! (new) How to setup the game

It's best to make a copy of the Gothic folder and move it out of the "Programs"/Steam folder as the write protection can mess with the installation of the patches.

## Patches

First download:

- https://github.com/abbodi1406/vcredist/releases/download/v0.73.0/VisualCppRedist_AIO_x86_x64.exe
- https://www.speedrun.com/static/resource/ig2mc.rar?v=93bd44d

Then install:
- VisualCppRedist_AIO_x86_x64.exe
- Union Primary Universal 05.02.2022.exe
- Union 1.0k 03.05.2021.exe

And copy the conents of the appropriate folders into your Gothic folder and choose to overwrite:
- "copy into every game"
- "copy into G2 NOTR folder"

You then should have the ingame timer in the top left and version "2A S5.0 U1.0k" in the bottom right of the menu. You should also have the DX11 renderer active. If you prefer to run without the DX11 renderer, rename or remove "ddraw.dll" in the "Gothic II/system" folder.

You can also start the "Practice Mod" from the GothicStarter and insert helpful practice items via the cheat console (bmarvinb, F2, insert bag).

## Gothic.ini & Systempack.ini

The Gothic.ini and Systempack.ini are located in the Gothic\system folder.

You can do any changes to your Gothic.ini in video, audio, input etc., but do NOT change anything that would give a gameplay advantage like potion hotkeys, quick saves, inventory settings, etc.

Recommended settings:

playLogoVideos=0

zStartupWindowed=0

If you want to reset your Gothic.ini, just delete it and start the game and a new one will appear.
You can also change anything in the Systempack.ini, but all gameplay-altering settings are disabled by the patch files.

## limiting FPS

Many things won't work, if your FPS go too high.

When using the DX11 renderer, you can open the menu via F11 and drag the FPS limit slider to the desired value.

If you are not using the DX11 renderer, you need another program:

Download dxtory: http://exkode.com/dxtory-downloads-en.html

1. Run dxtory.
2. Go to the 8th tab (Advanced).
3. Put a checkmark at "Limit Video FPS" and enter the desired value.

You must keep the program open to have the effect.

## Livesplits with ingame timer

- Rick click "LiveSplit.exe" and choose Properties. Go to the Compatibility tab and choose "Run as Administrator".
- Open Livesplit
- Right click -> Compare Against -> Game Time
- Right click -> Edit Layout
- Add Control -> Scriptable Auto Splitter
- Set the Script Path to "gothic.asl".

## frozen screen on videos and loading screens

You can fix this by running the game in the compatibility mode for an older Windows version, but that will increase loading times and lag.

! Excessively Detailed Rules That Should Answer Any Question You Ever Had

Basic stuff:

- Besides the macros and FPS limiters detailed below, you can also use an external timer like LiveSplit.
- Using a metronome is allowed.
- Looking at the timer (in the game or external) is allowed.
- Segmented runs are not for the leaderboards.
- The submitted video should be one continuous video without any editing between the start and end of the run. "Splicing" a run by taking the best parts of multiple attempts and trying to pass it off as a single attempt is a severe form of cheating.
- Permitted exceptions would be a Twitch livestream dropping for a very short time and the video being split into two past broadcasts (although it is strongly recommended to record locally instead) or quickly starting a new livestream in runs spanning multiple Gothic games.
- A crash is also not a reason to edit the video. A section below explains what to do about crashes. (Using a program like OBS that keeps recording after a game crash is recommended over programs like Fraps that stop the recording on a game crash.)
- Using mods or external programs to read ingame variables or RAM values is also a form of cheating.
- Runs are to be done by single individuals. Letting another person take over for a part of the run is not allowed.
- Unintentional rule breaks (such as accidentally performing a banned glitch in a glitch-restricted category) depending on their severity will get either a time penalty, that is for sure more than what was saved by the rule break, or result in a rejection of the run. If it is obvious that no advantage (or a disadvantage) was gained, no penalty is added.

Banned Glitches:

Tricks/Glitches have to be consistently possible on the original releases to be allowed. If a new glitch is introduced by the allowed patches it is not allowed to be used. As of current knowledge the following glitches are banned in Gothic 1 and Gothic 2 due to this:

- Transferring a full stack of items from an NPC inventory to a different savegame
- Loading a game with an open chest inventory
- Doing the infinite scroll glitch by selling an equipped scroll to a trader, who already has the same scroll
- Doing the infinite scroll glitch by selling more than 1 equipped scroll at once

Hotkeys:

- Shift+Esc and Ctrl+Alt+F8 are banned.
- The F1-F8 keys and Shift/Alt+Right/left hotkeys for faster trading and looting are allowed.
- Alt+Tab or other ways to leave the game window are generally allowed, but tricks that depend on them (such as walking with the menu open in Gothic 2) are banned.
- If further undocumented hotkeys are found, their legality will have to be decided then.

FPS:

- You can enable or disable Gothic 1's original FPS limitation as you prefer. (FPS_Limit in the Systempack.ini)
- You can also externally limit the FPS to any fixed number >=20.
- You cannot limit the FPS to a number below 20.
- The FPS limit applies to the entire run. You cannot change or remove the FPS limit in the middle of a run.
- In runs spanning multiple games you can have a different FPS limit for each game.
- The FPS must be displayed at all times.
- For Gothic 2 the FPS must be limited to a value of 120 or below.

Versions:

Unless there's a good reason not to (which would have to be determined on a case by case basis) you should play an official release (CD/DVD, Steam, GOG, Gamersgate) with the patches and the timer from the setup guide. That method is supposed to give the authentic gameplay as released by Piranha Bytes in 2001 to 2003 but with enhanced loading speed and stability and the ingame timer.  
Among the physical box releases there are some "weird versions". For example the unpatched Chinese version of Gothic 1 breaks almost every spell and many NPC's daily routines. The very first releases that had glitches that were patched in the weeks following the release also count as "weird versions". Those "weird versions" are only allowed for the "Any%" category.  
Weird Versions:  
Gothic 1: 1.06l, 1.07c, unpatched Chinese  
Gothic 2 Classic: 1.28, 1.29  
Gothic 2 NOTR: 2.5, 2.5a  

Fixes/Patches:

- You are allowed to disable/remove the OOBFix.dll that comes with the timer. (It tries to restore OOB behaviour as it was on older versions of Windows.)
- You are allowed to play with the [D3D11 Renderer](https://github.com/SaiyansKing/GD3D11/releases) or the [LegacyAltRenderer](https://github.com/SaiyansKing/Gothic-LegacyAltRenderer/releases). For the latter the "Light hack" has to be disabled.
- You are allowed to play with increased view distance.
- Minor graphical changes such as a different font, upscaled ingame videos or a changed nameless hero's face are allowed.
- There is too much potential for abuse for a default permission of graphical mods. For example you could make the trees more transparent or add an indicator whether you hit the catapult glitch frame on the hero's texture, if that was allowed. Additionally many popular graphical patches also contain changes to models and animations.

Gothic.ini & Systempack.ini:

- You can do any changes to your Gothic.ini in performance, video, audio, input etc., but in general you should NOT change anything that would give a gameplay advantage like potion hotkeys, quick saves, inventory settings, etc.
- This means that for example the dialogue window animations in Gothic 2 have to be turned on as there is no option in the menu to turn them off and turning them off provides a gameplay advantage.
- An allowed exceptions is "invSplitScreen", which you are free to set.
- You can also change anything in the Systempack.ini, but all gameplay-altering settings are disabled by the speedrun.patch file.

Timer:

- Unreadable numbers in the timer are assumed to be the highest possible value. (example: "Game Time: 12:34.56? with the last digit being cut off or obscured becomes 12:34.569)
- If you started a new game during the run, the time from the new game loading screen and the final time will simply be added together.
- If the game crashes, the last displayed timer value will be added to the final time.
- Manipulating the timer by saving during a catapult glitch setup is not allowed.

Crashes/Softlocks:

- If the game crashes, immediately restart the game and load a save. The time before the crash will be added to the final time.
- Using a crash/softlock to take a break with a paused timer is not permitted. An extended time with the game not running will be added to the final time.
- You are not allowed to intentionally crash the game or force the closing of the game (for example via the Union-only hotkey Ctrl+Alt+Q or using the Task Manager) unless you are "softlocked" as defined below:
- You cannot progress the run or load a previous save, because you cannot open the menu.
- You are in a glitched state that persists after loading a save.
- You are permanently stuck in a dialogue, because the choice window does not pop up.
- You are in a dialogue waiting for an event to happen (for example an NPC walking towards you). In this case it is sometimes not immediately obvious whether the dialogue will continue/end soon or not (for example an NPC may be stuck on a corner but could overcome it eventually). You can close the game (or free yourself with cheats and load a previous save) as soon as you suspect that you are in a softlock or lengthy waiting sequence. A penalty of 15 seconds will be added to "softlocks" of this kind to prevent potential abuse and disincentivize frequent game closure. The obvious and immediate softlocks and crashes described above do not get such a penalty.  
(As a final clarification: You can immediately close the game when you fail to open the menu in the dialogue with Cor Kalom at the end of Gothic 1. With the penalty this would be slower than simply waiting in most cases, but in some cases the dialogue takes a very long time to end.)
- Once softlocked, any method to close the game is fine including Shift+Esc.
- You are also allowed to try cheats to free yourself from the softlock. For example "bmarvinb -> F8 -> b42b -> Load Game" would not disqualify the run, but also the time would not be subtracted.
- Just as you are not allowed to intentionally cause a crash, you are also not allowed to intentionally cause a softlock. Trying a trick with a high chance of a crash or softlock to save time is still permitted. This rule only seeks to prevent intentional nonsensical actions for the sole purpose of stalling.
- In the very unlikely case that an unintentional crash or softlock happens to be advantageous to the runner, an appropriate time penalty is added.

Macros:

The following only applies to external tools such as your mouse settings program or AutoHotkey. You are always free to make any changes to the input that the ingame menu allows:

- The only "macros" you are allowed to use are simple 1-to-1 button rebinds.
- You are allowed to bind a keyboard key (such as M) to a button on your mouse or a different key on your keyboard.
- You are allowed to make a keyboard key function the same as a mouse button.
- You are not allowed to bind a key or mouse button to a non-standard input method such as scrolling the mousewheel or turning a joystick. (Again this applies to external programs. You can for example bind Jump to Mousewheel Down in the Gothic 2 ingame settings menu.)
- You are not allowed to use any "turbo", "autofire" or buttonmashing macro.
- You are not allowed to use any programmed sequence of inputs.
- You are not allowed to use a macro that moves the mouse.
- These restrictions do not apply if you are in a crash/softlock state as defined in the previous section. You can use any macro to make closing or restarting the game more convenient as this is not really a part of the run itself. (For example a single key that functions as Ctrl+Alt+Q or an AutoHotkey script that starts Gothic are both fine.)
- Anything outside the run itself is also fine. If for example you attempt to skip the first dialogue with Xardas, you can use a macro of the kind "bmarvinb -> F8 -> b42b -> Shift+Esc -> Enter" to more quickly restart the run.

Mods:

- Unless otherwise noted in the rules of the category, Gothic 1 mods follow the rules of the Gothic 1 leaderboard and Gothic 2 mods follow the rules of the Gothic 2 leaderboard.
- This means that window animations are allowed to be turned off in Gothic 1 mods as it is a standard setting in the ingame settings menu there, but they have to be turned on in Gothic 2 mods as it is not accessible in the settings menu there unless the mod has added that option to the menu.
- You are free to use any additional options a mod adds to the ingame menu.
- If a mod's standard download comes with extra plugins or patches or ini settings, those can be added to the rules as allowed for this specific mod.
- Significant differences between versions/translations may cause the creation of subcategories.
- Due to the extremely diverse nature of mods many rules will have to be decided on a case by case basis.

