[Setup] Downpatching and Steam Beta

Most restricted and unrestricted categories make use of glitches that were patched out (most notably, rope storage and i-frame on damage triggers).  The most optimal patch currently (21th september 2024) is **Ver [20240618xxxx.7fa8f8e6](https://steamdb.info/depot/1809541/history/?changeid=M:6612779001335543972)**, which has Static Rope Storage, and added Jade Storage. You can find patchlists on the [Tricks document](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LSTBIZvvADmFRNJw7fiJ2E1k3yf_b268WkaZyITLWik/)

There's a few methods to downpatch the game:

# Downpatching

For the steam version of the game, you can download old patches by using the Steam Console (or Depot Downloader in case the latter doesnt work), or by using the Steam Beta feature.

### Steam Beta (speedrunner patch)

The lovely devs have made a steam beta branch we can downpatch to (and recently updated it to an optimal patch, thanks devs again). This branch updates us to the patch where Jade Storage was introduced. (18th June patch **[7fa8f8e6](https://steamdb.info/depot/1809541/history/?changeid=M:6612779001335543972)**)

To access this version, open the game properties in Steam

![](/static/blob/pzmwpkxe.png)

Enter the 'Betas' tab, and in Private Betas insert this code: **speedrun20240618**

Check code and opt in for the speedrunner branch

![](/static/blob/yzrow7gz.png)

This will now enable the speedrunner branch as an option in Beta Participation. Choose the one you'd like to use

![](/static/blob/5ngdjm4n.png)

# 

### Using Steam Console (for other patches)

To access the Steam Console, you can open it by using this command in the browser, or on the Run Program (Win+R) feature in windows

```
steam://open/console
```

![](/static/blob/7e9jo43n.png)

Inside the console, we'll be using the **download_depot** command to access previous versions of the game.

You can check the old versions in **[[this link]](https://steamdb.info/app/1809540/depots/)**, by going into the respective Depot for your OS (windows or mac), then into Manifests and checking the patch dates. We also have a **[list of patches](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LSTBIZvvADmFRNJw7fiJ2E1k3yf_b268WkaZyITLWik/edit#heading=h.qbu4l8fsdrpd)** where important tricks or glitches were removed inside the **[[Tricks Doc]](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LSTBIZvvADmFRNJw7fiJ2E1k3yf_b268WkaZyITLWik)**.

The command will be something like this (patch download commands might also be found in the tricks doc):

```
download_depot APP (1809540) DEPOT(Win/Mac) MANIFEST(patch)
Depot IDs: (1809541 for windows) (1809542 for mac)

For example:
download_depot 1809540 1809541 7607609690383614330
```

This should redownload the game files into a new folder located in "\Steam\steamapps\content\app_1809540\depot_(your OS referenced above)". When it finishes downloading and installing it will show in the console something like "Depot download complete: (game folder route here)"

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1232094127965868123/1260385605687447612/image.png?ex=668f2111&is=668dcf91&hm=c787a51548662cfb27ba798c46e4257c977e00d0e39e65df3000759b528cf084&=)

After this, you can rename the folder (in case you want to download another patch later), then refer to the "Adding the game as Non-Steam Game" section.

### Using Depot Downloader

Check [this guide](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XgicBAqBvXbMnviRYvr6XiXax_I21ecxM-TaDmD_R7Y/edit) by BigNoNo (thanks)

After this, refer (again) to the "Adding the game as Non-Steam Game" section.

In case Steam Console stops working (again)

# Adding the game as Non-Steam game

To make sure the previous options dont try to auto-update the game on opening, make sure you add (inside the downpatched game folder) a .txt file called "steam_appid.txt".

Inside that text file, just put the app number -> **1809540**

This should allow the version to be opened without any issues. (You can maybe also make a copy of the speedrunner branch like this question mark)

After this you can add the game as a Non-Steam game inside the Steam Client for easier access to older versions.

[Setup] FPS Display and Settings

From today on, runs will require an FPS display to be verified. 



# OBS Settings

First of all, in case you're using OBS as recording software, you'll want to make sure the game capture is also including the FPS Display overlay.

If you're capturing the game through the Game Capture option, you should check the Capture third-party overlays setting. Window Capture does this by default usually.



# ![](/static/blob/oeog24kn.png)

# FPS Display through Steam

Steam has a native FPS display that can be used for runs. 

To activate it, first make sure you're either playing on the latest version through Steam, or have the game added as Non-Steam in case of downpatched versions. 

![](/static/blob/5e14p06e.png)



While inside the game, press the hotkey to open Steam Overlay (usually Shift+Tab), press the Settings option (the gear icon). Inside the In Game menu, select any option under the In-game FPS counter dropdown. As long as you reopen the game through Steam, the fps counter should show up.



![](/static/blob/qzp7m4xz.png)



# Installing Rivatuner Statistics Server (RTSS)

This software will provide both an FPS display you can use for runs, and options for hotkey to change FPS mid-run. You can obtain it **[here](https://www.guru3d.com/download/rtss-rivatuner-statistics-server-download)**: https://www.guru3d.com/download/rtss-rivatuner-statistics-server-download

## Setting up FPS display

Add the game application on the bottom-left, then select the option Show Own Statistics, this should add the display on the top-left of the screen. You can also drag the number display to move it wherever you'd like.

![](/static/blob/pzmw804e.png)

## Setting up 50 FPS hotkey

Select the game executable, and press Setup to open the properties. Under the Plugins menu, activate HotkeyHandler.dll, and go into its Setup. You'll want to add the hotkey for **Toggle Framerate Limiter**

![](https://www.speedrun.com/static/blob/yzrog4rz.png)

~to be continued~

[Setup] How to load lvl 0 True Eigong save.

