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Approx 23/09/99: Unreal speedrunning ideas: List of possible tricks - UDQ routes - RTNPDQ routes
Introduction:
A few lists that might interest those who liked the Unreal speedruns: Firstly a list of all the trick moves I've encountered in Unreal - a lot of tricks for sure including some very cool ones. Secondly, two lists of runnable maps in both Unreal and Return to Na Pali: These list possible runs starting from scratch, and more interesting, as part of a possible "Unreal Done Quick" or "Return to Na Pali Done Quick" full game run. Due to the complexities of such a project, the difficulty organising runners, and especially the severely flawed demo recording/playback, a proper UDQ is still very unlikely unless the QDQ team really get their arses smokin'. However, at least one runner, Grob has run all the maps in a UDQ style, currently finishing in 56:58, and you can find all the demos at UDQ. All his shortcuts tie in with what I predicted in my list, and there are even a few cool new shortcuts he added. Whether this inspires QDQ to do it officially remains to be seen, but it would be a very worthy project...
Unreal trick jumps list:
This is a pretty comprehensive list of all of the Unreal trick moves I have encountered and tested (though using the damage principle below, there are many, if insignificant, tricks that could
be added). Tricks marked with a * I have used in one or more of my Unreal speedruns - other tricks I will have tried just for fun, or occasionally by accident. The
principle behind Unreal tricks is the same as for most FPS games: Most situations which give the player damage also provide some kickback, that can affect or boost the player's velocity in
certain directions. In some cases the boost can be very large and obvious, in other cases it can be tiny and barely noticable. Often the size of the boost is in proportion to the damage taken,
but not always - the most useful tricks will have the highest boost to damage ratio. Although I mention how useful the tricks might be, this is mostly from a speedrunning perspective, and many
tricks are considered just for fun.
1. Personal Weapons tricks:
Dispersion Pistol secondary fire boost. *
Fairly easy to use, but gives a very small boost when fully charged. Can help getting onto ledges and crates.
ASMD secondary fire boost. *
Easy to use, gives a medium boost with little damage. Very useful for medium boosts.
Multiple ASMD boosts. *
Medium to use, can give a very high boost depending on situation. Doing an ASMD boost in front of a wall or steep slope, then doing repeated ASMD boosts off the wall/slope can gain large
amounts of height. However, with the lack of air control, it is easy to get pushed off a wall, so doing further boosts off a right angled or opposite wall is better. With a steep slope, this
problem does not occur and slopes can be climbed with ease. Can be very useful.
8 Ball and multiple 8 Ball boosts. *
Easy to use, though trickier to get maxium height - 8 Ball needs to be fired slightly before jumping. Can go very high with multiple 8 balls, though takes high damage too. Very versatile for all
kinds of jumps.
Flak Cannon boosts, primary and secondary. *
Fairly easy to use, primary gives small boost and is pretty useless, secondary gives medium boost, both take medium damage. Very useful for medium boosts.
Double Flak Cannon boost.
Extremely hard to use, could give good boost with high damage. Fire one shell straight up, then do a normal Flak Cannon jump as it detonates on landing. Too hard to be useful.
Razorjack boost.
Fairly easy to use (but hard while moving), gives a very small boost, similar to Dispersion Pistol.
GES Bio Rifle boost.
Fairly easy to use, single gives a tiny boost, full secondary fire gives a solid medium boost. Being able to choose when to jump off it (until it explodes automatically) is a benefit, and
with care, a trail of blobs can be set up a steep slope to provide continuous boosts. Could be quite useful.
2. Monster attack tricks:
Skaarj/Krall fire boost.
Very hard to use. Gives a very small boost with little health loss. Too weak to be useful.
Brute/Mercenary rocket boost. *
Fairly hard to use, gives a solid medium boost with medium damage. Can be quite useful.
Skaarj trooper rocket boost.
Harder to use, due to the faster rocket speed. Gives a medium boost with medium to high damage.
Skaarj spin boost.
Medium to use, gives a small boost, perhaps body height, or a small horizontal boost for largish damage. Possibly useful in right situation.
Skaarj dive boost.
Very hard to use, would give a good horizontal boost (not vertical), with medium
damage. Unlikely to be useful.
