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Game Name: Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
System: PS2 played on PS3
Category: Normal Mode
Gameplay Estimate: 8:30
Ending: 10 minutes
+ Battle system has a lot of depth with the press turn system being able to give your characters extra turns and deny enemy turns.
+ Party members are demons that you recruit and fuse to make other demons. The battles have a lot of variety because of how often your party changes.
+ Outside of Persona, this is probably the most popular game of the SMT franchise.
+ This game is known for being incredibly difficult and punishing, yet with enough knowledge you can avoid major time losses fairly consistently.
+ Cutscenes consist of about 1/8 of the run, which is fairly low compared to most RPG speedruns.
= There is grinding, but most of it is done on the way. There are two spots that are grinding in place which aren't too long (5 min each?)
= Deaths are likely to happen on some bosses, but they're quick bosses next to save points.
- This isn't the "True" category of the game (Hard True Ending). This is because it would be so much longer of a run to try and fit in and it would be a riskier run as well.
- 8.5 hours is pretty long
- The pacing of the game is a little slow but not the worst
Donation incentives: Choice of Ending (other than True Ending). Longest ending adds about 7-8 minutes compared to shortest. Main Character's Nickname (First/Last doesn't show up too often).
Video (Marathon run & PB with shortest ending): https://www.twitch.tv/elmagus/v/109337606

Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga
System: PS2 or PS3 (not sure which version is faster yet)
Category: Any%
Gameplay Estimate: 6:30
+ Battle system has a lot of depth with the press turn system being able to give your characters extra turns and deny enemy turns.
+ Has a skill combo system which lets you use stronger skills from weaker ones for the cost of extra press turns.
+ The shortest 3D SMT speedrun
= There's a lot going for the story of the game, but we only see half of it with the other half being DDS2
= You can skip some cutscenes
- Some bosses are just spamming the same attack that they're weak to until they die
- The final area of the game has pretty big blowup potential. It's somewhat reflected in the estimate (6:30 for a 6 hour game) but it can still go even worse than that
Sample Run: https://www.twitch.tv/pinkpajamas/v/109909925

Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days
System: PSTV
Category: Any%
Gameplay Estimate: 2:20
Ending Estimate: 10 minutes (5 ending, 5 credits)
+ Part of a SRPG series that has been at RPGLB 2 times before, but this one hasn't
+ Very fast paced with movement and cutscene skipping
+ Utilizes a lift+throw mechanic which opens up a lot of tactical options including ways to play maps in unintended ways
+/- Has a 15-20 minute grind session, although how it's done is pretty interesting
- I need a roughly 10% drop to start the run, but it only costs 20s per reroll and I could just load a backup save if it takes too long.
Sample video (PB): https://www.twitch.tv/pinkpajamas/v/44676973
The Wayward Wanderer
Game Name: Ancient Ys Vanished: Omen (Ys 1 Chronicles+)
System: PC (Steam)
Category: Any% (Luta Route)
Gameplay Estimate: 0:50:00 (0:47:00 without incentives)
Ending Estimate: ~6 minutes for the ending and credits, but they can be skipped if needed.
Pros/Cons:
+ Fast paced, bump-attack gameplay.
+ Very little RNG to deal with.
- There is a point where I do grind to max level, but that a few minutes.

Luta Route refers to getting Lvl 4 by doing a sidequest to find a sleepwalking bard before the first boss, unlike normal any%, which goes in at lvl 2. (22 hits vs 6 hits to beat the boss.) While this adds around 2 minutes to the route, it makes the fight much less risky.

Donation Incentives:
Donation war for graphical settings - 2001 Complete vs 2009 Chronicles.  (Only affects Full NPC sprites and cutscenes, which are normally skipped)
Ongoing Donation war for Soundtrack - PC88 vs 2001 Complete vs 2009 Chronicles. These can be changed anytime.
Fighting Nygtilger, Pictimos, and Khonsclard wearing the Mask of Eyes, which turns the screen gray and removes enemy sprites from the screen. Essentially, I can't fully see the bosses. (I'll let you folks decided the goal.)

Sample Videos:
Part 1

Part 2


[Due to hardware issues, I am currently unable to get an updated video, but there are improvements. First off, there is an OoB clip that saves time getting the Gold Vase, and again when going for the Silver Sword.  Second, I no longer do any grinding at the enterance of the mines. Lastly, I no longer get the Silver Armor or Shield in the Darm Tower.]
Edit history:
rudyxx: 2016-12-31 07:20:38 am
I love YaBB 1G - SP1!
Game Name: Final Fantasy XV
System: Playstation 4 (unless it's out on PC)
Category : Any%
Gameplay Estimate : 7 hours
Ending/Bonus Estimate : Questionable amounts of time

-Cons
So the biggest problem with the game right now is that there is actually no telling how long or short this game might be by the time RPGLB rolls around. At this point, if nothing else, I can run the unpatched game in less than this estimate. (no one's done an actual run of unpatched though because you can't warp strike in the field and that would add like 10-15 minutes to the run)
The thing is that the game is being reworked and patched to provide 'a better player experience' and there's no telling what sort of things they will add or subtract by May. As the game stands right now, an estimate of 7 hours is a bit of overkill (Game can easily be done under 6 hours on a ps4 with ssd. Even with extremely bad luck.). But it also gives the opportunity to possibly do things like DLC chapters or optional bosses. The only problem is that we have no idea how long those things will take, or which optional bosses are really worth watching at this point. (since they are adding more)
There's also the fact that they might be adding some sort of co op mode to the game. No one knows how it will be handled (will it be all one screen or online only) so there's an issue with whether or not that would even be worth doing as well, and how long that would take over a single player experience. Malagron has stated that he would happily be involved in doing this co op with me if the opportunity came up, but at this point there's no telling.

+Pros
It's a very unique Final Fantasy compared to the standard ATB system. It plays more like a Kingdom Hearts game but has all the charm (and familiar characters) of previous Final Fantasy games. With Final Fantasy being a popular series to begin with, I'm sure there are many people out there that would love to see how the speedrun of this game works. I've been involved in the routing of this game since day 1, and have had the wonderful experience of seeing how things have evolved greatly through other's involvement in such a short period of time.
Another great thing about the run of this game is that nearly every cutscene is skippable. There's a few long car rides (like 2 or 3 minutes for each one and I think there's only 4 or 5 of them) that can be easily filled with sing a longs or just people recalling long car trips of their own, so there's not too much downtime at any point otherwise. The dungeons are all very engaging and the boss fights last about as long as you would expect from an action RPG so it's a very involved run from beginning to end.

One last thing to note. I don't mind racing this game if the situation comes up. There's very little RNG so it's basically seeing who is able to execute everything quickly. The only race done of the game so far ended about 50 seconds apart if that says anything about it.

Donation Incentive Offers : Car Ride Sing Alongs, Optional Boss fights, Language options (English, Japanese, French, German), Ending Photo bid war, Pitioss dungeon speedrun, Blindfolded final boss fight, DLC chapters. (Unknown amounts of time. See above)
Sample run video : https://www.twitch.tv/rudyxx/v/109821521    I did a run in French to hear the French voices. I can update this video if any major updates change the route too much.


