Ultima: Exodus (NES)

2012-11-22 10:41:04 am

Waiting hurts my soul...

Very nice. I hope you spend a bit more time to improve it, but I completely understand if you take this. I had thought 2 hours would be a good time and now it's sub 50min.

presjpolk

Edit history:

presjpolk: 2012-11-22 11:29:29 am

presjpolk: 2012-11-22 11:14:51 am

presjpolk: 2012-11-22 11:05:30 am

2012-11-22 11:03:04 am

HELLO!

Thanks all. Very odd... I'm getting a time of a few seconds off on my recorded run.

Man... there'd better not be a problem here. Timing it off of Twitch matches what I got on Dunnius's timer. But I seem to have lost a few seconds on my recording. Because it's timing a few seconds faster on my recording...

yeah I get 49:13 from world map to leaving Exodus in my recording.

EDIT: Quick math suggests that if the video recorded at 29.97 fps (NTSC), but plays back at 30fps (lazy video player), then it would play back 3 seconds faster. Whew. So my video should be fine as long as I make sure it's treated as 29.97 fps. I think...

EDIT 2: Resolving this before I record any further runs, obviously.

gyth

2012-11-22 02:41:15 pm

There is a glitch in the twitch highlight after Yew, it jumps from 21:02 -> 21:06.

<more testing>
If I scrub to 21:00 it plays continuously, but if I scrub to 20:50 there is the jump.
That is probably just twitch being weird.

presjpolk

Edit history:

presjpolk: 2012-11-23 03:08:01 am

2012-11-23 03:07:21 am

HELLO!

43:37

Game over man. Game over.

http://www.twitch.tv/presjpolk/c/1745231

1 pirate. 3 pirates. Average-to-good ship luck. Good whirlpool luck. It's as easy as that.

Svenne

2012-11-23 03:25:25 am

Smörgåsbord

This is Teh Urn!

gyth

2012-11-23 07:15:26 am

Most impressive.
There was some bad luck too (2 dungeon battles), but this is gonna be tough to beat.

drakonsan

2012-11-23 01:36:12 pm

This run is too 4337 for me.

inzult

2012-11-23 01:41:06 pm

too feet?

Man, presjpolk, I remember when the grinding session was 43 minutes. Now that's the whole run? Zany.

Quadstriker

2012-11-23 01:58:46 pm

THE URN! I HAVE SEEN THE URN AND IT IS GOOD! BASK IN THE LIGHT OF THE URN!

Fantastic run. Really glad I got to see it live. Was incredible to see the great battle luck. One pirate? Woo! Ship ship mcgrip!

Glad you got a nice record. Sad I don't get to watch any more runs. Might give this game a casual playthrough soon for funs.

Mr. Kelly R. Flewin

2012-11-25 11:47:28 pm

Learning to Stream

Wow that run was INTENSE! And no character making to farm gold! I am absolutely blown away by this run. To think, a long time back, a few hours was considered good. Now under 45 minutes? Wow... just wow!

presjpolk

Edit history:

presjpolk: 2012-12-01 06:22:28 am

2012-12-01 06:22:12 am

HELLO!

I doubt Twitch has it anymore but it'd be funny to watch my 2:50 run now. Cut two hours in what, two months or so? Heh.

Just finally caught TSSB from last week. My final mention in a while, unless someone pops up to beat this. Smiley

Ah, that was fun. I love TSSB.

presjpolk

Edit history:

presjpolk: 2013-06-24 03:13:41 am

presjpolk: 2013-06-24 03:12:57 am

presjpolk: 2013-06-24 03:10:58 am

2013-06-24 03:09:03 am

HELLO!

Segmented run. I keep thinking about a segmented run.

I imagine per SDA rules I wouldn't get 'penalties' for segmentation in this game since you can only save at specific places. Because going back to Lord British's castle is itself a time penalty.

So how would I do this? The route I'd want would be something like this:

1. Game start, create characters (same party as the single segment run I think), reset for the cutscene (saved).

This would be a one-time thing. No luck, no execution, but it's something I wouldn't want to repeat many times for segment 2.

2. Fire and Force, leveling on the way, get PRAY, save.

This wouldn't be too bad. Zero encounters in the dungeon is a must. The only real question is how demanding do I get in my overworld encounters, in terms of single-shot wipeouts of large groups of undead. That'd be the reset-heavy part. TAS-like isn't practical I don't think, but I'd have to experiment to see just how close I can get.

3. Level grind, get to level 5, save.

Like segment 2, even more so. The more I get picky about getting large groups of undeads that die in one shot, the more I have to retry this.

4. Get a nearby ship, with one pirate, then save.

This would be a short segment but I *have* to separate it from the ones before and after.

