Is there a reason for this?
Banning emulators solves a problem Way of the Samurai doesn't have (cheating), and exacerbates the only problem it does have (nobody plays it).
I am doing runs of this game in 2018, with someone I know who is also running it. We run New Game Any% (i.e. Leave Pass) and New Game Ending#1. I just submitted a New Game Any%, 3mins 19 seconds: . Admittedly, it's far from optimized, but it's an initial benchmark, and I submitted partly just to see if a New Game Ending1 run (which I do in about 45mins) recorded on emulator would be accepted.
Speedrun rules are run by the community, right? So it makes sense to listen to the only folks active in the game... especially given that there are a grand total of five submissions across three categories.
My suggestion: let us submit to a separate EMU category. I'll mod that category and even write more explicit rules for the console categories, i.e. distinguishing NG and NG+, clarifying start/stop parameters, require audio, etc..
It makes sense to have a mod who is an active runner and I would be able to setup the EMU categories (NG/NG+, Difficulty, Ending, kinda like how WotS3 does it). We are also thinking of challenging each other in "Harvest Samurai" a run where you race to see who can eat all items on the map and Leave the Pass first. Gotta hunt all the mushrooms etc... I wouldn't bother making the category until there are runs to submit to it, but it would be fun to add that if it happens, and it would be convenient if I were a mod and could easily accomplish that.
Sounds good?
I would agree to on console start, or after the character screen that way you can have a customized name for your run.
I'd prefer a start/stop method that can be synced up with the audio to make timing more accurate. I also would be in favor of not changing the timing system for runs that already have records.
The idea of ending the run at the score screen is there is a sound to sync up the end time clock to.
As for ng+, I would define that as using a memory card since this game doesn't behave the same as the first time you boot up the console. If the player has to do the tutorial it ensures that the player will get the same cutscene every time.
What are everyone's thoughts on this?
Edit: thanks for adding discord will jump on it tomorrow
Oh, great updates! Thanks very much. I agree with removing the Any%, since I never felt like "Leave Pass" was actually beating the game... felt closer to a death run.
Starting timer at console start makes sense. Starting with movement doesn't really work with the tutorial very well.
Ending at the Samurai Index is easy to see, hear, and hit. Sounds perfect to me.
I did an easy Ending1 run starting from Character Selection screen until Samurai Index. Is this the first ever New Game run of this game? I'm not aware of any other runs made public as of right now?
But if we decide here on Console Start to Samurai Index I'll do future runs like that.
