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'''Speed strafing''' is a technique common to both [[GoldenEye 007]] and [[Perfect Dark]] which is used constantly throughout any and all GE and PD speed runs.
'''Speed strafing''' is a technique common to both [[GoldenEye 007]] and [[Perfect Dark]] which is used constantly throughout any and all GE and PD speed runs.
== Overview ==
Basically, running forwards and strafing left or right at the same time results in you moving diagonally roughly 40% faster than just running forwards alone. It's a vector sum kind of thing.
Basically, running forwards and strafing left or right at the same time results in you moving diagonally roughly 40% faster than just running forwards alone. It's a vector sum kind of thing.
Speed strafing also cultivates the highly advisable practice of strafing around potentially dangerous corners instead of blindly walking out into gunfire, and allows the activation of wall-mounted buttons and objects while moving at top speed parallel to the wall, which is rather handy.
Speed strafing also cultivates the highly advisable practice of strafing around potentially dangerous corners instead of blindly walking out into gunfire, and allows the activation of wall-mounted buttons and objects while moving at top speed parallel to the wall, which is rather handy.
== Strafe Change Time Loss ==
Aka "Why do strafe changes lose time?"
;Short answer
Changing from 100% leftward to 100% rightward speed or vice versa does not work instantaneously, it takes some time to decelerate to zero and afterwards accelerating to full speed in the new direction. Fire up a level like Dam and do nothing but alternating C-Left / C-Right and you'll clearly notice that.
That transition time, where your sideways speed temporally reaches zero, in turn decreases your resultant overall speed which is the length of the vector sum of forward and sideways speed. And having lower overall speed for a certain amount of time obviously loses time.
;Detailed answer
I will guide you through the plots below. In all plots the x-axis is time and all have the same scale, i.e. the timings of strafe changes are vertically aligned with all below plots.
Plot 1 - Strafe button: You can alternate strafe buttons arbitrarily fast with your fingers. Instant changes are shown.
Plot 2 - Sideways speed: After a change of strafe button, the sideways speed will approach full speed in the new desired direction but it takes some time to do so because of deceleration/acceleration as described above.
Plot 3 - Resultant speed: Pythagoras says that the resultant overall speed is sqrt(forwardspeed² + sidewaysspeed²). This plot shows this function with constant 100% forward speed and varying sideways speed according to plot 2. Temporary speed drops after strafe changes are evident.
Plot 4 - Progression: You can think of the y-axis as progression% of a level like Streets Agent. The red curve shows linear progression with constant 100% resultant speed. The blue curve is the time integral of plot 3, i.e. mostly linear progression and parallel to the red line, but it falls behind further and further after every strafe change.
Plot 5 - Time loss: This is the difference of red and blue curves in plot 4. Stepwise increases of time loss after strafe changes can be observed.
[[Image:goldeneye_007_strafe_change.png|400px]]
Comments:
* Assumed simple turns like on Streets Agents, which can easily be done without strafe changes. It obviously does not cover more problematic turns like Archives upstairs or Cradle ending.
* Assumed full forward speed = full sideways speed. Didn't do any research on that besides speedrunwiki saying strafing increases speed by ~40%, which is in line with my assumption because of sqrt(1² + 1²) - 1 = ~41.4%.
* Values on plot axis were left out on purpose because I only wanted to outline the mechanics of strafe change time loss and didn't want to give an accurate answer to "How much do they lose?".
* Assumed constant deceleration/acceleration, i.e. linear sideways velocity decrease/increase. No research done, but there is little reason why an old and simple game like GE should have more complex behaviour there.
== External Links ==
* [https://forums.the-elite.net/index.php?topic=18518.msg393494#msg393494 thee-elite facts post on strafe change]
[[Category:Terminology]]
[[Category:Terminology]]
[[Category:GoldenEye 007]]
[[Category:GoldenEye 007]]
[[Category:GE Technical]]
[[Category:Perfect Dark]]
[[Category:Perfect Dark]]
