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Mr. Tibbs
Aug 4, 2012

They call me Mister Tibbs!

Psychedelic Eyeball posted:

A new year is upon us! The best way to celebrate it is to reflect on that very special day that was December 21th, 2012. You know, that one day where some mayans thought it'd be funny to say to everyone that they're going to die.

In order to please the mayan gods, we decided late in the evening of December 20th, 2012, to offer them Mario and Luigi in sacrifice roughly 2 million times by racing through The Lost Levels. See as six deranged people try their hand on the hardest Mario game out there.

The Lost Levels Race (Or How To Say Goodbye to 2012 and Life... Mario's Life that is) - with Catsworth, Diabetus, Killer Emcee, Mr. Locke, Psychedelic Eyeball, Scurvykip

Did anyone besides Psych stay alive long enough to get a fireflower?


Also, bummed out I missed BoI race, considering that's the only game I could see myself doing decently enough in to be able to participate.

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djknightime
Jan 2, 2013
Never done a race before but I'm certainly willing to give it a shot!

Skype: djknightime
Timezone: PST
Availability: Any time after 6PM

King Kool
Mar 28, 2011
Alright. I'm already in the Mario 64 race, so I'd like to get in on some other race sometime soon.

Skype: kingkool2099
Timezone: EST
Availability: Most evenings from 5-11ish.

Turos Kensei
Dec 13, 2009
I'm in.

Skype: turos_kensei (fixed)
Location: North of L.A.

Turos Kensei fucked around with this message at 02:52 on Jan 5, 2013

Admiral H. Curtiss
May 11, 2010

I think there are a bunch of people who can create trailing images. I know some who could do this as if they were just going out for a stroll.
Please stop posting your availability and time zone, we don't care!


In more content related news, this is technically for another thread, but seems like it would fit in here as well:

BS Zelda Ancient Stone Tablets Week 1 - Admiral H. Curtiss, TheGreatGuy, Volt Catfish and Ragny
Alternate title: Ragny's nine-hour Hoboventures

Smite
Jul 5, 2007

...and then he eats the body, but they always cut out the spoon scene.


Racers: A Raving Loon, Killeremcee, Star Man, TheWanderingNewbie, TurboC (Youtube)




Two Mega Man X2 videos to go. Sorry about the delay on this video in particular, I had to deal with Christmas and be social :argh:


quote:

Skype: Turos Kensei
This doesn't seem to be a real skype name. And yeah, you guys don't need to post your availability or timezone. It would be easiest if you would just add me on skype and include your SA name. You might need to PM me your general location, but only if you are joining these co-op races we are trying out (partnered by proximity to reduce lag).

Smite fucked around with this message at 22:20 on Jan 4, 2013

Suspicious Dish
Sep 24, 2011

2020 is the year of linux on the desktop, bro
Fun Shoe

Catsworth
Sep 30, 2009

Who doesn't wanna be Johnny Cat?

Mr. Tibbs posted:

Did anyone besides Psych stay alive long enough to get a fireflower?

I had a fireflower until I messed up on 1-4. :colbert:

RickVoid
Oct 21, 2010

Congratulations Jacobus Spades, you are the only one who figured out the solution to Under Pressure that I was screaming at the video. JUST MAKE A drat BRIDGE.

The rest of you should be ashamed of yourselves.

Crosscontaminant
Jan 18, 2007

RickVoid posted:

[Let's Race Demon's Souls] certainly makes Let's Race Pokemon look better, anyway.
I'm going to sperg about this a bit because I'd like to see a Pokémon race, but I don't want to see a bad one.

I am reasonably certain racing Pokémon would work - it's a lot simpler than most RPGs and (particularly with the more recent games) can be beaten with little or no grinding, but if you approach it as you would any other game you'll produce something unwatchably dull as you go back and beat up Rattata for half an hour. Nobody wants to see that, not even me.