Game Name: Nier: Automata
System : PS4 or PC
Category : Any%
Gameplay Estimate : 10 hours
Ending/Bonus Estimate : Questionable

Ok I realize I look like a complete idiot by submitting this. The game isn't even out until March. I'm fully aware of how ridiculous this submission looks at this time. However I have every intention of running this game after it comes out. And since I already plan on working on it along several other people, I figure at the very least it could be thrown into the backup pile in case something comes up, or put in a maybe pile somewhere. I realize it is a bit of a risk since at this point we know nothing about the game beyond a demo, but I have 0 problem with it being taken out if after it comes out it turns out to be a total flop. I do ask that it be viewed the same as if it was out though and that the lack of it actually being available now doesn't play a factor in it making its way onto the initial schedule.

-Cons
The fact that it's a questionable length is I'm sure a huge con at this point. It could be 2 hours long, or it could be 20 hours long. Either way I'd like it to be at least considered all the same. We can work out the length details and donation incentives come closer to the actual event, and if anything it can just be dropped altogether and replaced with one of the backup games.
It's also (based on the demo) possible that it might be a little too action oriented and seem less like an RPG than it's predecessor. I read in an interviewer with the developers that the game feels like 60% rpg, 40% action game. But at this point it's really too soon to say. Considering the game has a 1 hit death mode it's possible that it might be less rpg and more action oriented.

+Pros
Skippable cutscenes (at least in the demo), quick movement, and interesting battle mechanics. So visually (from a viewer standpoint) the game appears at this point to be pretty varied as well as very involved.
The amount of hype involved in this game's release is going well beyond people that normally play RPG games. I'm actually surprised at the number of people that have grown interest in this game that didn't even know about the original Nier. If anything this game would possibly bring people from outside the normal RPG community into the stream.
This game also could be tagged along after Nier to create a Nier block. The original Nier is a pretty solid game so putting them together would help people new to the series better appreciate the series as a whole. 

Donation Incentive Offers : No idea at this time other than possible difficulty incentives.
Sample run video : Demo Any% (Not by me)
Edit history:
BOWIEtheHERO: 2016-12-31 01:31:46 pm
BOWIEtheHERO: 2016-12-31 01:30:42 pm
Order of Preference for submissions:

Terranigma & Breath of Fire IV
Secret of Mana
Illusion of Gaia
Final Fantasy Adventure

Game Name: Illusion of Gaia
System: SNES
Category: Any% / 100%
Gameplay Estimate: 2:10:00 / 2:25:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: Ending of the game is almost a million years at a whopping 20 minutes including cutscenes and credits. Amazing music though. Bonus would be +10 minutes if it came to pass.

Pros/Cons:
+ Hugely input intensive Action RPG. Execution is greatly rewarded
+ Wonderful soundtrack accompanying the 2 hours of adventure and excitement
+ Any% hasn't yet been seen at a marathon, which is much harder than 100% due to less HP, Defense and Attack.
+ 100% has come a long way over the years, new minor strats being adapted makes for some flashy moments. Collecting everything fast is always nice for audiences to see
+ Marathon safe. Deaths don't lose much time, and it's easy to grab an extra curative in key areas to maintain healthy HP values.
+ I got the one-cycle Castoth in a run
+ Birds aren't as jerky as other RPGs
- I won't get the one-cycle Castoth again
- RNG, whilst not expansive, is present. Sand Fanger can choose to kill some time if it fancies.

Notes: I am submitting these as solo runs first and foremost. However, I am open to a race w/ Puwexil.

Donation Incentive Offers:
Bid War between the two categories - Any% and 100%
Fight Dark Gaia Blindfolded (This can be done either as part of the run, or as a bonus afterwards)

Sample Run Video: any% - https://www.twitch.tv/bowiethehero/v/77379792
100% - https://www.twitch.tv/bowiethehero/v/77006745
(Apologies Puwexil for the ending)



Game Name: Terranigma
System: SNES (Played on Repro Cart)
Category: Any%
Gameplay Estimate: 4:00:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 15 minutes with cutscenes and credits. 10 minutes for Minigame Exhibition

Pros/Cons:
+ One of the best Action RPGs on the SNES, part of the Soul Blazer trilogy, sequel to Illusion of Gaia
+ Fantastic pace of play with a fun and varied combat system
+ One of the greatest soundtracks I have ever heard and fantastic visuals
+ Narratively strong. Very deep and emotive; BibleThump city
+ Never been in a marathon before, definitely a fantastic opportunity to showcase.
+ With Yaga and I on the couch, you have the best voices in Europe to look after you Wink
+ Like IoG a very tight game that requires solid execution.
+/- Didn’t come out in America. So, huge in Europe, and a chance for American Quintet fans to see the game. But also, can be relatively unknown because of that.
- RNG intensive areas, with the Parasite and Dark Twin fights that can eat up a fair chunk of time.
- Slowish start
- Grinding is necessary at a number of points in the game as levelling is very specific for damage outputs

Donation Incentive Offers:
Name Ark (5 Characters)
Minigame Exhibition - There are a number of diversions in the way of minigames, I’ll go and give them a rinsing.
Quintet HQ - There is a fun building where the Devs of Quintet reside! Go hang out with them!

Sample Run Video: https://www.twitch.tv/bowiethehero/v/109201491 Commentated run. This is pretty much a worse case scenario in terms of RNG, still under estimate



Game Name: Breath of Fire IV
System: PlayStation (played on PlayStation 2, SCPH-70012)
Category: Any% True Ending (Co-Op run w/ Chibizer0)
Gameplay Estimate: 8:10:00
Ending + Bonus Estimate: 0:25:00 (Ending of run and Watching Bad Ending)

Pros:
Breath of Fire as a series is fairly niche, with a dedicated fan base. IV is one of the more popular of the series due to it’s place in the PSX library, and releasing on PC as well in Europe. Recently part of the successful BoF Relay as the most watched of the series during said relay and positive marathon showings (Scrubathon VI). Sporting some of the best sprite animation around, it’s a beautiful game with a stunning, and nostalgic soundtrack.
Speedrun involves a precise money and experience route as well as intricate boss strategies that are perfect to the hit point. We make use of all the game’s depth of mechanics with combos, the ‘Master’ system and Dragon Fusion for example: Equipping particular masters to boost stats on level ups and using the combo system to increase the experience value on a certain enemy, allowing us to severely boost our levels. A variety of creative combos, item usage and decided stat builds make for a very engaging speedrun that is satisfying and a hugely comfortable watch. Very marathon safe, especially considering recent strategy development.
Action is broken up at times with entertaining mini games and humorous cutscenes.
Commentary is engaging, light hearted and always on point without shying from depth.
Khan and Ershin!!!
Cons:
A rather lengthy title at 8 hours. Start of the game is rather cutscene heavy. Not overly glitchy, so not as ‘flashy’ a run.
Yuna and Soul Rend!!!
Donation Incentives:
Name Ryu (6 Letters)
Bid War - Physical Ryu Build vs Magical Ryu Build --- Estimate between two builds are the same, but have a hugely different approach.
Extra - See Bad Ending as well (+15 Minutes)

Sample Run Video:
Bowie’s Sample is of the PC version, which is on average 25 minutes faster than PSX due to load times. (PC not being used due to potential crashes = not marathon safe)
Chibi’s Sample is of the PSX version running on a 70k PS2, which is the version we intend to use.
any% True Ending PB Video - https://www.twitch.tv/bowiethehero/v/108833496
any% True Ending BoF Relay inc. Commentary -

