Vermont, USAI've been trying to get some solid info on the power ups by watching the memory. So far this is what I've got:
Memory Locations for stats during play:
Current HP 05E7 (set to 60 for max HP always)
Armor 05F3 (setting this above 6A is bad. 6B freezes, higher resets the game when taking damage. It's AD&D, so lower is better. Setting it lower than 53 will also reset the game when taking damage.)
Current Speed 05F4 (Checks N of XN hex values. F is slowest, E is fastest but C-E moves too fast to turn and glitches the map after a while.)
Power Level 05F5 (0-3, or 11-13 with diamond. Values outside the X0-3 range change your attacks to enemy projectiles which do not hit enemies)
05F0 Orb Buff Timer: Mage Spells pass through you (including Stage 8 Boss).
05F1 Amulet Buff timer: Dragon Breath Attacks pass through you.
05F2 Arrow Buff Timer: Arrows/Stones/etc pass through you.
05EF White Potion timer: Combines Orb/Amulet/Arrow buffs
05F6 is your breath attack cooldown timer. Forcing it to zero doesn't change overall fire speed though. Forcing it to anything > 0 you can't shoot at all.
Wing: +1 Speed. Blue Potion: +2 Speed. Can't get more than +3 total with Wings and Blue Potion.
Shield: Supposed to buff defense permanently, but it's bugged. It reads the AC memory location (05F3) but does not change it. I'm guessing since the game will crash or freeze if the value gets too high or low they just made it a static stat for each dragon that can't be changed in-game.
Blue Heart: Heals 1-11 HP (randomly determined when spawned)
Red Potion: Heals 7-17HP (randomly determined when spawned. May heal more but never saw any heals over 17 or less than 7)
Red Heart: Heals HP to Max
Diamond: +1 Breath Power Level until hit
Arrow: Arrows/Catapults/Etc will pass through you while active (Red Aura)
Orb: Magic (Including from Stage 8 boss) will pass through you while active (Blue Aura)
Amulet: Dragon Breath (Including Dragon Queen's) will pass through you while active (Yellow Aura)
White Potion: Combines effects of Arrow, Orb, and Amulet buffs while active (White Aura)
I've only gotten two of the input codes to work, start at level 2 and skip to the end. There's one to start with more gold that doesn't seem to work and one to view the map indefinitely by pressing up on 2P that also doesn't seem to do anything at all.
the text of the Tree Scene intro, hit A button seven(7) times on Player-2 controller then hit start on Player-1 to begin the game normally. ```
This does start you at Level 2, but only with 18 HP. Seems low honestly, but having the advantage of being Level 2 for damage/defense stats might be considerable? It's been a while since I looked under the hood at how exactly level impacts everything.
I'm definitely curious if it could be allowable. Regardless I'm curious if it's advantageous to start at level 2. I've tested it works both FC and NA versions.
version only: Pressing Left and Right on Player-2 D-pad simultaneously will jump immediately to the ending screen.```
This is "technically" any% valid, but given I don't think the claim that there's a FC controller than can actually legitimately do a Left+Right input is true, and it's really against the spirit of "beating" a game, I'm sure and would agree it's not. Just a silly meme style "run/category" at best.
Been digging through the memory to figure out what the game uses to determine ranking. It checks the total weight of your five largest catches (memory 0147-014B). This determines your ranking, mixed with some frame-based RNG.
Lake Amada (Class C)
Target Bass Weight: 2.1lbs - 4.0lbs (small solid shadow).
17lbs total of top five fish is your ideal goal.
0.1-0.2lbs less can still win but odds are worse the lower you go.
Largest Fish Size doesn't matter.
You'll need an average weight of 3.4lbs for your top five bass to cement a promotion with 17lbs total.
Lake Japan (Class B)
Target Bass Weight: 4.1lbs - 8lbs (2nd to largest shadow with "holes" in fins)
34lbs total of top five fish is your ideal goal.
Again a bit less can still win but odds improve to lose as you go lower.
You'll need an average of 6.8lbs per fish for your top five bass to ensure you advance to Class A.
Lake More (Class A)
Bass Weight 8.1lbs - 16lbs (Largest shadow)
62lbs total of top five fish is your ideal goal.
It was possible to win as low as 60lbs, seemed close to a 50% chance.
You'll need an average of 12.4lbs per fish for your top five bass. If you're above 12lbs average and feeling lucky you do have a chance to win with that.
