everybody wanna tell you the meaning of music
I think I'm trying to be too ninja. 
Hey, you'll get an amazing run eventually. Don't give up! I'm looking forward to seeing this speedrun. 
SDA Forum
everybody wanna tell you the meaning of music
I was going to solicit advice by posting this in the general forum, but then I realized that this is something I needed to figure out on my own.
Well, I still have to mull it over BUT I think I accomplished something. Kinda. After ~100 failed attempts, I have concluded that I do not want to spend possibly months just recording this. It's very frustrating when there are parts that are basically dice rolls (I don't think there is any better way to play "hold on to R1" for example).
I originally intended for this to be one of the very best runs on SDA, which a great SS would be. I have always said that I run for myself and not recognition. But what would be the point of SS if not recognition? I wouldn't impress myself any more; I personally know that the only difference would be how much time I would be willing to invest to get lucky. You might say, "Suck it up! ___ spent ___ on his ___!" Well, it's a lot easier whenever you feel like you are accomplishing something, like getting better or seeing your times go down.
So, I think I'm gonna segment it up. I'm currently looking at 3 segments because there are save couches right before the 2 biggest dice rolls. The act of saving wastes some time, so that's a strike against doing it more often. If anyone really wants to see a SS, I still have the no-death 2:02 that I will probably send in as well. I discovered some things since then, so it will look a little primitive in comparison.
Well, I still have to mull it over BUT I think I accomplished something. Kinda. After ~100 failed attempts, I have concluded that I do not want to spend possibly months just recording this. It's very frustrating when there are parts that are basically dice rolls (I don't think there is any better way to play "hold on to R1" for example).
I originally intended for this to be one of the very best runs on SDA, which a great SS would be. I have always said that I run for myself and not recognition. But what would be the point of SS if not recognition? I wouldn't impress myself any more; I personally know that the only difference would be how much time I would be willing to invest to get lucky. You might say, "Suck it up! ___ spent ___ on his ___!" Well, it's a lot easier whenever you feel like you are accomplishing something, like getting better or seeing your times go down.
So, I think I'm gonna segment it up. I'm currently looking at 3 segments because there are save couches right before the 2 biggest dice rolls. The act of saving wastes some time, so that's a strike against doing it more often. If anyone really wants to see a SS, I still have the no-death 2:02 that I will probably send in as well. I discovered some things since then, so it will look a little primitive in comparison.
everybody wanna tell you the meaning of music
So I just restarted this segmented, and on my 2nd try I got 17:27 at the graveyard. I probably lost about 5 seconds (not including during the one fight) and a whole lot of ninja points. The fight at the top of the trolley could have gone better too, but at this point all the trolley fights I've had are kinda blurred together in my mind.
I might redo it because it kills me that I've had flawless runs up to that point before. However, it's good enough that I could be satisfied with it. For comparison, the Japanese time is 19:58, so I'm 2:31 ahead.
Oh, and I didn't post this earlier, but my best failed SS run so far, I was ~4 minutes ahead at the windmill. (I'm estimating the last couple minutes because I actually died in the room before the windmill.) Oh, but this went truly insane and I'm not sure if I could duplicate this.
I might redo it because it kills me that I've had flawless runs up to that point before. However, it's good enough that I could be satisfied with it. For comparison, the Japanese time is 19:58, so I'm 2:31 ahead.
Oh, and I didn't post this earlier, but my best failed SS run so far, I was ~4 minutes ahead at the windmill. (I'm estimating the last couple minutes because I actually died in the room before the windmill.) Oh, but this went truly insane and I'm not sure if I could duplicate this.
My feelings on The Demon Rush
Zen's statement makes me sad inside.
As long as you do a good job of optimizing the game I guess I don't mind a segmented run Enhasa, though I'm pretty sure you would nail the run SS within a week or two if you just keep on making attempts. Trust me, you do get better with each failure.
