Transcendence speedrunning

General discussion about anything related to Transcendence.
NMS
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I've been meaning to post but I keep starting to answer questions and then thinking, "I should really test that." So I've been learning a lot about tlisp.

My main concern now is the ICS fight. It's pretty reluctant to be kited away from the stargate (it has a patrol order), so getting it lined up and autopiloting is probably not going to work. The plasma cannon is a nice choice for that fight and is quite effective at protecting against spheres, including from the rear. That makes me more inclined to go with that plan, unless the DPS benefit of the Ares plasma archcannon turns out to be significant. The sentinels are irritating. They can respawn too often to be worth killing them repeatedly, so if I have to circle the ICS and constantly adjust my aim anyway, I guess the best option may be to kill all but one and just dodge that one.

I'll have to try out defending the Antarctica to see if that's practical. Plasma cannon and Gem of Contrition should do it anyway. It looks like it should be possible to snipe a Penitent shrine with the dual laser (might have to lure the guards to friendlies though).

Domina powers would be quite nice, but killing a Sung slave camp with starting equipment is out of the question. It's possible that the time they would save would make it worth obtaining a better weapon and reactor early in the game or backtracking after getting the final weapon, but I wouldn't bet on it. The biggest benefit is really the ability to enhance a weapon +40%. If anyone can think of another quick way of obtaining a bunch of slaves or psionic items, that could help.

The 500 MW reactor costs 20,000 rins. A positron cannon sells for 10,000, so one of those plus the stuff from the vault should do it. It turns out killing a sentry is not quite as easy as I thought. It's still possible, but takes about 8 missiles if it's not already damaged. Another possible source of items is Teraton medical experiments. I think they can only give level 7 devices, which sell for around 2000, if they're weapons (or alien).


Here are the scripts I've written so far (in AutoHotKey so I don't have to type them every time). Obviously, neither the scripts nor AHK will be used during the actual segments of the run.

Code: Select all

#1:: Send, {F9} (enum (sysFindObject Nil "Ts") o (objSetKnown o)) {Enter} {Esc}

#2:: Send, {F9} (subtract (count (sysGetNodes)) 3) {Enter}

#3:: Send, {F9} (map (sysGetNodes) s (sysGetName s)) {Enter}

#v:: Send, {F9} (map (objGetItems (item (sysFindObject Nil "T {+}CSCEuropa") 0) "*") i (itmGetName i 8)) {Enter}

#c:: Send, {F9} (typGetGlobalData 1712140 "VaultCode") {Enter}

#r:: Send, {F9} (enum (sysFindObject Nil "s {+}iocrymSentinel") s (if (objGetItems s "t") (objSetShowAsDestination s True))) {Enter} {Esc}

#e:: Send, {F9} (objGateTo gPlayerShip "Elysium" "Start") {Enter}

#l:: Send, {F9} (herStatusSet 'quarantineLifted) {Enter} {Esc}

#i:: Send, {F9} (enum (sysFindObject gSource "s {+}iocrym") s (objSetShowAsDestination s True)) {Enter} {Esc}

#p:: Send, {F9} (enum (map (list 16407 16676) d (itmCreate d 1)) i (block Nil (objAddItem gPlayerShip i) (shpInstallDevice gPlayerShip i))) {Enter} {Esc}

#g:: Send, {F9} (objAddOverlay gPlayerShip 2134017) {Enter} {Esc}

#o:: Send, {F9} (enum (objGetOverlays gPlayerShip) o (objRemoveOverlay gPlayership o)) {Enter} {Esc}

#h:: Send, {F9} (objSetShowAsDestination (item (sysFindObject Nil "s {+}huygensExplorer"))) {Enter} {Esc}
 
#.:: Send, {F9} (modulo (subtract 450 (sysVectorAngle (sysVectorSubtract (typGetGlobalData 1843204 "anomalyPos") gPlayerShip))) 360) {Enter}

#/:: Send, {F9} (sysVectorDistance (typGetGlobalData 1843204 "anomalyPos") gPlayerShip) {Enter}

#t:: Send, {F9} (objChangeEquipmentStatus gPlayerShip 'TargetingComputer 'install) {Enter} {Esc}
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Song
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Another thing you can exploit: the 310A Aegis auton. Send one or two to each pteravore nest in Heretic while you're headed to your first mission station. They will probably not survive the death swarm, but they WILL kill the stations unless they get unlucky, and it saves you time later. I used them for my pacifist run a year or so ago.

