Clock Rush Big Hearts | Downloadable Map ~12MB (Credits in post)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ldbEBhctHNLieuV5aDgp5dU1VTGUSPip/view?usp=sharing

Map by Revned, posted on castlevaniacrypt.com
Edits by Turbodog702
Thanks given in upper left of graphic by Revned.

Descriptions of the different SOTN versions

# Xbox Live Arcade

The smoothest version of the original PSX game. Has short loading times and no graphical lag. Retains most glitches and tricks from playstation. Fastest platform for the main Alucard and RIchter categories. Save corruption does not work on this version. Allows simultaneous use of the dpad and the analogue sticks on the controller.  Tracked alongside PSX, PSN and EMU. European 360 consoles seem to run very slightly faster than NA ones, 60hz vs 59.94hz.

On **Xbox 360** the system music player can be used to mute in-game music and slightly reduce loading times for the in-game menu.

# Playstation

**Playstation 1/2 NTSC** : Core game. Tracked alongside XBLA, PSN and EMU in the main Alucard and Richter categories.

**Playstation 1/2 PAL** : Same game, but runs at 50fps, significantly slower. Not recommended.

**Playstation 1/2 JP re-release** : Same as international version, but with Japanese menu button scheme.

**Playstation 3 PSN** : Emulated version of the original game. Unfortunately it tends to run slow, with menu loads lasting sometimes longer than psx. 

**Emulated PSX** : Emulated core game. Due to emulation inaccuracy it runs slightly faster than PSX, but is still much slower than XBLA.
See emulaton guidelines for details: https://www.speedrun.com/sotn/guide/mb09w

# Requiem and Dracula X Chronicles

This version has multiple mechanical differences to the original game so it is tracked separately. The Maria Renard character in this version is completely different than on Saturn and falls under a different speedrun category. It is missing most glitches from the original game but has it's own versions for most skips.

**Requiem PS4** : Emulated version of PAL DXC.

**NTSC DXC** : Does not have wingsmash chaining. Exclusive wrong warp glitch with corrupting quick saves. There is a glitch where Maria can retain subweapons from another save.

**PAL DXC** : Does have wingsmash chaining, no wrong warps.

# Other Versions

**Playstation 1/2 JP 1.0** : No Infinite Wingsmash. Shaft skip. Separate categories, currently not tracked on this leaderboard.

**Sega Saturn JP** : Different version of the game, glitches work differently. Used for the Maria categories. Alucard and Richter speedruns would fall under separate categories from the main ones and are not currently tracked here. However you are welcome to do so and if the categories become popular they will be included.

*Emulators* :  Saturn emulation is highly inaccurate and significantly faster than the original, thus separated.
See emulaton guidelines for details: https://www.speedrun.com/sotn/guide/mb09w

Experience route for Alucard Any% and All Bosses

# Experience Routes

Our goal is to minimize the amount of **Level Up** animations that we get through the run without sacrificing time to do so.

The route notes assume that we kill everything in your way and will note what has to be skipped.

### Important notes:

- You can level up to more than one level higher with only one animation
- Experience is calculated based on the level difference between Alucard and the monster level

# Run Start (Normal)

- Kill 3 Zombies
- Kill both Bone Scimitars in the first room of Alchemy Lab
- One green Axe Knight in the first Spittle Bone room

# Run Start (Luck Mode)

- Kill an extra Bone Scimitar in the Alchemy Lab's 2nd room on the 2nd floor
- Kill both green Axe Knights in the first Spittle Bone room
- Kill both Spittle Bones in the room before Slogra & Gaibon

# Slogra & Gaibon Double Kill

- Kill all 3 Flea Men on the way to Outer Wall
- Everything in the long hallway
- Skip one blue Axe Knight before Doppleganger
- Kill everything in the outer wall
- Kill the Sword Lord or skip the Spear Guard and kill one Blade Master in Colosseum

# No Double Kill Adjustment(+ 2 level ups during Clock Rush)

- Kill both blue Axe Knights before Doppleganger

# Theoretical Tombstone Skip

- revenge tech Karasuman or RSL
- fly over every tombstone in reverse keep (possible leniency to kill one)

# All Bosses Second Castle

- Kill 1 Jack O'Bones in the long hallway
- Kill both Jack O'Bones after dopple40
- Kill 4 Rock Knights
- Kill only 1 Frozen Half on the way to Galamoth
- Kill only 1 Frozen Half on the way back from Galamoth

# Fixing XP mistakes

- If you skip a Zombie, kill the Spittle Bone after S&G
- If you skip one Bone Scimitar kill the second green Axe Knight before S&G
- If you kill an extra Bone Scimitar skip a green Axe Knight before S&G
- If you don't know how to fix xp during clock rush, kill everything until the end of clock rush

relevant xp values https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1X4HyErJGmyaTbo9u8ojq8yj3eQ5uTveChx9G1HoOo64/edit#gid=0

How to enable Stick&Dpad with xbox controllers for emulators and fix windows 10 trigger button issues

First we need a program to map controller outputs to keyboard keys.
An example of that would be joy2key or what i use joycur (http://www.deinmeister.de/jct_e.htm)

In joycur (or similar) you want to add WASD _twice_ and check the checkboxes for the correct positions for your stick and your dpad.
Specifically in joycur you want to disable "use typematic". 
If joycur tells you that a joystick key or axis is not released, tell it to exit anyways.
In PSXJIN you want to set your movement to WASD and you should be good to go.