Note that the BoF Relay saw Chibi and I racing with the two different Build Routes. Smiley



Game Name: Secret of Mana
System: SNES
Category: any% 3p3c Co-Op
Gameplay Estimate: 2:00:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 7:00 + 15:00

Pros/Cons:
+ It’s Secret of Mana
+ Smooth, clean and satisfying gameplay that uses the many glitches to power through with flash and finesse
+ I’ll be running with Yaga and Stinger, who are both fantastically skilled so they can carry my heavy ass
+ The first time a full 3p3c run would be done at a marathon
+ 3p3c means we have no issue with AI getting stuck, all the little issues with the game melt away, and results in a fantastic symbiotic run experience
- I may slow the other two down

Donation Incentive Offers:
Name Randi (Hero) and Popoi (Sprite) - 6 Characters each
Visit and complete the Pure Lands (+15 Minutes)

Sample Run Video: any%1p2c - https://www.twitch.tv/bowiethehero/v/111117848



Game Name: Final Fantasy Adventure
System: GameBoy played on GC’s GameBoy Player
Category: Any% Warps and Any% Warpless
Gameplay Estimate: 45:00 and 2:10:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 5:00 ending

Pros/Cons:
+ Great and ambitious GB Action RPG, first game in the Seiken/Mana series
+ Clean levelling system, with set stat building
+ Warps is super flashy, skipping over 70% of the game and defeating Julius at a hugely minimal level.
+ Warpless was played at RPGLB last year, and received a lot of positive feedback. I have improved even more, making minor changes to approach increasing marathon safety
+ Music is a marvel for what the GB had going for it
- RNG for Warps is pretty strong. Never stops a run, but can add a few minutes.
- Due to the six billion different names this game had, people sometimes get confused to it’s identity.
- Ran last year


Donation Incentive Offers:

Name Sumo and Fuji (4 characters each)
Fight Julius’ final form Blind-Folded - Using music cues and my memory of the pattern, I will do the final fight without looking. To be done after the run as a bonus so as to not jeopardise the Estimate.


Sample Run Video:
any% Warps - https://www.twitch.tv/bowiethehero/v/42345331
any% Warpless -
Game Name: Earthbound
System: SNES
Category (Any%, 100%, Glitchless, etc): any% glitchless
Gameplay Estimate (excluding ending and bonus content): 4h 30m
Ending/Bonus Estimate: + 5m for glitch, + 10m for credits
Pros/Cons: PROS: Many other runners have suggested a relay, or race. I am totally on board for it! This could be a nice highlight to the envet!.  Great soundtrack, a lot of clutch moments with avoiding mobs, or stutter stepping techniques. CONS: can be a dangerous run, but with safety saves and caution, this is typically not a problem. Some points can be somewhat stale, but doesn't have very long story sequences like some modern RPGs. Some deaths can be a decent setback, forcing the runner to repeat the same section - even with safety.
Donation Incentive Offers: Name characters (Ness, Paula, Jeff, Poo @ 5 characters) - Name favorite thing, dog, food (6 characters) - Name player (24 characters) - "death" glitch (+5 min, after end game on same play)
Sample run: https://www.twitch.tv/backgroundguy02/v/110625654 a random "no reset" run
Edit history:
SevenS1ns: 2016-12-31 12:17:23 pm
SevenS1ns: 2016-12-31 12:17:23 pm
Final Fantasy Speedrunner
Game Name: Final Fantasy VII (NTSC-US)
System: Playstation 1
Category: Any% No Slots
Gameplay Estimate: 8:10:00 / 8:25:00 w/ Donation incentives and good commentary
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 15 minutes

Pros:
+ Classic, memorable and arguably one of the more popular entries in the Final Fantasy franchise
+ Has less RNG than similar games of the same length
+ Finished runs are guaranteed with saving
+ Has a fully routed steproute to manipulate battles
+ Very skillful run
+ Lots of tech and small tricks, even in the No Slots category
+ Really, really cool tech such as Lucky Sevens on the Materia Keeper Fight and the Stinger Skip
+ Plenty of time to read donations
+ Engaging runner Wink

Cons
- Has more RNG than regular Any%
- Certain bosses can instakill you, causing a 5 to 7 minute timeloss (Demon's Gate & Carry Armor)
- Steproute can be hard to keep going, a certain skip depends on it and with nerves, letting go of the D-Pad could mean that you lose 5 to 10 minutes on the run
- No music for the latter part of the game unless we save and reload going into Disc 3 (costs a minute) OR Midgar Skip is not used (costs 15 minutes)

Final Fantasy VII is a staple in the Final Fantasy franchise and the No Slots speedrun compliments this status. Going through the game without the use of the major Slots glitch, which allows you to kill everything in the game with a single use of Cait Siths' Limit Break Slots, we use a combination of equipment, materia, Limit Breaks, character setups and wait tricking (a particular important skill) to bring down all those who would oppose Cloud and friends.

Donation Incentive Offers:

- 7 nameable characters @ 9 letters per name. In order of appearance: Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith, Red XIII, Cait Sith and Cid
- Donation war between Omnislash and a regular counter attack. Swag vs. Speed (loses 16 seconds for Omnislash)
- Not doing Midgar Skip, it saves 15 minutes but it skips the Return to Midgar, a huge section of Disc 2. Glitches out the music for the final part of the game (this can be restored by saving/reloading before heading into the final dungeon)

- 2 optional characters are recruitable, this would cost about 20 minutes total if Vincent needs to be  routed into the run (possible if alerted to ahead of time) It would require killing the "Lost Number" boss for Vincent. It'd be a popular donation incentive because everyone loves Vincent and I've routed him into my other route which is similar to No Slots, so it would be very doable. it would however ruin the steproute so it'd end up costing 15~ minutes.

Sample Run Video: Any% No Slots - https://www.twitch.tv/sevens1ns/v/12277865
Everything's better with Magitek
Game Name: Chrono Trigger
System: SNES
Category: 100% (All Quests) Glitchless, No RNG Manipulation (co-op run with puwexil)
Gameplay Estimate: 6:30
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 0:10 Ending
See puwexil's post for pros and cons.
Donation Incentives Offers: Same as puwexil's, plus Lucca vs. Marle hug
Sample run video: Hopefully getting one today
Game Name: Earthbound
System: SNES
Category: Any% Glitchless Race or Relay (No Onett Manipulation)
Gameplay Estimate: 4h 35m (excluding post-game shenanigans)
Ending/Bonus Estimate : +15 Minutes

I am making this submission as part of a potential race or relay,  not making for a solo submission

Pros:
+ Classic Turn-Based RPG
+ Memorable Story and Characters
+ Memorable Soundtrack
+ Complete-able in allotted time using some key safety saves

Cons:
- Can be a dangerous run at times
- Game has a chance to Hard Lock near the end (which we can subvert using a save)

Earthbound is one of my favorite games of all time and still is,  I am a pretty active weekly Earthbound Glitchless racer (our weekly race is each Sunday at 6pm EST),  and also try to contribute as much as I can to the EB community.

