Explain again how adding somewhere between zero and 90 seconds depending on a semi arbitrary combination of perk, category, and an element of RNG is going to somehow improve consistency in run timing?

Making it differently inconsistent in a way that removes from contention every run that isn't firebug or berserker just flat doesn't sound like a better version of inconsistent.

I feel with the Zed Time that taking it out really does become a bit of pain in the ass. Why should I be penalized for having good aim and getting head shots, triggering zed time, then having to waiting a few seconds for it to get out Zed Time. I find with the SWAT and Commando perks that it happens at most 3 times a wave, minimum once. I do agree that the in game time is broken but I feel fixing something that is broken in game wont fix it overall.

@HamAndABear - Nothing is being removed or being disallowed in the current runs, the issue is to at least have a way to accurately and properly track a players time to complete a run which accounts for the players understanding of the games mechanics and the experience they display in the runs in a much more consistent way that is not dictated or manipulated by a timer that does not reflect the games true run time taken.

After contacting site staff, we now have all runs properly labeled as IGT. This being said, we will now be able to properly track RTA along side IGT for comparison purposes and to at least have the accurate reflection of the real time it took to complete.

IGT as it has been the main defacto timing method will currently remain as such, and will still be required when submitting runs at this time and must still be shown with video proof of the run from start to finish of the lobby screen and readying up to the very end results screen in which the In Game Time appears.

RTA timing is currently a supplementary to IGT in which is a more accurate reflection on the time taken to complete runs, this is entirely optional to the runner at this time and will be an additional verification method that moderators will use when verifying runs going forward starting JULY 1st.

RTA Timing rules are as follow:

• Time starts after the deploy countdown has ended and the player(s) gain control of their characters.
• Time stops upon "Victory" appearing on screen shortly before the results screen appears.

The above RTA timing rules are stated as so, to follow as closely to IGT as possible and to remove all added time before and after the IGT clock should have started or stopped counting.

This is the closest compromise I can offer to at least keep things moving forward and still having things tracked accurately and fairly while still conforming to the currently established habits of IGT runs we have had over the last several years and still properly address the glaring issues with the game within the speedrunning scene that was brought to our attention 4 months prior to the rehash after taking time to look into it.

So to reiterate in short form what is happening going forward starting July 1st: ( These changes only apply to Individual Level runs unless otherwise stated in the rules )

• IGT will remain the default and required timing method for runs which it applies to.
• RTA is now an additional timing field that will be tracked and verified with runs.
• The additional timing field is not required by runners to be submitted with or displayed during the submission.
• Submissions will be timed or re-timed by the moderators during the verification process in which it will be added or updated to reflect the Real Time Attack rules.
• RTA time starts when player(s) gain control, time stops when "Victory" appears on screen.

I hope that these aforementioned changes to how we will be handling things is met with a much better response then the initial topic discussion was, Our goal as moderators to these boards is to ensure that the boards reflect the current game state and community as accurately as possible as things change or evolve within the game or the community itself.

Firebug, unranked, 1:38 in trade waves, ~15:49 RTA, 15:58 IGT. Not multiple attempts, spent a decent amount of time chasing terrible spawns, bad perk for the level, first game as Firebug in well over a week.

Survivalist, 1st place, 1:35 in trade waves, ~16:01 RTA, 15:23 IGT. Multiple attempts were made at the time, solid RNG through the run, not max level on the perk, but it makes marginal difference for that loadout.

The "Not Firebug RTA Tax" takes a 35 second IGT lead and converts it to a 12 second RTA loss. These are both me running, I lost some time on trade with the firebug run by comparison, I honestly don't feel I even played WELL in the Firebug run, but I didn't need to since it demonstrates the point even better that way.

As long as RTA just sorta exists as a second metric that people can look at to find out how much time they lose by not being a firebug, it's not really a big deal, but any attempt to swap the time used for leaderboards would have these sorts of ramifications on EVERY run on the boards, since every perk interacts differently with Zed time, and relies differently on mechanics that are likely to trigger it.

By the way, the Victory splash to IGT stop time is 15 seconds rounded to nearest IGT second, so it's consistent, and not problematic.