Beginner's Guide to MI2:SE Any%

Hi friends- I've made a guide for folks new to speedrunning Monkey Island 2: Special Edition. It should include many of the strats and tricks used on the top runs at the moment and should act as a good place to start if you are just picking the game up. I used Docs to help with the formatting as I find it a lot easier to read than it would be here.

Additionally I did a run and recorded some commentary over the top explaining the tricks outlined in the text guide as they apply to the route as of this guide's posting. I hope between these it may encourage some new runners to try out Monkey 2/Adventure game speedrunning! The video is linked in the text guide, and I'll also link here. 

VIEW THE TEXT GUIDE HERE: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17ZcCIXDQ4MBJxH7VnVxHn7F_a5Co0jMKiqNGH9olWBQ/edit?usp=sharing

VIEW THE VIDEO W/COMMENTARY HERE: https://youtu.be/6DKC_-f6Yvs


If you have any questions or want to learn more, feel free to post in the forum, hop on the Speedy Adventures Discord, or drop by my Twitch stream. Would be happy to help a new runner! Good luck and hope to see you on the leaderboard!

Updates:
1/26/21 - Updated text guide to include some missing stopManips from the routing video. Added an update to cover the switch to IGT and how to set up your timers. Added a pinned comment to the video guide with the same data.

Horn Strats

So let's talk about 'Horn Strats'. Back when it was discovered that the Horn could be used to entice the Chef out of the kitchen instead of the old strat of messing with the trash can, we looked into a reroute of the Mansion on Booty 1. At first it seemed like the strat might not actually save time because you were stuck with a Long Chef animation, however, with help from runners aWay0fLife and Leolitz we were able to find a way to drastically cut down on the time you had to wait for the chef. This animation skip helped the new route save about 5 seconds over another potential route(side note: even without horn strats we still save lots of time by not doing fish first, which was the route at the time). Unfortunately getting the best time save isn't so simple because there are 4 different outcomes you can get from the Chef depending on your timing. 2 of the outcomes will save time, while the other 2 will lose time over not going for the strat. I will call the 4 different outcomes Long Chef, Box Chef, Perfect Chef, and Glitched Chef.

So how can we control which outcome we are going to get? It can be a bit tricky because there are a couple factors that will determine your outcome. The main factor is which line of dialogue the chef is on when you exit the screen. My assumption is that the Chef's animations are tied into his dialogue. The key is the second line of dialogue. If you exit BEFORE the second line of dialogue has been skipped you will get Glitched Chef and lose about 10 seconds(compared to non horn strat). If you exit in a window WHILE the second line is being skipped you should get Perfect Chef and save 5 seconds(I estimate this would be about a 3 frame window at 30 fps). If you exit BEFORE the third line appears you should get Box Chef and save 3 seconds. If you exit after line 3+ you should get Long Chef and lose about 5 seconds. This is my understanding after hours of testing, but there may be a little bit more to it.

To get the best possible outcome is a small window, but with some practice it can be consistent. So to setup the strat the first step is to 'use' the horn soon after entering the screen behind the mansion. The next part is to leave and to skip the text, although not necessarily in that order. So now comes the trick. Once the chef pops out you want to leave the screen, but the timing of the text skipping will need to change depending on Guybrush's position. If you are REALLY close to the exit, completely behind the mansion for example, you should text skip just before you click to leave the screen. If Guybrush is out a little further, you can click to exit first and then time your text skip for when Guybrush is just leaving your view behind the mansion. If you get the timing just right, you will get the perfect chef. So to put it another way, you wanna react to Guybrush's position, then time your text skip in relation to leaving the screen after the chef pops out. If you skip your text too soon you are likely to get Box Chef and if you skip too late you are likely to get Glitched Chef.

Some final thoughts. The safest play is to NOT go for horn strats, but if you are going for horn strats it is a little safer to skip the text on the earlier side because you will get either Box Chef or Perfect Chef which both save time. Just make sure to not be too slow leaving the screen because you will likely get Long Chef and lose time. If you do get Glitched Chef you are prevented from entering the kitchen, so the back up(for no reset scenarios) is to hit the trash can and leave out the left side of the screen while skipping the chefs text, then go back to the kitchen. If you are a brand new runner I would hold off on learning horn strats at first. I have personaly had the most success by letting Guybrush walk out just a little to give more of a visual cue for the timing on the text skip. Quick note for runners of the Special Edition, everything here will still apply, but the guide here assumes you have set the default text speed to the slowest. Because the special edition resets the text speed to MAX you just have to keep in mind not to be too slow or the text could advance and ruin your setup, but this shouldn't be a problem. Also for special edition runners, one thing you can do is buffer a stop manip when you enter the room to have Guybrush be right next to the exit. I haven't spent much time with this setup to know if you can consistently get perfect chef, but it is something for you to potentially try out.

