TAS Techniques

See the movement speeds page for reference tables of speed values seen in various situations. All speeds here are given in units/frame.

──── Brakesliding ────

Brakesliding is a technique that makes Link's speed value negative, which is generally used to keep him moving forwards but with an animation that in isolation looks like moving backwards. An extended brakeslide (EBS) occurs when target is released after beginning a brakeslide (see inputs below) and both preserves speed better than a targeted brakeslide and lets Link turn to face a direction other than the one he's moving. Brakeslides have multiple applications:

  • Preserving speed while ascending a slope. When Link moves up a slope normally, his maximum roll/dash/walk speed is reduced significantly even if the slope is very slight. However, the speed of a brakeslide is not affected by small slopes and is affected less by steep slopes than normal movement is. Because of differences in brakesliding as human and as wolf (see below), it is almost always fast to brakeslide as wolf whenever any upward slope is encountered. As human, since maximum brakeslide speed is 25 and roll speed up most slopes is 27, brakeslides are only useful for preserving speed up slopes when rolling is impossible (e.g. when carrying a sol) and when moving up very steep slopes that decrease roll speed beyond 27.

  • Improving speed on flat ground. Since initial brakeslide speed as human is faster than normal running speed (25 vs 23), brakeslides can be used in place of running to save frames in certain situations. For example, if after chaining rolls towards a door or chest, there is still space between Link and the destination but not enough space for another roll, brakesliding the remaining distance can save one or two frames over running. This applies to wolf movement as well, but it comes up less often. Brakeslides on flat ground are also useful as wolf in Castle Town sewers during Midna's Desperate Hour: Since Link's speed in this area is high immediately after a dash but decreases quickly soon afterwards, beginning a brakeslide immediately after a dash avoids the dash speed decrease.

  • Moving through deep sand, deep snow, and shallow water. Deep snow makes Link trudge while human, and deep sand makes Link trudge in either form. However, the speed of a brakeslide in deep sand or snow is the same as the speed of a brakeslide anywhere else, allowing Link to cross patches of deep sand and snow quickly. Note that extended brakeslides do not work in these cases, as they put Link in a funny but ultimately useless animation. Shallow water such as Kakariko Spring also slows Link down as wolf, but brakeslide speed is not affected.

  • Putting items away while moving. When Link uses his hands to open a door, grab an object, or climb a ladder, he needs to put any items in his hands away before interacting with the door, object, or ladder. This takes a few frames (exact number depends on context). Since pressing A during an extended brakeslide causes Link to put away the item in hand, doing so has an advantage over putting away an item while running, which requires releasing the control stick to neutral for one frame when pressing A.

  • Facing one direction while moving another. Extended brakeslides allow Link to face any direction other than the one he's moving in. This can be useful for setting up aiming a first person item at something that isn't in front of Link, for preparing for a sidehop or backflip in some direction, and many other miscellaneous applications.

Brakeslides gradually diminish in speed, with the rate of speed loss determined by how close to neutral the ESS held is and the type of brakeslide being done. The initial speed of a brakeslide with minimum ESS is determined by the movement speed on the frame before:

  • 23 as human out of full speed running
  • 25 as human directly out of a full speed roll (speed decreases at the end of the roll)
  • 33 as wolf in a low speed area; 45 as wolf in a high speed area
  • 72 as human out of an Epona slide

ESS position

ESS position refers to a range of control stick values just outside the deadzone that are close enough to neutral that they never cause Link to change position. Holding ESS position in the direction Link is facing does nothing; towards his side will cause him to shuffle and turn in that direction; and backwards will cause him to turn around. While there is a range of ESS values that work for brakesliding, the control stick positions closest to neutral maintain speed the best, so ESS values farther away from neutral are unlikely to be useful. In general, when this page refers to an ESS direction, it is referring to the minimum control stick value needed to achieve ESS in that direction.

The TAS input tool centers the control stick's axes at a value of 128. On GCN, the first values outside of the deadzone are 110 on the lower end (left, down) and 146 on the higher end (up, right). For example, ESS-down refers to the control stick input 128, 110. Diagonal ESS is also possible. This page will refer to down ESS as D-ESS, right ESS as R-ESS, etc.

