I appreciate the adjustments. It does seem a little closer to a level field. I am not sure what options are available for editing the lists/categories, so what I have in my head and what makes the most sense to me may not even be possible. By the way. Your run from 27 days ago under Extra Arcade NTSC on a 360. Shouldn't that be JPHD? Its still gold but under the wrong category.

I would agree "The problem is despite it the most popular game no one cares to be active in discussing changes."

I have written down the leader boards as they are now and totaled how the podiums are EXCLUDING weapon master. 30 top 3 places belong to HD remasters and or JAP region. The remaining 14 places belong to SD non JAP regions. That is what I was trying to bring to light. If the community doesn't see this as a problem then I guess it isn't and as I said, to be competitive I'll need to run JAP or HD and get a way to capture it.

If the community wants everything lumped together, so be it. I was not aware of any vote. If I want to be competitive I am going to need to invest in a JAP GC and disc, or way to capture HDMI as well as the needed console and game. All I was trying to do was point out that it is not an even playing field as well as a solution on how to create one. The HD versions have an advantage with easier AI. The JAP localization has an easier AI also giving an advantage. So in my observation of the data I have put the HD (regardless of system) and JAP regions together as they are the ones I (as well as others) am claiming have an advantage. We all agree on that. Your data differs from mine because I was not counting those not on the podium, only the top 3. Take a look at your data while subtracting 4th and 5th and it is not even. Sure I can run any system or version I want, but not competitively.

So that we are both on the same page I would like to clarify... I was looking at top 3 and not top 5.

@Slevanas the console versions need to be separated as do the HD version from the SD versions. The way I see it and the way it makes the most sense is to have a category for each console. OG Xbox on one, Gamecube on another, PS2 on another, and HD on another (filters can be added in those consoles for NTSC, JAP, and PAL). Then there can be an OVERALL category that puts all the runs on one place (that would be the place for your "guest" runs)There is no need for a "guest" category on the original consoles as the characters that are specific to the console can only be run on that console. If Link is fastest on the GC then fine... everyone running a GC has access to that fighter. Same with Spawn and Heihachi on their respective systems. Moving categories that aren't run as much to a MISC complicates and hides things. Extreme time attack should be next to the other time attack not in a filter that has other random misc runs (not done as much as more popular ones) lumped together. Again I point to the leader boards. Look at all of the top times. If I am going to compete in ANY category I need a JAP system and disc.

@Baja646 first point/problem, there is a clear difference between the SD and HD versions AI. Put the " you gotta grind RNG" defense aside and look at the leader boards. as I stated before over 90% of the top times are done on HD remasters or JAP Gamecubes. That says something about the difficulty involved. Slevanas even said there seems to be difference between HD and SD with SD being harder and HD being easier. Saying that the main difference is load times is discrediting the data we have at hand and what we are seeing on the leader boards. This difference applies to more than weapon master.

Second point/problem, do I need to even address this? You say that there is a difference between the versions (I agree)... then separate them. PEROID! Make ONE additional category (call it OVERALL) that has all of the consoles and versions combined. It is that simple.

Third point/problem. We seem to all agree that there is a difference in the versions. This is not an even playing field. Period! The way that seems to make things the most FAIR is what I have described above. Putting everything on the same page is NOT an even playing field. The changes that have been made recently OVERWHELMINGLY benefit HD and JAP version runners. Again look at the leader boards.

Conclusion. Your argument that you still need to grind out RNG for a good run is invalid as it applies to all versions of the game. Of course anyone is going to have to put in the time for a good run. I am speaking on the DIFFERENCES between the versions. Pointing out similarities is not addressing the problem at hand. RNG is something that is going to have to be dealt with by EVERY runner regardless of the version they are running. How the AI responds (i.e guard impacts, blocking, sidestepping, etc.) is ENTIRELY dependent on the version of the game. And should be treated accordingly.

You can also think about it this way. If I am on an OG Xbox, will I have to fight Link? No of course not. The same is true for the other versions. A GC player will never have to deal with a Spawn or a Heihachi. That is a different play through and should be treated as such. As I stated there should be an OVERALL category that combines all of the consoles together. Outside of that the versions need to be separate. Otherwise you might as well say you need a JAP disc and console to get a good time.

I am going over all of the leader boards for SC2 and if you look at every category over 90% of the top 3's are either HD or JAP Gamecube runs. That says something. Oh and you have a run from 2 months ago that is somehow type XB and done on the GCN platform (EX Time Attack Alternative).

Also... are the HD versions emulation? If not they are redone fore the new console and thus not the same game. If so, they are emulated and should not be combined with runs done on authentic original hardware/software.

Based on everything I have read here I am going to need to get a JAP SoulCalibur2 disc as well as a console to play it on if I am going to run anything Baja646 is running. He stated himself that the AI seems to be easier. And even though the AI is easier on the JAP region because of RNG we are not separating the consoles? And forget about splitting HD and SD versions of the game except for weapon master because of load times. Forget about differences in how the AI behaves. Honestly it seems like trying to lump everything together is creating more problems and an uneven playing field. The leader boards should be split by console version. Period. Gamecube as one, OG Xbox as another PS2 as another, and HD versions as another. Lastly there could be an OVERALL board that combines all of the runs. That is an even playing field. Anything less than that is not.

This is exactly what I am talking about. Your last paragraph.

"That is actually something I want to discuss more with others as it's been clear with Baja's runs. Japanese GC does seems to have easier AI or at the least less tries to get a good run. I get you because on NTSC it is the same thing they act harder than Japanese."

This seems to be true for the HD and SD versions, with the HD versions having easier AI. It could be contributed to the HD releases being based on the PAL version (I'm not 100% as to the cause) and not the NTSC version like all of my discs are. If this is the case then there is a clear divide between the two and thus not an even playing field.

What I am saying is that the AI seems to behave differently from the SD and HD versions. And this seems to be exacerbated at higher difficulties. When playing on arcade on the easiest setting (as per the rules) it is not noticeable, but in the harder settings like Extreme Time Attack it becomes more obvious.

Ok... so what you are saying is tough luck about the HD and SD versions of the game? For it to be an even playing field I need to go out and get a new console to play the HD version of the game. Not all versions of the game play the same...

Can we please have the categories separated? Why are HD versions now lumped into the standard releases? They should be separate. Now it seems as though even the emulators are in the same category as original consoles. At minimum they should be separate. So to be competitive now I need to go out and pick up an XboxOne or a PS4? The way things have changes recently does not seem right. At the very minimum the HD re-releases NEED to be separate from the original retail releases. And from there the consoles should be separated as well... otherwise this is not an even playing field.