2021 In-depth Glitchless Tutorial to get you started (Still Relevant in 2024)

The videos in this tutorial are long, show  backups and recoveries if you fail a trick, segmented into multiple videos one for each section of the game.

Recommended to watch in 1.5x speed.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxxlvtDB3nSz_3EbCXklp-lDLvJdfu4WE



GLITCHLESS ARAGOG TUTORIAL (updated strat):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXSsNmH0Bb0


All Wizard Cards - Full Run Beginner Tutorial - Relevant in 2024

This video is long. Some explanations may be scuffed, so please be indulgent. I recommend watching on 1.5 or 2x speed. The document provided is by @The_Katashi and it includes a detailed route + strategy explanation for AWC. If you have any questions, let me know :)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14XDSbFmQlCa-81jNa9yGgeq1RmfA9CPpx_nfWV-3Aag - Route Doc + Strats

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

All Wizard Cards route (Glitched and Glitchless variations)

Glitched version: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18AiWx5j2G9JKEE1JP1XMVXQHUlonjmUBlzDxSOxd1fA

Glitchless version (Category Extentions): https://docs.google.com/document/d/19mN9VdGsg33KYdZIypXSR6jRV9A-s30G9pa89q5oQBI

Updated Glitched Version (2023 - by @The_Katashi):

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14XDSbFmQlCa-81jNa9yGgeq1RmfA9CPpx_nfWV-3Aag

Full credit to @Emi & @The_Katashi

Glitchless Diffindo Skip Tutorial (2024, Hard Strat - One Shroom & 3 Shroom Versions)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq_6VsvMoYY

Glitchless Tutorial [WIP] [OUTDATED]

is not done
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu6T3RKSRA813JLnpZp8-4MPV3YjehpSO

Harry Potter 2PC Any% Tutorial 2022 (Still Relevant in 2024)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjwA7yQNSjdyj5gCRTQdPGkbDJTsyCLD6

HP2 Any% 2020 new strats [OUTDATED]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJlJ6ZGESsE&feature=youtu.be

Things I forgot to mention:

-We play in Swedish because it saves about 15sec
-You can just warp to the 6th match using the regular quidditch warp method to skip the hagrid's memory level because the 6th match is already unlocked when we get there
-Minor optimizations https://bit.ly/3BJRQSC (I update this everytime something new is found)
If you're having problems with mapwalk this video will be helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgapqGu5iPw&feature=youtu.be

forgot to mention it but for the 2nd setup, moving the mouse out of the game RIGHT AFTER you reload can help if that setup doesn't work

If you can't get the mapwalk trick to work at all, here's a alternative (loses about 10sec or so but is really consistent):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58zEsJZJm88&feature=youtu.be

HP2 any% Tutorial | August 11th 2018 [OUTDATED]

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/296017594

Mod note: On July 10th, 2021 the community switched from Dxtory to a framerate capping mod (instructions can be found here: https://www.speedrun.com/hp2pc/guide/1jf7s ), and as such Dxtory is no longer allowed in speedruns of this game.

HP2 PC any% FAQ

courtesy of Purplesunderyl + Anirocks99

Q: Why is the camera messed up/Why are the graphics so glitchy?
A: If that's the case, they play HP2 through a software renderer, so there are some glitches caused by that, and if they ran it through just hardware, it would be MUCH worse for them. For reference, software render runs at a varying fps depending on the power of your PC, and the size of the game window, as far as our testing has shown.

Q: So Should I be running the game on Software Render?
A: No, runs on software renderer are not allowed on the leaderboards. The most accurate and consistent way to run this game is to use a frame limiter to cap the fps at 120 and render the graphics via Hardware Render, or Direct 3D Render, or Open GL 3D, or whatever GPU your computer is reading off.
 
Q: What's with the hourglasses?
A: They are just loading screens for when you skip cutscenes. SSDs and other hard drives do in fact decrease load times, wasting less time in loading screens.

Q: You can skip Rictusempra?!@ How?
A: In the options menu, you can bind multiple buttons to the same key.
If you bind two keys to a direction and press them simultaneously, Harry's acceleration from 0 will be much faster than Harry's acceleration from just pressing one button.
The rest of the skip is just based on angle and timing the jump
 
Q: Why did you reset after getting to class? Also, why are you missing all those arrow keys in Rictusempra?
A: The first lesson, Rictusempra, is the only lesson in which you HAVE to go to the Bonus Bean Room. The time limit is set in 5-second sections. Every 5 House Points Gryffindor is ahead of Slytherin, 5 seconds are added (there are a couple of odd exceptions). Gryffindor, in a speedrun, usually has 77 or 78, and Slytherin can get (as far as we know) between 40 - 80 House Points. The best RNG (<5 HP between Gryffindor & Slytherin) has only a time limit of 10 seconds.
Using this to answer the questions, resets may occur when we think Slytherin has too little points for us to want to continue, and missing the arrows (and also missing Challenge Stars) means Gryffindor gets less points, so the gap is smaller. (see also https://www.twitch.tv/respirte/v/39673978 House Point Explanation 101.)
 
Q: Why are you missing those arrow keys (in everywhere except Rictusempra)?
A: There are chances that a fake input or double input will be made during the arrow-key challenges, causing the game to think you messed up, and so start the cycle over after it ends, which wastes time. Completing the Diffindo challenge only saves 1 second, whereas in the Skurge and Spongify challenges, you lose more time by a fake input. However, in Skurge and Spongify, it also wastes a good deal of time not attempting to complete it, as they have long patterns.
 
