What do you enjoy about speed running?

2010-11-17 10:42:47 pm

Quote:

Or am I just masochistic?

This.

...Seriously, though, it seems like some part of me enjoys repeating the same level or trick for hours and hours. And it's great to get the satisfaction when you finally do complete a run.

PJ

Edit history:

PJ: 2010-11-17 10:52:19 pm

2010-11-17 10:51:23 pm

Is PJ

It mostly comes down to two things for me, and nearly everybody highlighted them already:

1. I view speed run planning as just a big puzzle. Solving the puzzle is a lot of fun for me. I love planning runs. Actually attempting the run for me is not nearly as fun, but after putting so much effort into the planning, I am more or less forced to run the game. That's basically the only reason I have any speed runs at all. I enjoy planning and I enjoy training my muscles to execute all the tricks correctly.

2. I am unquestionably masochistic. I enjoy playing absolutely painful games that bring no pleasure to anybody else. My favorite game is Actraiser 2, and my favorite RPG is 7th Saga, two games out of many that are pretty viewed as absolute shit by everybody else in the gaming world. I love Lagoon and Mohawk & Headphone Jack, which are even lower on the totem pole. Anyways, bad games aside, speed running is definitely a painful test of endurance and patience which I really love. If I really didn't enjoy failing for months during a single run, I wouldn't be nearly as decent as I am right now.

But yea, overall it is nice to look back at the finished product and take pride in it as everybody else mentioned. I must say though that I am much more proud of the process of each of my speed runs (planning, failures, etc) than I am of the finished video.

Edit: Rereading my post, it sounds contradictory. I like the entire process of speed running, but planning > attempting. Attempting is still fun, though. Wink

It mostly comes down to two things for me, and nearly everybody highlighted them already:

1.  I view speed run planning as just a big puzzle.  Solving the puzzle is a lot of fun for me.  I love planning runs.  Actually attempting the run for me is not nearly as fun, but after putting so much effort into the planning, I am more or less forced to run the game.  That's basically the only reason I have any speed runs at all.  I enjoy planning and I enjoy training my muscles to execute all the tricks correctly.

2.  I am unquestionably masochistic.  I enjoy playing absolutely painful games that bring no pleasure to anybody else.  My favorite game is Actraiser 2, and my favorite RPG is 7th Saga, two games out of many that are pretty viewed as absolute shit by everybody else in the gaming world.  I love Lagoon and Mohawk & Headphone Jack, which are even lower on the totem pole.  Anyways, bad games aside, speed running is definitely a painful test of endurance and patience which I really love.  If I really didn't enjoy failing for months during a single run, I wouldn't be nearly as decent as I am right now.

But yea, overall it is nice to look back at the finished product and take pride in it as everybody else mentioned.  I must say though that I am much more proud of the process of each of my speed runs (planning, failures, etc) than I am of the finished video.

Edit:  Rereading my post, it sounds contradictory.  I like the entire process of speed running, but planning > attempting.  Attempting is still fun, though.  ;)

VorpalEdge

Edit history:

VorpalEdge: 2010-11-19 07:15:08 am

2010-11-18 09:22:38 pm

welcome to the machine

I do a little speedrunning because I'm already here and you guys are awesome. Route planning's pretty fun too. I don't like the actual running process much, since it involves way too many restarts, but sometimes it's alright.

neskamikaze

2010-11-18 09:35:13 pm

Am I the only person here who doesn't like the route planning part of the run? I'd rather jump into attempts with a plan already figured out, or a game that doesn't take a whole lot of planning in the first place.

andrewg

Edit history:

andrewg: 2010-11-18 10:00:59 pm

2010-11-18 10:00:23 pm

Hi! I'm andrewg!

To me, it's the thrill of being the best in the world at something (or at least darn close to it). It's real fun for me to say that I'm one of the best at something I do and something I really enjoy doing. It's not like it's all that spectacular or anything to be the best at a video game. There are so many video games now that saying "I'm the best at game X"'s meaning has kind of been diluted.

