[Console] Cid Dialogue Skip

Booster% notes

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XZkzT1Q1pZO_AxysnJOyiywYUMhvskqc/view?usp=sharing

Early Quistis card guides and comparisons

Early Quistis Card by www.speedrun.com/user/pingval : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZepglJrzdI

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Notes:
The cards picked in this strategy work for the first three possible frames. This makes the strategy work with 20Hz turbo and making it relatively easy to get without turbo. The frames are usually differentiated by the 2nd card in the opponents hand: Elastoid, Malboro and Biggs&Wedge. Note that the order in which you pick the cards affects the enemy AI and therefore the card games will change.




Early Quistis Card by www.speedrun.com/user/Ahramanyu : https://www.twitch.tv/ahramanyu/v/44811562

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

Notes: 
Q. When do I get this Quistis Card ? 
 A. After Fish Fin farm, when going to the Dormitory to get changed

Pros:
- Saves one screen of walking from other strats.
- Don’t have to talk with Seifer compared to Pingval's strat. 

Cons:
- May have more than 1 attempt, can Draw often
- Reset at 20+ minutes.

Easier (2nd try) Zell Card Manip

A video showcasing how to obtain Zell Card on the 2nd try.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUY1XkjCGpM

This requires FF8 Utilities or Ruby with pingvals ruby script to run. 
https://www.speedrun.com/ff8/resources

2nd try zell card doesn't require any RNG tracking, it only requires the following.
- 1st try Quistis Card.
- The correct platform selected in FF8 Utilities.  Ensure Fast Disc Speed is on for PS2.

Note: There is a small chance that you can lose to Mama if Zell is not on the field, to counter this, I'd recommend doing the card battle after you obtain Diablos.  This makes it guaranteed to win.

Full run notes

PC any% (ECM route) notes by [awesomewaves](https://www.speedrun.com/user/awesomewaves) : https://tinyurl.com/FF8-ECM
PC & PSX any% (ECM route designed for beginners) notes by [awesomewaves](https://www.speedrun.com/user/awesomewaves) : https://tinyurl.com/FF8-EzCM

PC any% (with Zell Card) notes by [W1ndows](https://www.speedrun.com/user/W1ndows) : https://goo.gl/JMrg8z
PC any% (with Zell Card, French) notes by [Gef87](https://www.speedrun.com/user/Gef87) : http://tiny.cc/w7skuz

Console PSX any% (with Zell Card) notes by [Kiitoksia](https://www.speedrun.com/user/Kiitoksia) : https://goo.gl/j4zKTX
Console PSX any% (with Zell Card, French) notes by [Gef87](https://www.speedrun.com/user/Gef87) : http://tiny.cc/w2hicz

PC any% (without Zell Card) notes by [W1ndows](https://www.speedrun.com/user/W1ndows) : https://goo.gl/XXRmoA
PC any% (without Zell Card, French) notes by [Gef87](https://www.speedrun.com/user/Gef87) : http://tiny.cc/q7skuz
Console any% (without Zell Card) notes by [ajneb174](https://www.speedrun.com/user/ajneb174) : https://goo.gl/rFHTKd

PC 100% notes by [W1ndows](https://www.speedrun.com/user/W1ndows) : https://goo.gl/gfUMLv

PC 100% Low XP notes by [Kaivel](https://www.speedrun.com/user/Kaivel) : https://tinyurl.com/2p9xyrcr

PC NoLimits% notes by [W1ndows](https://www.speedrun.com/user/W1ndows) : https://goo.gl/tdTP4E

Console All bosses notes by [azstrocyte](https://www.twitch.tv/azstrocyte) : https://goo.gl/8IsGf0

HD Console Booster% notes by [relxert](https://www.speedrun.com/user/relxert) : https://tinyurl.com/mmwzada6
HD PC Booster% notes by [relxert](https://www.speedrun.com/user/relxert) : https://tinyurl.com/5n6nhh39

PC Dollet escape (No fins) notes by [relxert](https://www.speedrun.com/user/relxert) : http://tiny.cc/m6skuz

New Player Guide and FAQ

For Final Fantasy VIII speed running there is an amazing amount of information inside guides, tutorials, forums and Discord. However, it can sometimes be difficult for newer runners to find specific pieces of information as these can be quite scattered. 

The goal of this FAQ is to gather this information into one place. This will hopefully make it easier for people interested in running FF8 to learn what’s important and possibly help existing runners look up certain things.

This FAQ includes information taken entirely from other FF8 runners who have taken the time to route the game, write guides, make videos, find manipulations and create the tools we use to make our runs easier. A big thank you to everyone who was involved and I’m sorry that I can’t name drop everyone!

Please leave comments if you feel that more information could be added or if anything is incorrect - thank you.

