Hello everyone, I'm your new moderator, Meester Tweester! I was asked to be on board to help fix some of the issues with the leaderboards. As a Day 1 post as moderator, here are some of the things that will change, or change in the future.

New rules:

• WR runs need video proof. Top 3 runs for SMB1 Any% and SMB1 Any% NG+ need video proof due to their popularity. While not needing to record is convenient, it runs into issues in modern speedrunning. There have been cases in the past where some runs have not been timed properly, and without a video we can't check that. Plus, anyone can claim they got a WR or top time without proof, which allows for cheating. This rule will be effective tomorrow, July 17th, 2019. Any runs before the date will currently remain on the leaderboards.
• Emulators are allowed. Using a Flash player instead of using a website usually has no issues for webgames. Technically they aren't emulators since they are running Flash, not emulating it. You can still check the Emulator box if you run from a Flash player. Plus, Flash is shutting down literally next year.
• Also, I added in World 9 for ILs to complete Lost Levels.

Issues being put up to a vote in the Discord: I am putting these up to a vote since these are more drastic changes and I want people to voice their opinions on the matter if they want to. These will be up to vote for a week, so it will end on July 23rd, 2019. You can join the Discord on the sidebar or here: https://discordapp.com/invite/Sze2JTH React with thumbs up or thumbs down to vote.

• To show how popular each category is, I counted the sum of players in each category. Sum of players means you can be counted multiple times for multiple characters. You can see which ones have few or 0 runs.
• Merge Hard subcategories into the normal subcategory. Let's face it, lots of subcategories in this game are empty. We can merge categories together and add a difficulty value so you can still sort by only Hard difficulties (or Normal or Easy). The Kaizo Pack will be moved into All 3 Level Packs.
• Remove 1.0 categories. Adding 1.0 is a little much, especially since only 2 people have ran it for full game. We can stick to only the current version.
• Remove All Cheats. It has 0 runs, and the grind for one run of the category would be incredibly long. It can always be suggested and added back in later if there is enough interest.
• If these pass, the idea is to have the following 11 categories for full game: SMB1 Any%, SMB1 Warpless, SMB1 Any% NG+, Lost Levels Any% 8-4, Lost Levels Warpless 8-4, Lost Levels Any% D-4, Lost Levels Warpless D-4, Special Any%, All 3 Any%, All 3 Warpless, and All 3 All Stages.
• Any runs in a removed category can be recorded onto a spreadsheet for preservation.

Issues: Here are some other noted issues we can go over in the future.

• IL timing is inconsistent
• A ton of IL categories with only a few with runs
• Some runs are not reviewed properly

Voting has ended. Merge Hard subcategories into the normal subcategory.: 7-0 unanimous pass Remove 1.0 categories.: 9-0 unanimous pass Remove All Cheats.: 9-0 unanimous pass

In the following days I can enter in any hard runs and add the difficulty variable for full game, move 1.0 runs to a spreadsheet, and remove All Cheats.

To be honest, normal, hard, and easy should all be separate categories. Nickhero (a friend who was doing this with me just to be me) and I both played on normal rules only changing Bass's weapon. I looked at the number one and they changed the damage they do and the difficulty and obviously beat the crap out of our times. The top 3 people are all on easy mode and I'm wondering why easy mode with custom rules is on the same ranking as normal with default rules. Just seems very silly to me. I haven't been in here in like a year and was just curious to see what was going on, but apparently this game has no set rules, just change whatever you want (which as far as I can see just changing weapons on characters should be fine), difficulty and damage included, and your time which beats a default player is considered better somehow. Doesn't that seem strange?

I just realized one dude has a bunch of scores and no videos to prove it... just putting a google timer in your screen shot doesn't mean you did that. Not saying he lied... but just saying that isn't proof of anything. As far as I know, every computer has the ability to record at this point so I am not sure why someone would submit multiple scores without videos and I'm not sure why they would be accepted.

Edit: Actually, Nickhero and I should be first in second for normal any%. Everyone else who beat us is either on easy, custom rules, and/or no video.

Personally I'm on board for making difficulties separate, but this runs into the issue of having too many categories, something we've been trying to eliminate since the leadership change a couple months back.

In regards to the no video runs, after the rule changing requiring WR runs (top 3 for Any%) to have video proof, those were verified back when the mods in charge allowed p much any run through (which is no longer the case thankfully). They were still allowed after the leadership/rule change, since they were still un-optimized enough to be easily beaten, which has been slowly but surely happening.

Without the difficulties (and custom settings remaining the same like your shot damage) being consistent, there is no actual comparison between runs. Nickhero seems to be getting ready to play on easy, but if you look at the scores, Nick and I are first and second if you play by normal rules, but we're like 5th and 7th, and 2 people with "better times" than me and no video or settings that have been included. Without different categories with some specific regulations, the places really mean nothing. There has to be something actually being compared that is skill based. Right now its who made the game easier to complete through the settings menu. And its 2019. If you aren't recording your speed runs, they don't count. While I'm at work, I could fake a time with a screenshot if I wanted to. None of those should ever count. I'm really not trying to just randomly show up and complain but none of this would be acceptable by any standards I've ever seen for speed runs.

Not that it matters, but I've deleted my run. If standards just aren't going to be a thing then I'm not interested. Since I'm 7th while being clearly categorically different playing on default settings other than the weapon and considered worse than people with no video or playing easy mode with increased items and more damage, then I'd say no one cares. No point in me wasting anyone's time. I was considering coming back but no thanks.