MetConst Community Super Metroid 100% Race

[ProjectXVIII]

Because of a sudden explosion in the popularity of Livestreaming and racing against each other in #metconst, people have decided to set up an event on Saturday with everybody racing Super Metroid for 100%. Most of the people who are racing are planning on getting on Skype so we can all talk to each other and stuff while we race. However, we haven't decided on a time more specific than "Saturday, June 16". So, in an effort to get as many people into this thing as possible, I am creating this so people can suggest an ideal time to start the race.

So far, the people who are (most likely) racing are: Me, Flibj, Scyzer, Fizzer, squishy_ichigo, person701, MetroidMst, Katelyn, DSO and Drewseph. As far as I know, most of these people are going to be on Skype as well.

If you want to get in on this, just join #metconst (preferably shortly before we start the race so we can get everything set up) and hang out until everything gets sorted out and we begin.

If all goes well and people enjoy doing this, we may set stuff like this up again some other times, perhaps racing hacks/other games.

[Katelyn]

Put your skype information in here so we can add you to the chat/call!

Skype username: vaelstroma

[Eppy37]

I'd join in this, but I'm away at work till 8:30 PM EST...

[Quietus]

I'd be interested in more info as to how they're playing.  Are they just each playing their own emu, and just chatting on Skype while running?  If so, I may pretend, and watch Behemoth's world record, and commentate my 'playthrough'. :heheh:

Also, I presume the fast forward buttons are disabled? :wink:  In seriousness, it might be worth clarfying these things just in case.  !00% emu speed, no fast forward, include / exclude Ceres (exclude, if you ask me), one save state before each boss - this'd work since the more you load, the longer you'll be.

I'd be interested in seeing what sort of times people usually get while playing.  It may be interesting to take, say, the ten fastest, and find out our average. :^_^:

Anyway, for a time to play, I always feel that about 18:00 Eastern is the best option, as it means that most users in Europe can still be up late to join in, and anybody west of the US could be up at a reasonable hour too.

[Fizzer]

People can choose to play an their emulator or console of choice, but the ROM must be clean and all emulator specific functions like states and speed changes are out. Only buttons that are analogous to those on a SNES controller can be pressed :P

Everyone should prepare a save file that's at the start of Ceres after the intro text, as that's where we'll start from.

We're probably playing for in-game time again, though the issue of people being able to die all they like and not really suffer any consequences for it keeps coming up, so I'd like to suggest a time penalty for deaths :P

In the race we had yesterday Person701 won with 1:27 (after having to search around for a missing expansion, I believe) and I came up second with 1:31. About a week or so ago Scyzer won a race with ProjectXVIII and Flibj with a time of either 1:36 or 1:34, I forget which.

People are also encouraged to stream their runs so anyone interested in watching but not playing can do so, and so a record of all the runs in this momentous event exist, but if that's inconvenient it isn't a big thing :P

[Quietus]

OK, sounds cool.  Depending on what time is eventually chosen, I may even take part (the social butterfly that I am), though I've not set anything up for streaming, so I'd have to investigate.

[Fizzer]

If all goes well and people enjoy doing this, we may set stuff like this up again some other times, perhaps racing hacks/other games.

If we decide to do that we could make it a Saturday or every other Saturday thing, at the same time, if we can agree on one. We could decide on the game the week before so people who haven't played it have a chance to practice.

[Quietus]

Oh, how I giggle at the prospect of a stateless SM: Impossible week. :whoa:

[Fizzer]

Maybe for a hack like Impossible we'd have some rule changes and just play for real time  :cool:

[Zhs2]

I would fancy the idea of a blind race. The next time some new hack comes out, everyone who chooses to participate in the next showing should refrain from playing the hack until that day and see who wins :D

[A_red_monk_called_Key]

I would fancy the idea of a blind race. The next time some new hack comes out, everyone who chooses to participate in the next showing should refrain from playing the hack until that day and see who wins :D

that would be awesome to watch if it could some how be put together in one vid

[Fizzer]

I would fancy the idea of a blind race. The next time some new hack comes out, everyone who chooses to participate in the next showing should refrain from playing the hack until that day and see who wins :D

that would be awesome to watch if it could some how be put together in one vid

Like a split screen? If everyone streams and then saves the video to their channel it could easily be made  :razz:

I imagine a blind run would take a pretty long time. I'd feel sorry for the people who were starting late at night.

