Pokemon White 2 FAQ

 Pokemon White 2 FAQ

Q: What are you playing on, it is emulator?
A: No, I'm playing on a DS (phat) with a capture board installed allowing me to record game footage

Q: Why do you choose Tepig?
A: Because the Tepig evolution family is the best for the speedrun. Interestingly enough though, I believe it isn't the best for the entire game in easy/challenge mode (excadrill for challenge, probably easy too), but for normal it reigns supreme (just)

Q: Why do you keep resetting and changing the time?
A: I need to use a specific time in order to use RNG manipulation, so I set the clock in such a way that I can use it. The timer counts down to when I need to start the game for the correct second.

Q: What is RNG?
A: Random Number Generator, the thing that determines everything random within the game, such as stats, encounters and pokerus.

Q: What is RNG Manipulation?
A: RNG manipulation is used in this speedrun, which involves resetting on a specific second starting the game at a specific time, a to hit a specific seed.

Q: What causes the resets?
A: I missed initial starting seed. There are 2 ways to check whether I hit the correct seed:
1) After setting my and my rivals name, the game sets up a save. At this point, there is a "clock hand" that rotates clockwise. Where it starts is determined by the seed. So I know that unless it starts by pointing Up Right, I missed it
2) I check the movement of the NPCs in Aspertia City. Because their movement is derived from the RNG, I can tell I hit it based on their movements. This is used as a second check, most runs that get to this check will progress

Hitting the seed is only based off the second, not the frame in gen 5, so it's a lot easier to hit than it is in gen 4/3. However there is another mechanic at play, the "Timer0" fluctuates seemingly randomly, and is what causes the inconsistencies. If you want a rough estimate of the chance of it being the one I want, I can't give you one because it isn't actually a random chance (as far as we know, not actually entirely sure why it changes), but so far I've only hit 5 different Timer0s

Q: Why don't you check Tepigs stats? What are Tepigs stats like?
A: Tepigs starting stats are the same every time RNG manipulation is used, and due to the huge number of possible seeds, are perfect in this game (all 31s). The nature however is decided independently to the IVs, and is based on the RNG Frame when I pick him. If I do movement correctly, so that the NPCs move around the right amount, it should be the target: Naughty.

Q: What encounters will you get?
A: [This answer will change in future]: encounters can also be minimised as they are also derived from the inital seed. However gen 5 RNG is a bit different, it varies on every system as the MAC address, Timer0 and VCount all change. As such, you can not have universally specific movement to avoid encounters, it must be done by each runner individually, and there is no program to look up how to do that, wheres there are several for manipulating IVs. As such, each run I do is also partially routing, as I try new things to try to find new paths in the early game to dodge all the encounters.

Q: So why don't you just manipulate everything in the game?
A: Quite simply, nothing else is really worth it. There's no roamer/legendary worth getting, no Master Ball, etc. There's also different types, while you are in battles certain RNGs advance making it impossible to control for any length of time.

Q: Why White 2 and not Black 2?
A: Black 2 has an extra trainer in Reversal mountain, Charles is a Rotation battle instead of Triple, etc. Other stuff is different too but basically White 2 is better in every way.

Q: Why do you play as the boy?
A: Just cause I have to pick it before I can see the seed, makes resets faster. Plus he's not ugly (though Rosa is cute too, might switch later on. As far as I know they play exactly the same)

Q: Why do you name yourself and Tepig 'I'?
A: Because it's faster to name them one character for text purposes, and the letter 'I' gives a nice spin as if the game was self-narrating. I might miss 'I' and name it something else a lot though, it makes no difference what letter it actually is.

Q: Do you catch anything else?
A: You need 3 Pokemon to fight Charles (the heartbreaker after elesa), and a slave for Surf and Fly. There are 4 possible ways to go about this:

1) Catch both slaves before Cheren. deposit both slaves before Roxie. Withdraw both before elesa.
2) Catch 1 slave before Cheren. Kill it before Roxie. Catch second slave before Burgh.
3) Catch both slaves before Burgh
4) Catch 1 Poke before Burgh. Catch a second Poke before Clay, then catch ducklett as slave for both before Clay.

My PB used strat 1, Garfs WR used strat 4. Hopefully you can extract how and where I lose time based on the strat used. Basically I will never use strat 4, and I switch between 1, 2, and 3 based on the encounter path I get on in Flocessy Ranch (though I aim for 1)

Aftewards later on I Master Ball Terrakion for Strength/to use in a double battle.

Q: What is WR?
A: http://www.speedrun.com/pkmnbw2 (Remember this is IGT.)

Q: What is your goal time?
A: A deathless run where I hit no optionals (spinners are ok). The record is actually really solid, so beating it isn't really a priority. After I get that run in any%, I'll move onto Challenge Mode, maybe take that time down since no one has run that before. Maybe come back to Normal mode after that to improve, nothing set in stone