Donation Incentives:

Name the Kids (Ness, Paula, Jeff, Poo)
Name the Dog
Name Favorite Food
Name Coolest Thing

Sample Run : https://www.twitch.tv/drock91384/v/88001278
Game Name: Tales of Symphonia
System: GameCube played on Wii
Category: New Game Any%
Gameplay Estimate: 7:10:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 10:00
Pros: The most popular Tales game, and one of the most popular Gamecube game, Tales of Symphonia combines a deep, fighting game-style combat system, an incredibly memorable plot and graphics that hold up insanely well over time. Run has a solid combination of execution, reaction and glitchiness, allowing us to routinely beat very difficult bosses while underarmored and underleveled. The run has a very storied speedrun history for a longer RPG, despite its length. Demonstrating the communities work on the route would be an absolute treat. 8 out of the 9 very different characters are used in a speedrun, leading to some incredible character variety. Of these, 4 of them are used significantly with direct control, with a 5th rotating in occasionally to execute a glitch.
Cons: Cutscenes are unskippable and occasionally slow the pace of the game. The glitches that make this a great speedrun were patched in later releases (as well as halving the frame rate), and while the game still looks amazing for its age, the HD version is not a viable alternative. While every boss has a lot of nuance and things that make them intriguing, the large combos will need very good commentary to showcase the difficulty of execution and how these fights can go wrong in a hurry.
Donation Incentive Offers: Waifu Bid War, Enabling voices in combat, Fighting the Sword Dancers and Proxy Spell Showcase
Sample run video:
Game Name: EarthBound
System: SNES
Category: Any% Glitchless (Team Relay)
Gameplay Estimate: 4:30:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 15 minutes for credits

This is a submission to be included in the glitchless team relay race that others have submitted for. I'm not interested in running this category solo.

Pros:
EarthBound has been very well received in past RPGLB runs and offers a lot of fun incentives for naming
Having many people involved in a race would be very fun and exciting
EarthBound is a cult classic that reaches an audience including more than just RPG lovers. It could draw people in that have never heard of RPGLB

Cons:
A glitchless run has been done at a previous RPGLB by AndyPerfect
It's not an incredibly safe marathon run. While we have a lot of safety strats to incorporate in races, nothing is guaranteed when it comes to EB RNG.

Donation Incentive Offers:
Ness's name-Up to 5 characters
Paula's name-Up to 5 characters
Jeff's name-Up to 5 characters
Poo's name-Up to 5 characters
Dog's name-Up to 6 characters
Favorite food-Up to 6 characters
Favorite thing-Up to 6 characters

Player name-Up to 24 characters
(This can be entered twice, once around the 2:30 mark and again about 45 minutes later if the leading donation changes)

Sample run video:

https://www.twitch.tv/classicjames/v/111173439


Game Name: EarthBound
System: SNES
Category: Pajama% Race
Gameplay Estimate: 2:15:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate:15-20 minutes to show off potential softlocks and glitches

This is a submission for a race with Ultimoice. I'm not interested in running this category solo. If selected we will both wear Ness or Jeff style PJs for the duration of the run.

Pros:
EarthBound has been very well received in past RPGLB runs and offers a lot of fun incentives for naming.
You can see two grown men wearing pajamas, playing a game from our childhood.
EarthBound is a cult classic that reaches an audience including more than just RPG lovers. It could draw people in that have never heard of RPGLB
Pajama% is a quirky category that shows off every major glitch and is still not an incredibly well known category.

Cons:
EarthBound has been done at both of the previous RPGLB marathons
Pajama% is not a very marathon safe category. There isn't a lot that can go wrong, but if it does, it can cost a lot of time
If people are unfamiliar with the game, PJ% might be confusing to them

Donation Incentive Offers:
Ness's name-Up to 5 characters
Paula's name-Up to 5 characters
Jeff's name-Up to 5 characters
Poo's name-Up to 5 characters
Dog's name-Up to 6 characters
Favorite food-Up to 6 characters
Favorite thing-Up to 6 characters

Player name-Up to 24 characters
(This can be entered twice, once around the 10 minute mark and again about 45 minutes later if the leading donation changes)

Glitch showcase donation incentive:

There are various softlocks and post Giygas glitches that can be shown off after the run including:

Paula duplication
Dying to Carpainter and getting stuck on top of his sprite
Runaway 5 softlock
Riding bike in Deep Darkness
Ghost glitch if you die to Belch

And others that may be discoverd between now and the marathon

Sample run video:

https://www.twitch.tv/classicjames/v/111174255



Game Name: EarthBound
System: SNES
Category: Any% All Photos
Gameplay Estimate: 2:45
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 15 minutes for credits that display all the photos


Pros:
EarthBound has been very well received in past RPGLB runs
EarthBound is a cult classic that reaches an audience including more than just RPG lovers. It could draw people in that have never heard of RPGLB
Photo% is probably the most marathon safe category of EarthBound with very little that can go wrong
I would attempt to get full Onett manipulation in a marathon setting which would be very exciting to pull off
This run shows off every major glitch and RNG manipulation

Cons:
While the route has changed drastically, this same category was in the marathon last year
Because I need character names to be one letter, and I have a limited amount of cursor movements I can do, naming incentives are lacking in Photo%
If I fail manipulation, I will need to go to a backup route which will waste a few minutes

Donation Incentive Offers:
Ness's name- 1 character
Paula's name- 1 character
Jeff's name- 1 character

Player name-Up to 24 characters
(This is entered around the 2 hour mark)

Sample run video:

https://www.twitch.tv/classicjames/v/88606772

Thanks for taking the time to review my submission! Can't wait for Limit Break!

Game Name: Custom Robo (AKA Custom Robo: Battle Revolution, which is its full Japanese title)
System: Gamecube
Category : Any% New Journey
Gameplay Estimate: 2:25:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: ~3 min

Pros: This game is a childhood favorite of many Gamecube owners. It's a sort of action-RPG/Arena Brawler in a world similar to Pokemon, except unlike Pokemon you beat up other peoples customized robots with your customized Robots. The run is straight up execution and reaction to enemy AI, as many bosses have overpowered robot parts. The run has a solid action-to-cutscene ratio, with a lot of silliness within the cutscenes that make it amusing to watch. The game is marathon safe, as deaths only cost between 60-90 seconds. I've received a good amount of positive feedback for this run both from people who have never seen the game and from people who liked this game when they were younger and didn't know that it had anyone who did speedruns of it.

Cons: We stop getting new parts after about 30% of the way into the run, and the overall strategy remains the same for a decent chunk of the game, though different battles have their own nuances. Some of the 2v2 battles are a bit hard to tell exactly what is going on, and the game takes a bit of explaining how it works. It is a bit backloaded; the first battle that really can be considered a "boss" happens around an hour in (although the battles before it still can be tricky).

Extra Information: I am also offering a Relay Race offer with other runners (GhostKing1, Darklorddracula, and StingerPA) in a 2 runners vs 2 runners race, though I am also willing to do a race or 2 person co-op run (it's difficult to sensibly divide this game among more than 2 people with its length). Races are a big part of our community and I would like to be able to showcase that. Should a 2v2 be accepted, we can also adjust the donation incentive for Metal Ape color to be the top two choices (e.g. have Team Yellow Ape vs Team Blue Ape). I have confirmed with Puwexil that this game is enough of an RPG to consider for an RPGLB schedule.