Skaarj dive boost from below.
Hard to use, same as Skaarj dive boost except you need to be on a ledge above the Skaarj,
gives a medium vertical boost. Could be useful but tricky to control. Or as an alternative to being on a ledge, this can be combined with the Skaarj spin boost - the spin attack can get you
on top of the Skaarj, from which a dive attack gives a medium boost. Rarely, the Skaarj will combine the two attacks directly, and then a large boost can be given. Could be useful, but in
rare circumstances.
Flying Manta "nudge" boost. *
Hard to use, using the Manta's probing attack to give a small horizontal (or vertical if
you are on a ledge above the Manta) boost. Can be useful though tricky.
Flying Manta "lift".
Very hard to use, could give an unlimited vertical boost: stand on a Manta as it swoops to attack, and stay on top as it flys into the air. Very difficult to stay on the Manta, and very rare for it
to cooperate in the first place - possible with Mosquitoes too??
Krall staff boost. *
Medium difficulty to use, gives a massive boost with little health lost. Once the attack
sequence is learnt, it's fantastically useful for large boosts. Multiple boosts possible.
Titan rock boost.
Fairly easy to use, but requires vast amounts of armour to survive (if surviving is even possible). The Titan's thrown rocks can give a very good horizontal boost (vertical boosts possible but
extremely hard unless Titan is firing from below), but take ludicrous amounts of health. It is possible, but again, very hard, to catch the rocks on the rebound when they do less damage, but
really this is too hard to survive to be useful.
Titan punch boost.
Medium difficulty to use, but accuracy is a problem. Gives a huge horizontal and a large
vertical boost, and takes off a lot of health. Could be quite useful.
Titan "ground shake" boost.
Hard to use, but could give a good medium boost. No damage taken, but very hard to control.
Possibly useful, and using this boost to get on top of the Titan, then using a punch boost
can produce impressive results.
3. Miscellaneous tricks:
Jumping from lift boost.
Easy to use and no health loss. When you jump on a lift going up, you go much higher than a
normal jump, quite strange - obviously the vertical velocity of the lift gets added. The
boost depends on how fast the lift is going, so varies from small to large. Could be very
useful in the right situation.
Sliding up steep slopes. *
Fairly easy to use, no boost involved. Though slope jumping doesn't work, you can still jump
and then slide up a "too steep to climb" slope, and thus can reach much higher areas. Also,
if you slide up a steep slope and meet a vertical wall, you seem to slide higher up the wall
than you could by jumping... Could be very useful.
Combination tricks. *
It's possible to combine many tricks with other tricks to get a bigger boost, either performing both tricks together, or more commonly, performing one large trick, with another trick as that boost
runs out. For example, doing a Krall staff boost, then an ASMD or Flak Cannon boost off a wall, to gain even more height. Combination tricks are almost certain to involve one monster and
one weapon trick, and can be very useful.
Cooperative tricks.
I personally haven't tried any cooperative tricks, but I am sure all weapons could be used to give some sort of boost, and in some cases this could be much more effective that one's own
weapons.
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Unreal Done Quick Maps List:
This is a list of all the maps in the game, with details of their speedrunning possibilities both as single maps, and more interestingly, as part of a hypothetical "Unreal Done Quick" run of the
entire game. All of the UDQ style runs have now been completed by Grob at UDQ. This list describes the
tricks, shortcuts and routes involved.
1) Vortex2 - "Vortex Rikers"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
UDQ run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
2) NyLeve - "Nyleve's Falls"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
UDQ run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
3) Dig - "Skaarj Mine of Rrajigar"
Normal run: Two shortcuts possible, firstly a Dispersion Pistol boost to escape from the "Skaarj corridor trap", and secondly, a hard but very timesaving explosion boost off the barrels in the
natural cavern where a Skaarj drops down.
UDQ run: Same as normal run.
4) Dug - "Depths of Rrajigar"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
UDQ run: No shortcuts, but a deviation to get ASMD from secret at start will be useful.
5) Passage - "Sacred Passage"
Normal run: On Unreal skill, a Brute rocket boost is possible over the main gate (see 0:40 demo), on other skills a
Manta "lift" may be possible, but hard.