Windows 10 only:
To fix the issue of windows 10 registering the trigger buttons as always pressed you want to add both of them to keyboard buttons, it should be the opposite of what is shown as pressed at the very top (T and L should be pressed by default which is the problem, B and H should be what your keys are mapped to).
Now the tricky part is to get PSXJIN to accept that, either you unplug the controller and set everything up via joycur including all other buttons or you can try to press both trigger buttons about half way in so it will register them as neutral and not overwrite everything you click.

Bizhawk ignores this issue so this workaround is not needed.

SOTN emulation guidelines

# Allowed Emulators

- **BizHawk**: uses a forked mednafen core
- **Mednafen**: lightweight accurate emulator
- **PPSSPP**: for now this is the main option for PSP

# Emulator Rules

- The game needs to be ran at 60fps, auto detect fps/skip should be enough
- No input automation of any kind (scripts/macros/etc.)
- Only one button bound per each emu button, with the exception of using dpad and analog stick.
- No lag reduction: ssspsx, pc fps, cpu overclock, artificial multithreading
- No abuse of holding left + right at the same time

# Rules Regarding Off-stream Emulator Runs

- Reset/power on from the previous run must be included in your run submission video
- Specify the emulator used in the run and its version in the comments
- Include all game audio
- It is strongly encouraged to use input display
- It is strongly encouraged to show the emulator window with the border included

# Emulator Setup

- Always load the *.cue file instead of the bin/iso
- config > display > Maintain aspect ratio ☑
- config > display > Use system's recommendation ☑

## Optimizing emulator performance

- Closing unnecessary software, especially web browsers.
- When streaming try using GPU accelerated encoding like NVENC.
- Lowering window size scaling.
- Trying a different setting in Config > Display > Display Method

Standard SOTN speedrun timing



*  Time starts when you gain control of your character.  For PS versions Alucard delay would vary between 8 and 11 seconds, XBLA 3-4 seconds. Lower for Richter.

*  In-game time starts slightly earlier than that, so keep in mind that if you don't do any actions that pause the IGT the clock will start opening at around 7 minutes and 58.3 seconds.

*  Time does **not** start at first input, so you can not wait in the prologue to assure clock room is open.

*  Time ends at the killing blow for the last boss (Dracula or Shaft) with the exception of the ACE/Save Corruption run, which ends at triggering the final cutscene.

*  This differs from TAS timing, which begins at system power on.



Terminology

[section=Movement]

Shield Dashing / Buffalo Star Dashing: Using a shield or use items to cancel the backdash animation and restart it.
http://i.imgur.com/dTiXRIB.gif


Wolf Jump / Slope Jump: While running as wolf jumps on slopes provide high speed and height.
http://i.imgur.com/8mlc915.gif


IWS / Infinite Wingsmash: Chaining wingsmash.
http://i.imgur.com/cJxgOKB.gif


Batdash: Backdash into bat, preserving momentum.
http://i.imgur.com/Y08lNa1.gif


Mistbat / Mistwolf: Using mist to transition quickly into wolf or bat form. Can be used to turn around during a wingsmash.
http://i.imgur.com/hfKSkh8.gif


Shield Walk Cancel / Shield Cancel: Using the animation of the shield to cancel the stun from falling from high places.
http://i.imgur.com/goYqOcP.gif


Batkick: Divekick into bat, preserving momentum.
http://i.imgur.com/fHD5mGu.gif


Wolf Rise / Mistwolf Rise: Using mist into wolf in a  rhythm to gain height.
http://i.imgur.com/8eKAtvs.gif


Superjump: Doing a high jump as wolf while preserving dash momentum.
http://i.imgur.com/bOKmvU6.gif


Frointslide: Divekicking close to the ground in a specific way to achieve a front slide and maximum swag.
http://i.imgur.com/0OOZYeN.gif

Big Toss: Getting damage boosted for more than 50% of Alucard's hp launches him into the air at high velocity until he collides with the terrain.
http://i.imgur.com/VKcsWiR.gif

Autodash: Doing a mistwolf against a low ledge in a specific way makes the wolf automatically dash.
http://i.imgur.com/81Msr6Y.gif


[section=Glitches]
Floor Clip / Wolf CLip / Stair Clip / Library(or other location) Floor Clip: A difficult trick with wolf that lets us go out of bounds.
Difficulty level: Frame-perfect jump, frame-perfect untransform and subpixel perfect positioning, but it can be pause buffered.
http://i.imgur.com/2CBYeLT.gif

RSL / Reverse Shiftline: Using a screen freeze(level up / heart refresh) at a specific point of a screen to manipulate the screen transition and underflow our position when entering the next room. Used for Death skip and Relic skip.
Difficulty level: Either one or two frame window, can be pause buffered.
http://i.imgur.com/pUCVKnA.gif

Timing Conventions

## Segment time definitions
* Segments are defined by what frames are included inside.
* A duplicated frame is the second frame that looks the same at the start of a load.