The guide can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FHv878s4TB8oIOcRFn6FqF8Gg45PlvJpFw6PKnLzZ_A/edit?usp=sharing

Updates:
08.07.2019 - Added Softlocks and an updated 2nd try Zell video
29.07.2019 - Added a section on PC Keybindings

PSX Digital: DuckStation Setup Guide

These images are taken from DuckStation 0.1-5907-ge3308277 (master). You can find this exact version of the emulator on the DuckStation github if you wish to copy the settings exactly.
The Emulator is constantly updated and some settings may move/change over time.
If you cannot find a setting, let a moderator know so we can update this guide.

**You must display your settings in your submission VOD.**

## 1. General Settings

Nothing from this page is explicitly required but you may wish to **Enable**:

- Inhibit Screen Saver 
- Confirm Power Off
- Disable Window Resizing 
- Hide Cursor

Also you may wish to **Disable**:

- Pause On Focus Loss (this is important for manipulations)
- Automatically Load Cheats (in the case you were using them to practice)
- Double-Click Toggles Fullscreen

![](/static/blob/3nvgx1nm.png)

## 2. BIOS Settings

Make sure "Fast boot" is **disabled** and always include the PS1 logo on your submission video.

![](/static/blob/dz46dwn6.png)

## 3. Console Settings

- **Enable 8MB RAM:** OFF
- **Enable Clock Speed Control:** OFF
- **Async Readahead:** Disabled (Synchronous)
- **Read Speedup:** 3x (6x Speed)
- **Seek Speedup:** Infinite/Instantaneous
- **Preload Image To RAM:** OFF
- **Apply Image Patches:** OFF

![](/static/blob/wzx10rer.png)

## 4. Emulation Settings 

- **Emulation Speed:** 100%
- **Enable Rewinding:** OFF
- **Runahead:** Disabled

![](/static/blob/qzp626n3.png)

## 5. Display Settings

Keep those checked for verification purposes:

- Show OSD Messages
- Show Emulation Speed
- Show Display FPS
- Show Controller Input

![](/static/blob/5e1xkmz0.png)

## 6. Audio Settings

Audio is required in the submissions, so I'm just including this image in case anyone needs further information.

![](/static/blob/3ek6vrnx.png)

## 7. Other Settings

In the speedrun, use of emulator specific actions such as speedup and savestates are not allowed. To this end it's advised to remove any hotkeys relating to these functions so that they are not accidentally activated and invalidate your run.
To remove Hotkey bindings, simply right click on the binding to remove it.

You may use Virtual Memory Cards where required to save/load the game for Hard Resets. Once again, Fast Boot must be unchecked so that the PS1 boot up sequence is shown when resetting the emulator.

The use of an m3u file to load all discs at once is allowed. You may then use a hotkey to change discs, however the process is so small that it's perfectly adequate to swap them manually with the menu/mouse when prompted.

The use of Force NTSC Timings (60hz-on-PAL) is also not allowed.

You may use Rendering Enhancements and Post-Processing as you wish, as long as it does not directly effect or alter the timing of the game. Excessive use of filters which may negatively effect the verification process are not allowed and may render your run invalid.

**Disclaimer:** As the emulator is regularly updated, settings are likely to change over time. New settings may appear which which may effect the timing of the speedrun. If you are in any doubt about a setting, ask in the discord or contact a moderator **before** doing your run. If your run doesn't adhere to the rules and verification process it will be disallowed.

**Once again, you must display your settings in your submission VOD.**

Ultimecia fight manipulation for spells. Details for Any%

Blown away simulator by www.speedrun.com/user/pingval :
http://pingval.g1.xrea.com/psff8/blownaway-simulator/

Which spell gets blown away in the final fight is not random and can be manipulated quite easily. You can use this simulator to see how exactly you can arrange your spells to keep specific spells safe from being blown away. At the bottom of the page there is an explanation on how to do so in a general case of N spells, A amount of unimportant dummies and B amount of not-dummies.

To have an explanation on this site as well, and for a specific case of an Any% Speedrun, the arrangement should be something like this:
1) Leave first page empty (slots 1-4)
2) Place **unimportant** spells like Zombie, Flare, Bio etc. on the 2nd page and onwards (slots 5+). These are dummies.
3) Place **important** spells like Triple, Curaga, Stop/Haste, Demi on the last page (slots 29+). This is the easiest way to rearrange the spells but they can also just be last on your list.

Because of the party manipulation, the rearrangement can be very specific (e.g. if you manipulate for Irvine, Squall, Zell you can only rearrange their spells and not care about the rest).
Different characters will have different important spells, but in general you want the spells listed in 3) rearranged to the last page.

Reason for the spells:
- Triple: You need these in Str-J for Irvine (and 2nd strongest character) to deal enough damage to kill Ultimecia.

Depending on your route, the 2nd strongest character may be fine without Str-J spells. For example, Squall with Str+60% from Zell Card will still be able to deal >100 damage to Ultimecia with the trigger. In fact, any character except Quistis (assuming normal levels) has enough strength to deal over 100 damage without spells in Str-J if they have Str+60% equipped.

- Curaga: You want to have Irvine in critical HP to get 8 shots fired for the last phase of Ultimecia. Aura alone does not guarantee that.

