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Jenja
2018-01-23 12:39:24 am
First of all I want to apologize for not being able to create specific submission videos, but my Internet is completely broken apart until after the submissions end, so I just have to post Marathon runs or PBs as Sample Videos.
Priority of submissions: Breath of Fire II >>>> Seiken Densetsu III > Lufia II: Ancient Cave > Breath of Fire > Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest

Game Name: Breath of Fire II
System: SNES
Category: Any%
Gameplay Estimate: 7:30:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 8-9 Minutes for showing off the good/neutral ending (Donation bidwar) + ~10 more minutes of credits afterwards
Pros:
- Never seen before at a bigger live Marathon.
- Lots of new Strats/Glitches found recently, which also make the run a lot more consistent overall.
- The BoF Series has a good following and this game in particular has an amazing soundtrack and story that I would love to share and showcase at RPGLB.

Cons:
- Some parts (especially the early game) are still really risky and RNG dependant, but the estimate is safe enough to account for these kinds of things.

Donation Incentive Offers:
-Save/Kill Ganer (Ryu's Father) Bidwar: This triggers the good (Save) or the neutral (Kill) ending, both routes have just marginal time differences.
-Name Ryu: 4 Character Limit.

Sample run video: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/215339037
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Name: Seiken Densetsu III
System: SNES
Category: Any%
Gameplay Estimate: 5:30:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: Ending: 17 Minutes. Black Rabite: 18 Minutes.
Pros:
- Fast paced Action RPG with very few cutscenes and a lot of intense boss fights.
- One of the best visual games on the SNES with an outstanding soundtrack.
- Mana Series is well known and attracts a lot of people.

Cons:
- There haven't been any major route changes since it's showing in RPGLB 2016.
- Sometimes the game can just decide to kill you, if it wants to. This can lead to very unfortunate deaths / game overs, but unless I get really unlucky, the estimate should account for this.

Possible Donation Incentives:
-Naming the 3 characters
-Route Bidwar (Archdemon or Dragon Emperor)
-Black Rabite (Secret Boss, only possible if Dragon Emperor got chosen)

Sample run video: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/214507985
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Name: Lufia II: Ancient Cave
System: SNES
Category: Any% (Race with ShadowKiller, eLmaGus and ThatsFairZack)
Gameplay Estimate: 2:00:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: -
Pros:
- In a Race setting every runner would have a different layout of the Ancient Cave, thus having absolutely 0 downtime at any point.
- It's a different take on a typical RPG with roguelike elements and always having the tension of not knowing what comes next.

Cons:
- Given the random nature of the game, it is not guaranteed that the run finishes. With 4 very experienced runners it is very likely that at least one person will finish though.

Possible Donation Incentives:
-Naming Maxim (main character) + Capsule Monster
-Capsule Monster Bidwar
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Name: Breath of Fire
System: SNES
Category: Any% (Possible Race as well)
Gameplay Estimate: 6:00:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: Ending: 10 minutes
Pros:
- No Random Encounters! This means that it comes down to precise boss strategies and good decision making on boss patterns/attacks.
- Because of that the run is overall fairly consistent and safe (although there are a few RNG fights sprinkled in)

Cons:
- When not fighting bosses there is definitely a bit of downtime in between. I can definitely use that to explain the story and the speedrun in general, but for some people it might get boring after a while.
- Estimate has to be a good chunk higher than PB, mostly because of the random stat distribution of level ups, which can majorly slow down the beginning of the run.

Possible Donation Incentives:
- Naming Ryu (4 Character limit)
- Shin Route (Makes the late game a bit faster, but a lot harder)
- Chun Li Easter Egg (Show Chun-Li kicking in Bleak)

Sample run video: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/217122863
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Name: Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
System: SNES
Category: Any%
Gameplay Estimate: 2:20:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: Ending: 8 minutes
Pros:
- Very straight forward and beginner friendly Speedrun
- The definition of Marathon Safety: When you die, you can just repeat the fight!
- Great Soundtrack

Cons:
- Every single Boss in this game has the potential to kill you. The estimate is set high enough to account for a couple Game Overs throughout the run and even with the worst possible RNG I should not go over that Estimate.
- This has been shown in the last RPGLB, which is why I am fine with this being a Backup / Bonus Game.

Possible Donation Incentives:
- Naming Main Character (8 Character Limit)
- Show off the Djinn Glitch (Can be done after the run, takes ~5 minutes)
KBM
KBM
Edit history:
KBM: 2018-01-23 09:32:21 am
KBM: 2018-01-23 09:30:56 am
KBM: 2018-01-23 09:28:54 am
KBM: 2018-01-23 09:28:37 am
KBM: 2018-01-23 09:28:24 am
KBM: 2018-01-23 09:27:23 am
2018-01-23 09:26:53 am
Game Name: Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5
System: PS4 Original
Category: (Crit) Level 1 Any%

Gameplay Estimate (excluding ending and bonus content): 3:40

Ending/Bonus Estimate: 5 to 10 minutes for exhibition challenge fights, pretty much anything from my "as early as possible" series on youtube like sephiroth or AS larxene. People are used to seeing these fights in the end game when the player is very powerful, so doing them literally as early as possible makes them far more challenging and exciting. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC6Apmo5NhwZmLUcJF63xLJSp2W9kqF7s

Pros/Cons (honest assessment based on above submission guidelines): Kingdom Hearts 2 final mix is the best action RPG of all time, and level 1 any% is the most challenging category in the franchise. It's fast paced and insanely technical, making it an absolute thrill to watch (and play). What really sets this game+category above other action RPGs (and even above other categories in this game) is how probably 95% of the tools available to you are viable for the entire game. You have SO many options, all the time, that it never gets stale and casual players will get to see lots of strategies and abilities they may not have ever considered or thought to use. The last time this category was played at RPGLB was all the way back on PS2, and we've had so many cool improvements in strategies, and they're still improving every week, so there's a ton of awesome stuff to show off. And there are nice breaks in between worlds for donations to be read. There are three or four fights though where the game can just decide to kill you with RNG and you'll lose a couple minutes, so that sucks. Deathless is possible, but I would anticipate two or three deaths in a marathon. No other real cons I can think of.

Donation Incentive Offers : A fight called "One thousand heartless" is universally considered the worst fight in the game, it's lengthy and incredibly easy to die on, and every other runner I know swears by a single weapon for this fight to survive. I'm comfortable enough using any weapon in this fight, and memeing about how bad some of the weapons are is pretty heavy in the KH community, so a bid war for which weapon I use on that fight would get some attention. I have no doubt KH fans would donate to see me use what they think is the worst weapon, and this fight is 2 hours into the run so there's plenty of time to work toward it. Also those exhibition matches I mentioned earlier are great donation goals since, like I said, people aren't used to seeing them done early, and also doing some of the boss fights during the run blindfolded is a good incentive. I have a video of one blindfolded fight here, www.youtube.com/watch?v=zylEooiTqyY and I'm working on some others that should be ready by May.

Sample run video: I'm currently 2nd place in this category, here is my PB. I recorded it off stream, so I'm not interacting with chat, but I still talk to the camera pretty often. I think I had 3 deaths in this run and it's still sub 3:30, so 3:40 is a pretty safe estimate. www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBqixDY64MQ
lurk
lurk
Edit history:
lurk: 2018-01-23 04:28:19 pm
2018-01-23 10:56:14 am
Game Name: Vampire The Masquerade - Redemption
System: PC
Category: any%
Gameplay Estimate: 3:00:00 (PB is 2:48:45)
Ending/Bonus Estimate: I can show all 3 endings by opening their video files, extra 4mins
Pros/Cons: This is a point and click adventure game that sort of has an early Dragon Age type battle system. It's about a crusader who becomes a vampire after falling in love with a nun. I was regularly asked to run this game while running VTM Bloodlines.

Pros:
-All of the dialogue can be skipped, as can most of the cutscenes
-Safe run due to the necessary amount of saving required for good dice rolls
-Involves one glitch I found not present in the segmented runs that skips a small section in the beginning, otherwise abuses game mechanics to go fast similar to segmented runs
-After the grinding sessions you go very fast with disciplines that cause your character to: run faster than everything else (not slowing the game down), turn invisible, use claws for high damage, steal blood from enemies, and freeze them in place
-Coterie members look ridiculous when dead, and some folks find the voice acting to be "so-bad-its-good" during the unskippable cutscenes
-Reputation for being a difficult game to complete
-Good pacing to allow time to focus on promoting the charity between explanations of what's happening

Cons
-Game is determined by dice rolls, so I will sometimes lose time since I must save and reload a lot to get good rolls. In one instance I must save/reload until a vendor has the correct items to purchase. Luckily I can save anywhere and keep at it until things works out
-Requires about 20mins total of two grinding sessions for experience and money for required items. You can revive enemies and kill them again to gain experience and money
-Is slower pace until the grinding is finished
-Not as well-known as VTM Bloodlines, and in general
-Kind of weird to capture. Using the GOG release, my current solution is to force windowed mode with dxwnd, capture window in OBS, then run the game normally without dxwnd in full-screen. Sometimes has weird object-vanishing visual glitches when capturing
-No donation incentives to offer

Sample run video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du1h6GRAsjY limited commentary
Raelcun
Raelcun
Edit history:
Raelcun: 2018-01-23 02:10:51 pm
Raelcun: 2018-01-23 02:09:14 pm
2018-01-23 02:08:39 pm
We require more minerals
Game Name: West of Loathing
System: PC
Category: Any%
Gameplay Estimate: 0:11:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: Few minutes for a silly ending.
Pros/Cons:
+ Very silly run with the proper bite-sized length to keep it from getting too old
+ Very safe, RNG is minimal and very low time penalty if a death were to occur.
+ One donation incentive that affects the entire run
- The sense of humor of the game might not appeal to all
- Is based on an old browser game that not everyone will have played
- Have to play a bit slower than optimally to have time to commentate and explain what's going on.
Donation Incentive Offers: Silly walking is an option in the settings that makes the character walk in very silly ways as long as it's on. It only takes a couple of seconds to turn on and can be done at the start of the run. The sample run video has it on.
Sample run video: https://youtu.be/e3Pzm1TXQuc
Route has changed slightly since then, but the general idea is the same.

Game Name: Paper Mario: Sticker Star
System: 3DS
Category: Any%
Gameplay Estimate: 4:15:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: Watching the ending is included in timing for this game since timing ends on "The End" like most Paper Mario games.
Pros/Cons:
+ Hasn't been shown at many marathons.
+ Uses creative routing to beat boss fights in ways that aren't what the viewer would expect.
+ Speedrun looks very different from casual play.
- Sticker Star had a mixed reception
- Only one real donation incentive in 4 hours.
- Has a few slow points in the run
Donation Incentive Offers: Let Luigi lead the parade in the credits. Requires saving him in every world and costs ~5ish minutes extra to do.
Sample run video: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/86127913
This is an old video of an out of date route, but it's a large pain to film since NTR capture for New 3DS is not accepted by the community as valid for timing and I only own a new 3ds.
Cool Matty
puwexil
Edit history:
puwexil: 2018-01-25 07:21:10 pm
Cool Matty: 2018-01-23 02:19:50 pm
2018-01-23 02:19:25 pm
Crawlathon WR, get down on my level.
Game Name: Sonic Spinball
System (Include both original system and system you plan to play on, if different): Sega Genesis

Category (Any%, 100%, Glitchless, etc): Any%
Gameplay Estimate (excluding ending and bonus content): 00:25:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate (ending + any glitches/other bonus content you'd like to show post-run): 00:00:30

Pros/Cons (honest assessment based on above submission guidelines):
Pros: Largest amount of spinning of any Sonic game. Guaranteed to glitch accidentally at least once or your money back.
Cons: Not actually an RPG.

