SGDQ 2017: Better Know a Runner Part 2: Puwexil
The RPG emcee talks Chrono Trigger and what one of the most time-consuming genres offers to a speed runner
As Summer Games Done Quick continues, here comes my second interview with one of the speed running community's most storied veterans. If you haven't read the first one, with Garrison, be sure to go back and take a look, as it's not to be missed.
Today's subject, Puwexil, is no less essential, as he is both a prolific runner and a fixture of the Games Done Quick events, returning time and again to perform RPG speed runs that serve as centerpieces to the week-long festivities. Yes, although his handle comes from an infamous mid-boss in Super Castlevania IV, Puwexil's wheelhouse is RPGs, a genre that may not spring to mind when you think of speed runs. With world record times of over ten hours in some cases, RPG runs may even seem at odds with the very concept of a "speed run," but a closer look reveals they are no less technical than other genres when it comes to optimizing one's performance for the lowest time possible. I caught up with Puwexil just before he left for the marathon last week, and he kindly offered us his insights as he headed out the door. This time he'll be running Chrono Trigger at approximately 11 PM GMT on Thursday, so be sure to tune in.
Retronauts: Could you tell us a bit about your background as a runner and your history with the Games Done Quick events?
Puwexil: I did a writeup a while back on how I first got into speedrunning at https://ask.fm/puwexil/answers/132493942133, if that's what you're looking for. I've been attending Games Done Quick events since AGDQ 2011 (which had about fifty attendees) and did my first run at SGDQ 2011 (full list of GDQ runs is at http://www.gdqvods.com/runner/puwexil/).
Retronauts: To some, RPGs may seem like an odd fit for speed runs. What do you enjoy about running them?
Puwexil: In addition to just having always enjoyed playing RPGs (and speedrunning giving me a way to challenge myself playing them in a different way), I'd say what really draws me to RPG speedrunning is the depth. Most RPGs have a lot of strategy options to use throughout the game (weapons/magic/items to pick up and use, whether to fight battles or avoid/run away from them, which characters to use if the game gives you a choice, programming glitches in the game that can be abused for a benefit, etc.), and there's always something new to find and improve.
Retronauts: In general, does anything set Chrono Trigger apart from running other RPGs?
Puwexil: I'd say the main thing that distinguishes Chrono Trigger from other RPG speedruns is the high-precision movement. Most other 2D RPGs have each map set up as a grid, where your character moves one full tile at a time, and all battles, cut scenes, etc. initiate when you step on a certain tile. Chrono Trigger on the other hand has movement and battle/event triggers based on pixels, along with some fairly challenging skips with only one, two, or three-pixel windows. Good/bad movement can add up to multiple minutes gained or lost over a full CT speedrun.
Retronauts: How will this upcoming run differ from your Chrono Trigger run at SGDQ 2015, and what sets "Any% (No Wrong Warp)" apart from pure Any%?
Puwexil: My CT run at SGDQ 2015 was a 100% run, which completes all sidequests before finishing the game (which also requires playing through the full main storyline, in order to unlock all of the sidequests). Any% categories on the other hand only finish about 70% of the main storyline and do one sidequest, which unlocks just enough resources to squeak through a victory against the final boss. The "wrong warp" (also known as Lavos Shell Skip) is an extremely difficult trick that allows the majority of the final boss fight to be skipped (saving about fifteen to twenty minutes) but isn't very popular in the speedrun community, between its difficulty and how it makes the end of the run pretty anticlimactic.
Retronauts: What random factors are you in danger of running afoul of during the run?
Puwexil: There's only one real section of the Chrono Trigger Any% run that has any significant randomness (the Factory in 2300 A.D.), and I'm not too worried since good/bad luck just means time gained/lost rather than serious danger.
Note: One room in the Factory has a forced encounter with a random assortment of Acid and Alkaline enemies. You hope for more Alkalines since Acids are hardier and allow Alkalines to trigger a counterattack when hit, forcing you to take things more carefully.
Retronauts: RPG runs serve as the grand finale of GDQ events, like a marathon within a marathon. How does it feel to be the one bringing the whole thing home?
Puwexil: It's definitely an honor, along with a treat to get to hear donation comments about the marathon wrapping up, what it's meant to people, and what their favorite memories of it have been.
Retronauts: You often pull double duty at GDQs as both a runner and a commentator. What is your approach to providing commentary on other peoples' runs as they're unfolding?
Puwexil: My approach for speedrun commentary at GDQ marathons is to always assume that very few of the viewers have ever seen a speedrun of the game before (so I try to explain all speedrun tricks/strategies that aren't 100% obvious just from watching) and that many of them have never played the game themselves either (so I mention the game's premise and mechanics when appropriate). I also like to talk to the runner in advance and plan out which parts of the run they'd prefer to commentate themselves, which parts they'd prefer I commentate so they can focus on the game, which parts they'd prefer silence for concentration, and which parts would be good for donation comments to be read.
Retronauts: As someone who's been with the community a long time, how would you say the whole speed running ecosystem has changed in recent years?
Puwexil: It's definitely been great to see speedrunning explode over the past years from a pretty niche hobby to something with hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide, and which can be both a source of income for popular runners and a means of raising money for charity. In addition to the growth of GDQ, I've also been excited to see smaller-scale speedrun meetups/marathons (both for charity and just for fun) starting up as well.
Retronauts: Finally, what are your plans after SGDQ, and where can people watch your runs?
Puwexil: I'll be sticking with Chrono Trigger speedruns for a while, but likely shifting to the Glitchless/No Manipulation category (which is quite different from Any%). I'm planning to return to Final Fantasy VI and Donkey Kong Country 2 speedruns soon as well, along with hopefully picking up a new game or two. I stream my speedrun attempts on Twitch (twitch.tv/puwexil) and post completed runs on YouTube (youtube.com/puwexil).