I like to show what I can do because I like to entertain people...and I like to entertain myself. Trying for hours and hours to do something and then finally accomplishing it, or accomplishing something or find something NO ONE has ever done before is just a cool feeling. It's a cool feeling to know that you yourself have never done better either. Smiley

I love competition and I love playing video games and being good at them, so it only makes sense that I speedrun.

thri11ki11

2010-11-18 11:03:25 pm

Don't MAKE me come down these stairs

I like to crunch stats and develop strategies. That's why most of the games that I run are RPGs.

I think the big thing is that it allows me to play games that I love in a completely different way. Picking up a game and playing it the same way you played it the first time gets boring (trying to get all of the items, kill every enemy, make it a leisurely stroll, etc.) Speedrunning gives us a chance to replay the hell out of the games we loved in a fresh, new way.

Course, once you speedrun a game it's tough to go back to playing it the way it was "meant" to be played... it's hard to resist using all of those cool speedy tricks you've learned!

Carcinogen

2010-11-18 11:58:53 pm

For me, it's understanding the mechanics of a game, putting it together like a puzzle, and executing it like a well-oiled machine. Uncovering methods of high-level play and beating the game in a way outside of how the developers intended is a great way to pay tribute to my favorite games.

To a slightly lesser degree though, I like to entertain and educate in the process.

Every time I've mentioned speedrunning to the group of people I regularly hang out with, they're all like "what's the point?" and "that's no fun, you're ruining it!", but they could never understand since they just pick up a game once, finish it, and maybe play a little bit of multiplayer before moving onto another less memorable game just like it.

Paraxade

2010-11-19 12:06:47 am

Quote from neskamikaze:

Am I the only person here who doesn't like the route planning part of the run? I'd rather jump into attempts with a plan already figured out, or a game that doesn't take a whole lot of planning in the first place.

I don't like planning either, so no, you're not alone. :/

Manocheese

Edit history:

Manocheese: 2010-11-19 07:33:26 am

2010-11-19 07:32:43 am

Yes, a cucco riding the ground.

I like speed running for lots of reasons. The process of finding new tricks and strategies is fun and rewarding. When you finally pull something off that no one has ever done before, it's incredibly satisfying. For this reason, I tend to prefer breaking new ground instead of improving old runs, but there are still plenty of discoveries to be made even if you try to improve something already up. When I finally finish a run, I have something that I can be proud of. Like others have mentioned, a lot of people just don't get it because they've never done anything difficult. It's the same with mountain climbing; people climb mountains because they're there, and a lot of people will never understand that. "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."

Bablo

2010-11-19 07:39:10 am

I'm a flippin' ninja

Quote from Paraxade:

Quote from neskamikaze:

Am I the only person here who doesn't like the route planning part of the run? I'd rather jump into attempts with a plan already figured out, or a game that doesn't take a whole lot of planning in the first place.

I don't like planning either, so no, you're not alone. :/

I find that rather funny, as I enjoy the planning phase a lot. For most games I find it to be the most important part too. Constantly thinking critically of existing or your own strategies makes you come up with a lot of different ideas for how to handle parts of the game. Which often leads to faster and more entertaining speedruns. Sometimes makes the execution easier too. This might be more of a habit for people who have TASed, though.

Doesn't mean I wouldn't enjoy the running process. So far my only runs on site (Castlevania, Wizards&Warriors) have had quite few restarts compared to the toughest runs, but I practised a lot a lot a lot while planning before I went to recording. Still I recorded for many hours straight and the time just flew by. I love the flow feeling I get from speedrunning, I don't get the kind of focus often.

