My feelings on The Demon Rush
Game Page: Doesn't exist yet
Single-segment run
Verifier Responses
This is a conversation I had with the runner:
A conversation we had a few days later.
Decision: Reject
Reason: The runner has already improved his run and still wants to redo it.
The run will be available for about a month if anyone wants to see it. PM me if you want a copy.
Single-segment run
Verifier Responses
Quote:
Video quality was fine. Audio quality was fine, but the volume was a bit low (I had to max out the volume on my media player and raise the volume on my speakers to properly hear the audio). Gameplay in the overworld/town sequences was spot-on (runner planned his/her routes quite well for talking to the specific townspeople needed to advance the story), and dungeon gameplay was very good (runner didn't let the game's somewhat clumsy jumping mechanics slow him/her down much, and impressed me with being able to get through the death traps in the dark rooms without hitting the light tiles first). A couple of battles in Chapter 7 and the final battle could have gone smoother, but all in all this is very fine work for single-segment.
I vote to accept.
I vote to accept.
Quote:
Decision: accept.
It's a good run, with only a couple problems. Losing the morning star on 3-5 is not good, but for me the biggest possible improvement is on final boss (not even taking into account the "ending glitch"). The runner needs to be more aggressive during the fight and stay closer to him. I definitely wouldn't call the Zoda time in the run "pretty quickly."
It's a good run, with only a couple problems. Losing the morning star on 3-5 is not good, but for me the biggest possible improvement is on final boss (not even taking into account the "ending glitch"). The runner needs to be more aggressive during the fight and stay closer to him. I definitely wouldn't call the Zoda time in the run "pretty quickly."
Quote:
Verifier: mike.. the star tropics run was pretty awesome.. a few mistakes here and there but nothing that lost a ton of time, it was pretty remarkable, ESPECIALLY with how easy it is to die in the final dungeon.. ACCEPT
me: that was a short verification.. REJECT
me: just kidding
me: good to see you liked the run
Verifier: i loved it
Verifier: the final dungeon in that game has like.. the steepest difficulty curve ever compared to the rest of the game
Verifier: cause those robot dudes with the guns firing range is like over 9000
Verifier: only the nova weapon outranges them, and even then they move really fast
Verifier: and do lots of damage..
Verifier: fucking HATED that level
Verifier: so much
me: that was a short verification.. REJECT
me: just kidding
me: good to see you liked the run
Verifier: i loved it
Verifier: the final dungeon in that game has like.. the steepest difficulty curve ever compared to the rest of the game
Verifier: cause those robot dudes with the guns firing range is like over 9000
Verifier: only the nova weapon outranges them, and even then they move really fast
Verifier: and do lots of damage..
Verifier: fucking HATED that level
Verifier: so much
Quote:
Audio: Really quiet for some reason. Compared to other runs, I can have them at 30%-50% in Windows Media Player and it's fine. This one, I have it up at 100% and I can still barely hear it. The audio's fine otherwise.
Video: Nice and clear, no complaints.
There are a few times before and after the rather glaring dungeon-ending flub in Chapter 3 where early or otherwise wrong turns are made, or there's a brief pause in places where there probably shouldn't be, like the overworld. They don't amount to anything more than maybe 30 seconds throughout the run, I think, so it's not too bad.
Other than that, pretty much anywhere I can say that there was a problem or issue was already pointed out in the notes anyway, and I would just be left with a pedantic list of "1:23 wasted 45 frames being a goof with the controls." Even the spots pointed out are somewhat due to luck anyway, with enemies just not doing what you want them to occasionally because they're jerks.
Random other thoughts that have little to no bearing on the actual run:
Chapter 1: Why can't all bosses be nice and give you a platform out of the room right when they spawn?
Chapter 2: You don't know how many times I always thought you could make that first disappearing platform in the fifth room without waiting for it to submerge the first time.
Chapter 3: I was something like six when I first played this game, and never made maps of it. So nice to see 3-3 being left behind as fast as possible.
Chapter 4: In which nothing of note happens.
Chapter 5: Is it just me, or does an 8-bit rendition of "America" play during the sinking of the pirate ship?
Chapter 7: Hey, remember those days before Mode 7? Hey, remember Mode 7?
Chapter 8: Nice core fight, and Zoda went pretty well, too. I would complain about not being more aggressive, but I can't be too hard, given that he is instant-death and the very last challenge of a single segment run (unless you consider walking down a hall and scrolling the text to be a challenge).
Wait...Those aren't magic cubes, that's the first level of Q-Bert! "@#$%!"
My final opinion: Wow! You've done it! It doesn't take much island courage to accept this run.
Video: Nice and clear, no complaints.
There are a few times before and after the rather glaring dungeon-ending flub in Chapter 3 where early or otherwise wrong turns are made, or there's a brief pause in places where there probably shouldn't be, like the overworld. They don't amount to anything more than maybe 30 seconds throughout the run, I think, so it's not too bad.
