Speedrunning Thread (Take 2) - GOTTA GO FAST

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But everywhere I go online it seems like people are negative about speedrunning as a hobby entirely (rather than just hating a few specific runners). What gives?
People think it's autistic, encourages gamers to spend insane amounts of time on meaningless "accomplishments" that no one outside of their circle will appreciate, and the general greasiness of speedrunners and the speedrunning crowd is well known. Plus nowadays it's also become common knowledge among Internet users that speedrunning is rife with troons and groomers who don't tolerate dissent.
 
Because it's not much of a skill and more of a time sink. What respect is deserved playing a game for thousands of hours to memorize key presses and timings? If anything it's a representation of a decadent society that doesn't value productive or gained talents and skills. The runners themselves are usually poor role models and exude a decadent and lazy lifestyle.
"I play a videogame repeatedly for thousands of hours to complete it fast" doesn't sound respectable and comes off as childish.
 
So am I the only person who generally respects speedrunning?

I'm not gonna defend the runners who turn out to be huge fags, but speedrunning itself... whenever I see a good run, it almost makes me think magic is real or that superheroes really could exist.

But everywhere I go online it seems like people are negative about speedrunning as a hobby entirely (rather than just hating a few specific runners). What gives?
I think it's very autistic, but the knows a lot of math and shit type of autistic and not the degenerate autism if that makes sense. Most people just can't tell the difference.
 
What? Really?
Screenshot 2023-01-15 8.04.22 AM.png

For some reason this was all the way at the bottom of GDQ's Twitch page. I thought the PCF was their expense fund. Their relationship is so strong because they've always given enough to GDQ to fund both main events.

If this feels misleading, let it go apparently.

Screenshot 2023-01-15 8.03.17 AM.png
 
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So am I the only person who generally respects speedrunning?

I'm not gonna defend the runners who turn out to be huge fags, but speedrunning itself... whenever I see a good run, it almost makes me think magic is real or that superheroes really could exist.

But everywhere I go online it seems like people are negative about speedrunning as a hobby entirely (rather than just hating a few specific runners). What gives?
I enjoy Any% runs, TAS, and any category that discusses unintentional game mechanics and back-end exploits, but I get more joy watching informative videos than the run itself think UncommentatedPannen or Bismuth. I don't think there is anything wrong with it as a hobby especially as a part of a game you've already loved and played several times, but describing it as magical seems a bit over the top.
 
So am I the only person who generally respects speedrunning?

I'm not gonna defend the runners who turn out to be huge fags, but speedrunning itself... whenever I see a good run, it almost makes me think magic is real or that superheroes really could exist.

But everywhere I go online it seems like people are negative about speedrunning as a hobby entirely (rather than just hating a few specific runners). What gives?
I respect speedrunning but hate trannies and bullshit. Obviously as a hobby it's really only for autistic people so you have to be prepared to deal with some BS.
 
So am I the only person who generally respects speedrunning?

I'm not gonna defend the runners who turn out to be huge fags, but speedrunning itself... whenever I see a good run, it almost makes me think magic is real or that superheroes really could exist.

But everywhere I go online it seems like people are negative about speedrunning as a hobby entirely (rather than just hating a few specific runners). What gives?
For me it just depends on the game. Watching someone jump backwards for 7 minutes in OOT or reload the game every time they open a door in Dark Souls is meh, but watching some madlad game the system with "the run ends on the last input" and using the Luigi Does Nothing and Wins strat on the last boss in River City Ransom is a thing of beauty.
 
For me it just depends on the game. Watching someone jump backwards for 7 minutes in OOT or reload the game every time they open a door in Dark Souls is meh, but watching some madlad game the system with "the run ends on the last input" and using the Luigi Does Nothing and Wins strat on the last boss in River City Ransom is a thing of beauty.
YEah and to be honest, I only watch speedruns at marathons. I can't imagine sitting there on Twitch and watching someone continually reset just because of a small mistake or bad luck. I wanna see them actually finish the game.

Some runs are boring when they come down to just "keep doing this one thing until you win."

I tend to like best when someone breaks a notoriously bad game like that anti-smoking game for SNES. Those are hilarious.
 
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People think it's autistic, encourages gamers to spend insane amounts of time on meaningless "accomplishments" that no one outside of their circle will appreciate, and the general greasiness of speedrunners and the speedrunning crowd is well known. Plus nowadays it's also become common knowledge among Internet users that speedrunning is rife with troons and groomers who don't tolerate dissent.
Because it's not much of a skill and more of a time sink. What respect is deserved playing a game for thousands of hours to memorize key presses and timings? If anything it's a representation of a decadent society that doesn't value productive or gained talents and skills. The runners themselves are usually poor role models and exude a decadent and lazy lifestyle.
"I play a videogame repeatedly for thousands of hours to complete it fast" doesn't sound respectable and comes off as childish.
All hobbies are time sinks that others aren't guaranteed to appreciate and potentially do little for anyone. Few of them can be turned into a workable side job.

As for runners being poor role models, that's more of a side effect of the culture that puts those people front and center and banishes the evil nazis to the shadow realm.
 