[quote="Paraxade"][quote="neskamikaze"]Am I the only person here who doesn't like the route planning part of the run? I'd rather jump into attempts with a plan already figured out, or a game that doesn't take a whole lot of planning in the first place.[/quote]

I don't like planning either, so no, you're not alone. :/[/quote]

I find that rather funny, as I enjoy the planning phase a lot. For most games I find it to be the most important part too. Constantly thinking critically of existing or your own strategies makes you come up with a lot of different ideas for how to handle parts of the game. Which often leads to faster and more entertaining speedruns. Sometimes makes the execution easier too. This might be more of a habit for people who have TASed, though.

Doesn't mean I wouldn't enjoy the running process. So far my only runs on site (Castlevania, Wizards&Warriors) have had quite few restarts compared to the toughest runs, but I practised a lot a lot a lot while planning before I went to recording. Still I recorded for many hours straight and the time just flew by. I love the flow feeling I get from speedrunning, I don't get the kind of focus often.

roysen

Edit history:

roysen: 2010-11-19 12:56:39 pm

roysen: 2010-11-19 12:56:23 pm

roysen: 2010-11-19 12:54:07 pm

2010-11-19 12:52:54 pm

it's something i've grown up with. when i was young and replayed games a lot (for example mega man), i used to try beating levels as fast as possible without getting hit.

though it's something i hardly do these days. just don't have the time/motiviation to replay a game for hours on end.

Vugmer

Edit history:

Vugmer: 2010-11-21 12:06:43 pm

2010-11-21 12:01:06 pm

Cigar Man

I've thought about this too. Accomplishing something difficult (for example, a speedrun) probably releases some feel-good chemicals in the brain. A person probably gets this same type of feeling after giving a public speech or after winning an MMA fight. These things also provide a sense of purpose and drive. Sometimes, when I am in speedrunning mode and running a certain game, running the game occupies my thoughts most of the time, and I feel very driven, focused, and goal oriented and have a specific purpose.

I also think that what RingRush said has something to do with it: "Our mass culture has ingrained the importance of work in us to the point that we must make our free time resemble work to feel adequate." But I think I am starting to move away from this work-is-divine nonsense.

There's also the community aspect of speedrunning. If you produce speedruns on a regular basis, you're part of a niche group that you can interact with (and possibly get praise and validation from the group).

I've gotten so angry while speedrunning that I've thrown a chair across the room as hard as I possibly could. Maybe every once in a while, I (and other people) like being so angry that I feel like the Hulk.

I've thought about this too.  Accomplishing something difficult (for example, a speedrun) probably releases some feel-good chemicals in the brain.  A person probably gets this same type of feeling after giving a public speech or after winning an MMA fight.  These things also provide a sense of purpose and drive.  Sometimes, when I am in speedrunning mode and running a certain game, running the game occupies my thoughts most of the time, and I feel very driven, focused, and goal oriented and have a specific purpose.

I also think that what RingRush said has something to do with it: "Our mass culture has ingrained the importance of work in us to the point that we must make our free time resemble work to feel adequate."  But I think I am starting to move away from this work-is-divine nonsense.

There's also the community aspect of speedrunning.  If you produce speedruns on a regular basis, you're part of a niche group that you can interact with (and possibly get praise and validation from the group).

I've gotten so angry while speedrunning that I've thrown a chair across the room as hard as I possibly could.  Maybe every once in a while, I (and other people) like being so angry that I feel like the Hulk.

Heidrage

2010-11-21 07:30:42 pm

Willing to teach you the impossible

I have been known to get rather angry myself. I hurt my hand a few times from punching hard surfaces. Hurts so good Wink

neskamikaze

2010-11-21 07:54:12 pm

I've kicked my game setup and had to catch a falling TV while running THPS2. Also, on a slightly related note I've made two people break controllers playing Melee. Now that feels good Tongue

Heidrage

2010-11-21 08:01:11 pm

Willing to teach you the impossible

I have a new hero <3

neskamikaze

2010-11-21 08:43:03 pm

=) I've always wanted to be Heidman's hero (not really, but we'll pretend)

I have no name

2010-11-21 09:15:01 pm

Obscure games ftw

Doing the impossible Cheesy

FlamingMage

2010-11-21 09:23:59 pm

Quote from thri11ki11:

Course, once you speedrun a game it's tough to go back to playing it the way it was "meant" to be played... it's hard to resist using all of those cool speedy tricks you've learned!