UDQ run: A single or double ASMD boost over the main gate will suffice.
6) Chizra - "Chizra--Nali Water God Temple"
Normal run: No tricks until the ASMD, then many small shortcuts may be possible: Firstly, dropping onto a light fitting and then straight onto the switch in the first Slith pit. Secondly and later
on, in the left of the two large watery rooms, jump straight onto the ledge where the lift is stationed. Thirdly, do an ASMD jump to the 8 Ball platform. However, when this route was tried, the
exit did not open, so further tasks may require completion.
UDQ run: Same as the normal run, except at the start, a ASMD jump to hit the overhead switch, then another ASMD boost is possible to save waiting for the spinning lift.
7) Ceremony - "Ceremony"
Normal run: This may not save time, but it might be possible to deviate to get the 8 Ball, then *possibly* do a very hard 8 Ball jump out of the water and onto the walkway in the inescapable pit
room between the underwater switches, then from that walkway follow the normal route. Another 8 Ball jump would save time in to canyon section too.
UDQ run: Same as the normal run, but without the deviation to the 8 Ball.
8) Dark - "Dark Arena"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
UDQ run: A small shortcut, an 8 Ball jump up to the switch that calls the lift into the arena.
9) Harobed - "Harobed Village"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
UDQ run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
10) TerraLift - "Terraniux Underground"
Normal run: A slight chance of doing multiple 8 Ball jumps up the big lift shaft, but probably not enough health.
UDQ run: Normal run route may be possible with armour and mega-health from Dark Arena.
11) Terraniux - "Terraniux"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
UDQ run: A fairly good shortcut of doing an 8 Ball jump off the b0rked lift to the top gardens, then normal route.
12) Noork - "Noork's Elbow"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
UDQ run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
13) Ruins - "Temple of Vandora"
Normal run: Retrieve 8 Ball from doorway near start, 8 Ball jump over trigger in first room to save killing the Skaarj, down to temple, into "goddess" temple and 8 Ball jump onto ledge, then
follow normal route (see 1:24 demo)
UDQ run: Same as the normal run, but without the deviation to the 8 Ball.
14) Trench - "Trench"
Normal run: Grab 8 Ball, head down trench as normal, 8 Ball jump into cargo bay of ship, the 8 Ball jump up onto ledge to exit (see
0:48 demo).
UDQ run: Same as the normal run.
15) IsvKran4 - "ISV-Kran Deck 4"
Normal run: Head left from start to get Biosuit, head up lift after getting 8 Ball, and 8 Ball jump straight up vertical air vent on left. Drop down, open door with switch, head back up via normal
route to crate room. Another 8 Ball jump to the control room, kill the Skaarj and down to exit (see 1:25 demo).
UDQ run: Same as the normal run.
16) IsvKran32 - "ISV-Kran Decks 3 and 2"
Normal run: Follow normal route into shuttle bay, grab Jump Boots from first crate, activate and jump back up to second floor. Run to deactivated
lifts below exit, jump up to dark ledge above door, then to upper ledge and exit (see 0:48 demo).
UDQ run: A similar route but quicker with 8 Balls, assuming enough health: 8 Ball jump straight to second story, then 8 Ball jump up to ledge above door and exit like normal run.
17) IsvDeck1 - "ISV-Kran Deck 1"
Normal run: Minor shortcut of no real excitement: Using 8 Ball from one of the forcefield deactivation rooms, 8 Ball jump straight up to the switch that opens the "amoeba" room, then normal
game route.
UDQ run: Same as the normal run.
18) SpireVillage - "Spire Village"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
UDQ run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
19) TheSunspire - "The Sunspire"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game run, unless an 8 Ball can be retrieved from a Skaarj.
UDQ run: Head straight up to room with water pool in bottom, 8 Ball jump to white beam, then right up to top ledge, then follow normal route to exit.
20) SkyCaves - "Gateway to Na Pali"
Normal run: Head into cavern with overhead walkway, and do a nifty Krall staff jump straight to the walkway, then normal route (see
0:58 demo).
UDQ run: Same as the normal run, but an 8 Ball jump may be quicker.
