The speedrunner didnt use the all stats glitch, can we get a new catigory of 'glitchless' speedrun for vampire bloodlines?

Thanks : )

Yeah but a glitchless run could be attempted and recorded.

The most recent patch doesnt include the all stats glitch :)

There would need to be an in-depth discussion on what counts as a "glitch" in this game before the creation of a "glitchless" leaderboard becomes possible

I agree, the main glitch is the free stat exp glitch at the start. getting max in all areas makes the speedrun broken.

Not exactly. The run is still very "broken" without it. The only thing it alone allows for is the current Santa Monica route, since you need level 10 lockpick to enter the Ocean Hotel early. It does make the Nosferatu route on the Elizabeth Dane much easier but it is possible without it.

I think the underlying want from "glitchless" categories is some idea that you are running a more developer-intended or skillful category because you are not "abusing" glitches. I'd challenge anyone to hold a true conception of what the developers intended for Bloodlines, especially nowadays as most everyone has experience with the unofficial patch, which is modified in various ways from the official patches, some as small as the location of NPCs and dialogue choices being different numbered options. I'd also challenge a glitchless category of this game as being more skillful, as if anything they would be on equal grounds depending on the runner. But I would think that someone performing the setups for fast skips, including glitchy ones, would be far more entertaining. For example, I really do not get much entertainment out of, nor would I be in awe of the skill of, someone not performing the 2nd tape skip because it's a quick save and load glitch, and instead getting the tape information from the Sin Bin like we used to.

Right, the 'entertainment value' is the key term here, if you look at the sgdq schedule:

https://gamesdonequick.com/schedule

https://pastebin.com/YK588uUZ

For the prime time games (5-10pm) it is zelda > mario, dark souls

If we want to grow a viewer base and eventually get on 'gdq', we have to ask ourselves what makes the vtmb run most fun.

The reason that es3 morrowind and es4 oblivion is not run is not included and es5 skyrim is included is because es3 and es4 have gamebreaking gllitches at the start of the game much like the vtmb infinite stat glitch.

I would argue that the vtmb infinite stat glitch at the start that makes your character automatic invulnerable 'super tier' that can one shot everything detracts from the speedrun's fun entertainment value.

Well I ran VTMB at AGDQ2014, so there is no "eventual get on" as it already happened. I would like to run the game again with the newer route, and I submitted it to this year's AGDQ, but I had Castlevania accepted instead. If I'm able to go and it gets in then that's great, but I don't look at it as an overall goal in speedrunning the game.

I disagree that the run is more entertaining without the experience glitch. The experience glitch does not allow you to one-shot anything. The real benefit is the level 10 lockpicking skill gained from the experience. Pretty much everything else about the route is the same but for that being possible.

Burrowing beetle, which is your main damage source, is a discipline that scales damage based on what it is hitting and that NPCs stats, so it doesn't really matter what level or what experience you've spent. It basically does the damage it deals as long as you have blood to spend on it. Unarmed is more powerful, and you'll deal slightly more damage to Ming Xiao near the end of the run if you use unarmed, but really as long as you force your character to throw a left-punch you'll send most enemies flying out of your way, which is the main use for unarmed except for one or two cases like Andrei's abominations in the sewers. For defense, it allows the Nosferatu to comfortably get the police report and check out the sarcophagus on the Elizabeth Dane, though I wouldn't count that as being invulnerable. Going through that section without the experience is possible, but is either pretty annoying and inconsistent, or a lot slower if you decide to spend experience for obfuscate.

The rest of the route but for one door you can lockpick while getting the 2nd tape early, is exactly the same.