Donation Incentive Offers (including character limits/bid war options & time costs): Play Black Knight 2000 music the entire run so you don't have to hear the awful soundtrack.

Why you should accept: You shouldn't. Every event requires at least one joke submission. You're welcome.

Sample run video (very strongly encouraged, but not required): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDZwRZH92hs
lavkian
lavkian
Edit history:
lavkian: 2018-01-26 06:06:51 pm
lavkian: 2018-01-24 03:16:30 pm
lavkian: 2018-01-23 06:14:19 pm
2018-01-23 06:13:51 pm
Game Name: Dragon Quest
System: SFC
Category: Dragonloop (Race)
Gameplay Estimate (-ending): 1:55:00 (an average run is ~1:40)
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 0:03:00

Pros:
+ Recognized by everyone as the original JRPG.
+ The SFC version is a (by far) improved version of the original, everything is rebalanced, much of the grinding eliminated, and battles unfold in a more interesting way.
+ There is very little downtime in the run, no cutscenes.
+ Gameplay differs run to run, based upon the current situation and a player's preference for different strategies. Small optimizations can make a big difference.
+ It is mostly a skill intensive game, but there are some interesting tricks that are used throughout the run: metal slime hit manipulation, half step walking techniques, and the Dragonloop itself, for which the category is named.
+ It is marathon safe.  Nothing can prevent a player from finishing this run, bad luck can only exend the final time a bit longer (which is included in the estimate).
+ We are submitting as a 2-4+ person race, as the constant RNG can cause lead changes and keep things interesting.  Races have gotten a very positive reception in other online marathons.

Potential Racers:
・starofviolence
・POP
・SUMDeaner
・philosoraptor42
・lavitz951

Cons:
- The game was only released in Japanese.  There is a translation patch available and I would be willing to use this version.  However, I would strongly prefer not to use it, as this patch introduces a few bugs that I will have to work around.  Also I feel that, given the straightforward nature of this game, good commentary can make up for the language barrier.
- Text moves very quickly in this game, and it can be difficult to follow what is happening sometimes.  This effects both the JP and English-patched versions.  I believe good commentary and the simple nature of the 1v1 battles can make up for this as well, no matter which language is used. 
- With bad luck, being killed by the last boss (Dragonlord) can happen.  I'll lose around 8 minutes to get back to the fight, but the fight will be a little bit safer the second time around. This possibility has been taken into account in the estimate.
- There is still a section of the game that is grinding, including the Dragonloop (7 dragons) and an additional amount of grinding after that.  There is a good amount of strategy that goes into the Dragonloop grinding, as we need to setup a deathwarp immediately after each dragon is killed.  Commentary and the explanation of this should help it not feel like a grind.  Compared to the rest of the run, the final grind section isn't very long.

Donation Incentive Offers: Bring Princess Laura to the Dragonlord.  This adds very little time.  There is extra text when you talk to the Dragonlord, as well as the ending where you walk away with her.

Sample run video with commentary: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/221707890
Ourolen
puwexil
Edit history:
puwexil: 2018-01-25 07:21:35 pm
2018-01-23 06:23:12 pm
Game Name: Pokémon Black
System: Nintendo DS
Category: Any% (Oshawott)
Gameplay Estimate: 3:55:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: N/A
Pros/Cons:
+ Different starter than normal, shows off a lot of different strategies than using Tepig
+ Route/run is entirely my own in its current state
+ Manipulated starter stats lead to a pretty consistent run

- A little bit longer than the fastest Any% route that uses Tepig (only by about 20min though)

Donation Incentive Offers: Oshawott nickname, Pansear nickname, Woobat nickname, player nickname
Sample run video: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/167550209

Game Name: Pokémon Crystal
System: GBC played on GBP
Category: Randomizer Cinco Bingo Race
Gameplay Estimate: 2:00:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: N/A
Pros/Cons:
+ Coming off the trails off of a just completed tournament hosted on SpeedGaming
+ Races for Pokémon aren't showcased much/at all
+ Lots of minute to minute decision making and routing choices
+ Ability to showcase a lot more general Pokémon knowledge being used

Donation Incentive Offers: starter nickname, trainer nickname, rival nickname
Sample run video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjnoNlvMzGY
starofviolence
starofviolence
Edit history:
starofviolence: 2018-01-28 05:41:31 pm
starofviolence: 2018-01-26 08:54:58 am
puwexil: 2018-01-25 07:21:50 pm
starofviolence: 2018-01-25 08:29:09 am
starofviolence: 2018-01-24 12:04:59 pm
starofviolence: 2018-01-23 09:58:54 pm
starofviolence: 2018-01-23 09:43:48 pm
starofviolence: 2018-01-23 07:11:41 pm
2018-01-23 06:50:35 pm
Game Name: Dragon Quest
System: SFC
Category: Dragonloop (Race)
Gameplay Estimate (-ending): 1:55:00 (an average run is ~1:40)
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 0:03:00

Pros:
+ Recognized by everyone as the original JRPG.
+ The SFC version is a (by far) improved version of the original, everything is rebalanced, much of the grinding eliminated, and battles unfold in a more interesting way.
+ There is very little downtime in the run, no cutscenes.
+ Gameplay differs run to run, based upon the current situation and a player's preference for different strategies. Small optimizations can make a big difference.
+ It is mostly a skill intensive game, but there are some interesting tricks that are used throughout the run: metal slime hit manipulation, half step walking techniques, and the Dragonloop itself, for which the category is named.
+ It is marathon safe.  Nothing can prevent a player from finishing this run, bad luck can only exend the final time a bit longer (which is included in the estimate).
+ We are submitting as a 2-4+ person race, as the constant RNG can cause lead changes and keep things interesting.  Races have gotten a very positive reception in other online marathons.

Potential Racers:
・starofviolence
・POP
・SUMDeaner
・lavkian
・philosoraptor42
・lavitz951

Cons:
- The game was only released in Japanese.  There is a translation patch available and I would be willing to use this version.  However, I would strongly prefer not to use it, as this patch introduces a few bugs that I will have to work around.  Also I feel that, given the straightforward nature of this game, good commentary can make up for the language barrier.
- Text moves very quickly in this game, and it can be difficult to follow what is happening sometimes.  This effects both the JP and English-patched versions.  I believe good commentary and the simple nature of the 1v1 battles can make up for this as well, no matter which language is used. 
- With bad luck, being killed by the last boss (Dragonlord) can happen.  I'll lose around 8 minutes to get back to the fight, but the fight will be a little bit safer the second time around. This possibility has been taken into account in the estimate.
- There is still a section of the game that is grinding, including the Dragonloop (7 dragons) and an additional amount of grinding after that.  There is a good amount of strategy that goes into the Dragonloop grinding, as we need to setup a deathwarp immediately after each dragon is killed.  Commentary and the explanation of this should help it not feel like a grind.  Compared to the rest of the run, the final grind section isn't very long.

Donation Incentive Offers: Bring Princess Laura to the Dragonlord.  This adds very little time.  There is extra text when you talk to the Dragonlord, as well as the ending where you walk away with her.

Sample run video: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/176315404
Sample race video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKkNx7W6EAA

Game Name: Dragon Quest 2
System: SFC
Category: Any%
Gameplay Estimate (-ending): 4:10:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 0:07:00
Pros/Cons:

Pros:
+ The SFC version of DQ2 is a dramatically improved version of the original. Great care has been taken to tweak enemy actions, stats, and resistances. The result is a much better balanced, but still very challenging experience that tests a player's knowledge and decision making skills nonstop from power on to THE END.
+ There is very little downtime, the only cutscene is at the very beginning. The rest of the game is a highly skill testing gauntlet of battles that almost never lets up.
+ Strategies vary from run to run based on the current situation and player preference.
+ This is a very skill intensive game, but is not without some tricks to make things a bit easier; Lottery Ticket manipulation, Metal Slime/Babble hit manipulation, and half-step walking techniques all play their roles in assisting the player in saving the world.
+ It's marathon safe. Nothing can prevent a player from finishing this run, it can only get a bit longer if there are mishaps.
+ This run can be made into a race with POP and SUMDeaner, and I would like that if possible.

Cons:
- Due to the focus I require to play this game at a high level, I cannot give my own commentary for this run. However, there will be one or more dedicated commentators available to ensure everyone's understanding of the gameplay, resulting in a higher quality experience for everyone.
- There is a fairly heavy grinding section during the endgame, to gain enough experience to attempt the boss rush. This section also happens to be the most skill intensive section of the run, and strong commentary here will make this a non-issue.

Donation Incentive Offers: Sing ending credits theme "My Journey, My Way"

Sample run video: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/100220460
skateman222
puwexil
Edit history:
puwexil: 2018-01-25 07:22:04 pm
2018-01-23 09:59:57 pm
Game Name: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Another Story
System: SNES
Category: Any% (English Fan Translation)
Gameplay Estimate: 4:35:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 0:02:00 (Timing includes ending, True End incentive would add about this much)

Pros/Cons:
+ Interesting game based on one of the most popular anime series, Sailor Moon. Very good chance a good chunk of the audience would get nostalgic and want to know more about this RPG they most likely did not know about.
+ Not only does this game have a run button like some RPGs out there, but it one-ups that run button with a SUPERFAST run button! By holding L or R, any Sailor Scout will run so fast that they can run 2-3x faster than a CAR! The movement will be sure to entertain with how completely insane it is.
+ To speed up most sections, there is a pause trick that resets your step count, allowing you to skip random encounters.
+ Marathon safety has been taken into account, as there are a handful of dangerous spots and plenty of save balls to use before them.
- The game is quite obscure, which could be problematic, but hoping the Sailor Moon nostalgia makes up for it.
- While the movement and battles are interesting to watch, there is a decent amount of cutscenes and grinding. I'd guess it was close to 50/50 in the past, but needing to grind less due to better routing has dropped it closer to 65/35, favoring action. On the bright side, not all the cutscenes are long and boring plot dialogue, as some of the cutscenes are funny or weird.
- Lack of strong donation incentive.

Donation Incentive Offers:
- Good Ending: Normally, we'd purposely lose to the stronger version of final boss and then fight the weaker version to get the shorter Bad Ending. Fighting the stronger version is not too much longer and gets the slightly longer Good Ending.
- Background color a.k.a. the border around the game (5 options)
- Text color (5 options)

Sample Run:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJF3WgKcqmo
NoWorries
NoWorries
Edit history:
NoWorries: 2018-01-26 10:40:01 am
puwexil: 2018-01-25 07:22:33 pm
NoWorries: 2018-01-24 11:26:32 am
2018-01-24 11:24:14 am
Always excited for this time of year! I have videos for all of my runs, but I want to reiterate that several of them have some pretty large areas of improvement as I have been working on them pretty steadily over the past few months. However, due to time constraints that end here in about 30 days, I haven't been able to string together time for a serious attempt. By the event's start however, I will have plenty of time to get it all in order. Thank you

The first two entries require a small and brief introduction to explain, thanks Ghost King for the indirect and helpful suggestion. The GBA remake of Shining Force was more than just a remake; practically speaking, it is an entirely new game. It features 3 new characters, 3 new battles, new spells, and a ton of new items, not to mention an overhaul to the mechanics of the entire game from learning spells to how many items can be equipped and held. What makes the game unique however, is that it features a Star system, that is, beating the game gets you 1 star, and so on and so forth for infinitely we suppose, nobody has hit the cap yet. In a normal Any% route, the new characters join after 4-1 which is where the game gets really different from SF as well as it ramps in speed tremendously. This is because of Mawlock, a character so incredibly broken, there's nothing that really compares.

