3:45 is a big target and I wish you the best of luck in doing it my 3:54 felt very good for a single segment run and 10 mins off that will be a tough task even segmented.

As for re routing, the game itself is pretty linear in how you have to approach it, you very rarely have the option to do more than 1 mission so realistically all the time has to be found in mission execution and possible skips.

If you want help or someone to bounce ideas off I am more than willing to help.

@Far The starting points for the timer for all the Saint Row 2 Categories, currently, are the same. It is as soon as you gain control of your character after the character creation screen. This will be the case for all NG runs unless otherwise stated, though I can’t think of a reason why we would deviate from it. The only time I can see any other starting point for the timer would be if there are ever any NG+ categories introduced.

I have though a bit about these runs and have come to the conclusion that if you want to do them as practice for full runs NG+ is the way to go. If they are just to have a way of running the game in a shorter way NG runs will be better and may be quite interesting in and of themselves. For example Brotherhood will haemorrhage time if you don't go for the Tornado where as Ronin may lose time but not much without the Tornado.

Also the way respect levels are acquired without the Tornado you will properly go for the quickest one and get little to no good rewards but with it you can go for slightly longer activities with the plus of good rewards and as each story arc will be minimum 15 missions, 11 for the selected gang and the 4 saints' missions required to unlock them, and the 4 strongholds, as they are needed to unlock the final mission for the gang, there will be a need for 17 respect levels which mean 2 full activities will likely be needed.

If anyone takes up these categories I will be interested in how they go about them.

Just to prevent the Any% discussion thread from being clogged up with this discussion post in here.

The choices for the single arc runs that need to be sorted:

1 will it be NG+ or NG 2 If it is NG+ where should the save file make you start? 3 Should the file that is use be homogonous or should we have the option of personalizing it for your own route? 4 Should we have the levels of respect already or should they have to be gained? 5 What rewards should we have in terms of completed activities? If any 6 Should we have the Tornado saved as in the Any% route or should it be that we need to collect it if wanted 7 Same as 6 with other cars or boats that may be wanted? 8 Same as 6 with weapons?

For me the logical way would be:

1 NG+ 2 After 3 kings 3 homogonous 4 with required levels 5 I would keep it close to Any% with Increase sprint and unlimited Kobra only 6 yes 7 None 8 Kobras only

I've always said I have no issue adding more misc categories so long as there is a demand for them, some degree of validity to them and if there is competition for them even better. In saying that, I do feel adding too many where only 1 or 2 people run them will be detrimental and look gimmicky.

Couple of questions about running the separate story arches will have to be answered before we add it/them as a misc categories because they would fall in to a weird area where they are not practice for a full game run and as such you wouldn't want to do the prologue type mission before but I see no reason why it would be out of the question to add them.

Type up how you want the rules to be for them, e.g. would it be a NG+ with a pre determined load state removing the need for us to do activities, and put them in the Community decisions input wanted thread for others to cross examine and comment on and we will go from there.

Last run until the New Year ended with a new PB which I’m very happy with. http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/sellz4/media/100_4890.jpg.html

Went rather well took 3 resets to get the Tornado spawn so 45mins to get a run going. Insurance Fraud took 5min, Fuzz took 11, Mayhem 10, Demo derby was the fastest I have ever completed it in 7 and fight club was slowish in 10mins.

I got lucky in File in the Cake as there was a heli that was closer just outside the last gate which I took for a time save. This was evened out as for some reason I didn’t get my oppressor reward meaning I had to take the Tornado to the Saint’s stronghold mission and bring back Maero and Carlos in a car in First Impressions then taking a taxi to Riot Control. Not sure what the time difference in doing that way or even if it is a time loss but still threw me off.

Mayhem took 2 mins longer that prison fight club but the Annihilator saved 4mins in The Enemy of my Enemy and Showdown alone and made the ...and a Better Life rocket strat basically un-missable saving a min.

My route is as follows there are certain points that are interchangeable and the reason I do then I the particular order is often just out of habit. I haven’t gone through and fine-tuned each mission route and micro-strated them so I’m sure there is time to be gained.

SR1 Jailbreak.

SR2 Appointed Defender.

Race twice for 1 level of respect.

SR3 Down Payment.

Listen to wire taps and get tornado (not there reset?) (Call Dex before getting in the heli and get the Ultor icon on the mini map I have had time where his number disappears if left and have had to listen to the wire taps again which is a 3mins of lost time) save it at safe house.

Insurance Fraud 3 levels fly to first in tornado then use SOB airport strats. SW after.

SR4 Three Kings IH.

S1 Got Dust, Will Travel IH.

U0 Revelation IH after grab a car form the road drive to the bike shop and buy 30k worth of bikes for level 6 style. SW after.

Fuzz Projects District to level 6.

R1 Saint's Seven IH.