Other than that, pretty much anywhere I can say that there was a problem or issue was already pointed out in the notes anyway, and I would just be left with a pedantic list of "1:23 wasted 45 frames being a goof with the controls." Even the spots pointed out are somewhat due to luck anyway, with enemies just not doing what you want them to occasionally because they're jerks.
Random other thoughts that have little to no bearing on the actual run:
Chapter 1: Why can't all bosses be nice and give you a platform out of the room right when they spawn?
Chapter 2: You don't know how many times I always thought you could make that first disappearing platform in the fifth room without waiting for it to submerge the first time.
Chapter 3: I was something like six when I first played this game, and never made maps of it. So nice to see 3-3 being left behind as fast as possible.
Chapter 4: In which nothing of note happens.
Chapter 5: Is it just me, or does an 8-bit rendition of "America" play during the sinking of the pirate ship?
Chapter 7: Hey, remember those days before Mode 7? Hey, remember Mode 7?
Chapter 8: Nice core fight, and Zoda went pretty well, too. I would complain about not being more aggressive, but I can't be too hard, given that he is instant-death and the very last challenge of a single segment run (unless you consider walking down a hall and scrolling the text to be a challenge).
Wait...Those aren't magic cubes, that's the first level of Q-Bert! "@#$%!"
My final opinion: Wow! You've done it! It doesn't take much island courage to accept this run.
This is a conversation I had with the runner:
Quote:
Runner: Have you received any verdicts on the Startropics run yet?
me: yeah everyone likes it
me: except one verifier says your zoda fight is anything but pretty fast
me: actually I could possibly look at it myself since I did that magfest challenge a year and a half ago
me: which was do the final stage without life jars or something like that
Runner: hmm...
Runner: I'm considering pulling it.
Runner: The TAS final boss glitch is doable on console.
me: ah okay
Runner: So I don't know if I want to pull it or not.
Runner: I'm conflicted.
Runner: Plus I can beat Zoda even faster now.
Runner: The glitch is a two minute improvement regardless.
Runner: I'm interested in verifier comments regardless if I pull it or not.
me: yeah everyone likes it
me: except one verifier says your zoda fight is anything but pretty fast
me: actually I could possibly look at it myself since I did that magfest challenge a year and a half ago
me: which was do the final stage without life jars or something like that
Runner: hmm...
Runner: I'm considering pulling it.
Runner: The TAS final boss glitch is doable on console.
me: ah okay
Runner: So I don't know if I want to pull it or not.
Runner: I'm conflicted.
Runner: Plus I can beat Zoda even faster now.
Runner: The glitch is a two minute improvement regardless.
Runner: I'm interested in verifier comments regardless if I pull it or not.
A conversation we had a few days later.
Quote:
Runner: I need advice on what to do with Startropics.
me: rejectcept it
Runner: Yeah.
Runner: If people submitted comments, I'd love to see them.
me: well if you can really improve it like you said
Runner: I do think that the one I submitted really needs to be tossed.
me: you make it sound pretty easy
me: okay fair enough
me: I'll post it in the verification board either later tonight or sometime tomorrow
Runner: Well, I have a recorded run that's technically faster already.
me I have a lot to post
Runner: Because of the glitch.
Runner: I get to the point where I activate the glitch four seconds slower than where it could have happened in the previous run.
Runner: So it's essentially 68:55 + 2:00 versus 68:59 + 0:05 seconds.
Runner: I don't know if the new one I've recorded is up to muster.
Runner: I fall about 35 seconds behind at a couple checkpoints in the run.
Runner: But make it up to four seconds behind at the final time.
Runner: So I'm conflicted to say the least.
me: okay
me: if you recorded a new one that quickly
me: then why not try again?
Runner: I feel bad for the verifiers, say if I get a new run after that and they have to keep looking at videos that I'm tossing out.
me: rejectcept it
Runner: Yeah.
Runner: If people submitted comments, I'd love to see them.
me: well if you can really improve it like you said
Runner: I do think that the one I submitted really needs to be tossed.
me: you make it sound pretty easy
me: okay fair enough
me: I'll post it in the verification board either later tonight or sometime tomorrow
Runner: Well, I have a recorded run that's technically faster already.
me I have a lot to post
Runner: Because of the glitch.
Runner: I get to the point where I activate the glitch four seconds slower than where it could have happened in the previous run.
Runner: So it's essentially 68:55 + 2:00 versus 68:59 + 0:05 seconds.
Runner: I don't know if the new one I've recorded is up to muster.
Runner: I fall about 35 seconds behind at a couple checkpoints in the run.
Runner: But make it up to four seconds behind at the final time.
Runner: So I'm conflicted to say the least.
me: okay
me: if you recorded a new one that quickly
me: then why not try again?
Runner: I feel bad for the verifiers, say if I get a new run after that and they have to keep looking at videos that I'm tossing out.
Decision: Reject
Reason: The runner has already improved his run and still wants to redo it.
The run will be available for about a month if anyone wants to see it. PM me if you want a copy.
Thread title:
