So rubbertoe64 discovered a file duplication glitch (video can be seen in the discord's general channel) which allows you to start a new file while retaining stats from the original file. Steven will be leveled as per the original file and be holding any badges, while every other character will have all their points but they won't be assigned. It appears that items and weapon upgrades do not carry over, nor do other characters' badges.

It's easy to perform - press A and pause at the same time on the file you want to take stats from. Press start to unpause, and wait for the characters to get to the pad. Press B to exit and move off the pad. Press pause, press A on resume and you'll see the main menu. You can then go select an empty file and when you enter it, the glitch will carry over the stats onto the new file.

So basically - you can start a new file and have everyone at their max level, plus Steven can hold any two badges of your choosing. Rubber confirms it works on Switch, I know it works on PC, and polarbear will be able to confirm if it works on PS4 or not.

Now the question becomes, how do we implement this glitch into the leaderboards? I think it should go without saying that Glitchless runs shouldn't allow this. As for the other categories?

In my opinion I'd be in favor of making another main category called Any% NG+ that allows for this glitch, while the current Any% category would add in a rule that it's banned. I don't know how I feel about the other categories though. For our character% categories the point of them was to make a sort of All Bosses challenge category in order to prioritize other characters and eliminate Connie's Study exploit so I'd kind of want it banned in those. Hessonite Rush and Jedi/Kill The Light we already are maxed out so it's irrelevant. CBF% I suppose I'm not against it. Same with Map Completion.

So that leaves 101% and All Bosses. I don't believe Steven having the badges affects it, though, I'd be curious to see if giving him the badge Bolton gives you and removing it will make the game think you already obtained it, thus eliminating Boltron RNG from the run. If this affects percentages it'd be kinda interesting to see if giving him any other badge from the start could make the route faster but that remains to be seen.

As for All Bosses, I dunno. I'm not 100% opposed to it, but I also feel like simply allowing the glitch would remove some of the RNG and fun from the run (e.g. no need for Stevonnie on Dave, Connie could probably kill him with like 1 study and Garnet's defense debuff and sword storm). Like it would just kinda, streamline it I guess? But I also feel like All Bosses NG+ might kinda clutter the boards up a bit. I mean we could also add another sub-category to each category and separate runs as NG+ and Regular, so there'd be leaderboards for categories with this glitch and categories without. I just feel like having both console/PC and NG+/Regular to make a bunch of sub-categories seems kinda cluttery, especially since we don't have a ton of people running the game.

But anyway - this is a community discussion, and all input would be appreciated (esp other mods).

So I think if I had to say what I'd most want, I think I'd like to see an Any% NG+ category added. And maybe just ban the glitch from everything else. If we want to allow it outside of Any% I'd want to then discuss separating runs as some sort of NG+/New File separation.

Update: Polarbear's confirmed it works on PS4. I imagine it probably works on Xboxone too.

Also I went through an Any% run doing this from copying my original casual playthrough file, in which I have everyone maxed to level 30. It does indeed work. It actually makes Beach City faster too, the tutorial skips some sections due to Connie killing the first construct instantly, characters don't gain XP so you're not halted because of learning Bubble/Defend, and after the fight in front of Peedee you don't get the level up tutorial that usually pops up. Also since everyone's max level I feel it's probably quicker in a potential NG+ route to blast through Beach City and Familiar Grounds since Connie will be maxed out and can simply Sword Storm. I also swapped Amethyst for Greg since him being maxed means he has Star Jam + can be leveled in leadership.

I have no reason to think this would affect All Bosses, if we decide on allowing it there or in a NG+ category. No clue if it affects 101% (more specifically, I don't know if Steven being able to have two badges affects percentages)

It's also been discovered that you can do a Cutscene Skip doing the aforementioned dupe, which also allows you to move around Steven's House while the menu is open. Using this allows you to leave the house and press "A" to start a new file, and that file will be able to skip the cutscene if you're next to the door to Beach City. We're still testing the backpack because it disappears in some areas and reappears for use in others. (I can confirm we can do an Any% run and get up to upgrading weapons at the forge with this).

But anyway - we discussed the file dupe and a few other things and this is a conclusion myself, polar, and tralalapis reached:

• New main category called NG+ (or Any% File Dupe - we agree we want a new main category regardless of name). This category allows for a file dupe trick and all other glitches to be performed.
• Merge all the Character% categories into a single "Connieless" category for sake of condensing misc. categories. (Maintaining the rule that we ban connie's study exploit and using team attacks with her)
• Rename FMPOVTJAE to Kill The Light
• Ban File Dupe for All Bosses, 101%, Glitchless (obviously), and Connieless. Meaning CBF%, Map Completion, and the new category are the ones that allow it. Irrelevant for HR and KTL since they start on a max file.
• Allow cutscene skip in runs. (Though for practicality reasons we don't know if it's worth the time save in anything but Any%)

The rules for each individual category will also then include if file dupe is allowed or banned.

I'd like to give this till say Sunday night or Monday evening for anyone else to chime in, otherwise these are the changes we'll be making to the leaderboards.

So... what you are telling me is that I can start an entire new run with the CBF badge and play through the whole game that way?

Honestly, this game has come a really long way since the PC release, and I'm impressed by just how much work everyone has put into it. Very cool stuff. ^_^

Yup, so long as you put it on Steven before doing the file dupe, and don't remove it, you can play through the whole game with it.