So, you want to speedrun The Oregon Trail? You should probably seek professional medical help first.

How to start:

1. Either use Archive.org's online emulator (https://archive.org/details/msdos_Oregon_Trail_The_1990) or download a copy of DOSBox (https://www.dosbox.com/) and grab a copy of the game (https://www.myabandonware.com/game/the-oregon-trail-2ku or similar)
2. Download LiveSplit for timing and splits and OBS for video recording/streaming. PLEASE make sure that we can see the clock AND the full game screen!

General Tips:

1. The run is EXTREMELY RNG based. Currently, there exists little tech to remediate bad RNG. Restarting runs will be your friend.

Intro:

1. Name your first party member 'y', so you will already be able to buffer a 'y' for "Are you sure with these names" later.
2. Try and leave in April, May, or June. March will freeze you alive, and July will cause too much heat for adequate grass.
3. For the Banker Any%, oxen (x9) and food (x2000) are really all you need. A perfect run will not rely on spare parts, clothing, and absolutely not bullets.
4. Set your pace to grueling (the fastest).

Gameplay

1. Frequently, popup messages will occur. You will need to hit or hold space to close these. It will be in your best interest to consistently be pressing/holding space when not menuing.
2. Always try and repair broken parts. You lose nothing by trying, especially if you have no spares.
3. Always CAULK rivers. Best case scenario you sink and lose minimal items. Worst case, you lose nothing but seconds. Fording will kill your run and likely your oxen.
4. If you lose too many oxen, the run is over. You need at least 4 yokes left for max speed (if I recall correctly).
5. Try and buffer your inputs for menus. Certain menus will only allow certain characters to be entered (some will be numeric only, some alphabet, etc.) You can use this to your advantage by mashing another key before the menu pops up. Then, a well timed ENTER will close the menu option on the first frame, saving maximum time.