Now, that being said, in NG+, we play at 1 star (so small boosts to the enemies) but to compensate we start with Mawlock in our party from the beginning of the game. Because we have him from the get go, the game is much much faster and plays completely differently from Any% for most of the entire game since having Mawlock that early even changes some of our late-game decisions. Thank you

Game #1 Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon NG+%
System Gameboy Advance
Length 3:30
Donation Incentives Name Max (7 characters) | Push ups for Misses
Entertainment Compared to the Genesis version, this game is way faster due to the introduction of some new characters, one of which we get right away and simply breaks the game. The character Mawlock introduces cards which lets Max fly, lets people take double and triple turns, and lets us race through this game very quickly. There are cutscenes but they're kept to a minimum as we can mash through text. We utilize a number of strategies to beat each battle as effectively as possible, and there is only one grind section which is kept to a minimum.
Popularity It's Shining Force but with a graphical overhaul, new items, new characters, 3 new battles, and with some mechanical changes. While I believe the Gens version is more popular, I also believe that's due to this game being somewhat a dark horse, as often people come to me asking if this is a hack, unaware this was an official release from 2004
Marathon Safety The run is exceedingly safe, especially compared to the Gens version, with no battle saves being necessary to win the day. The biggest timeloss areas come from misses, which are still very much a thing, and if the game randoms us a ring later on which negates all missing for one character
Language I play it in English. IDK about language differences within the game, but it is in English

Like I said, the video is almost 2 years old, but I have been making some major headway as this is the preferred category for this game, and because it's so different from the Gens version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YflNJ2mqChY&t=10s

Game #1, category option 2 Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon Any%
System Gameboy Advance
Length 4:30
Donation Incentives Name Max (7 characters) | Pushups for misses | Grab every card (might add 10-15 minutes due to some minor route changes, but this is also getting ironed out over the next few months) | Kill Dark Dragon with a Jogurt Max
Entertainment We did the Gens version last year which was quite successful. This is the GBA remake from 2004 which is still SF but is basically a different game due to the vast number of changes to the game. It is faster as well as safer; and while the Gens might be more popular, I believe this run to be more entertaining due to the utilization of the different game mechanics as we blow through the game so quickly. If all cards is met, we could kill then kill Dark Dragon off with a Jogurt Max which is pretty hilarious
Popularity See above answer
Marathon Safety Very safe run, again, no battles saves are necessary to win. No grind necessary in Any%.
Language Still English

https://www.speedrun.com/run/oy2poqjz

Game #2 Shining Force CD, Book 1 Any% (possible race with Ty2358)
System Sega CD
Length 4:15
Donation Incentives Name Nick (7 characters) | Push ups for misses
Entertainment Book 1 is the first side-story between the two Shining Force games on the Genesis. This has a beautiful soundtrack that really showcased what the Sega CD had for potential despite the system's downfall. There is no town exploration, only battles, so the game keeps moving as the cutscenes are minimal and there is no grinding. Some major route improvements have happened over the past 6 months and that time could easily come down by 20 to 30 minutes in the next few months as well.
Popularity The game is growing in popularity as we continue to showcase it. Due to the Sega CD somewhat flopping due to cost and availability, the game remained in the shadows until just a few years ago as it surfaced in the SF community as we started to attack it viciously trying to break it
Marathon Safety The run is fairly safe. The first and last battles are heavy in RNG which could allow for deaths, but resets are fast, and as is the case for most SF titles, deaths early mean more EXP meaning later battles go faster
Language English

https://www.speedrun.com/run/7ylx5j2y

Game #3 Shining Force 2: The Ancient Seal Any%
System Sega Genesis
Length 5:45
Donation Incentives Name all characters (exact list to be provided later, but there are several) | Push ups for misses | Shining Force, the Musical | Fight the secret end battle (about 10-15 minutes, there is a chance for failure due to no save)
Entertainment We did Shining Force 2 two years ago and it was a ton of fun and since then the route has become more solid as well as an additional movement glitch was discovered that actually exploits a battle skip. For entertainment sake, Early Roft could be kept in the run as well although for strict speed purposes, it is no longer a part of the run. The grind is still in the run, as Peter keeps the second half of the game relatively short for us. There are also cutscenes, but they are broken up into mostly short segments meaning we don't have to sit around for large extended periods of time
Popularity Shining Force 2 is arguably the most popular Shining title out there
Marathon Safety A fairly safe run. The slingshot glitch (the large skip) is easy to pull off though that battle is immensely tricky and my biggest concern s the chance for failure. Though, with time (hate to repeat myself) it's going to become more and more solid to pull off.
Language English version. The J version just changes too many things from the English version

This is an old run without the updated strats. New run to get uploaded when time becomes available
https://www.speedrun.com/run/oy2n39jy

Game #3, category option 2 Shining Force 2: The Ancient Seal 100%
System Sega Genesis
Length 6:45
Donation Incentives Same incentives from Any% except the secret end battle is included in 100%
Entertainment Due to no in-game percent counter, 100% is defined as all battles, all characters, all mithril found, all stat consumables, and all secondary equipment. The route still uses Peter as our main focal point, but due to needing to find all characters as well as complete all battles including the end one, the route changes enough as to make all of this possible. The most entertaining part of the run is beating the Secret End battle, which concludes 100%, as that battle is insanely difficult to do casually and we do it in a speedrun
Popularity See above
Marathon Safety A safe run, but due to the difficulty and challenge of the final battle, it can be a little unsafe. Lots of safety measures are taken though to guarantee success
Language English

No video at this time
KaiserKreuz
KaiserKreuz
Edit history:
KaiserKreuz: 2018-02-09 09:03:07 am
KaiserKreuz: 2018-02-08 04:49:37 pm
KaiserKreuz: 2018-02-05 09:07:39 pm
KaiserKreuz: 2018-02-01 06:41:36 pm
KaiserKreuz: 2018-01-27 03:57:30 pm
puwexil: 2018-01-25 07:24:10 pm
2018-01-24 06:23:14 pm
Game Name: OFF (v2.0 Patched)
System: PC
Pros/Cons (apply to both categories):
+ The player can choose a name (ideal for a donation incentive as it barely slows the game down), and their ending.
+ OFF was a very-well known game back in 2011, despite its niche.
+ A whole lot of riddles and mini-games, which require memorization and anticipation.
+ Has been patched in English, despite originally being in French.
+ 100%/Third Ending is only 10 min longer as the zones you need to revisit are pretty short.
+ Marathon-safe: Saves are really fast to make, and the game tends to give a lot of Save Points.

- A few unskippable cutscenes per se (about 30-45 seconds each.)
- No real glitches, just a few exploits here and there.
- Redundant battle system.

Category #1: Any%
Gameplay Estimate: 1:20:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 0:05:00 (For a fun ride on a rollercoaster.)
Donation Incentive Offers: Batter/Judge Ending bid war (the Batter's ending is slower by around 40-60 seconds, but wouldn't influenciate on the estimate), Name choosing, rollercoaster ride.
Sample run video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fbWI1RJjg0

Category #2: 100%/Third Ending
Gameplay Estimate: 1:30:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 0:10:00 (For rollercoaster + ending's confirmation.)
Donation Incentive Offers: Batter/Judge Ending bid war (the Batter's ending is slower by around 40-60 seconds, but wouldn't influenciate on the estimate), Name choosing, rollercoaster ride.
Sample run video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5sm04qn_1c

==========================================================================================================================================

Game Name: Odin Sphere
System: PS2 (will be run on PS4 as Leiftrasir: Classic Mode)
Global Pros/Cons:
+ 5 characters to choose from a bid war.
+ Odin Sphere became a classic from PS2 despite being released during the console's last moments.
+ Each character gets a different route, depending on their mechanics and boss order.
+ Cool tactics and exploits which require a bit of thinking and are worth the watch.
+ RNG very rarely kills a reckless run, so it shouldn't be a concern for a safe run.

- Slower-paced than Leiftrasir, albeit shorter.
- Only a few exploits, and the only doable glitch is not worth the trouble of setting it up (can be triggered by "luck", but really not worth much as of yet.)

Category #1: Any% Easy Mode (Gwendolyn, Cornelius, Mercedes, Oswald or Velvet)
Gameplay Estimate: 1:00:00 (+0:20:00 if Velvet.)
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 0:05:00 (Onyx Exploit.)
Pros/Cons:
+ Oswald has an interesting "final" battle, to say the least.
+ Mercedes has her own attack system, which makes her fundamentally different than the other characters.
- Gwendolyn has a pretty long tutorial (2-3 min more than the other characters, as she's the first one we control.)
Donation Incentive Offers: Character selection bid war (I'm good enough with the 5 characters, so all of them should be on the list), Onyx exploit (if the character chosen is not Oswald), Voice Acting (English/Japanese.) EDIT: I might add a difficulty bidwar depending on how well it'd be received.
Sample run video:
Gwendolyn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWBylLQ8_tk
Cornelius: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjMN3UcJE1o
Mercedes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92AVMEWGU-U
Oswald: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWcb_wm-OHM
Velvet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o70BRcYTFHk
Most of these aren't sub 1h RTA because I didn't have the time to grind them yet, and I'm playing on PS2 (which has a ton of slow loads.)

Category #2: Oswald Any% (Any Difficulty)
Gameplay Estimate: 1:00:00 (Easy), 1:10:00 (Medium), 1:20:00 (Hard) These are really safe estimates.
Ending/Bonus Estimate: None
Pros/Cons:
+ Onyx Exploit.
Donation Incentive Offers: Difficulty selection bid war (I've only done this category on Easy, but it'll be the same for the most part, on other difficulties), Voice Acting (English/Japanese.)
Sample run video:
Easy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWcb_wm-OHM

Category #3: All Books Easy Mode
Gameplay Estimate: 7:30:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: None
Pros/Cons:
+ Everything the game has to offer will be shown.
- Redundant final boss gauntlet and 30-45 min grind.
Donation Incentive Offers: Voice Acting (English/Japanese.)
Sample run video: None, because I haven't done this category yet (I need an extra memory card to actually try lategame out.)