On Wii, the first values outside of the deadzone are 109 on the lower end (left, down) and 147 on the higher end (up, right). For example, D-ESS refers to the control stick input 128, 109. Diagonal ESS is possible with inputs 115,115 (DL-ESS), 141,115 (DR-ESS), etc.

Brakeslide inputs

The inputs listed below assume the camera is already facing exactly the same direction Link is facing. Brakeslides can be started with the camera facing other directions by adjusting the inputs relative to where Link is facing (e.g. an up input turns into an input in the direction Link is facing), but because targeting is involved, you'll need to react to how the camera turns after the first frame to adjust the input directions for the next frames. The types of brakeslides listed below are in order from most speed loss per frame to least speed loss per frame.

Targeted brakeslide (starting any brakeslide)

  • As human: On any frame when Link is moving and not in an uninterruptable animation (such as a roll), target and hold D-ESS. A horizontal component can be added to curve the brakeslide.

  • As wolf: On any frame when Link is moving and not in an uninterruptable animation (such as the first 9 frames of a dash), target and hold up notch for one frame, then switch to D-ESS on the next frame while still holding target. A horizontal component can be added to curve the brakeslide.

Standard EBS

After at least one frame of targeted brakeslide, release target to transition to an EBS. The ESS direction held on the first frame after transitioning to an EBS determines which direction Link will face; this direction stays changeable for a short time after beginning the EBS. For example, releasing target and holding R-ESS after one frame of targeted brakeslide will result in a right-facing EBS. Note that EBS with a rightward or leftward component will naturally curve somewhat in the direction opposite Link's facing angle.

DL-DR EBS

Begin an EBS as described above. On the first untargeted frame, input either DR-ESS or DL-ESS. On the next frame, input the other of the two. Continue this pattern of alternating between the two to balance Link's turning so that he continues to move in a straight line. This kind of EBS loses speed slower than a standard EBS and also allows Link to continue facing nearly forwards, which is especially useful as wolf as this allows a dash out of a brakeslide to immediately face the intended direction.

It is sometimes necessary to correct Dolphin's frame advance to perform brakeslides that change ESS direction every frame.

Wiggle EBS

This kind of EBS loses speed the slowest, but it is the most complex. Since DL-DR EBS preserves speed very well already, the additional speed preserved by wiggle EBS will only amount to timesave over long brakeslides, such as crossing Hyrule Field North. The inputs are as follows (all directions refer to ESS; can be done mirrored as well, starting on L):

(R DL) x2 (L DR) x2 (R DL) x? (L DR) x? ...

After the first two groups, the number of times each pair of ESS inputs is repeated is variable, seemingly dependent on area speed (33 vs. 45), area, and slope steepness. It is common for the ?s to be x3 and x2 or vice versa. While inputting a wiggle EBS, it is a good idea to watch Link's speed watch closely, as it will respond to the wrong number of repetitions of an ESS pair by jumping down by ~2 units/frame in one frame. As a result of this asymmetry in the input pattern, wiggle EBS does not move Link in a perfectly straight line.

Finishing any brakeslide

In addition to the more generally useful methods described below, actions such as jump/B attacking and using items can also end brakeslides.

  • As human: Target and hold fully in roughly the direction Link is moving for one frame. From here, Link will gradually turn to face the direction he's moving and will reach full running speed after a few frames. It is possible to reach full running speed immediately after finishing a brakeslide by pressing B to initiate a sword pull on the frame before the target input. Without the B input, it takes Link a few frames to reach full running speed.

  • As wolf: It is often best to dash straight out of a brakeslide when possible, which is easiest from DL-DR EBS. When dashing isn't possible or would be bad for dash management: Target and hold ESS in the direction opposite Link's movement for one frame (not needed if doing a targeted brakeslide, as that is already the input), then target and hold fully in roughly the direction Link is moving for one frame. From here, Link will begin running in the direction held with a few frames of lower speed.