These are the things I think are needed to avoid a grindfest that nobody enjoys.
  • Play smart. When I was younger I'd try my best to walk around trainers rather than fight them and then wonder why I was underlevelled later. Don't do this. (Running away from random battles is also problematic, though that's less significant the more recent the game is.)
  • Plan your team ahead of time. Trainer experience is boosted by 50% compared to the same fight in the wild; if that experience goes to something you're going to throw away later, you've incurred a time debt which you'll have to pay later by grinding. (You're not in practice going to be using refights because they're not that much better than grinding random encounters. As a corollary, I recommend against ever racing Gold/Silver/Crystal/HeartGold/SoulSilver due to the completely shot-to-hell difficulty curve.)
  • Work out what the stumbling blocks are and plan for them. At some points (examples off the top of my head: a Team Rocket grunt's Raticate in Mt. Moon, Whitney's Miltank, Norman's Slakings, Cynthia's Milotic, Ghetsis' Hydreigon) the game happens to present a noticeable challenge, and it catches people out. If you don't have a plan which you're reasonably certain works, you might be stuck having to grind to get over a roadblock.
  • Practice, while not essential, is a good idea. I'm not saying you need to do the Pokémon equivalent of running laps, but I've been caught out once or twice when a theorymonned solution to a particular hurdle didn't work in practice - I misjudged how bulky something was, or I underestimated an attack.
I want to reiterate - I think a race of this type could work, but it's a lot more volatile a prospect than most any other game that isn't an RPG. The Lost Levels and Link to the Past races are already pushing it; if what I've just proposed is too much, then I advocate a blanket ban on racing RPGs altogether.

(That was a lot of words about a children's game about pitfighting. :v: I play Pokémon like it's a 10,000m race, and it sounds really obsessive if I talk about it with people who don't; it's just my playstyle.)

Taffy Torpedo
Feb 2, 2008

...Can we have the radio?
If you race Pokemon you just pick a starter and solo with that. You can skip most trainers because with only one pokemon getting Exp you'll be overleveled anyway. Just be prepared to use a bunch of potions/ethers/x-items.

That being said it'd still be three or four hours of not much happening. Pokemon don't really make for spectator games.

Ultigonio
Oct 26, 2012

Well now.

I am perfectly happy with this race because I won despite my game playing at half speed.


Also, I think the best way to do a Pokémon race would be to allow people to hold fast-forward.

Skyridge
Jan 1, 2011

Ultigonio posted:

Also, I think the best way to do a Pokémon race would be to allow people to hold fast-forward.

We could mandate that the game be run at a higher framerate. Then hilarity would ensue when people accidentally choose the wrong item or move all the time.

Taffy Torpedo
Feb 2, 2008

...Can we have the radio?
The thing is, pokemon is not a random game at all really, and each one boils down to "pick the best starter, solo with it", and there's not a lot of different routes to take, especially in the newer games. So all you'd get is a bunch of videos of people doing almost the exact same thing, with the only differences being things like where they get into wild pokemon battles and moves critting/missing.

Even at triple speed that'd get boring quickly. At least with Demon's Souls you might get people using different builds, and there's an element of skill involved. Pokemon just doesn't have a wealth of options when it comes to being played quickly.

Iron Chitlin
Sep 3, 2011

I need to use the bathroom!
We are not going to be racing Pokemon, glad that I could help.

Crosscontaminant
Jan 18, 2007

Stanfield posted:

If you race Pokemon you just pick a starter and solo with that.
Sure, that'd be (more or less) the fastest thing to do. As you point out, it'd also be boring as gently caress, which is precisely why I didn't even mention it. I tried to provide guidelines for something which balances speed with making for as interesting a video as possible. We accept speed/entertainment tradeoffs in every other game (otherwise we wouldn't see people taking different paths through a level in, say, Megaman) so I don't see why Pokémon must automatically boil down to everyone doing the same thing with no possible alternative.

Consensus remains that it's not a good idea (thanks Iron Chitlin for your dazzling logic and persuasive reasoning there, you sure showed me!) which is fine; all I'm saying is either make sure people take the time to do it right or put a note in the OP saying don't do it at all ever.

Taffy Torpedo
Feb 2, 2008

...Can we have the radio?

Crosscontaminant posted:

Sure, that'd be (more or less) the fastest thing to do. As you point out, it'd also be boring as gently caress, which is precisely why I didn't even mention it. I tried to provide guidelines for something which balances speed with making for as interesting a video as possible. We accept speed/entertainment tradeoffs in every other game (otherwise we wouldn't see people taking different paths through a level in, say, Megaman) so I don't see why Pokémon must automatically boil down to everyone doing the same thing with no possible alternative.

The difference is Megaman is an action game that involves skill, so someone taking a slower route could still end up in front if they're good enough. And no one would take a slower route for entertainment purposes, they'd do it because they were better at it/found it easier. Pokemon is a turn based RPG with simplistic AI, it'd be like racing a puzzle game where everyone already knew the solutions. Making people use more than one pokemon just for entertainment defeats the point of racing it in the first place. Why not just watch four similtanious LPs?

If you need to make abitrary restictions that slow the game down just to make something interesting you're better off not racing it in the first place.

