World of Goo is a great game for speedrunning. Every level in the game is carefully designed. As a result, many elements of the game can be fully exploited by players. After the game's release, many innovative ways to pass through the game were developed. Players began to take advantage of the bug to get better results. However, the difficulty of the game does not become unmanageable. Instead, the game thus forms a very natural difficulty gradient, which is very coincidental and perfect for the game and the players. If you want to become adept at using bugs, you'll need more practice. Below is a list of things you might want to know about records and speedrunning in the game.
About Wogfan
Wogfan is a World of Goo level world records compilation website. It also has a Youtube channel. It was originally created by three players including LTumbleWeed, Pavke, Daft as Brush shortly after the game's release. After its creation, more possibilities were realized in this game. In 2010, Peter B, now the world's number one player, began to emerge and break several world records. He officially became Wogfan moderator soon after. Today, most of Wogfan's members are retired. Peter B is currently the only moderator of Wogfan. Wogfan records are only relevant to individual levels. It includes three categories: Max Goo, Least Moves, and Least Time. They are briefly described below.
Max Goo
Max Goo records are WOG's original records. WOG's most direct play is to get the ball into the pipe. Naturally, there are players who study how to get more balls at each level. Of the 47 levels, 14 have no Max Goo record because of the level itself. The other 33 have it. The WR methods are very different from most normal gameplay methods, using a lot of bugs and tricks. This requires players to innovate in order to find new breakthroughs. Through the efforts of several generations of players, this record has reached its limit at most levels. That leaves room for improvement at only a few levels. So, if you can get a ball record now, it's definitely a great achievement in WOG.
Least Moves
Least Moves records focuse on saving moves at each level. In most cases, they focuse more on the discovery of new methods than on the skillful use of bugs. These records contain a combination of clever ideas from many players. Some magical methods are not even discovered until long after the game has been released. Now, the rooms for improvement in moves record are lower than balls'.
Least Time
This part refers specifically to individual level time records. It has two catagories: Goal and OCD. Most of the way through the game is similar to normal, but with gorgeous and fast gameplay. Although it passed quickly, it had accumulated a lot of efforts behind it. Now time records at many levels still have room for improvement. Of the three records, it is the easiest to obtain. And it can be approximated as the limit of each level.
Highest WoG Corp Tower Record
WoG Tower record is different from all other records. You don't need much skill. All you need to do is think about how to build a tower that is both solid enough and capable of reaching higher. So if you want to try this record, you need extra practice. Since Peter B completed his 56.88m tower on March 25, 2013, no one has broken this record. If you can reach the height of 40m at WoG Corp, then congratulations, you have entered top 50! If your tower has reached 48m, then you will enter top 10!
About Full Game Speedrun
Compared to the record mentioned earlier, Full Game Speedrun has been slower to develop. The most famous old record is Any% No skips speedrun completed by ridd3r 14 years ago. In about 2020, Neon achieved challenging results in every relevant catagories, laying the foundation for full game speedrun leaderboards now. In full game speedrun, you need to consider the success rate and time of each level method to find the best method for it. Therefore, it requires the highest comprehensive ability of players.
Any% (No skips)
This catagory is currently the most challenged and accomplished catagory. Of the three major catagories, it is also the most competitive. In the current faster speedruns, the best times for many levels are not much different from IL's. Nevertheless, mistakes in it are always inevitable. The biggest challenge now is how to reduce mistakes in it. From this perspective, the possibilities for improvement are limitless.
Any% (skips)
Of the three main catagories, it is the easiest. This catagory gives you the opportunity to skip multiple times. This means that you can avoid levels that you are not good at. Because some skill dependent levels can be skipped, this is the catagory where you can play your speed best. Thinking about skip strats is also important here. It may well be the fastest catagory to approach the limit in the future.
100%
This catagory requires you to get all OCDs. It has the longest process, the most difficulties, and the most variables. Few speedrunner are willing to try it. It requires your proficiency in the game as a whole, the overall planning. It's actually very worthwhile and fun to try. Hopefully this catagory will eventually develop as players improve their abilities.
About mouse setting in speedrun.
World of Goo is originally a game designed specifically for the mouse. Good mouse setting can help you get better results. In general, the fastest mouse speed you can adapt to is suitable for hitting the fastest speed. But it is not suitable for the use of skill and elaborate gameplay. A slightly slower speed than that is more suitable for full game speedrun. The mouse itself is also very important. This doesn't mean that the more expensive the mouse, the better for playing WoG. Using the right mouse for you is the most important thing.
About Game Resolution
Game resolution will have a slight impact on speedrun. You can move the mouse faster at a lower resolution, and you can get better accuracy at a higher resolution. It is not a significant factor affecting your speedrun. But it's best combined with your mouse speed.
Some ways that will help you improve your skills
1300 Balls Challenge
This is a classic challenge that has been around since very early times. You need to collect more than 1300 balls in the entire original game. Your total number of balls can be seen on the profile screen. It is a little harder and requires more skills than achieving full OCD. If you can complete this challenge, you are already an excellent WOG player.
WOGLP
World of Goo Level Progression is a sheet created by Blazer and DemonGamer specifically for players who want to improve their skill. It collects mod levels for different difficulty. You can also compete with other players on it.
Play Level Packs and Chapters
Since the launch of the goofans, countless players have published their goomod on it. They are full of fun and add content to the game. Some of these goomods are perfect for player who are improving challenges, such as Bubble Quest and Mystify Collision World. Some level packs are designed specifically for advanced players, such as Whack Pack and Wack Pack. You can always find what you're looking for on goofans.
I hope the above can help those who need it. Thank you for reading!
