Hello! This game was recently recommended to me by a good friend and I've found it to be really enjoyable. I've been developing an Any% speedrun in my spare time and I wanted to offer my thoughts on two new categories that could be useful for this game.

Krab% - Timer ends upon defeating the first KaiserKrab. This is mostly to get a short category in there, but in my own efforts, I've found this run by itself to be challenging and interesting.

4 Trials% - Timer ends upon activation of the 4th and final Trial Mural. Normally this would be the Wisdom Mural, but they can be completed in any order.

These would offer shorter categories to play with in addition to the full 8-10 hour Any% speedrun.

Any input would be appreciated! Thanks for your time!

I also ran this for a while a few months ago when I figured out the trader glitch and found route improvements (full explanation here), and even the full game could have multiple categories:

Any% (2:38:07) This is pretty much Trials%, but then uses the trader glitch to skip the rest of the game (the trader's 68th item overwrites a plot advance variable, so you can get the "Dark Sol defeated" castle state)

Any% no credits warp (4:21:04) Same as the 8 hour run, but with much better use of the trader glitch to get items early, sub 4 should be possible

Any% glitchless: I haven't tried it but I'd estimate about 10 hours (same route until the last Trial, then much more grinding)

I haven't submitted my run to the leaderboard yet because of timing differences (I timed from name/speed entry to credits start, the old run is from castle cutscene to Dark Sol defeated, and the credits warp skips Dark Sol), but the "no credits warp" run would still work (it'd be 4:20:16).

I have a KaiserKrab% run at 31:22. I feel like that category could be a fun short one, as there's little we can do to manipulate anything on the run that has been found so far. At least until one of us learns how to force drops or something of that nature. xD There is at least one other person interested in this run, and it could perhaps bring other runners into the game.

I am also interested in learning your any% route but I haven't had the time to fully analyze what you did to create the Castle State after the Wisdom Mural. Thank you for the explanation here. :) I will certainly give it a try in the near future.

I sincerely hope a category restructure can happen. I feel like every game deserves to have more than one category. Especially longer RPG's and maze games like this one. :)

The maps here should explain it: https://imgur.com/a/ecQvrQt

• First you have to enter enough extra spaces (at least 9 after Pyra's name) with the name glitch, which will give 7 bronze knives and extend the item list into map data

• Step on all orange tiles in the first map above (each one will add an item to the Trader)

• Avoid red tiles (they'd end the item list)

• After the Trials, pick up 1 item at the Trader to shift the explored tiles by half a row

• Follow the second map's path to add more items and get (at what should be the 68th slot) item id 0C, then visit the Trader again, and enter the castle to finish the game

The next 2 maps show where I get the items for no credits warp (after "FTTTTTTT" from the name glitch), except there's also map shifts involved to get the Medallion and more Barrier Rings (follow my run's exact route before entering floor 2).

Krab% does seem like a decent short category, slightly different from any% by not having to grind after, although it'll depend more on RNG to finish it at Level 6 (pretty low chance but it's possible). There's also the possibility of using the Japanese version for faster text (but no name glitch).

It'd be great to see more runs of this game :)

I have a Krab% Theory Route that could potentially get it done by Level 5, but it hard requires an Awesome Hit during the fight. I've stabilized a Level 7 strategy, but I don't see it going much farther than barely sub 30. A solid Level 6 strat would be excellent to see.

I'm going to study your routing on the Any%. Hopefully with enough prodding we can get the mods back in action here!

Just topic bumping the list here.

Category Proposals:

KaiserKrab% - A short run through the first boss. No known glitches effect this run at the time of this posting. I like this as a shorter introductory category. I personally have recorded times for this should it ever become one.

Any% - Normal any% rules. Anything is permitted. This will likely become dominated by Acmlm's Credits Warp route as it becomes better known.

Any% (No Credits Warp) - Allows the use of all known glitches except the Name Glitch Credits Warp.

Any% (Glitchless) - Disallows the use of the Name Glitch entirely and likely any future bugs or exploits we find. This is also essentially a 100% category, as it forces you to play through the entire game and defeat every boss to reach the end.

This would give the game 4 categories to play with, including a "shorter" one that could attract newer players to the game. :) As always, any input or other suggestions are welcome!

Having new categories is nice, however with no one seemingly running them right now, there is no incentive to create the boards for them. I'll ping 2dos and see what he makes of things.

Also, acmlm, saw your runs of this, was mad surprised to see you running a Camelot game! I'll be looking into this game sooner than expected, so those maps are super handy. Do you happen to have any more resources for the run?

I knew this game could be broken open with the trader glitch. Huge Kudos for cracking this game wide open!

