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Dynamite Jack (Any %) (Individual Level)
Verifier Responses
Decision: Accept
Congratulations to Nathanaël 'Forsaken' Villemin!
Dynamite Jack (Any %) (Individual Level)
Verifier Responses
Quote:
Times in the statID are spot on, video/audio quality is great.
The runs are at the top of the leaderboard, outside of a couple fake times (0:00.03 on Advanced Lab and 0:00.03 w/ 10 deaths on Power Plant). The runner did an amazing job knowing the limits of the bomb range and staying JUST outside of the lights of the guards (and occasionally, cheating those lights).
It's gonna be funny to see negative times on SDA, but they're completely valid in the scope of the game and its leaderboard.
Crystal Excavation, The Crypt, and Technoplex gets absolute high marks for doing those levels and getting the top of the leaderboard, WITHOUT THE FLASHLIGHT.
And lastly, amazing job on The Decatron. There's a lot to do/remember about that level and it looked amazingly clean.
Note: The runner means a second "The Hive", not a second "The Crypt". And yes, the two levels he mentioned and didn't run aren't part of the main game.
Overall, this is an exceptional run and a very easy run to accept.
The runs are at the top of the leaderboard, outside of a couple fake times (0:00.03 on Advanced Lab and 0:00.03 w/ 10 deaths on Power Plant). The runner did an amazing job knowing the limits of the bomb range and staying JUST outside of the lights of the guards (and occasionally, cheating those lights).
It's gonna be funny to see negative times on SDA, but they're completely valid in the scope of the game and its leaderboard.
Crystal Excavation, The Crypt, and Technoplex gets absolute high marks for doing those levels and getting the top of the leaderboard, WITHOUT THE FLASHLIGHT.
And lastly, amazing job on The Decatron. There's a lot to do/remember about that level and it looked amazingly clean.
Note: The runner means a second "The Hive", not a second "The Crypt". And yes, the two levels he mentioned and didn't run aren't part of the main game.
Overall, this is an exceptional run and a very easy run to accept.
Quote:
Video/audio quality is good (I've only watched all the IQ videos).
The time on the StatID for the second level (The Hive) shows 0:15.75 (In all 4 quality videos), should be 0:15.76.
Apparently you're playing with a gamepad because the "going forward and moving more and more upwards/downwards" isn't possible with a keyboard. This is an advantage that should be mentioned in your comments because if you normally walk diagonally you move a little bit slower, and the way you do these upwards/downwards advantages you won't go slower.
Like in The Hive (Which only requires a bit of walking) I've tried to beat it quickly and I couldn't seem to get it better than 0:15.83 (Maybe after lots more trying I could barely get like .81), whereas you got 0:15.76. Doesn't seem like a big difference but it's a little odd because the level is so extremely simple to do. Your corner cutting in this level (Or any level for that matter) is also very smooth. It seems the gamepad makes movement in general much smoother than you can achieve with a keyboard.
There was one thing in a level where I had a feeling that something could be faster. In level 19 "Laser Lab", I get the feeling that it would be a tad faster, at 1:06, to bomb through here on the left to the path that leads to the end. Would only require 2 bombs I think.
Well anyway, all runs look very polished, good job!
Accepted
The time on the StatID for the second level (The Hive) shows 0:15.75 (In all 4 quality videos), should be 0:15.76.
Apparently you're playing with a gamepad because the "going forward and moving more and more upwards/downwards" isn't possible with a keyboard. This is an advantage that should be mentioned in your comments because if you normally walk diagonally you move a little bit slower, and the way you do these upwards/downwards advantages you won't go slower.
Like in The Hive (Which only requires a bit of walking) I've tried to beat it quickly and I couldn't seem to get it better than 0:15.83 (Maybe after lots more trying I could barely get like .81), whereas you got 0:15.76. Doesn't seem like a big difference but it's a little odd because the level is so extremely simple to do. Your corner cutting in this level (Or any level for that matter) is also very smooth. It seems the gamepad makes movement in general much smoother than you can achieve with a keyboard.
