: Some communities allow for "100% save files" or modified progression stores—like the srprogression tool for the game SpeedRunners
While standard runners manipulate in-game save files, Tool-Assisted Speedruns (TAS) operate on a different level. A TAS uses emulators that work with . These are not just game saves; they are snapshots of the emulator's entire memory and state at a specific frame. This allows the TAS creator to experiment and correct mistakes with precision. As one TAS guide notes, you will make and reload save-states more than anything else while creating a TAS, highlighting its centrality to the process.
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\[YourSteamID]\239140\remote . speedrunners save file
So, runners began to wonder: What if we started later?
Save File Manipulation: Writing History Before the Run Starts : Some communities allow for "100% save files"
Perhaps the most niche aspect of save file speedrunning is the deliberate corruption of hardware.
Navigate to the save file directory (often in AppData\Local , AppData\LocalLow , or the game's root folder). Copy the entire folder to your desktop. If you corrupt the file, simply paste it back. Tools like blaj can automate this memory backup using simple configuration files. This allows the TAS creator to experiment and
Speedrunners use various types of save files, each with its own purpose:
: The mod adds a speedometer, an angle display for swing releases, and hitbox indicators. These help you understand the physics of the game in a way the base save file does not.