(old) How to setup the game

Don't use Spine! If you use Spine, don't be surprised when things don't work as they should because your files get ""fixed"" by Spine.
If you want to use Spine for mods or casual play, copy the Gothic II folder and use that copy for speedrunning.
It's also best to make a copy of the Gothic folder and move it out of the "Programs" or Steam folder as the write protection/autoupdates can mess with the installation of the patches.


1. Patches
All you need is in here: https://www.speedrun.com/patches/speedrun_stuff_2A_1l8i0.zip
Install the patches in order. Then move all the folders into the Gothic 2 folder and choose to overwrite.
Warning: "Data\RavenFix.vdf" could potentially cause problems when playing with mods that modify the Jharkendar world, so remove it from the folder in that case.


2. Gothic.ini & Systempack.ini (optional)
Go to Gothic II\system and open Gothic.ini. Then set
playLogoVideos=0
If you want, you can change the way trader inventory switching works via:
invSplitScreen=0
You can also do other changes to your ini in video, audio, input etc., but do NOT change anything that would give a gameplay advantage like window animations, potion hotkeys, quick saves, inventory settings, etc.
If you want to reset your Gothic.ini, just delete it and start the game and a new one will appear.
Also you can go to Gothic II\system and open Systempack.ini and change anything there.


3. limiting FPS
Many things won't work, if your FPS go above 30.

Download dxtory: http://exkode.com/dxtory-downloads-en.html
1. Run dxtory.
2. Go to the 8th tab (Advanced).
3. Put a checkmark at "Limit Video FPS" and enter 30.
You must keep the program open to have the effect.


4. practice mod
Start GothicStarter.exe and choose Practice.
Activate devmode (type "marvin" on the character screen"), open the console via F2, type "insert practice" and use the item to get instant black ore glitch.

Explanation of Timer and Other Patch Files

**THE TIMER**  
The timer is a plugin that calculates the time without loads automatically.  
Functionality:  
The plugin hooks some of the engine's functions related to rendering loading screens to determine if a loading screen is currently being rendered and when normal gameplay has resumed. The timer is set to 0 at the start of a new game and then the loading times are subtracted from it. On the ending condition it stops being updated to the current time.  
If a video plays during a loading screen, it will not count towards the time without loads. On the other hand chapter screens and videos outside loading screens halt the display of the timer, but the time will still be counted. Chapter screens at the end of a loading screen (such as entering chapter 3 in Gothic 2) also do count towards your time, so you should skip those quickly.  
  
Features:  
With P you can toggle the display for the time with loads on and off.  
You can make more changes in a file located at "system/Autorun/zSpeedRunTimer_Settings.txt".  
Read that file to find out how to set:  
  
- different ending conditions for mods or Undead Dragon Kill or challenge runs  
- the time with loads being shown by default  
- a different real time toggle key  
- change the "Game Time: ", "Real Time: " prefixes  
- change from automatic reset on New Game to manual resets whereever you want  
  
The last part will get some special attention here as it regards use in practice:  
ManualReset=0  
resetkey=F11  
resetmodetogglekey=F12  
You can use these keys to time sections in your practice. Say you want to time or practice a section or compare to different strategies for a section. You can then first enable manual reset mode by pressing F12. Now you make a save at the start of the section. Now press F11 to reset the timer the next time you load.  
Load and do the section and read the timer. Press F11 again and do it again and see if you did better this time. This is quite a bit more convenient than using a stopwatch or comparing videos.  
  
**THE FILES**  
  
VisualCppRedist_AIO_x86_x64.exe  
This is only a requirement for some of the following files.  
  
Union Primary Universal 05.02.2022.exe  
This is a general patch to add missing files, update the exe file to its newest version, add the Playerkit for playing mods and extend RAM usage from 2GB to 4GB to let the game run without crashing longer.  
  
