New Jersey, USA
Timer isn’t required, just unobstructed gameplay with no cuts/edits.
The changelog thread is now retired, and any leaderboard updates will be communicated via the speedrun.com news section for each game (in addition to the announcements channel in the discord server).
September 9th, 2023
- 2.1.4.7 has been renamed to 2.1.4.7*
- 2.1.4.7 got the asterisk since that used to be the Newest variable prior to the TLS update, so any run set to that version which took place prior to TLS are actually a mix of versions 2.1.3.x all the way up to 2.1.5.5. As a result, it's just being relabeled with the asterisk to denote that a run may not be exactly 2.1.4.7.
- However, any run submitted since TLS released under the 2.1.4.7 variable is actually on 2.1.4.7 since that's the version we host.
- Newest has been renamed to 2.2.2.7*
- 2.2.2.7* applies to any run done on 2.2.0.4-2.2.2.7 since these are all functionally identical for a speedrun
- A new Newest variable has been created and is applicable to any runs done on 2.2.2.8 or newer (any run on newest on/after the August 22nd update)
- A glossary of the game versions is now linked in the rules to explain these things
September 12th, 2023 (as written by bill_play3)
- Added to the rules a new category of cvars that can be changed before a run, but not during it. So far, the only command in there is snd_mute_losefocus. This command is present in a few Source games and was implemented into L4D through SST, but changing the cvar value effectively runs snd_restart (which is not allowed to be used in runs). So to avoid a loophole, this rule was made.
September 24th, 2023
- Version 2.0.1.1 was added to the leaderboard and the glossary was updated accordingly
from this we can learn that carnival first is inferior, clearly :tf:
March 20th, 2023
- Rules were overhauled entirely for clarity/organization etc
- Exhaustive command/cvar whitelist was created, and small explicit blacklist was created
- Officially, all keybinds possible from the menu (plus a few other commands like go_away_from_keyboard) must be set exactly as they would be from the menu, so you can't bind +forward with another command on the whitelist, for example
- snd_restart and r_cleardecals are officially banned - but triggering snd_restart via pausing and changing audio settings is still legal
March 21st, 2023
- r_cleardecals is unbanned due to community uproar
May 9th, 2023
- host_writeconfig is added to whitelist
- cl_showdemooverlay is unhidden via SST and added to whitelist for runner convenience (zero gameplay impact)
- net_splitpacket_maxrate is added to the whitelist - specifically setting it to the values of 15000 (default) and 30000. Raising the value of this cvar prevents lag/speedups that happen shortly after a new map loads in coop. It's been tested quite a bit by runners without noticeable side-effects, so it's officially allowed now as a QoL update.
May 15th, 2023
- Added a paragraph related to custom binds to the Keybinds/Commands section of the rules.
- While we've enforced this rule before and discussed it publicly when relevant, it wasn't clear that executing tricks that force the use of the dev console and/or custom binds was not allowed. This only applies when there's no alternative execution of the trick that doesn't rely on the dev console. The prime example that breaks this rule is the god mode glitch executed by voting during a map load (potentially useful in Dead Center Solo runs).
July 9th, 2023 - as written by bill_play3
- We are updating our timing standard on the main leaderboard to be based on demos! No more frame timing on a video editor required for anyone (for the most part, will explain). The important part is that this change aims to make timing more accurate, convenient and fair between players. Timing does deviate a little bit from video/LiveSplit timing, so your runs might be a bit slower than expected.
- The known limitations the parser currently has is to track time spent in the main menu and timing custom campaigns correctly. Speedruns that do use the main menu will have those segments timed by video until we can improve our technology and custom campaign runs will remain using the video based timing standard for now. Since both of these cases are much less common than most submitted runs, we feel comfortable pushing this change.
- To time your future runs, the easiest way is to download the demo parser from the following link (make sure to read the release note and click on UntitledParser.exe to download) and drag and drop the demos of your speedrun (or a folder containing only those demos) onto the parser executable.
July 17th, 2023
- Effective now, your demo recording for any future runs needs to contain the entirety of the intro cutscene on the first level of the run. Previously, it was sufficient to start the demo recording any time before you gained control, but now we are requiring that the entire intro cutscene is included. This applies to all players in a run, not just the host in co-op.
:tf:
If you just uploaded it, then it takes time for the YouTube video to process, since youtube has to re-render everything that everyone uploads before you can watch it. For a 2 hour long video it might take an hour or more, you just have to wait. I'd suggest just experimenting with a short video to make sure everything is working
360p is fine, but you need demo files, a written guide for how to record them can be found here https://github.com/ImAciidz/L4D-Speedrunning/wiki/Demos and a video (which is mainly for old versions of L4D2) can be found here . If you didn't record demos at the time you recorded the run then you'll need to do another run if you want to submit, every run needs demo files and video
If you need translation of anything or have any further questions then ask in the discord
Join the discord server if you need help https://discord.gg/JAUCEJmm2H