In-Game Timer Installation Guide

I've put together a quick 1 minute video to cover how to install the in-game timer (IGT) used for the leaderboard. 

You can see it here on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/887128880

Or here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ijOLurJ_O6s)

I've also added a blurb on this in the Beginner's Speedrun text guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17ZcCIXDQ4MBJxH7VnVxHn7F_a5Co0jMKiqNGH9olWBQ/edit?usp=sharing

New graphics inventory tips

New graphics right-click menu features

When playing with the new graphics, you might have noticed that right-clicking on an object opens up a menu. If you release the right mouse button immediately, you'll select the default action. If you hold the right mouse button, you'll be able to select other actions.

Nothing too fancy here, except for the fact that this menu will be essential in saving time during the run. Let's talk about its hidden features.

## StopManip to warp to the next screen

No matter which graphics you use (classic graphics or new graphics), you can click both mouse buttons during some cutscenes, and Guybrush will stop in place. You can also hold Backspace before entering the map of any of the three islands, and then you'll be able to warp to some places by clicking both mouse buttons. The [beginner's guide to speedrun this game](https://www.speedrun.com/mi2se/guides/fpwwe), by thewoofs, covers these tricks in detail.

The main difference comes when using StopManip near a path to exit the current screen. With the classic graphics, there are some places where, if you're near a path to enter another screen, you can click both mouse buttons and Guybrush will enter the new screen immediately.

That doesn't work with the new graphics, though. That is, unless you open the right-click menu first. So, when using StopManip to go to a new screen, right-click on the path to enter that screen and then click both mouse buttons.

Sounds easy enough, but there's a disadvantage. Remember, when you release the right mouse button immediately after opening the right-click menu, you'll select the default action. Luckily, in most places where you can use StopManip, the default action is walking to it! Even if the "look at" icon appears, if you select "look at", Guybrush will just walk to the new screen. That means that, in most cases, it's completely safe to right-click on an exit and then click both mouse buttons when you're inside the "warping area".

For example, you can save a bit of time at the very end. Open the right-click menu and use StopManip to enter the room where LeChuck is. Then, when Guybrush says he'll take off LeChuck's mask, use StopManip and Guybrush will teleport next to LeChuck, saving a second, as shown in the [using StopManip during the final conversation with LeChuck video](https://dalek.zone/w/nvYLb7yTHawxuDS7wDnvt7). You can also make Guybrush stop during the conversation with his parents; it isn't faster, but it's funny :).

The problem comes in places where the default action when using the right-click menu isn't walking to it. For example, when going to Dread's ship for the first time on Scabb Island's peninsula, you can save about 6 seconds by using StopManip to warp to the ship. But, in this case, Guybrush might look at the ship instead. Since you still save time even if you miss it a few times, I alternate right-clicking on the ship and clicking both mouse buttons until Guybrush gets there. Check the [getting to Dread's ship video](https://dalek.zone/w/8fUa8zcRVXG6y5utuejMJ5) for an example. In other places, though, like when entering the laundry ship room, if you try using StopManip but Guybrush looks at the ship, you'll lose time over simply walking to it. The [laundry StopManip fail video](https://dalek.zone/w/bf7b7qbc2MVLC2qwfv1tCE) shows how hilarious this can get.

I don't know the reason why sometimes Guybrush succeeds in warping to another screen and sometimes he doesn't. My best (very wild) guess is that it's a timing issue; maybe it's related to how long you hold the right mouse button, or to the time between releasing the right mouse button and pressing both buttons. If somebody finds a way to make StopManip 100% reliable in these cases, it'll have a significant effect on the run.

There are other places where trying to use StopManip is dangerous. The most obvious one is doors. If there's an open door and you right-click on it and immediately press both mouse buttons, Guybrush might successfully warp to the next screen, but he might also close the door instead, meaning you'll have to open it again, losing time.

So, in general, warping to the next screen is easier and safer when using the classic graphics. But there's a very important exception. There are times when you click on an exit to another screen, and the mouse cursor disappears, meaning you lose control over Guybrush while he takes a long walk to the exit. In some of these cases, you can use StopManip to warp to the exit from anywhere on the screen, but **only** if you open the right-click menu first. This means that this trick only works with the new graphics.