There was one thing in a level where I had a feeling that something could be faster. In level 19 "Laser Lab", I get the feeling that it would be a tad faster, at 1:06, to bomb through here on the left to the path that leads to the end. Would only require 2 bombs I think.
Well anyway, all runs look very polished, good job!
Accepted
Quote:
I don't really have anything negative to say about these runs, even if I was being absurdly nitpicky. I'm very impressed by the runner's obvious skill at this game, and given the all-or-nothing approach to the gameplay, it's also obvious that there was a huge time commitment with this. Almost every level is filled with suicidal stunts that reinforce that.
01 - Barrier Cave: Excellent use of bombs, both to streamline the paths and avoid dying. This is a small detail that serves as a signal to the audience that you've really worked at this.
02 - The Hive: Even though this was a straight shot to the end, you made sure there was some tension by turning your flashlight off ridiculously close to the guards. This is as efficient as this level can get.
03 - The Cubicles: Similarly simple, but it's obvious the runner has learned how to take advantage of the AI.
04 - Walls: Nothing super fancy here either, but as usual, the bomb-work is great.
05 - The Generator: Great routing. Having the bomb explode on the guard just as you reach the red tech looked incredibly clean and precise.
06 - Power Plant: Tricky work abusing the AI pathfinding, the runner makes it look incredibly simple.
07 - Advanced Lab: Not even a moment of hesitation in this level. It's apparent that timing out where the guards would be was key in determining this route, since they seem to be perfectly positioned when the runner encounters them.
08 - Triplex: Cheesing the guard flashlight early on is a pretty dangerous trick, and I'm sure it took a lot of attempts to get it without dying. It's unfortunate because the runner loses that gained time being forced to wait on an enemy pattern that's impossible to dodge. Still, this is as streamlined as it can get.
09 - Crystal Excavation: Timing the bombing of the blue tech on the right side of the map with the guard coming to investigate was fantastic, since you had exactly the amount of time you needed to collect all of the crystals. Really impressed with that, and again, the use of bombs to widen paths is a very effective strategy.
10 - The Halls: Kind of a limited level, but it's done as quickly as it can be. The runner does everything very efficiently. Being bottlenecked by the keycards is a drag.
11 - Dual City: Excellent guard manipulation. I really enjoy seeing these random bombs getting set down because the viewer knows they're going to become useful really soon, and using it here to dodge around the last guard both when he's coming and going is fun to watch.
12 - The Bunker: Working in the dark with the guards and the beasts looks slick, and I'm guessing there's gonna be a lot more of that in the future. The runner is held up by some uncontrollable patterns, but skirting around the flashlights shows that they're doing everything they can to improve the time.
13 - Star Complex: Since this is a big level with lots of red tech, it's nice to see a very deliberate route through it, especially since it requires laying down a lot of bombs and alerting guards. The planning on the bombs looks great as usual, and since this map is littered with enemies, I feel like there's no better way to do this because you have to traverse the entire level anyway.
14 - Containment Unit: Blowing up all the guards with a single bomb right at the end looks so smooth. The fact that the runner keeps having to dive into narrow corridors while being chased makes this pretty tense, but the rough pathfinding on the AI helps. Handling the blue tech while surrounded by beasts looks great too.
15 - The Core: Fast and efficient, with a lot of careful positioning to avoid being shot. Good work.
16 - Micro Palace: It's so sad that people unfamiliar with this game won't understand the last part, where the runner navigates around the pits without a flashlight. It'll just look like sporadic movements, when it's actually requires knowing the level super well.
17 - Abandoned Mine: Lots of bombs, lots of crystals. A very deliberate approach to this map, and I particularly like the little optimizations where the runner doesn't pick up all the crystals, but waits until moving away from an explosion to collect them.
18 - The Crypt: Dealing with the beasts without a flashlight can be extremely frustrating, but since this level is designed to almost force you to get the flashlight, it's cool to see it ignored here. Again, it won't make sense to newcomers since they won't be able to even see the walls, but having to work through the dark and uneven corridors while being chased takes a lot of practice.
