Editing Speedrunning (section)

== Methodology ==
=== Gameplay strategies ===
[[File:SuperTux 0.4.0 Ice in the Hole speedrun.webm|thumb|Speedrunners often find unconventional routes that save time.]]
Routing is a fundamental process in speedrunning.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Matt Sayer |date=2016-11-23 |title=VICE - Routers Are the Pros Who Make Speedrunning Possible |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/routers-are-the-pros-who-make-speedrunning-possible/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706135906/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/jm5gw3/routers-are-the-pros-who-make-speedrunning-possible |archive-date=July 6, 2020 |access-date=2020-07-06 |website=Vice.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":622">{{Cite book |last1=Groß |first1=Matthias |last2=Zühlke |first2=Dietlind |last3=Naujoks |first3=Boris |title=Applications of Evolutionary Computation |chapter=Automating Speedrun Routing: Overview and Vision |series=Lecture Notes in Computer Science |year=2022 |volume=13224 |pages=471–486 |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-02462-7_30 |arxiv=2106.01182|isbn=978-3-031-02461-0 |s2cid=235294112 }}</ref> Routing is the act of developing an optimal sequence of actions and stages in a video game. A route may involve skipping one or more important items or sections. Skipping a part of a video game that is normally required for progression is referred to as ''[[sequence breaking]]'',<ref name=":622" /> a term first used in reference to the 2002 action-adventure game ''[[Metroid Prime]]''.<ref name="SnyderBook">{{Cite book |last=Snyder |first=David |title=Speedrunning: Interviews with the Quickest Gamers |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |year=2017 |isbn=9781476630762}}</ref> Video game [[Glitch|glitches]] may be used to achieve sequence breaks,<ref name=":622" /> or may be used for other purposes such as skipping [[Cutscene|cutscenes]] and increasing the player's speed or damage output.<ref name="SnyderBook" /><ref name=":422">{{Cite web |last=Li |first=Roland |date=2014-01-09 |title=Making money as a Zelda speed runner |url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2014/1/9/5280786/making-money-zelda-speed-runner |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330221338/https://www.polygon.com/features/2014/1/9/5280786/making-money-zelda-speed-runner |archive-date=March 30, 2019 |access-date=2020-04-20 |website=Polygon |language=en}}</ref> Some people, called ''glitch-hunters'', choose to focus on finding glitches that will be useful to speedrunners.<ref name=":0"/> In some games, [[arbitrary code execution]] exploits may be possible, allowing players to write their own code into the game's memory. Several speedruns use a "credits warp", a category of glitch that causes the game's [[End credits|credits sequence]] to play, which may require arbitrary code execution.<ref name=":82">{{Cite web |date=2021-05-01 |title=How Super Mario World Speedrunners Beat The Game in 40 Seconds By Writing Code With Koopa Shells |url=https://www.thegamer.com/how-super-mario-world-speedrunners-beat-the-game-in-40-seconds-by-writing-code-with-koopa-shells/ |access-date=2022-03-12 |website=TheGamer |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Speedrunners Shatter Ocarina of Time World Record By Warping Into The Credits |url=https://kotaku.com/speedrunners-shatter-ocarina-of-time-world-record-by-wa-1841045682 |access-date=2022-03-12 |website=Kotaku |date=January 16, 2020 |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Paper Mario Speedrunner Skips Straight To Credits With Help From Ocarina Of Time |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/paper-mario-speedrunner-skips-straight-to-credits-with-help-from-ocarina-of-time/1100-6488228/ |access-date=2022-03-12 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US}}</ref> The use of glitches and sequence breaks in speedruns was historically not allowed, per the rules of Twin Galaxies' early leaderboards. When speedrunning moved away from Twin Galaxies towards independent online leaderboards, their use became increasingly common.<ref name=":522">{{Cite web |last=Platts |first=Kieren |date=2020-03-24 |title=Keeping Up: An Introduction To Speedrunning {{!}} Redbrick Gaming |url=https://www.redbrick.me/intro-to-speedrunning/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414025813/https://www.redbrick.me/intro-to-speedrunning/ |archive-date=April 14, 2020 |access-date=2020-04-20 |website=Redbrick}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Orland |first=Kyle |date=2021-04-09 |title=How a speedrunner broke Super Mario Bros.' biggest barrier |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/04/new-super-mario-bros-record-breaks-speedrunnings-four-minute-mile/ |access-date=2022-03-13 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}}</ref>

=== Tool-assisted speedruns ===
{{main|Tool-assisted speedrun}}{{anchor|Real-time attack}}

