Golden Sun 2 Any% No S&Q FAQ

		Golden Sun 2 Any% No S&Q FAQ

	What is Any% No S&Q?

Any% No S&Q means beat the game as fast as possible without saving and quitting. The precise rule is that you are not allowed to load a save file during the run (be it save state or saved game), but you are allowed to save the game.

	How is this different from Any%?

Saving and Quitting allows for RNG manipulation. RNG manipulation essentially means that the game can be completed by following a script that leads you to the end of the game in a very fast way. This saves a ton of time throughout the game but makes the game ridiculously precise and has a high barrier to entry. Disallowing S&Q means that we are subject to randomness and hence have to adapt on the fly to things the game throws at us. Essentially this means we get a more 'pure' Golden Sun experience. A consequence is that we cannot use all of the power of the retreat glitch (e.g. any retreat glitch that requires saving and quitting, such as Gondowan skip, Aqua Hydra skip or Aqua Rock interior skip). With that said, there are still plenty of applications of the retreat glitch so all is not lost.

	Why not just run glitchless?

Retreat glitch actually makes the game harder and thus more interesting. The quicker you're able to progress through a dungeon the less levels you're able to obtain and the more under leveled you are for the next area. The exception to this is the Sol Blade, but even this allows us to power through Briggs without wasting time grinding. Basically, glitchless doesn't offer a better speedrun than no s&q so we run this category.

	What is the barrier to entry for this game?

The barrier to enter the game is very low. No RNG manip means that anyone can pick up the game and give the category a try. The retreat warps are mostly pretty simple but are also completely optional for someone just starting out.

	How did you get the Sol Blade?

A particular retreat glitch application demonstrated here; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIdt53_mqXQ

	How many djinn do you collect?

42, enough to put both Felix and Isaac into the Ninja Class.

	Why is Felix named y~~~~?

Felix's name determines the puzzles you get in Gabomba, Gaia Rock and Trial Road. y~~~~~ has the fastest time across all three puzzles (by fractions of a second) mostly thanks to the fastest Gaia Rock maze.