My thoughts are as follows.
I was one of the few people who didn't like V-sync toggling to begin with. Over time; I just simply accepted it to be part of the run, but refused to do it in actual runs. This was a forced handicap but I didn't mind. Further advances made Resolution Togging become a thing. Now it was possible for people to set insanely high resolutions to drop their FPS to 5~ and achieve certain clips that were just simply impossible without, or to allow others to clip through objects they couldn't before. This required editing a config file; which we already do to set key binds so that part I didn't mind too much. However...
What I did care about, was how it was shown to the viewers. The screen was much like a slideshow, rather than a video. It isn't enjoyable to watch for me personally, but others might have different opinions.
- Does that mean it should be banned? No, I don't think so. I just don't watch true Any% runs anymore as a preference.
- Did it kill the game? That's debatable. A:I has had slumps in the past.
- Banning it won't bring the game back to life. There are other categories.
So, in general; I believe that we could go further for the non-legacy runs to make it less "messy". Sure, it's a slideshow during the clippings, but that's better than taking 4 steps backwards in my opinion. If people don't want to run the categories; they just don't have to, and can run a different category if they wish.
- Ruuj
My Experiences with Crouch Clipping without using V-toggling. I'm partially against V-toggling to begin with.
My main concern is the later missions, 15 onward for the All Missions Category. So far the only 2 runners that actually have attempted this category since the discovery of this glitch are myself and Cliffs.
- M2 Door is consistent. Haven't attempted the massive skip to ignore Axel.
- M6 Keycard Door is semi-consistent. Died once to the Alien.
- M6 ER Blue Door is not consistent at all
- M6 Door to skip vent is consistent
- M7 Door is not consistent for me
- M10 Door to skip save station terminal is consistent, top of the stairs to be specific. Haven't done the big skip just yet going into the vent.
- M11 Shutters aren't consistent, especially the one you have to clip through twice if you don't skip the entire mission.
- M12 is semi-consistent on both skips.
- M14 Easy clips. Consistent
- M15 Consistent, just takes time on the first one.
- M16 Soft-locked 3 times in 2 runs on the Red Mini-game in the Observatory. Other wise the mission runs properly.
- M17 Weird Alien behavior throughout the mission. Either completely absent in the first part or heavily aggressive in the 2nd part. The parts where I died were my own mistakes; but the Alien was definitely awkward to deal with in the 2nd run.
I haven't been able to complete a run with the crouch-clipping. I lose too much time to bother continuing due to deaths/soft-locking in M16. We need more people to run the game with this new glitch, especially All Missions and see what happens in the game that isn't standard patterns.
I guess I'm part of the minority that really hates the invisible walls in the Power Plant. That killing a really good run would break me personally, especially with the route being the way it is now; you don't have (much) time to craft items to help you in S10.
I really like Lost Contact's design over Safe Haven; it was a lot of fun to play casually, but I still really, really, REALLY wish that those invisible walls weren't there (There is more than one; there are at least 5 down in that area of the Power Plant). Being aware of them is one thing; but dealing with them is a completely different matter.
Good luck with the runs for Lost Contact is all I can really say.
- Ruuj
Twitchy; the Alien thinks you are in a "dead" state, I assume that is why the Alien goes away? I wouldn't really know. That is a good point though.
This would need to be looked into. Just to see if soft-locks happen since you are in a "dead" state. Sounds very interesting though.
Even though I'm not running anymore I guess I can still say what I think.
Safe Haven should be RTA'd. Bottom line. An IGT that resets is stupid silly, so to agree with Psycho's point with the "Official" Leaderboards are to be completely ignored unless there is video evidence of the run.
As for the segment skip glitch; a separate thread will be made to discuss it if people would like to continue looking into it. The people that don't like it can say their reasons as to why. For people who encourage it they can go out and -prove- it can be reproduced in a controlled environment (To prove it isn't RNG if it happens or not. That is what you all need to find.)
- Ruuj Rubellite
Qckdth; please read the part where I said "It's been fun..." and that should answer the question about Safe Haven. Lost Contact; no. Read my other thread.
https://twitter.com/RuujRubellite/status/651898756758175744
For those who don't care for twitter.
Basically; long story short. I'm done with Speedrunning Alien: Isolation. The card refuses to work properly with this game. (Which absolutely makes 0 sense. It's an AMD card with a game that was made alongside AMD..)
Long Story Long. I've trouble shot it and the only thing that made sense was drivers. Because it ONLY happens with this game. Reinstalled the drivers and it still happens. I can't be asked to continue with this kind of silly shenanigans. So I'm sorry to say this; but I'm actually legitmantly done with this game in terms of speedrunning. My Any% time will most likely be removed; and my 100% time will stay the way it is as a basic benchmark for people who might want to run that category.
It's been fun.. and painful at the same time. I'll still be around in the community but I'm "retiring" from this game in terms of speedrunning. At the very least I'm done with the Campaign; but I'm not going to mindless grind Safe Haven for a sub 16 time or spam basement. I'd like to retain what sanity I have left.
I wish that you all understand my frustration and hope to see you all in my channel even though it will not be Alien anymore. If you don't come around; I'm sorry to see you go. I'm still me.. unless you come for the speedrun and not for the person. (Yes; I went there.) Take care, and I'll hopefully see you around in my studio.