Q: Why do you wait before the cauldron in Potions class?
A: If you go to the cauldron before Snape starts talking, the game will softlock, so you need to wait until Snape starts delivering his next line of dialogue. This is because the game will always prioritise trying to load Snape's dialogue about walking up to the cauldron after collecting the ingredients from the chest. If the game manages to get into a state where two or more cut-scenes or dialogue actions are stacked on top of each other, the game will not know what it needs to load next, and so will just sit back and take a breather while you sit there wondering what on earth is going on.
 
Q: Isn't there usually a cutscene/things you have to do there? (Also, are there any glitches in this game?)
A: A main part of HP speedrunning (in general, not just HP2 PC) is skips. There is one useful glitch (there's an OoB but it's of no use, and a hyperslide, but is very difficult to save time with in runs, it may only save a few frames if you get the right speed), which is a ledgeboost in Diffindo that can lead you Out of Bounds so you can get close to the end, saving about 45 seconds, but even this is very inconsistent and so is hardly ever attempted. There are a lot of skips including...
  1. Pit Skip(Rictusempera Challenge, saves ~ 15 sec)
  2. Basement Skip(Skurge Challenge, saves ~ 30 sec)
  3. Scale Skip(Skurge Challenge, saves ~ 20 sec)
  4. Wheel Skip(Bicorn Quest, saves ~ 15-20 sec)
  5. Boomslang Skip(Boomslang Quest, saves ~ 40 sec)
  6. Dumbledore Skip(Dumbledore Cutscene, saves ~2 min 20 sec)
  7. Slytherin Bridge Skip (saves 10 sec)
  8. Pixie Proxy (Gap Skip in Chamber, saves 20 sec)
  9. Chamber Bridge Skip (saves ~ 30 sec)
 
Q: FUKIN' HELL! WHY WAS THAT SO LOUD?!
A: We don't know the real reason why Peeves and Aragog are so loud compared to the rest of the game's audio, but we think either a realistic theory; the sound engineers were lazy, or a silly theory; the devs hired a deaf sound engineer on the last day when Aragog and Peeves were voiced.
 
Q: You killed the final boss, why hasn't the run ended?
A: The whole general rule behind the last hit of the final boss in a game being the time of a run ending is due to that moment usually being the last input of the game (e.g. in OoT, when you run up to Ganon to trigger the 'final blow' cutscene). In HP2, however, you still have to walk to the Great Hall after the Basilisk for the House Cup Ceremony, so the last input is in fact the last movement to get to the Great Hall's door, and that's the time the run ends.

Q:What is the current world record?
A: The current world record for this category is 33:45 loadless by Turothking.
 
Q: Would you be interested in trading?
A: No, this is my Blue Eyes White Dragon! SwiftRage

Native Framerate Capper

As an alternative to Dxtory, we are now allowing a specific mod to be applied to the game to cap the framerate at 60fps
  
To add it to the game, extract [this folder](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r5eaiqp1tse1S3Jf-S4yoxJvF0VCluCM/view?usp=sharing) and add it to  
Program Files (x86)\EA GAMES\Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets\system  
  
This will add a smaller FPS tracker to the bottom right of the game, it must be visible in order for a run to be accepted.  
  
This will work for all languages, but you will need to add it to each folder manually

Practice your part/segment

This guide will teach you how to quicksave/quickload.

First of all, head to directory that looks like this C:\Users\[Your username]\Documents\Harry Potter II. Search for "User.ini" in this folder then open it up. Scroll down and then you will see butons and their functions (Example "1=). All you got to do now is just find buttons that is most convinient for you (for me it's f2 and f3) and fill empty line after equals symbol with words "savegame 0/loadgame 0". In my case it will look like this f2=savegame 0/f3=loadgame 0

That's it! I hope this helped you a lot. Good luck setting new world records

Remove pop up when opening game.exe (win10)

Updated Any% Tutorial [Video] [OUTDATED]

Warpless levels guide by Flo203 - Relevant in 2024

These are tutorial videos for all the levels we warp out of in Any%

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjwA7yQNSjdz_WA_8wV33eiPcvaUx2fUB

Naam	Auteur
2021 In-depth Glitchless Tutorial to get you started (Still Relevant in 2024)	feelmygoods 2 years ago
All Wizard Cards - Full Run Beginner Tutorial - Relevant in 2024	Portalguy1000 6 months ago
All Wizard Cards route (Glitched and Glitchless variations)	marczeslaw11 2 years ago
Glitchless Diffindo Skip Tutorial (2024, Hard Strat - One Shroom & 3 Shroom Versions)	Portalguy1000 2 months ago
Glitchless Tutorial [WIP] [OUTDATED]	Tedder 5 years ago
Harry Potter 2PC Any% Tutorial 2022 (Still Relevant in 2024)	Flo203 1 year ago
HP2 Any% 2020 new strats [OUTDATED]	Flo203 2 years ago
HP2 any% Tutorial \| August 11th 2018 [OUTDATED]	ComplexBeaver 2 years ago
HP2 PC any% FAQ	Respirte 6 years ago
Native Framerate Capper	Myelin 3 years ago
Practice your part/segment	Sanya 7 years ago
Remove pop up when opening game.exe (win10)	Oggyerino 6 years ago
Updated Any% Tutorial [Video] [OUTDATED]	turothking 2 years ago
Warpless levels guide by Flo203 - Relevant in 2024	Portalguy1000 1 year ago