Star Man
Jun 1, 2008

There's a star maaaaaan
Over the rainbow

Stanfield posted:

The difference is Megaman is an action game that involves skill, so someone taking a slower route could still end up in front if they're good enough. And no one would take a slower route for entertainment purposes, they'd do it because they were better at it/found it easier.

I've raced Mega man games in robot master serial number order because there was potential for entertainment :colbert:

Don't listen to this heretic.

Mr. Locke
Jul 28, 2010
I think racing Pokemon could be fun if there's enough interest in actually doing it- besides being a game that people without action game skills have a chance to actually win, it'd still have a lot of possibility for variation- it's not a speed run, a race doesn't end the second you screw up. But it does cost you time. So decisions have to be made- speed vs safety. So do you try to avoid as many fights as possible and just power through with your starter? Do you replace your starter with something more versatile/powerful when the chance comes up or try to 'waste' as little time as possible and stick to your guns? (Even some speed runs don't use the starter- Pokemon Yellow and the Gen 3 games are good examples). Do you pick up a ringer Pokemon to run a gym your chosen 'mon otherwise might not be able to clear easily for you? Do you go out of your way for that TM, even if the move it teaches only really helps you in one major area (or even just one major battle?)

Of course, the main difference is that Pokemon would be a horrible game to run blind- you wouldn't need to be a speed run planner or anything to get involved with it, but someone who's never played a particular installment of Pokemon would probably be SOL come race time- at least having played through the game once would help greatly. That could be a hiccup in putting a Pokemon race together (besides the length, although segmenting it could help with that) although I get the feeling Pokemon has a higher 'played by' rate among goons then many, many other games.

What I'm saying, I guess, is if the interest is there, get a race going, and we should probably stop cluttering the thread with debate about it. What are we going to do, tell a group interested in racing something they CAN'T do it even if they want to?

heehee
Sep 5, 2012

haha wow i cant believe how lucky we got to win :D
Pokemon Randomizer races are pretty cool so you guys could look into a randomizer race to Lt. Surge.

Taffy Torpedo
Feb 2, 2008

...Can we have the radio?

Mr. Locke posted:

I think racing Pokemon could be fun if there's enough interest in actually doing it- besides being a game that people without action game skills have a chance to actually win, it'd still have a lot of possibility for variation- it's not a speed run, a race doesn't end the second you screw up. But it does cost you time. So decisions have to be made- speed vs safety. So do you try to avoid as many fights as possible and just power through with your starter? Do you replace your starter with something more versatile/powerful when the chance comes up or try to 'waste' as little time as possible and stick to your guns? (Even some speed runs don't use the starter- Pokemon Yellow and the Gen 3 games are good examples). Do you pick up a ringer Pokemon to run a gym your chosen 'mon otherwise might not be able to clear easily for you? Do you go out of your way for that TM, even if the move it teaches only really helps you in one major area (or even just one major battle?)

This would still only work if no one planned ahead, otherwise you'd work all this stuff out in advance and none of it would be an issue, and then everyone would work out the same thing because there is only one fastest way in a games that aren't based on skill. The only Gen 3 game to not use a starter was the TAS of R/S/E, so even then it's unlikely anyone would choose it, because in terms of speed vs safety it's a bad choice. And past a certain point in the game (usually about two gyms in, if that) the question of whether your starter can beat a gym is non-existent, as you'll be so overleveled the actual question will be what move sweeps the gym the fastest.

No one is saying you can't race them if you want, and don't get me wrong, I like speedruns of pokemon games, I think the intricate planning is interesting. It's just not very good for a race.

thevoiceofdog
Jul 19, 2009

Terminally ambivalent.

Iron Chitlin posted:

We are not going to be racing Pokemon, glad that I could help.

This is what happens when you race pokemon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF6aKYVAc2E

Concordat
Mar 4, 2007

Secondary Objective: Commit Fraud - Complete
There was a Star Fox 64 high score competition and I missed it? gently caress

Oh well I guess I am still pretty good at Kirby.

Concordat fucked around with this message at 10:46 on Jan 5, 2013

FaenixCrimsonwing
Jan 5, 2013
I've never done a race before, but I've been watching them for a while, I wouldn't mind tossing my hat in the ring.

Skype: faenix16
Timezone: CST
Availability: varies, I work as a restaurant server, but currently Mondays and Tuesdays off

Alkydere
Jun 7, 2010
Capitol: A building or complex of buildings in which any legislature meets.
Capital: A city designated as a legislative seat by the government or some other authority, often the city in which the government is located; otherwise the most important city within a country or a subdivision of it.



