Xardion - November 13, 2013

Flip

UraniumAnchor

Edit history:

UraniumAnchor: 2013-11-13 12:59:46 pm

2013-10-29 09:02:15 pm

1-Up!

Game Page: http://speeddemosarchive.com/Xardion.html

Xardion (Any %) (Single Segment)

Decision: Accept

Congratulations to Justin 'Zerst' Kvithyll!

Thread title:

Flip

2013-10-29 09:02:15 pm

1-Up!

Run Information

Xardion (Any %) (Single Segment)

Verification Files

http://v.speeddemosarchive.com/xardion/

Please refer to the Verification Guidelines before posting. Verifications are due by Nov. 12, 2013.

Please post your opinions about the run and be certain to conclude your post with a verdict (Accept/Reject). This is not a contest where the majority wins - I will judge each verification on its content. Please keep your verification brief unless you have a good reason otherwise.

After 2 weeks I will read all of the verifications and move this thread to the main verification board and post my verdict.

LotBlind

2013-11-04 07:08:29 am

Wrong file submitted as run comments? Looks like a piece of code to me.

ktwo

Edit history:

ktwo: 2013-11-06 04:32:44 pm

2013-11-06 01:57:57 pm

The run comments are still some piece of code...

I played this game for a couple of minutes to just a get a feeling for it. It's a shitty game and the character is just as stiff as it looks.

A/V: Perfect (and certainly better than the current run on the site)
Legit: Seems good to me.

Gameplay:
I was first a bit shocked to see several mistakes in the first stage. After having tried the game, I can better understand why the runner didn't reset. Showing the first one and a half minute intro was not for fun. It's unskipable. The gameplay gets a little better from there on (at least not worse) and is overall acceptable (but still feels somewhat improvable). From the forum thread, the runner mentions a menu mistake in the last level that cost around half a minute. Unfortunate, but it doesn't really look bad unless it's pointed out.
Not having access to the run comments is of course a handicap when trying to understand the route, but it is what it is... Anyways, the leveling strat seems sound enough. A level-up is achieved right before a death abuse in level 3, which ensures maximum health against the boss, which allows for a much more aggressive strat than the current site run. I can't comment too much on the route choices and strats from there on.
I haven't watched the current site run, but did at least quickly click through it. It seems like the new run introduces a lot of new strats. After all, it's 6 minutes faster, so I guess some thought went into the route.

ACCEPT

Timing: Movement starts at 1:34,1 and it looks like it stops at 28:43,5. That gives 27:09, like mentioned in the statid.

Note: From an sda point-of-view, this is technically in a different category than the current site run, since this is with death abuse. However, the one time it was used didn't save anywhere near the 6 minutes of difference there is between the runs. Therefore, I definitely recommend that this obsoletes Liger's run.

The run comments are still some piece of code...

I played this game for a couple of minutes to just a get a feeling for it. It's a shitty game and the character is just as stiff as it looks.

A/V: Perfect (and certainly better than the current run on the site)
Legit: Seems good to me.

Gameplay: 
I was first a bit shocked to see several mistakes in the first stage. After having tried the game, I can better understand why the runner didn't reset. Showing the first one and a half minute intro was not for fun. It's unskipable. The gameplay gets a little better from there on (at least not worse) and is overall acceptable (but still feels somewhat improvable). From the forum thread, the runner mentions a menu mistake in the last level that cost around half a minute. Unfortunate, but it doesn't really look bad unless it's pointed out.
Not having access to the run comments is of course a handicap when trying to understand the route, but it is what it is... Anyways, the leveling strat seems sound enough. A level-up is achieved right before a death abuse in level 3, which ensures maximum health against the boss, which allows for a much more aggressive strat than the current site run. I can't comment too much on the route choices and strats from there on.
I haven't watched the current site run, but did at least quickly click through it. It seems like the new run introduces a lot of new strats. After all, it's 6 minutes faster, so I guess some thought went into the route.

ACCEPT

Timing: Movement starts at 1:34,1 and it looks like it stops at 28:43,5. That gives 27:09, like mentioned in the statid.

Note: From an sda point-of-view, this is technically in a different category than the current site run, since this is with death abuse. However, the one time it was used didn't save anywhere near the 6 minutes of difference there is between the runs. Therefore, I definitely recommend that this obsoletes Liger's run.

LotBlind

2013-11-06 02:27:41 pm

"This is a tight spot."

The 20-30 second mistake (as per the runner's post here https://forum.speeddemosarchive.com/post/xardion_snes_current_best__2709.html) sounds unfortunate, but this is still a very solid run and you pretty much can't tell there was a mistake... Otherwise it's all very acceptable, boss fights look awesome.

Accept

PS It's one of those awesome-crappy games like Subterranea that have some things going for them (really diggin' the graphics and music, and overall interesting concept) but that fail in gameplay.