I'm like this, except it extends to games I've never played or ran before. I was livestreaming a blind run of Bioshock and literally the first thing I do once gaining control is try to jump on top of the little sphere ship to get out of bounds. Hilarity Ensued Smiley

Despite claiming to be very knowledgeable about the games I run, some of the parts I figure out how to skip early on in the planning I totally forget. I know nothing about the layout of the Ublik Passage in ToD, but I've spent upwards of 25 hours playing other planets. Weird stuff.

Shadow Jacky

Edit history:

Shadow Jacky: 2010-11-23 01:18:30 am

2010-11-23 01:12:58 am

fucking .gif....

I always liked the feeling of fluidly playing through a level or full game without thinking too much. To just turn on a game, pick up the controller, play through it, and at the end to think "yeah, that was a good game".

That is of course without trying to perform difficult feats or the game itself isn't too buggy.

actually wait, is this for speedrunning for fast times or just playing?

ExplodingCabbage

Edit history:

ExplodingCabbage: 2010-11-23 06:41:55 am

2010-11-23 06:40:59 am

I'll be repeating lots of stuff that's already been said here, so I'll summarise. There's lots of different things that make it enjoyable, including:

- Puzzle solving aspect: thinking stuff through logically to find tricks, glitches and timesavers

- Collaborative aspect: working together on a big project with other people

- Competitive aspect: coming up with tricks or pulling stuff off that other people didn't think of or couldn't manage

- "omg I'm a jedi" aspect: being amazed at how good your own execution becomes after lots of practice when you initially totally sucked at something and couldn't do it at all; taking pride in how slick your own vids look

- Revitalising games aspect: making games interesting again when either you've played them too much and they have nothing else left to offer, or they're horribly flawed in a way that makes them crap to play normally (like bad, exploitable AI letting you easily cheese your way through every level) but have a lot of good features that you only get to play with to their full extent when speedrunning.

- Stroking my e-penis aspect: being told by other people how awesome I am

- Killing time aspect: It's something to do

The things I don't like about speedrunning are:

- Resource management aspect: any planning task that requires careful weighing up of lots of inter-related possibilities, usually involving marginal decisions about whether or not to get or use ammo or items, confuses me and I don't find it fun

- Hitting a brick wall aspect: failing over and over without improving or feeling like you have a chance of pulling off the run

I'll be repeating lots of stuff that's already been said here, so I'll summarise. There's lots of different things that make it enjoyable, including:

- [b]Puzzle solving aspect[/b]: thinking stuff through logically to find tricks, glitches and timesavers

- [b]Collaborative aspect[/b]: working together on a big project with other people

- [b]Competitive aspect[/b]: coming up with tricks or pulling stuff off that other people didn't think of or couldn't manage

- [b]"omg I'm a jedi" aspect[/b]: being amazed at how good your own execution becomes after lots of practice when you initially totally sucked at something and couldn't do it at all; taking pride in how slick your own vids look

- [b]Revitalising games aspect[/b]: making games interesting again when either you've played them too much and they have nothing else left to offer, or they're horribly flawed in a way that makes them crap to play normally (like bad, exploitable AI letting you easily cheese your way through every level) but have a lot of good features that you only get to play with to their full extent when speedrunning.

- [b]Stroking my e-penis aspect[/b]: being told by other people how awesome I am

- [b]Killing time aspect[/b]: It's something to do

The things I [i]don't[/i] like about speedrunning are:

- [b]Resource management aspect[/b]: any planning task that requires careful weighing up of lots of inter-related possibilities, usually involving marginal decisions about whether or not to get or use ammo or items, confuses me and I don't find it fun

- [b]Hitting a brick wall aspect[/b]: failing over and over without improving or feeling like you have a chance of pulling off the run

gia

Edit history:

gia: 2010-11-23 09:12:56 pm

2010-11-23 09:11:02 pm

I love YaBB 1G - SP1!