==========================================================================================================================================

Runner Name: KaiserKreuz (You can call me Kaz for short.)
Age: 22
Country: France
Speedrunning History: OFF: Any% WR Ex-Holder, 100% WR Holder, Zacharie% WR Ex-Holder. Odin Sphere: WR Holder of every character's Any% in Easy Mode (going for Normal Mode after I get reasonable times in Easy Mode.)
About: I've been speedrunning for almost a decade, but only officially for about 8 months. I didn't own any capture device before mid-January, which is why I don't have much to show right now. I wanna speedrun more games, but I'll keep focusing on RPGs right now, as I'm pretty happy with my current results. I can't do commentary for personal reasons regarding housing, but I'm fluent in English (there's just my accent getting a bit in the way.)
Tyler(thedriver)
Tyler(thedriver)
Edit history:
Tyler(thedriver): 2018-01-27 06:06:53 pm
Tyler(thedriver): 2018-01-27 06:06:23 pm
Tyler(thedriver): 2018-01-27 06:01:06 pm
Tyler(thedriver): 2018-01-27 05:41:34 pm
Tyler(thedriver): 2018-01-27 05:19:38 pm
Tyler(thedriver): 2018-01-27 03:41:52 pm
2018-01-24 09:51:20 pm
Name: Tyler
Game Name: Phantasy Star IV
System: Sega Genesis
Category: Any% (willing to do race/co-op)
Gameplay Estimate: 4 hours
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 10 minutes

This can be solo or preferably a race with Bichphuongballz

Pros: Good run for those that enjoy competitive any% with no glitches(there are useful glitches for speedrunning but at this point they are optional).  Very little "cheese" strategy involved in defeating bosses and completing dungeons.  Wide range of route options.  Unique macro system and comic style cutscenes for the time.  Showcase for how far Genesis hardware could be pushed.  Fantastic soundtrack.

Cons: Very RNG heavy.  Needs 20-25 minutes of extra grinding for marathon safety.  Even with extra safeties it's still possible to take costly time losses.  Not as interesting for those that enjoy glitches and sequence breaks.

Donation Incentives:
(1)Shadowblade exhibition: Take 10 minutes after the run is over to show off the shadowblade use and the stat update glitch that allows it to be useful in RTA runs.

(2)Ending character: Can complete marathon route with either Gryz or Raja on final boss.  No time difference or safety loss.  Can either be done as a bid war or as having Gryz default and incentive to complete with Raja.  Raja has larger strategy variety.

Sample run video: First video is marathon route.  Even with bad luck all test runs stay under 3:40. This is an example of a bad luck run.  Nearly all late game bosses went poorly and final boss RNG was awful. Estimate is based off this run with 20 mins built in for major time loss event. Notable timestamps as follows, these demonstrate cases that would normally be wipes but safety measures allow recovery.
2:10:20 Surviving Triplets out turn
2:18:40 Spector before Lashiec uses corrosion
2:34:20 Dark Force 2 out turning and attacking Wren
3:36:20 Canceling/Megid combo before barrier applied
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/222082591
Second is PB video.
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/211896736
ukobotic
2018-01-25 05:48:48 am
B O O K A
Game Name: EarthBound
System: SNES
Category: Any% Glitchless
Gameplay Estimate: 4:25:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 16:00 if we go straight to credits after the final boss

Pros/Cons:
- I want to do something that I don't think anyone else has tried, which is to attempt to clear as much of EarthBound Glitchless's RNG manipulation as possible in a marathon run. This is the best way I can think of to potentially differentiate this run of EarthBound from those of previous RPG Limit Break marathons, as well as showcase a lot of the newer technical aspects that have lowered EarthBound's time by so much this past year or so, including faster menuing, better mashing, and inventory management.

- RNG Manip in Glitchless has within these past few months extended beyond the first town Onett and all the way into Happy Happy Village. Manipulating Onett saves about 10 minutes on average, manipulating the Carpainter fight saves another 2-3 on average, and manipulating Mondo Mole on top of that will save another 2-3 minutes. Manipulating beyond Onett is very inconsistent and has pseudo-randomness attributed to it, so my aim is to at the very least clear Onett, which I have complete and utter confidence in my ability to do in a pinch as long as I concentrate. I have over a year's worth of experience with Onett manip under my belt (I have the fastest time with this route, which is the route most runners use) and you know for a fact if this gets accepted I'll practice my heart out.
- That said, however, nobody's perfect and I'm not a machine. I'm prone to error at times and the scary aspect of submitting this idea is, well, what if it all falls apart? My response to that is I've come up with a backup plan for every single spot where I could possibly drop the manipulation (here's a short pastebin of every example https://pastebin.com/cZ84R691), but that situation could immediately mean a load of timeloss. If I drop it in Onett before defeating Titanic Ant, that absolutely means I lose around 10 minutes. This is okay, I'm confident in my ability to pull out a strong run of EarthBound regardless, but tragedies do happen, which is why I have to set a safe estimate of 4:25:00 so that going over doesn't happen. On the other hand, if I do land most or all of the manip, I could crush this estimate by 20 minutes or more (I estimate a sub 4:05 for sure if I pull off all of Onett, barring a tragic death of some kind), which would suddenly push the marathon way ahead of schedule (However there are a number of post-game glitches or fun things we can do to fill the time if need be!)

- EarthBound has been showcased every single year of RPG Limit Break's history, so I acknowledge that this could very well be too much of a repeat performance. That said though, I'm a "newer" personality when it comes to EarthBound, but I made my way up to 3rd place in the Glitchless category fairly quickly. I was in last year's RPG Limit Break relay race but no one really got to see me or analyze very much how I play. I want to show off how far stutter stepping, teleport crashing, menuing, mashing, inventory management, battle strategy, and enemy dodging have come since andyperfect's glitchless run in 2015, or even in just the last year, in addition to just the RNG manip. My worst-case estimate is 30 minutes faster than Andy's run.

- The manip pretense unfortunately limits the donation incentive pool. Every Character/Thing you name before starting the run has to be one character long in order for the manip to work, and I have to be able to reach each character in the menu before I total 20 cursor movements, which could and probably will result in "A" being the name of the psychic move. (In the extremely unlikely event that the word spelled out by the four characters exceeds 20 cursor movements, I can do an "as close as possible" kind of thing to match the name everyone donated for without actually using those characters, or in the worst case other Onett manipulation routes exist that I can showcase instead. If this gets accepted I'll carefully plan all possible outcomes.)

Donation Incentives: Four-letter or less name to spell out with Ness, Paula, Jeff, and Poo's names, Player name (24 characters), Window flavor (Plain, Mint, Strawberry, Banana, or Peanut)

Samples:
1) Jon Snow-a-thon: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/215764862 good example of what a run might look like. Dropped manip post-carpainter, so most of the time was already saved. Pretty good run except I lost a multitude of minutes recovering from forgetting to pick up the Protein Drink in Grapefruit Falls for the monkey cave segment. Shouldn't happen again, lol.
2) First attempt after AGDQ: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/222165482 another good example, high performance imo with average RNG throughout and no big mistakes. Manip drop just after Onett, so only the initial 10 minutes saved
3) Not a full run, but an example of a manip drop backup plan: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/222168024 Dropped manip because of a pathing error that I didn't realize I made. Also shouldn't happen again. But in this example I still pulled out a very strong Onett time as if I used no manipulation at all, lost 9.5 minutes total.
Turbodog702
Turbodog702
Edit history:
Turbodog702: 2018-02-05 07:28:05 pm
Turbodog702: 2018-01-29 02:59:21 am
Turbodog702: 2018-01-29 02:58:10 am
Turbodog702: 2018-01-27 11:50:29 pm
Turbodog702: 2018-01-27 11:48:46 pm
Turbodog702: 2018-01-27 11:21:13 pm
Turbodog702: 2018-01-27 07:35:40 pm
Turbodog702: 2018-01-27 07:30:19 pm
Turbodog702: 2018-01-27 07:19:24 pm
Turbodog702: 2018-01-27 04:45:24 pm
Turbodog702: 2018-01-27 04:38:10 pm
Turbodog702: 2018-01-27 04:33:38 pm
Turbodog702: 2018-01-27 04:18:42 pm
Turbodog702: 2018-01-27 04:14:21 pm
Turbodog702: 2018-01-27 04:10:57 pm
Turbodog702: 2018-01-27 04:09:37 pm
Turbodog702: 2018-01-27 04:08:41 pm
Turbodog702: 2018-01-27 04:05:27 pm
Turbodog702: 2018-01-27 04:05:15 pm
Turbodog702: 2018-01-25 06:55:38 am
2018-01-25 06:51:43 am
Will revise and edit when able. Just putting a list out there for others to look at
EXA (need light commentary vid)

Game Name: Shining Force EXA
System: PS2 Slim 90k
Category: Any% (by myself), Co-op Any% (with Ty2358)
Gameplay Estimate: 6:00:00 (could drop with more extensive micro routing or with a pre-baked save option)
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 5:00 Ending, 15:00 for bonus characters

Pros

- A FIXED VERSION OF NEO
- Cutscenes and talking sequences can be skipped extremely fast
- 8 random floors in Dimension X and 4 random layouts in Ordeals mean you have to be on your toes and adapt quickly to layouts
- Saves can be pre-baked for the only RNG heavy part of the run, though I have never taken more than 30 mins for all manipulations total in 10ish runs
- This game is quite safe and stable with structured building of characters
- We get to see Toma early and Cyrille late game for main character variety

Almost no one has seen this run, and a small group worked fairly hard to make this game broken through abuse of early access to high level spellcasting items, abuse of damage modifier attribute on weapons, structured skill leveling, completing arenas that are 70 levels higher than you are (safely) and spell diversity to avoid fighting rough enemy packs.

Cons:

- I save often to avoid punishing deaths, but the dangerous sections are pretty well known and avoidable. It is rare to die out of nowhere if you build correctly

-RNG plays a heavy part at around the 2 hour mark. We need access to items that are generated at the shop randomly, then we need to manipulate monster drops for 1 of 2 potential weapons, then we manipulate a high spell power bracelet. This seems like a lot, but it has never taken more than 30 mins total. All of this is in one chunk.

- There is 2 more points of RNG manipulation that should take no more than 10 mins, probably no more than 5. These might get routed out differently.
- A lot of the game is spamming powerful magic and running from area to area. I feel this could be construed as an issue inherent to all ARPGs though.
- This is a niche game in a niche community that is generally looked down on for no other reason than it is not a Shining tactics based game.

Side Note: This route can only get better. I still need to trim the fat on upgrade point acquisition through structured build break points like I did for Neo. This would further reduce time in the fortress and reduce running around for extra upgrades. I would also be open to doing some type of co-op run with Ty2358 if he is willing where he could take the first part of the game.

Possible Donation Incentives:  Obtain hidden characters (Avalon and Garyu, will use when able in run)
Sample run video: Commentary on Light Route only.
Light Route (WR) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLatVBprEnzK_bBa7Y0ySBzsPwD_kjU_yc
Fire Route Marathon Alternate


Game Name: Shining Soul
System: GBA via GBP
Category: Any% Archer/Wizard
Gameplay Estimate: 2:45:00 / 3:00:00 (Bid war/Wizard. This could drop more with additional Wizard routing)
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 4 mins (Credits)

Pros:

- Simplistic game that is fairly easy to communicate to a casual audience.
- Lots of references to the Shining series that can fill downtime with lore
- Various bid war incentives (Class, Color, name option)
- Very safe once money is established (first 10 mins or so)
- Short time frame comparative to RPGs
- Very structured but leaves room for adjustment

Cons:

- Perhaps too simplistic
- Repetitive gameplay (can be masked by strong support commentary)
- Still a green route for Wizard that can be improved (I focused on making Archer more stable for submissions)

Donation Incentive Offers: No Cost - Character Color | Some Cost - Naming (affects starting stats slightly) | Most Cost: Class Selection (still comfortably within 3 hours)

Sample run video: Archer and Wizard

https://www.twitch.tv/turbodog702/v/111103578


Commentary Videos (WATCH THESE):
(Archer)
https://www.twitch.tv/turbodog702/v/111109388 (Wizard, older route and run)


Game Name: Parasite Eve
System: PSX via PS2 or PSTV
Category: NG Race / NG+ Good Ending
Gameplay Estimate: 3:08:00 / 25:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 8 mins (Credits)

Pros:

- One of the first RPGs with a modern setting
- Boss sequences are tense due to light bullet hell elements
- Relatively short for a full RPG, no/extremely little grinding, more conclusive evidence that super rats are in every Opera according to Squaresoft
- Interesting cutscenes given the time of creation
- New developments in safety strats for Centipede+
- There has been work to remove RNG from all points of the run
- The build order has changed drastically to use ATB abuse early on.

