# The Gold Split Newsletter - Week #18

The Gold Split offers a free, weekly digest of news from the world of speedrunning and beyond.

This ***Story of the Week*** is all about an introduction to the world of tool assisted speedruns and superplays and was featured in this week's issue. The full post includes **more news**, briefly, as well as this week's top times and a fun fact. Check it out **[HERE](https://goldsplit.substack.com/p/week-18)**.

![](https://www.speedrun.com/static/blob/wzxxw3qz.png)

## Story of the Week

**[Two weeks ago](https://goldsplit.substack.com/p/week-16)** I teased the introduction of a new section reserved for TAS movies, and today you’re getting at least the first part of that: a simple introduction to the world of tool-assisted speedruns (or superplays).

As we learn, I’ll adopt as much of the common ***[TASVideos](https://tasvideos.org/)*** nomenclature and conventions as possible. *TASVideos* is the #1 resource and gathering point for creating and watching tool-assisted speedruns and superplays. First off, “movie” is simply the term for any one speedrun or superplay on the website. You’ll pretty much never hear the term used to describe Real Time Attack (RTA) speedruns, so it helps in telling the two apart. Movies are first submitted to the website, and then verified and published if they meet certain criteria.

### What’s a TAS anyway?

I’m glad you asked. TAS is short for tool-assisted speedrun or superplay. And the use of tools is not just allowed, it’s necessary. While creating a real time speedrun takes exactly as long as the run itself, creating a TAS can take weeks, months or even years of meticulous planning and careful execution. The one tool that’s used for all movies is the emulator, but there’s no limit to how many one might use. Emulators can pause the game at any time and come with other handy features such as save states, frame advance, memory watch, and the ability to record the TAS file.

- **Save States**: At any point, a game can be saved or loaded again from a previous save state. This can be used to right mistakes or minimise the randomness of certain outcomes.
- **Frame Advance**: By advancing the game one frame at a time, TAS authors are able to choose exactly which buttons should be pressed and which direction the analogue stick(s) should be pointing at for every single frame. Games may run at 60 frames per second. That’s a lot of possibilties!
- **Memory Watch**: Watching the game’s memory provides a closer look into the effect an action might have. It’s very common for TAS authors to program actions that modify the game’s memory in ways that don’t affect what you would see on the screen at all.
- **Recording**: The result of a recording in the world of real time speedrunning is usually a video file, because the output is recorded. But for a TAS, it’s the input that’s more relevant: the dataset of which buttons are pressed at every frame until the end. The result is an input file that others can download and replay in an emulator. If they get the same result as the person who created the input file, the TAS is called sync-verified, an important step.

### A Culture Shift

Leaderboards don’t exist on *TASVideos*. When a faster movie for any combination of game and category gets submitted and becomes verified and published, the older and slower version will become obsolete. That doesn’t mean that its page is deleted, it’s just no longer being featured the same way as before.

Each TAS movie on the website comes with its own page, where anybody can read up on the history and detailed explanations, download video and emulator replay files or access links to the movie’s forum thread, similar movies and more. Especially the author’s notes help the judges tremendously when deciding whether or not a movie should be published.

Every movie submitted to *TASVideos* has to undergo a verification process. It begins with checking whether or not the provided input file can be sync-verified and ends in a possible publication on the website. As TAS tools have become more sophisticated, lowering the barrier to entry and allowing the creation of movies for games that were previously impossible to TAS, the amount of submissions have increased. But the manual process is still the best way to maintain the impressive quality standards of the site.

Movies can be categorised in many different ways. In the following section, I’ll try to boil it down to three somewhat arbitrary classes and give you some examples.

### The Tool-Assisted Speedrun

Exactly what you might expect: tool-assisted speedruns achieve superhuman speed due to every single input being frame-perfect. They reach times and use strategies that are impossible to pull off in real time. They mark the theoretical limit of how fast a game can be completed… at least until new discoveries are made. Besides simply completing the games as fast as possible, categories like 100% or All Bosses exist here just as in real time speedrunning.

A good first example for a superhuman TAS that still preserves the original gameplay is the movie for ***[Celeste](https://tasvideos.org/3899M)***.

Others use so many glitches that very little of the intended gameplay remains. In this movie, beating ***[Super Mario 64](https://tasvideos.org/4490M)*** with only one key, some of it is at least still recognisable:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXT7Wyt94Ek

There’s something for everyone, between movies without many glitches, and those that rely heavily on them. Few movies simply fall into either category.

