# 2024 SADX Setup Guide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzUYGBZ32dU

# Configuring Livesplit to IGT and RTA for Sonic Adventure DX

#**Configuring Livesplit to IGT and RTA for Sonic Adventure DX**

Hello SADX Runners. 

This guide will hopefully help you set up livesplit to show you both your RTA time and IGT time which is now required for the leaderboards. 

1. Make sure you have livesplit downloaded and installed on your PC. Livesplit can be found here -
 http://livesplit.github.io/downloads/

2. Download the appropriate livesplit IGT script for the version of SADX you are running. **If you play the 2004 PC Disc version, you can simply activate it through the "Edit Splits" window by typing in the game name as it's spelled here on the page and then clicking "Activate".** If you play the Steam version, or activation through Edit Splits does not work for some reason, you can download them manually from the resources page here -
 http://www.speedrun.com/sadx/resources

https://i.imgur.com/3g6zT2Q.png

3. Create your splits and desired layout for livesplit.

4. In "Layout Editor" add two timers to your livesplit layout. One will be for Real Time (RTA) and the other for Game Time (IGT).

https://i.imgur.com/itf54en.png

5. In "Layout Settings" select each "Timer" tab and ensure one is set to "Real Time" and the other "Game Time" 

https://i.imgur.com/Upfj1OY.png

6. **Only neccesary if you didn't already activate the Autosplitter through the "Edit Splits" window. If you did, skip this step**
In "Layout Editor" add a "Scriptable Auto Splitter" from the control menu. 

https://i.imgur.com/l5TbEhh.png

7. **Only neccesary if you didn't already activate the Autosplitter through the "Edit Splits" window. If you did, skip this step**
Double click "Scriptable Auto Splitter" and from the layout editor point the "Script Path" to the IGT script you downloaded earlier in step 2. 

https://i.imgur.com/F4bFZV8.png

If configured correctly livesplit will now have two timers showing both your RTA and IGT like the image below. Both are required to have your time be accepted to the leaderboards.

https://i.imgur.com/66DynPa.png

________________________________________________________________________________________________

#**Frequently asked questions**

**What is IGT and why do we need that?**
IGT means in-game time, it’s generally used when the RTA is not fair enough. In fact, we call that IGT but as for SADX, it's more like "balanced RTA" because the game runs to a totally unstable framerate (depending on the hardware / OS and other factors.) For example, the game is running faster on Windows 7 which is not fair to others players. So we have set up a Balanced RTA (or IGT whatever) represents the what your time would be if there were 60 frames in a second.

**Why is my IGT higher/slower than my RTA?**
This is quite normal, The game doesn’t run at a stable 60 fps, so if your game is running faster than 60 fps (which is common) the timer will accelerate. However, it will slow down if your game is slower than 60 fps.

**I play on console, should I use IGT?**
No and you can’t anyway.

**I'm using Steam version and IGT doesn't work.**
Make sure you don't use any mods, such as BetterSADX, and try to reinstall the game.

**I set up my IGT but the two timers are identical.**
This usually happens when you have not configured the IGT and RTA display correctly. You must go In "Layout Settings" select each "Timer" tab and ensure one is set to "Real Time" and the other "Game Time" otherwise it will not work.

**I have an old run with just RTA, is it possible to calculate the IGT of this run and add it?**
No.

Mod Edit: 01/28/18 Added FAQ.
Mod Edit: 08/29/21 Rewrote some sections to clarify installation for Disc version players.

# Everything you need to know to Speedrun SADX

Alright, I read a lot of questions about Sonic Adventure DX stuff, so I decided to make this thread to hopefully answer all of your questions.

First, you all guys should watch this:

https://youtu.be/b_r88aOdSsE

Still some stuff? Alright, let’s take a look.

**1. Which version of SADX is the best for speedrunning?**

It’s PC disc (2004), yes, forget Steam, it’s slow, has a lot of issues, bad loading, bad controls and I’m pretty sure you want to go fast. Keep in mind that we are talking about steam vanilla, since better sadx is not allowed.

**2. Can I take the disc .exe file in the resources section and put it in my Steam folder?**

No, if you want the Disc version, you must buy or download it because every files are different than Steam version.

**3. You guys talk about some “mods” in the rules, why?**

So this is kinda complicated, we decided to allow few mods for PC Disc, because if you play the game without any mods, you can get some issues like with your controller (camera spinning etc.) So, we decided to allow mods to make the experience better. This is not mandatory though, you can use them if you feel more comfortable with them, but that’s all. Also we still want to keep the game as much as possible to the vanilla version, so texture mods, ui scalling etc are not allowed. If you are unsure about which mod is allowed, you can check the rules. You can download all the allowed mods in the Resources section btw.

**4. Can I use mods on Steam version?**

No, mods on Steam version are not allowed, because the only way to use mods on this version is to install Better Sadx, this mod replaces all the games files and makes IGT impossible to use… so yeah... no mods for Steam. Also, in case that wasn't clear: BetterSadx is NOT allowed. Again, the best version is PC disc (2004), which you should be able to download or buy somewhere.

