United StatesHi everyone, we have quite a few pinned posts and I wanted to make an updated version just to consolidate things and fix some outdated information. If you've read through this post and the linked google doc and still have questions, feel free to ask them in the discord (https://discord.gg/DUNfUp9ZGN)
TL;DR - Check the rules by clicking here. They'll have everything you need to know about what types of categories we have, how to submit, and how to know whether or not your run will require video proof. However, here are some of the most important points
- Timing starts upon pressing "OK" to start the first race, and ends upon crossing the finish line of the final track
- Submit your time in the "Time" field. PLEASE DO NOT PUT ANYTHING IN THE IN-GAME-TIME FIELD
- Cup runs must start on the first track of the cup, i.e. you can not submit your "Flower Cup" time as part of a broader Nitro Track speedrun
- For 16 track categories (or the 32 track base game category) you can submit them as part of larger speedruns, i.e. You can submit a Bonus Track time from a 96 track run. NOTE If you're doing this, timing starts upon crossing the finish line of the previous track. In the above example this means that timing starts upon crossing the finish line of N64 Rainbow Road and ends upon crossing the finish line of big blue
- If your time is lower than the proof thresholds listed in the above doc, you must have video proof or your run will be rejected.
- If your video proof features multiple resets or different runs, please leave timestamps for the start and end of your run, otherwise we may reject and ask you to resubmit
For reference, original pins can be found here:
Time Thresholds (Note we now require all cup times within 10s of world record to have video proof, not just top 5) - https://www.speedrun.com/mk8dx/forums/k76ek
Cup Run Rules - https://www.speedrun.com/mk8dx/forums/4op0q
Run Timings - https://www.speedrun.com/mk8dx/forums/wa4sr
IGT Timing (Note, we are no longer load timing runs) - https://www.speedrun.com/mk8dx/forums/rpdws
Here are some questions that we are frequently asked. Please read through before making a post
Thank you to Pianist15 for most of this information. His original thread can be found at the following link, but some of the information is outdated https://www.speedrun.com/mk8dx/forums/etl7j
Q: Is the digital or cartridge version faster?
A: Digital is much faster (and beyond that, the system reads the game slightly faster when it’s saved directly in the Switch’s internal memory compared to a microSD card). It saves about 3 seconds on the first loading screen and about 1 second on every other loading screen compared to cartridge. Note that this is only true for the base game tracks. As far as we can tell, the Booster Course Pass loads are the same between Cartridge and Digital
Q: Why don’t we use IGT (in-game time) instead of RTA (real time) to discount loading discrepancies between versions?
A: Ideally we would use IGT, however Nintendo removed in-game timing from MK8 / MK8 Deluxe. Additionally, we have tried manually load timing runs ourselves but the process is extremely tedious and it makes runs take MUCH longer to get on the leaderboards, so for the foreseeable future, RTA is the the best we've got
Q: Do I need a capture card to record my run?
A: Not at all! Most alternatives such as phone cameras and webcams aren’t as high quality as capture cards, but they are perfectly valid as long as what’s happening on the screen is clear.
Q: What if I make a mistake when submitting my run?
A: Whether you submit a run to the wrong category, with the wrong time, or something else, you can edit submitted runs by going to View Profile > Pending Actions, clicking on the time of the run you want to edit, and selecting Edit Run from the three dots.
Q: Why isn’t there a leaderboard for individual tracks or time trials?
A: Several other sites already keep track of time trial records, such as this one: https://mkwrs.com/mk8dx/ and this one: https://www.mkleaderboards.com/mk8dx and this one: http://www.mariokart64.com/mk8/ and this YouTube channel: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC_292L5mAJowD4LCCNZRbHg. We would be heightening the redundancy even more my having our own leaderboard.
Q: What’s the best character combo, and why is that the best?
A: For 150cc, Yoshi + Biddybuggy + Rollers + Paper Glider or an equivalent build (i.e. Peach instead of Yoshi, Parachute instead of Paper Glider, etc). For 200cc you can use the same build but swapping out Teddy Buggy for Biddybuggy. Technically it's probably a bit faster to use Luigi / Iggy instead of a Yoshi equivalent, but the time save is pretty minimal and some of the mini turbo strats become a bit harder. As for why these are the fastest, short answer is that they have the best balance of speed and mini turbo, which are the two most important statistics in the game
Q: Why aren’t digital and cartridge times separated?
A: In one sense, they are. You can filter the leaderboard to show only cartridge or only digital runs. They aren’t separate categories, though, for several reasons: First, simplicity. Adding separate cartridge categories would double the number of categories. Second, version differences do not affect the gameplay whatsoever. Third, the time difference is relatively small compared to what you can achieve through personal improvement. Finally, no one is excluded from obtaining a digital copy. If you truly want to have the fastest time possible, a digital copy is readily obtainable. Yes, it costs money. The mods realize that. BUT, it has been decided that the cost barrier is not a valid excuse to separate the leaderboard. This topic has been thoroughly discussed and firmly decided on. Please don’t petition to have it changed unless you think you have new evidence or arguments.
Hi Everyone,
Just a quick reminder that while not all runs require video proof, those that do MUST show the VS Race settings screen either immediately before or immediately after the run is over or else they cannot be accepted. The one exception is cup runs done in Grand Prix mode since there is no settings screen
Unfortunately Google link shorteners are no more, so the doc linked to in the rules is broken. If you want proof thresholds you can find them for the base game here https://www.speedrun.com/mk8dx/forums/k76ek. I am working on a similar post / update for DLC, but for now just assume that if you're within 10 minutes of record on any category (or within 10 seconds of record for cup categories) that you should include video proof just to be safe
Hey everyone,
Wave 6 is just around the corner, and the mod team would like your feedback on some ideas we’ve been kicking around regarding new speedrun categories and updates to existing categories
If you could fill out the survey linked below, that would be awesome, but here’s the short version of what we’re thinking about. Note that this is designed to give us more data about where the community is at, and we will use our best judgement to decide how best to proceed:
- Incorporating breaks into the 96 track categories and adding a filter for breaks versus no breaks.
- Deciding which subcategories of the BCP, if any, we want to have on the main leaderboard
- Removing the requirement that CPU difficulty be set to hard
IF YOU WANT TO DO 96 TRACK RUNS IMMEDIATELY PLEASE TAKE NOTE:
As far as incorporating breaks into the 96 track categories, we have not yet finalized where the breaks should happen, or how long the breaks should be, and will hold off on creating those categories until the rules are finalized. We recommended if you are going to be doing 96 track runs when Wave 6 drops that you do not incorporate breaks into your runs until the categories are live on speedrun.com to ensure that your runs are valid regardless of what we end up deciding
Please fill out the survey below whenever you get a chance. We've also created discussion threads in the discord that you can find in the #dlc-discussion channel
Link to Survey:
https://forms.gle/mmsBLJUhAZQdhc2y8
Link to discord:
Hey everyone, just looking for advice on how to hit the NISC at the end of the lap on Dry Dry Desert. I've watched a lot of WR vids, and so I get that you want to get an SMT, but I don't know if / when / how I'm supposed to hop. Some vids it looks like they only hop once, some vids it looks like they hop multiple times, but no matter what I do, it seems like 95% of the time I end up running out of SMT WAY before I get back on the track. Thanks in advance