As long as you do a good job of optimizing the game I guess I don't mind a segmented run Enhasa, though I'm pretty sure you would nail the run SS within a week or two if you just keep on making attempts. Trust me, you do get better with each failure.
everybody wanna tell you the meaning of music
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Zen's statement makes me sad inside.
As long as you do a good job of optimizing the game I guess I don't mind a segmented run Enhasa, though I'm pretty sure you would nail the run SS within a week or two if you just keep on making attempts. Trust me, you do get better with each failure.
As long as you do a good job of optimizing the game I guess I don't mind a segmented run Enhasa, though I'm pretty sure you would nail the run SS within a week or two if you just keep on making attempts. Trust me, you do get better with each failure.
Ok, you have convinced me to try SS another week or two. If I can't get it by then, maybe I'll go back to the segmented. Or maybe I'll do both anyway, I don't know.
About the last point, I'll be specific. At the end of the room right before the windmill, you swing across, hold on to R1, and hope that Yorda listens to you before all the shadows get her. If she doesn't, that wastes a couple minutes so you have to reset.
I used to think that part was 90-95% for whatever reason. But the last 6 SS attempts have all failed there. I don't know if my luck has been bad, or if there's something silly like the randomizer is based off gameplay time in minutes, but I can't see any better way to play this. Yorda's position is reset by the cutscene, so there's nothing I can do there. As soon as I swing across, I'm holding R1 and praying.
Edit: To keep myself from going totally batshit insane, after some more failed SS (the graveyard really is appropriately named), I made the next segment of the segmented run. It was going pretty well, so I saved right after the east gate was activated with 43:55. The Japanese guy actually didn't save there, so I went back and timed and it takes me about 8:30 (a lot longer than I would have guessed) to go back in time to his save at east refractor. So, at east refractor, I have ~35:25 compared to his 42:02, a 6:37 improvement. And then I might have gained time (dunno) in the next 8:30.
Double edit: Oh, and this was on the very first segmented try that survived the graveyard. =/
Fucking Weeaboo
Quote:
About the last point, I'll be specific. At the end of the room right before the windmill, you swing across, hold on to R1, and hope that Yorda listens to you before all the shadows get her. If she doesn't, that wastes a couple minutes so you have to reset.
Oh god, I hated that room. I remember always screaming "MOVE IT B*TCH!!!!!!!!!!" >_>;;
yeah i'd like to see a speedrun on this very much. i've just recently gotton a copy so its very coinsidental ( 
) i see this topic now. havent finished the game yet but so far its pretty funny. nice puzzles, but the deamons dragging that white mage girl into those black pools are annoying as hell, maybe i just need to practice.
good luck with the run and i'm looking forward to seeing it.
good luck with the run and i'm looking forward to seeing it.
everybody wanna tell you the meaning of music
Ok, I've still been working on this, but not as much as last week since I've been busy. Anyway, I made another segment, saving right before the invisible bridge in west tower at 1:16:xx. The Japanese timeattacker saves at the same couch, but as soon as he gets there, in 1:18:54. It takes me almost 8 minutes to do all the junk and get back there again, so that means I'm a little less than approximately 10 minutes ahead.
I've had almost linear improvement so far (4, then 6.5, then 10), but don't expect it to get any higher since there's not a whole lot of time shaving left for the rest of it. In fact, to maintain my 10 minutes, I'll have to make it to the front gate in the next 6 minutes. And I can already sense how much that massive shadow fight at the end is gonna piss me off with its randomness.
I have decided to lower my expectations for the SS. Not for my level of play, but just how much random stuff has to go right for an optimal time. So if I get a semi-bad beat, I'm going to try to continue unless it's egregious (like dying), and then see what kind of final time I get. If it's sub 2, I'll be satisfied.
Edit: ARGH! I had an insane final segment going and I thought I was almost home free since I was past the gears, the cliffs, and the pipes. I died, of all places, in the cylindrical chamber, when something happened that I have never seen before. Until then though, I was getting the kind of luck you can only dream about. With some estimation, my time was about 1:30. I am so frustrated I might quit for the day.