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All hobbies are time sinks that others aren't guaranteed to appreciate and potentially do little for anyone. Few of them can be turned into a workable side job.
You could grow houseplants, learn to care for other beings and make your house nicer. You could practice cooking, learn to make delicious meals for yourself and others. You could learn to play an instrument, have a creative outlet, and everyone likes music.

Or you can be a speedrunner and run in circles on a screen for months and months just so a video of you sitting autistically hunched over at your computer doing it can be released online for the world to laugh at.
 
Why play an instrument? You're just gonna mash some keys or pluck some strings for months and months just so you can play a tune.

Jesus fuck come up with a better argument for not doing something. And don't poison it so much with your preconceptions of what a speedrunner is.
Yeah but you can play your instrument in a band or even just to fuck around so there's some real world value there
Meanwhile as a speedrunner you can at best tell someone you're holding the #1 spot for fastest bing bing wahoo and you'll just get laughed at

The real issue with all this speedrunning shit is the same as those people who try to make Smash Bros/Fighting games their life, you'll wind up burning yourself out from having to deal with the same fuckers who are ready to backstab each other the moment anyone steps out of line
 
Why play an instrument? You're just gonna mash some keys or pluck some strings for months and months just so you can play a tune.

Jesus fuck come up with a better argument for not doing something. And don't poison it so much with your preconceptions of what a speedrunner is.
Speedrunning takes hours and hours of practice staring at a screen doing the same shit over and over, it's unhealthy for your body and for your mind. People who play videogames at a competitive level play for money and they are usually required to hit the gym, diet and keep themselves healthy (At least on a high level).

Growing plants, learning an instrument can teach you about responsibility and is good for your physical and mental health without mentioning those hobbies actually have uses in real life. I cannot imagine what speedrunning is good for other than to brag about a highscore to autists. You'd be surprised how many people fail at simple gardening or just to commit to a simple schedule to learn a skill, it's way different than sitting on your ass and play videogames.
 
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Maybe it's just me, but when I look at the games being run at AGDQ 2023; it seems very niche. Very few games I would even have interest in playing. I dunno, maybe it's just me.
 
Maybe it's just me, but when I look at the games being run at AGDQ 2023; it seems very niche. Very few games I would even have interest in playing. I dunno, maybe it's just me.
If it was just the most popular games and categories then it would be the same thing every six months, people would stop watching.
 
Maybe it's just me, but when I look at the games being run at AGDQ 2023; it seems very niche. Very few games I would even have interest in playing. I dunno, maybe it's just me.
I'm struck by how much various aspects of the production have declined

It's like none of the runners and announcers have ever spoken to each other before and do no preparation for the presentation. It's always been a problem, the tension between runners talking about the game and announcers wanting to read donos, but that's become way worse recently. Is it really that hard to sit down and write an outline for a run, here are times when donos will be read, here are times when the runner and couch people will talk about this, etc. Write down notes and stuff like they do for live sports announcers. Part of this is caused by largely moving on from experienced runners who have done multiple GDQs, okay new blood nothing wrong with that, but put the work in so the new runners and couch people and dono readers aren't constantly interrupting each other, the incompetence is so stark

Plus the dono readers are cringy ear rapists with few exceptions. Add that to games no one cares about and I'm not surprised donations were down $800,000 from last year's ADGQ. It's significantly less fun to watch and people who don't watch aren't going to donate
 
I mean I'm into a hobby that's similar to speedrunning, among others, and I don't feel any more virtuous when engaging with those "more worthy" persuits. I think it's okay to do something just because you think it's fun.
 
This year's GDQ was bad. And it's been in decline for a bit.

Just the fact that it wasn't in person means we lost the couch commentary hijinks and crowd cringe reactions.

Though with the troon colonisation, I'm not sure I'd want to look at a crowd of balding fat manchilds in anime clothes pretending to be womens.

Also, they pretty much ran out of interesting games to watch. And they lost their ability to make a good scheduling. Previously they would've ended with FF7, instead of having it lost in the week.
 
I haven't checked the schedule but JRPGS are almost always night/morning games because of their length. A good thing to put in a deadzone to gather their fanbase but leaving the better hours for a greater amount of shorter runs.
 
"Speedrunning is as valid as x hobby" comes down to the same root as the "videogames are art" argument: Shame.

People dont want to look in the mirror and realize that yes, theyve been sinking years of their lives into videogames. Deep down, they know that time couldve been invested in more productive, satisfactory ways

So what's a good way to frame that? "Oh no, i'm not spending my checks on a product thats still mostly attributed to children and social rejects, i'm investing in art!" / "Me playing games 24/7 is the same as your other hobbies!"

While i can agree with some points for the "vidya=art" argument, i cannot be convinced the same way for speedrunning

And listen, ultimately everyone is free to do whatever they want, but getting flustered justifying yourself just makes you look more and more autistic


Side note: Anime girl layouts are how you know youre watching a degenerate. First of all, you are looking at the exact same thing your runner watches while stroking his cock, and second of all, anime is one of the first steps towards troondom
 
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