A recent run showcases a huge timesave from enabling the cyborg option for the Sa-Matra only:

Apparently this bug/feature has been known for a long time according to gamefaqs. Even with a very fast Sa-Matra fight it saves at least 40s, for most runs on the board probably more than 1.5min. Also one could use the cyborg for the other fights in the game to maybe get a time advantage (more on that below). I'd like to get some feedback from you guys regarding this topic how we should treat cyborg usage.

Some options for the leaderboard:

• Create a new category for any kind of Cyborg usage (resulting in e.g. Any% Cyborg & Any% no Cyborg)
• leave the runs in the Any% category but keep track of them with a variable (old runs getting Cyborg = off)
• Completely ban the cyborg usage (not a recommended option imo)

Some more information/thoughts about cyborg settings: The option is available in the ingame menu and has 3 settings, weak ("cyborg on" ingame), good ("cyborg on+" ingame) and awesome ("cyborg++" ingame). Any of these should trigger the Sa-Matra fight skip. The good and awesome cyborg accelerate combat by a lot (I might insert a showcase here). But the AI is limited in their combat abilities. I tested it on the (2x) Arilou vs (5x) Mycon fight in Beta Brahe and the (1x) Utwig fight vs the Sa-Matra guards (3x Ur-Quan & 3x Kohr-Ah). The Arilou only beat 1 Mycon each before dying. The Utwig beat 2-3 guards. A well practiced runner should not have too many troubles with these fights using only a single ship.

I could see the cyborg option appealing for new runners coming in. I know from casual streamers that ship combat is daunting at the beginning.

Even though this is a small leaderboard, I'd like to keep things orderly and deal with this now. Please share your thoughts on the topic as I'd like to involve the community in this decision.

my best to compare loadtimes via 60fps videos of MC speedruns on different hard/software. I recommend using the shortcuts "," & "." to go 1 frame back/forward in the video for close observing.

The 3 compared systems are:

• Windows 98 on an Intel Pentium 233 MHz (Toshiba Satellite Pro 480 CDT)
• modern = Windows 10 AMD 3600x
• WINE on Intel i7-7700HQ @ 2.80GHz × 8

Observations:

• Some modern runners have the "fade to black" as screen fades, some do not. Not sure what is causing this to appear or suppress it. I only put the modern example without the "fade to black" in the comparison for now.
• Win98 doesn't show the button being pressed when starting a campaign. WINE & modern Win both do that.
• Loading times are very machine dependent.

The last point leads me to the conclusion that we need to remove loading times for the speedrunning leaderboard. Which will be a pain for the moderator (currently me) to deal with. Unless somebody cares about making an autosplitter that deals with all those loading times. Also time start will probably move to the 1st frame in mission screen after the start of the campaign to account for the 1st loading screen.

I'm sorry that I'm missing the "next mission"/loading into logistics screen on Win98 currently. I'll provide it soonTM.

Looking forward for your feedback. Would be great if someone has any clue how to create an autosplitter that works for the game. Because it might be tricky with the different resolution patches that are out on the field.

I made some discoveries about game seeds in Moonstone & their behaviour. Time to share the knowledge in this video:

tldr:

• You can get a specific game seed by starting the game at a specific time.
• It seems that you can get an unknown seed by completing a first run then starting another. At least I couldn't figure out yet which time to set to get to that seed.
• Therefore I suggest creating new categories for fixed seeds.

I added the sections in the youtube description, might as well add them here: 0:00 how to send a specific time to dosbox with faketime (linux only) 1:33 fixing a game seed by starting the game at a specific time 4:00 altering the game seed by game over screen (Q) 8:20 other time = other game seed 13:47 changing date doesn't change game seed, only time 14:40 theory for game seed after a completed run 17:20 test5: complete seeded run (18:00:10) 23:58 then run the unknown seed (looking into a few lairs for their loot) - part of test5 39:00 trying to find the unknown seed in a certain time range (18:00:10 + time it took me to complete the run) - didn't find the seed - part of test5 54:10 & 1:11:11 repeating test5: complete seeded run (18:00:10) 1:06:07 & 1:21:27 repeating test5: run the unknown seed (different seeds than 1st test5 unknown seed from 23:58 ) 1:25:20 repeating test5: trying to find the unknown seed - didn't find the seed 1:34:55 Intro influences game seed

Maybe it's time we gather glitches & other not quite understood interactions into a thread.