And as for plasma cannons, I'd personally go with a massively enhanced Ares Plasma cannon. Enhancer ROM + high speed Howitzer loader = DPS up the whoopsie, and fairly decent range.
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PM
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Ares plasma archcannon is very powerful these days. It does not merely have decent range; it has the longest range (over 150) of any non-ammo weapon.

DPS
plasma cannon: 52 * 3 = 156
Ares plasma archcannon: 300 * 0.75 = 225

Note: Ares plasma archcannon requires two weapon slots.
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NMS
Militia Captain
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There's no need to kill the pteravores, I'll just let them kill the Svalbard.

The Plasma Archcannon is pretty awesome. I used it in my first successful playthrough. The Wolfen starts with two free weapon-only slots, so that's no problem. The trouble is obtaining it. I don't think that Ares Shipyards build Phoboses, but maybe sometimes they start out with one guarding them? In that case it would be possible to find one and lure it to a Ringer Shipyard, then wait for it to die. But I'm not sure the DPS boost is worth the trouble. If I went for it, then the howitzer loader would also be good, but I have no idea what the best way to obtain that would be (it might require actually earning some credits). It would also leave me without enough slots for both MRAD and point defense, if I end up needing that (which is more likely with a slower firing weapon). Unless I remove my shield when I install something.

I'm thinking that the best way to handle the ICS fight will be with a lot of segments. Basically: load, dodge sentinel(s) if necessary, aim, fire, autopilot for a few shots, save, then reload in debug mode to see if I did any damage. It might not look great, but it'll be a lot faster if most of my shots hit the same armor segment. Plus I won't have to buy Longzhu spheres to use as fuel. I wish I could justify taking the time to get targeting, but in theory it doesn't speed up the run at all. It just makes it easier to aim and know whether I'm hitting.

Unfortunately, the armor on Aquilas is seriously tough. Even with the Plasma Cannon, it would take several Gems of Contrition to defend the Antarctica. I'm pretty sure it's faster just to fight the ICS normally.
RPC
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Location: Hmm... I'm confused. Anybody have a starmap to the Core?

Don't count on the Phobos showing up -- Ares shipyards have a 10% chance to start with a Phobos with the guard order and 5% chance to spawn with a patrol of 150 light second radius through construction.
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whaleduck
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Location: Dodging jumpmissiles in a Helion

RPC wrote:Don't count on the Phobos showing up -- Ares shipyards have a 10% chance to start with a Phobos with the guard order and 5% chance to spawn with a patrol of 150 light second radius through construction.
:shock: The scanner has a radius of 100 light-seconds. If the shipyard is off your radar and you aren't too far, well ... Have a nice plasma-induced death(if it spawns).

I think It's easier to kill the Svalbard yourself or the next time you dock they'll ask for fuel.
NMS
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I decided to give single-segment speedrunning a shot. It's pretty doable.
NMS

Adventure Domina & Oracus I: The Stars of the Pilgrim
Fate Left Human Space on a journey to the Galactic Core
Game Registered
Genome Human male
Money (credits) 819,957,437
Money (rin) 954,237,160
Score 17,812
Ship class Wolfen-class gunship
Time played 40 minutes and 14 seconds
Version 1.2

ACHIEVEMENTS & REGRETS

Failed to defend the CSC Antarctica

COMBAT

Enemy ships destroyed 21
Enemy stations destroyed 1
Friendly ships destroyed 14

COMMERCE

Profit on goods and materials 477,218,244
Profit on ship's equipment 819,807,871

CONDUCTS

Game resurrections 1
Never backtracked
Never destroyed friendly stations
Never invoked powers of Domina

ENEMY SHIPS DESTROYED

Iocrym command ship 1
Huygens Explorer 1
Iocrym sentinel 3
Ranx gunship 1
Wind slaver 7
Borer II-class gunship 2
Hornet-class battlepod 4
TA3-class sentinel 2

ENEMY STATIONS DESTROYED

Death Drug Cartel outpost 1

EXPLORATION

Systems visited 25
Never reached the Galactic Core

FINAL EQUIPMENT

enhanced Ares micronuke cannon [+110%]
enhanced TM7 multitarget cannon [+150%]
enhanced Iocrym veil [+20%]
3 segments of light Iocrym armor
segment of heavy orthosteel armor
Hyperion reactor
Longreach I autocannon