Possible Donation Incentives: Name the Hero (8 Character Limit),  Metal Ape Color (Brown, Red, Yellow, Green, Blue), show off the bad ending (~2 minutes)

Sample Run Video: https://www.twitch.tv/tehrizzle/v/105897956
Menu Faster!
Odin Sphere Leifthrasir
Console: PS4
Category: Storybook (aka any%)
Gameplay: 7:40:00
Ending: 14 mins
Pro: Decently well known, marathon safe, looks amazing
Con: Length, a few bosses return in other stories
Donation Incentive Offers: Jp or English Voice acting

Commentary of Gwendolyn: https://www.twitch.tv/rosael_/v/111185484 my attempt to commentate while sick

Full Run: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5lgFaOOu5Y

Characters can also be separated into their individual stories if the full run is too long, with each story having ~1:30:00 estimate.
Game Name: Final Fantasy X-2
System (Include both original system and system you plan to play on, if different): PC
Category (Any%, 100%, Glitchless, etc): Any% NG
Gameplay Estimate (excluding ending and bonus content): 3:10
Ending/Bonus Estimate (ending + any glitches/other bonus content you'd like to show post-run): NA
Pros/Cons (honest assessment based on above submission guidelines): Running Final Fantasy X-2 has many cons, one being an auto save feature. This can make fights much easier, especially end game where it was more dangerous and if you died to a boss you'd have to reload and do everything over again. There's nothing that is very dangerous to the run, everything is pretty on point as far as the route goes. For this route we catch monsters and make them do all the hard work, and by hard work I mean none at all really. You can control how much damage they take, and how much damage they do.
Donation Incentive Offers (including character limits/bid war options & time costs): Donation Incentives can include not skipping the intro and having the runner(s) sing along as well as the people on the couch (whether they like it or not) as well as singing along to the 1,000 words cut scene. Another donation incentive I would love to do is if one is met, I could cosplay as Yuna for the run/race. Another incentive that can be made is naming the monsters that we catch which include Gecko, Anole, Machina Ranger and Machina Hunter.
Sample run video (very strongly encouraged, but not required): This was a no reset run done a bit ago: https://www.twitch.tv/yuna92raichu/v/111188293



Game Name: Final Fantasy X
System (Include both original system and system you plan to play on, if different): PC
Category (Any%, 100%, Glitchless, etc): Any% NG
Gameplay Estimate (excluding ending and bonus content): 10:30
Ending/Bonus Estimate (ending + any glitches/other bonus content you'd like to show post-run): NA
Pros/Cons (honest assessment based on above submission guidelines): Strong pro of running on PC, like FFX-2 it has auto-save feature. I have many back up files saved as well just in case things go wrong or sour in the run. The only con I can really think of is the game being extremely long, and any mistake can hurt, but like I said back up saves are on my steam account and can be accessed at any time.
Donation Incentive Offers (including character limits/bid war options & time costs): Donation incentives can be naming the main character, naming the Aeons (Summonings), doing a cosplay as Yuna on stream, and even running the mod version which is known as Tidus Fantasy X where the whole game instead of Tidus talking, it replaces his dialogue with him laughing, as well as the music.
Sample run video (very strongly encouraged, but not required): https://www.twitch.tv/yuna92raichu/v/111182673



Game Name: EarthBound
System (Include both original system and system you plan to play on, if different): SNES
Category (Any%, 100%, Glitchless, etc): Any% Glitchless
Gameplay Estimate (excluding ending and bonus content): 4:30
Ending/Bonus Estimate (ending + any glitches/other bonus content you'd like to show post-run): 5 minutes (if glitch after beating the game can be shown off, maybe less).
Pros/Cons (honest assessment based on above submission guidelines): EarthBound isn't an extremely dangerous game, unless you don't save. There are many difficult situations that can come across your way, but that's what RPG's are! The run is fairly decent, it's not too long and you have the privilege to save where you can and when you can especially before any fights/bosses that can kill the run. Saving is a definite key and doesn't take too much time to do really.
Donation Incentive Offers (including character limits/bid war options & time costs): Donation incentives can be naming the characters; Ness, Paula, Jeff and Poo. Can also name the favorite food, pet's name, and favorite thing. Player name in the later game can also be named with donation incentives. Jeff bound inc.
Sample run video (very strongly encouraged, but not required): https://www.twitch.tv/yuna92raichu/v/111194326



Game Name: Dark Cloud
System (Include both original system and system you plan to play on, if different): PS2
Category (Any%, 100%, Glitchless, etc): Town% (Any% No credits warp)
Gameplay Estimate (excluding ending and bonus content): 8:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate (ending + any glitches/other bonus content you'd like to show post-run): NA
Pros/Cons (honest assessment based on above submission guidelines): The con of this game is that it's pretty lengthy. It's a dungeon based RPG like Lufia, except a lot longer. So there's going to be a lot of RNG that will be out of my control for the game. Nothing can really kill the run besides a softlock that can happen from achieving the broken dagger by doing the glitch, but we only use it for the beginning of the game, and we can save before hand.
Donation Incentive Offers (including character limits/bid war options & time costs): Donation incentives can go to naming the characters of the game which are; Toan, Xiao, Goro, Ruby, Ungaga, and Osmond.
Sample run video (very strongly encouraged, but not required): https://www.twitch.tv/yuna92raichu/v/111187034
I am a koala
Game Name: Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
System: PSX, played on PC or PS2 (PC preferred)
Category: Glitchless Any%
Gameplay Estimate: 2:00:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 2:00
Pros/Cons:
+ Little chance of game over
+ First game in cult classic series
+ Differing challenges throughout

- Least known game in the series
- Some mistakes can cost a couple minutes

Donation Incentive Offers: Ending Choice (Restore Balance/World Domination), Leave Voice Acting On (estimating +10 mins PC +20 PS2, can time them for more accuracy), Attempt any% once (Estimate 15(fail)-25(success) mins, very, very, VERY likely to fail)

Misc: I'm terrible at listing pros/cons, my apologies

Sample run video:  https://www.twitch.tv/wyrmtalon/v/103031621
Dapper as fuck.
Game Name: Final Fantasy IV
System: SNES
Category: Any% yes64 noCW (race with couch_23)
Gameplay Estimate: 2:15:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 2:25:00-2:35:00 with name change donation incentive

Pros/Cons:
+Relatively quick run due to use of the 64 floor glitch
+Multiple strats can be used to beat different bosses
+Game is pretty optimized and fairly straightforward
-RNG can ruin certain strats for boss battles, but safety strats are quite safe and easy to pull off
-/+There are many places to safety save if the runner feels the need to use them

Donation Incentive Offers: Name Changes to Characters

Sample video: https://www.twitch.tv/philosoraptor42/v/89432054 (grinding down PB currently and race couch often)
Main submitter: UltimoIce
Other people attached to this submission inline

Game Name: EarthBound
System: SNES
Category 1: Pajama%
Category 2: Any% Glitchless

Estimate Pajama%: 2:05:00
Estimate Any% Glitchless: 4:25:00

Ending+Bonus Estimate Any% Glitchless: 20:00
Ending+Bonus Estimate Pajama%: 20:00

Pros/Cons Pajama%:

Pajama% is a category created by myself and routed by ClassicJames and I.  We are interested in a race or I can do it individually.  The benefits include a very engaging run where Ness is in his pajamas the whole entire route.  It includes two kinds of cliff skips, exit mouse glitches, out of bounds, as well as several unexpected surprises that can only occur when you mess with the game's sequence.  It has never been done in a marathon, and even includes runners dressing up in pajamas! 