You can do this:

* Going to the cemetery graves to get Largo's grandfather's bone. See the [cemetery graves teleport video](https://dalek.zone/w/eUhUaFCAWvygtpQQzb9K2F).
* Leaving the cliff on Booty Island. See the [cliff teleport video](https://dalek.zone/w/tKm3sQRzgDQ5YUXKp7dqEw).
* Leaving the wharf though the northern path. See the [wharf teleport video](https://dalek.zone/w/bQHuDU13FWRtEWSZTUsqti). This trick will only work after you've already left the wharf using this path at least once. So, in the current route, you can only use it during your second visit to Phatt Island.

For some reason, you can't use this trick to warp to the cottage from the beach on Phatt Island, even if clicking on the cottage results in the cursor disappearing and you losing control of Guybrush.

## StopManip to do some actions from a distance

With one exception we'll talk about later, if you use hotkeys to perform some actions, like opening doors or picking up objects, clicking both mouse buttons will have no effect. It won't have any effect if you press Tab instead of right-clicking on an object either. However, if you right-click on an object or hold the right-click menu and select an action, you'll be able to open doors (more on that in the next section) or picking up objects from a distance. For example, you can use this trick to pick up Jojo before talking to the bartender, as shown in the [picking up Jojo and combining the drinks video](https://dalek.zone/w/5G5t4HKs3boLQ1VdrMfo5T). In the current route, this makes inventory management easier.

In many cases, you won't have enough time to open the right-click menu and use StopManip before Guybrush gets to the object. However, there are still some places where you can save a bit of time like this if you use the right-click menu followed by StopManip. These include picking up the bucket, the stick at Scabb Island's beach, the oar, the fish, the crypt key at Stan's, and LeChuck's underwear.

To enter the Bloody Lip kitchen window from a distance, you can right-click on it and select "Use". Then you can click both mouse buttons to use StopManip when Guybrush is close enough. Check the [entering the Bloody Lip window from a distance video](https://dalek.zone/w/7wENUWVbcuM4Py1ZLFjYmp) to see the approximate moment when you can use StopManip.

You can also talk to people from a distance. Surprisingly, there aren't many places during the run where you actively start talking to someone, but you can still right-click on the bartender or Kate and then use StopManip to save a bit of time.

The exception we mentioned to the "no hotkeys" rule is that you can use StopManip with hotkeys when you use an object before picking it up. For example, instead of picking up the mug during the drinking contest, you can use it with the tree without picking it up and use StopManip at the right time. The [drinking contest video](https://dalek.zone/w/w8XDYfFeSfxMvnJeNLKrVb) uses this technique. On Dinky Island's beach, you can use the martini glass with the ocean and use StopManip so Guybrush will use it from a distance. The beginning of the [Dinky Island beach video](https://dalek.zone/w/cPyWNXzr8JbPbNdn4hDoi8) shows this moment.

Using StopManip to do some actions from a distance is a double-edged sword. Other than the already mentioned risks of using it in some places, sometimes you'll have to do it at the exact moment or it won't work. For that reason, I don't use StopManip to pick up the knife. So use it when it works for you, and consider practicing the sections you struggle with once in a while.

## Use the right-click menu to keep the cursor in place

One of the most annoying things in the Special Edition is that the cursor automatically goes back to the center of the game area whenever you enter a new screen. This means that all the strategies based on preparing the mouse in advance are useless.

Or are they?

Well, yes, for the most part they are useless indeed, but thanks to the right-click menu, there are some exceptions.

If you position the cursor on an object, right-click and hold the button as Guybrush enters another room, the cursor will stay there after you enter the new room. This is useful in some cases. For example, when entering the gaping hole on Phatt Island, you can right-click on the path on the right, so the cursor will be on the right when entering the new screen. If you combine this with holding Tab during the screen transition, Guybrush will start walking to the right during the first possible frame, as you can see at the beginning of the [drinking contest video](https://dalek.zone/w/w8XDYfFeSfxMvnJeNLKrVb) mentioned earlier.

This also works combined with the MapGlitch. When playing with the classic graphics, right-clicking while holding Backspace does nothing, but with the new graphics it still opens the menu. That means that, for example, after picking up the shovel you can hold Backspace, hold the right-click button on the path that leaves Woodtick, and spam-click or hold Tab immediately after leaving the area. Guybrush will start walking to the right, which is what you want when you're going to the beach. To see this sequence in action, check the [keeping the cursor in place while glitching the map video](https://dalek.zone/w/1AuH6KK6d58mTomrA8ihCK). Note that opening the right-click menu and then holding Backspace won't work; you have to first hold Backspace and then open the right-click menu.

