One of the top runners is already working on it and found a consistent way to make a smaller version of the trick work which should still save time. I definitely would recommend joining the discord server like Gnist said it's so much easier to communicate there. :D
Pretty neat stuff. Definitely Episode strat worthy not sure about full game though if they're as risky as you're saying.
What oggy said any big model ps3 is gonna be better than a slim I messed up on that info thanks oggy. Yeah the ssd is a hard drive you purchase to replace the hdd in the ps3. You need a specific size iirc it's 2.5 inch but, I wouldn't worry about an ssd until you cannot beat your time w/o one and really want to push the time lower. (Edited to what oggy said so there was no conflicting information - Zen)
For sly 2 CECH-A01 (B01 ; E01) W/ a SSD is the best for resets and such. However, second best I believe is any Slim ps3 w/SSD I only lost a couple of minutes over the whole run compared to my current PS3 with my slim and episodes you lose 21~ seconds max. Someone else might be a bit more knowledgable but, I think that should cover it. (Obviously an SSD only enhances these things they are not required for them to be fast I was just stating it so you knew)
Explanation video on the Panda King Knock back exploit found by Night Grimoire
New route for sly's portion of ep 4's prelude