Speed run contest (win a 2500 point code!)

[triyang]

EDIT: The prize will have to be delivered in non-point form as I forgot that you can't just buy codes from the store to give out.

Have you ever had a really good run and wondered how it measures up to your peers? I wanted to host a speed run contest that was both challenging and accessible, so I landed on running the crucible with an iconic character so there's no leveling, gearing, or any other prep required. Just make your build, put on your starter gear, and give it a shot!

RULES

Quest: The Crucible
Difficulty: Elite
Party size: Solo
Max level: 15
Allowed races: Iconic only
Allowed classes: all
Past lives: none
Tomes: none
Gear: the starting gear of your iconic race
Consumables: Any hireling you can buy in gianthold, any scrolls/wands/potions from the basic vendors in the marketplace
Prize: 2500 points code

FAQ

Why crucible?

- It's at a good level to allow an even playing field for iconics
- It's long enough that there will(hopefully) be a wider spread of times than a bunch of people tied at like 4:34
- It has several different mechanics to make the challenge more interesting than "who can dps hardest while running the fastest"

Can I multiclass or am I stuck with the iconic class?

You can multiclass all you want, BUT you'll still be in the iconic gear. So if you went SDK with 2 rogue/13 FvS, you'll have dex melee gear, not caster gear.

What can I transfer over from more established/main characters?

Platinum to buy hirelings, spell components, respec enhancements, etc. There's no good reason to force plat farming for basic stuff.

Can I use universal enhancement trees?

Yes

Iconics start out barely level 15. Can I get the ranks up until 16 for extra enhancement points?

Yes.

How can I enter?

Post a screenshot of your time + character from the in-game quest completion screen either as a response to this thread or on the discord

How long do I have?

Contest submissions close at the end of the month. For those who want to bring it all the way to the wire, specifically all entries must be before 12:01 AM eastern time July 1st


Example screenshot:

https://imgur.com/6JdijB2

Submissions so far:

1. 8:34 - PersonMan (12 Monk/3 SF)
2. 8:43 - Ashellia (12 DD/2 DR/1 WIZ)
3. 9:33 - Ooblagato (12 Monk/ 2 Blight/ 1 WIZ)
4. 10:43 - PersonMan (12 Monk/3 SF)
5. 11:53 - Terranigma (14 Blight/1 Monk)

 

[Alternative]

Is a screenshot enough to verify if someone actually used starter gear? One could swap their sharn stuff for starter gear before taking the screenshot.

 

[FVSHasBeenEvenMoreGutted]

swim cleric time

 

[Vox]

Probably should be a video of the run, not just a SS at the end.

Good luck to all who enter!

 

[Titus Ovid]

Just curious, why Crucible? That will cut your candidates at least in half. Because it is more challenging?
2500 points is a treat though, very generous.

Cheers,
Titus

 

[Alternative]

Probably should be a video of the run, not just a SS at the end.

Good luck to all who enter!

That, or just allow any gear.

 

[PersonMan]

As with every speedrun contest: time to get something nerfed

 

[triyang]

It has come to my attention that I cannot actually buy a code to give away, so the prize will be delivered in the form of a steam gift card or similar, up to a 30$ value.

 

[triyang]

Just curious, why Crucible? That will cut your candidates at least in half. Because it is more challenging?
2500 points is a treat though, very generous.

Cheers,
Titus

It's long enough to allow differentiation between runs(a quest that takes ~5 minutes will be more likely to have ties, etc) and it has a variety of mechanics that make for more interesting build choices than simply "highest dps + move speed"

 

[triyang]

Is a screenshot enough to verify if someone actually used starter gear? One could swap their sharn stuff for starter gear before taking the screenshot.

Probably should be a video of the run, not just a SS at the end.

Good luck to all who enter!

Yes, it would be ideal to have videos to prevent potential cheating, but I wanted it to be more accessible to people who might not have the setup/hurdle of recording, uploading, etc. I could also require that the inventory be open in the screenshot, which would make it harder but wouldn't stop someone from running with stronger gear then deleting it before the screenshot if they were really committed and willing to nuke the gear.

 

[Alternative]

As with every speedrun contest: time to get something nerfed

Heroic speedrun of mostly puzzle based quest is hardly a reason to nerf a build.

As for the prize code, others somehow get codes as prizes for their stuff, so it's up to Cordo probably.

 

[PersonMan]

Heroic speedrun of mostly puzzle based quest is hardly a reason to nerf a build.

As for the prize code, others somehow get codes as prizes for their stuff, so it's up to Cordo probably.

Not necessarily a build, could be some slight or severe adjustment to how a specific ability works. I just know something got nerfed immediately following a snowpeaks speedrun contest.

- one fortunate thing about not requiring video is that they would not get any ideas about what to adjust without it.

 

[Terranigma]

Submitting a video of 11:53. Tabaxi Trailblazer (1 Monk/14 Blightcaster) with a single purchase, being a hireling so I could get the levers in the maze.

For easier verification:
Link to the completion time
Link to the inventory to show usage of the Iconic gear

 

[PersonMan]

Submitting a video of 11:53. Tabaxi Trailblazer (1 Monk/14 Blightcaster) with a single purchase, being a hireling so I could get the levers in the maze.

Good job!
I was thinking a low wis build would be good, but getting a 100% pattern first try works

 

[saekee]

Submitting a video of 11:53. Tabaxi Trailblazer (1 Monk/14 Blightcaster) with a single purchase, being a hireling so I could get the levers in the maze.

A Legend.

You can end the contest; no one is touching that time.

edit: hah I was so wrong!

 

[triyang]

Submitting a video of 11:53. Tabaxi Trailblazer (1 Monk/14 Blightcaster) with a single purchase, being a hireling so I could get the levers in the maze.

For easier verification:
Link to the completion time
Link to the inventory to show usage of the Iconic gear

Impressive stuff. My non-optimized benchmarks where I just went pure on each iconic only got down to 14-ish minutes.

Good job!
I was thinking a low wis build would be good, but getting a 100% pattern first try works

Well, rank 72 so looks like second try, but yes, the trial of instinct does require a little building around.

 

[PersonMan]

Well, rank 72 so looks like second try, but yes, the trial of instinct does require a little building around.

Meant first try that run.

 

[Terranigma]

Well, rank 72 so looks like second try, but yes, the trial of instinct does require a little building around.

Yeah, this was not completed on a first run of the character. I'm not on a VIP account, so I did not have Elite unlocked from the start.

 

[PersonMan]

I think everyone forgot about this due to the Expansion and Server stuff.

Spoiler: TT: 12 Monk / 3 Sacred Fist 10:43

 

[Spook]

Crucible is a bad choice as there is an element of RNG (crest location) affecting the completion time