Shocking, I know, but there's actually not a lot out there for this game in specific. But, I found some more detailed info from the Gameboy game which was also dev'd by Hot-B and seems to line up with what little info the NES manual offers, so hopefully it's accurate (enough) here too:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/gameboy/581674-black-bass-lure-fishing/faqs/63610
-----------
Lure Colors
-----------
Along with choosing the type of lure to use when going fishing, you may
also choose between lure 'color', with red, blue and silver the available
options. The following are the optimal conditions for each color type.
Red
---
Rainy/Cloudy Days
Very Shallow or Deep Waters
Early Morning or Late Afternoon
Blue
----
Clear or Cloudy Days
Middle Depths
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Silver
------
Clear Days
Shallow to Middle Depths
Early Morning or Late Afternoon
Ultimately I'm not entirely sure color /actually/ matters in the NES version.
The manual suggests that the bass tend for deeper waters midday. For the first lake this doesn't matter but has anyone experimented with deeper lures in the other three lakes?
Spinner and Worm are the "sink" lures that are used for deeper fishing. Manual instructs "during the daytime" ie: Not morning or evening to use Sink Lures.
Popper, Frog, and Pencil are all float lures for morning/evening use.
All of the lures work well with the "Left, Right, Up/A, repeat" movement method. (According to the manual again). Worm can "dance" at depth with Up/A.
I was reviewing the manual trying to find any insights on lures or whatnot and at the back almost they have a tip to use the name HBMAX. What it does is change the depth meter's function for fishing and fighting.
Fishing it increases to display the efficacy of your fishing technique and it's attractiveness to the fish - instead of depth of the lure.
Fighting it increases to show the strain on your line while reeling. Sounds normal up to 10, and line breaks seems like maybe the first "tick" ending at/above 12.5.
Ultimately it doesn't really change how the game functions or what fish show up or how easy/hard it is to catch them best I can tell. I'm not sure it'd be super beneficial once the game is learned, but it would be helpful for learning how to play at least - having a numerical queue on how you're handling the lure as well as one to help gauge when you'd lose the lure.
I personally don't see why it would be disallowed. I doesn't seem to give an unfair advantage over someone who's practiced and wouldn't need the visual guides anyway.
I'm planning to do some more runs with it to see if it affects ranking or whatnot too, but the manual never claims to do anything other than change the functionality of the depth meter.
(Moved this from guides as I'm not 100% confident I have this correct yet.)
I spent most of a day running trial and error for certain times and frame windows for the several potential time-saving ? options for travel: Hillsfar - Rock Quarry, Big Tree - Hillsfar, Hermit's Place - Hillsfar, Ruins - Hillsfar, and Rock Quarry - Hillsfar.
Of these only three actually had the potential to work in favor of the run (Cleric route): Big Tree-Hillsfar, Hillsfar - Rock Quarry, and Rock-Quarry - Hillsfar.
Where you end up seems to be linked partially on the time of day in-game it is, but it's more specifically to a window of frames since frame 129 after a reset or power-on. Every 8967 active frames game time advances to the next hour. A handful of frames can be lost from events like a thief approaching you for a job in Hillsfar.
I initially tried each one based on the time of day, 1 - 12 (AM/PM didn't seem to matter). This gets obscured somewhat from resting, as the destination of the ? paths still seem to be consistent with what time it WOULD be if you hadn't rested opposed to what time it IS since you've rested. The run's short enough that if you never rested it'd be between 12-1am in game.
What's great is the return route from the Quarry to Hillsfar only works at 11 and 1. That lines up nicely to when it's usually possible to get TO the quarry with the quest. The hope is to leave the quarry inside of one of those two 8967 frame windows, which could be as much as 1000 frames delayed depending on progression and events. That's mostly why it felt like it was 50/50 when I was initially testing this return trip with save states, I had the state saved right on the border of these frame windows.
The game starts at 2pm. So your windows (Frame-wise) for a successful trip from Rock Quarry to Hillsfar are frames 80833-89799 and 98767-107733 (again these will be affected by dead frames). My 30:34 run exits the quarry at 102973, comfortably in the latter window, so I got the trip back to Hillsfar.
Similarly, you have three windows (or one large window) to get to the Quarry from Hillsfar on the 1st of the ? options between frames 80833 and 107733. My 30:34 run left 88831.
The shortcut I didn't use in my run that was the only viable one for Cleric I found was Big Tree - Hillsfar. This one works (relevant to the run) from 2-4 or frames 130-27030. This is a time save of almost 2300 frames, or a bit over 38 seconds, from going to the trading post then Hillsfar, assuming no falls on the treck to the trading post. This is using the three inputs ? path. My 30:34 could've used this as it left the big tree at 12120, well under 27030.