In the previous section we said that using StopManip to enter open doors is risky. But it still makes sense to use StopManip to open doors from a distance. That way, you'll have time to right-click somewhere else while Guybrush enters the open door. For instance, you can do so when entering Largo's room for the first time; that way it'll be easier to use the bucket with the door, as shown in the [using the bucket in Largo's room video](https://dalek.zone/w/eo5Q6wyXDgAKZzqn5hKCk5).

If you've opened the inventory after you've right-clicked on an object to open the actions menu, you can stop holding the right mouse button. The actions menu will remain open, so the trick will still work. This makes holding Tab when entering a new screen safe. For instance, when you're going to Largo's room to get the laundry ticket, you can open the right-click menu on the lower part of the stairway, open the inventory, and then hold Tab so Guybrush will immediately close the door after entering the room. The [keeping the right-menu open by opening the inventory video](https://dalek.zone/w/p6aVYDEQL8mPCSL7v4MqrN) shows how convenient this can be.

Using the right-click menu to keep the cursor in place has some limitations, though.

First, you can't open the menu anywhere; you have to right-click on an object. That means that the chances of leaving the cursor at the optimal place are pretty low. But in some screens it might position the cursor closer to the place you want to interact with, or will get Guybrush to walk in the right direction. For example, when entering the laundry area and skipping Largo's cutscene, if you leave the cursor in the center of the screen and immediately click or press Tab, Guybrush will start walking away from the box. But if you right-click on the rock with a frog near the bottom-left of the screen and you click or press Tab after skipping the cutscene, Guybrush will get closer to the box.

Second, you can't hold period to skip lines of dialog while holding the right button, so it might not be very helpful on screens where characters are talking all the time, like when leaving Stan's.

Third, sometimes the cursor will still be in the middle of the game area for a brief period of time. To prevent that, wiggle the mouse a little bit during screen transitions while you hold Tab.

Fourth, the right-click menu will disappear when there's a cutscene. So if you open the menu when running away from the chef on Booty Island and skip the cutscene, the cursor will still position itself in the center of the screen. This means you can't use it to go to the woods after leaving .

Finally, you can't position the cursor on two places at the same time, so you can't click both mouse buttons to use StopManip and quickly leave the screen and at the same time right-click somewhere else to position the cursor. For instance, while leaving the cemetery to go to Woodtick, you have to choose between using StopManip on the bottom left corner to quickly leave the screen or opening the right-click menu on the graves so the cursor is on Woodtick and you can warp there immediately. The [warping to Woodtick video](https://dalek.zone/w/ub6sxay1H1fmXUrt55NW7b) shows the second option.

At the end of this guide you'll find a few examples of places where you can use the right-click menu to prepare the cursor.

## Buffer actions with the right-click menu

As explained in the [new graphics inventory tips guide](https://www.speedrun.com/mi2se/guides/okaw5), opening the inventory cancels an action, with one exception: the actions you do by right-clicking on an object or using the right-click menu. So you can right-click on an object, open the inventory, select an item, close the inventory, and Guybrush will still do the action and you'll have an item ready to use.

Note that, as soon as Guybrush starts the action, the inventory will automatically close, so you have to select the item while Guybrush is still walking to the place where he's going to do the action.

So far the only place I've found this useful is when picking up the rope on Dinky Island, as shown in the [buffering actions to pick up the rope and use the crowbar video](https://dalek.zone/w/bUtpwSEDZoXRhnu3QArtfF).

In theory, when setting up the trap for the rat you could use right-click menu to open the box and select the stick before Guybrush gets there. In practice, I've never managed to do so, since you usually do it after skipping the cutscene with Largo and the laundry guy. It takes Guybrush less than a second to get to the box, and in that time you would have to open the right-click menu, select "open", open the inventory, and select the stick.

## Avoid a softlock at LeChuck's Fortress

Many Monkey Island 2 speedrunners have had to reset a run in this painful way. After giving the map pieces to Wally, you go to the Voodoo Lady's. If you start the conversation while reading a book, after the conversation finishes you'll be able to move during cutscenes or while using items that should keep you in place. This means you can move during the cutscene where Guybrush gets out of the box at the beginning of part three, saving a couple of seconds.

