Removing or modifying Emulator and Wii U VC times
Deleted
8 years ago
Virginia, USA

I fully agree. We should remove loading times from each run.

Virginia, USA

Definitely. We should all count all of our loading frames on our times and subtract them from our times. I think this would definitely help the community grow and it would even everything else

Gaming_64 likes this
United States

we would just need a timer that pauses during loading times (like portal).

Colorado, USA

This is surely accomplishable, but I don't think I personally have the skillset or tools necessary to do this. I know that in some communities, like the Crash Bandicoot community, people have timed the loads in and out of each level, cutscenes, etc. As this is not a PC game, we can't make an external tool to track where the game is (Portal series, Mirror's Edge, etc.) This being said, I don't know a way to solve this issue unless somebody times EVERYTHING: cutscenes, loadings, warp pipes, saving, anything that costs time between the platforms used. If we can get all of the information gathered maybe we could come up with a calculator.

Calculator idea:

Platform used:

  • DS ☐

  • DS Emu ☐

  • Wii U VC ☐

    Levels visited:
    

Mushroom houses- (enter number) 1-1 ☐ 1-2 ☐ 1-3 ☐ 1-Tower ☐ 1-4 ☐ 1-5 ☐ 1-A ☐ 1-Castle ☐ 2-1 ☐ etc etc etc

You would place a check on each level visited and when you're done, it will tell you how much time, to the frame, to subtract from your RTA time to make it a "loadless" time. On speedrun.com, we would then be able to compare our loadless times. See this for example: http://www.speedrun.com/crashtwoc

What do you all think? Is anybody up for doing the work required to find the data in order to implement this? Let me know here, thanks!

California, USA

If you guys go this route, keep in mind that loading times may vary even within a certain console. This can be seen in nsmbu for sure where it seems to load faster on your second run after a system reset.

United States

I timed a bunch of loading times, they are in a guide now. I could easily make a formula to calculate the time to subtract.

Virginia, USA

I just added it up and apparently Emulator saves 36.5 seconds in warpless

Gaming_64 likes this
California, USA

Is loading every level the same amount of time? I know larger levels take longer to load in some of the nsmb games, and there are pipe loading times as well.

United States

Well, even thought it is a bad assumption, for now I'm going to assume pipe loading times are the same as level loading times because they are both loading new maps. If anything pipe loading times are a few frames shorter than level loading times because of the difference in size of the main map compared to the smaller maps. Also, even if different levels have different loading times, the difference is probably so small that it isn't worth the time to go and time all however many levels there are and just go with the one time. It probably would only be a few frame difference, after all.

California, USA

If you can't accurately calculate the right frame counts you shouldn't be modifying times based on that.

Virginia, USA

I think the calculator idea could be really helpful if anyone os willing to make it.

Virginia, USA

Well the problem is, timings from start to finish wont be frame perfect (even with taking out frames) because people dont always split the frame they press a on file select or the frame they hit the switch to kill bowser.

Gaming_64 likes this
Virginia, USA

That's a good point. I didn't even think about that.

Virginia, USA

Yeah, if loading times get completely removed then pipes become OP

Gaming_64 likes this
Virginia, USA

So here's where the problem comes in. Ewaller just got a 25:12 on Wii U VC, which is equivalent to a 25:47 on DS. While the run is still very good, the leaderboard shows him in 2nd, when he should be in 4th (because wii U VC saves 35 seconds in loading times).

California, USA

Most speedruns are just done on the fastest console. I mean OoT runners even imported the iQue to get faster loading times haha.

Anyway I'll get a faster time soon if you don't think I deserve my spot yet :p

Colorado, USA

It's labeled as a Wii U VC run though. I guess if it does bother you that much, you could always change the view to show only a certain console.

Portland, OR, USA

I think that if anything is done, you should subtract time to even everything out with Wii U, as it is the fastest official console.

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