### The Tool-Assisted Superplay

I would categorise movies that don’t conform to the more standard speedrunning categories but still have a clear goal as superplays. The goals may just be arbitrary and chosen to only showcase a certain part of the game. For example, in a movie of ***[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time](https://tasvideos.org/3537M)***, the author completes all dungeon with the restriction of never opening a door.

High score attacks also fall under this category, and ***[Star Fox 64](https://tasvideos.org/5169M)*** is a great example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3yx3gj6CVs

### The Art Form

I won’t say that the movies for the other categories are not also expressing the author’s creativity through controller inputs, but some do go further. They’ll go as far as the game’s engine and the system its played on will allow. These showcases often have no clear goal and aim mostly to entertain. Arbitrary code execution in ***[Pokémon: Yellow](https://tasvideos.org/3358M)*** is a great example:

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

It’s difficult to comprehend, but everything you see would be possible on a GameBoy Colour. Every frame is crafted through button inputs. This is my favourite category and includes many of the ***[TASBot](https://tasvideos.org/TASBot)*** showcases we saw at various speedrunning marathons over the years, so I will recommend a few more:

- ***[Family Feud](https://tasvideos.org/1248M)*[ "playaround"](https://tasvideos.org/1248M)**** by *Heisanevilgenius*
- ***[International Superstar Soccer Deluxe](https://tasvideos.org/1438M)*[ "playaround"](https://tasvideos.org/1438M)** by *Markokarty*
- ***[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time "Triforce% ACE Showcase”](https://tasvideos.org/7726S)*** by *Sauraen, dwangoAC, Savestate* & more

### Go forth and immerse yourself

Now you should be equipped to head over to ***[TASVideos.org](https://tasvideos.org/7726S)***. There’s an incredible amount of good content, with a comprehensive search function, tags and filters that help you find what you’re looking for. There is a rating system and each year, the team gives out awards to the best movies and authors in many different categories.

Good places to start are their **[Welcome page](https://tasvideos.org/WelcomeToTASVideos)**, significantly expanding on my short article,**** and the **[Newcomer Corner](https://tasvideos.org/NewcomerCorner)**. Alternatively, jump straight to the **[Movies page](https://tasvideos.org/Movies)**, use the filters and find something that inspires you. Enjoy!
![](https://www.speedrun.com/static/blob/rz251jdz.png)

Thank you for reading! If you're curious about more of this week's news or would even consider subscribing to the newsletter, you'll find the full post over **[HERE](https://goldsplit.substack.com/p/week-18)**.

Finding new stories to cover can be challenging. I encourage you to think about what happened recently in the communities you are a part of. If there are any stories, articles, glitches, events, or other topics I should be taking a look at, go ahead and **[submit them here](https://forms.gle/F1VJ4PG68FTZKqn49)** or in the **[Gold Split Discord](https://discord.gg/SpbFCgsYkU)**! 📨

The Gold Split is a free weekly newsletter focused on speedrunning. This week's main story is all about an introduction to the world of tool assisted speedruns and superplays.

The Gold Split #18 - TAS 101

Hello there!

The games of the second edition of **Run Arena** have been revealed this Friday. Let's discover them and the categories chosen for the event:

![](/static/blob/qzpp73rz.png)

### Bloody Hell - NMG Any%

Bloody Hell is a top-down shooter about an Angel on a Bloody Bullet-hell mission to kill Satan! During your journey in hell, you will acquire some different upgrades to become stronger.

In the category, you must beat the final boss God. The "Machine Gun" glitch is not allowed.

### Katana ZERO - All Stages

Katana ZERO is a stylish neo-noir, action-platformer featuring breakneck action and instant-death combat. Slash, dash, and manipulate time to unravel your past in a beautifully brutal acrobatic display.

In the category, you must do the 11 stages to obtain the standard ending of the game.

## Paperball - Intermediate

Paperball is a rolling game with a ball of paper. You navigate tricky passages, pull off crazy stunts and maybe fall off a lot!

In the category, you must complete the 30 levels of the Intermediate stages.

## Skator Gator 3D - Any% Glitchless

Skator Gator 3D is a 3D platformer with some skating on pipelines! You need to stop the mayor from polluting the swamp in a short adventure!

In the category, you must beat the game's 13 story levels and beat the final boss as quickly as possible. Glitches are not allowed.

### Grapple Dog - World 1

Grapple Dog is a 2D action-platformer with an amazing tool: the Grapple. You can jump, swing and zip your way through colourful levels.

In the category, you must complete all 6 regular stages in World 1 from a completed game file.