1. Not getting the moonstone from the Guardian & having to fight her again. Update: I sometimes can recreate it by throwing the daggers after she is defeated. Seems to be a timing thing with the animation if the glitch happens or not.

2. I twice had the game decide I lost... update: It must have been the disease that you can get from the Ratmen.

3. If you kill all of the black knights and the dragon still lives -> the dragon will restart coming from the left side no matter where it was before. (it might not respawn left if it chased you anyway?) Pay attention to the dragon's position (coming from the right). At 5m55s the dragon is reset to the starting position.

4. Maybe specific to the trolls: under some circumstances you can skip enemies. Meaning I only had to fight 1 troll instead of 4 in a lair. It seems it has to do with dying then fighting the same lair again and killing the 1 troll "off screen". It happened twice to me during runs, but I couldn't reproduce it in tests since.

There are multiple ways to define a low% category. Some examples: 1.) no flagship upgrades 2.) no ship/crew recruitment (at the starbase) 3.) minimal artifacts (aka don't pick up the Portal Spawner) 4.) never visit the starbase

Most of these options take a pretty long time to complete (1,3,4) so I'd prefer to realize option 2 for the low% category. The ruling would be that receiving ships as gifts is okay (e.g. 3x Skiffs from Arilou), but recruiting crew or ships at the starbase is prohibited. You can see a concept run I did in the video below.

Concept run:

For reference about the "never visit starbase" (until endgame). I've never done it myself, but apparently someone very motivated did that. You do that because the Melnorme donate fuel to you if you strand in Hyperspace. https://www.reddit.com/r/starcontrol/comments/4byxid/just_beat_the_game_without_ever_visiting_the_star/

And yet another category discussion. I believe we have to sort out first the rules for 100% before any other categories can be established in a way that they make sense. For the moment I'd define 100% as:

1. finishing the quests/missions which involves the respective alien race
2. get all artifacts
3. visit all rainbow worlds

Motivation: The aliens we meet (or not meet) in this game have several quests for you to complete. We want to complete as many as possible for 100%. Here is a list with a few keywords describing the tasks. There are a few tasks I'm completely unsure how to deal with them. I marked them in bold. See the points of discussion for more details.

• Androsynth: learn their fate?
• Arilou Lalee'lay (a.k.a. Arilou): formal alliance, quasiportal spawner
• Chmmr: alliance, use sun device
• Druuge: get all artifacts from them, (get a Druuge Mauler?)
• Humans: get radioactives to starbase & defend against Ilwrath, Defend Unzervalt?
• Ilwrath: send them to war with Traddash to save Pkunk
• Melnorme: get all technologies & information -> 4425 credits: 13x150 techn, 33x75 info (8x events, 16x aliens, 9x history) ↔ 5000 from Rainbow worlds
• Mycon: lure them into the Syreen's trap, get Sun Device
• Orz: alliance
• Precursor: get their artifacts, visit the rainbow worlds?
• Pkunk: alliance, send the Ilwrath to war with Traddash to save them
• Shofixti: alliance -> give the maidens to Tanaka (Delta Gorno)
• Slylandro: get the probe destruction code & wipe the probes out
• Spathi: alliance -> destroy the Evil Ones; Umgah Hyperwave broadcaster
• Supox: alliance
• Syreen: alliance -> part of the Sun Device arc -> one more visit after Organon battle
• Thraddash: alliance? -> destroy 25 Torch ships
• Umgah: Talking Pet; get the 4 Umgah ships?
• Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah: Defend Zoq-Fot-Pik
• Ur-Quan Kzer-Za: Defend Unzervalt?
• Utwig: give them the repaired Ultron
• VUX: bring them the VUX beast (Alpha Cerenkov I VUX, Delta Lyncis I beast)
• Yehat: formal alliance with rebels -> show them a Shofixti, cutscene before Sa-Matra (at least 1 empty ship slot)
• Zoq-Fot-Pik: alliance & keep them alive -> defend them against Kohr-Ah attack

Motivation: Actually most of the artifacts/items are mandatory for the completion of the game (as we see in any%). But for 100% I'd consider it the goal to get them all. Which also means in the case of the Egg case fragments -> get all 3 of them.