Union 1.0k 03.05.2021.exe  
Union is a fanpatch based on Systempack and AST that changes several things. It allows the game to run on modern systems without issues. It greatly reduces saving and loading times and lag. It allows plugins (like the timer) to be used. It fixes several bugs in the engine (it also introduced new bugs in the process). And it introduces some new features to the engine. Since the speedrun is supposed to be done on an original version without fanpatches but the performance improvements and the timer plugin are too valuable, there is an additional file that seeks to disable all gameplay changes introduced by Union:  
  
- NOGAMEPLAYCHANGESPURE.PATCH  
This file disables all the gameplay changes introduced by Union. You can open it with a text editor and look at what it does yourself. The total list of engine patches is in "Union.patch" which you can also look at with a text editor.
- NoGameplayChangesPure.vdf  
This file does nothing at the moment, but it overwrites previous versions.
- ZMOUSEFIX.PATCH  
This empty file only overwrites the same file in Union.vdf. See zMouseFix.dll below.
- NoRenderDelay.patch  
In Gothic 2 the loading screen lingers for a short while after the game has already finished loading. This was a problem for determining the time without loads. In the past we used the cheatmode since that got rid of the delay (and we still do so for the Gothic 2 Demo), but this is a better solution.
- speedrun.patch  
This file used to have the contents of NoGameplayChangesPure.patch, but I made that its own patch for casual use and eventually decided not to keep up two almost identical patches. The only thing it does now is show the version on the main menu and add "[MSS_UnhandledException]", which is supposed to help with a random crash at the Raven fight in Gothic 2: Night of the Raven.
  
The "Autorun" folder:  
These files are plugins that get automatically loaded (hence "Autorun"). To disable one of these plugins just move of them out of the folder or change their file extension (for example "zSpeedRunTimer.dll-").  
  
- OOBFix.dll  
This plugin tries to restore the out of bounds behaviour of older Windows versions. On Windows XP you could freely walk while out of bounds in Gothic 1, but in Windows 7 and 10 you get stuck or swim instead.  
- zMouseFix.dll  
This plugin actually does absolutely nothing. The original Union contains a plugin by default that changes mouse controls and also prevents input during loading screens. Since for speedruns we actually want to be able to input during loading screens (for example holding Forwards while running through a loading zone) this simply disables that plugin by overwriting it.  
- zSpeedRunTimer.dll  
This is the timer explained in more detail above.  
- zSpeedRunTimer_Endings.txt  
You can define endings for mod speedruns here.  
- zSpeedRunTimer_Settings.txt  
You can make some changes to the timer here.  
  
The "copy into x folder" folders:  
  
- Systempack.ini  
Each game has a systempack.ini provided that has good speedrun settings and enhanced view distance. But you can change any setting here - most of them will simply have no effect since they are disabled.  
- G1: Chinese.mod/ini  
These files add a mod to the GothicStarter that lets you play with the scripts of the Chinese version, which is preferred for Any%.  
- G1: glitchless.mod/patch  
This readds some of Union's engine patches to prevent accidentally strafing in the air or using duplicated trader items for categories that ban usage of those glitches.  
- G2 Classic: GermanScripts.mod/ini  
The dragonkillcounter glitch was fixed (without documentation) in non-German releases. If you want to use it, you have to play with the German scripts which are in this file. To switch back to the normal scripts simply put it in the "disabled" folder next to it.  
- G2 NOTR: practice.mod/ini  
These files add a mod to the GothicStarter that adds some more items that are useful for practice. In the game enter devmode (bmarvinb), open the console via F2 and type insert bag, insert practice or insert bpractice to have a look at them.  
- G2 NOTR: UndeadDragonKill.ini & ud.ico  
These files add a mod to the GothicStarter that pauses the timer on the Undead Dragon death cutscene. The "mod" actually does nothing, the timer just checks for its name.  
- Sequel: UpdatePack  
This mod updates the world and scripts to the latest stage of the original development. Use it for the 100% category.  
  
gothic.asl  
This is a script to let LiveSplit read the value of the timer.  
  