Additional notes on brakesliding

  • The type of brakeslide that is best to use is situational, depending not only on speed preservation but also on pathing, duration of slope, and ideal facing direction for the next action.
  • Brakesliding down a slope is almost never fast, as it is slower than running.
  • DL-DR and wiggle EBS sometimes don't work on the official build of Dolphin because of input frame weirdness. The video below goes over a solution for this. This convoluted method is only necessary when the inputs listed in the DL-DR and wiggle EBS sections above are inexplicably not working, which may not happen at all or may happen often; it is not understood what causes it.

──── Other General Techniques ────

Dash management

  • As wolf: After a dash in 33-speed areas, there is a 4-frame window to input another dash before Links speed drops below 33 between dashes. In 45-speed areas, this window lasts for over a second. It is sometimes useful to spread dashes out rather than chaining them frame perfectly in order to get a dash cancel a few dashes along, to preserve a dash for after a cutscene that doesn't grant a dash cancel, or to reach a door or chest while still at dash speed where perfect chaining would result in either a period of low speed at the end or a bonk.

  • On Epona: Managing spurs on Epona is highly situational, and it is a good idea to time multiple options.

  • On a kargarok: Aside from cases like clipping out of bounds that may require certain dash timing, dashes should be chained frame perfectly to keep speed as high as possible for as long as possible.

DF walking

See this page for information. DF walking is the fastest way to get to full running speed from a standstill as human, which is useful for getting full speed rolls quickly and for getting up to speed quickly in areas where Link can't roll. The minimum horizontal stick input required for a DF walk is minimum ESS; for example, the control stick set at up + ESS left or up + ESS right can be used to start a DF walk. For a DF walk on flat ground in an area where Link can run at 23 speed:

Frame123 (first untargeted frame)456789 (rolling after this frame will be at full speed)
Approx. speed0.02126.41014.518.720.622.523

DF walking from running loads

Discovered by TheTasMaster

When Link loads into an area running as human, assuming no slopes, it takes 3 frames of running after gaining control of Link before a roll input will yield a full speed roll. However, DF walking for 1 frame on the first frame of control allows a roll input on the second frame to be at full speed already, meaning the first full-speed roll can begin 2 frames earlier than with the running method.

Analog Glitch

Analog glitch can be annoying in RTA runs, but it's a valuable tool in a TAS setting. Analog glitch refers to the game interpreting the control stick ("analog stick") input relative to a camera angle that is no longer present, resulting in Link seeming to move in a direction that doesn't correspond to the direction held. To achieve analog glitch, input a direction on the control stick while targeting on one or more frames, then release target but continue the control stick input. Link will align with an angle and then maintain it even as the camera shifts. Rolls or dashes will also move at that same angle. Analog glitch persists until the control stick input is changed to neutral or a to a direction sufficiently different from the original direction.

Roll chaining

The optimal way to begin a rolling sequence is usually either to DF walk and begin rolling at full speed or to roll once from a standstill, run for three frames, and then commence rolling at full speed. The fastest movement is always situation dependent. For example, when moving to a nearby door from a standstill, chaining two rolls without running in between may be the fastest option even though neither roll will be full speed, as long as Link can open the door within the first 3 frames after the second roll is complete.

Pay attention to walking speed before beginning to chain rolls. If Link is walking at 23 speed before a roll chain begins, the rolls will all be at the maximum speed for the slope he is on unless the slope is very steep. It is possible to achieve 23 speed before chaining rolls even if Link is already on a slope by running perpendicular to the slope on the frame(s) before the roll.

RNG manipulation

Manipulating RNG-based results such as an enemy actions and drops can be done in a few ways. Ideally, RNG manipulation doesn't cost any time, but sometimes getting the ideal result does have a cost because some manipulation strategies interfere with optimal movement.

  • Camera changes. Changing the camera angle prior to the result being manipulated is usually the best way to change RNG values. The manipulation seems to depend mostly on the camera's angle, meaning that targeting (without locking onto something) differently in a way that doesn't turn the camera sometimes won't have any effect. On GCN, using the c-stick (often in combination with analog glitch if moving while turning the camera) to try out different camera angles prior to an RNG result is a good way to get different results. This method is far less useful on Wii, but it can still be used. For example, throwing a rock in a direction the camera isn't facing and then beginning to hold target on one frame of the throw may cause the rock to give a different drop than beginning to hold target on the next frame of the throw. Moving first person camera around and/or entering + canceling it can also be useful, ideally in situations where it doesn't cost time, such as while waiting for something or in some cases while riding Epona.