Cons:

- Admittedly long talking sequences at times
- Cutscenes are unskippable.

Side Note: I do not have a video of the new route due to focusing extremely hard on routing EXA for this event. I feel very confident I could adjust to the changes for a strong marathon performance. I would be open to a race. If we do not want to race, I would concede the position to Palmer for his and Primus's work on the category.

Possible Donation Incentives: Name Aya
Sample run video: (New Game, old route at RPGLB 2016)

(NG+)


Game Name: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
System: PSX, played on XBLA
Category: Glitchless, ABRSR (All Bosses, Relics + Save Richter
Gameplay Estimate: 40 mins / 40 mins / 55 mins
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 8  mins (Ending + Credits) possible glitch exhibition (~10 mins), Richter Any% (~8 mins)

Pros:
- Lots of movement tech
- Very safe
- Fast paced change of pace
- Gothic horror aesthetic can provide variety

Cons:
- Is this an RPG?
- Downplayed RPG mechanics

Donation Incentive Offers: File Name, Glitch Exhibition, Richter Any%
Sample run video: (I can improve these)
Glitchless:
ABRSR:


Game Name: Domina
System: PC
Category: Any% Normal Good Ending, possible other category in the future that is more hype (All Victories + Brutal Mode)
Gameplay Estimate: 45 mins / 1:10:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 5  mins (Ending + Credits), Twitch integration (1 min for settings?)

Pros:
- Shorter game
- Fast paced battles
- Huge hype in battles when close
- Chat integration for viewer interaction


Cons:
- Any% is kinda dull due to a massive shift in strategies
- Possible RNG run murder due to Space Disease and Snek

Side Note: I mention in the video a couple of potential changes to reinvigorate the hype in the game. This would make the route much more dangerous but also instill a lot of energy into the run.

Donation Incentive Offers: Twitch integration, this adds gladiator names from a selected chat and allows chat to cheer during fights.
Sample run video:

The second run is an older run that would be  bit closer to an All Victories/Fights style submission:
MrStarbird
puwexil
Edit history:
puwexil: 2018-01-25 07:24:35 pm
MrStarbird: 2018-01-25 09:14:34 am
2018-01-25 09:10:53 am
Leader of Starbirdia!
Runs listed by order of preference.

Game Name: Ys III - Wanderers from Ys
System: Sega Genesis
Category: Any% (Genesis)
Gameplay Estimate: 00:52:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: None

Description:
Ys III is a side-scrolling hack-n-slash RPG that reminds me a bit of Zelda II but keeps the Ys element from previous games. The Genesis version has some slight variation in mechanics to the SNES version (including a better hit-box) that make it the desireable version to run.

Pros/Cons:
+Early game glitch gives Adol Max Level/HP/Gold/Ring Power
+Game has very low RNG, making it an execution-heavy run.
+Game can be saved anywhere aside from boss rooms.
+No Grinding at all
+Very safe game up to the final 2 levels, where good execution plays a bigger role.
+There is a lot to talk about during the game so dead air shouldn't be an issue.
-Clock Tower has been known to eat inputs and a lot of the jumps are very tight. Saves will be used at certain parts to limit the time loss.

Donation Incentive Offers:
Complete inventory (basically 100%, minus the possibility of using up the consumables at the end game). This will require grabbing a few chests and buying a few extra pieces of equipment which bear no meaning to a normal run. Would probably add about 5-10 Minutes. Not really worth it IMO and the money route hasn't been tested, but it should be able to be done.

Sample run video:
WR Video - https://www.speedrun.com/run/y672qeqm
Tutorial Video - https://www.twitch.tv/videos/211136715?t=

----------------------------------------
Game Name: Cosmic Star Heroine
System: PC
Category: Any% No Major Glitches - Tourist
Gameplay Estimate: 2:00:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: None

Description:
From the creators of Breath of Death VII and Cthulhu Saves the World comes Cosmic Star Heroine, which is self-described as a cross between Chrono Trigger and Phantasy Star. It is a well-designed (albeit a bit buggy a times) indy RPG with simple gameplay mechanics and storyline that anybody can pick up and enjoy.

Pros/Cons:
+RNG is very low at this difficulty.
+Many encounters can be avoided through a Pause strat.
+Very consistant run. Enemies/Bosses generally can be defeated the same way every playthrough with near perfect consistant.
+Game can be saved anywhere.
-There are a couple of softlocks that would require restarting the program. I haven't had a run where it didn't happen at least once. Thankfully being able to save anywhere helps.
-Late game has little variation on strategy can can get a little repetitive.

Donation Incentive Offers:
Incentive to fight optional bosses Dem and Cthulhu (protagonists from BoD7 and CStW). I can't imagine it adding more than 20-30 minutes, but I have never tried with end-game strategies to beat them.

Sample run video:
Questing for Glory Run - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWHT6TCjh6I
PB video - https://www.speedrun.com/run/zpq9ojny

----------------------------------------
Game Name: Phantasy Star II
System: Genesis/PC (Steam)
Category: Any% (US version)
Gameplay Estimate: 00:50:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: None

Description:
This classic RPG was never meant to be played like this. Rules and expected sequence means nothing as Nei decides to take it upon herself to go straight to the source of the problem and save Algo for herself.

Pros/Cons:
+VERY little risk of death.
+Route eliminates encounters in all but one of the dungeons.
+All key items are obtained very early in game due to glitching. This allows for skipping well over 50% of the game.
-Run is very glitch heavy. It is hard to describe what is going on as it is happening because of the amount of mental counting required. After it happens, it is easy to describe to the audience.
-If one missed input happens when using the Inventory Glitch to get the right item, it generally means the run is over. This can be averted a bit by saving before an attempt is made. There is low risk to this, but it is the reason why mental counting is required.
-Encounter rate is normal, but Hidapipes have since been implemented to help reduce the rate slightly.

Donation Incentive Offers:
Naming incentive for Rudo and Amy (4 Letter Max)

Sample run video:
PB Video - https://www.speedrun.com/run/7z00n3oz

Category: 100%
Gameplay Estimate: 2:30:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: None

Description:
The run is similar to the Any% run, except that key items cannot be glitched or duplicated in game. All dungeons must be visited and all bosses fought. All characters must be obtained.

Pros/Cons:
+Not as glitch-heavy as the any% route, but it still uses the inventory glitch to pull out helpful items. No need for mental counting and a missed input isn't the end of the run.
+Get to see the entire game.
+Very little risk of death.
-Can be dull at times with a lot of walking and encounters.

Donation Incentive Offers:
Names for Rudo, Amy, Hugh, Anna, and Kain (4 Letter Max)

Sample run video:
WR Video - https://www.speedrun.com/run/wzpe14ry

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Game Name: Sword of Vermilion
System: Genesis/PC (Steam)
Category: Any%
Gameplay Estimate: 3:10:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: None

Description:
Once claimed to have 120 hours of gameplay gets reduced to a mere 3+ hours. Using the power of darkness (and I suppose light), our hero destroys everything in his path on his way to get the 8 rings of light and save Vermilion.

Pros/Cons:
+Uses the Dark Sword Glitch to get a ton of power. Also makes use of the same glitch later in the game to gain just as much armor.
+Skips a lot of areas early on and goes back later when warp spells and invulnerability are obtained.
-Game relies heavily on getting the Dark Sword early. The Dark Sword is in a very dangerous area so good luck with encounters is very important.
-Maps and Dungeons for the most part are done blind, so there are areas where you're in complete darkness and having to rely on bonk strats.
-VERY Heavy encounter rate (sometimes you run from battle and get into another battle before taking a step).
-Run currently is not as optimized as it could be.

Donation Incentive Offer:
Name for the Hero. Also picking up the Sword of Vermilion (adds a few minutes, but the sword is completely optional and sort of useless).

Sample run video:
PB Video - https://www.speedrun.com/run/yl93k22y

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Game Name: Phantasy Star IV
System: Genesis/PC (Steam)
Category: 100%
Gameplay Estimate: 4:30:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 00:01:00

Description:
This run of the game offers a slightly safer route compared to the any% route due to extra dungeons and the encounters that happen because of it. The entire game is seen, all skills are aquired, all guild missions are completed, all dungeons are visited, and all bosses are fought.

Pros/Cons:
+A fairly glitch-free run that is easy to follow.
+Money situation isn't as tight as in Any%
+Grinding isn't nearly as heavy as in 100%
+All skills are obtained, meaning more damage output later in game.
+The Rappy King is seen!
-Still an RNG-heavy run. A little extra grinding will take place to limit the effects of it, but there is still always that possibility.
-Cancelling in the Profound Darkness fight is still very scary.

Donation Incentive Offer:
Choice of final character between Kyra, Gryz, Raja, or (possibly) Hahn.

Sample run video:
WR run video (forgive the sloppy gameplay, it was done at the end of my Phantasy Star-athon where I played through all of them at 100% in 18 hours) - https://www.speedrun.com/run/z133l67m
tonic
puwexil
Edit history:
puwexil: 2018-01-25 07:25:21 pm
puwexil: 2018-01-25 07:25:06 pm
2018-01-25 04:10:10 pm
Anything that can be done to accommodate a late 5/16 Wednesday night through the end of the marathon schedule for my prospective submissions would be great, thank you.

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Game Name: Star Ocean
System: Super Famicom
Category: any%
Gameplay Estimate: 3:30:00 (J) / 4:00:00 (English fan-translation)
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 0:07:00 ending
Pros/Cons: Features a unique active/turn-based hybrid battle system, where menuing performance & action timing mastery translates to fast, impressive battles. Very fast movement speed on the world map, making time saves due to pathing a relevant part of the speedrun. At various points in the run, battle manipulation (think step counter, but a little different) allows the player to skip dangerous random encounters. Route is efficient and sets up your party as glass cannon powerhouses. Generally marathon safe due to frequent access to save points. Drawbacks include a long intro, potentially needing to load a backup save very early in the run*, and some long difficult battles that can get tough to manage. Also in-battle SFC voice acting!

Submission VODs are for both the original J version and the English fan-translation, happy to run on either.