UraniumAnchor

Edit history:

UraniumAnchor: 2013-11-06 06:36:17 pm

2013-11-06 03:18:27 pm

Not a walrus

Asked the runner if that comments file is right, I'd be surprised if it is.

Edit: It's intentional. I'll leave it up to the runner if he wants to explain it.

gyre

2013-11-07 12:36:36 am

Accept.

I signed up to verify but it looks like nobody else plays this game Sad

The boss strategies and item collection significantly improve on the route used by the existing run. Execution is on par with the existing run although still lots of room for imrpovement. There is rough platforming in the first stage and in the Hollow replay. Last boss is point blanked to good effect but the lack of ammo hurts the time quite a bit. Other bosses are fairly quick with what looks like average-above average rng on their patterns. Ocean and Fiera generally good throughout.

AV is solid and no obvious signs of cheating.

I don't think deathless and death abuse would be different categories since it doesn't change the route much and the difference is only about half a minute.

Zerstorung

Edit history:

Zerstorung: 2013-11-07 10:01:22 am

2013-11-07 09:15:21 am

To explain, yeah the comments are an injoke, sorry for the confusion.

This run is very improvable. I will say that outright.

Liger's run was literally the only resource available (there is no TAS, nothing on youtube), so most of the changed routing was done by me, and it's not fully optimized. But it is far better planned than the existing run, which shows by the time improvement. I was debating for a while whether or not to submit it, because of the menu error more than anything else, but with AGDQ and the holiday season rapidly approaching, I decided to do so anyway as I was unsure of how much time I would be able to spend ~~resetting stage 1 and watching the intro over and over because of the absolute bullcrap RNG in 1 and its boss~~ doing further attempts.

I got average luck on boss1. Boss 2 I got near-perfect RNG which saved a ton of time (I did not have to switch to Alcedes to tank damage). Both Jungle sections are nightmares to run because the game completely drops your jump input on lag frames (and oh my are there lag frames in that section, unpredictable too), which invariably sends you down into the pit. The death abuse was close to ideal and I did moderately well against the crab boss. The rest of the run (aside from the Jungle revisit) is mostly going through the motions, though I do have movement hiccups here and there. The menu error is pretty embarrassing, but it's a covert mistake that only people who are watching for it will catch.

Liger spent a good amount of time collecting weird extra stuff like health packs far off the path, yet skipped one or two ammo packs (the tiny circle items). My route involves 1-2 health packs and 5 ammo packs, all of which are on the direct route or with only a slight deviation. This gives me just enough resources to consistently defeat the final boss without powerleveling. I believe my leveling route (mostly referring to Triton) is ideal. The important one is hitting 160exp just in time for the death abuse. The death abuse is highly important because you do not regain health/ammo between stages 3 and 4, as there is no boss in 3 (Jungle1). Yet you need to consume resources, and damage-boosting through enemies is faster/safer anyway.

To explain, yeah the comments are an injoke, sorry for the confusion.

This run is very improvable. I will say that outright.

Liger's run was literally the only resource available (there is no TAS, nothing on youtube), so most of the changed routing was done by me, and it's not fully optimized. But it is far better planned than the existing run, which shows by the time improvement. I was debating for a while whether or not to submit it, because of the menu error more than anything else, but with AGDQ and the holiday season rapidly approaching, I decided to do so anyway as I was unsure of how much time I would be able to spend [s]resetting stage 1 and watching the intro over and over because of the absolute bullcrap RNG in 1 and its boss[/s] doing further attempts.

I got average luck on boss1. Boss 2 I got near-perfect RNG which saved a ton of time (I did not have to switch to Alcedes to tank damage). Both Jungle sections are nightmares to run because the game completely drops your jump input on lag frames (and oh my are there lag frames in that section, unpredictable too), which invariably sends you down into the pit. The death abuse was close to ideal and I did moderately well against the crab boss. The rest of the run (aside from the Jungle revisit) is mostly going through the motions, though I do have movement hiccups here and there. The menu error is pretty embarrassing, but it's a covert mistake that only people who are watching for it will catch.

Liger spent a good amount of time collecting weird extra stuff like health packs far off the path, yet skipped one or two ammo packs (the tiny circle items). My route involves 1-2 health packs and 5 ammo packs, all of which are on the direct route or with only a slight deviation. This gives me just enough resources to consistently defeat the final boss without powerleveling. I believe my leveling route (mostly referring to Triton) is ideal. The important one is hitting 160exp just in time for the death abuse. The death abuse is highly important because you do not regain health/ammo between stages 3 and 4, as there is no boss in 3 (Jungle1). Yet you need to consume resources, and damage-boosting through enemies is faster/safer anyway.

djcj

2013-11-13 10:57:07 am

Out of curiosity I compiled the code and started the program. It did nothing. What's that code supposed to do?

UraniumAnchor

2013-11-13 12:11:26 pm

Not a walrus

How long did you let it run?

UraniumAnchor

2013-11-13 12:59:58 pm

Not a walrus

Decision posted.