(PS3-ENG/PC only) Tech Menu Underflow explanation

Quick writeup for where this glitch is pulling its techs from:
 
(I suggest watching / reading the description of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xm5HZuLh-Y if you just want to perform the glitch for the first time)
 
Whenever you open the Techs menu in general, the game calculates the list of techs to show for every character at once (not just the one you have selected) and stores them into memory.
 
More technical details: For PC, with TSFix, these are stored at TOS.exe+70dde4 onwards. 72 bytes per character which gives room for 36 2-byte tech indices, though no legitimate techs go anywhere near needing the high byte. They're stored in the same order that your party is currently in, so TOS.exe+70dde4 is the first tech for the character in slot 1. Old values are NOT explicitly erased, only overwritten by new ones.
 
So when we use the glitch to make the cursor go to 0 and then negative values, what we actually do is access values from before our current character's list. Provided our current character isn't in slot 1, the first few values will come from the lists of the characters immediately above them in the party. 0 to -35 is the slot immediately above, -36 to -71 is 2 slots above, and so on. Anything that goes past the rest of the party above your current character is essentially junk data which contains almost no usable values, mainly just a bunch of 00s. In theory a TAS could maybe abuse one of the constantly changing values to get an MA early, but none of it looks usable in RTA.
 
To get an MA, we need to have another character in the party who knows the move whose index number is equal to the MA we want on the character we're looking from. An example is Lloyd's Falcon's Crest, which has index number 21 (hex) / 33 (decimal). The only other characters with moves with indices that high are actually Genis and Sheena. For them, index 21 is Force Field and Summon: Darkness respectively. So if we use the MA glitch with Lloyd below Genis, and Genis has learned Force Field (which he is guaranteed to do at the Fire Seal) then we can grab Falcon's Crest.
 
Full list of move indices for the PC version: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRML9wnCTdGwl61i-WK3rTSEg_qnA-lNoNnkhOcri0j9-z-ZCjszC9wdEDFhHO_i0QjBAqtEHmFz1A6/pubhtml
 
Takeaways from this for the speedrun:
* At least for NG, all our MA glitch setups are 100% stable, provided the character we're getting the MA for can actually activate the glitch. To be able to do so, they need to have 7 moves. This is only ever a problem for Lloyd (needs to be Lv14 to make Beast appear in blue as his 7th move) and Presea (needs to be Lv33 for Resolute Infliction as 7th move) so those are the only deaths that can mess up our route using the MA glitches. All the base moves are guaranteed (Genis Force Field, Colette Sacrifice and Judgment, Sheena T.Seal Lightning and Summon: Earth) or essentially so (Raine Inspect Magic, which is a Lv20 move that is only needed when Presea hits Lv33)
* For PC Symphonia speedruns we will have to enforce a rule where the game has to be restarted before each attempt. This is because of a detail I mentioned earlier - "Old values are NOT explicitly erased, only overwritten by new ones". This fact would mean that you could load a file with advantageous MA glitch tech positions before starting your run, and then get MAs super early because your much shorter tech lists in the run itself would not overwrite the ones from the old file if they were far down enough.

Chest Locations for all versions

The routes only say which chests you need to take. Here are their locations if you don't know where they are:

New Game
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Sdg1vcxSaYgqZX0oLrPMZNG4U5JSGcfB9pil2oj-KCU

New Game+
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XU9RSeAcV6L_QayPb9gqzXK_GvYFsZta-yDdc_epHP0

Damage formula notes

Accuracy/Evasion effect on damage
* start with [ACC - EVA - 5]/2 rounded down (towards the lower number: -1/2 = -1, -3/2 = -2, etc)
* clamp the result to within -10 and 10
* add 90 (moves the range to 80~100)
* and that's the percentage multiplier to damage
* so to deal max damage you need 25 more ACC than the opponent's EVA
* and if their EVA is at least 15 higher than your ACC, you deal min damage
e.g. botta has 80 EVA
so 65 or lower ACC deals min damage
105 or higher ACC deals max damage

RANDOM VARIATION:
dmg*N/100 where N is an integer between 96 and 104 inclusive
so there are 9 possible rolls per combination of attack/stats

CHIVALRY:
+5% ATK per female in battle (additively, not multiplicatively)
so 10% / 15% for 2 or 3
Applies to the full ATK, not just STR.
May apply to other stats, but definitely *not* ACC.