**5. What is “CCEF”?**
        
CCEF (Camera Code Error Fix) is what SCEP (Steam Camera Emulation Patch) was ment to be. It’s a mod that keep the camera you selected in the settings  when you die or go to another zone. You can use it if you feel more comfortable with it. The SADX 2004 disc release had all of the code to reset the camera back to the selected option while changing zones or dying, but due to a development error in the code it never worked. 

**6. How do I use mods?**

You need SADX mod manager, everything is explain on Flandre’s video on the top on this post.

**7. What is “route variation”?**

So in SADX, for some category we can use different route. As for Sonic story, there are 3 routes possible, Linear route, Glitched route and TAS route. If you are a beginner, you should learn “Linear route” Gpro made a really good tutorial for it, it is in the guide section. 
Top runners use “TAS route”, it’s kinda faster than Linear route, but really hard to optimize. Forget Glitched route, it’s just slow.

As for Tails, Early Ice Cap is slower by 2-3 secs. The only reason people does this route is because of how difficult Ice Cap TAS Strat is.

As for Gamma, you should directly learn “glitched route” it’s definitely faster than “linear route” and not that hard.

**8. What is “IGT / in-game time”?**

Oh boy, there’s a lot of question with this, so let's take a look:

IGT means in-game time, it’s generally used when the RTA is not fair enough. In fact, we call that IGT but as for SADX, it's more like "balanced RTA" because the game runs to a totally unstable framerate (depending on the hardware / OS and other factors.) For example, the game is running faster on Windows 7, so we have set up a Balanced RTA (or IGT whatever) represents the what your time would be if there were 60 frames in a second. So as for SADX, “IGT” is like a frame counter.

**9. How do I set up the IGT?**
There is now a functional PC disc autosplitter which includes IGT script, to activate it, simply open Livesplit, right clic and select "edit splits" then clic on "Activate".  **DO NOT TURN ON THE AUTOSPLITTER IF YOU ARE USING THE STEAM VERSION.**

If you play on Steam, OR if you don't know how to display the IGT on Livesplit, you'll need to follow Argick's tutorial here:
https://www.speedrun.com/sadx/guide/aryzs

**10. Why is my IGT higher/lower than my RTA?**

This is quite normal, again, the game doesn’t run at a stable 60 fps, so if your game is running faster than 60 fps (which is common) the timer will accelerate. However, it will slow down if your game is slower than 60 fps (or if your loads are just bad.)

**11. I play on console, should I use IGT?**

No and you can’t anyway.

**12. I'm using Steam version and IGT doesn't work.**

Make sure you don't use any mods, such as BetterSADX, and try to reinstall the game.

**13. I installed IGT but the two timers are identical.**

This usually happens when you have not configured the IGT and RTA display correctly. You must go In "Layout Settings" select each "Timer" tab and ensure one is set to "Real Time" and the other "Game Time" otherwise it will not work.

**14. I have an old run with just RTA, is it possible to calculate the IGT of this run and add it?**

No.

**15. Why did some runners delete the voice files from the game? I don't get it.**

It is to avoid lags. You can miss some important tricks because of the voices, like egg hornet one cycle.
If you are curious, It's allowed to delete the voice files because the launcher for the official disc literally let you play without voice clips, music, and/or sound effects.

**16. I want to speedrun Sonic's Story, where can I start?**

Cool, once your SADX is ready, you can start learning Sonic's Story here: https://youtu.be/LzRURk0pkJg

**17. Is there a tutorial for other categories?**

Not yet, but hopefully soon. You can join the discord if you need any help:
https://discord.gg/NUCatnN

If you guys have still some questions, feel free to ask here. :)
Good luck and have fun with SADX, remember this game is hard, but it is consistent.

# Setting up the PC Disc version - text guide

The SADX disc version is an old PC game, and as it is with old PC games, there is often some set up required to get them to work properly. We have a list of approved patches and mods that you can use to make a fresh vanilla install runnable.

Aside from the game itself, everything you need you can find on the Resources page:
https://www.speedrun.com/sadx/resources

**Step 1**

If you have anything but the US version of the game, you need to replace the sonic.exe file that launches the game to make the game compatible with the ModManager, as it only works with the US version of the .exe. Note that this is only the executable, the actual game files are identical between regions.

Go to the Resources page and download “Sonic Adventure DX 2004 US EXE” from the “Tools” section, go to the install folder of the game (usually [your harddrive]/Program Files/Sega/SONICADVENTUREDX) and drag in the .exe you just downloaded to replace the one in the folder.

**Step 2** 

Download “Sonic Adventure DX Mod Loader” from the “Tools” section of the Resources page. Drag all the files and folders from the archive into the install folder of the game.

**Step 3**

Download one of the mods that fix the input issues for your controller. There are different mods you may need depending on your system or controller.

Most likely you will need “Input Mod”. In case this does not work when you later launch the game, or you have a Gamecube controller, try “XInput Fix v1” or “XInput Fix v2”. Download the mod of your choice. Go to the install folder of the game, go into the “mods” folder, and drag your newly downloaded mod as a new folder into there.