I realize it would be resource intensive and not everyone could do it, but other than that why not race Dark Souls? The game has a million different paths/loadouts/shortcuts that would lead to variety, but at the same time the game is the kind of game that actively punishes you for assuming things such as thinking you can get away with skipping the first Bonfire until the path loops around to it again to save time.

Just run the race until the player rings one bell or both bells.

Evil Eagle
Nov 5, 2009

I would certainly participate in some kind of Race to Anor Londo.

Psychedelic Eyeball
Jan 10, 2006

Like it or not, we will build you a new civilization.
We interrupt this Pokemon/Dark Souls race chat in order to bring forth a new race! In order to celebrate the breakdown of Diabetus' computer, we decided to play a game that is equally as broken, and obviously enough... that would be Mega Man 1! Forget about having 8 robot masters, well designed levels and bosses and Wily stages, because this is 1987 and Capcom were still figuring out how to make a game.

Watch as four people race a pretty unforgiving game!

Mega Man 1 Race (Or How I Mashed Select To Win) - with A Raving Loon, Killer Emcee, Psychedelic Eyeball and Ragny

Star Man
Jun 1, 2008

There's a star maaaaaan
Over the rainbow
I think this is the best part of the MM1 race: dancing Cutman.

Mooseontheloose
May 13, 2003

You could always race Pokemon Snap Score Attack.

Glenn_Beckett
Sep 13, 2008

When I see a 9/11 victim family on television I'm just like 'Given the existence as uttered forth in the public works of Puncher and Wattmann of a personal God quaquaqua'
I would love to race any mega man game, pretty much. Or other games but mostly mega man. Mega man.

Skype: glennbeckett
Timezone: EST
Available: after 5 on weekdays, any time on weekends

Smite
Jul 5, 2007

...and then he eats the body, but they always cut out the spoon scene.
If you got removed from the chat recently and want back in, let me know. It was because we haven't seen you in a while and skype doesn't seem to like the mass population.

A Mega Man 3 race and some Mega Man X2 and co-op Kirby races are on the way. After they're up, I'll announce a new one. It'll probably be a longer, popular game divided into segments with a tournament bracket to the end.

Smite fucked around with this message at 06:38 on Jan 7, 2013

Mr. Tibbs
Aug 4, 2012

They call me Mister Tibbs!
Skype name: Mr.TibbsSA

Hopefully I can find some game I can race. Sounds like a great thing to do while I'm waiting for college to start back up again.

EdgeryWorthy
Oct 5, 2012

So what's your type? You're a herbivore guy, so do you prefer a carnivore girl?

thevoiceofdog posted:

This is what happens when you race pokemon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF6aKYVAc2E

Uploader comment posted:

well if you do the math me and will ( the bottem two) are in victory road (well will would be if he was not dumb) in roughly 13 hours of play time.

God almighty.

Evil Eagle
Nov 5, 2009

If anyone decides to organize a Dark Souls race, shoot me a message and I'll participate. Skype: The Bird in the North

cat doter
Jul 27, 2006



gonna need more cheese...australia has a lot of crackers
Dark Souls is something I can actually do since I have the PC version, so if someone wants to do a race or whatever, I'm down.

Skype is lljk-tmnt

The T
May 29, 2010

A sufficiently chaotic system is maximally fair.

Also guess it's worth mentioning I'm organizing some Sonic races; we just did a Sonic 1 race (with a second group pending) and we'll probably go through the series in some sort of order, so if you're interested get into the chat and get in touch with me (or get in touch with me).

mailorder bees
Nov 4, 2011

FLUFFERNUTTER
I'm in for some of this racing action, it looks like a lot of fun.
Skype: mattorsomething1

Smite
Jul 5, 2007

...and then he eats the body, but they always cut out the spoon scene.

TheWanderingNewbie and Argona, Zain and DemonTrigger (Youtube)

Co-op attempt, Success or disaster?

Catsworth
Sep 30, 2009

Who doesn't wanna be Johnny Cat?

Frocobo (Yoshi), Apt Funk (Waluigi) and kingeffingfrost (Peach) and I (Daisy) played a Mario Party 3 game. Unfortunately we couldn't get recording but hopefully we will in the future as it was... well, it was Mario Party.


One turn 3 of us landed on the challenge mini-game. I think we landed on at least one for the first 6 turns or so. The amount of times coins and stars changed owners was staggering.

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Skyridge
Jan 1, 2011

I was robbed. There wasn't a star for "most battle game spaces".

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