The only major downside is a few areas require 2-3 minute time losses if you get very bad RNG.  However, there is no manipulation and saves happen often.  The route is safe, as well as plenty of breaks for reading donations.  The incentives are also hilarious.

Pros/Cons Glitchless:

This provides a glimpse at the full story line of EarthBound.  It is very well understood and provides safety saving at every corner.  Many runners have suggested a race and relay, both of which I'd love to see.  BackGroundGuy02 and AndyPerfect have specifcally mentioned wanting to do a multiple person race.  BackGroundGuy02, andyperfect, Drock91384, lltemple, aurilliux, classicjames, and yuna92raichu have all contacted me about interest in a relay, which could provide up to 2, 4 person teams.  There may be other runners interested as well.

Donation Incentives Pajama%:
- BubbleMonkey%...The bane of our existence.  You must complete the run with bubble monkey in your party the whole game [5 extra minutes added to the run]
- Character names, food name, dog name, favorite thing name, and player name (varying lengths) [no extra time]
- Glitch/softlock showcase...what happens when you rescue paula after the game ends, or fight carpainter, or see a runaway 5 show? [5-15 extra minutes]
- Credits...Normally it would be impossible to see the credits when you skip the start of the run, but PJ% allows you to save after the game has ended, whereas no other category does [5 extra minutes]
- OOB File Setup...Show viewers how to set up an out of bounds file on their own system/emulator [5 extra minutes]
- Runner(s) dress up...I plan on doing this anyways but could be an incentive (I already have the pajamas) [No extra time]

Any% Glitchless incentives
- Character names, food, dog name, player name (varying length) [No extra time]
- Soft lock showcase...monotoli building, moonside, manipulated underworld, giygas exit mouse...lots of options [10m]
- Ultimo Swag bolts on meteor [no extra time]
- Fight everdred (normally doesn't happen in glitchless) [2m]
- Manipulated onett route [no extra time]...i have a consistent manipulation, and if I fail I can do it segmented
- Dungeon man death warp [1m] during the run I can show off a new death warp out of dungeon man...it is technically a glitch but still is valid in glitchless since it doesn't break sequence and can happen naturally

Video of PJ%:

I did a video specifically to show off this category-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxktphgljyE

Video of Any% Glitchless:

These are all over, but here is my most recent PB.  I can do manipulation even during a solo/race/relay.  There are new routes and backups that make it consistent.  Worse case, I would do it segmented.  My original quote is no manipulation--  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPIQ2l8mjR0
Just some guy
Game Name: Riviera: The Promised Land
System: GBA (Gameboy player)
Category: Any%
Gameplay Estimate: 5:30:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 10 minutes to watch the ending (Recommended, see incentive offers below.) Plus an additional ~5 minutes each for the two bath scenes, if we want to do that.

Pros/Cons:
This is a rather long speedrun and there is a large amount of variance due to random elements. With marathon safety strats there's little chance of a truly catastrophic failure that would lead to going over estimate. The game is not terribly well known but the quality of the soundtrack, art and sprites make it an appealing watch even for those who aren't familiar with the game. Currently I am the only person who has ran the game seriously, so I might not have a star studded couch of Riviera experts. However I do have a very deep understanding of the route, I made it from scratch and have been improving on it gradually over the past several years. The turn based combat gives me ample opportunities to explain the strategy and mechanics while running. As an added bonus, I also have an intimate understanding of the game's mechanics, having developed a romhack for the game and disassembled the code to determine things such as damage equations, hit chances, etc.

There are no excessively long cutscenes or other forms of downtime,  A vast majority of the run is spent in combat. Nor are there any random encounters or cookie cutter strategies. The speedrun is basically a gauntlet of 81 battles, each with unique tactics. Combat itself is strategic and mechanically interesting, if a bit slow paced.

Donation Incentive Offers: There are 5 good endings to the game, one for each of the female characters in the party. Going out of my way to have each of the endings available at the end would add a small amount of time to the run, maybe a minute or two. Watching the ending itself adds around 10 minutes.

Additionally, the game features two optional bath scenes I could go out of my way for (~5 min each), idk if that would be considered appropriate for a the stream though. The game is rated T for teen, so it's not anything too graphic, but they are definitely pretty lewd.

Sample run video: https://www.twitch.tv/flameberger/v/40891736 (vod got split in two, if you want the first 20 minutes of the run it can be found here: https://www.twitch.tv/flameberger/v/40891756)
Edit history:
Vulajin: 2016-12-31 05:36:22 pm
Fable 2 is the game I want to run most. I would be happy to run THE DOG Island but I'm much more serious about Fable 2.

Game: Fable 2
System: Xbox 360 / Xbox One
Category: any% / any% glitchless
Estimate: 3:30:00 / 4:00:00 (both likely to decrease)
Any% video: https://www.twitch.tv/vulajin/v/43328307
Any% glitchless video: https://www.twitch.tv/vulajin/v/47984703

Description: The best entry in Peter Molyneux's epic "be whatever you want to be" fantasy series. You start as a young [boy/girl] and play through your Hero's life, finding allies and fending off enemies in a struggle to overcome the diabolical plans of a madman. This game features an adorable dog. The any% category uses an unpatched version of the game (only playable on Xbox 360) to permit a glitch that allows you to infinitely duplicate your XP, allowing you to purchase the strongest possible spells near the beginning of the game and use them to steamroll enemies later on. "Glitchless" foregoes these glitches in favor of a slightly longer but more seat-of-your-pants route in which combat is a bit more dangerous. Both categories feature Fable's British humor and a lot of optimized combat strats, including some really tight quick kills on bosses later in the game. Both estimates can decrease substantially - my PBs in both categories can be improved through practice, and also the glitchless category can be played on Xbox One with faster load times.

Pros/cons:
+ Fable has made almost no appearances in major marathons, and this game got lots of viewers when I ran it
+ Combat is visceral and satisfying
+ Both categories feature humorous moments like kicking a chicken into the mouth of a giant hungry possessed door with a face, or assassinating the owners of a house so you can buy it for cheap
+ FrankerZ
+ Very marathon-safe, as the game autosaves regularly
- There is a fair bit of just running from place to place/listening to people talk
- Any% obviously may seem a bit cheap just learning all the spells at the start and obliterating everything
- Not heavy on particularly compelling incentives, but there are some options

Proposed incentives:
* Character gender choice - no time difference
* Name the dog - no time difference
* Do The Blind Date quest (set up a young man on a date at his father's request and experience a touching conclusion) - adds around 5 minutes
* Ending choice (The One, The Few, or The Many) - about 1 minute difference due to dialogue
* There are some other quests I can potentially turn into incentives if we need further ones. Each one would probably vary the estimate by around 5 minutes.