Donation Incentive Offers: Name main (active) characters: Ratix, Milly, Ronixis, Iria, Marvel. Note: Can rename characters at any time, open to rolling bid-war or standard naming.
Sample run videos:

Japanese:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1FIDBL0fG0

English w/ marathon commentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlEjk44mvf8

* Just some more clarity on the backup save aspect - in standard RTA when you gain control a few minutes into the run, you have to check if you have a certain skill learned (~1 out of 7). If you have it learned, you need to reset. So instead for a marathon, you can easily load a save when you step outside of town as if nothing happened, as your playthrough will have been exactly the same up until that point. You can see this in full effect in the English submission VOD, where this happened (marathon luck). The alternative would be to reset the console and watch the intro again for 5 minutes and try again. No other parts of the run are like this. It's not a big deal in my opinion, just making it very up front and clear.


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Game Name: Mega Man X: Command Mission
System: Nintendo GameCube
Category: any% glitchless
Gameplay Estimate: 4:30:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 0:10:00 ending
Pros/Cons: Rarely seen live entry of the Mega Man X franchise, Command Mission features a wide cast of Mega Man X characters, broad weapon/setup customization options, and a turn-based battle system requiring the play to react to dynamic resource management to progress quickly. Easy to follow the story & progression, yet battle mechanics scale nicely over the run to add variety to battle strategies. Glitchless allows for a straight shot through the game with powerful early-access setups, but still requires proper preparation for every boss. Features skippable cutscenes, and 3D movement with the main character on the map is important to master to save time & reduce battles. The game has a retry system which inherently protects from major marathon timeloss. Drawbacks include some back-tracking segments, some randomness with setups being available at the optimal time, and mild stretches of running from random encounters. Another pro is the character MASSIMO.
Donation Incentive Offers: The main character X has a "scarf," which is the color of the jet that comes out of his back. X can equip either a red or blue scarf beginning in Chapter 3, so for 8 chapters of the game, an ongoing bid war could occur to change the scarf to either color at the beginning of the chapter. Total time added to the run would be ~5m (if the color theoretically swapped every chapter, since each change takes about 30s). Alternatively it could be a one time bid war ending at Chapter 3 to determine red or blue for the rest of the game, either works.
Sample run video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tc7J9Hk_2w
Lexicona
2018-01-25 04:14:55 pm
Game Name: Final Fantasy XV

System (Include both original system and system you plan to play on, if different): PS4

Category (Any%, 100%, Glitchless, etc): Any%

Gameplay Estimate (excluding ending and bonus content): 4:50:00 (This gives me 10 minutes of time save off of my current pb, which will likely be pushed in the future, and it should be enough time for in case I miss anything important)

Ending/Bonus Estimate (ending + any glitches/other bonus content you'd like to show post-run): around 15 minutes for credits, among other things, up to 10 minutes for additional content due to music chips in the regalia, 30 more minutes for the original chapter 13 route donation incentive, costlemark add-in donation incentive (unknown time), this can all be re-estimated if necessary

Pros/Cons (honest assessment based on above submission guidelines):
+ Marathon Safe: This game doesn't really have any skips or tricks that would cause the run to hard or soft lock, and should that happen, we'll use safety saves anyways.  There shouldn't be any point in the run in which we have to say "run's over, sorry!".  Technically every single FF15 run can be finished, so long as you're able to find ways to work around certain battle issues.
+ During battles, the game is very fun to watch and engaging as well.  It has flashy animations, strong attacks, and complex systems that make it very interesting.
+ The story is fun to run and watch, as a viewer.  The game will likely be run with english voices just so everyone can hear the dialogue.  Many of the exchanges are humorous and have the capability of filling some of the breaks in the run, in case anyone isn't using the restroom, or doing something else.
+ The run is very fresh and new.  It's still evolving with new tech and optimizations, with an active community as well.  Our community is constantly working to better the run, and is one of the friendliest places I've ever had the pleasure of being with, however that's more a community pro.
+ At the beginning of the run, the combat is flashy and cool, requiring precise execution and proper timing of certain abilities.  In the end of the run, this flips around to an utter RNG game and we depend on casting spells that can insta-kill bosses.  This wouldn't be interesting normally, but the animations, music, and aesthetic really build the atmosphere and make for a great and hyped up ending.
+ Most cutscenes are skipped in the run, there is only one unskippable cutscene, and it's in the end of the second-to-last chapter of the game.
+ The run is only going to be getting more and more popular, with the new pc release coming soon.  It's definitely a well known game, and i think it'd be great for the marathon.

- Aforementioned RNG causes some points to be a tad tedious and can take unnecessarily long.
- With the lack of cutscenes in the run, we have many breaks to counter it.  Much of the time in the first half of the run is spent driving in a car, and we alleviate a lot of this time with menuing, but much of it is still going to be filled with the music that we can collect as a donation incentive.  Much of this time will be spent with the couch and runner talking about their run, or community-based topics.

Donation Incentive Offers (including character limits/bid war options & time costs):
- Final Picture Bid War [~5 mins across the entire game] (picture that is displayed after finishing the game/final photo)
- Soundtrack Choice Bid War [up to 10 minutes through the entire game. Will have to go out of the way to grab some soundtracks] (in game music can be changed by purchasing soundtracks at outposts along the way (and sometimes out of the way, which adds time to the run)
- Party Outfits (Outside of Noctis) Bid War [0 mins] (This is basically the outfits our other party members will be wearing)
- Audio Language (Bid War) - I've run it enough, the audio language doesn't really bother me. Simple bid war, might add around 30 seconds if it's not JP. I'm not bothered by the time loss. Options include Japanese, English, German, French
- Costelmark Dungeon Donation Incentive (An optional 60 Floor Dungeon that has no item usage, I would load a separate save for this)
- Chapter 13 Normal Route Donation Incentive [~20 mins] (This is the “old” chapter 13 route which requires a lot of skill and timing and is about 20 mins longer)
- Input Viewer [0 mins] A lot of the XV runners use input viewers to display what we’re doing. Nothing special, just kinda cool.

Sample run video (very strongly encouraged, but not required): https://www.twitch.tv/videos/222329262  (This video was made for the submission, so my behavior and language is mostly in check, however i do slip a few times.  In a marathon setting I do not slip on my language, as I have participated in marathons before)
eLmaGus-
2018-01-25 06:08:50 pm
I must simply laugh.
Game Name: Soul Blazer
System: SNES
Category: Any% (US) or Any (JP) (Race with StingerPA)
Gameplay Estimate: 1:42:00 / 1:31:00 (The main difference between Versions is text. Japanese text draws out 3x as fast, making the run roughly 8 minutes faster).
Ending/Bonus Estimate: Ending is about 10:00 but can be cut short if necessary
Pros: While it is fast paced, it is still easy to follow and probably one of the best RPGs to race. It has some minor RNG that impacts high level gameplay which should make a race really really interesting, but it doesnt endanger the run at all. The run will never be in any danger of dying. A Race should make for an exciting watch. Japanese Version could also be easily sustained with good commentary as the story is also relatively simple and easy to follow.
Cons: There is a lack of donation incentives. It is "only" 1:40:00 but only has the naming incentive. English Version text can be a bother in one or two places (1 minute dialogue). Also the Boss in World 4 might need to be censored somehow if you decide the Japanese Version should be played.
Donation Incentive Offers: Name Blazer (English Version has 8 Characters, Japanese Version only has 5 and would be Japanese characters only sadly), We could get arbitrary items like the "Magic Bell" or All Swords/Armors or something if the comittee feels like we cant put up enough incentive offers, however that would probably take away from the race and I would prefer that not to be an incentive (though if needed I'd be down for it).
Sample run video: PB (US): https://www.twitch.tv/videos/219490231 , Commentated Run on JP Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiqSe94d-Jc

Game Name: Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
System: SNES
Category: Ancient Cave Any% (Race with ShadowKiller, Jenja and ThatsFairZack)
Gameplay Estimate: 2:00:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: None
Pros: A 4-Way Race is guaranteed to be action packed and almost have no downtime! There is always going to be something to talk about and something interesting is going to be happening. All 4 Runners have great experience with the game in Marathon setting and even though the game is really random, I would almost guarantee that at least 2 people will finish the run. While the concept of the run and how it works in the game itself might be a lot to explain and swallow for new viewers, I am confident that between the four of us, we can do a great job explaining the run.
Cons: There is this 1 in a Million chance that all four somehow dont even make it to the Boss. That shouldnt ever happen but sicne its a live Marathon, it has to be mentioned.
Donation Incentive Offers: Name Maxim, Capsule Monster Bidwar (first 4 can be used in some sort of order I guess), Name Capsule Monsters
Sample run video: Race between me and Jenja: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/215329859

Game Name: Breath of Fire IV
System: PSX on PS2 (SCPH-70001 Model specifically)
Category: Any% True Ending
Gameplay Estimate: 7:45:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 0:15:00 for Bonus Content, 0:07:00 for Ending
Pros: This game has never seen a live marathon before and that is a shame. It has a pretty unique art style and a pretty great story to boot. Bosses are handled quiet interestingly throughout the run, for the most part there is not just "spam this one skill and win", between learning Magic from enemies, forcing characters into critical HP to trigger their special ability, killing off characters for EXP distribution and using the Dragon Transformations to empower Ryu, we got it all covered. The hardest part about the speedrun is the isometric movement in the game which is really hard to master but also impressive to watch somebody do well (if you have played the game before you will understand, it looks incredibly easy to people who dont know the game). It also introduces a very interesting Combo mechanic, where you can combine abilities and attacks with other characters attacks, sometimes even creating new abilities in the process (will of course be abused in the run).
Cons: It is fairly long and the final stretch of the game may seem a bit samey to new viewers (I'll be utilizing different strats but they all revolve around Magic). Some parts are pretty story heavy (some segments between 5-10 Minutes of story, not too many of those but they are in there).
Donation Incentive Offers: Name Ryu (Main character), Fight Angler Boss Battle (Optional Boss, adds about 3-4 Minutes, cameo from BoF3), Rei + Teepo Cameo (would be done after ending, then add about 0:02:00), Show Off All Combo Abilities (Post Run/ Prepared Save File - 0:10:00)
Sample run video: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/215328795 (Reason this run is 8:15:00 is that I did not own the right PS2 Model at the time which cost me about 40 minutes in lag/load times (yes that is actually a thing)).
Jaymota16
puwexil
Edit history:
puwexil: 2018-01-25 07:25:49 pm
Jaymota16: 2018-01-25 07:10:11 pm
2018-01-25 07:08:25 pm
Game Name: Tales of Symphonia
System: GameCube played on Wii
Category: New Game Any% (US) or New Game Any% (JP)
Gameplay Estimate: 7:10:00 (US Any%) / 7:05:00 (JP Any%) (Main difference between the versions is a JP exclusive glitch to overflow items making the run 6 minutes faster)
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 10:00

Pros:
+ The most popular Tales game, and one of the most popular Gamecube games, Tales of Symphonia combines a deep combat system, an incredibly memorable plot and graphics that held up insanely well for its time. The series is famous for placing an action RPG into Street Fighter-style fighting game combat. It's considered the "third pillar" of JRPGs in Japan behind Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy.
+ 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. Runners, besides Jay and Ghoul include FierceKyo, Dabomstew and BlackRazgriz. Xillia also had a great showing at RPGLB 15 (including having the 3rd largest bidding war of the marathon), and the series has not been featured since.
+ 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. The 9th and unused character also happens to be the best character in a NG+ speedrun, with the highest dps infinite in the game. At high level, the game has combos that would make a Marvel vs Capcom player jealous.
+ Game has an incredible amount of nuiance as a speedgame within every fight, though while it has that depth, the commentary will be there to properly convey all of the ways it can go wrong and everything going down on screen by our commentators, Ghoul, Gedrith and myself

Cons:
- Cutscenes are unskippable and occasionally slow the pace of the game.