**Step 4**

There are quality of life fixes we allow, those are “Camera Code Error Fix”, “Egg Hornet Crash Fix”, “60/63 FPS Mod” and "Speedrun Mod". CCEF ensures the game saves your camera mode across loads, EHCF fixes a crash that can happen in the cutscene after Egg Hornet, and the FPS mods limit your framerate to your liking. Download them from the “Patches” section of the Resources page and add them just like you did previously with the controller fix as their own folder within the “mods” folder.

**Step 5**

Now you can install the mods and configure the game. Go back to the install folder of the game, and open “SADXModManager”.

On the first tab of the Mod Manager, you should see the list of mods you just added in the “mods” folder. Check the boxes on all of them.

Next, go to the “Codes” tab and make sure that here everything is unchecked. You may use the “Infinite Lives” code for Individual level speedruns, but for full-game speedruns it must be unchecked.

Next, go to the “Graphics” tab and set your graphics settings according to your preference.

Next, at the bottom right of the Mod Manager window, click “Config Editor”. This is how you access the settings that are usually found in the game’s launcher. Set “Screen mode” according to your preference. Set “Frame rate” to “High”. It is recommended for “Clip level” to be set to “Normal”, because “Far” spawns additional objects in some levels that can get in your way in a speedrun. Set “Fog emulation” according to your preference, but having it on “Emulation” will cause you to be able to see during Sonic’s Final Egg skip. Click “Ok” to close the window.

Now, click “Install loader” and “Save” at the bottom of the Mod Manager to apply the setup.

**Step 6**

From the game's install folder, go to .../system/sounddata/voice_us/wma and delete at the very least the files "0171" and "0172". These are voicelines that cause a huge lag during Egg Hornet that can cause you to miss the quick-kill. Other voice-lines can also lag the game at places, but those are the only ones that cause an actual problem during the speedrun. Many runners also play with all voicelines deleted.

**Step 7**

That’s it! You’re done, go speedrun! Launch the game through sonic.exe or "Save & Play" in the Mod Manager.

Refer to the “Configuring Livesplit to IGT and RTA” guide to learn how to set up the timer for your speedruns.
https://www.speedrun.com/sadx/guide/aryzs

You are of course always welcome to join the Sonic Adventure speedrun Discord. If after the setup you run into issues, check the #troubleshooting channel under the “Community” section of the Discord and check the pinned tweets if you find your problem, or describe your problem and someone will hopefully be able to help you out.
https://discord.com/invite/NCUdvEwWMA

Basic Terms and Techniques

All buttons are referring to the Xbox button layout

# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

# Sonic

**Spindash chain** - You can chain spindashes by repeatedly pressing the action buttons ( X or B ) to keep your speed high. You can press either of the two action buttons repeatedly, or alternate between both buttons. To use both buttons, most people switch to an overhand controller grip, where you press the buttons with your index- and middle-finger. To start a spindash chain from standstill, first charge one full spindash to get up to speed, and then continue the chain with just short presses. It is more important to have a consistent rhythm in your inputs than it is to press the buttons quickly. This is only faster on flat surfaces and uphill slopes, on downhill slopes it is faster to simply roll. For more info on how to optimize your spindashes, refer to [this video by hoogachakka](https://youtu.be/563x4klGpN0)

**Spindash jump** - Charge a spindash, release, and press the jump button.

**Homing attack cancel** - Press the action button immediately after doing a homing attack. The action button cancels the homing attack animation, which gives you a little extra distance on long jumps. When the homing attack is used as part of movement and not to home on to a target, it is recommend to always do a HAC as it also avoids accidently homing onto a target. Flick your thumb over both buttons to get the inputs closer together.

**Jump cancel** - Press the action button immediately after jumping (the inputs are identical to the homing attack cancel but you do it when grounded). This can be used to stop all your momentum in an instant, for example when you have to make a precise landing or need to set up at a precise spot. This is also used to reset hover frames.

**Hover frames**  -  Hover frames are an internal counter that the game keeps track of. You get 60 hover frames (1 second). The hover frames are depleted when you press down the A button to jump, every frame that you press the button for, one hover frame gets used. For as long as you use hover frames, Sonic is in a "floaty" state, which is the internal mechanic the game uses to make jumps work. The hover frames reset every time you do a new jump, so doing a jump cancel can be useful to make sure you have many hover frames available, as a jump cancel is a very short jump that uses only few hover frames. Knowing about hover frames is important when you utilize spindash hovers.

**Spindash hover** - Similar to a spindash jump, with the exception that you already start holding the jump button before releasing the spindash (charge spindash, hold A, release spindash, keep holding A). This causes you to go in a straight line through the air for the duration of your hover frames, and it is generally faster and more efficient than a spindash jump if you dont have to gain any additional height. Because during a spindash hover you make use of hover frames without initiating a jump, it is important to be aware of the hover frames you have available. If you previously did a full jump, you won't have hover frames left and your spindash hover will fail. You can do a jump cancel to reset your hover frames before the spindash hover.

# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

# Tails

**Jump cancel** - *see the Sonic section of this guide*

# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

# Knuckles

**Glide accel** - Knuckles accelerates faster by starting a glide. The quickest way to get up to speed is doing a short glide (double tap A) and then continue to run. Once you are up to speed, running is faster than gliding.

**Glide reset** - The longer Knuckles glides, the steeper his angle gets and you lose a lot of height. When crossing large distances with the glide, you can reset the glide by briefly releasing and repressing the A button. Even though you briefly drop, having restarted the glide will preserve a lot more height in the long run.

**Jump cancel** - *see the Sonic section of this guide*

# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

# Amy

**Hover** - Hover frames (*see the Sonic section of this guide*) apply also here. They are the best used when descending from a jump, as while descending, the character accelerates the most. This means that that fastest form of movement on flat ground is to a very short jump, to preserve hover frames and minimize the slow ascend, and then to repress and hold the A button in the air after the peak of the jump to initiate the hover and maximize the time spent descending.

# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

# Big

**Hover** - (*see the Amy section of this guide*)

**Instant catch glitch** - After casting the lure, you can press both left and right trigger to cancel the line. If you do this on the exact frame that Froggy tries to bite the lure, the entire reeling minigame is skipped and Big has instantly caught Froggy. In order to not have to do two simulataneous frame perfect inputs, you can hold down one of the two triggers, and time the frame perfect input only on the other trigger.

# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

# Gamma

**Mode change** - After a moment of grounded movement without losing momentum, Gamma automatically switches from walking to rolling on wheels. Being aware of this change in movement state is important for many tricks in Gamma's story, as the mode change changes how Gamma interacts with collision and how momentum is preserved.

# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

# Camera

**Auto Cam / Free Cam** - Two camera modes that can be switched between in the pause menu. Auto Cam is more cinematic and more stable, but you have less control over. Free cam you have full control over, but it is a lot less stable. Both camera modes can behave totally differently in some sections and being aware of your camera mode is important to doing many tricks reliably. Many runners switch between camera modes during the run depending on which section they're in, and there are recommended camera modes for many tricks, but this largely comes down to preference.

**Locking camera** - If you're in auto cam, you can hold both LT and RT to lock the camera. This keeps the auto camera in place and in some instances can even be used to simulate free cam behavior without having to switch to it.

Big the Cat's Story [Text Guide]

Hello!

I made a text based guide for Big's story! I plan to add in photos and gifs to better explain the tech involved, and then eventually make a video tutorial as soon as I have the time. Please let me know if anything is hard to understand. I want to use language that's thorough, but easily understood. 

Hope this helps in your Froggy catching endeavors!

If there's anything wrong with the link, please feel free to message me on Twitter or Email me at Risuruuu@gmail.com

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GF76mPhlU7NcH4RxiT7NI7YmXtWqolWJ_KjYubCVndE/edit?usp=sharing

Capsule glitch to avoid the +10 seconds on the timer for level runs in story mode

Many stages when you beat them for the first time in story mode don't have a capsule at the end, but just a load zone that you need to run into, which then gets replaced by a capsule once you come back later to replay the stage. Not having to activate the capsule is much easier and faster than jumping on the capsule, so if you're looking to optimize your IL speedrun, not having the capsule would be beneficial. Unfortunately, when playing through story mode, the game adds 10 seconds to the final time on any of such stage.

You can avoid that by using a glitch, but it takes a bit of time to set up. Luckily, most stages this applies to are early in the game, so it doesn't take much longer than a few minutes. You also need the ability to soft-reset, which you can do by pressing Alt+F2, if you have your PC Disc version setup with the resources in the Resources tab. This does not work on Dreamcast, but does on other DX versions to my knowledge as long as you can soft-reset.

1) Start story mode and play until the stage you wanna use the glitch on
2) When you beat the stage, wait until you see the emblem counter. During the time the emblem counter is on-screen, soft-reset the game
3) The glitch is now active. Re-enter the story mode, and do your IL speedrun. When you beat the stage, there won't be a capsule, and you won't have the 10 seconds added to your time.
If you finish the stage and you notice you're not satisfied with your time, you can soft-reset the game again before the stage fades out, re-enter story mode again and re-do your run without having to set up the glitch again

Gamma tutorial by Kinkycadence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hofpujHMGiE

Knuckles piece locations

Every piece location is only marked once across all screenshots, even if a location may be visible in the background of another screenshot to not cause any confusion with how many locations exist.

