As of 2018-07-05, I have changed the timer-start rule common to all categories to the date. The old rule was: Timer starts when you click “Start” on the character creation page. The new rule is: Timer starts, after the map has been generated, when you click “OK” and the scenario explanation dialog disappears, before you gain control of the colonists.

The purpose of this change is to take loading times out of the equation. There is still the dilemma of loading times when caravaning though.

Consequently, I have manually updated the timings for all runs submitted to the date. The timings for each run have changed by −16…0 seconds.

This affects the following runs: https://www.speedrun.com/RimWorld/run/y675176m by @Hadryx https://www.speedrun.com/RimWorld/run/z5ojl3dy by @Hadryx https://www.speedrun.com/RimWorld/run/pm34n5qz by @kilgoar ¹ https://www.speedrun.com/RimWorld/run/z5ojw0dy by @Hadryx https://www.speedrun.com/RimWorld/run/zq36v38y by @aironne https://www.speedrun.com/RimWorld/run/ywp1qv3z by @aironne https://www.speedrun.com/RimWorld/run/zq657q5y by @EVELog https://www.speedrun.com/RimWorld/run/z13n919m by @knewster https://www.speedrun.com/RimWorld/run/zpqvn08y by @shazza https://www.speedrun.com/RimWorld/run/yjkqg23m by @murmur999 https://www.speedrun.com/RimWorld/run/z5o63kny by @EVELog https://www.speedrun.com/RimWorld/run/yvgd68oy by @ulikethisname https://www.speedrun.com/RimWorld/run/z137wq7m by @CarpathianRunner https://www.speedrun.com/RimWorld/run/zx445lgy by @Salaminer

¹) The video for this run contains non-free music, and it has eaten a copyright torpedo. As a consequence, I was unable to re-verify the run and update the timings. The run entry still has old timings. Please do not put non-free music in your videos.

In the rules, is also now a non-enforced requirement that the verification video must include game audio. The precision of timing verification for videos without audio was coarser than the precision of timings for videos with audio, which may account to an error of ±2s. There are also other validation issues with videos that do not have audio or where the game audio (both music and sound effects) are not heard.

Video starting time rule has not changed. The video must still begin before you click “New colony”, and it must still prove that you have not activated mods, and it must still prove that you have not edited the scenario.

Ok, no problem. I don't think it is currently possible to completely eliminate loading times, but I appreciate your effort. Thanks for re-timing all the videos!