  • Actions. Locking onto enemies/objects, interacting with objects, and pulling out and using the sword can influence RNG.

  • Delaying frames. When all else fails, entering a room where RNG is to be manipulated one or more frames later than optimal can be used to change the RNG in the room. This is obviously not ideal since it costs time, but it is useful in cases where RNG is very difficult to manipulate in other ways. (Whenever you encounter a case where this seems to be a good option, think of it as an opportunity to double check whether you can optimize movement further to open the door one frame earlier rather than later.)

For a full list of functions in the game code that call RNG, see this table.

Text mashing

When advancing text, the B button only clears textboxes that are already filled. The A button does the same, and also finishes filling fast textboxes that are not yet filled.

  • Slow text boxes comprise most "item get" text boxes. Since these text boxes fill at a set speed, the A and B buttons are interchangeable, so alternating between A and B every frame will always clear them optimally regardless of which button is on which frame.
  • Fast text boxes comprise almost all text in the game. To clear a set of fast text boxes optimally, press A on the first frame that will cause the first text box to fill early, and from there alternate between A and B every frame (starting on B after the initial A). Note that the first frame that text appears in a fast text box when A has not been pressed is actually one frame later than it is possible to get the text to appear with an A press. For instance, if the first characters of the text box appear on frame 10 when there are no inputs, that means that starting to alternate between A and B at the correct time will cause the text box to fill on frame 9.

Dolphin frame advance correction

Dolphin latest release occasionally skips input frames, which sometimes has no effect but can be troublesome when TASing something that involves changing inputs on every frame. The video below goes over a solution to this problem in the context of DL-DR brakesliding as human, which often or always causes this problem. In short, the solution is to TAS the brakeslide through the first frame of untargeted ESS, save state, load that same state, then continue as normal.

Miscellaneous

  • Brakesliding and DF walking both rely on targeting, which can be tricky in areas where targeting locks onto something because locking onto something causes target mode to continue for a while after the target button is released. However, anticipating this can be useful. For instance, if you want to DF walk after picking up a pot while enemies are around, you can target while picking up the pot and then find the frame to release the target button during the pickup animation that results in exactly two frames of target mode left after gaining control of Link again, which can be used to start a DF walk.
  • The general tips page mentions quite a few small timesavers that are also relevant to RTA runs.

──── Useful numbers to know ────

Again, see the movement speeds page for reference tables of speed values seen in various situations

To chain these techniques immediately (which is not always the best option), repeat the input at the interval shown:

  • Rolls: 20f
  • Sidehops: 15f
  • Wolf dashes on land: 59f
  • Wolf dashes in water: 77f
  • Kargorok dashes: 86f
  • Epona dashes for no speed drop: 46f

──── TAS tricks and notes ────

Equips

  • Hold target when pulling up the item wheel to be able to move the cursor sooner
  • Double tap for the final equip to shorten the animation

Multiple areas

  • 1-framers out of dig spots and Midna text
  • 1-framers between item text and additional text can save time on camera movement
  • Kill shadow beasts without targeting all of them to reduce the length of the charge attack
  • Pot push for extra horizontal movement midair
  • Put on iron boots to shorten drops, including when getting off spinner
  • UMD and IWD

Ordon

  • DF walk at the very beginning of the game without targeting Fado by holding target before gaining control of Link
  • Stand far from Bo when talking to reduce time spent between pressing A and text appearing (camera movement)
  • Target and hold a direction between rounds with Bo to reduce camera movement

Forest Temple

  • Skip monkey 7 cutscene

Goron Mines

  • 4-pull slab room (faster than slab clip?)

Lakebed Temple

  • Pot push for early clawshot

Arbiter's Grounds

  • Poe 1 skip straight to poe 4

Temple of Time

  • Pot drop on switch in entrance
  • Spinner skip to boss key

City in the Sky

  • Small key skip without jumpstrike
Last updated 10/05/2024 – bewildebeest