Game: THE DOG Island
System: PS2 (or Wii)
Category: any%
Estimate: 3:30:00 (or 3:00:00)
Ending estimate: 0:10:00 (this is mandatory to watch, the post-credits scene is adorable)
Video: https://www.twitch.tv/vulajin/v/43937746

Description: Dogs are adorable, so let's go adventure on an entire island full of them! This game is so painfully cute it will give our viewers diabetes, and unfortunately we're not raising money for JDRF so that might be considered a "con." Still, it has awesome music, a silly story which I can describe at length, and "fetch" quests. Ha ha ha, get it!? The goal of this game is to learn 100 different scents and complete a bunch of quests to help people so you can become a Sniff Master and save the world. Yes, really. If I'm able to get access to the Wii version, that will save like a half hour in load times.

Pros/cons:
+ Adorable
+ FrankerZ
+ Really adorable
+ Actually pretty fun+funny to watch/play
+ It does legitimately have speed tech and routing involved
+ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ
- Possibly a bit long to carry itself on the meme alone (I think I could pull it off though!)
- Pretty loose on the definition of an "RPG"

Proposed incentives:
* Dog gender choice - no time difference
* Dog breed choice (there are 48 options, I would pick just a few) - no time difference
* Dog name - no time difference
* Sibling gender choice - no time difference
Game Name: Rogue Galaxy
System: PS2 on PS4
Category: Any%
Estimate 7:00:00
This Can be a Co Op run with Rheinhold and Gerrick1, or a Race. Prefer a race.
Donation Incentives:
1. Costume Selection, each character has 5-6 extra outfits they can be equipped with. Bid war to decide who wears what. Could be cut down to what specific characters wear, or specific costumes. I included a link below to the costumes. http://roguegalaxy.wikia.com/wiki/Costumes
2. Banter on or off. An annoyance to the runner in the similar vein of Demon Choccobo. Can be turned on and off in the game at the cost of a couple of seconds each time.
3. Third party Member from Chapter 7 until we have to swap specific people around in Chapter 11 for level requirements.
Pros:Good interesting run with exploited mechanics to punish difficult bosses people would have experienced in a casual play through. Very tight item route, getting only what is required other than what we get from drops. Manipulation.
Cons: Two "dead" sections of mostly walking and nothing happening, The Tower Power 40 minutes, and the Walk to Mother.
PB Video https://www.twitch.tv/ruku_teion_shin/v/108028469
P.S. Might not be able to make it to RPGLimitBreak because of money issues but don't count out the other runners running the game because of me thank you.
Child of Light
System: PC
Category: Any%
Gameplay Estimate: 1:25:00
Category: 100% (Casual or Expert)
Gameplay Estimate: 1:55:00 (2:25:00 expert)
Ending: < 5 minutes.

Description: From the developers of Far Cry, Assassin’s Creep, and many Tom Clancy titles, brings you this classically inspired RPG. The art, music, are very well done, and the story is a coming-of-age fairytale about a little princess. Throughout the whole game is done in rhyme, with little exceptions. The battles take inspiration from the Active Time Battle system similar to Final Fantasy & Grandia.

The run is relatively straightforward, with minimal grinding and going from one boss to the next. There are a few glitches which we use to skip some cutscenes and optional areas.

I define 100% as completing all 11 Lumerian quests (character + side quests), and collecting all 16 confessions. While this may sound like Any% + collectables, because we end up with more stat-boosting stardusts, it allows us to use an exploit where we can use a stack of stardusts, then keep it, allowing us to power up without grinding levels. Because of this, the normally very unsafe Expert difficulty would be reasonable to manage while still maintaining the extra difficulty.

Difference between Casual & Expert difficulties, include: Enemies have higher stats (Damage, HP, speed most notably). Interrupts on enemies knock back less. Enemies award less exp. In-Battle wishes do not award HP/MP.

Pros/Cons:
+ Art, Music, Story. All very well done.
+ Fairly short run, even for the longer categories.
+ The game features easy to understand mechanics, that many viewers should already be familiar with, and as such the explanation can focus on the story and what is currently happening, and not how the game mechanics work.
- Run last year by Essentia. Any% route will be more optimized, but I don’t have daughters of my own to play with me.

Possible Donation Incentives:
Aurora Dress Color - Choose between 3 dress options for main character
Category - Choose between Any% or 100%, or between Casual/Expert on 100%.
Language? - Unsure if this would be appropriate, but there are multiple (9) language options that would have no effect on the run (other than making it slightly more difficult for me). Language dictates narrator and text.

Any%
https://www.twitch.tv/takazetv/v/85697685
100% (Casual, Expert route is pretty similar, harder & longer fights).


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I am Setsuna
System: PC
Category: Any%
Gameplay Estimate: 4:20
Ending: ~5 minutes

Square Enix studio, Tokyo RPG Factory’s first entry, made to recreate some of the classic RPGs from the SNES area. I am Setsuna features gameplay very similar to Chrono Trigger, with an ATB battle system & Techniques that combine with other party members into 2 & 3 person Combos.

Pros/Cons
+ Developed to be similar to Chrono Trigger, so most people familiar with that era of RPGs should feel right at home.
+ Beautiful art, lovely piano music throughout the game.
+/- Text/Cutscenes throughout the game, overall it adds up, but it’s sprinkled throughout the run, so one
- Strategies for fights are fairly repetitive
- Some RNG elements which involve needing to grind for particular item drops, if we get bad luck, might add a couple of minutes.
- Characters lack feet

Possible Donation Incentives:
Character names: Endir, Setsuna, Aeterna, Nidr (10 Characters, letters, numbers, most common symbols)
Optimal End-of-game boss Schwarzstrom, can before end of run or after run. (10:00 minutes).

https://www.twitch.tv/takazetv/v/111174440

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Star Ocean: Blue Sphere
System: GBC (played on SGB)
Category Any%
Gameplay Estimate: 3:45:00
End Estimate: 00:5:30 (for JRTA timing, it’s about 5:20 after the final fight to get through the credits to see “Fin”.

Star Ocean: Blue Sphere is a direct sequel to SO2 (Star Ocean: The Second Story), and features the same cast, 2 years after the events of SO2. It was one of the last GBC games published, and never released in the west. Similar to other SO games, battles are more action-RPG where you directly control one character and party members are controlled by the AI. Also, like other SO entries, has a very unique skill system, where instead of being awarded experience points from battle, you are instead award skill points, where you get to choose what skills to focus on, which determine your stat gains and what crafting, combat, and field abilities you have access to.

Pros/Cons
+ As being a very late entry it looks & sounds pretty phenomenal for the GBC.
+ Combat similar to Tales of Phantasia, 2-D sidescrolling action combat
+ Good mix of movement, puzzles, combat, and optimization through menuing.
- Relatively unknown, even for fans of the series as it was only released in Japan.
- No (completed) translation patch available, only playable in Japanese.
- Despite being a GBC game, current route uses SGB for a hidden area only available on SGB, because of this we get no pretty colors. Working on a route that would work on a GameBoy Player, but have not yet completed.
- My run is still a little rough, will be improving & optimizing route.