R2 Laundry Day. SW after grab Kobras if you have done already you will be in the apartment crib.

RS Suburbs Strip Club IH.

R3 Road Rage IH.

S2 File in the Cake IH.

S3 Airborne Assault.

R4 Bleeding Out.

RS Humbolt Park Science Museum.

RS Amberbrook Museum Pier TT SW after.

SS Bavogian Plaza Drug Labs IH blow up the heli on the roof land then do the inside parts after

But 30k car from foreign power near the stadium

SS Stilwater University Student Union

Mayhem Nuclear Power Plant Island. IH after level 1 leave the activity then fly to the main land location of the activity otherwise heli is lost. SW after level 6 pickup the Annihilator when you can.

S4 Veteran Child IH

R5 Orange Threat Level SW after get heli

S5 Burning Down the House IH

S6 Bad Trip

SS Sunnyvale Gardens Fishing Dock IH after bomb is set on the boat during countdown get back in fly to next mission

R6 Kanto Connection IH

S7 Bonding Experience TT

R7 Visiting Hours

R8 Room Service IH

SS Elysian Fields Trailer Park IH grab Satchel Charge

R9 Rest in Peace

RS New Hennequet Rec Center TT

Taxi to foreign power buy 70k cars until level 8 style taxi to demo derby SW after

R10 Good D

SRS Go there in the oppressor

B1 First Impressions take the above ground option and use oppressor to fly back

S8 Riot Control fly to mission in the oppressor there is a chance to get the GAL 43 from a bum so be on the lookout for it

S9 Eternal Sunshine IH

S10 Assault on Precinct 31 IH

S11 The Shopping Maul IH SW after

R11 One Man's Junk... IH

Taxi to foreign power buy 100k cars until style 9 Do stadium fight club SW after

B2 Reunion Tour IH after car 4 fly to the start of next stronghold while escaping

BS Sommerset Apartments

B3 Waste Not Want Not Little trick when you enter the boat pull up the map the triangle on the island is where the nuclear waste will be so you can go straight to it.

B4 Red Asphalt IH

BS Imperial Square Pagodas TT

BS Poseidon Alley Docks TT SW after

B5 Bank Error in Your Favor IH Little trick when you grab Jessica after she turns of the alarm run straight to the front door it is possible to get out the door before swat comes in blocking it.

B6 Thank You and Goodnight!

B7 Retribution IH I like to leave the roof of the car park until last so you end nearer to next mission

B8 Jail Bait IH

BS Wardill Airport Hangars I use the Satchel Charge to blow up the vehicles plant all 8 then blow them up this way the airplane don’t start to move SW after

B9 The Enemy of my Enemy IH only use tornado on the 3rd wave otherwise the game will soft-lock stock up on rockets SW after

B10 The Siege SW after

B11 Showdown

U Cutscene TT SW after

U1 Picking a Fight IH

US Rounds Square Shopping Center TT SW after

U2 Pyramid Scheme IH SW after

U3 Salting the Earth...Again IH

U4 ...and a Better Life Little trick don’t get straight in the car jump on top when the limo starts to move shot the limo with 3 rockets this will do the full required damage and it will go straight to the Phillips building saving a min over chasing it using guns.

IH = Use tornado TT = Taxi there SW = Save warp/ load the auto save SR = saint mission (S for stronghold) B = Brotherhood S = Samedi R = Ronin U = Ultor

A key part of the route is to always be trying to get respect during missions with gun streaks each level needs 8k and each 3 gold star streak is worth 300-500 for something you do anyway destroying gang vehicles is another big gainer don’t go out you way to do these just be mindful of doing them.

Tags are worth picking up if they are right there at 550ish a go. I normally end with 7-9 depending on my respect levels near the end.

In the last brotherhood stronghold and last 3 brotherhood missions it is important to keep your respect up with lots of streaks, where to do so is obvious, you need to have 5 levels after Showdown.

I now know for sure that the theoretical fastest route is the power plant island Mayhem realistically 11-12mins is the target to make the Annihilator worth getting which is more than possible. Properly 10mins is the kind of time it could be done consistently if you are knowledgeable of which specific route to take to keep the combo up which I’m just not at this time, any assistance on this would be most welcome.

The first 4 levels are fine to do quick regardless of the location I can get them done in 5-6mins the problem is doing levels 5 and 6 quickly. Finishing them isn't that much of an issue it more the time they take me to do so. I’m going to grind this activity out see if I can get it to a consistent 11mins when that is the case this activity will replace the prison fight club as the 3min lost in straight up speed different between them is offset with the Annihilator giving 4mins plus back in time save with 2mins alone in The Enemy of my Enemy preventing too many vehicles creating horrific frame rate lag.