21) SkyTown - "Na Pali Haven"
Normal run: Head into first building, lure Krall out to do a Krall staff jump off the stairs onto the rooftops. Drop down into the big courtyard, tempt Krall towards the barrels,
and do a big Krall staff jump off the barrels. Drop down into the bedroom and hit the switch, then jump out window and normal route to open tunnel and exit. (See
2:22 demo).
UDQ run: Much better route: head straight into water, and do a small 8 Ball jump to exit on other side. Then 8 Ball jump right up to bedroom window, hit switch, back down and then
normal route.
22) SkyBase - "Outpost 3J (Mountain Fortress)"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
UDQ run: A few 8 Ball jump shortcuts: Up to the door control in the first room, up the door control in the Skaarj ship dock, and then up to the balcony and then door control in the
church.
23) VeloraEnd - "Velora Pass (Sleeping Giant)"
Normal run: There might be a quicker way than killing the Stone Titan with the Dispersion Pistol... When the Titan awakes, do a hard Titan punch jump onto the canyon walls, then run along
and raise bridge. Lure Titan onto bridge, then drop him in lava and wait for him to die, then exit.
UDQ run: An 8 Ball jump over the bridge would be easy enough, though it might be quicker to kill the Titan with weapons.
24) Bluff - "Bluff Eversmoking"
Normal run: Run to first Krall, do Krall staff jump into main complex, turn off blue lasers. Back out onto plateau after opening main gate, drop down into water and follow normal game route to
cable car and exit.
UDQ run: Run across plateau to shield belt. Jump down into water, then onto tower base and 8 Ball jump up into window. Activate cable car and exit as normal. However, it *may*
also be possible to jump onto the cable car track, and somehow 8 Ball jump straight into the exit?? Grob's route: Run through to far side of plateau, into water, 8 Ball jump from bell
tower to cable car track. Run up to near exit, drop off and activate a previously collected force field in mid air, jump from that to exit.
25) DasaPass - "Dasa Mountain Pass"
Normal run: Run to main gate of pass, and do a Krall staff jump over main gate. Then run left to open switch and follow normal route (see
1:06 demo). It would be quicker (but harder) to stay on top of the main gate, run round the ledge and do another
Krall staff jump over the second gate.
UDQ run: A large 8 Ball jump straight over both gates would suffice.
26) DasaCellars - "Cellars at Dasa Pass"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
UDQ run: 8 Ball jump to avoid having to kill the Krall Elite. Then in the Stone Titan room, 8 Ball jump up to the switch that opens the door, then up to the top of the water funnel, head
into the small corridor to trigger the "breaking" wall. Then the normal game route (long and complex) until the room below the crucified Nali, 8 Ball jump up there. Then tackle the Krall arena
and exit.
27) NaliBoat - "Nali Castle Canyon"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route, though swimming is quicker than the boat.
UDQ run: No shortcuts, normal game route, though swimming is quicker than the boat.
28) NaliC - "Nali Castle"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
UDQ run: A large 8 Ball jump up the outside of the castle, to the courtyard below the tower, would save plenty of time, then kill the Gasbag back down to follow the normal route.
29) NaliLord - "Nali Castle--Warlord"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
UDQ run: Huge shortcut of simple 8 Ball jumping past the Warlord to the exit.
30) DCrater - "D Crater"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
UDQ run: Small shortcut of an 8 Ball jump back up from the lower floor.
31) ExtremeBeg - "Mothership Basement"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route
UDQ run: No shortcuts, normal game route
32) ExtremeLab - "Mothership Lab"
Normal run: UDQ style run *may* be possible with a Skaarj dive boost at the start.
UDQ run: 8 Ball jump up to switch at the start, then follow normal game route, defeat modified Skaarj and straight to exit.
33) ExtremeCore - "Mothership Core"
Normal run: Grab shield belt, then up escalator and run to the right, find and kill the Skaarj gunner with the 8 Ball. Then 8 Ball jump up to the control room, hit the button, and drop back down.
Run to the room with the cross shaped walkway, and 8 Ball jump straight up, follow normal route to exit (see 1:02 demo).
UDQ run: Same as the normal run, but without the deviation to the 8 Ball.