A concern I had was using the Big Tree - Hillsfar shortcut might cause the trip to the quarry to be too soon to work, or worse put the return trip at risk. It might be possible it could, but it's not likely in most cases I feel.
So, in summary, there are three shortcuts to use:
#1: Big Tree after finding the Acolyte: use the 2nd ? option (three inputs) and it'll take you directly to Hillsfar.
#2: Hillsfar after getting the quest to go to the Rock Quarry: Use the 1st ? option (four inputs) and it'll take you directly to the Rock Quarry.
#3: Rock Quarry after finding out Darhma's hideout is the Haunted Mansion: Mash A-button after leaving the quarry to get into the riding section. It'll take you directly to Hillsfar.
#1 should work 100% of the time so long as you exit the tree before frame 27030.
#2 should work if you leave Hillsfar between frames 80833 and 107733. A little later might work depending on how many dead frames (where the internal clock doesn't tick) you had during the run.
#3 should work if you leave the Quarry between frames 80833 and 89799 OR between 98767 and 107733.
If you're not on emulator (Everdrive/etc or actual cart) if you're loading a character to ride about as quickly as you can generally you'll start at about frame 1900-2000. 8967 frames is 2:29.45.
The Hillsfar-Quarry window is approximately 21:53.89 - 29:22.22
The Quarry to Hillsfar windows are 21:53.89-24:23.32 and 26:52.78-29:22.22.
It doesn't say specifically, but should be freshly made characters only (pre-created is fine, but still Level 1, 300g, 0xp, and no items). Maybe encourage, but not require given it'd be new, showing the party after a successful run?
Also, is a pre-saved party allowed? I'd assume it'd be better to say 'nay' given none of the current runs are using that option to save a bit of time when loading up the party, perhaps should be noted in the rules to clarify though.
re: Hard Reset- mesen it's clear (on my version at least) that it's a hard reset because it'll have a few frames of green after resetting (rather than just black with soft reset). FCEUX shows Power On instead of Reset. Hopefully other emulators have similar tells?
Or is there a way to "Soft" reset the game from within the game (and thus this rule is referring to not using that)?
Given showing a reset and stats rolling isn't required for the runs is there any reason to disallow save state starts? It does provide a potentially unfair advantage vs. hardware runners who can't save state start, but it doesn't do much other than open the game a bit more by letting folks skip the initial RNG gatekeeper of waiting for 500+ stat points... and THEN praying that run can be a run at all >_>
I bring it up as it's not expressly disallowed, but perhaps it should be clarified for or against in the rules?
After trying to get and use save-stated stats:
Seems that the 1st turn RNG, at least for events, gets locked in when you lock in the IQ stat. I had a state earlier that had 528 stats but even waiting up to 10 seconds I was stuck locked into Fief 15 getting hit by the plague. Turn order and such also seems to be pretty static as does NPC actions. After turn 1 though anything can happen again.
I've been trying D-pad inputs with jump like the initial block by the dragon but I've yet to once get this block to break. Any tips or advice one is supposed to get it to break?
Are the jumps over the vents just frame perfect? Or is there some setup to make them work I'm missing just watching the runs?
Also there seems to be a trick to more or less ignoring the zappy tomato that I'm missing too. Granted I still have to hit all the switches not being able to jump them yet, I still spend a lot of time dodging it.
Okay, read through the whole FAQ - the bank acquisition is accurate, but there's a notable bug where the event won't always trigger when stuff is unlocked.
So, earliest you can get the bank is 1905 - Five years after obtaining 20,000 population. If the bank doesn't show up in Jan 1905, spend down to less than $2000 on hand and keep clicking on the advise button, it'll eventually trigger the bank.
A side note, this also may be required for other missing items like Library, Extra Land, etc... though I've still not seen a library.
Has RetroArch been considered for emulation? Was there reason it's not presently permitted? The .ccd for the objectively better blue Kato works in that engine where I couldn't get it to work in Mednafen.
Has RetroArch been considered for emulation? Was there reason it's not presently permitted? The .ccd for the objectively better blue Kato works in that engine where I couldn't get it to work in Mednafen.
I question for those who've gotten the timing down on it or close to it: is there a specific frame to loose your shot? Audio queue? What do you use?
At best I've gotten to about 15% success on the shot. Feels like a 1 frame window. Both with ZodaNOR and Yogi's techniques. Is it really a frame-perfect trick? if so any advice on how to more accurately identify that frame would be super appreciated!