19 - Laser Lab: Amazingly tight timing on the lasers, perfectly executed. This was an intense level. Of all the maps so far, this one is the most impressive for just how many close calls there are. Personally, I don't think that the route change pointed out by verifier #2 would help much here since you would be costing yourself some time better spent moving forward, but I could be wrong.
20 - Cube Fortress: Another well done level. The runner somehow walking right in front of the guard as he turned around inside the cone of the flashlight made me do a double take. Nice route, too.
21 - Stealth Gems: This map is a good example of a lot of the strategies the runner employs throughout the run. Very careful and precise bomb placement, nice enemy manipulation, and surprisingly efficient crystal collection.
22 - Factory 7: For how tough this level can be, this featured a lot of dangerous tricks that really optimized the level. As always, barely working around the guards' flashlights shows off how much time was spent planning the routes.
23 - Branching Fissures: These tightly timed escapes from the guards are blowing me away. This map starts off somewhat typical, but before the end, there's some split-second sidestepping that must have taken a lot to get right.
24 - The Darkness: Basically a straight shot to the end with some careful flashlight dodging. I don't think this could be any faster.
25 - Crystal Refinery: Another hard level, but I wouldn't say that the runner makes it look easy, because there are so many close calls on top of the careful timing that I think it's obviously quite difficult. It's a really smooth run that looks tough to pull off.
26 - Honeycombs: Kind of a simple level once you see the route, but it's still got great bomb placement and spider bot manipulation.
27 - Technoplex: I don't envy the runner for having to run this without a flashlight, since this is one of the more oddly shaped levels despite having fewer cavern parts than some. This looks fantastic and optimized.
28 - The Decatron: Fantastic final time for this level. Right at the beginning, the runner shows off how they knew exactly where to stop to avoid the guard's flashlight. Probably my favorite part of all of these maps is hearing guards die off-screen from bombs laid down a long time ago. It creates such a fantastic sense of expectation. I feel like next to nothing of this can be improved: the movement is efficient, the route is optimized, and the crystal collection is fast.
This is a fantastic series of runs that illustrate a lot of dedication to not only planning the levels, but executing them as best as possible. Great work on these, you've gone far beyond my expectations for a speedrun of this game.
Decision: Accept
01 - Barrier Cave: Excellent use of bombs, both to streamline the paths and avoid dying. This is a small detail that serves as a signal to the audience that you've really worked at this.
02 - The Hive: Even though this was a straight shot to the end, you made sure there was some tension by turning your flashlight off ridiculously close to the guards. This is as efficient as this level can get.
03 - The Cubicles: Similarly simple, but it's obvious the runner has learned how to take advantage of the AI.
04 - Walls: Nothing super fancy here either, but as usual, the bomb-work is great.
05 - The Generator: Great routing. Having the bomb explode on the guard just as you reach the red tech looked incredibly clean and precise.
06 - Power Plant: Tricky work abusing the AI pathfinding, the runner makes it look incredibly simple.
07 - Advanced Lab: Not even a moment of hesitation in this level. It's apparent that timing out where the guards would be was key in determining this route, since they seem to be perfectly positioned when the runner encounters them.
08 - Triplex: Cheesing the guard flashlight early on is a pretty dangerous trick, and I'm sure it took a lot of attempts to get it without dying. It's unfortunate because the runner loses that gained time being forced to wait on an enemy pattern that's impossible to dodge. Still, this is as streamlined as it can get.
09 - Crystal Excavation: Timing the bombing of the blue tech on the right side of the map with the guard coming to investigate was fantastic, since you had exactly the amount of time you needed to collect all of the crystals. Really impressed with that, and again, the use of bombs to widen paths is a very effective strategy.
10 - The Halls: Kind of a limited level, but it's done as quickly as it can be. The runner does everything very efficiently. Being bottlenecked by the keycards is a drag.
11 - Dual City: Excellent guard manipulation. I really enjoy seeing these random bombs getting set down because the viewer knows they're going to become useful really soon, and using it here to dodge around the last guard both when he's coming and going is fun to watch.