[[File:TASInput.png|thumb|Example tool-assisted speedrun input file, showing which buttons will be pressed at which point in the sequence]]
A tool-assisted speedrun (TAS) is a speedrun that uses [[Emulator|emulation software]] and tools to create a "theoretically perfect playthrough".<ref name=":522" /> According to TASVideos, common examples of tools include advancing the game frame by frame to play the game more precisely, retrying parts of the run using savestates, and [[Hex editor|hex editing]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Glossary |url=https://tasvideos.org/Glossary |access-date=2022-03-14 |website=TASVideos}}</ref> These tools are designed to remove restrictions imposed by human reflexes and allow for optimal gameplay.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FAQ/Site |url=https://tasvideos.org/FAQ/Site |access-date=2022-03-14 |website=TASVideos}}</ref><ref name=":102">{{Cite web |last=Degraffinried |first=Natalie |date=2019-05-01 |title=Speedrunner Smashes A Computer-Assisted Super Mario Bros. Record By A Single Frame |url=https://kotaku.com/speedrunner-smashes-a-computer-assisted-super-mario-bro-1834457319 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190906043049/https://kotaku.com/speedrunner-smashes-a-computer-assisted-super-mario-bro-1834457319 |archive-date=September 6, 2019 |access-date=2020-04-20 |website=Kotaku |language=en-us}}</ref> The run is recorded as a series of controller inputs intended to be fed back to the game in sequence.<ref name="SnyderBook" /> Although generally recorded on an emulator, TASes can be played back on original console hardware by sending inputs into the console's controller ports, a process known as console verification (as some exploits are possible on emulation but not console).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Orland |first=Kyle |date=2014-01-14 |title=How an emulator-fueled robot reprogrammed Super Mario World on the fly |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/01/how-an-emulator-fueled-robot-reprogrammed-super-mario-world-on-the-fly/ |access-date=2022-03-15 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=ConsoleVerification/Movies |url=https://tasvideos.org/ConsoleVerification/Movies |access-date=2024-01-23 |website=TASVideos}}</ref> To differentiate them from tool-assisted speedruns, unassisted speedruns are sometimes referred to as ''real-time attack'' (RTA) speedruns. Due to the lack of a human playing the game in real time, TASes are not considered to be in competition with RTA speedruns.<ref name="SnyderBook" />

=== Categorization and ranking ===
Speedruns are divided into various categories that impose additional limitations on a runner. It is common for category restrictions to require a certain amount of content to be completed in the game.<ref name="SnyderBook" /> Each video game may have its own speedrun categories, but some categories are popular irrespective of game.<ref name=":522" /> The most common are:

* ''Any%'', which involves getting to the end as fast as possible with no qualifier, <ref name="SnyderBook" /><ref name=":032">{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Max |date=July 28, 2018 |title=A Quick History of Speedrunning: From Then to Now |url=https://www.viewsonic.com/elite/posts/6_a-quick-history-of-speedrunning |access-date=2022-03-15 |website=ViewSonic Elite Gaming}}</ref>
* ''100%,'' which requires full completion of a game. This may entail obtaining all items or may use some other metric.<ref name="SnyderBook" /><ref name=":032" />
* ''Low%'', the opposite of 100%, which requires the player to beat the game while completing the minimum amount possible.<ref name="SnyderBook" /><ref name=":032" />
* ''Glitchless'', which restricts the player from performing any glitches during the speedrun.<ref name=":622" /><ref name=":522" />
* ''No Major Glitches'', Which consist of beating the game as fast as possible while not using any "game breaking" glitches.
{{anchor|Speedrun.com}}Speedrunners compete in these categories by ranking times on online leaderboards.<ref name="SnyderBook" /> According to [[Wired (magazine)|''Wired'']], the definitive website for speedrun leaderboards is ''Speedrun.com''. {{As of|2021|July|post=,}} the site hosts leaderboards for over 20,000 video games.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Lenti |first=Erica |date=July 10, 2021 |title=Why Do Gamers Love Speedrunning So Much Anyway? |language=en-US |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/story/why-gamers-love-speedrunning/ |access-date=2022-03-15 |issn=1059-1028}}</ref> Runners usually record footage of their speedruns for accurate timing and verification, and may include a timer in their videos. They often use timers that keep track of splits—the time between the start of the run and the completion of some section or objective.<ref name="SnyderBook" /> Verification is usually done by leaderboard moderators who review submissions and determine the validity of individual speedruns.<ref name=":9">{{Cite news |last=Elker |first=Jhaan |date=July 13, 2021 |title=Speedrunning's starting line: An intro guide to gaming's seemingly intimidating subculture |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2021/07/13/how-get-into-speedrunning/ |access-date=March 11, 2022}}</ref>