If it simply bases off of loads; the 100% category would be a complete mess with an auto-splitter with constantly having to remove a split after -every single- load. This mostly only applies to M16, but M15 has multiple loading zones. It's an inconvenience more than a help at that point.
Honestly I don't see a point for an auto-splitter at this point-in-time due to how small the community is. With load-times starting to be relevant, simply manually time them out right now for the time being.
That is simply my opinion, yours my differ.
Lost Contact, for those who don't know, is the 4th(?) DLC pack for our little game here. It is very similar to Safe Haven in the fact that you need to do 10 missions in a row to survive; salvage mode. The only really notable differences are the location and that the Alien is far more active in Lost Contact.
Let's get into the whole Speedrun details from my 7-8~ hours of playing this DLC. It is better than Safe Haven in terms of play value; by far. However is it worth Speedrunning? Let's find out...
The Route so far that I've made that gets close to the "Recorded" WR of 22 minutes and some odd seconds is S1, S2, L3, L4, S5, L6, S7, S8, L9, S10
The route can be subject to change; and most likely will change. The only legit time to go off of is 22 minutes and some odd seconds.
S1 is far faster than L1. Less distance to travel and you don't need to hack a door if your hacking isn't amazingly fast. The door hack and the run around are the same time if your hacking is average like mine. You trade having to hack a door in L1 to having to hack it in L6. Alien is active after Generator.
S2 is really fast, in and out. Only thing now is possible Alien dropping in front of you. Flame him and hope he goes away right away. Alien is active.
L3 is far superior to S3 in terms of speed. Psychorun to pull a lever and out you go. No Alien.
L4 is the best choice here; because you need to unlock the Waiting Room for later missions; and what better time to do it than a mission that asks you to do that? Grab the Keycard in the farthest room and go unlock the Waiting Room. Alien is active; care for being vented.
S5; I picked this one because you have to turn the gas off for speed in S7 and S10. Other wise you have to use a vent. Psychorun the entire time, stun the Joes if they are in your way and turn off the Gas via the only room that is open. Proceed to get the last kit and get out. Alien is passive.
L6¤; This one is required to do and involves you trigger 4 consoles. There is only one console that is a run ender; it sits directly under a vent. Deal with the two humans with the Stun Baton but take care as both of them have Revolvers and their positions can change. The Alien is active here on the floor, be aware. Use noisemakers to keep the Alien -out- of the Vents if you have too.
S7¤; Another one that is required to do. This is where us turning off the gas in S5 comes in handy. There are 3 humans directly in the way of where you need to go. Deal with them and proceed to the reactor. Alien is passive here.
S8; I choose this one at the start because no Alien till the codes; but there is a fatal glitch in this area that I found out in S10 which I'll explain later with a highlight. There are 3 facehuggers; easy kills since the Alien is inactive till you go for the codes. Avoid the Alien if you can and grab the codes. Make noise on your way out so the Alien follows you to the elevator as you go up.
L9; torch the panel first. Deal with the Super Joe (Haven't really found a way to do that just yet.) and Lock that door down first. Go back through the vent and lock down the Waiting Room. Then go to the generator and lock the rest of the area down. Proceed to safe room. Alien is passive.
S10; Okay.. here is ideally the best route to not have to deal with 2 aliens in the Power Plant. You simply psychorun to the lift and hope the Alien isn't there to greet you. Get the Coolant tanks and out you go. Take MUCH care with this area, before the lift. Once you are in the door; yolo run to the lift and up you go. The Alien should drop down there and head to where the lift was. Proceed to part 2.
This part is relatively simple; go through vent, hack the terminal then use the console. Deal with the Alien if you have too; as there are now 2 aliens here. One is active and the other is passive. Get your ass back to the safe room and #profit.
Okay; now that my routing idea is down... the rant.
Power Plant Cooling Area is the WORST coded area in the ENTIRE game. There are invisible walls EVERYWHERE that not only A: Block your Flamer bursts, B: They force your flamer to go 'away' and trigger the Alien to charge you, but C: Molotovs will kill you. This area forces any speedrunner to hope for god RNG with no Alien here, or manipulation to have the Alien drop before you get here but that doesn't always work as intended and then makes vents a hazard. This puts us in a sub-optimal situation for this section if things go wrong (And trust me; they will.)
Highlight:
There are a few vents in this DLC that are absolutely horrible and forces you to either A: Have no contact with the Alien at all (Impossible), or B: Yolo run it and hope for good luck. This is mostly in Lorenz Private Wards. One vent lurks right above a console and you -will- die after you finish the animation. This one isn't that bad so long as you can keep the Alien on the floor with a noisemaker. The second vent in question is actually in the same level and is the first vent in the level. You can't get past the vent if the Alien lurks in it. Period. It's hit box is truly massive and will pull you under it... ending your run with a swift bullshit kill.
Now; you could try flaming these vents and see the results. I don't believe that does anything, as I am mostly a 100% Campaign runner. Vents are death. End of story.
Screenshots of these vents to come soon™
Is it worth Speedrunning? At this point in time: No. The last mission glitch with the invisible walls is sub-optimal and not worth the hassle of being -forced- into a situation where you have to bleed time to avoid the run dying.