I've had almost linear improvement so far (4, then 6.5, then 10), but don't expect it to get any higher since there's not a whole lot of time shaving left for the rest of it. In fact, to maintain my 10 minutes, I'll have to make it to the front gate in the next 6 minutes. And I can already sense how much that massive shadow fight at the end is gonna piss me off with its randomness.
I have decided to lower my expectations for the SS. Not for my level of play, but just how much random stuff has to go right for an optimal time. So if I get a semi-bad beat, I'm going to try to continue unless it's egregious (like dying), and then see what kind of final time I get. If it's sub 2, I'll be satisfied.
Edit: ARGH! I had an insane final segment going and I thought I was almost home free since I was past the gears, the cliffs, and the pipes. I died, of all places, in the cylindrical chamber, when something happened that I have never seen before. Until then though, I was getting the kind of luck you can only dream about. With some estimation, my time was about 1:30. I am so frustrated I might quit for the day.
everybody wanna tell you the meaning of music
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Hey, you're almost there. Don't play so much that you throw the controller at the TV in frustration, though. That final part of the game is a little depressing, everything being so dark and gloomy and stuff. I can see how playing that a lot will wear one out.
The final part of this game is depressing? It doesn't hold a candle to Shadow of the Colossus in that regard, oh man. If I was Wander, I would have just curled up into a fetal position and just died or something.
Anyway, I finished the final segment. I am unhappy to report that the shadow fight went atrociously (took about 6.5 minutes -- Sir VG, you want to tell me how long yours took so I can get a baseline?) and I messed up about as bad as I can personally mess up during the Queen fight. So I will redo it if I can. At the very least though, I definitely have the fastest Internet-known time in the world.
But I wanted to post my time. It is very approximate for the final segment since the VCR I'm using blows chunks and doesn't even have a timer display. Anyway, the time is 1:44 - 45! Actually, better think 1:45 to be safe. The Japanese guy didn't time to final blow, so by the time the FIN appears, I am ~9 minutes ahead, losing a bit less than a minute on the last segment.
Of course, the credits are different! Since it had to be localized, marketed, etc. So you have to take the FIN time with a grain of salt. Honestly, I don't see how I didn't lose more time, so maybe I didn't do quite as bad as I thought. Actually, it's probably because I gained a couple minutes in between the last 8 minutes of the last segment through the start of the shadow fight. I bet my route is better in places.
If I really did do a segmented in 1:45 just now, that's a whole 17 minutes better than the 2:02 SS I did earlier. (Which, let me tell you, sounds ludicrous when you think about trying to save time in Ico.) That means that I can have some stuff go wrong and still sub2 SS, to say the least. Unless I'm an idiot.
Fucking Weeaboo
6.5 minute shadow fight is WAY too long.
I went back and timed mine. Starting time is after the cut scene where you first get to attack them, ending time was after the cutscene after them starts...3:43 and mine was a bit sloppy still.
But your time overall is great. I'd still say redo the shadow fight.
I went back and timed mine. Starting time is after the cut scene where you first get to attack them, ending time was after the cutscene after them starts...3:43 and mine was a bit sloppy still.
But your time overall is great. I'd still say redo the shadow fight.
everybody wanna tell you the meaning of music
Well, I know that part has about as much variance as anything in a non-RPG that I can think of. But 3:43 honestly sounds insane to me. That's averaging killing a guy every 4.2 seconds. Sometimes I just have to chill there, waiting 10-15 seconds for a guy to even pop up so I can kill him. And of course there's the time running around finding guys to kill.
Of course, I would have said 1:45 even with skipping trolley fight and everything else would be insane, probably undoable. I still don't know where all the time saving comes from btw. Maybe cutscene time isn't counted?
Of course, I would have said 1:45 even with skipping trolley fight and everything else would be insane, probably undoable. I still don't know where all the time saving comes from btw. Maybe cutscene time isn't counted?
everybody wanna tell you the meaning of music
~1:42:30 (1:54:45 to fin)
More later.