Donation Incentive Offers: Flanoir/Heimdall cutscene character (Can choose between several of the girls or Kratos; the latter of which is one of the more iconic decisions casually, changing the playable characters and one of the later bosses. While not normally done in a speedrun, it's viable for a marathon), Enabling voices in combat (costs several minutes due to post fight quotes being unskippable on first watch), Fighting the Sword Dancers (Optional superbosses that can be beaten within the normal speedrun route), NG+ Showcase (demonstrates the differences between categories as well as making use of the only unused character in NG), Proxy Spell Showcase (including the infamous Genis Tempest)

Sample run videos: PB/WR (US): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20GkgLpPI2w
PB/WR (JP): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY4AgPicp3Y

Note: Due to numerous changes across the different versions of the game, the HD ports (PS3, PC) are not viable versions of the game for a speedrun.
Genoaka
Genoaka
Edit history:
Genoaka: 2018-01-25 11:15:30 pm
2018-01-25 07:57:23 pm
Game Name: Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon
System (Include both original system and system you plan to play on, if different): Wii
Category (Any%, 100%, Glitchless, etc): Low% (No optional memories therefore no job change)
Gameplay Estimate (excluding ending and bonus content): 7 hours (The ending cutscene is about 5 minutes after timer stops)
Ending/Bonus Estimate (ending + any glitches/other bonus content you'd like to show post-run): There is a playground that has a slide, swingset, and seesaw and it's really cute and fun. If Any% Dancer isn't met then visiting Romance Hero X is definitely something that needs to be seen.

Pros/Cons (honest assessment based on above submission guidelines):
Pros:
- very little actual downtime in the run, maybe 15 minutes total in non-skippable cutscenes.
-So much cuteness it's ridiculous but the story we ignore is pretty dark.
-Quite a few intense points such as surprise monster houses and uncooperative bosses.
-The speedrun is laid out very generically because there are very few guaranteed drops or actions so the runner always has to think on their feet.
-No two runs are the same so the obligatory That's Never Happened Before is assured.
-The OST is incredible.
-Aside from loading and the few cutscenes that can't be skipped there is absolutely no downtime in the run.

Cons:
-Very RNG heavy. It can always be overcome in reasonable time though.
-Relatively unknown game. The fans of it are strong.
-A death is an immediate reset (we save often for marathon safety so it's usually not a large time loss) because it is something that can't be recovered from in a reasonable time frame.
-There is some grinding required for Low% and Any% for Job Points. It's kept as minimal as possible but depends on RNG again.

Donation Incentive Offers (including character limits/bid war options & time costs):
+Defeating the Shop Moogle (You steal from him, he gets angry, you fight him and its extremely satisfying to beat him. It's a minimal time loss)
+Any% Dancer (Involves ridiculous outfit, a very amorous moogle, and an extremely broken ability. Safe time estimate is the same)
Sample run video (very strongly encouraged, but not required): https://www.twitch.tv/videos/222400804
ThatsFairZack
puwexil
Edit history:
puwexil: 2018-01-25 09:27:55 pm
puwexil: 2018-01-25 09:27:33 pm
2018-01-25 09:25:46 pm
Game Name: Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
System: Super Nintendo
Category: Ancient Cave Any% (Race with Elmagus, Jenja & Shadowkiller) (Or Solo, which would be the same estimate)
Gameplay Estimate: 2:00:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: None.

Pros:
+ A race between quite possibly the 4 most well known Ancient Cave runners world wide live on the same couch, along with great and reactionary commentary would make this race a very exciting different paced RPG experience. No Downtime!
+ The RNG can be extremely exciting that allows for friendly banter and reactions from the players, it can also show individual players great knowledge and decision making to get out of a tight spot.
+ A 4 player race with the Ancient Cave, almost guarantees that someone will likely complete the run and possibly kill the Jelly! (In a solo run in 2015, I managed to get there on my own!)
+ While Lufia is still a hidden RPG to most, the Ancient Cave on twitch has a notorious well known place in the community and most of the audience for RPG speedrunning can recognize it. It's fan base is large.

Cons:
- Of course, granted the RNG, it is most certainly possible that not a single runner will finish the run. It is however, very inlikely that one of us won't finish. Regardless, those 2 hours can still be extremely satisfying and enjoyable even if no run makes it. We will use up the 2 hours safely.

Donation Incentives: Maxim Name (5 character limit) Capsule Monster name (5 character Limit) Capsule Monster Bid-War (7 total, Jelze, Zeppy, Gusto, Blaze, Darbi, Sully, Flash) This can be individually done. Such as people can donate for which player to use which capsule monster, or as a top 4 and we'll randomly select it amongst each other right there.

Sample Run Videos:

A 4-way race has been done multiple times and even on the RPGLB channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50binG3797A

And here's a 4-way race we had with the same exact rules where each runner successfully beat the Jelly (the last run in the video, it should be time-stamped):

https://youtu.be/0qCV5167Se0?t=9h1m18s

For any potential Run selection as a solo, runner, here is me running it at RPGLB in 2015 (Is it time for round two? Will we finally beat that Jelly?!):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6BnmqhXK5w

Game Name: Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
System: Super Nintendo
Category: Ancient Cave 100% (All chests opened, all monsters killed)
Gameplay Estimate: 6:00:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: None, unless I can find a proper cart to perform glitches on.

Pros:
+ A lot more laid back longer version of running the Ancient Cave never before seen in any marathon. Would serve as a great follow-up to the 4-way race to provide a different side of the Ancient Cave.
+ Commentary will be much more in depth and easier to explain since we have to exploit all enemies and movements in the Ancient Cave. Every floor is a puzzle and it's up to the runner to solve it. This can be extremely educational and entertaining to hear how the runner explores and encounters enemies in an endurance run.
+ It is much MUCH more safe than the regular Any% run. Success in getting to the Jelly, and defeating it, is highly likely. There are only a handful of runs where I did not kill the Jelly, and only one run where I died out of hundreds of attempts.
+ More of the run is explored since much more utility and strategies are used from different characters, to elemental weaknesses with spells and Weapons. A lot more gets to be seen that is almost nefer utilized in Any%.

Cons:
- As always, this is the Ancient Cave, and dying is always a risk. Although much more unlikely in 100%, there is always the risk, especially in a 6 hour Estimated run)
- It can start to to slow down for the runner and the audience in terms of excitement especially if I get multiple deadly weapons and start 1 shotting most mobs. Commentary would need to be on point at most times.
- It doesn't have a much of a sense of emergency at all times as Any% does. The excitment and thrill is pretty softened.

Donation Incentives: Maxim Name (5 character limit) Capsule Monster name (5 character Limit) Capsule Monster Bid-War (7 total, Jelze, Zeppy, Gusto, Blaze, Darbi, Sully, Flash)

Sample Run Video:

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/94274648

Game Name: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
System: Playstation Portable (PSP)
Category: Any% Normal
Gameplay Estimate: 6:30:00 (Emulator + Load times + Safety time)
Ending/Bonus Estimate: None

Pros:
+ Hasn't been ran in a major marathon since C4L in 2013 (I believe) it has many new strats and setups.
+ Has a familar FFVII universe for most RPG fans, Cutscenes are not skippable so most people can follow the story and may not have ever seen the game before.
+ Some interesting and surprising RNG mechanics with the DMW slot that is constantly spinning can provide for unexpected but always positive and exciting results.
+ It has Action Combat instead of the classic Turn Based and bosses require specific ways to fight and dodge incoming attacks.

Cons:
- The biggest con to this Submission is mainly with myself. I don't currently have a reliable way to play this on my PSP effectively at the marathon as I own an earlier model and can't afford the setup unless it was provided. The only way you can stream the earlier model is with custom firmware that crashed way to much to be anything considered consistent. But this was through the USB ports to a PC program. Unless I was provided a newer model PSP to play on with a realiable setup, I can't really do it. Emulator would solve all this but alast, that's not a solution. But I would love the opportunity to step out of my AC boundaries and perform this run.
- It's pretty long and you have to watch all the cutscenes. They aren't skippable. Which may or may not be a plus for those who are interested in the Story. I can provide commentary for the plot also. I'm well versed in FFVII lore.
- Load times are pretty bad from console along with resolution and scaling.

Donation Incentives: Zack has some pretty cheesy lines during the DWM sequences (Basically the games version of Limit Breaks). For a certain goal met, I can voice act all of Zack's lines from each limit break which can be funny. "YEA I'M ON FIRE NOW" and stuff to that nature. There's quite a few of them!

Sample Run Video: My current PB is cut up into many parts because I was having extremely unfortunate Internet issues at the time of recording. But they are all up and linked from the leaderboards on the speedrun site:
https://www.speedrun.com/run/0znq047z
GinTatsu
GinTatsu
Edit history:
GinTatsu: 2018-01-26 01:50:18 am
GinTatsu: 2018-01-26 01:49:31 am
GinTatsu: 2018-01-26 01:39:15 am
GinTatsu: 2018-01-26 01:37:24 am
2018-01-26 01:35:08 am
Rad... They have taken me...
Preference with Crusader of Centy, but willing to race Breath of Fire and Robotrek as well.

Game Name: Crusader of Centy
System: Genesis (NTSC English)
Category: Any%
Gameplay Estimate: 1:00:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 2:00
Pros:
- Amazing action RPG, and the best Zelda clone on the Genesis.
- Game is entertainingly broken allowing for many major and minor sequence breaks and tech.
- First time the English ver. will be run in a major marathon. Version difference from jp is solely text.
- At 1 hour the run will be easy to place in the schedule.
- M U S I C

Cons:
- There are 2 difficult skips, one needed, one optional that if by chance fail, will need to be re-attempted at the loss of a minute or two.
- Less downtime for donation reading than most games due to how condensed the content and tech is into an hour. Though it's not without it's opportunities.

Donation Incentive Offers:
- File/Player Name ~ A-Z, a-z, 0-9, Punctuation inc. ,._!$;&'()
- All Bosses% Bidwar or Donation incentive (Must be decided by 15:00 mark)
Sample run video: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/222145302
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Name: Crusader of Centy
System: Genesis (NTSC English)
Category: All Bosses%
Gameplay Estimate: 1:00:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 2:00
Additional Notes: All bosses adds 2 extra dungeons and the Leviathan boss to the route, slightly altering strats due to the acquisition of an animal unobtained in Any%.
The extra content still falls under the estimate allowing for the option of either Category to be ran.
Pros:
- Amazing action RPG, and the best Zelda clone on the Genesis.
- Game is entertainingly broken allowing for many major and minor sequence breaks and tech.
- First time the English ver. will be run in a major marathon. Version difference from jp is solely text.
- At 1 hour the run will be easy to place in the schedule.
- M U S I C

Cons:
- There are 2 difficult skips, one needed, one optional that if by chance fail, will need to be re-attempted at the loss of a minute or two.
- Less downtime for donation reading than most games due to how condensed the content and tech is into an hour. Though it's not without it's opportunities.
- A lesser known game with more of a cult following than a mainstream one.