5. Nearby whirlpool, do Ambrosia, demand only one pirate from the ship on the way to the Shrine of Dexterity, return and save.

Also a bunch of resets here (which will happen *after* doing three shrines, ugh).

6. Moongate to Exodus, win.

This could take forever. This may not be doable, particularly if I demand good pirate luck.

EDIT: I may have to buy food during one of these segments... probably when I get PRAY? Does Yew sell food? YES Yew sells food. Done and done.

Segmented run.  I keep thinking about a segmented run.

I imagine per SDA rules I wouldn't get 'penalties' for segmentation in this game since you can only save at specific places.  Because going back to Lord British's castle is itself a time penalty.

So how would I do this?  The route I'd want would be something like this:

1. Game start, create characters (same party as the single segment run I think), reset for the cutscene (saved).

This would be a one-time thing.  No luck, no execution, but it's something I wouldn't want to repeat many times for segment 2.

2. Fire and Force, leveling on the way, get PRAY, save.

This wouldn't be too bad.  Zero encounters in the dungeon is a must. The only real question is how demanding do I get in my overworld encounters, in terms of single-shot wipeouts of large groups of undead.  That'd be the reset-heavy part.  TAS-like isn't practical I don't think, but I'd have to experiment to see just how close I can get.

3. Level grind, get to level 5, save.

Like segment 2, even more so.  The more I get picky about getting large groups of undeads that die in one shot, the more I have to retry this.

4. Get a nearby ship, with one pirate, then save.

This would be a short segment but I *have* to separate it from the ones before and after.

5. Nearby whirlpool, do Ambrosia, demand only one pirate from the ship on the way to the Shrine of Dexterity, return and save.

Also a bunch of resets here (which will happen *after* doing three shrines, ugh).

6. Moongate to Exodus, win.

This could take forever. This may not be doable, particularly if I demand good pirate luck.

EDIT: I may have to buy food during one of these segments... probably when I get PRAY?  Does Yew sell food?   YES Yew sells food. Done and done.

gyth

2013-07-01 10:40:01 pm

Quote from presjpolk:

The only real question is how demanding do I get in my overworld encounters, in terms of single-shot wipeouts of large groups of undead. That'd be the reset-heavy part. TAS-like isn't practical I don't think, but I'd have to experiment to see just how close I can get.

Let me know if you figure out anything with single shotting, because with the TAS I only have control over the type and number of enemies.

Quote from presjpolk:

Also a bunch of resets here (which will happen *after* doing three shrines, ugh).

There is an inn in ambrosia, if you buy a key.

Quote from presjpolk:

6. Moongate to Exodus, win.

You should time how long getting horn, snake and boating would be.
If you have to walk to a moongate you're probably not saving time even with a solo pirate.
If you trans close to a gate you have more rng, have to grab more gold and buy 5 int.

What I'd like to do with the TAS, if I ever figure it out, is glitching the whirlpool in Sosaria into a boat, for 0 level grind.
But that might not work even if it was possible, since the whirlpool might just immediately eat the boat.

[quote="presjpolk"]The only real question is how demanding do I get in my overworld encounters, in terms of single-shot wipeouts of large groups of undead.  That'd be the reset-heavy part.  TAS-like isn't practical I don't think, but I'd have to experiment to see just how close I can get.[/quote]
Let me know if you figure out anything with single shotting, because with the TAS I only have control over the type and number of enemies.

[quote="presjpolk"]Also a bunch of resets here (which will happen *after* doing three shrines, ugh).[/quote]
There is an inn in ambrosia, if you buy a key.

[quote="presjpolk"]6. Moongate to Exodus, win.[/quote]
You should time how long getting horn, snake and boating would be.
If you have to walk to a moongate you're probably not saving time even with a solo pirate.
If you trans close to a gate you have more rng, have to grab more gold and buy 5 int.

What I'd like to do with the TAS, if I ever figure it out, is glitching the whirlpool in Sosaria into a boat, for 0 level grind.
But that might not work even if it was possible, since the whirlpool might just immediately eat the boat.

presjpolk

2013-07-02 07:05:32 am

HELLO!

Great points. This demands experimentation.

And hmm. The inn in Ambrosia would make it things easier doing the ambrosia pirate battle. I could buy a key and food in gray, and not have to detour to get food in Yew.

presjpolk

Edit history:

presjpolk: 2013-11-28 02:33:24 pm

presjpolk: 2013-11-28 02:22:26 pm

presjpolk: 2013-11-28 02:16:41 pm

presjpolk: 2013-11-28 02:15:38 pm

presjpolk: 2013-11-28 05:16:03 am

2013-11-28 05:13:09 am

HELLO!

