Cave Routing

Finding the ladder or certain tools quickly during a run can be pretty frustrating. Their locations, enemy locations, and even the shapes of passages you have to navigate are all random! However, if we simplify the random cave system by removing all curved passages and replacing them with straight connections, the rooms in EVERY cave system will connect via the following general format:

https://i.imgur.com/fOXg7iL.png

Each cave system can be 8x4 or 4x4 rooms in size, which is also determined randomly. The archer on the right denotes the player's start point in the 8x4 cave system, which repeats infinitely horizontally and vertically. The left archer marks the spawn point in a 4x4 cave system, where only the left 4x4 grid repeats infinitely in the horizontal and vertical directions.

If you're hunting for demons or rats (i.e. tracks indicate one will be in an adjacent chamber), the most efficient search method is by following the red path shown below:

https://i.imgur.com/H4LUfBk.png

Notice how once this route is completed, you will have traveled at least adjacent to every chamber, which means you will have found at least one set of tracks corresponding to each enemy. This route is not fool-proof however, because in the situation where track-bearing enemies are two chambers away from each other, the tracks will overlap in one place. It is important to be aware of this, and if the monster you're looking for wasn't found on the first pass, the remaining non-highlighted chambers can be easily revealed following a similar route.

If you're hunting for dragons or snakes (i.e. a sound effect tells you one is on-screen), the most efficient search method is via this red path:

https://i.imgur.com/nJfmapI.png

The aspect ratio of the Intellivision allows the player, if standing in the center of a chamber, to be able to hear a dragon or snake if it is in a chamber to the left or right simultaneously. When this route is completed, you will have come within sound effect detection range of every room. However, this route is also not fool-proof as dragons and snakes play their sound effects in random intervals, so it is possible you could pass by an enemy in a nearby chamber without hearing it. Once again, if the monster you're looking for wasn't found on the first pass, the remaining non-highlighted chambers can be easily revealed via a similar route.

Note that both of these methods is the THEORETICAL most optimal route, as some of the randomly-generated room shapes have curved passages and take longer to traverse. Below shows all eight room shapes and the slower curved passages highlighted in red:

https://i.imgur.com/K37cwBp.png

TASes

Original Intellivision version, Any% category with an RTA time of 0:11.23

TAS notes:
http://tasvideos.org/6989S.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPewqge2nXs

Glitchless category with an RTA time of 0:18.15

TAS notes:
(see description)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WbDeVjCE-s

And finally, a TAS for the fastest execution of the Instant Win Cheat with an RTA time of 0:00.23

TAS notes:
(see description)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KvZ0JMBXiQ

DS Intellivision Lives! version, Any% category with an RTA time of 0:13.23.

TAS notes:
(see description)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj65byy1_CE

Nome	Autore
Cave Routing	Winslinator 4 years ago
TASes	Winslinator 3 years ago