Quote from ExplodingCabbage:

The things I don't like about speedrunning are:

- Resource management aspect: any planning task that requires careful weighing up of lots of inter-related possibilities, usually involving marginal decisions about whether or not to get or use ammo or items, confuses me and I don't find it fun

Funny. An RTS level has been amazing me because I tried completely different strategies yet the times were "equal", using navy through route 1, or using ground forces on route 2, attacking with a mass of low tech units or with fewer fully upgraded ones, using towers instead of units, etc. I had to decide on which I imagined could end faster due to being simpler to execute many times succesfully. Can't tell about multiplayer but it's really balanced for speedruns Tongue

Riskbreaker Y

2010-11-23 09:38:01 pm

berserker status

It seems like everybody pretty much nailed it so I guess I won't be able to add much more. As others have pointed out, there are definitely times when failure after failure just gets old fast. There's no in-betweens when it comes to speedrunning, you either have something to show or nothing at all. Lately, I've been attempting some SS stuff and the rush you get during the attempts is comparable to playing in sports events or like the examples Vgmr gave. Knowing that in one second a mistake can end your attempt can be nerve wrecking in a 2 hr. run but the thrill keeps you coming back for more. It's like a terminal disease, once you're afflicted there's no going back.

neskamikaze

2010-11-23 10:35:47 pm

Quote from Riskbreaker Y:

It's like a terminal disease, once you're afflicted there's no going back.

This might not be the wording I use but I wholeheartedly agree. Once you start speedrunning, you see every game in speedrunning terms. You play new games as if you know what you're doing and try to go at full speed, or if not you look for routes as you play through a game the first time, wondering if you could/would do a full speedrun of that game. Gaming has not been the same since I've discovered this place.

Heidrage

2010-11-25 04:30:57 am

Willing to teach you the impossible

That is true with me as well. I will pick up a game in the store, look at the back and say to myself "should I run this game?"

Hariyama465

2010-11-25 12:13:47 pm

I suppose I can't really put my finger on why I love speedrunning so much. Ever since I discovered the art, I loved it. I had no idea you could blaze through games that quickly.

For me, the overall, polished, final product is something I really love. It feels complete. I did some casual no-bomb-hover runs of Majora's Mask and other games on emulator, and after finishing it a few of my friends and I commentated it, and put it up on a forum I used to go to, and just being able to look back at that run and say "it was complete" was just awesome.

Now for SDA it's different since I haven't submitted a run to this site, but I am working on a run right now, and hopefully if and when that gets verified I'll be able to proudly say I speedran a game for SDA and now I'm a published runner.

The other part of it, undeniably, is the community. We all know each other and a bunch of people working towards one stellar run makes the completion of that run a big deal not only for the runner but everyone who contributed towards that run, and anyone who just really wanted to see that run happen.

I suppose I can't really put my finger on why I love speedrunning so much. Ever since I discovered the art, I loved it. I had no idea you could blaze through games that quickly.

For me, the overall, polished, final product is something I really love. It feels complete. I did some casual no-bomb-hover runs of Majora's Mask and other games on emulator, and after finishing it a few of my friends and I commentated it, and put it up on a forum I used to go to, and just being able to look back at that run and say "it was complete" was just awesome.

Now for SDA it's different since I haven't submitted a run to this site, but I am working on a run right now, and hopefully if and when that gets verified I'll be able to proudly say I speedran a game for SDA and now I'm a published runner.

The other part of it, undeniably, is the community. We all know each other and a bunch of people working towards one stellar run makes the completion of that run a big deal not only for the runner but everyone who contributed towards that run, and anyone who just really wanted to see that run happen.