So never mind the segmented for now, the single segment run needs work. While doing some work in Japanese sites trying to find DW3 information for Darkwing.. I found that a Japanese runner had a 53:27 run of this game apparently last month.

http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm21968553

At first, I thought he must have learned from my run since he did both the new glitches from my run.

But then it became clear to me that he couldn't have seen my run. His XP grind on his Ranger(!) is so slow, due to only casting Repel or Undead once per battle (apparently he thought you only can cast it once, like on DOS?)

His Castle Exodus is much faster, since he seems to know how the monster movement works (match row, then column), something I only realized *after* my SDA run.

So really I need to reroute to incorporate key ideas from this run:

1) Get Compass Hearts to warp out of dungeons (uses Cave of Fire for Mark of Force, and Cave of Sol for Fire/Snake). This requires doing Yew, Level 5 grind, and Ambrosia before getting the Marks.

2) Use 3 fighters in the party for capturing the pirate ships in Sosaria and Ambrosia, arming them with bows.

3) Use ascend/descend to try to land closer to one mark after getting the other mark in Sol.

The first point is kind of scary in that it moves some of the high-luck stuff much later in the run. However the second and third points mitigate this. With fighters and bows, the pirate battles should go much faster, and so I'll not really have to worry so much about the RNG for those. And the ascend/descend trick in Sol should reduce the walking I do there, reducing dungeon RNG.

Sub-40 could be doable here.

----

EDIT

OK, so, routing:

. Create characters: Druid, (PRAY)Mage, Mage, Mage, Mage, Fighter, Fighter, Fighter, and 3x disposable characters.

. Venture out with Disposable, Disposable, Disposable, (PRAY)Mage.

. Go to Yew, get Pray, Silver Horn.

. Intentionally Die. Save and Reset.

. Consolidate money to Druid (1100).

. Venture out with Druid, Fighter, Fighter, Fighter.

. Grind Druid XP and gold.

. Go to Dawn, buy 3xBlowgun (1050), 5xGem (375), Horses (800).

. Complete Level 5 grind

. Go to Lord British, level Druid.

. Grind ship near Castle.

. Go back to Castle, Save and Reset.

. Venture out with (PRAY)Mage, Fighter, Fighter, Fighter

. Grind for Whirlpool

. Do Ambrosia: Intelligence, Wisdom, Strength, GET TWO FLOWERS, Dexterity

. Whirlpool home

. Go to Royal City, get two Compass Rose

. Go to Lord British Castle. Save.

. Transfer Gems and Compass Roses to Mages.

. Venture out with (PRAY)Mage, Mage, Mage, Mage

. Walk to Cave of Fool (or Fire, not sure), Mark of Force. DESCEND down, Compass Rose back.

. Sail to Cave of Sol. DESCEND. Mark of Fire/Snake. ASCEND/DESCEND for better location. Other Mark. Compass Rose back.

. Walk to Ship, Sail to Exodus

. Win.

So never mind the segmented for now, the single segment run needs work.  While doing some work in Japanese sites trying to find DW3 information for Darkwing.. I found that a Japanese runner had a 53:27 run of this game apparently last month.

http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm21968553

At first, I thought he must have learned from my run since he did both the new glitches from my run.

But then it became clear to me that he couldn't have seen my run.  His XP grind on his Ranger(!) is so slow, due to only casting Repel or Undead once per battle (apparently he thought you only can cast it once, like on DOS?)

His Castle Exodus is much faster, since he seems to know how the monster movement works (match row, then column), something I only realized *after* my SDA run.

So really I need to reroute to incorporate key ideas from this run:

1) Get Compass Hearts to warp out of dungeons (uses Cave of Fire for Mark of Force, and Cave of Sol for Fire/Snake).  This requires doing Yew, Level 5 grind, and Ambrosia before getting the Marks.

2) Use 3 fighters in the party for capturing the pirate ships in Sosaria and Ambrosia, arming them with bows.

3) Use ascend/descend to try to land closer to one mark after getting the other mark in Sol.

The first point is kind of scary in that it moves some of the high-luck stuff much later in the run.  However the second and third points mitigate this.  With fighters and bows, the pirate battles should go much faster, and so I'll not really have to worry so much about the RNG for those.  And the ascend/descend trick in Sol should reduce the walking I do there, reducing dungeon RNG.

Sub-40 could be doable here.

----

EDIT

OK, so, routing:

. Create characters: Druid, (PRAY)Mage, Mage, Mage, Mage, Fighter, Fighter, Fighter, and 3x disposable characters.

. Venture out with Disposable, Disposable, Disposable, (PRAY)Mage.

. Go to Yew, get Pray, Silver Horn.

. Intentionally Die.  Save and Reset.