This technique is risky, though. If you open the juju bag before picking up the voodoo key, the game will crash. If you click somewhere while reading a book, the game will crash. So don't do it :). It's still safe to click somewhere, read a book while Guybrush gets there, finish reading the book, and clicking somewhere once again, as you can see at the beginning of my [part three personal best video](https://dalek.zone/w/g2tuBbw8pNe5xfD8znrL9N).

Another problem is that, in the original game, you could softlock the game if you entered the big door before the animation of Guybrush opening it finished. In this case, picking up the key was impossible.

In the Special Edition, that still happens, and you can't pick up the key using the classic graphics. You can't pick it up using hotkeys with the new graphics either. But, luckily, you can pick it up using the right-click menu! Just right-click on the key, and select "pick up". The [avoiding the softlock at LeChuck's Fortress video](https://dalek.zone/w/3jSn4L4JdNREynAE1nYW2z) shows this. It also shows how Guybrush loses his left hand in the process with both classic and new graphics. It's temporary, though, so don't worry too much about entering the big door too early, particularly if you're playing with the new graphics. You won't softlock the game, and Guybrush will get his hand back.

## Examples of places where you can prepare the cursor

Here are a few places where using the right-click menu to prepare the cursor in advance might be useful. Note that, in some of these cases, whether preparing the mouse is worth it is subjective. I've included the ones I use, but you might find that you prefer different ones.

Just noticed that the way speedrun.com displays these tables is horrible. Sorry for that!

### Scabb Island

| Place  | Default cursor position | Prepare cursor by right-clicking on |
| ------ | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| Exiting Wally's | Door to Wally's | Wally's bed |
| Leaving Woodtick to go to the beach | Middle of the map | Path to leave Woodtick |
| Leaving Woodtick to go to Dread's ship | Middle of the map | Path to leave Woodtick |
| Leaving the swamp to go to the cemetery | Middle of the map | Right side of the swamp, lower part of the swamp's hitbox |
| Leaving the cemetery to go to Woodtick | Middle of the map | Graves |
| Entering Largo's room to interact with the door | Middle of the room | Stairway |
| Entering the laundry area to setup the trap | Sign in the middle | The rock with the frog on it near the bottom-left corner |
| Leaving the swamp to go to Woodtick | Middle of the map | Top-right corner of the House of Mojo sign |
| Leaving the crypt | Crosses | Coffin 1 |
| Exiting the Weenie Hut | Weenie Hut's door | Door |

### Booty Island

| Place  | Default cursor position | Prepare cursor by right-clicking on |
| ------ | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| Entering the antique shop to buy the saw | Bowswain's wheel | Costume shop's door |
| Leaving the antique shop to go to the map | Dread's ship | Rock & roll plate or cannon |
| Leaving Ville de la Booty to go to the Guard Kiosk | Antique shop's sign |
| Leaving Elaine's party | Mansion's door | The guest on the bottom-left |
| Leaving the kitchen | Kitchen's door | Kitchen's door |
| Leaving the spit contest to go to the cliff | Middle of the map | Bottom part of the fault line |

### Phatt Island

| Place  | Default cursor position | Prepare cursor by right-clicking on |
| ------ | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| Leaving jail | Jail's door | Jail's door |
| Leaving the library | Library's door | Any of the piles of books on the right |
| Leaving the mansion | The mansion | Outside |
| Entering the gaping hole | Middle of the tunnel | Path on the right |
| Leaving the beach to go to Dread's ship | Middle of the map | Cottage |

### Fighting LeChuck

| Place  | Default cursor position | Prepare cursor by right-clicking on |
| ------ | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| Leaving the box room | Box room's door | Either the door or the boxes, depending on where you have to go next |
| Entering the elevator | Elevator's door | Call button |
| Leaving the elevator | Elevator's door | Right side of the crate |

Practical item management with the new graphics

frozenspade

thewoofs

saruya

Monkey Island™ 2 Special Edition: LeChuck’s Revenge™

nad_chario

Please note if you have uncapped the FPS for your run. If you have, please display your FPS on screen.

Name	Autor
Beginner's Guide to MI2:SE Any%	thewoofs 5 years ago
Horn Strats	frozenspade 6 years ago
In-Game Timer Installation Guide	thewoofs 5 years ago
New graphics inventory tips	saruya 1 year ago
New graphics right-click menu features	saruya 1 year ago
Practical item management with the new graphics	saruya 1 year ago