34) ExtremeGen - "Skaarj Generator"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route
UDQ run: No shortcuts, normal game route
35) ExtremeDGen - "Illumination"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route
UDQ run: No shortcuts, normal game route
36) ExtremeDark - "The Darkening"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route
UDQ run: No shortcuts, normal game route
37) ExtremeEnd - "The Source Antechamber"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route
UDQ run: 8 Ball shortcut jumping over bars that block off the lift.
38) QueenEnd - "The Source"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route
UDQ run: No shortcuts, normal game route
39) EndGame - "End Game"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route
UDQ run: No shortcuts, normal game route
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Na Pali Done Quick Maps List:
This is a list of all the maps in the "Return to Na Pali" mission pack, with details of their speedrunning possibilities both as single maps, and more interestingly, as part of a hypothetical "Na Pali Done Quick" run of the entire pack.
1) Duskfalls - "The Edge of Na Pali"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
NPDQ run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
2) Nevec - "Neve's Crossing"
Normal run: Grab ASMD, jump into water and shoot crates for Grenade Launcher. Secondary fire grenade beneath cliff to left of bridge, ASMD jump off grenade with further boosts up cliff (see 0:53 demo).
NPDQ run: Same as normal run.
3) Eldora - "The Eldora Well"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
NPDQ run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
4) Glathriel1 - "Glathriel Village"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
NPDQ run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
5) Glathriel2 - "Glathriel Village"
Normal run: Leave church, lure Manta towards you and jump onto barrels in corner of church wall. Use Manta attack boost to jump onto wall, run across wall and Dispersion Pistol boost onto nearest house, jump across rooftops to exit (see 0:40 demo).
NPDQ run: Simply use a grenade jump instead of the Manta boost, to get straight onto the roof.
6) Crashsite - "Approaching The UMS Prometheus"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
NPDQ run: Behind the last house, do a grenade+ASMD jump onto the top of the cliff and reach the exit from the "wrong" direction, will be slightly quicker.
7) Crashsite1 - "The UMS Prometheus"
Normal run: Run towards crate and grab GL. Grenade jump up to first bridge, run into room to grab Rocket Launcher. Then do a hard 2nd fire grenade + rocket jump off bridge to upper bridge and exit (see 0:50 demo).
NPDQ run: Quicker route is to do a grenade jump directly from the start ledge to the cliffs on the right, then another GJ to the top of the ship, then drop down to upper bridge and exit (latter part of this run is in 0:48 demo).
8) Crashsite2 - "Inside The UMS Prometheus"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
NPDQ run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
9) Spireland - "Spire Valley"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
NPDQ run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
10) Nagomi - "Nagomi Passage"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
NPDQ run: Rocket jump shortcut over the first canyon to save a bit of time.
11) Velora - "Velora Temple"
Normal run: Grab 8 Ball, and do an 8 Ball jump over the first lava pit. Then further 8 Ball boosts into the face, and over the spike trap later on (see 1:48 demo).
NPDQ run: Same as normal route.
12) Nagomisun - "Nagomi Passage"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
NPDQ run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
13) Foundry - "Foundry Tarydium Plant"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
NPDQ run: A couple of shortcuts: In the first room, 8 Ball jump up through one of the glass windows. Then follow normal route around to basement room with big snaking pipes, 8 Ball jump over pipes and trigger explosion. Follow long normal route to exit.
14) Toxic - "Bounds of Foundry"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
NPDQ run: Normal route until after you trigger explosion and swim through slime tunnels (though possible 8 Ball jump at start shortcut via Megahealth). Then in the large L-shaped courtyard, 8 Ball jump right up the the Skaarj fighter. Follow normal route but 8 Ball jump to last switch instead of riding crane. Avoid fighting Skaarj boss, drop down into tunnel before lift rises, and exit.
15) Glacena - "Watcher of the Skies"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
NPDQ run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
16) Abyss - "Gala's Peak"
Normal run: No shortcuts, normal game route.
NPDQ run: One shortcut requiring good health - drop straight down to the lower ice cave, then very high 8 Ball jump back up.
17) Nalic2 - "Escape from Na Pali"
Normal run: Run round to left of main entrance, lure Krall Elite towards you and do a Krall jump straight to the exit (see 0:30 demo).
NPDQ run: 8 Ball jump straight to exit.
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