid Race, etc. Wind Waker and Chrono Trigger (latter is 100% run) will be concluding the marathon.

[Geno]

I recently did a speedrun of megaman sprite game.

I was able to finish it in 41 minutes.

Although I did mess up once or twice, I may try to go faster sometime.

[Koal]

To be quite blunt, I never really cared much for speed running. I find them as stupid as No damage runs and the like. Though there is one TAS video I find highly enjoyable to watch as well as extremely amusing and it would be this:

[King Dumb]

t-11.5 hours until Awesome Games Done Quick 2014.

HOW HYPE ARE YOU?

[MusashiAA]

AGDQ 2014 REPRESENT! It all begins in about 2 hours. Starting off with Jaxk and Daxter is surely a great start! I've been watching the past two Games Done Quick for the last week or so...so entertaining and interesting. I specially loved Mofat's Twilight Princess run, and he's going to commentate on this year's run!

We should totally do a Skype call/chat for us people watching this.

[King Dumb]

Mofat is a great commentator. I watch his stream a lot, and it's always entertaining.

I would be down for a temporary chat. OJ brought it up last night but no one but a couple expressed interest. But we could make one anyway.

[MusashiAA]

My only and first interaction with actual speedrunners has been through AdamAK's GTA3/GTA:VC streams. Then I stumbled upon SDA and just kept watching and watching. werster's Pokemon Gold speedrun was the dealbreaker for me: "Now I have to watch this. When's the next GDQ-oh look, it's just around the corner!"

It's a week-long, bi-yearly event. Despite there being few, there are people interested (and the less, the merrier for me). The stream chat will not do justice.

[King Dumb]

We have a chat now, so if you want to join in (please, only on-topic discussion), just send me a PM (and your Skype name if we aren't already contacts.)

[Kage]

I found an interesting TAS with Wily's Tower that uses Magnet Beam and Rush to skip through stages kind of like how I've seen Mega Man 1 and 2 done on the NES.

[King Dumb]

SGDQ 2014 starts on June 22nd. Bodily preparations should begin immediately.

Here's the schedule for the event.

As before, we have a Skype chat for all GDQ-based conversation, if you're interested let me know.

Personally, I am not quite as excited for this game line-up as I was for AGDQ 2014. However, there are a lot of entertaining runners, and quite a few races that could turn out to be good. I'm looking at you, Metroid Fusion.

[Tengu]

Yo yo, if that chat is still there I would like to be added to it.

>>Avid VVVVVV Speedrunner<<

[MusashiAA]

Bumping this because today is the day we wash our hands.

If you're curious about this event, why not consider joining the Skype group for live, non-cancerous hype?