• Moon Base
• Aqua Helix
• Clear Spindle
• Rosy Sphere
• Ultron
• Utwig Bomb
• 3x Deep Child Egg Case Fragments (Beta Copernicus I, Gamma Scorpii I or Gamma Brahe I))
• Syreen Shuttle
• Sun device
• Ur-Quan Warp Pod
• Quasispace Portal Spawner
• Vux Beast
• Shofixti Maidens
• Bruvixese Hyperwave Broadcaster
• Umgah Hyperwave Broadcaster
• Taalo Shield
• Talking Pet
• Glowing Rod
• Wimbli's Trident
• Slylandro Probe Self-Destruct Code -> not sure if that should really count as an item as it doesn't show up in the devices menu, but Hayes mentions it. We do the Slylandro quest anyways, so it's fine.

Motivation: I consider the rainbow worlds as the pinnacle of the exploration aspect in this game. The completionist style of visiting every planet is just too much to fit in any kind of run (that would probably take more than 20 hours). So just these 10 planets is the version we can live with. There are 10 rainbow worlds located on the starmap. Usually far away from Sol & not very close to other objectives. Visit all of them -> orbit is enough, no need to land with the lander. For a list see this link: https://wiki.uqm.stack.nl/Rainbow_World

I made a run where I tried to complete everything I mentioned in the above sections. As you can see I had quite some trouble with the Traddash, as the alliance is not possible once they are at war with the Ilwrath.

I'd love to hear your views on the 100% category as I outlined it above. I have a few points I'm kinda lost how to deal with them, here they come:

• learn the fate of the Androsynth? Afaik Hayes & the Arilou both mention the Androsynth and their conflict with the Orz. There are the ruins on Eta Vulpeculae 2 which give decisive hints what happend to them. Also both the Androsynth and the Orz don't get much screentime. Is that motivation enough to include that in the run?
• Defend Unzervalt? The captain, the flagship & the initial crew come from Unzervalt in the Vela system. If one goes there you will find Unzerval slave-shielded and an Ur-Quan Dreadnought in orbit. Shall we go back to the roots?
• Thraddash alliance? On the one hand I would love to have "get all possible alliances" as a part of 100%. On the other hand there are some issues to getting the Traddash alliance. Because you also need to send the Ilwrath away from Pkunk/Chmmr space to complete the game. This shortens the time window you can actually pull that alliance off. Should we consider it as a nice challenge for routing? Or is it just a natural course of events in the world of Star Control.

I want to establish "all major quests" as a new category. As the name indicates it is not what I'd call a "100%" run, but I'd like to discuss this in the end of the post. I would like to have some feedback what you think would be proper. The objectives in short are:

1. Collect at least 1 of all items with purpose
2. Alien-relations: Meet with all aliens in conversation or combat. Create alliances where possible & keep them alive (Pkunk, Zoq-Fot-Pik).
3. Complete the game (destroy the Sa-Matra) In the end I want the rules to be as strict as necessary, but also as simple as possible to keep them comprehensible.

ad 1.

• see https://wiki.uqm.stack.nl/List_of_devices for a list of items of the game
• only Wimbli's Trident & Glowing Rod would not be needed
• the 2nd & 3rd Deep Children Fragments can be skipped as only 1 is needed for it's 'purpose'
• needed items: Aqua Helix, Clear Spindle, Rosy Sphere, Ultron, Burvixese HyperWave Broadcaster, 1x Deep Child Egg Case Fragment, Moon Base, QuasiSpace Portal Spawner, Sun Device, Syreen Shuttle, Taalo Shield, Talking Pet, Umgah HyperWave Broadcaster, Ur-Quan Warp Pod, Utwig Bomb, VUX Beast

ad 2.