. Consolidate money to Druid (1100).

. Venture out with Druid, Fighter, Fighter, Fighter.

. Grind Druid XP and gold.

. Go to Dawn, buy 3xBlowgun (1050), 5xGem (375), Horses (800).

. Complete Level 5 grind

. Go to Lord British, level Druid.

. Grind ship near Castle.

. Go back to Castle, Save and Reset.

. Venture out with (PRAY)Mage, Fighter, Fighter, Fighter

. Grind for Whirlpool

. Do Ambrosia: Intelligence, Wisdom, Strength, GET TWO FLOWERS, Dexterity

. Whirlpool home

. Go to Royal City, get two Compass Rose

. Go to Lord British Castle. Save.

. Transfer Gems and Compass Roses to Mages.

. Venture out with (PRAY)Mage, Mage, Mage, Mage

. Walk to Cave of Fool (or Fire, not sure), Mark of Force.  DESCEND down, Compass Rose back.

. Sail to Cave of Sol. DESCEND. Mark of Fire/Snake. ASCEND/DESCEND for better location. Other Mark. Compass Rose back.

. Walk to Ship, Sail to Exodus

. Win.

__sdfg

2013-11-28 07:19:33 pm

D:

I hadn't heard about this until I (finally) got around to beating the PC version and looking up miscellaneous info about the game, but according to this page, you can insert the cards into Exodus without having actually gotten them.

Have you checked this? I don't have a copy of the NES version. Dunno if you can trust that wiki or not.

presjpolk

2013-11-28 07:20:38 pm

HELLO!

Um. Um. Ambrosia skip? Wow. I'll try it tonight.

presjpolk

Edit history:

presjpolk: 2013-11-28 09:42:53 pm

2013-11-28 09:41:53 pm

HELLO!

Nope. Your prayer is not answered. But I'm going to time out the new route now without Ambrosia skip, as the dry run did mostly work. I need to route out the gold aggregation and the item aggregation steps, as winging it wasn't working that well. I also need to do a *little* dragon herdiing in Exodus.

__sdfg

Edit history:

__sdfg: 2013-11-30 10:44:54 pm

2013-11-30 10:44:22 pm

D:

Hmm, that's too bad. It seemed too good to be true, but... I don't know, it seems like a weirdly specific fabrication for someone to create. Now I wonder how whoever put that in the wiki came up with the idea. :/

presjpolk

2013-12-01 05:42:35 am

HELLO!

Makes me wonder if the bug exists in the DOS version.

presjpolk

2013-12-04 01:01:27 am

HELLO!

Japanese-based route refuted. The fighters just miss too much to make all the party shuffling worth it, sadly. I may be able to get the route down to a 50:xx or so, but it just can't touch the 43:xx unless I get the same luck I got in the 43:xx... so it's really not worth it.

I'll do some more attempts soon on my old route just to see what I can get, since I do no more about encounter herding in Exodus than I did back then. Then I'll do some work on Ultima V NES by request.

presjpolk

Edit history:

presjpolk: 2014-05-09 09:59:36 pm

presjpolk: 2014-05-09 09:58:58 pm

2014-05-09 09:57:20 pm

HELLO!

So it turns out the Famicom version only lets you use Reflect and Undead once per battle Sad

I found that out by surprise when I got the cart and decided to try a run!

So being too sick to run my usual games well, I went ahead and popped it in tonight to try a slightly modified route that uses a Ranger with a Blowgun instead of a Druid as party member 1.

I learned a lot of how to do these battles as I went but I got a 1:10:37 as a first completed attempt. Not bad given that my whirlpool was on the other side of the world, I got a mid-high encounter in the Cave of Sol (one step from the second mark BimbleThwimp), and I got two 8-pirate battles Sad

There's a bit more luck in this version with my route, since you want good repel/undead casts, but if you get them this should still beat the Nico version (still currently the Famicom version WR by 17 minutes obviously). I think sub 50 should be doable here.

presjpolk

Edit history:

presjpolk: 2014-05-11 04:18:29 pm

2014-05-10 10:34:54 pm

HELLO!

Had a run tonight. Accidentally let off of the dpad on the way to the Shrine of Dexterity, got an encounter on the way to the ship.

Had I gotten to that ship, and gotten a low number of pirates, I could have beaten the 53:27. I really could have. *sigh*

--

One day later....

Came close today. 55:50. The Famicom record will be mine.

presjpolk

Edit history:

presjpolk: 2014-05-18 01:00:43 am

2014-05-17 11:50:51 pm

HELLO!

52:04. Bad luck, was about even with PB, then I got two pirates in Ambrosia. GG.

Still uploading as I write this, but

mckrakken

2021-04-16 09:30:04 pm