Red markings are a piece location, the number referring to which piece slot on the radar it occupies. Blue markings are references for orientation

# Speed Highway

![](/static/blob/5ngx8jeq.jpg)

![](/static/blob/qzpvylz3.jpg)

![](/static/blob/5e126vn0.jpg)

![](/static/blob/oeo5yvzg.jpg)

![](/static/blob/3ek54mex.jpg)

![](/static/blob/xz0v70el.jpg)

![](/static/blob/kzwvyynq.jpg)

# Casinopolis

![](/static/blob/xzdy8qzm.jpg)

![](/static/blob/1n5p2me3.jpg)

![](/static/blob/1n7or0e5.jpg)

![](/static/blob/7n61mjzq.jpg)

![](/static/blob/rnqqyrnj.jpg)

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![](/static/blob/qnyv3gnp.jpg)

![](/static/blob/4zj5r9ek.jpg)

![](/static/blob/1n87o4eq.jpg)

# Red Mountain

![](/static/blob/3ek5gmex.jpg)

![](/static/blob/xz0vl0el.jpg)

![](/static/blob/kzwv9ynq.jpg)

![](/static/blob/xzdyqqzm.jpg)

![](/static/blob/1n5pgme3.jpg)

![](/static/blob/1n7o10e5.jpg)

![](/static/blob/7n61pjzq.jpg)

![](/static/blob/rnqqwrnj.jpg)

![](/static/blob/7e9xk4e1.jpg)

![](/static/blob/ynl5yqe6.jpg)

![](/static/blob/7z3ry6zd.jpg)

# Lost World

![](/static/blob/qnyvxgnp.jpg)

![](/static/blob/4zj5l9ek.jpg)

![](/static/blob/wzxv5ver.jpg)

![](/static/blob/rz2m3kn0.jpg)

![](/static/blob/pzmq2kek.jpg)

![](/static/blob/yzrq14n4.jpg)

![](/static/blob/5ngx6jeq.jpg)![](/static/blob/rz2m3on0.jpg)

# Sky Deck

![](/static/blob/yzrq1rn4.jpg)

![](/static/blob/5ngx67eq.jpg)

![](/static/blob/qzpvgxz3.jpg)

![](/static/blob/oeo5rkzg.jpg)

![](/static/blob/3ek533ex.jpg)

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![](/static/blob/kzwvd2nq.jpg)

![](/static/blob/xzdyd5zm.jpg)

![](/static/blob/1n5pmqe3.jpg)

Knuckles story speedrun tutorial video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EESHRwgFA8Qhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EESHRwgFA8Q

PC Disc Versus Other Versions Excluding DC

Again, not a real guide, but I have nowhere else to put it (and screw forums B) ).

Now, HOPEFULLY many of you are aware of this, but if you aren't, you will be now. PC Disc runs at a faster speed, or has a higher capped speed than the other versions EXCEPT during cutscenes. It's cap is 63 frames per second which is about a 5% increase in speed. Just to be clear, if the game adds an extra 3 frames per second, after 20 seconds, the person will gain 1 extra second off of any of the other versions. Obviously, you'd need a damn good PC to keep the framerate constant enough to do that, but this can factor in for about an entire minute in Sonic's Story alone. Possibly even more.

For a clearer picture of how much is affected by this, here's a comparison between a run I did on console versus one of CJ's older runs (where we had the same time in a level):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsHZN2BmDMo

Now, CJ's game doesn't run at a constant 62 frames per second. I want to make that completely clear. Most people's PCs would run the game between 60 and 63 FPS most of the time, with some lag spikes here and there. Now, there is a problem with this, or it impedes on something I've wanted to happen for a while... Switching over to RTA without loads. Even with this, PC disc would have at least a minute of advantages, and people with the faster PCs would reign supreme anyways.

So... What? You want to know what this means? Well... Not very much, really. Separating the versions would be stupid and kill competition/motivation for competition and removing PC disc in general would pretty much be even worse. The only proposal is a mod for PC disc to have a continuous timer in the HUB world that doesn't count cutscenes, results screens, and loading screens. Then you could just manually count everything in the other versions for RTA without loads and it'd be very accurate. However, not sure if that's possible, or even worth doing anyways, so... Yeah... 

For now, I'll also make a forum post about this so people can express their thoughts.

Sonic's story video tutorial

Super Sonic Story Speedrun Guide video

Surviving Egg Viper

Hopefully this helps, I wouldn't like to be an ass so if it's not wanted here please tell me :) https://youtu.be/_-rHVf7OdQM

Tails Story Route (Linear Route)

1- Go to the door leading to station square 
2- Fly to the sewers
3- Get the Jet Anklets 
4- Go away from the sewers to the train station and take it 
5- Go to the Egg Hornet Round Pad, beat it then get the Wind Stone and go to the Windy Valley Lobby to deposit the key
6- Beat Windy Valley then go back to the Station Square (with the train)
7- Go to the Casinopolis Lobby and press the yellow button then go into it.
8- Beat Casinopolis.
9- Get the stairs  to go to Ice Cap.
10- Go to the Ice Cap Lobby and perform the clip into the roof.
11- Beat Ice Cap.
12- Clip out of the Ice Cap Lobby and go the Mystic Ruins Pool.
13- Foight Chuckles then beat Chaos 4.
14- Fly to Tails Building for a Sky Chase Act 1 Session.
15- When done, go into the Minecart.
16- Sand Hill Roof Clip then beat Sand Hill.
17- Get the Rythm Badge.
18- Sky Chase Act 2 
19- Beat the Egg Carrier.
20- Go to middle platform.
21- Go to Sky Deck.
22- Beat Sky Deck.
23- Go to yellow and black bars pad.
24- Beat E-102 ''Y'' Gamma
25- Beat Speed Highway.
26- Beat Egg Walker.
27- MISHON COMPREE.