12 - The Bunker: Working in the dark with the guards and the beasts looks slick, and I'm guessing there's gonna be a lot more of that in the future. The runner is held up by some uncontrollable patterns, but skirting around the flashlights shows that they're doing everything they can to improve the time.
13 - Star Complex: Since this is a big level with lots of red tech, it's nice to see a very deliberate route through it, especially since it requires laying down a lot of bombs and alerting guards. The planning on the bombs looks great as usual, and since this map is littered with enemies, I feel like there's no better way to do this because you have to traverse the entire level anyway.
14 - Containment Unit: Blowing up all the guards with a single bomb right at the end looks so smooth. The fact that the runner keeps having to dive into narrow corridors while being chased makes this pretty tense, but the rough pathfinding on the AI helps. Handling the blue tech while surrounded by beasts looks great too.
15 - The Core: Fast and efficient, with a lot of careful positioning to avoid being shot. Good work.
16 - Micro Palace: It's so sad that people unfamiliar with this game won't understand the last part, where the runner navigates around the pits without a flashlight. It'll just look like sporadic movements, when it's actually requires knowing the level super well.
17 - Abandoned Mine: Lots of bombs, lots of crystals. A very deliberate approach to this map, and I particularly like the little optimizations where the runner doesn't pick up all the crystals, but waits until moving away from an explosion to collect them.
18 - The Crypt: Dealing with the beasts without a flashlight can be extremely frustrating, but since this level is designed to almost force you to get the flashlight, it's cool to see it ignored here. Again, it won't make sense to newcomers since they won't be able to even see the walls, but having to work through the dark and uneven corridors while being chased takes a lot of practice.
19 - Laser Lab: Amazingly tight timing on the lasers, perfectly executed. This was an intense level. Of all the maps so far, this one is the most impressive for just how many close calls there are. Personally, I don't think that the route change pointed out by verifier #2 would help much here since you would be costing yourself some time better spent moving forward, but I could be wrong.
20 - Cube Fortress: Another well done level. The runner somehow walking right in front of the guard as he turned around inside the cone of the flashlight made me do a double take. Nice route, too.
21 - Stealth Gems: This map is a good example of a lot of the strategies the runner employs throughout the run. Very careful and precise bomb placement, nice enemy manipulation, and surprisingly efficient crystal collection.
22 - Factory 7: For how tough this level can be, this featured a lot of dangerous tricks that really optimized the level. As always, barely working around the guards' flashlights shows off how much time was spent planning the routes.
23 - Branching Fissures: These tightly timed escapes from the guards are blowing me away. This map starts off somewhat typical, but before the end, there's some split-second sidestepping that must have taken a lot to get right.
24 - The Darkness: Basically a straight shot to the end with some careful flashlight dodging. I don't think this could be any faster.
25 - Crystal Refinery: Another hard level, but I wouldn't say that the runner makes it look easy, because there are so many close calls on top of the careful timing that I think it's obviously quite difficult. It's a really smooth run that looks tough to pull off.
26 - Honeycombs: Kind of a simple level once you see the route, but it's still got great bomb placement and spider bot manipulation.
27 - Technoplex: I don't envy the runner for having to run this without a flashlight, since this is one of the more oddly shaped levels despite having fewer cavern parts than some. This looks fantastic and optimized.
28 - The Decatron: Fantastic final time for this level. Right at the beginning, the runner shows off how they knew exactly where to stop to avoid the guard's flashlight. Probably my favorite part of all of these maps is hearing guards die off-screen from bombs laid down a long time ago. It creates such a fantastic sense of expectation. I feel like next to nothing of this can be improved: the movement is efficient, the route is optimized, and the crystal collection is fast.
This is a fantastic series of runs that illustrate a lot of dedication to not only planning the levels, but executing them as best as possible. Great work on these, you've gone far beyond my expectations for a speedrun of this game.
Decision: Accept
Decision: Accept
Congratulations to Nathanaël 'Forsaken' Villemin!
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