## For all categories
* Time starts when you gain character control (first movement frame of the character).
* Time ends upon boss death.
* Post times without milliseconds with the exception of places 1-3 or tiebreakers.
* Precise times use milliseconds rounded to the hundredths place.
* Example **32:13.38**
* Saturn Maria runs are timed without loads.

* Loadless area segments
-- First frame is the first fade-in frame.
-- Last frame is the frame before the first duplicated frame before a load.
-- Castle keep last frame is the one frame before the white pillar around the character disappears.
-- Reverse keep first frame is the frame after the white pillar around the character disappears.

## Alucard and Richter
* Last frame in the run is the first frame of white flash when Final Boss is defeated.

## Maria
* Last frame in the run is the frame before the first duplicated frame of the orbs when they stop orbiting Shaft when he is defeated.

## Examples
* [How to use the Segmented Timer tool](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzfViqPsCJM)

## Recommended tools for timing runs: 
* [Segmented Timer](https://taliczealot.github.io/#/apps/timer)
* [Avidemux](https://avidemux.sourceforge.net/download.html)
* [Maria Any% Spreadsheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OWifCUV__lzbI0-k_I8oDupQYAqzP61tPbMrYf7B32E)

Video Guides and Tutorials

# General

- [SotN Input Mechanics](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOFfsht58OI)

# Alucard

- [Turbodog702s extensive SOTN speedrun tutorial focusing on Alucard any percent](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLatVBprEnzK_OwWhDz1ViBFiQrFvCP4Lu)
- [Advanced Any% Tutorial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QTjKT6W4q0)
- [Alucard All Bosses Tutorial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgNwrwZ7tS0)
- [Easy way of getting a clear file for beginners](https://youtu.be/5Qawki4VYyk)
- [Example Run and Visual Goal for Beginners](https://youtu.be/fvBK7OLqdmI)
- [Shield Dashing Methods Compilation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y4xQX0Q5h0)
- [Alucard any percent skips quick guide](https://youtu.be/qBMGdgzNPUw)
- [Alucard any percent advanced room strats and psx lag reduction](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfFh5IX8EQQ)
- [Slogra and Gaibon Double Kill Method Demonstration](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqoZIhu5pGM)
- [Autodash version floor clip explanation](https://youtu.be/-_C1FrwdZxU)
- Speed Values and Glitch Information: http://tasvideos.org/GameResources/PSX/SymphonyOfTheNight.html

# Richter

- [Richter Mechanics Guide](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q7-q69c2po)

# Maria

- [Maria Any% Tutorial](https://www.twitch.tv/videos/564122345)

Visual Cues and Trick Frames

Death Skip Frames Album: http://imgur.com/a/ZvKEM#0

Richter Skip Frames Album: http://imgur.com/a/05x9A#0

Relic Skip Frames Album: http://imgur.com/a/NxM5s#0

Caverns Clip Buffer Frames Album: http://imgur.com/a/LPqcp/layout/horizontal#0

Pause buffered library floor clip frames Album: http://imgur.com/a/Nh7NZ/layout/horizontal#0

Autodash clip frames album: http://imgur.com/a/T1Nm8

Xbox 360 guidelines

Recommended graphics settings, to access them you have to be in game and press start>help&options
 ● Original Graphics
 ● Maximum Height
 ● Minimum Width

Play in offline mode to avoid lagspikes from the integrated xbox leaderboards.

XeiZ

Turbodog702

TalicZealot

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

PlayStation 2

Xbox 360

Xbox One

the_swarm

DerDrach

KevinCabarello

USA / NTSC

Any% NSC

All Bosses

Glitchless Any%

Any%

Console

Emulator

ABRSR

Any% Requiem / DXC PAL

Normal

Luck Mode

Axe Armor

Platform

Please pick whichever name code the run used or Normal if none.

Name	Author
Clock Rush Big Hearts \| Downloadable Map ~12MB (Credits in post)	Turbodog702 4 years ago
Descriptions of the different SOTN versions	TalicZealot 4 years ago
Experience route for Alucard Any% and All Bosses	TalicZealot 5 years ago
How to enable Stick&Dpad with xbox controllers for emulators and fix windows 10 trigger button issues	XeiZ 7 years ago
SOTN emulation guidelines	TalicZealot 8 months ago
Standard SOTN speedrun timing	TalicZealot 6 years ago
Terminology	TalicZealot 2 years ago
Timing Conventions	TalicZealot 8 months ago
Video Guides and Tutorials	TalicZealot 9 months ago
Visual Cues and Trick Frames	TalicZealot 6 years ago
Xbox 360 guidelines	TalicZealot 5 years ago