Things About Sonic's Linear Route vs Glitched Route

I know this isn't really a guide, per se, but there's nowhere else to put this, so... Yeah...

First of all, I'd like to show you guys this picture, which is a detailed breakdown between my 30:54 and Moustache's 31:45 (as we both use different routes): 

http://i.imgur.com/vQ6btD2.png

If you take care to notice, the glitched route HUB movement is actually 7 seconds slower. The true difference is likely between 5-10 seconds, where glitched route is definitely not faster.

If you prefer doing HUB movement all in one go and are fine with menuing, glitching route is probably better for you. Linear route's HUB movement is more complex (mainly because the Ice Stone is a dick, entering Ice Cap is a little troublesome and getting to Knuckles can be a pain due to camera angles). 

However, linear route is definitely faster, so if you're aiming for first or second place, linear route is the better route.

Camera routes for glitched can be REALLY funky unless you use the same camera (which you shouldn't, since camera control and camera routing has a large impact on consistency and movement/speed, contrary to popular belief [I leave the flame tunnel in Free Camera as evidence for this]). It flows a little better in linear, depending on how what cameras you use (if you're not using CCEF on PC disc or are on GC or DC, camera routes won't matter that much, though).

For some clearer evidence that linear is faster, here's a comparison between both routes (each part being segmented). The menuing and extra level entries was taken from CJ's PB, since his menuing is really good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9q55NfcFBw

Here is also a comparison between one of Gpro's old console runs' HUB movement vs one of CJ's old runs' HUB movement: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1Y3amzTfVM

Also, I DO want to point out that TAS route might be slower than Linear, but it's very hard to say at this point in time due to Gpro's game lagging in the Casino area and train station

Which Camera is Better for What Area

Before anything else, here's my RECOMMENDED camera routes for linear and glitched (with a detailed Windy Valley camera thingy for Auto).

So... I'm here today to tell you the best cameras for each level in Sonic's Story (or, if both cameras are good, I'll give a rating). First, let me tell you the types of cameras I'll be listing:
 
Free Camera (obvious)
 
Auto Camera (obvious)
 
Controlled Auto Camera: Turning the camera or holding both camera buttons in certain places while in Auto Camera
 
As an explanation, before we begin, Auto camera is set in place, so the camera won't move with you. This frees up your movement in most places, allowing better angles.
Free Camera moves with the player, preferring to stay behind him/her. This makes movement difficult in certain places. It's better to learn how to manipulate moving the camera with your movement, and use forward directions with quick left and right adjustments.
Holding L and R in Auto Cam makes it similar to Free Camera, but it's more passive.
Now... Let's begin...
 
Start of Emerald Coast:
Strat: "Island hop"
You can use all three cameras here. It's mainly down to preference, but if you don't control the camera in Auto to have it be behind Sonic, you will get a really bad camera angle.
 
Strat: The other thing
Only use Free Camera at the start for this. Anything else is bad and hard to work with. It'll only slow you down in the end.
 
Before second Checkpoint to third:
Auto Camera is the best here. I know you can't see where the ramp is, but Free camera shifts around and kills your distance during the jump as a result, obviously making the jump harder. I'd recommend learning the angle you need to jump at. Don't control the camera here, as it'll just shift anyways and lock (as far as I'm aware; I could be wrong).
 
Third Checkpoint to the end of Act I:
If you're using anything but Auto Camera here... You're in for trouble. Free camera makes the entirety of this section stupidly difficult to properly manage. I know getting onto the lighthouse bridge is a pain in Auto Cam, but you have less control over Sonic in Free Cam in this area. Scaling the "wall" is much more difficult in Free Camera and also slows you down due to instability. Stay away.
 
Act II to the end
Auto Cam. Free Camera does nothing but shift around everywhere, which will kill your momentum AND make things much harder than they should be. Auto Cam gives you all the angles you need as well, so you're never doing anything blind. This is the worst place to be using Free Cam in the level.
 
Windy Valley Act I:
Controlled Auto Cam and Free Cam are the way to go here. There's a small problem with using Free Camera, though, but it's avoidable (it's a specific camera angle in Act II that is different from what I would call a manageable angle, but that could be only me).
 
For Controlled Auto Cam, hold R for a small amount of time after the jump from the platform with the capsule at the beginning, otherwise the camera will pan around... And hold L and R in the Gamma section, turning your camera to the right on the last platform before getting back on Sonic's path, and letting go. Otherwise, your camera angle will be a bit weird in Act II (at least for me; yes, it affects the camera in a different area for some weird reason)
 
Act II:
Free Camera is TERRIBLE here. It makes the "trampoline skip" unnecessarily more difficult. Use Auto Cam. When you hit the second-to-last spring at the top, MAKE SURE you hold L and R when the camera is at an angle where you can see the final spring (which is when the camera is above you). Otherwise, landing directly on it is more difficult.
 