1. download the saves from here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/u3b5aac7i50sf3c/lvl_0_true_eigong_saves.zip/file

2. go to C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\LocalLow\RedCandleGames\NineSols and replace both "saveslotX" and "saveslotX_BeforeNoReturnPoint" with the corresponding file in the saves folder, saveslot0 being the first slot, saveslot1 being the second, saveslot2 being the third and lastly saveslot3 being the fourth. If not all the save files are present, simply paste in the new save.

3. replace the "X" in "saveslotX"  and "saveslotX_BeforeNoReturnPoint" that should now be in the folder with the number of the save that was just replaced. or an unused save slot in the case not all the save files are present.

4. load the save, and hit confirm.


[Setup] Timing and LiveSplit setup

# Load Remover setup

For the run submissions, we require using a load time remover included in the LiveSplit autosplitter.

You can find LiveSplit here: http://livesplit.org/downloads/

Inside LiveSplit, right click on the window and press Edit Splits

![](https://www.speedrun.com/static/blob/3ekxoy3n.png)

Choose Nine Sols as the Game Name, and proceed to activate the Autosplitter functionality on the right. You can also check its settings for further options (auto-reset, specific auto-splits, different auto-start options, some don't work sometimes sorry bout that).

![](https://www.speedrun.com/static/blob/xz05kgmn.png)

To ensure the Load Remover is working, you'll need to have the timing method set as Game Time. To do this either go to Edit Layout -> Layout Settings -> Timer, and change the timer method to Game Time.

![](/static/blob/xzd4955z.png)

Or you can select Current Timing Method, and change it from the main window like here:

![](/static/blob/1n57r0qe.png)

-

# Start options

In the autosplitter settings, you can check the Start option to autostart the run. There's two methods of autostart included:

## From New Game

Make sure to have "*Start from Existing Save*" option unchecked. The timer will autostart when the intro cutscene starts playing (a second after confirming the game mode).

## From existing save

Runs that start by skipping Intro area (with an already existing savefile like entering Apeman Facility), will require a timing offset to compensate for the intro skip. You can add this offset manually after submission, but LiveSplit has an option to start the timer at a certain point.

![](/static/blob/kzwrl68e.png)

You will want to use Start from Existing Save autostart here.

-

# Manual retiming

For manually retimed submissions, we'll want a rundown of every load time. The autosplitter currently considers a load the first moment the loading icons appears, up to when a level finishes loading (only the latter in certain cases like the intro). If using YouTube, you can use [[this tool]](https://slashinfty.github.io/yt-frame-timer/)

The intro loading start and end is considered as:

- The first frame the save selection box shrinks (in case of existing save) or the first frame where the game mode selection box highlights to white (new save).
- The first frame where the save selection gong fades out (in case of existing save) or the first frame where the background noise starts while screen is black after skipping the intro video (new save).

For most room transitions, loads are counted as:

- The first frame when the screen starts fading to black before the transition
- The first frame when the screen finishes fading in after the transition

Soulscape in particular has 5 spots where it loads the next segment, then a few islands later another trigger adds that segment into the map. The latter freezes the game in most cases, so we'll be counting these times as loads to. In these cases, we consider the first frame after the movement has frozen, until the last frame before the next movement frame starts.

For reference, these 5 segments are:

- A -> B: In the middle of an island, with two trees (trigger is on the first tree)
- B -> C: On a small island that has a Tai-Chi eye in the middle (after the Tai-chi section starts)
- C -> D: In the middle of a memory island (after the spikey zone)
- D -> Miniboss: Right before the invisible spectre fight (reference is the island with a tree in the background)
- Miniboss -> Butterfly: On the small island after activating the memory hexagons, after killing Huanxian

### Extra random notes

If you would like to not see the split window in game, you can have it running in the background by going into Layout Settings, and checking out the Always on Top feature, so you cant see it but it still gets recorded by the recording software.

[Tech] Known trick repository

A recopilation of tricks and glitches known so far

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LSTBIZvvADmFRNJw7fiJ2E1k3yf_b268WkaZyITLWik

Juanba

nebulaaax

Nine Sols

Lirkz

cptsherplungle

zhetadelta

WuSeagal

Any%

Boss Challenge

Primal Power Well

Agricultural Region

All Bosses

Demo

Playtest 1

Playtest 2

Playtest 2 - Primal Power Well

Playtest 2 - Agricultural Region

Restricted

Unrestricted

100%

No Major Glitches

Standard

Story

20240614.e554ba4e

20240608.fe684f4d

20240602.41db9c37

Speedrun Branch

20240624.64af447d

20240718.ad9d9939+

Capped

Uncapped

Demo Subcategories

Playtest 2 Categories

Playtest 2 Subcategories

Demo Categories

Glitch Restriction

Subcategory

Game Mode

Patch

All Sols and Seals

True Ending

FPS Cap

# UPDATE 10th November 2024:

Regarding to the FPS rule, the leaderboard has been split to allow both capped and uncapped runs. Capped runs have been copied into Uncapped, and any old runs that either had no capped FPS or FPS display had been moved into Uncapped.

Capped FPS will require FPS display

Nazwa	Autor
[Setup] Downpatching and Steam Beta	Juanba 4 months ago
[Setup] FPS Display and Settings	Juanba 1 month ago
[Setup] How to load lvl 0 True Eigong save.	nebulaaax 1 month ago
[Setup] Timing and LiveSplit setup	Juanba 4 months ago
[Tech] Known trick repository	Juanba 5 months ago