[A_red_monk_called_Key]

i think it would be vary entertaining if it was done like a sports program.

cover the HUD with a horse race type leader board (just on the vid)
then show different players on screen, and commentary. a small face window in the corner would be cool but i think that would take a long time to do.

[MetroidMst]

I would fancy the idea of a blind race. The next time some new hack comes out, everyone who chooses to participate in the next showing should refrain from playing the hack until that day and see who wins :D

This would be sydneysauce. I approve of this method for Much More Time. I will even hold the release until two hours before the race is supposed to start.

Since DSO and I may join the Saturday depending on time. (18:00 should work good for me though. 24 hour time FTW!) Neither of us can stream, but will be on Skype. I will however record my run on my emulator and post the product on IRC for all to view, though I will be mentioning what accomplishments I achieve during my run, so you will hear a vocal track of my progress as well.

[Zhs2]

I wonder why it is that I didn't have you in mind when I said that. That being said, I would have to make an exception for your hacks. :stern:

[MetroidMst]

Be honest Zeke. In a hack Like that everyone has a chance no matter their skill level! I think it evens the playing field quite nicely for everyone, and may actually be a good idea to do that. (But maybe for another hack that uses random doors, but not the trolling challenge aspect.)

Also, I forgot to mention. If I am able to join Saturday, then I will be starting the game from the menu, as when I start to record my movie I will have it set to "begin from reset." No one else has to, but it seems like a fairly good idea to get all the racers started at a pretty even starting time. Since we are going for in-game time that doesn't matter so much, but it would give us a good idea of who is winning/losing when someone calls out their checkpoints.

[begrimed]

I'd hop into this race if I wasn't gonna be gone for a few days. Sounds fun tho'.

[DSO]

Skype name: Isakarka

[FullOfFail]

I'll be participating in the race, but not streaming or talking. I did make a skype account though, just type in either "FullOfFailure" or "fofalicious" (Inside joke, don't ask)

[personitis]

Since we are going for in-game time that doesn't matter so much, but it would give us a good idea of who is winning/losing when someone calls out their checkpoints.

I know there are a few people who share routes (Fizzer, DSO, & MST share the one I use), but since this is 100%, don't forget that routes may vary and progress will not always be the same. :)

Racing hacks is an idea that hit my mind before I saw this topic as well and as long as it's a hack that doesn't require save states, then I'm all for it. Also thanks for getting this up Project as I was having massive issues with internet last night.

Edit: We need times! Give a heads up what's a good time for you (don't forget to post your timezone as well) so we can plan accordingly. Myself, I'm pretty flexible with anything between 1pm to 4-6am EST.

[Quote58]

So far, the people who are (most likely) racing are: Me, Flibj, Scyzer, Fizzer, squishy_ichigo, person701, MetroidMst, Katelyn, DSO and Drewseph. and Shadow96

I was in the race yesterday and spoke in the first discussion of this.

i think it would be vary entertaining if it was done like a sports program.

cover the HUD with a horse race type leader board (just on the vid)
then show different players on screen, and commentary. a small face window in the corner would be cool but i think that would take a long time to do.

That sounds like an awesome idea.

Anyway, I'll be in the race as well, and I'm going to make a livestream account so you can all watch me fail :)

[Fizzer]

About 18:00 EST seems like a good time, since that makes it 23:00 in the UK, 13:00 at the other side of  and 11:00 in Australia. I think.

Edit: According to the #metconst topic 18:00 EST is the decided time.

Edit Again: Anyone who doesn't mind recording and being part of it, please record your run then PM me lynx, I really want to make that video XD

[Zero One]

I'll be joining in this race, albeit rather half-arsedly, considering that I've never actually completed Super Metroid. I was going to drop out, but Squishy convinced me to stay :D

I don't know if ZSNES can record (I think it can), but I'm not switching to SNES9x, considering how it crashed in the middle of my run yesterday, and bSNES just never works for me. I'll also be Livestreaming it and I'll be on Skype. Add me if you wish; stephen.badrick.

I wonder if I can also use Hypercam and stick it up on YouTube too... there goes my CPU!

[Quietus]

ZSNES can do recording, and is very easy to do so - probably even more so than snes9x.  The difficulty comes when you want to convert it from the .zmv into a movie file, and you need a number of external tools set up.

[Fizzer]

Also ZSNES recording tends to go wrong. If you'll be streaming (and saving the video to your channel) that's more important anyway. An emulator movie is only really good for this purpose if you won't be pausing the game to talk on IRC and stuff - if that happens a screen recording is better, or you'll go out of sync with the other players and the commentary.