• Relations are explained here: https://wiki.uqm.stack.nl/New_Alliance_of_Free_Stars
• Alliances are possible with: Arilou, Chmmr, Orz, Pkunk, Shofixti, Spathi, Supox, Syreen, Thraddash, Utwig, Yehat Rebels, Zoq-Fot-Pik
• Some of these will provide you schematics for their ships to build them at the human star base. Others will give you ships under certain circumstances.
• The Melnorme won't commit to an alliance, but help in their 'neutral' tradesman-fashion. Meet with them at least once and trade something (point of discussion?)
• The Sylandro help in their own way in getting rid of their mistake with the probes. Complete this side-quest (point of discussion?)
• The Umgah give you ships if you visit their planet after you free them. But in the same conversation they will deny you the alliance. (While I did that in the 'proof of concept' run, I'd say it is not needed for AMQ.)
• The Druuge trade you their ships, but won't form an Alliance.

I missed one thing which is essential. Retrieving the Umgah Caster from the Spathi after they leave. As I'd set the rules this would be mandatory for the category.

You are of course welcome to question everything. Some points I haven't made my mind set yet are:

• Make it mandatory to meet with the Melnorme at least once and trade something?
• Should it be mandatory to resolve the quest of the Sylandro?
• Make it mandatory to retrieve the Umgah ships after freeing them from the Talking Pet? (currently not mandatory)

100% in my opinion is a completing the game to the "fullest". Which would indicate to leave little to nothing remaining to be completed. So I'd say in a true 100% run you'd have to visit all the rainbow worlds, get all the technology & history from the Melnorme, get all artifacts (3x Deep children egg cases, Wimbli's Trident?, Glowing Rod?)... I'd welcome discussion about this, but for the time being I find that category little interesting to run.

I want to verify a run that was recorded on twitch. As I want to take a closer look on it I downloaded it first via the site "Keepvid.io" and later with the browser addon "Video DownloadHelper". Both downloads share the issue that a good part (~1min) pretty close to the beginning is missing. On the twitch-vod everything is there...

So I wonder if anyone has had issues like that and knows a way around that? Pretty sad that SPRT doesn't work with twitch-vods... FeelsBadMan

PS: I don't want to post the video right away but first find out if anyone had this issue to.

Hello, I want to start running TLV on DOS(box) and I'm currently preparing myself for that. I have tried to make a nice trick work that you guys perform (with ease) in the level TRPD (see clip below). I have failed till now to even come close to a success. Can you guys explain what you're doing at this point? Maybe I've been missing something, maybe it doesn't work on DOS. Let's find out.

BR happycamper

Currently you have pure randomness in a random map run: you don't know the starting locations, you don't know your starting units.

I suggest we discuss the option for a category of a loaded random map and play it with a strategy you came up with. This could add a flavor for WR-maps in random map category if you try to beat it faster with new strategies because you know the map by then. For me it would be interesting to see how much faster you can be in comparison to the truly random map run.

The downside is that I can't think of a way to do this without ruining the page layout. The more random maps we upload and create a category for, the more daunting it gets for players who want to start speedrunning Warlords, because there are too many categories then. It would be hard to keep an overview which is hard to moderate too.

My conclusion is that this is not possible, but I'd be interested in your thoughts. Maybe there is a way to implement something like this. It seems this thread is unnecessary but I thought I start the discussion now.

During some run I accidentally broke the game... If you press TAB + C in the start game setup, where you can adjust game options and set players to humans or AI, you can enter a city view which is pretty broken. The capital of the fractions are not yet set properly and when you "end the turn" in this screen you'll spawn some troops, but you're stuck in the upper left corner and after the last player (usually black) has finished the 1st turn the game realizes that nobody has a city and no player is in the game and shuts it down.

I don't think that it is very useful for speedrunning, but you never know ;D Wanted to share this anyway. Maybe I'll explore some more of this one day, pretty weird & fun experience out of nowhere. (O_o)

Some pictures of this: