Category Suggestions Thread
5 years ago
New York, USA

Use this thread if you'd like to see more categories added to this leaderboard page. If submitting, please follow these rules.

Rules for Submission

  • For new categories, please provide the name of the run to be added, the rules, and a video of the run already done. We want to avoid empty categories if possible.
  • Do not request categories just for the sake of adding them.
  • If submitting a full game run that uses IGT, make sure it is Single Segment. No Segmented runs will be allowed.

Note: Mods may discuss new categories that are suggested to be added. Categories may be rejected if the mods feel they do not fit.

Edited by the author 4 years ago
New Zealand

Category Name: All Beams RTA

Rules: Collect all the Beams (Wave, Ice, Plasma). Run does not beat the game. All runs require a video. This is an RTA only category. Timing starts when you gain control of Samus on Tallon (Frigate is skipped) and ends when last collected beam text box appears. Splits are required.

Video: Splits: https://splits.io/4397

California, USA

I propose the current Glitchless World Record be put in a Bug Limit category, as there are major unintended skips. If this is not seen as good, I would instead like Glitchless No Major Skips to become a category. I wish I could watch the current second place glitchless run to see if it has skips, but there is no video so I cannot. Anyway, here is my run and I hope you like it if you havent seen it yet.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TxWxDHSRrVo

Rules:

Everything in Glitchless, along with No Major Skips, such as:

  1. Getting Lifegiver without Spider, Gravity, or Wave Beam
  2. Getting Ice Beam without Spider
  3. Getting the Power Bomb expansion to skip Gravity, Underwater Adventure, and the beginning of Phazon Mines entirely.
  4. No jumping off the crates and shooting a missile over the wall to get Artifact of Elder early.

That's all I currently know of, but I hope this portrays the idea I'm getting across. Basically, I want everything to be done the way it was meant to be done, none of this jumping on a pixel sticking out of the wall crazy stuff. Getting Nature without Space Jump is allowed because I'm pretty sure that's intended in the game. Please tell me of other skips so I can include them in the list because I'm sure I didn't do any lol.

All runs require a video, and must be played with the GameCube disc. I think timing should start on picking Normal Game and end when Metroid Prime starts blowing up, but traditional rules of when control of Samus is gained and when the final cutscene begins is fine too. RTA controls records but In Game is cool too. If the 2 conflict, both will be recognized as record in each category. Splits are not required because that's ridiculous in my opinion.

Edited by the author 4 years ago
California, USA

Category Name: All Upgrades, (or Any% All Upgrades)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/160QlnzC9RmIVLBLp4mFboD7kfFp3AdU6S2zIA--ilC4/edit?usp=sharing

Rules: Beat the game. All upgrades (items barring energy tanks, missile expansions, and power bomb expansions) must be obtained. Upgrades can be obtained in any order.

All runs require a video.

If you are using in-game time (IGT), you cannot die or reload from saves for single-segment runs. If you are using real-time attack (RTA), timing starts when you gain control of Samus, and ends when the Metroid Prime death cutscene begins.

Video:

California, USA

Upon further reflection, I realize I have not clearly defined what a Major Skip is, and I have come up with a definition.

The Definition of a Major Skip is an unintended trick that cuts out the need to traverse multiple rooms. To clarify, this means that while earlier I said skipping the spider ball maze was a major skip, it is now defined as a minor skip, and is therefore allowed. Perhaps with/without the spider ball maze could be separate categories? Either way, I will delete it from the list in my previous post upon posting this for clarity.

Another thing I will state for the rules is the items must be collected in the intended order, which is:

Missiles Morph Ball Morph Ball Bomb/Charge Beam Vaira Suit Boost Ball Space Jump Wave Beam Super Missile Thermal Visor Spider Ball Ice Beam Gravity Suit Power Bomb (not an expansion) Grapple Beam Plasma Beam X-Ray Visor* Phazon Suit

*X-Ray Visor may be gotten without Grapple Beam or Plasma Beam, but I don't see why that would help.

I hope this brings my category into being. While minor skips are highly discouraged, if the category's birth hinges on it, I'm flexible. If this is not why the category is not made, I would like to know why and promise not to argue.

Thank you,

Superboss

Edited by the author 4 years ago
New York, USA

@Superboss Due to the low volume and high inactivity of Glitchless, splitting the category isn't necessary. Feel free to do your runs as such but the leaderboard will remain as is.

California, USA

@Dyceron Thank you for writing back to me and letting me know why. I believe there are 2 reasons for this predicament.

I think one reason the activity is so low is because it is in category extension rather than the main leader board. I didn't even know the category extension board was a thing until you told me, and because of this, I thought my bad run was a world record. I have seen others interested in this category who are also unable to find the runs, so on behalf of all of us, I humbly make the suggestion of possibly moving it to raise activity, and once more runs come in, then the category could possibly become split. It's like it's over here because activity is low, and activity is low because it's over here, so it's a self perpetuating cycle that needs to be broken to be fixed.

The second reason is because even now because I havent put tags yet, if you search "Metroid Prime Glitchless Speedrun" on youtube, none of the runs appear. This causes people to believe they dont exist since many people dont find this board and dont find the runs. I will put tags once I finish writing this, and I hope the others make their runs easier to find as well.

But that's just what I think, and again, thank you for giving me the light of day. Although I am plenty welcome to them, I dont need replies anymore now that I know why at least, and I hope things keep going great for ya.

Michigan, USA

The reason glitchless is not on the main LB is because it is not a main category, it's very arbitrary and can't properly be enforced in any sensible way. Personally I will not watch an entire run just to make sure nobody breaks the very specific ruleset. I stand by DCR about the decision for this LB. Perhaps it could be mentioned in more places so people know these extension categories exist and I will try to find a way to do so.

California, USA

Hello @edzan, it's nice to meet you and thank you for your thoughts.

I believe Glitchless is less arbitrary than the other categories in the extension area personally because in many games (though not all) glitchless is on the main leaderboard. I would be more than willing to moderate the runs in all Glitchless categories for free, especially with no major skips because I enjoy that category very much and would love to see it grow. As long as the glitches do not heavily benefit the run and arent purposeful the runs are fine, and I'd be more than willing to draw the line. I dont even know if my route is ideal, and it would be loads of fun collaborating with others to make the route better.

But I'm just spitballing here, thank you again for your time and if you're interested in platonic friendship let me know. I'm not looking for power, only to help a cause I feel could be fun. It'd be sad if my silly uneducated run were the best forever but keeping the meaningless throne is cool I guess haha.

Edited by the author 4 years ago
edzan likes this
Michigan, USA

I will agree Glitchless is "less arbitrary" partly due to it actually being a full game run, but the biggest reason I won't advocate it to be a main category is unlike many other games where the definition of a glitch is clear, in Prime its very hard to determine what is a glitch and what isn't. This can also be applied to your idea of no major skips. Due to this gray area of being unable to accurately define a glitch in this game I think its fitting on this LB, but as I stated before, I will try to make this LB more known to the general public. Also i'm not saying it won't ever happen, if it grew somehow and got lots of people wanting to run it (And a clear definition of glitchless made) then it could make its way to the main LB, but that is not happening anytime soon. We didn't spend very long deciding the ruleset for glitchless (It was roughly a 1-2 hour discord call) but even in that time there was lots of arguing over whats actually a glitch, and what isn't. Most notable is whether or not R Jumping should be allowed, which I allowed in the end. Regarding moderation, due to Prime being a relatively inactive game I think both this LB and the main LB are stocked up on mods currently. I appreciate the offer though.

California, USA

Sorry for the delay @edzan , I just got home from seeing Paul Mcartney at Dodger Stadium which was cool. Anyway, I have some thoughts on glitches if you'd like to consider them.

The definition of glitch is "a sudden, usually temporary malfunction or irregularity of equipment." In addition, the definition of malfunction is "failure to function normally or satisfactorily." So, if something causes Samus to move in a way that isn't normal, it's a glitch.

A large indicator that a certain mechanic is irregular, and therefore a glitch, is if it allows for sequence breaking, as I'm pretty sure by the nature of Metroid Prime that sequence breaking is unintended. Not all sequence breaking is caused by glitches, and it can be allowed in a glitchless category as long as it is done with regular movement and can clearly be defined as normal for happening even if the cause is an oversight.

In addition, in my opinion at least, the harder a mechanic is to do, the more likely it is to be unintended, and therefore a glitch. I am unfamiliar with the advanced mechanics in this game, but since I can safely say my run is normal, if an advanced mechanic unlocks the ability to cause a route to differ from mine, it is probably a glitch.

Finally, because we are not Retro employees, and we dont have the means of contacting them to ask, the only thing we can really go off of is likelihood, and that is largely influenced by difficulty, otherwise known as how far one has to go out of ones way from normal play to perform the trick whether an advanced mechanic or skip. If it is more likely to be a glitch, it probably is and vice versa.

It sounds like the current glitchless rules more accurately describes a no major glitches category, which is all good and dandy but yeah. As far as popularity of the category is concerned, only time will tell if that happens, and until then as long as the runs are made known that's all that matters to me. Finally, I'm glad you appreciate my offer even if there are too many mods to add me to the mix.

Edited by the author 4 years ago
Netherlands

[quote=edzan]Personally I will not watch an entire run just to make sure nobody breaks the very specific ruleset[/quote]

I thought moderators watched runs in its entirety either way monkaS

[quote=Superboss]In addition, in my opinion at least, the harder a mechanic is to do, the more likely it is to be unintended, and therefore a glitch[/quote]

I have a hard time understanding your logic here. The difficulty of a mechanic does not necessarily mean its unintended. Difficulty is subjective either way. Whats hard for you, can be easy for another.

Also, here is why true glitchless is mostly frowned upon in speedrunning:

  1. Glitches, exploits and bugs can also occur randomly without the player triggering these. Meaning that if a board would enforce true glitchless, most of the runs would probably not even be completed.
  2. What is and what is not a glitch is an enormous gray area in speedrunning. It usually involves looking at the source code of a game. And even then its not a guarantee that players are able to find out what unintended events are, since its mostly the lack of knowledge on how a game is programmed.
  3. This is why boards regurarly choose for a No Major Glitches category, which on its own, is arbitrary. What decides the majority of a glitch is usually based on thresholds set by the community. Here is also why most Glitchless categories are also mostly created out of good logic along with possible source code inspections, since enforcing true Glitchless categories is mostly just a pain in the ass.
Edited by the author 4 years ago
Samuel6710, Pear, and Dyceron like this

An hard mode for the 200% run.

Goiás, Brazil

Category Name: Any% Inbounds, No IS

Rules: Beat the game without going Out of Bounds and without using Infinite Speed. Timed using IGT. All runs require a video.

Video

Edited by the author 3 months ago