BATTLE CRY:
seems to be +10% to ATK and DEF, but the ATK is stacking with something else (possibly Stat Boost?) and is more like 12% instead

SHARPNESS: +10% ATK
FLARE BOTTLE: +20% damage *after* the ATK/2 - DEF part is applied (stacks)
so Sharpness is better than Flare Bottle if enemy's DEF > 1/4 of our ATK
meaning usually Flare Bottles are better in NG+ and Sharpness is better in NG
HOLY SONG: +10% ATK, stacks with both of the above

PC MOVE POWERS (CHANGED FROM GC, OR NEW):
Lightning Tiger			80 80 50 = 210 (-30)
Para Ball 				60 50 60 50 = 220 (-240)
Shining Bind 			250 100x5 80x8 400 = 1790
Grave Blade				60 55x4 = 280 (-130)
Infernal Ruin			400 600 1100 = 2100
Crimson Dev.			400x2 1000 400x2 250x8 1200 = 5800
Destruction				50x5 = 250 (-50)
Rising Punishment		80 90x3 = 350 (-170)
Sacred Light			2500x1
Fairy Circle			200x5



Boss Stats found so far:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQ5RUXVHqMFS6dxF6vgONdnIC1OOSOC1Jl7d5YzPpMrkO2zRC39sDkEP2eJZQ2osgT3_VMygSNmaaZ7/pubhtml

Critical Hits:
Crit Rate % = [higher of (Your LUK - Enemy's LUK)/20 rounded down and 0] + 1 + [rand() & 3] (essentially a random number from 0-3 with equal probability) + [+10 extra for each Attack Symbol/Money Bag equipped] + [+5 extra for Critical Up EX compound]
so the max crit rate possible is 51% (255 LUK vs 0, 4% base, 2 Attack Symbols and Money Bag, Critical Up) but realistically Sheena can't get to 240+ LUK with those items so it's more like 47% [160 LUK + the rest]

Randomizer:
Instacast% = 5 + (LUK/20 rounded down)
Double Cast Time% = 10 - (LUK/20 rounded down) [if this answer is <= 0, not possible] [only checked if instacast is failed]
Normal cast time if neither check passes.
PS2+ lock Randomizer after one attempt until you get hit or finish casting a spell, so RIP.
Note that LUK is read as a 1-byte unsigned value in battle, so negative numbers are treated as (256 + value) aka -1 is treated as 255.
This applies to LUK's use in crit rate as well.

Casting Time:
Time (60fps frames) = Character Base Value + Spell Value
Speed Cast reduces Character Base Value by 1/4th rounded down (applies to all spells, but obviously has a greater % impact for low level spells with lower cast times)
Mystic Symbol reduces Spell Value by 1/4th rounded down
PC still counts in 60fps frames but subtracts 2 for every actual frame
Character base values:
Raine, Kratos, Sheena: 70 / 53 with Speed Cast (ends up as effectively 54 on PC if nothing else is odd, because PC will add 1 to make the frame count always even at the end)
Zelos, Colette: 75 / 57 with Speed Cast (again, effectively 58)
Genis, Regal: 80 / 60 with Speed Cast

Spell Canceling
To spell cancel on PS2+ you must have
Frames Left in Spell <= Total Spell Frames - ( 20 - floor(Uses/50))
but these are 60fps frames and they go down by 2 for each actual frame, so the net effect is that you can cancel 1 PS2/PS3/PC frame earlier for every *100* uses. And the fastest possible is with 900+ uses with which you can cancel after 1 frame.
Bad thing: if a high level (2/3) spell is going off on your side, you cannot spell cancel with a high level spell of your own regardless of uses, because "frames left in spell" is locked equal to "total spell frames" and there is no way to get the second bit equal to 0. This explains how Colette's spell cancel "randomly" failed before.

Magic Damage
Damage = [(INT*Usage Multiplier*Hit Power (from spell)) - (Enemy's INT/8 + rand from 0 to enemy's level - 1)]*Random Variation
(plenty of other multipliers as well, just not elaborated on here)
Observations:
- Spells with low power / lots of hits are arbitrarily weaker because "magic defense" is taken off *after* the hit power is applied. So Tidal Wave sucks even more than its 480 power already advertises.
- A lot of enemies can get more magic defense from their level than their INT, though that part is random. Some notable exceptions are Sheena's Guardians and the Windmaster.
- You can get around an enemy's Magic DEF by using certain spells from Genis (though only really Lv2/3 ones) or using Raine in general as Raine's offensive magic has high hit multipliers along with her slightly higher INT. That said, the distribution of INT to non-caster enemies is a bit inconsistent so some of them will just be weak enough to any magic for it to be fine.