Donation Incentive Offers:
- File/Player Name ~ A-Z, a-z, 0-9, Punctuation inc. ,._!$;&'()
- Any% Bidwar or Donation incentive (Must be decided by 15:00 mark)
Sample run video: Refer to Any% video.
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Game Name: Breath of Fire
System: SNES
Category: Any% (Race w/ RyuQuezacotl and anyone else)
Gameplay Estimate: 6:00
Ending Estimate: 0:10 (Ending cinematic + credits)
Pros:
-Intimate knowledge of the game for extensive commentary if needed.
-Route jumps from boss to boss and completely eliminates random encounters.
-Plenty of time for donation reading throughout.

Cons:
-RNG from mid game bosses can add a good amount of time to the run requiring a higher estimate.

Donation Incentive Offers:
-I can match all previous donation offers put forward by RyuQuezacotl and alter route accordingly.
Sample run video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm60Izgz3FM
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Game Name: Robotrek
System: SNES
Category : Any% (Race w/ UltimoIce)
Gameplay Estimate: 4:00:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 10:00
Pros:
- A fantastic twist on classic jrpg's w/ fantasticly over the top music.
- Has never been raced before in a live setting.
- Plenty of fun donation incentives.

Cons:
- Was ran recently in RPGLB '16
- Not as well known of a game
- How do you top PJ's commentary?

Donation Incentive Offers:
- Name the Player, Robot 1, Robot 2 ~ A-Z, a-z, 0-9, Punctuation inc. &!:+-/.
- Choose Robots 1 and 2's colours
- Build Robot 3 
Sample run video: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/221165901
Yagamoth
puwexil
Edit history:
puwexil: 2018-01-26 07:07:34 pm
2018-01-26 06:51:23 am
INTJ
Game Name: Secret of Mana
System: SNES
Category: Any% 'Glitchless' 3 Player Co-op with StingerPA and BOWIEtheHERO
Gameplay Estimate: 4:20:00 (I'm confident this is safe enough)
Ending/Bonus Estimate: Ending = ~7min

Pros/Cons: I'm just going to copy Stinger here: Execution heavy action-RPG, plus intense teamwork between 3 runners.  Well paced with only a bit of downtime during cutscenes. The 3 of us did an excellent job working together on Secret of Mana at RPGLB 2017, and completed a very well received run during that marathon. However, this is a brutal category, no questions asked. Glitches are not allowed to get money, armor, or even items some of the time, and there's not much room for error due to those factors. We are unable to practice together being continents apart, but we are working together to create the most marathon safe route possible, and will be doing solo runs to make sure we're on the same page as much as possible. Given our previous experience together, we're confident that we can quickly work together and make this a great showing.

Donation Incentive Offers: Name the Boy, Name the Sprite, Name the Girl (6 letter limit, only capital letters, no numbers), Demonstrate Peak SoM AI Movement (1 minute), Get the Moogle Belt and use it for denying damage \o/ (2 minutes)
Sample run video: Only single player and not as optimized as it will be soon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esu9JzniFkc

=======================================

Game Name: Tales of Phantasia
System: Super Famicom / SNES
Category: Any%
Gameplay Estimate: 4:15:00
Ending/Bonus Estimate: 6.5min (or 12min for the final scene) for the credits. Would be kind of fitting to conclude the story/lore of the game

Pros/Cons: One, if not the most technically impressive SNES game alongside great visuals, excellent music and a fascinating story. The gameplay features an interesting mix of random encounters, but 2D combat, making it the middle piece between a J- and Action-RPG. The speedrun uses the encounter-system to its advantage to avoid 100% of the random encounters after the first section and manipulates required encounters later in the game. There are a number of minor glitches, which allow for quicker progression through the game, such as removing encounters from an area, increasing the number of steps until encounter, skipping small triggers and killing the final two bosses in a backwards way, making use of their AI and the game forgetting to erase some values from previous encounters

Cons: Run would be played in Japanese. The game is fairly unknown and it has a fair bit of downtime between action - while I tend to bridge that through narration of what exactly is happening both in the speedrun and the story/lore, it might not be the most visually appealing or interesting for people not familiar with the game. Some encounters can be tough to win and impossible to control (but odds are stacked in favor through safety setups and always a savepoint just before)

Donation Incentive Offers:
- 5 names, 6 characters each, uppercase only, numbers and some symbols included
- (Ingame) Dog sings the main theme: youtube.com/watch?v=sV3YZQWV42k (~3min)

Sample run video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73pfIAK7CFQ
omeganumber
omeganumber
Edit history:
omeganumber: 2018-02-03 09:35:02 am
omeganumber: 2018-01-27 09:42:54 pm
omeganumber: 2018-01-27 07:25:52 am
puwexil: 2018-01-26 07:08:00 pm
omeganumber: 2018-01-26 03:03:18 pm
omeganumber: 2018-01-26 02:40:23 pm
2018-01-26 12:35:04 pm
Game Name: Tales of Maj'Eyal
System: PC
Category: Any% Anorithil Celestial start

(Note: Most speedrun.com runs use the Adventurer class, which is "intentionally unbalanced" and has all skill trees unlocked right away; it's like playing New game+. I am playing a "real" character class so the game is much harder.)

Gameplay Estimate: 4.5 hours
Bonus Estimate: 15 minutes
Pros/Cons:
+ A classic Western roguelike turn-based RPG has never been in a marathon of any type, as far as I know.
+ Despite being a roguelike it has a very structured plot with lots of lore. Also, unlike most traditional roguelikes, there are no consumables - everything is based on cooldowns, and the general effect is to have a very fast based run with heavy emphasis on positioning and tactics.
+ Also, we break the plot about one second into the speedrun and sequence break like crazy all the way through, including doing an infamous piece of post-game content called the Room of Death while around level 20 (out of 50).
+ The game is freely downloadable so everyone who sees the game and likes it can try it!
+ The RNG adds a lot of tactical routing on the fly. Because speedruns are done on the easiest mode the general uncertainty is low, although whatever artifacts we might have can vary wildly.

- The RNG adds a lot of tactical routing on the fly. It's possible to get into some Bad Situations, and because this is a roguelike some improv might be required, although I have backup plans for many circumstances. (Note that we will be playing with unlimited lives, so game over isn't possible.)
- Tales of Maj'Eyal has a large and active online community but they tend not to speedrun so the game will be less well known amongst RPG Limit Break participants.
- The ending is very intense and requires grinding away hit points on an enemy who can teleport and turn invisible. It can take a while and would require some effort to make into good theater.

Donation Incentive Offers:
1.) Name the main character.
2.) Change the main character graphic. As the tiles are non-animated, it's quite easy to change the main character (any of the characters, really) to whatever we want. We can make the main character Mario or Sonic, or have "normal" choices off a set like this one: http://s90.photobucket.com/user/MagnificentX/library/Tales%20of%20MajEyal%20Tiles?sort=3&page=2
3.) 2-way bid war: Save the Main Character / Save the Frames (Normally we would skip a side quest but that means our character dies at the end, sacrificing themselves to save the world. This bid war puts in the side quest to stop this - which is mid-game, and is a timed race past a horde of dragons to stop sorcerers from opening a portal. It adds about 15 minutes to the run.)

Sample run video: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/222609418

Incentive video (with sound and music cranked up a bit more): https://www.twitch.tv/videos/222666517

The soundtrack is *excellent* and I realize I have it somewhat quiet compared to my voice audio on the main sample run. Here's a clip so you don't miss out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eRRRWi5Lt8&list=PLyzOj-CzE4pYvavp0epItfDIGAC4p8ts7&index=5
johannhowitzer
2018-01-26 12:45:22 pm
Viking it up
Game Name: Neverwinter Nights 1 - Higher Ground: Path of Ascension
System: PC
Category: Immortal All Bosses
Gameplay Estimate: 11 hours, 15 minutes
Ending/Bonus Estimate: There is no ending cutscene, the final boss just explodes.

Incentives: First Character gender and name, Second Character gender and name, Pixie Familiar name.  Length of names is limited by size of the textbox, with a variable width font, so no exact number of letters or numbers, but it's long.

I can possibly make some themed outfits and offer a bid war between them, for example a pirate outfit vs a ninja outfit; implementing these during the run wouldn't take long.


Pros:

This game is built on Dungeons and Dragons rules, so many viewers will be familiar with the mechanics.  Despite D&D's famous dice rolls, this is very low-RNG thanks to many exploits.  There's a lot of variety; I use the Wizard and Cleric classes, and make use of ninety-eight unique spells (https://pastebin.com/zYTz4Hcd), and the general theme of strategies changes often.  This is about as good a representation of D&D in video game form as you will ever see in a speedrun.  Fans of the franchise should greatly enjoy seeing how the run abuses the extreme power of these classes.

This completion of the game through Immortality, killing all bosses on the way, should not be possible for a solo player.  I've been routing this for nearly two years; it was not ready for submission last year, so I waited and looked for ways to improve consistency.  There should now be next to zero risk of the run failing to complete, and the time is also consistent, so I should not be likely to go over estimate.  I expect the time to improve a fair bit before the marathon, as well.

This run is nearly all action - no cutscenes, just occasional resting, which is ten to thirty seconds every couple bosses.  There are some early grinding sessions, but they're usually interesting and even funny; after about the two-hour mark, it becomes a relentless boss rush.  The demands on the runner are steep; I can open menus without breaking up action, so a lot of time is spent doing more than one thing.

I am in contact with the lead developers of this module (you can see them in the VOD's recorded chat - acaos, funkyswerv, and sabregirl007), and can ask them about doing a dev call at some point in the run.  This module has a long, storied history and they've had to hack the game's engine in many ways to make their module's magic work, so I expect it would be a treat if they're up for it.



Cons:

Death carries steep penalties in this game.  If I happen to die, it may mean killing a few enemies to regain some lost experience.  In two endgame areas, death can mean being ejected from the area with no way to return, which would normally kill the run.  I have several countermeasures - I pick up a couple auto-resurrection items, I have access to a very versatile teleport, and the DMs for this game will be on hand to make sure things go smoothly for the marathon; if the worst somehow happens, they would very likely be able to step in and ensure the run can be completed.  Most areas carry no risk of death.

This is an online-only game, so there will need to be an ethernet cable connection to the marathon's internet, and if that goes down, it could despawn an item or boss, or other problems.  Again, any severe flukes could be dealt with by the DMs.  I very much doubt we'll need their help, but it's a safety net you should know about.

Installation is very involved.  I'll need to install the game and its two expansions, a patch, and two community resource packs.  I'll be preparing all of this well in advance, and it's an older game so installing each thing should be quick.  As a last resort, I can use my laptop.

While Neverwinter Nights and Dungeons and Dragons are well-known, the online "persistent worlds" (player-driven content) are not known to the wider public.  Higher Ground may be the best-known, most advanced world out there, but most viewers aren't going to recognize it.  This speedrun will need to ride on good commentary and the familiarity of D&D to be entertaining.



Given how much is demanded of me by the game, I can't carry the commentary solo here.  I've spoken with AlecK47, who I've worked with before for The Lost Vikings and Freedom Planet, and he seems interested in helping out and is well-versed in D&D rules.  I'd like to get a second commentator as well, I have a few ideas of who would go well with this setup.



Run Video: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/222606215