Incentives:
Only incentive would be between choosing no-color (SGB) vs color (GBP). As noted above, do not have completed route that is not on a SGB. Route would be similar until closer to the end of the game. Other then a necessary late-in-the-run route change, gameplay is identical (but colorful).

https://www.twitch.tv/takazetv/v/103890766
Game Name: Xenogears
System: PS1 played on PS2
Category: Any%
Gameplay Estimate: 19:00/18:00/15:00 (See Cons & Extra Information)
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 0:14 min ending/Small of Two Pieces sing-a-long from Last Hit on Urobolus (traditional timing is until “THE END” appearing and is included in estimate already)

Pros: Features two different combat systems in mechs (Gears) and human form battles through the majority of Disc 1 w/good variety of battle strategy that uses both physical and magic-based (Ether) attacks. Most of the run is very marathon safe, and any sections that are on the riskier side have save point nearby. There is a fair amount of RNG with random encounters and a few of the boss fights, but not so much that a run can die, just that the final time will sway some. Unlike most RPGs’ movement systems, Xenogears includes platforming, which in addition to several movement optimization techniques, makes for some very entertaining movement sections such as the Babel Tower section that includes the two biggest skips of the run.

Cons: Xenogears has slow text and a lot of it. The majority of Disc 2 is comprised of text, trivial boss fights that have much less strategy, and very little sections of movement. Disc 1 also has bouts of time here and there that are mostly text as well, so commentary will need to be very thorough for the entirety of the run and probably incorporate story discussion. While the game can be completed safely in 18 hours on a SCPH-75001 model PS2, there is a potential softlock in Disc 2 that can occur in the first Deus fight using this console. So either a console switch to a SCPH-90001 model PS2 would need to be done just before this fight or the whole run could be run on the SCPH-90001 model for no interruptions mid-run but an overall longer run with a 19 hour estimate. (I own both of these consoles and would have no trouble bringing them along.)

Extra Information: While Xenogears has incredibly slow text and no way to speed it up in game, there is an alternative path that shaves 3-3.5 hours off the total game time making it around a 14.5-15 hour run. By using a cheat device and specific cheatcode, the text speed in Xenogears can be dramatically increased to a speed that would be comparable to Final Fantasy VII or VIII’s text speed as an example without affecting any other in game elements as far as I am aware. I have only completed a run of this using an emulator and realize it may sound a bit sketchy, but it is something that improves the flow of the speedrun considerably and could make it far more marathon friendly. If this becomes a deciding factor for the run being accepted, please let me know, and I can get the appropriate gear to do a legitimate console run on using the fast text.

Donation Incentive Offers: Naming character/Gears (Chu-Chu, Weltall, Heimdall, Brigandier, Stier, Vierge, Renmazuo, Siebzehn, Andvari, Crescens, Fenrir, El-Renmazuo, El-Stier, Xenogears - 9 character limit for Chu-Chu, 10 for all Gears), help kids in Bledavik for “play” re-enactment of early in-game events (+5 minutes), win Bledavik Tournament (+15 minutes, and within it, a Bid War to defeat Dan or defend against Dan to receive Alice’s Wedding Dress), defeat all battlers in Baptism Ceremony (+6 minutes), beat Alpha Weltall (+5-15 minutes, may require a few attempts, can work on refining strategy further or cut if too inconsistent), complete Emeralda’s side quest for her “adult” form in Disc 2 (+12 minutes)

Sample Run Videos:
https://www.twitch.tv/cordellium/v/38964698 (Personal Best/World Record)
https://www.twitch.tv/cordellium/v/111247030 (Sample commentary for first ⅓ of speedrun)
https://www.twitch.tv/cordellium/v/85123584 (Fast Text speedrun example)



Game Name: Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht
System: PS2 played on PS2
Category: Any% Glitchless
Gameplay Estimate: 4:35
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 0:22 ending w/Pain and Kokoro sing-a-longs

Pros: There is very little downtime in this run, providing constant action due to the ability of being able to skip all cut scenes. Movement is very intense in this run as all regular battles are initiated by running into the enemies. While some patterns of enemy movement are consistent run to run, there is also a fair amount that is RNG making it interesting to see how a runner either successfully or unsuccessfully dodges enemies. Many fights are highly RNG dependent based on damage rolls/successful hits, the slot system, and even steals in the late game, so strategy shifts around a lot for exciting battles.

Cons: Game lacks background music for some parts of run and instead has a “static” sound play in these sections. Several bosses have the potential to kill party even with safest of strategies/execution due to the high level of RNG, and while there are save points before all of these, some of them are 1-2 minutes out of the way. This game lacks donation incentives, but if accepted, I will attempt to create more (fighting the bonus boss fights if possible, Erde Kaiser route if viable, etc.).

Donation Incentive Offers: Death by Laughter - Use Virgil’s Triangle gun attack to kill the second boss Cyclops (virtually no time loss for hilarious battlecry)
Bid War - Throughout entire run, choose party leader that is running around on screen when available (Shion, KOS-MOS, Ziggy, MOMO, chaos, Jr.)

Sample Run Video: https://www.twitch.tv/cordellium/v/107400556 (Personal Best/World Record)
Edit history:
StingerPA: 2017-01-05 10:22:43 pm
Game Name: Secret of Mana
System: Super Nintendo
Category: 3 Player Co-op with StingerPA, Yagamoth and BOWIEtheHERO
Gameplay Estimate: 2:20
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 7:00
Pros: Execution heavy action-RPG, plus intense teamwork between 3 runners.  Well paced with only a bit of downtime during cutscenes.  Yagamoth and Stinger have done runs together in the past to great success.
Cons: The glitches used are in play throughout almost the entire run, and can get a bit stale by the end.
Donation Incentive Offers: Name the Boy, Name the Sprite (6 letter limit, letters only), Don't skip the Pure Lands (included in estimate), 2p1c at the start up to Tropicallo
Sample run video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2u9dqSmurI - 2 player run with Yagamoth and StingerPA recorded at AGDQ 2015.  Multiple skips and route changes have been found since then.  The most up-to-date route can be seen at Yagamoth's twitch channel in the form of a 1p2c run, which follows the same route as co-op. - https://www.twitch.tv/yagamoth/v/106167056


Game Name: Custom Robo (GCN)
System: Originally for the Gamecube, will be run on Wii for smaller chance of disk read errors
Category: NG New Journey
Gameplay Estimate: 2:25:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 5:00
Pros: Features quick decision making as the opponents make unpredictable maneuvers, forcing the runner to adjust on the fly every second during the battles, showing off runner skill as robos are defeated one after another. As GhostKing said before, this game is very marathon safe because losing a battle only sends you back to the start of that battle, losing only a couple minutes at worst.
Cons: Not getting new parts after the 4th day does make the run a bit stale towards the end since you're seeing very similar strats used for the latter 51 fights in the game.
Sample run video: https://www.twitch.tv/stingerpa/v/111267005

For Custom Robo, I'm more than open to a relay run/race with GhostKing, TehRizzle, and/or DarkLordDracula.  I'd be fine with 2 runners doing a single run if a 2x2 race isn't preferred.
Edit history:
puwexil: 2016-12-31 10:30:12 pm
Professional Second Banana
And that's a wrap, with 224 submissions totaling 759 hours (co-op/race/relay offers combined)!  As always, RPGLB Staff is flattered and humbled by the amount of interest in this event, and we'll be targeting to release the games list in February.

Runners are free to edit videos/incentives/estimates on submissions (please make a post or notify me if you do this, since I won't be actively checking the thread for updates), but any additional games/categories added to posts will not be considered.
NowOwnsAFreaking Plane
I accidentally posted a quote instead of an edit, feel free to delete.
I edited my submission on page 2 for Torneko because I was told that it was presented badly. I would like to ask that the committee take another look at my run if it has already been looked at. I left out a several vital parts about the run.