Noeropav’s In depth SpreadSheet

Noeropav investigated a ton about hidden values, 	data, stats etc. This kind of information can be very useful if we want to investigate different routes, strategies, etc.

Even in his document, Noeropav says this is not meant to be a guide or any such type of resource, it is still very valuable and can be extremely useful.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HmD92oTyAlMoGU3Zs27IDa6NnWZMtrTj0PWFKO_4x68

Outdated and Archived Stuff

Those documents used to be useful, but not anymore. They still are a mine of information, this is why we archived them.


New Game Fight Times 
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/t_FuqvkrZHeLKS91I2l5CBQ

New Game+ Fight Times
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AoVo6lFaejPPdFY4NkVqZENuRG9kWDllWDRGYldFWlE

Affection Changes
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7D3wWCh_GhreTNYWFZXSUxaNlk
(Same content as part 3 of http://www.gamefaqs.com/gamecube/561316-tales-of-symphonia/faqs/68566 and archived from before it was added to GameFAQs)

Bingo Script
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TAjlCxseCCUHwOk49MhXaLNzmcfXPqed53B2It1iQpA

Dogs
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19i-4117z2BonZEIKQ2HF2i2wHndfmGsD7vY6_PwlKVc

Practice Saves for Gamecube, PlayStation 2 and Steam versions.

You can find a list of practice saves maintained by JayMota16 here

 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dGJjkxbGau4eBs8LGgy40HmtpaENNd0Dndzfh-4VBqc/edit

Routes for New Game runs

All versions of the game are different. Therefore, they all have their own routes. Differences are often minor, but they are still important regarding how to consider the run. Here are all the routes for New Game runs:

NTSC-U and PAL GameCube (Early Sylph)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dzYAF1hXol0nBGFrn7QxdsmoVoxJfR-2A6TCgjsUmAU

NTSC-U and PAL GameCube (Late Sylph)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/11JT_KsaNjGaIRmiuTb8hUstEAIOLh3YbPNOary-XYo0/edit

NTSC-J GameCube 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hFvinipMD_XmrqsfoXg9i4DCg_Xp3JrA1mhuixSKIio/edit 

NTSC-J PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3
Currently being re-done.

NTSC-U PlayStation 3 and Steam
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GuKcUHK5lYmqOV7LdBm9srAr2U8xoKjyKJQOj1LJb9w/edit

Routes for New Game+ runs

All versions of the game are different. Therefore, they all have their own routes. Differences are often minor, but they are still important regarding how to consider the run. Here are all the routes for New Game + runs:

1. GameCube PAL/NTSC-U/NTSC-J
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Rqe5bb8UukoR6jc4hr83DUrEh1iKmMIFShL_BTZVPCI
2. NTSC-J PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CTZbxoiWL3sGw3osENvomXB2eDo8dgxKMiYaqvD8C14/edit?usp=sharing
3. NTSC-U PlayStation 3/Steam
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NbrMLQx_vE4MFidmwNMMnQhqYmyBItdwPtp-X0W3MsI/edit?usp=sharing
4. Remastered https://docs.google.com/document/d/14MseCK5ae2HEJp5vPXUSI9D2xjFWqmDNECsJU_hgKHw/edit?usp=sharing

Tales of Symphonia 100% Route(Currently in progress)

If you want to see the progress being made on this route you can click here to see it https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UGEV0Ri6bZuvWeVvyEeLGPH5qWnLk5o5CshfKbZ0KbY/edit?usp=sharing

Technical stuff explanations

Most of the tricks and glitches are explained in the routes, but not in details. This is a guide meant for people with no knowledge about the technical aspects of the game, in order for them to understand them:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DwewKmhOkYydfVHkH79dCuLO44jM_8ErJJ3gwCAzwPw

Naam	Auteur
(PS3-ENG/PC only) Tech Menu Underflow explanation	Dabomstew 4 years ago
Chest Locations for all versions	Baffan 8 years ago
Damage formula notes	Dabomstew 4 years ago
Noeropav’s In depth SpreadSheet	Baffan 8 years ago
Outdated and Archived Stuff	Baffan 8 years ago
Practice Saves for Gamecube, PlayStation 2 and Steam versions.	Dabomstew 8 years ago
Routes for New Game runs	Baffan 6 years ago
Routes for New Game+ runs	Baffan 8 years ago
Tales of Symphonia 100% Route(Currently in progress)	Jaymota16 6 years ago
Technical stuff explanations	Baffan 8 years ago