For your secondary characters Curaga is not very important. Because Irvine has Initiative, having spells blown away before phase 2 is very improbable. In phase 2 (Griever) you can get Flared after having Curaga destroyed, but it would be extremely unlucky. Up to you whether you risk it or take the longer menu in Esthar, if your menuing is good enough the longer menu might not be a problem.

- Stop:  Can be Haste if you kill Cerberus. This is your Spd-J spell for Irvine. If you get this blown away, the last phase can become problematic and you might have to resort to back-up strategies to survive. Almost certainly a time loss if these are destroyed.

- Demi: For Zell-less these are very important on your 3rd character as they are their Str-J. Cannot deal >100 damage without them to last phase thus might result in needing back-up strategies.

For non-English versions, these hold another very important role for your 2 strongest characters. They are junctioned to their Mag-J in order to not fail the Hero items. Read more about this here: http://www.speedrun.com/ff8/thread/rhg5f

- Break: Depending on your junctions, you might have Breaks in Mag-J for your 3rd character serving the same purpose as Demis above.

Zell card manipulation

Short explanation by W1ndows:
Card game RNG changes based on what happens in battles. Which enemies you get in world map, what you choose to do in the battles, what the enemies do, and the camera angles at the end of battles all affect the RNG differently. On top of that, the Card RNG advances by 1 each frame that you wait in the "Play" screen before a card game. This, accompanied with the information on what RNG Zell card is played, lets us manipulate the cards by waiting in the "Play" screen.

Research by http://www.speedrun.com/user/pingval : http://pingval.g1.xrea.com/psff8/research/index_en.html#zell-card

Has a lot of great information about FF8 in general, but also the Zell card manipulation. Pingval is the person who discovered this manipulation possibility and made the Ruby program that helps you time your "Play" screen correctly.

The tool FF8 Utilities (found in Resources section) is extremely helpful in the case that you don't want to play around with Ruby and its files. It also has a counter built in to make tracking the RNG easier. Very strongly recommended to use this, instead of Ruby etc.
Tutorial for first try Zell card by https://www.speedrun.com/user/bramhallthefifth : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXFmRTrXaM8 (14min)

Fairly in-depth guide on how to get Zell card on the first try using the FF8 Utilities program. Has a small step count tutorial for the start of the game as well as an explanation on what to keep track of for the card game RNG.

In the case that you don't want to use this tool:

A pastebin by http://www.speedrun.com/user/luzbelheim that explains how to setup Ruby and get the script working: http://web.archive.org/web/20170320143720/http://pastebin.com/8FQRf3fk

The link to excel file that Luzbelheim has made, can be found in the pastebin also: https://mega.nz/#!s1QRhLqY!UqCOBxfTG5iuqbKvh5_vxqvmGhEVs9o-vhcu9oJPe74

Notes: 
If you use Pingval's cards for the early Quistis card, you must change the early_quistis value to "pingval" from "luzbelheim" (without quotation marks).

To use this Pingval's script on the PC version, you can find the appropriately edited Ruby file in the resources section. Has Pingval cards by default.

Ahramanyu

Kronychu

W1ndows

jester1610

Sush

Kiitoksia

awesomeWaves

Final Fantasy VIII

PlayStation 2

craigdsouza

mikedoesaudio

USA / NTSC

No S&Q

English

French

German

Spanish

No Cards

SCPH-90001

SCPH-90004

SCPH-77001

SCPH-75001

SCPH-70012

SCPH-90000

Any% US

Any% All Bosses

Any%

100%

Booster%

Any% NoLimits

Any% NoCardMod

Any% JP

Japanese

100% Low XP

Any% NoJunctions

SCPH-79001

Italian

Any% Cutscene Remover

Turbo

No Turbo

US Any% (Turbo)

Any% NoManips

PSX Pre-Manip

Dollet%

Perfect Dollet%

S&Q?

Language

Route

Console

Sub-category (Console)

Sub-category (PC (Windows 7))

Sub-category (Digital)

Sub-category (HD (PC))

Sub-category (HD (Console))

Sub-category (PC)

Pre-Manip

It's with great excitement we would like to announce a new update to FF8 Utilities! This version is quite special as it has some new features which should help everyone wishing to run the PC 2013 version. 

It greatly simplifies some aspects of the setup. FF8 Utilities can now install/uninstall CSR 

Name	Author
[Console] Cid Dialogue Skip	Ahramanyu 5 years ago
Booster% notes	jester1610 6 years ago
Early Quistis card guides and comparisons	Kronychu 3 years ago
Easier (2nd try) Zell Card Manip	Kiitoksia 4 years ago
Full run notes	Kronychu 3 years ago
New Player Guide and FAQ	Sush 3 years ago
PSX Digital: DuckStation Setup Guide	awesomeWaves 1 year ago
Ultimecia fight manipulation for spells. Details for Any%	W1ndows 6 years ago
Zell card manipulation	W1ndows 3 years ago