GS1 Problem 12Apr

Golden Sun Problem of the Day #2

Segment: Kolima to Tret

Problem: There's a little known retreat warp on the bottom branch of the exterior of Tret tree -- the location is roughly where the branch dips for the first time. My current method for exploiting this is spamming avoid with Isaac to lower PP (and moving if needed) and then performing the retreat warp. This method saves a small amount of time over an average Tret tree and it's unknown if it saves time over a very good Tret tree (who knows what that looks like...).

Using avoid is superior to move as it takes less time to drain the same PP (2 avoids takes less time than 5 moves -- both drain 10 PP. Under optimal circumstances, avoid take 24s to drain PP and move 31s  EDIT: using avoid first, setting djinn and using move saves at least 1 second EDITEDIT: setting djinn, using cure and move (no avoids) can can save up to 7s over using avoid after factoring in the extra encounter) and you save an extra 3 seconds by skipping an encounter on the way to Fuschin temple.

However it's really unsatisfying to sit there mashing avoid, I figure there must be a faster way to do it. You basically lose all the nice RNG advantage in dropping PP.

CHALLENGE: Drop Isaacs PP from max PP to below 6PP by the time you hit the branch (or there abouts)

Potential Solution: Using Ply or cure to heal people is by far the most efficient method (drops 16 or 12 PP if you're able to ply/cure everyone). Is there some way to manipulate the encounters in Kolima Forest so that you take intentional damage? The encounters in the second room are completely random (its an RNG hell room) so you'd need to reset after that room to regain control of the RNG. That would cost about 10s right away. Next the only places you can get encounters before Tret is the third room (log puzzle room) and the fifth room (the room just before tret), does this leave enough time to manipulate into getting hurt? Will PP recovery be too strong anyway?

Tret tree is not quite an RNG hell room, but the GRN changes every .4 seconds so can controlled to some extent. Can you manipulate encounters in here to get the desired outcome?

While I've messed around with this idea, I haven't been able to get anything quicker than the current strategy:
- Heal once you climb the ladder into tret's second room
- Hope you get an encounter which hurts you
- Drain remaining PP with avoid

Best case scenario this would still leave 2-3 avoids (and more likely would leave 5 avoids).