Does what it says on the tin. Gives SRcom an Individual Level category that doesn't tread on ctr4ever's time trial turf, and a shorter category that CTR desperately needs (any% barely counts imo). A few suggestions (based on convos in the Crash Speedrunning server:

• Uses IGT, so no need for hard platform separation, just platform variables
• Include variables for Easy/Medium/Hard, since each would have different strategies
• Include variable (not category split, just a variable) for NMG/Skipless, filterable means a lower barrier to entry for those intimidated by skips like Tizi/TA, but still keeps everyone competitive on one big unified board

Question that deserves consideration: how many laps? 3, 5, 7, or all?

3 laps:

• Pro: Could mean IGT from ILs in Adventure mode could be incorporated (using "Adventure" for the difficulty variable), which could lead to a great kickstart for submissions. (This could work out a bit like Spyro Flight ILs done mid-run, or MK8Dx where you can do a 16/32/48-track run in the middle of a 96-track run - got a good level in an Adventure category? May as well submit it to ILs too.)
• Con: Low barrier to entry could cause submission overload.

5 laps:

• Middle child, imo.

7 laps:

• Pro: Good test of consistency
• Pro: Higher barrier to entry, so fewer concerns about submission overload
• Con: Higher barrier to entry, so boards could get quiet

Category split for 3/5/7 laps:

• Pro: Low barrier to entry
• Pro: All the pros of 3 and 7 and flexibility of 5 laps
• Con: Potential for submission overload
• Con: Even if submission overload is manageable, not having a unified board could mean things look quiet for a while

Credit to Galaxian for bringing this idea up in the CB-running Discord. I think this would be a great category with a little more refining. Thoughts?

I'm totally not biased from the conversation in the crash discord, but this would be goated to add to the page tbh. It allows us to have a way to track times that apply to RTA settings, and have a place where you could push for AI, Wumpa, and Item optimizations, and see what human potential is with these factors in play.

As for the rules/categories, 3 Lap and 7 Lap are what I think should be there. 3Lap reason: (duh), 7Lap's reason, tho, to me, it being a consistency challenge would be such a unique spin on the way tracks are played currently. I think the Skips/No Skips flag is a great idea, as well as a character flag, too. I don't think they should be alternate categories; it would be too needlessly spacious.

Also adventure courses being submittable would be crazy cool. We'd have an unofficial "Community Sum of Best" in a sense, with the best times we have gotten in runs being able to be kept far more easily. They also would never become the meta because they would always theoretically be slower than doing ILs in Arcade due to where you start being further back.

Just occurred to me submission overload really won't be that big a deal? Since it's IGT, verifier won't need to retime, just verify there wasn't cheating used for the highest-level runs, and even that should be relatively quick with ILs.

As for laps: whether we go with (3-only), (7-only), or (3 and 7), 5 probably isn't worth including just because it's probably not going to see many submissions and only take away from the other two.

Additionally, the idea of Bosses and CTR Tokens (including Crystal Challenges) have been brought up in the CrashSR/CTRTT Discords. Easy solution, add a variable. Easy/Medium/Hard/Trophy/Token/Boss. More options means more interesting variants in runs, and if it turns out in the future that any of those modes are problematic for the meta, having those variables will make for easy board-splitting if necessary.

(FWIW, I'm also willing to volunteer as a verifier for this.)

I personally AGREE with all of this and think this would be a great idea. To have the potential to have everything together (Disc, Emulator, Virtual Console) would be an even greater playing field. I want to bring that up to include the CTR Category Extensions area as it combines those three ways of playing CTR together, and since those aren't just specific IL runs, 99.9% of the time, the disc/console players have the upper hand with load times.

With these having use IGT, this provides an EQUAL playing field as there would be no load time advantages. The game does not run any faster or slower (as far as I know) when it comes to being in the level, and even then IGT backs it up.

I think doing 3 and 7 laps would work out well for, well the reasons that were already given by Tara and Galaxian.

I think too this lets everyone explore different skill levels, too in some way. Something to do with what people know vs what people don't know (Ultra cuts, shortcuts, etc.)

I think this should be pushed forward more and made more public. This needs to be spread more. This could bring the CTR community up and more aware. If I think of anything else i'll edit/reply to my own post lol