That's all for the games! The five games cost $30 for the moment. If you want to try some of them without purchasing, Bloody Hell is free, Paperball and Skator Gator 3D have a demo. You will find other informations about Run Arena on our website: [https://www.run-arena.com/](https://www.run-arena.com/)

Let's have fun on competitive speedrun!

The second edition started this Friday, October 25th with the reveal of the five new games

Run Arena #2: The games have been released!

# Silent Hill 2 Remake Speedrun 

## Open Speedrun Tournament: November 16th - 17th

Calling all Fog Runners! Brace yourselves for a chillingly competitive event as the **Silent Hill 2 Remake Speedrun Tournament** descends upon us next month. This two-day tournament, hosted by prominent speedrunner Sneevil, welcomes all runners, novice and seasoned alike, to navigate the twisted streets of Silent Hill and compete for a slice of the $1,000 prize pool.

## Embrace the Fog and Find your Wife

- **Open Submission:** Submit your attempts in the **PC Any% New Game Restricted Standard** category.
- **Top 12 Qualify:** The twelve fastest runners during the submission period will clash in the live tournament finale.
- **Crowdfunded Glory:**  The initial $200 prize pot set by Sneevil and boosted by Roxas, has swelled to a thrilling $1,000, distributed among the top four finishers.
- **Join the Competition or Fuel the Fog:** Head to the [Matcherino page](https://matcherino.com/tournaments/133376) to contribute to the prize pool.
- **Stay Tuned:** Join the official tournament [Discord server](https://discord.gg/x8F4yuEVtZ) for updates, announcements, and run submissions.

## Eligibility:

- **Open to All:** This is an inclusive tournament; anyone can participate. The top 12 runners in the chosen category will be invited to compete.
- **Livestreaming is Mandatory:** All runs must be live-streamed on Twitch, YouTube, or a similar platform. Tournament participation also requires livestreaming on Twitch on the designated days. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.

**Submission Deadline:** Runs must be submitted via [Discord's #submissions channel](https://discord.gg/MGW2rrVFVz) by Thursday, November 14th, 11:59 PM EST. Submitting only your personal best highlight, not the entire VOD, is encouraged.

- **Respect the Deadline:** Late submissions will not be accepted to ensure smooth scheduling and bracket creation. Consider submitting your runs to Speedrun.com as well.
- **Stay Connected:** Monitor your Discord and email for updates and respond promptly to DMs, especially as the tournament nears.

## Category:

PC Any% New Game Restricted Standard: Only PC runs are eligible, with end times determined by LiveSplit.

## Rules

- **[Speedrun.com](https://www.speedrun.com/sh2_2024?h=any-pc-standard-restricted&rules=category&x=wdmjg8xd-onv50yrl.lmo40rm1-0nwmv308.q8k0n43q-ylpy0kvl.qox36xxq) Compliance:** All runs must adhere to the category rules and eligibility criteria on Speedrun.com. Rule violations may lead to disqualification.
- **Adapting to Change:** The SH2R speedrun category on Speedrun.com may undergo revisions. Stay tuned on Discord for updates on rule changes and their impact on the tournament. Sneevil will strive to accommodate both changes and runner needs.

## Commitment is Key:

- **Two-Day Availability:** All participants must be available on both tournament days. Sudden unavailability necessitates immediate notification of Sneevil for a possible replacement.
- **Tournament Brackets Subject to Change:** Sneevil aims for 12 participants, but may adjust to include 10 or 8 if necessary. The focus is on participation, fostering competition, and pushing the boundaries of the speedrun.

## The Tournament Schedule:

**November 16th Day 1: Quarter Finals (QF) 12pm - 8pm EST:**

- (QF) Round 1: 4 Runners Down to 2
- (QF) Round 2: 4 Runners Down to 2
- (QF) Round 3: 4 Runners Down to 2

**November 17th Day 2: Semi-Finals (SF) and Finals (F) 12pm - 8pm EST:**

- (SF) Round 4: 3 Runners Down to 2
- (SF) Round 5: 3 Runners Down to 2
- (F) Round 6: Top 4 Runners from Semi-Finals

## Prize Pool Distribution:

- 1st Place - 60% of Prize Pool
- 2nd Place - 25% of Prize Pool
- 3rd Place - 10% of Prize Pool
- 4th Place - 5% of Prize Pool

Sneevil invites all participants to join this tournament, not only for the thrill of speedrunning but also for the friendly competitive spirit it fosters. Whether you qualify or not, enjoy the experience and strive to improve your times.