I think I am done with this and I will do the SS next. My goal is to beat the Japanese segmented time in SS. Given that I have over 12 minutes of leeway (plus any differences after final hit), I think I can do it. I didn't think I would go under 1:55 segmented when I started, so it's kinda funny that the fin time barely beats that.
Edit: If anyone cares, I figured out why my shadow fight was taking so long. It was pretty obvious once I thought about it. As soon as the fight starts, you need to kill as many shadows on the dais as possible. This is because new shadows only form whenever you kill existing ones. I was originally triggering the scene, then hurrying down to the main area. Because I would only kill about one guy or so while doing that, the spawning would be very slow.
More later.
I think I am done with this and I will do the SS next. My goal is to beat the Japanese segmented time in SS. Given that I have over 12 minutes of leeway (plus any differences after final hit), I think I can do it. I didn't think I would go under 1:55 segmented when I started, so it's kinda funny that the fin time barely beats that.
Edit: If anyone cares, I figured out why my shadow fight was taking so long. It was pretty obvious once I thought about it. As soon as the fight starts, you need to kill as many shadows on the dais as possible. This is because new shadows only form whenever you kill existing ones. I was originally triggering the scene, then hurrying down to the main area. Because I would only kill about one guy or so while doing that, the spawning would be very slow.
everybody wanna tell you the meaning of music
I am so glad to be able to do other things with my free time now! To think that in the beginning, I wanted to do this in a weekend.
~1:50:45 SS
This beats the Japanese segmented time by over 3 minutes, plus however much longer the American credits are. Honestly, it could have gone better in places; I lose huge amounts of time due to the random room (see page 6), I pussied out and didn't try skipping the last skippable shadow fight, and I had to redo about 3 things. None of these things happened in my original recorded SS, but I must have done something right since then, because this is almost a 12 minute improvement.
Blah blah, but since it's SS and I trounced my original goal (sub 2), I won't sweat it.
If everything went perfectly, I know I could sub 1:45. If I wanted to burn another couple months of my life, I'm sure I could do it. But I don't. If you want to watch stuff generally going right, watch the segmented run.
~1:50:45 SS
This beats the Japanese segmented time by over 3 minutes, plus however much longer the American credits are. Honestly, it could have gone better in places; I lose huge amounts of time due to the random room (see page 6), I pussied out and didn't try skipping the last skippable shadow fight, and I had to redo about 3 things. None of these things happened in my original recorded SS, but I must have done something right since then, because this is almost a 12 minute improvement.
Blah blah, but since it's SS and I trounced my original goal (sub 2), I won't sweat it.
everybody wanna tell you the meaning of music
Well, I'm gonna contact Radix and mail the tapes within a week, but in the meantime, I took some screenshots for the Ico page. It was actually pretty fun taking these pictures, and my appreciation of Ico has grown to the point where if someone told me that it was the best video game ever, I couldn't really argue.
One last thing: I actually only noticed this while resizing, but in the last screenshot, if you look closely you can see a ladder in the gear section. Did anyone else know this existed? I always thought that if you missed a gear jump, you basically had to fall down in the water and redo that entire part! That would have made my first time through the game a lot less stressful.
One last thing: I actually only noticed this while resizing, but in the last screenshot, if you look closely you can see a ladder in the gear section. Did anyone else know this existed? I always thought that if you missed a gear jump, you basically had to fall down in the water and redo that entire part! That would have made my first time through the game a lot less stressful.
everybody wanna tell you the meaning of music
I'm too lazy to make another image, but it's about 40% from left to right and 80% from top down. It seems you would climb up the ladder and then jump backwards to land on the first gear. It probably is hard to notice, because neither of us ever saw it from where it would be useful, and this pic is from a different part of the game altogether.
Anyway, I think I got a good selection of pics, because I wanted to show the caskets, lots of shadows, the windmill, soft lighting, etc. And I didn't want too many pics because I don't want to dilute them.
Anyway, I think I got a good selection of pics, because I wanted to show the caskets, lots of shadows, the windmill, soft lighting, etc. And I didn't want too many pics because I don't want to dilute them.
