Hi runner!

I want to provide some details about patches: how were they selected to specific categories, why is current shape the best option per my review. This is a long story about game history, speedrun of this game history and partially the guide about speedrunning of this game. Enjoy!

Part I: Before Release

If you check STEAMDB, you may notice that there is a lot of patches before release date 10 Mar 2023:

Depot 1173221 (Bleak Faith: Forsaken Content) · Manifests · SteamDB

Game had been updating a lot during 2021-2022 to have the release shape; even conception was changed - from cyberpunk survival to very obvious souls-like.

Per my observation, there are no speedruns of those old versions, so at the moment I considered not include them at all.

Part II: Release

Game was released 10 Mar 2023. If you see Monastery segment with climbing section - that's it! :)

Movement is not very user-friendly; important: after roll The Collector (here and later - the playable character of the Game) cant move few frames (like stop) so it's effective to dash, not to roll.

Konrad skip: possible, but not easy. The best idea - to kill Konrad to avoid this skip and double teleportation later, even with pipe.

That's the main difference from Ancient patches, but I was very confident that we need this category - free from any patches and hunting for better patch. This conception was impemented by Shredmachine when he created this board, and I like it.

Part III: Ancient

Timing of patches: 11 March 2023 - 27 October 2023

Game had been improving during this period a lot. I'm not sure that even creators of this game can remember what was updated every month.

What is similar for those patches so they are in one category?

1. Dash and Rolls. They are long, starting from 12 March patch The Collector can Roll after Roll with no speed lose - it's very effective for speedrun.

2. No invulnerability frames. You need to space attacks or block them.

3. Similar glitches. There are movement glitches (dashing on air), homunculus glitches (to skip Raind district right to Asylum, to skip Vermillion fields etc.), almost all March 2023 patches have Berserker+PowerArmor glitch that is core glitch for Unrestricted route.

4. Fall damage. It's huge, so all routes Restricted/Unrestricted are created with this factor.

5. Balance. As most of patches here has no EXP system to increase level/stats, most of items have stat boosting (strength/intelligence/agility/constitution). Bosses has lower damage than in later patches, and they have lower hp/armor so you can kill them easier even with not very upgraded Collector.

6. Skips. Almost all skips are the same: Konrad skips are bad but the same; Claymore before Konrad - OP; Machinarium skip - two main variants but both are performed with no Dash-ability; Belisarius skip - possible with jump only, in Older patch - with Dash-ability.

7. Ability splinters. Most of earlier patches don't have that much Ability splinter on the way to Machinarium (but there are a lot in Older patches).

8. Taxi in Uranopolis. In Ancient patches it's much easier than in Older patches.

A little conclusion: "Unrestricted" - patches with Berserker+PowerArmor are the best. For restricted runs, any of this patch will be very similar run, with similar speed of movement, similar rings/talisman/stats, with similar fall damage, with similar balance of bosses. Maybe we need to add aditional "NoBerserkerPowerArmor Unrestricted"? Maybe.

Part IV: Older

Timing: 15 December 2023 - 1 June 2024

There are reasons why these patches are in the same category (compare to Ancient):

1. Tactician's Amulet - core item in run. If you dont use it, you dont have long rolls and dashed that decrease your speed a lot. But if you use it, you dont have invulnerability frames. Of course, you can swap amulet in fights: fights with i-frames feels very friendly to souls-like-fans.

2. Exp system, stats are very similar on this timing of patches.

3. All major skips are the same on this timing of patches (Konrad skip, Machinarium Dash skip, Jumping to Wormlord is bit different than in Ancient Patches, Belisarius skip is different from Ancient - need to use Dash-ability).

4. Balance. Bosses are stronger, hit you harder and have a lot of fat :) Important: in Ancients patches, armor and crystals give you a lot of stats. Now you have hp/damage but not stats (mostly), so stat boosting is rebalanced also.

5. Fall damage are not so big that in the most of Ancient patches so you can jump in places where previusly you cant.

6. In all "Old patches" skip of Rain-District to Asylum is fixed. You need to run throgh Rain district. Also Taxi segment is updated, it's harder a little.

7. Ability splinters. There are 3 ability splinters on the way Konrad->Wormlord - so you can have 2 abilities and swap to 3rd ability if needed.

8. Machinarium skips works well (it's possible to reach the second elevator, so it's impossible (?) in Perfect patch).

9. Homunculus glitches (Hippo-skip and Vermillion Fields skip) work well. Also there is no Claymore before Konrad: you need to fight him with bad weapon or Skip him to get Royal Claymore/Eviscelator/Divine GreatAxe.

10. Number of bosses are almost the same. Only in the 2 last patches of older category there is Revenant boss. I suggest to ignore this boss in Older Patch category, so it's mandatory only in Perfect patches. This also helps to prevent glitches where Revenant doesnt spawn even if you have needed item.

A little conclusion: per my observation, all Unrestricted/Restricted runs for patches of this period should be close to same. Balance of damage also is the same, so only you can identify what patch you like to play, based on minor balance update (e.g. earlier Older patches has worse movement but more HP with Faithful perk).

Part V. Perfect Patch

Timing: 5 August 2024 - today 12 DEC 2024. Actually I do believe we had it till DLC incoming.

These patches are similar to Older, but there are differences:

1. Most of Homunculus skips are fixed. So - you need to run more, Forest.

2. Second elevator in Machinarium are not possible now with old strats.

3. Balance is updated. Bosses are fat, e.g. Konrad is about twice harder to kill than Older patch Konrad.

4. Perfect block. It's really good for speedrun :) But normal block right now dont save you, so it changes fights a lot.

5. Deluge. It feels like water snakes have better vision now, but less HP. To recheck.

6. No ladder to Konrad. You need to run in monastery coridors.

7. Belisarius skip is changed. You need to climb a lot, and now you need to do Levitation skips (there are 2 variants).

8. Few Machinarius skips to area with Ring of Giant are fixed (OOB skip and Jumping skip), but Dash-ability skip still works well.

9. Enemies positions are updated, you need to dodge them another way :)

A little conclusion: per my observation, all Unrestricted/Restricted runs for patches of this period should be close to same. And yes, now we all need to kill Revenant in All Bosses category.

Part VI. Future

We dont know what will be fixed in future patch. Maybe DLC will change Any% route? Who knows. But it definitely could change NG+ and All Bosses categories.

If you have any update on this, please share info in this theme:

Bleak Faith: Forsaken - Forums - Patches Categories Explanation Discussion - Speedrun.com

If it's significant, maybe we'll change categories.

Have a nice runs!