Silent Hill 2 Remake Speedrun Open Speedrun Tournament

Hello speedrunners! Nitro Speedrun and I are proud to announce that Run Arena is back for a second edition. Starting in less than a week, on Friday, October 25th, with the reveal of the new games, and concluding on December 1st with the finals!

## **PRESENTATION**

A brief introduction: Run Arena is a multi-game speedrun competition featuring five PC games over five weeks. Everyone is welcome; you just need to acquire the games, which will cost around $30 for this edition. The competition can be played individually, in teams, or both.

The unique feature of this competition is that each run on a game earns you points based on your time. The standings are determined by the total points from the different games, not by the total time. It’s similar to the Track & Field’s decathlon, in sport, or the Ultimate Decathlon, in speedrun, for example.

## **HISTORY**

Six months ago, over 40 participants took part in the first edition. [SuperLinkGod](https://www.speedrun.com/users/superlinkgod) won all the individual competitions and the overall standings, while his team, THE GHOST MASTERS, with [GHOSTDEATH](https://www.speedrun.com/users/GHOSTDEATH), [Molga](https://www.speedrun.com/users/molga), and himself, won the team competition. You can watch the finals here (sorry, it's in French, but we hope to have English casters and restream for this edition)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX6_BGA2IG8

For this second edition, the reveal of the games will be broadcast in English on [Nitro_Speedrun_En](https://www.twitch.tv/nitro_speedrun_EN) and in French on [Nitro Speedrun](https://www.twitch.tv/nitro_speedrun) at **8 PM CEST (2 PM EST) on Friday, October 25th.**

## **PRIZES**

Each competition will have its own prize pool. The total initial prize pool is **$500**. We will share the distribution details on a new Matcherino page soon, which is still under construction.

## **OTHER INFORMATION**

More information will be available with the reveal, but you can already join the action! The [Nitro Speedrun Discord](https://discord.com/invite/X3JFEr6Gen) will be the place to get all the updated information. [The Run Arena website](https://www.run-arena.com/) is already available, and all the functionalities needed for this event will be accessible at the beginning of the competition.

We hope you’re excited for this adventure, and we look forward to seeing you there!

Run Arena is a multi-game speedrun competition featuring five PC games over five weeks.

Run Arena: Edition 2

Silent Hill 2 (2024)

Fatzke

Contos

roxasunbanned

SRC Series: Titanfall 2 Helmet Rush

4m7jny51

Rebel Rush Speedrun Challenge

j5y0ly9k

SRC Series: Peggle Initiate Speedrun Challenge

1qpekp36

SRC Series: MULLET MAD JACK Speedrun Challenge

nzy2zyq3

ALTF42 $5000 Speedrun Challenge

The Splodey $10,000 Speedrun Challenge

MoistCr1TiKaL $15,000 Speedrun Challenge #5

Athena Crisis Completionist Speedrun Challenge

1k75870l

Survive both Chapter 1 & 2 of Poppy Playtime

SRC Series: Poppy Playtime Duo Challenge

3dydl7r2

SRC Series: Ultrakill All Secret Levels (Inbounds)

xwpw4y0l

SRC Series: Rocket Racing Expert Tracks

m9yx0ygj

Pit of Eternal Sands - $10,000 Speedrun Challenge

Blood Will Run $10,000 Challenge

m2p98y5x

Peggle Nights

Titanfall 2

ULTRAKILL

Poppy Playtime: Chapter 1

ALTF42 [Early Access]

Ghostrunner 2

Another Crab's Treasure

In order to properly figure out categories, rules, timing method, etc. this leaderboard will not feature any runs for the first two weeks after the game's release. In the meantime you can join us in the [Prince of Persia discord](https://discordapp.com/invite/0Ss0agDWPoiSvr3E) to discuss about the game.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Rocket Racing

MULLET MAD JACK

Athena Crisis

Splodey

Tails Noir: Rebel Rush

Submissions will be available 2 weeks after the official release (November 8th). These 2 weeks serve to help the moderation team create main categories, the IL leaderboard and respective rule-sets. Until then feel free to join and help the community with your findings and personal bests on the freshly opened SXS Generations-[Discord](https://discord.gg/M6CyCfC6M7)

Shadow Generations

UFO 50

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies

We will start accepting runs for this game one week after release to give enough time for an optimal route to be placed and for runners to have a run they like ready to submit.

Astro Bot

The leaderboard is under an embargo period for 2 weeks after release. This is to allow players to enjoy the full experience of the game casually without feeling like they have to rush into developing the speedrun right away. Please take your time and enjoy the game!