So I kinda realized an issue with how rng works in this game. Seems like all rng, including how the computer opponent reacts to your moves, for each game is set somewhere between startup and the title screen. It then only changes once you've gone into a game. It also follows a set pattern of changes determined by the seed you get at the beginning.

The problem with this is that you can then repeatedly save state before a game until you find the optimal rng pattern, then just load the state to keep repeating it.

I would like to include a rule to make resets mandatory in all future submissions so that save states aren't abused to achieve perfect rng with every attempt. Current runs on the board will remain since I have no suspicions that this is being done already. For my own runs, I will gladly re-attempt them with the new rule if that's what other runners want me to do.

Resetting unfortunately adds about 15s to every attempt, so I am thinking that a good compromise would be to not make resets mandatory for every single attempt. Instead, you can make several attempts on the same rng seed, as long as a reset is visible at some point in the video before the run being submitted. This way, we will be able to be certain that save states aren't being loaded.

Please let me know if you have any feedback. I would like to add this rule soon before more people submit runs, but I always like to hear from the community.

Do you think you could give an example of how the new rule would work? I don't feel like I'm getting a good understanding of how the new rule would work with this explanation.

Well, requiring a visible reset is generally a good idea. I don't see any problem with it :P

@RadRunner The rule just means that you need to reset the game, and have the reset visible in your video. This way, we can make sure that no save states are being loaded between the reset and the actual run.

@BlloodySunday I agree. Visible resets are always a good idea in speedruns. I really should have added the rule from the beginning, but I did not realize that the RNG could be so easily manipulated.

Technically speaking, the rules have always banned save states, so adding a rule to see a reset in every submission gives us proof that save states are not being used before a run.

I have added the rule for now, and left it pretty simple. "-The submitted video should have a visible reset before the run." Runs already on the board are fine the way they are, but I will be looking for resets on all new submissions. As for my own runs, I am going to update them hopefully soon.