Ok I put up the rules for each categories of runs across the 4 games if you see any issues with them post here I can edit them as seen fit. I added the banning of using pre-release codes for SR2 it should have been obvious as they are added in the cheat section of the game but is a future argument avoided if they are banned now.

I also added times that were significant and have recorded proof but haven been submitted by the runner’s themselves.

I tried the Nuclear Power Plant Island Mayhem and it is looking like it will take far too long for the benefits of the Annihilator to be worth it. The first problem is that after level 1 the site of the Mayhem switches so you lose the Tornado if you continue to level 2. That can be overcome by exiting the activity then flying to the new location of the activity but that is extra time to add to having to do the activity. The next issue is the same as the other Mayhem in that after level 4 you need to get the correct areas otherwise it is time consuming and it opens up the possibility of failing the activity. If we could have force restarted it and kept the Tornado it may have been viable but as we can’t sadly it isn’t worth doing the activity.

My route is pretty much done I’ll finish the tweaks to it over the weekend and I should post it in here sometime Monday evening for you to make improvement to it as you see fit hopefully we can get a good consistent route established done so runs can be done.

Cheers FAR, PB yes, sub 5 debatable, WR no. As much as I would love to claim it no video of the run = no WR it would be too open to abuse plus we work on RTA no IGT. If this record counts I could claim to have SR3 any% and 100% and SR4 any% as well lol

http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/sellz4/media/100_4879.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1

http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/sellz4/media/100_4874.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2

Got a new PB there are still chunks of time to be gained from optimizing the mission strats so I expect the time could creep down 10+ mins. http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/sellz4/media/100_4856.jpg.html?sort=3&o=3

I’m going to do some tests to see if the mayhem on the Nuclear Power Plant Island is a viable option. The Annihilator as a reward could be used for some nice time gains for the late game Brotherhood missions such as The Enemy of my Enemy and Showdown even the end of Rest in Peace in the Ronin strand and Salting the Earth...Again could possibly be made less annoying and quicker with it.

I have the same small grievance as Bismuth but with the word Fraud.

In the saints row section it is a frequently used word and the emoticon coming up is annoying.

Finished the first draft of my route and did a run this afternoon finishing it in 5:12 IGT. The route went pretty well couple of things I will need to move about but all in all it worked out well. I did mess up a bit and as a result it left me 1 respect level short so had to improvise and do one level of Mayhem but I have a fixed figured out for that. When it is completely done I’ll post it in full.

One issue I did find is that using the Tornado for either of the first 2 waves of The Enemy of my Enemy will prevent the next wave from coming soft locking the game, though it is ok to use for the third wave.

Also has any one timed how long Mayhems take in the Tornado and if it is comparable time wise to Fight Club?

A possible route for the first part could be:

R1 in Tornado - R2 straight after can't use Tornado in anything other than first part anyway - back to crib to get Tornado - land tornado on the strip club roof do Suburbs Strip Club killing the last guys in Tornado then fly to next mission, R3 in Tornado - fly to S2 do first part in Tornado until you lose it - S3 after which is down the road and you won't be able to use Tornado in it anyway - back to the crib S4 in the Tornado.

Fits together quite well I left out Trailer Park as taking the satchel charges would lose our flash bangs which could speed up S4 but the satchel charges could be useful elsewhere. Also there is an opportunity to do that strong hold before R9 which starts at the cemetery.

Just a thread of who runs what for the major Saints Row categories just to give people an idea of who is in the community and where/who to share info with. Splitting it into active/inactive/considering if you want to be added post below.

SR1 Any% Active: Inactive: Sellz90 Considering:

SR1 100% Active: Inactive: Considering: Sellz90

SR2 Any% Active: FoxAndRavens(WR), **Inactive:**Martinz, SlayerOfBabies, Sellz90, reddaNscibby, Hurbaz Considering:

SR2 100% Active: Inactive: **Considering: ** Sellz90, FoxAndRavens

SR3 Any% **Active:**Dittomon(WR), Ryedawg(co-op), Junglecatz81(co-op) Inactive: Sellz90, Tyriounet, **Considering: **Baqonator, FoxAndRavens

SR3 100% Active: **Inactive: **Sellz90, **Considering: **

SR4 Any% Active: **Inactive: **Sellz90, Dittomon, Baqonator(WR), BystanderTim, HoboWithAShotgun(Segmented) Fatzke (co-op), Tyriounet (co-op) **Considering: **FoxAndRavens

SR4 100% Active: Sellz90 Inactive: Considering: Baqonator

SR4 BE% Active: Inactive: Inkey(WR) Considering:

SRGooH Any% Active: agjents Inactive: psomaster437(solo+co-op), redemption99(WR)(solo+co-op), BystanderTim Considering:

I personally get my style rank from the cycle shop just down the road from the end of Revelations. I get the tag run up the stairs grab a random car drive just around the corner buy the 2 bikes that are 15k each then save warp after.

