Aron Figaro
Spaceman
Okay...I know it's been a while since I've been here, but I'm shocked no one has ever really gotten into this. Why no WC speed runs?
Admittedly, the later WC games don't seem that speed-runnable. They're really less about the gameplay and more about the cutscenes. The most obvious game to do this with is WC1, though WC2 and Privateer are interesting options. Here's what I've figured out messing with it so far:
WC1: There is no clear shortest path. You definitely don't want to do Gateway or Cheng-Du. Those take forever, so we're going Enyo-McAuliffe, then we have a choice. Gimle 3 can be pretty long with the 9 dralthis, but if you're good at quick kills Gimle's a fast one with few nav points. Brimstone's probably longer, but it's an option if you're worried about failing the Exeter mission. In an optimal run I'd say go perfect winning path - yes, including Kurasawa 3. Why? It's actually really short! If you don't win in 30 or so seconds, you lose the series. Don't lose. I admit it's hard to do reliably, but I think it's possible. We also have to figure out which missions we can just eject on (all 4 venice missions for example). There's a lot of data on the gamefaqs FAQ for this.
WC2: This one's way faster. You only have to fly Gwenydd 3, 4, Niven 4, Gorah Khar 3, you can eject all 4 of Novaya Kiev (winning), fly Heaven's Gate 1 and 4, eject all of Tesla, fly Enigma 4, and eject all but K'Tithrak Mang 4. So all in all, you only fly 8 missions. This could be really optimized I think. Losing path is longer and is an entirely different competition, too.
Privateer: This one's pretty random, and a lot more strategic than the first two, especially in the opening. You really need to figure out what exactly you NEED to win Tayla 2 - if you can do it naked with a proton launcher, I think you're golden to win the game. There are quite a few quick kill missions (especially in Oxford) though, so you need to not only be able to survive, but kill quickly.
You WILL need an upgraded centurion to finish the game unless you're wicked crazy with the proton launcher. The question is when to make the money, when to buy which upgrades, etc. I think a centurion with 4 lasers, 2 proton launchers is an effective ship for a good 2/3 of the game. You can do Oxford with that, then upgrade straight to tachyons once you've got the engines and shields. I'm not sure if you need the centy for Tayla 2 or not. If you do, then there isn't a lot of point upgrading the Tarsus at all: just pile up the cash in Troy.
Admittedly, the later WC games don't seem that speed-runnable. They're really less about the gameplay and more about the cutscenes. The most obvious game to do this with is WC1, though WC2 and Privateer are interesting options. Here's what I've figured out messing with it so far:
WC1: There is no clear shortest path. You definitely don't want to do Gateway or Cheng-Du. Those take forever, so we're going Enyo-McAuliffe, then we have a choice. Gimle 3 can be pretty long with the 9 dralthis, but if you're good at quick kills Gimle's a fast one with few nav points. Brimstone's probably longer, but it's an option if you're worried about failing the Exeter mission. In an optimal run I'd say go perfect winning path - yes, including Kurasawa 3. Why? It's actually really short! If you don't win in 30 or so seconds, you lose the series. Don't lose. I admit it's hard to do reliably, but I think it's possible. We also have to figure out which missions we can just eject on (all 4 venice missions for example). There's a lot of data on the gamefaqs FAQ for this.
WC2: This one's way faster. You only have to fly Gwenydd 3, 4, Niven 4, Gorah Khar 3, you can eject all 4 of Novaya Kiev (winning), fly Heaven's Gate 1 and 4, eject all of Tesla, fly Enigma 4, and eject all but K'Tithrak Mang 4. So all in all, you only fly 8 missions. This could be really optimized I think. Losing path is longer and is an entirely different competition, too.
Privateer: This one's pretty random, and a lot more strategic than the first two, especially in the opening. You really need to figure out what exactly you NEED to win Tayla 2 - if you can do it naked with a proton launcher, I think you're golden to win the game. There are quite a few quick kill missions (especially in Oxford) though, so you need to not only be able to survive, but kill quickly.
You WILL need an upgraded centurion to finish the game unless you're wicked crazy with the proton launcher. The question is when to make the money, when to buy which upgrades, etc. I think a centurion with 4 lasers, 2 proton launchers is an effective ship for a good 2/3 of the game. You can do Oxford with that, then upgrade straight to tachyons once you've got the engines and shields. I'm not sure if you need the centy for Tayla 2 or not. If you do, then there isn't a lot of point upgrading the Tarsus at all: just pile up the cash in Troy.