Strider (2014)

2014-02-20 07:14:06 am

Congrats: Reading Skill Lv Up!

My friends,

There are no words to describe my hype for this new Strider game, now that I finally have my hands on it after a grueling download via barely functional third world wifi. It was a battle, like everything in this country, but I am now happily slashing enemies to pieces with good ole Strider Hiryu. But... maybe I could do it faster?

I think this game has a lot of speedrunning potential thanks in part to a Metroidvania style map with branching paths and generally fast movement with a lot of little optimizations. There's no experience or level system to underpower you for going fast, and the main upgrades amount to genre staples of Max Life Ups, Max Mana Ups, and Mana Regen Ups. Obviously I am trying to figure out how few of these are necessary to actually beat the game. I am also trying to discover tricks/glitches for this game but only have access to the PC version at the moment. If anyone else out there has access to versions on other consoles and finds something interesting, please let me know so I can test it on the PC version. Double Helix doesn't have the strongest track record and I am hopeful that this game may have some major skips or other insane glitches if we look hard enough. I'm also concerned with the noticeable to severe slowdown I get in certain laggy rooms with my aging gaming laptop, and am trying to see if the in-game timer slows down with lag or not. It would be great to know if other people experience this slowdown on different hardware. I may need an updated gaming rig just to compete, since there are no lag-reducing strategies when THE ENTIRE ROOM is the cause of the lag. Since this is a one-save style game not unlike other Steam favorite Guacamelee Gold Edition, I will be focusing only on Single Segment runs. If anyone out there is interested in running this game, or even just playing it to mash the attack button and see that yes: Hiryu DOES still attack THAT quickly, reply to this thread and let's compare [Ninja] notes. I've never really sat down and tried to break a game before: it's [Ninja] fun!

Any [Ninja] assistance that you can offer is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Thread title:

[img]http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131226080760/strider/images/7/74/Strider-hiryu-key-art.jpg[/img]

My friends,

There are no words to describe my hype for this new Strider game, now that I finally have my hands on it after a grueling download via barely functional third world wifi.  It was a battle, like everything in this country, but I am now happily slashing enemies to pieces with good ole Strider Hiryu.  But... maybe I could do it faster?

I think this game has a lot of speedrunning potential thanks in part to a Metroidvania style map with branching paths and generally fast movement with a lot of little optimizations.  There's no experience or level system to underpower you for going fast, and the main upgrades amount to genre staples of Max Life Ups, Max Mana Ups, and Mana Regen Ups.  Obviously I am trying to figure out how few of these are necessary to actually beat the game.  I am also trying to discover tricks/glitches for this game but only have access to the PC version at the moment.  If anyone else out there has access to versions on other consoles and finds something interesting, please let me know so I can test it on the PC version.  Double Helix doesn't have the strongest track record and I am hopeful that this game may have some major skips or other insane glitches if we look hard enough.  I'm also concerned with the noticeable to severe slowdown I get in certain laggy rooms with my aging gaming laptop, and am trying to see if the in-game timer slows down with lag or not.  It would be great to know if other people experience this slowdown on different hardware.  I may need an updated gaming rig just to compete, since there are no lag-reducing strategies when THE ENTIRE ROOM is the cause of the lag.  Since this is a one-save style game not unlike other Steam favorite Guacamelee Gold Edition, I will be focusing only on Single Segment runs.  If anyone out there is interested in running this game, or even just playing it to mash the attack button and see that yes: Hiryu DOES still attack THAT quickly, reply to this thread and let's compare [Ninja] notes.  I've never really sat down and tried to break a game before: it's [Ninja] fun!

Any [Ninja] assistance that you can offer is greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

mkob

Edit history:

mkob: 2014-02-20 09:17:45 am

mkob: 2014-02-20 09:10:16 am

mkob: 2014-02-20 09:05:35 am

mkob: 2014-02-20 08:50:16 am

2014-02-20 08:49:29 am

I completed 2 semi-speedrun playthroughs on PC, took me 2h50 the first time around (this was a blind run) on Normal difficulty (with ~30% upgrade completion) and 2h on my second attempt on Easy difficulty (with ~15% upgrade completion). I got lost here and there and died a few times so a sub 2h run on Easy is totally doable, I don't know about Normal, though I would assume that it's also possible.

Performance-wise, my computer is fairly old but the game plays very well and I didn't notice any framerate drops or lag on my end.

Random stuff I found out:
-Sliding is slightly faster than running and jumping;
-You don't have to fully charge your weapon to do a 2x damage attack, you can release the attack button something like 0.5 second after your weapon starts glowing and you'll do a fully charge attack;
-Normally after a fully charge attack, your character will stop for a brief second, however if you're sliding then you'll keep your momentum going;
-Soldiers with shield can (sometimes) boost you toward the way you're facing if you slide into them. Needs more testing to see if it's random or a constant thing;

As for movement speed, the ninja dash you get halfway through the game seems to be the fastest way to move.

I completed 2 semi-speedrun playthroughs on PC, took me 2h50 the first time around (this was a blind run) on Normal difficulty (with ~30% upgrade completion) and 2h on my second attempt on Easy difficulty (with ~15% upgrade completion). I got lost here and there and died a few times so a sub 2h run on Easy is totally doable, I don't know about Normal, though I would assume that it's also possible.

Performance-wise, my computer is fairly old but the game plays very well and I didn't notice any framerate drops or lag on my end.

Random stuff I found out:
-Sliding is slightly faster than running and jumping;
-You don't have to fully charge your weapon to do a 2x damage attack, you can release the attack button something like 0.5 second after your weapon starts glowing and you'll do a fully charge attack;
-Normally after a fully charge attack, your character will stop for a brief second, however if you're sliding then you'll keep your momentum going;
-Soldiers with shield can (sometimes) boost you toward the way you're facing if you slide into them. Needs more testing to see if it's random or a constant thing;

As for movement speed, the ninja dash you get halfway through the game seems to be the fastest way to move.