The Oppressor is the reward for the 3rd Samedi mission so it is also possible to just rush it if it is needed. Samedi 1 can use the tornado and keep it after, Samedi 2 it is used to fly to the prison but lost as you need to take the Oppressor and the 3rd it can’t be used for and Samedi 2 ends down the road from its start point so the Samedi strand we are good.

Ronin 1 the Tornado is use to travel to the casino but lost as the truck is driven at the end, Ronin 2 it is not used as you have to use the car picked up, Ronin 3 Tornado is used but may be faster to just use the bike, I am yet to time it, Ronin 4 it can’t be used.

Brotherhood 1 is where the Oppressor will properly have to be used first and that may be saved until we unlock Samedi 8 as the start point is near.

Another thing to note is that off the 17 original respect levels at the level 6 boost I managed to do 25 missions or stronghold leaving 24 missions or strongholds left. If we are smart and find ways to upgrade style even more at good points we may be able to stretch out the 26 respect levels gained from FAR start route all the way until the completion of the 3 rival gang arches.

I'm doing the following as my start set up at the end I have 17 levels of respect and it is taking 1:07ish to complete.

S1 - S2 - races - S3 - Tornado – IF 3 level for just under 3 respect levels then save warp - SR4 - Samedi 1will end with 3 respect from kill streaks in the heli - Revelations - Fuzz - Fight club prison save warp

I have tried the first 3 to 5 missions of each of the 3 story branches just getting a feel for how they may work with the Tornado and basically 90% of missions are going to use the tornado in some way. It is pretty much a case of if the mission lets you it is properly the best way. There is also an additional benefit when combined with the style bonus you get a lot of respect from streaks, such as gang cars destroyed, meaning it is easy to refill the respect bar just doing a mission and rather than getting 17 missions done from the original levels gained it will be more like 22 or so.

The first brotherhood mission did throw up an issue in that you need a 4 person vehicle to finish it but at the same time it is so far out the way that a heli is the best way to get there. We will need to time out if doing it in the oppressor with the ability to do the final part in a heli rather than a boat or car is quicker that flying there in a Tornado then using either the car or boat. There is also the option of waiting until riot control (the 8th samedi missions) as the start of that is close as well so it would be a natural move to go there after with the saints stronghold, that starts and finishes next to brotherhood 1, being before them but then you’re left with the brotherhood arch being behind the other 2 which may prevent possible strings of missions that fit together well.

What I'm saying is that if we get them for the shanties it would be worth stocking up on them at that time as for that mission you could use the leftovers to save a bit of time. Rather than scrambling back and forth to pick them up, as they only let you take one at a time and you may have to move you position to avoid be affected by the flash bang yourself, you will already 3 or 4 of them on you and you can take a position to throw the next one while shooting him. It is only saving seconds but those seconds could be the justification to stop or not. If it is determined that there is a better way of destroying the shanties and the stop at the gun shop is not needed for that of course we can just use the spawned ones provided but if we are buying them anyway the few extras can save a bit of time in this mission aswell.

Ok tried to use the old route and it became apparent very quickly that it will have to be completely redone to accommodate the Tornado. There will be a lot of save warping back to the crib to collect the Tornado and finding ways of keeping it from being destroyed. Also the taxi is going to be used pretty sparingly now.

Also I found that having flash bangs speeds up the mission Veteran Child so it could be worthwhile making the stop to buy then on the way to destroying the shanties. We never have opportunity to have grenades anyway so it is not like we are sacrificing that slot.

I removed the patches and got it on my first try as well I only tried it once, in my time comparison run, but I did get it first time as well so there may be some hope for the increased spawn. Other side effects I got from removing the patch were less frame rate issues on the water part of the jail break (hopefully The Enemy of my Enemy is also going to be improved it was basically a slide show making the mission 3 or so mins longer than it could be), the lack of missiles shot by Tornados as you mentioned and also there is less of a delay when get vehicles from my garage, sometime I would have to select the car 4 or 5 time before it was there, and them repairing all of the time rather just some of the time.

I played up to after completing fight club and the run itself was a pretty good run could maybe get 2 or 3mins quicker, without route improvements just on playing skill. Comparing it to the route I use for my 5:31 IGT PB it was 2mins faster but I have 3 more levels of respect than at the same point and the rewards are better with The Tornado saved, upgraded sprint and unlimited Kobra’s instead of no saved heli, would be waiting for the oppressor in 4 or so missions time, no sprint upgrade and unlimited Gal’s.

One issue I ran into was during Fuzz between each level and with each gun request from the camera man the Tornado’s mini gun and missile would stop working I found that continuously shooting the mini gun as soon as I finished an objective would most of the time stop them disabling for gun requests but between levels I would have to land exit then enter to get them back working. Is this a normal issue and if so is there a better work around than what I have found?