2.1 Acheron vs 2.2 Acheron // Frame Counter Comparison

00:00 2.1 Version 01:25 2.2 Version 02:50 Verdict It's well known that Acheron was severely nerfed upon being bugfixed for update 2.2. These frame counts should put into perspective how much of the original difficulty remains. Special thanks to ‪@taiago_‬ for counting on 2.2. Song remix by ‪@surroundedgd‬ --------------------------------------- FAQ for Frame Counters --------------------------------------- Q: What is a Frame Counter? A: A Frame Counter is a method I developed to visualize, as accurately as possible, the difficulty of a level. This is done by determining the exact amount of frames available for mandatory level inputs on 240FPS, according to the easiest path. It is prone to human error, so I usually triple check every input to avoid mistakes. Q: Why 240FPS? A: As of update 2.2, 240FPS is the highest frame rate that affects input polling, since the game runs on 240 physics steps. Higher rates only add redundant visual frames without position updates. For example, a 1 frame input at 240FPS becomes 2 frames at 480FPS, the exact same timing window. As a result, the measured inputs are the ones perceived during top play. In 2.1, however, frame rates increase physics steps without a limit. Q: How does this differ from a Frame Perfect counter? A: A Frame Perfect counter determines the amount of 1 frame inputs for a specific frame rate, usually 60FPS. However, a 60FPS frame perfect (16.67ms) is often a 4-7 frame (16.67ms to 29.17ms) timing on 240FPS or higher, which these levels are almost always beaten with. Therefore, these counts are very unreliable for actual difficulty measurements. This discrepancy is a result of different position updates, as in 60FPS the icon's position updates four times less frequently than on 240FPS, missing gaps that would otherwise be possible. Q: What is frame alignment and how does it affect these timings? A: Frame alignment refers to the position of the icon according to the frame it is in. It changes with rotated speed portals, start positions and odd physics quirks. For example, if the icon is currently at 2x speed and will hit a 1x rotated speed portal, it may hit it earlier or later. As a result, the computed position of the icon (which is accurate to several decimals) will be different in each case, possibly changing the amount of possible frames for the rest of the level. In almost every case, however, this effect is minimal and levels often avoid it, so frame counts remain extremely accurate. In these counts, every timing window is determined from 0%. Q: How does CBF affect timings on 2.2? A: CBF can theoretically make a timing up to 1 frame easier than normal, and this fact is best explained with an analogy. Imagine checking a door every frame. It opens and closes between checks, but they're unaccounted for. It could be closed when checked but open right the next instant. CBF takes those moments into account, allowing for an extra frame at most. Q: Will you do a Frame Counter for this level? A: Frame Counts by themselves take a good amount of time to do and I verify every input several times, spending far more time than necessary to ensure everything is correct. Consequently, I only like to do them when I feel like it or when I'm specifically paid for it.