Scyther

Edit history:

Scyther: 2014-02-20 09:32:53 am

2014-02-20 09:28:55 am

Congrats: Reading Skill Lv Up!

I was just thinking that the dash move is fastest, but it only seems true on flat terrain. If for any reason the plasma dash ends in what the game considers to be midair, even if you coulda swore that ground was level, it has too long of a recovery period.

Edit: Also yeah I know about the super short charge, that was one of the first things I played around with. It's useful periodically, but the dps you can sustain with hardcore mashing, and later mashing combined with Option-A (Ouroboros for some of us) is much higher than trying to chain fast charge slashes. The main thing I use them for is quickly getting two vertical charge slashes on an enemy above me on a solid platform, since the insane hitbox has no problem going through solid terrain that you and your Kunai can't. That probably won't have any speedrunning applications... but it might.

Taehupo

Edit history:

Taehupo: 2014-02-20 10:54:01 am

Taehupo: 2014-02-20 10:37:19 am

2014-02-20 09:57:02 am

To run or not to run ?

I did like an 1hxx long blind run and i think I'm like 75/80% in the game.
This game could be cool to speedrun in my opinon, but are there any special things any that what you found out mkob ?

Edit : And now the game won't work anymore gah...
Edit 2 : Executing it in Windows XP SP3 helps !

Pewable

Edit history:

Pewable: 2014-02-20 11:39:38 am

2014-02-20 11:39:02 am

Here is what I found so far:

Look at the description of the first one, it's a fun thing to do. I am sure something will be find with it, I already have ideas! You can do "very" long jump with it.

Taehupo

Edit history:

Taehupo: 2014-02-20 12:04:37 pm

Taehupo: 2014-02-20 12:04:27 pm

Taehupo: 2014-02-20 11:45:52 am

Taehupo: 2014-02-20 11:41:15 am

2014-02-20 11:40:18 am

To run or not to run ?

I found out that when you exit a platform during dashing you conserve the dash during all the time you fall, and you fall diagonally ! Could have some uses!

The second skip look very amazing !
Edit: i found out that the cutscene for the 1st time at black market (encountering the guy) is skipable a 1st frame ( i thinks the firsts ones)
but it does make you loose time XD

Pewable

2014-02-20 12:20:06 pm

You can open a lot of door with the kunais witout hitting the "true" switch. Stick to the door and throw them, it just... go through the door and hit the other switch.

Taehupo

Edit history:

Taehupo: 2014-02-20 12:36:51 pm

2014-02-20 12:34:29 pm

To run or not to run ?

Wouldn't it be easier to talk about that on skype or anything i'm getting annoyed by the forum itself
Amazing long jum btw

EIiitti

2014-02-20 12:55:26 pm

I found an OoB glitch. It's useless on its own but if someone can find a way to do it somewhere else (ESPECIALLY SAVE ROOMS) and find a consistent method to pull it off, this game could get very very interesting to route.

Taehupo

2014-02-20 12:59:52 pm

To run or not to run ?

yup it could be interesting to route if this glitch is consistent and may help to skip things if you can pull it off in other places where did you pulled it off exactly (i can't recognize the area)

Pewable

2014-02-20 01:02:55 pm

Amazing, gonna try that. I will upload my other finds later.

EIiitti

2014-02-20 01:03:18 pm

That area is sadly behind two purple doors so there's nothing to gain in that area anymore at that point in the game. The video description explains more.

Taehupo

2014-02-20 01:05:04 pm

To run or not to run ?

Would you mind getting on skype you two ? i got a funny glitch to show nothing usefull where i discovered it but i think you would like it ^^
(it involves floating into the air my skype is taehupo)

EIiitti

2014-02-20 01:06:47 pm

I'll add you. skype id: eiiitti

Pewable

2014-02-20 01:11:19 pm

Ok, so, I did it and, it's like very easy. Found a timesaver with it already... Makes me kind of sad this kind of glitch.

EIiitti

2014-02-20 02:07:01 pm

Post a video please. Smiley

Pewable

2014-02-20 02:17:53 pm

I will a little later, it's funny when you do an infinite fall, if you wait long enough, you can play with a tiny, tiny, tiny Hiryu, he looks like a white square, falling forever.

EIiitti

2014-02-20 02:18:54 pm

Yea the infinite fall is hilarious. What is your strat to pull of the glitch besides just wiggling?

Pewable

2014-02-20 02:19:59 pm

Just do left right etc very fast and change the timing if you struggle, it doesn't work on EVERY angle, but on a lot of them, it does. Some are easier...

EIiitti

2014-02-20 02:23:06 pm

I'm not sure about the timing but while I work on it, could you test the glitch in the save room angles, specifically in The Plaza. If we could figure out a way to bypass the gravitrons with that, this game would feel like OoT all over again.

Pewable

2014-02-20 02:24:52 pm

I didn't finish the game yet so I don't really know everything, sorry. But it's possible to go the first gravitron earlier while in oob, you can clip the wall from the oob and voila, facing the boss. That's not very clear...

EIiitti

2014-02-20 02:25:55 pm

Pewable, you should get on Skype for easier chatting.

Taehupo

2014-02-20 02:26:50 pm

To run or not to run ?

Yeah Eiiitti and me were speaking about things on the game etc it would help if you got with us ^^

quinntendopower

2014-02-20 02:27:11 pm

you guys are playing this on hard right? normal mode is "tank the game"

Taehupo

2014-02-20 02:28:46 pm

To run or not to run ?

Actually for easier research and planning we're playing on normal