Act III:
Start to Checkpoint:
Auto Cam - 3.5/5
Free Cam - 3/5
Free Camera is only partially useful at the very start, because the camera is directly behind Sonic while going down the ramp after the first set of dash panels. This can easily be avoided in Auto Camera, however, by not holding any directions and just rolling down after hitting said dash panels, pretty much meaning Free Cam doesn't have a true advantage here. Due to its erratic turning, the jump after the ramp is pretty awkward and dumb, while you can smoothly turn your camera in Auto to get to where you need to go. After that jump, however, Free Camera can allow you to see the rocket more easily, as Auto requires manual turning to be able to see the rocket in most cases. It's a minor difference, though.
After the rocket, the camera sometimes gives you a bad angle in Auto Cam, but that may also just be in ILs (since I've never experienced this in SS runs). [THC98: You can avoid that by not turning the camera while you're in the rocket, as the camera locks when you stop turning while in Auto Camera. If it locks while you're in the rocket, it won't adjust when you land, so you'd get that bad angle.]
 
Checkpoint to the end:
After the Checkpoint, the camera locks to the angle you get and you can't turn it. It'll only zoom out. Neither camera works well here.
After that, though, Free Camera's instability makes certain jumps harder, though Auto pans to a different angle by the loop (which you can fix by just holding L and R if you want to skip the loop). The springs don't matter, as the destination is the same and you'll get the angles you want with both. However, jumping down to where the dash panels and final slope are... You will get an automatic section, which is affected by camera angles. Free Camera has a tendency to send you into the wall, so use Auto Cam here. Free Cam ALSO makes the final jump to the end more difficult, I believe, so... Just use Auto Cam for Act III B)
 
Casinopolis:
Free Cam. Don't question it. Auto Cam will fuck you up unless you use the intended strats (which you'd better not).
 
Ice Cap Act I:
Free Camera is, no doubt, superior to Auto Cam in this part of the level. HOWEVER... Free Cam with CCEF gives the camera a weird angle right when you start off, so it's cool to start out in Auto here. The camera angles outside of the cave, though, are horrendous, so don't use Auto Camera there.
 
Act II:
There really isn't a preference here. All cameras work fine, no matter what you're doing, as long as you go from the Checkpoint to clipping past the bridge. Any other strats, I couldn't tell you, since I never did any other strat myself.
 
Act III:
Another case-by-case basis. It entirely depends on what method you're using. However, know that the fall is better in Auto Camera, as you have full control over the angles and you will get more distance, since Auto Camera doesn't shift around.
 
Twinkle Park:
Um... The camera ISN'T locked here? Just hold L and R after skipping the roller coaster and you should be fine. I THINK the jumps might require some camera control, but I don't remember. I never did Twinkle Park very much.
 
Speed Highway:
Act I:
Use Auto Camera. Free Camera is literally the worst shit here. After the first dash panels, the camera shifts automatically (since it's coming out of a lock). Then, for the drop, it moves automatically, which kills distance (as well as shifts before attempting to cross the large gap [notice I didn't say jump, because you're not supposed to jump there, as it's slower]).
Free Camera gives you one good angle, which is after the rocket, but Auto Camera is still a lot more stable, so it pretty much is useless to use here.
 
Act II:
Cameras matter here?
 
Act III:
Free Camera will literally fuck up the height you'll get for the first jump, as well as give you a bad angle right before it. You might be blind with Auto Camera before the final jump, but it's just going forwards, so there's no advantages to using Free Camera here.
 
(Why am I only stating Free Camera sucking so much? People use it more than they should and hate Auto Cam, so people will listen more when I say Auto Cam is shit in certain places over saying Free Cam is shit in places).
 
Red Mountain:
Start to second rocket:
I suppose Free Camera and Auto Camera are on a preferential basis here. Auto Cam leaves the path to the switch off-screen, and the start is a bit messy, though Free Cam gives you a terrible camera angle at the start, so... Auto Cam might be better. I dunno.
 
Second rocket to zipline:
You'll want Auto Camera. The jump to skip the bridge is terrible on Free Camera, since it shifts around so much, as well as making it more difficult to get around the spike balls without the camera turning you into them. It's unnecessary difficulty.
 
Zipline to end of Act I:
Free Camera. Don't care what you say. All strats from here onwards with Auto Cam are either slow or just stupid and unnecessary.
 
Act II:
Note: On PC disc with Auto Cam, both tunnels have some weird thing where the camera turns randomly. You can prevent this by holding L or R in the spots that those occur.
 
Strats:
Rock jump:
Free Camera will fuck you up if you try the jump with it. Auto Camera will give you the stability you need UNLESS you hit the spring. If you do, the camera will pan around for some reason, but skipping the springs is pretty easy. You'll be a bit blind for the jump to the rock, though.
Both platform jumps: Auto Cam won't help you here. Turning the camera to do either jump is really sluggish. Just don't do it.
 
Sky Deck:
If you aren't using Free Camera, you're either a shitter, on DC, or on GC B)
 
Lost World:
First Room:
Free Camera is obviously the best choice here. Your movement is a lot more free, since you have to take a 90º turn to the right. Auto Camera slows you down a bit and gives you less control of where you're going. However, it's a better choice to do this room in Auto because you'll have to do two extra camera switches (unless you do the watersnake/puzzle room in Auto Cam).
 