Raven Fix  
This is an old fix that fixes a bug that caused a seemingly random crash at the Raven fight in G2 NOTR. It is not clear exactly how much it helps since the more recent Union patches and I ran a long time without it before getting the crash again a single time.  
You have to be careful with this fix when playing mods since it replaces the whole addon world. It's best to ONLY use this when running Any% and removing the file otherwise.  
The download is in the NOTR Resources section or direct link: https://www.speedrun.com/resourceasset/mahgs  

Infinite scroll glitch/Trader glitch

There are two inventory glitches with traders:  
1. Keeping a consumable item after using it  
2. Selling equipped items  
  
1. Keeping a consumable item after using it  
Condition:  
This is actually not related to trading but merely most prevalent in that spot. You need a dialogue in which the hero says a line and gets no response from the NPC afterwards. For example at Ignaz "Show me your wares." works, but also telling Carl that you want to get stronger works. On the other hand Orlan's trading dialogue doesn't work since he always makes a reply back to the hero before showing his wares.  
Method:  
Start the dialogue, open the inventory, close it, open it again and use the consumable. The use of the consumable has to be timed so that the end of the hero's line interrupts the use at the correct time. For potions you have a very big window, for bags it's very small.  
  
2. Selling equipped items  
Condition:  
This is similar to the above glitch, but obviously it has to be a trader this time.  
Method:  
Start the dialogue, open the inventory, close it, open it again. Now you should be able to menu onto equipped items and can sell them.  
Special case Cronos without the line: Sometimes the hero's "Let's deal." line doesn't play. In this case only do a single tap of the inventory key just as the animation of the dialogue choice window ends: Select "Let's deal.", press Enter, wait for the window animation to be almost done, tap the inventory key.  
Use:  
If you sell a scroll, you can now use it infinitely. But this effect will be gone after a save&load. This glitch can cause crashes. For fire rain first go through a loading zone to prevent crashes. The game will also crash, when the NPC dies and gets his inventory cleared. That is why the game crashes in Any%, if you sell the dragonsnapper scroll to Ignaz in chapter 1, kill him with the Ice Block glitch in chapter 3 and then linger around near him until the Ice Block effect runs out.
Also you can stack the effects of rings, amulets and belts, but not armors. This effect will stay after save&load.  
You can also sell weapons, but there is no known use for it.  

misc. information & tricks

While looting an NPC press a weapon shortcut (ideally 2 without a bow equipped) to move while looting.

Press M to quickly remove your weapon.
- You cannot focus corpses or items until you draw a weapon and remove it normally again.
- This can be to your advantage when talking to Orlan or Vatras at the sun circle for example.

Bind jump to mousewheel down to loot faster.

You can use the mousewheel and strafe keys in the inventory.

Strafing is very very slightly faster than walking.
Strafing against a wall at the right angle is significantly faster than walking.

You can select dialogue choices with the 0-9 keys.

If you press right/left or move the mouse while an NPC is doing a charging attack, it will turn accordingly. The unmodified Systempack fixes this, but the modified one from the Resources tab retains it.

The F1-F4 buttons change the view distance (marvinmode off of course).

A human may not be frozen by iceblock/icewave if he his hit while drawing his weapon. Wait for him to draw his weapon to be safe. Also dragons may not be frozen by icewave during their animation at the start of the fight.

World Record Progression

Saradoc

Gothic 2: Night of the Raven

Milgar

Retsu_

BartusJD

Skips

All Chapters

Switch

not moved

moved

Flying

No Flying

not set

No OoB

Platform

temp

According to the discussion in the discord the "skywalk" trick has been banned in all categories which ban flying.

Skywalk banned in "No Flying" categories

Max. FPS Limit Is 120 Now

Preliminary Switch rules

Gothic

Metronome banned?

Cannot get Gothic 2 to work for speedrunning

Why Glitchess category is names "Glitchless" while it still uses some glitches/bugs?

الاسم	المؤلف
! (new) How to setup the game	Saradoc 2 years ago
! Excessively Detailed Rules That Should Answer Any Question You Ever Had	Saradoc 1 year ago
(old) How to setup the game	Saradoc 4 years ago
Explanation of Timer and Other Patch Files	Saradoc 2 years ago
Infinite scroll glitch/Trader glitch	Saradoc 3 years ago
misc. information & tricks	Saradoc 5 years ago
World Record Progression	Saradoc 1 year ago