FINAL ITEMS

2 heavy armor repair kits
36 TM7 warheads
2 pteracnium fuel rods
5 longzhu spheres

FRIENDLY SHIPS DESTROYED

1M/i battle auton 6
1M battle auton 8

ITEMS INSTALLED

light Iocrym armor
heavy orthosteel armor
Hyperion reactor
Iocrym veil
Ares micronuke cannon
TM7 multitarget cannon
Gusoku armor
Longreach I autocannon
Yoroi S500 shield generator
lancer cannon
MRAD experiment
Nova-100 reactor
light plasteel armor
NAMI missile launcher
cargo hold expansion
dual laser cannon
hull plate ionizer

WEAPONS FIRED

TM7 multitarget cannon 364
Longreach I autocannon 77
dual laser cannon 80
RPC
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Location: Hmm... I'm confused. Anybody have a starmap to the Core?

40 minutes and 14 seconds
I call magic! How'd you do it/ what was the plan?
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Money (credits) 819,957,437
Money (rin) 954,237,160
with money cheat ?
that money in 40 mins ? :shock:
NMS
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No cheats, per se. RPC was closer. It's mathemagic.

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(This is what can happen when you do it wrong.)
PM
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Exploiting the rollover bug?
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Other playable mods from 1.8 and 1.7, waiting to be updated...
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digdug
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another cargo crate exploit ? I thought that it was fixed. Or was it the sealed cargo crate exploit that was fixed ?
NMS
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PM wrote:Exploiting the rollover bug?
Ding ding ding. When the text box overflows, it can trick the game into thinking an item transfer is acceptable even when it isn't. So you can turn a stack of 2 or more items into a huge number. You can also sell a huge number of them even though you don't have that many and the station couldn't afford to buy them. Whether it works or not depends on which number you hold down and how many times the box overflows whether the entered number is large enough and the price of the item. I've been holding 2 and overflowing 3 times. If I overshoot to 4, it still works for duplicating, but not for selling.

I got a new run today. It's still got some room for improvement though. The deaths add a couple minutes and I forgot to duplicate the Heretic data, so I had to do a third mission. Also, with luck I could get map ROMs earlier. I'm recording them now, so I'll encode and upload one at some point.
NMS

Adventure Domina & Oracus I: The Stars of the Pilgrim
Domina relationship Novice
Fate Left Human Space on a journey to the Galactic Core
Game Registered
Genome Human male
Money (credits) 954,316,718
Money (rin) 1,431,472,716
Score 28,096
Ship class Wolfen-class gunship
Time played 27 minutes and 59 seconds
Version 1.2

COMBAT

Enemy ships destroyed 78
Friendly ships destroyed 12

COMMERCE

Profit on ship's equipment 954,081,803

CONDUCTS

Game resurrections 2
Never destroyed friendly stations

ENEMY SHIPS DESTROYED

Iocrym command ship 1
Xenophobe ark 1
Huygens Explorer 1
Iocrym sentinel 4
Xenophobe defender 1
Xenophobe fighter 70

EXPLORATION

Systems visited 25
Never reached the Galactic Core

FINAL EQUIPMENT

enhanced TM7 multitarget cannon [+150%]
mark III howitzer
dual laser cannon
NAMI missile launcher
enhanced Taikon-200 deflector [+20%]
segment of light Iocrym armor
3 damaged segments of hexacarbide armor
Hyperion reactor
Longreach I autocannon

FINAL ITEMS

236 TM7 warheads

FRIENDLY SHIPS DESTROYED

1M battle auton 12

ITEMS INSTALLED

light Iocrym armor
diamond lattice armor
Taikon-200 deflector
hexacarbide armor
Hyperion reactor
TM7 multitarget cannon
Longreach I autocannon
mark III howitzer
MRAD experiment
Nova-100 reactor
Yoroi S100 shield generator
light plasteel armor
NAMI missile launcher
dual laser cannon
hull plate ionizer

WEAPONS FIRED

TM7 multitarget cannon 556
Longreach I autocannon 228
Last edited by NMS on Wed Mar 11, 2015 12:29 pm, edited 2 times in total.
RPC
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Location: Hmm... I'm confused. Anybody have a starmap to the Core?

*sees rollover bug*
*initiate slow clap*
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Warped
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How can you guess the Code for the Europa weapons vault?
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