Flame Tunnel:
If you EVER try arguing that Free Camera is better here, I will fucking murder you. It's a straight tunnel. Free Camera will NEVER give you a straight angle here. NEVER! Auto Cam almost always gives you that proper angle unless it pans around, which tends to happen if you're going too fast. It's manageable, though, AND the pillars won't hurt you if they aren't on-screen (which is nice). However, the tunnel afterwards might also be behind you if you do the tunnel with the camera backwards.
 
Watersnake/puzzle room:
I'd say Free Camera is the most preferable here, since Auto Camera pans in a few places and makes some things harder. Buuuuuuut, it really doesn't matter too much. You should be fine using what you like here
 
Mirror Room:
Use Free Cam. Auto Cam doesn't shift enough to give you more freedom while jumping (which can cause you to start jumping blindly). Free Camera will give you a more direct and visible route to each mirror. This usually doesn't affect the chunk after the Light Dash path, though, since the camera locks there MOST of the time. If you're doing waterslide skip, don't do it in Auto Cam. You'll regret it.
 
Everything else:
Since the boulder shizz locks the camera partially, it doesn't matter there. I have no idea about any of the other parts of the level, since I've always used Free Camera for these sections.
 
Final Egg:
First section to Conveyor Belts:
Shouldn't matter too much. The only problem is the camera doesn't immediately follow you after the first Checkpoint, so... Yeah...
 
Conveyor Belts to the end of Act I:
You'll want Free Camera here. I don't remember what Auto Cam is like in this section, but there's a reason I use Free Camera here. I don't remember what it is, but there's a reason for it. Oh, and the spinning drums in Auto Cam sometimes pan it around, but I can't remember if the camera locks there (pretty sure it does).
 
Act II & Act III:
Pretty sure Auto Cam hates literally every strat in these places, so... Free Camera's the way to go

I might add some things regarding overworld stuff, but... That's later

Windy Valley Act 3 Skip tutorial by Katie

This is a trick discovered by Hazel, allowing you to skip the entire of act 3. It is challenging and require you to get and maintain a good gravity. The time you will save  will depend on how fast you can do act 3 skipless and the trick itself. Thanks to @Katie4 for making this tutorial.

https://youtu.be/2Un39t_4fmM

Gpro

Karpnado

Nimputs

j5y0ly9k

DreMinus

PeterAfro

AlphaDolphin

Argick

1qpekp36

Sora

Refrag

Risuruuu

Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut

Tails Levels

Xbox Series X

easiemode

RealChaotixSonicScience

Glitched

Linear

PC Disc/Steam

Xbox/Playstation

GameCube

Early IC

Level C

Level B

Story Style

Level A

Single Segment

Emerald Coast

Windy Valley

Casinopolis

Ice Cap

Twinkle Park

Speed Highway

Red Mountain

Sky Deck

Lost World

Final Egg

Sand Hill

Twinkle Circuit

Chaos 0

Egg Hornet

Chaos 4

Chaos 6

Egg Viper

Hot Shelter

E-101 Beta

BETA Mk. II

Egg Walker

Chaos 2

ZERO

Perfect Chaos

Xbox

PlayStation

XBLA

Sonic's Story

Tails' Story

Knuckles' Story

Amy's Story

Big's Story

Gamma's Story

Super Sonic's Story

All Stories

130 Emblems

Route

System

Tails IL Type

Knuckles IL Type

Amy IL Type

Big IL Type

Gamma IL Type

Sonic IL Type

Use of the pause menu within an IL run to buffer your way through inputs and sections, this does not include use of the pause menu for things like:

- Camera changes
- Listed specific tricks (TBA)

Naam	Auteur
# 2024 SADX Setup Guide	DreMinus 7 months ago
# Configuring Livesplit to IGT and RTA for Sonic Adventure DX	Argick 3 years ago
# Everything you need to know to Speedrun SADX	Sora 3 years ago
# Setting up the PC Disc version - text guide	Nimputs 2 years ago
Basic Terms and Techniques	Nimputs 1 year ago
Big the Cat's Story [Text Guide]	Risuruuu 2 years ago
Capsule glitch to avoid the +10 seconds on the timer for level runs in story mode	Nimputs 3 years ago
Gamma tutorial by Kinkycadence	PeterAfro 7 years ago
Knuckles piece locations	Nimputs 1 year ago
Knuckles story speedrun tutorial video	Nimputs 4 years ago
PC Disc Versus Other Versions Excluding DC	Gpro 9 years ago
Sonic's story video tutorial	Nimputs 2 years ago
Super Sonic Story Speedrun Guide video	Refrag 3 years ago
Surviving Egg Viper	Karpnado 8 years ago
Tails Story Route (Linear Route)	AlphaDolphin 8 years ago
Things About Sonic's Linear Route vs Glitched Route	Gpro 9 years ago
Which Camera is Better for What Area	Gpro 5 years ago
Windy Valley Act 3 Skip tutorial by Katie	Sora 3 years ago