With Plus coming out, we've been discussing how best to handle the leaderboards. Given there are general physics changes, we'd decided that Mania Plus should be separated from all currently up leaderboards, including for ILs.

After some discussion afterwards, we decided it would be best (and far easier) to actually make a whole new game, just called Sonic Mania Plus, rather than create another clusterfuck of category mess. Especially since, in all likelyhood, after some time these boards will not be actively competitive, so it'll be easier to spot where to go.

Sonic Mania Plus will be made and up soon, but for now, don't submit any runs on Plus to these boards. They'll be rejected and told to be submitted to the new boards.

Also as a last warning, there will be rules on the replay feature for ILs. Given some people are already working on editing the playback feature on them, they won't be allowed for top times (at least, we are deciding between not allowed for top, top 3, or at all), so keep that in mind as well.

If the replay feature can be used to cheat somehow, it shouldn't be allowed for any submissions. To do otherwise feels like an insult to those of us who don't have top times, as if to say we don't matter. I prefer to be held to the same standards as everyone else.

I don't see why someone would cheat to have a subpar time in an IL board anyway. People who cheat at this level of play are only cheating themselves.

I feel it's ok to allow replays outside top times because it saves the hassle of recording an entire session just to crop the moment where you get a PB (not everyone running ILs want to have a top time). And top times are always subject to higher standards anyway.

If i'm understanding this right, does that mean that video proof can't be recorded in the replay mode and have to be recorded as the run is being done?

Yes, in the form of how every IL on this leaderboard is recorded.

Question: will recordings of runs that involve racing your own ghost from a replay be allowed or rejected?

So it looks like the change in physics is the reason for creating a separate game entry for Sonic Mania Plus submissions. Something to consider is that Sonic Mania (not Plus) v1.05 also has the physics changes. It would make sense that those runs should also go to the Sonic Mania Plus leaderboards as they have the same physics to compete with Sonic Mania Plus..

I think it should be clarified somewhere, preferably both here and plus page that/if patched no-dlc game still falls under Sonic Mania Plus. Just to avoid having to answer the same questions I can see asked again and again.

Yes and I also think that should be stated at the rules per category of this leaderboard as well.

We may have to retitle this game as "Sonic Mania (old)" or something.