From glitches to tricks and insider jargon, it can feel like a secret code. Let’s break it down and decode the language of speedrunners so you can understand what’s going on. By always using your Slotsgem login, you’ll also never miss out on your favorite games, promotions, and updates, so make sure to create an account!
What Is Speedrunning?
Speedrunning is the art of finishing a game as quickly as possible using every trick, glitch, and shortcut they can find. The aim is to shave seconds, minutes, or even hours off their time. It’s all about mastering the mechanics inside and out, spending hundreds of hours practicing routes. They study for it and even share strategies with the community.
The Language of Glitches
Glitches are at the heart of many opportunities and are unintended flaws or errors that users exploit to gain an advantage. Here are some common ones you’ll hear about:
1. Out-of-Bounds (OOB): This happens when one manages to get outside the intended play area. By going OOB, runners can skip large sections and reach the end faster.
2. Clip Glitch: Clipping allows you to pass through walls or objects that are supposed to block the path. One must try to manipulate the software’s collision detection system.
3. Wrong Warp: A wrong warp teleports the person to an unexpected location, often skipping huge portions by exploiting errors in the code.
4. Save Corruption: Some go as far as to manipulate save files to trigger unintended effects, like unlocking levels early on or gaining extra powerful items.
Tricks of the Trade
Speedrunners also use clever tricks to save time, like:
1. Frame-Perfect Inputs: Some tricks require pressing buttons at the exact right moment, down to a single frame (1/60th of a second), which takes incredible precision.
2. Damage Boosting: Taking damage also can sometimes launch you forward or upward. This way you reach certain areas faster. It’s risky but can save time.
3. Sequence Breaking: Here, you try and complete parts of the story out of order. For instance, grabbing a key item early can let you skip entire sections.
4. RNG Manipulation: RNG stands for “random number generator,” which controls things like enemy behavior or item drops. If you learn how to predict this, you can manipulate it to your advantage.
Community Jargon
The community has its slang, so we’ve laid out a quick guide to some:
1. PB (Personal Best): A player’s fastest time, and beating this is always a cause for celebration.
2. WR (World Record): The fastest time anyone has ever achieved in a specific game or category.
3. Any%: A category where the goal is to finish everything as fast as possible, using any means necessary, which often involves heavy glitching.
4. 100%: A category where you must complete everything in the game, like collecting all items or finishing all quests. This is usually much slower than the aforementioned method.
5. TAS (Tool-Assisted Speedrun): A run created using tools like save states and slow motion to achieve near-perfect play, and are often faster than humanly possible.
6. Reset: When a runner has to restart because something went wrong. It is common to do so to ensure a clean run.
7. Grind: The process of repeatedly attempting to improve your time, and it can take a lot of effort.
Websites like Speedrun.com are great places to find guides, leaderboards, and forums if you want to start trying this for yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, as most are happy to help newcomers.