Various info or data I had:

https://imgur.com/a/X6lfu4s - Maps of each floor and trial (made from the ones on vgmaps.com) with paths and trader items https://pastebin.com/CmbiS0H3 - Item data https://pastebin.com/kwhc44ZE - Enemy data and zone levels https://pastebin.com/i09v1VRR - Enemy data 2 https://pastebin.com/XdSjUW6y - Character stats, gains per level and EXP

The chance of running away is determined by the hero's level (even when he's dead) minus enemy encounter level (either by zone or special encounter):

• 2 levels below or more: 25%

• 1 below to 1 above: 50%

• 2 to 4 above: 75%

• 5 above or more: 100%

• Add 25% per failed attempt (so even at very low levels, it usually takes 2-3 tries and never more than 4)

• Bosses and some mini-bosses are always 0% chance

• Special encounters (crabs, Killwaves, etc.) are set on specific tiles/directions and usually happen at 1/4 chance (a few are 1/2)

• Water encounters are always set facing a puddle on each side and can be avoided by facing away (walk backwards and turn). The first puddle in Truth and Wisdom (each) is actually a mini-boss and only set on one side, a few other puddles don't have encounters

• Some other events or mini-bosses are skippable by walking backwards (crab encounters, Tortolyde rolling cutscene, floor 3 Blackbone, text before Dark Knight)

• After a fight, normal encounters don't happen until you move again (not just turn around) or open the status screen. Poison damage can also be avoided by only turning around

• On MP drain tiles, bonking into a wall (before turning) cancels the effect

• Items like Firesword and magic ring break at 1/8 chance (and disappear on the next use), but Light Blade never breaks

• Enemy moves with status effects have fixed chances (Poison 25%, Paralyze 12%, Sleep 25%)

• Milo or Pyra attempting to run away (hero dead) use Defend at the same time, so they take half damage

• Enemy HP starts at 75-125% of its base value (capped to 100%)

• Physical damage is (ATK - DEF)/2, a critical hit is 2x ATK (or 1.5x for most enemy criticals)

There's probably more I'm forgetting, and other fun but less useful things, but that's mostly what I had during the runs (and some routing, but nothing not seen in the runs).

Good luck if you run it soon!

Kinda wish I had known about those maps when I did my run awhile back. Also, would a glitchless run allow the peace glitch? (using peace when you first enter a floor before moving) what about renaming milo and pyra? I kinda think they should be because they're so minor, especially renaming milo and pyra, that could conceivably have been intended. what about skipping bosses/minibosses? I think theres a couple bosses you can skip just by walking backwards.

I think there at least needs to be a credits warp and non credits warp category, whether it be glitchless or just no credits warp, maybe a "defeat dark sol" category.

Having glitchless as "no trader glitch" only (or no major glitches, allowing renames and minor skips) makes sense and I'd be fine with it, "Defeat Dark Sol" would also be fine for no credits warp (but should still go to the ending).

So the categories would be:

• Any% (with credits warp)
• No credits warp / Defeat Dark Sol
• Glitchless / No trader glitch / No major glitches
• Maybe misc. with shorter categories (krab%, trials)

And all of them even have an existing run now ...

wait. Peace Glitch?

on most entrances to a level you can use peace even if you're under leveled.

I guess you just mean that you get a free cast of it and get the first few steps for free, eradicating any early encounters on a floor?

yep that's pretty much it, I think you can go up and back down steps/holes in some cases to get an extra free cast.

Can anyone elaborate on enemy zone levels? The table from pastebin doesn't 100% correspond to the data found in ROM (EU, Steam). What are the numbers on the left? How do I deduce what is 1b or 3f in here? (Do I just assume each rom is a letter? i.e. a, b, c, ect) Does "2f-3b" mean "through"? i.e. "2f, 3a, and 3b"? 1: 3 4 6 2: 7 8 9 10 11 12 3: 13 13 14 15 4: 16 17 18 19 20 5: 21 22 23 24 6: 25 26 27 28 7: 29 30 31 32 33 8: 34 35 36 37 9: 38 40 42 43 44 45

• Numbers are the "major" areas in order (1 is floor 1's first part, 2-5 is trials, 6-9 is upper floors)
• Letters are encounter zones within each area (separated by purple lines on the maps)

So "1b" for example is the second zone in the first area (introducing Man-Ape and Dark Jelly, level 4), "3d" is the last zone in Trial of Courage (Grimfowl and Minotaur, level 15), and yes the enemy areas listed are ranges.

I wrote this before I found the actual data in the ROM, but (after looking back and comparing) I only missed a few:

• Jackobutch, War Lizard (4e-5a -> 4e-5b)
• Reaper (6b -> 6a-6b)
• Gollum (8d -> 8d-9a)
• Centaurian (9c -> 9b-9c)

More specifically, the encounter zones are defined like this:

• Zone level
• Odds of spawning 1/2/3 enemy groups
• 8 possible enemy groups, with enemy id, odds of being selected, odds of spawning 1/2/3/4/5/6/7 enemies

As for what the zone level does, it only determines the chance of running away (as explained in a previous post), and whether Peace works.

Wow, thanks a ton, Acmlm!

Can't say I understood this part:

• Odds of spawning 1/2/3 enemy groups
• 8 possible enemy groups, with enemy id, odds of being selected, odds of spawning 1/2/3/4/5/6/7 enemies

I don't see anything describing that @ https://pastebin.com/kwhc44ZE Could you, please, elaborate/explain?

More specifically:

1. How does the game determine how many enemy groups to spawn (1/2/3)?
2. Why did you say "8 possible enemy groups" if it's "1/2/3"? What am I missing here?
3. Where can I find the data on possible enemy groups, enemies that can go in, odds of being selected, odds of spawning 1-7 enemies in a given group?

Sorry if that sounds too noob-ish, after all I am a newbie.

If there's a guide/video/article whatever explaining that stuff, I'd be so grateful if you could point me towards it.