Welcome

Welcome

Overview

A guide to try and link together all you need to get Portal 2 Speedruns up and running.

Setup

Setting up Portal 2 for speedruns isn't too difficult, but there are a few things you should get quickly familiar with.

• If you're playing Single Player, SAR is highly recommended.
• Livesplit is also used for single player full game runs, and can be linked with SAR for accurate timing.
• For coop, we use Source Live Timer and demos to time runs.

Source Auto Record (SAR)

Portal 2 Speedrunners use SAR to time single player runs and to add quality of life commands to the game to make speedrunning less of a hassle. This includes commands to accurately time your runs, lower loading times and make demo recording easier.

The wiki page for SAR here gives...

• Links to the most up-to-date version of SAR
• How to install SAR and link it with Livesplit
• A large list of helpful commands and how to use them.
• A link to the entire list of SAR cvars.

Demos

Demos in Portal 2 are often used as a means of proof for runs. It's a lightweight recording method that takes up virtually no system resources, and is easy to submit for runs.

The wiki page on Demos gives information on:

• Demos
• Methods of recording (traditional and with SAR)
• Saving locations
• Rendering

Full Game Single Player Setup

Basic Setup Guide For Full Game

Container Ride Save

The save file and demo file for the container ride save can be found on the [resources page of speedrun.com https://www.speedrun.com/portal_2/resources]. To add the save, you must place it in (steam installation)\steamapps\common\Portal 2\portal2\SAVE\(numbers) where (steam installation) is where your portal 2 game is installed and (numbers) is a string of numbers that represents your steam ID.

The demo file does not need to go here, it can be used for timing the demos of your run, or if you want to render out your run for others to see, but is not needed for gameplay.

Full Game Demo Recording

Recording demos is as simple as typing record demoname in console (demoname can be replaced by any name). sar_auto_record is used in full game runs, and allows demo recording to continue automatically between level transitions / deaths / loads.

• If you are using the container ride save, you must start recording before your crosshair appears (which happens once the container has broken through the wall)
• If you're not using the container ride save. Be sure to pause your game before the wakeup animation is completed, and start recording a demo
• To end a run, stop recording demos once you've shot the moon at the end of the game using the console command stop

Coop All Main Chambers / All Chambers Setup

Timing in Coop

SAR and Live Split are inaccurate for coop speedruns. Currently, the only accurate timing method for coop is done through Blue (the server host's) demos. We use Source Live Timer to time these demos after they're created. The download includes three files, Newtonsoft.Json.dll file, a SourceLiveTimer.exe file, and a readme. Here is a copy of the readme instructions for Source Live Timer.

How to use:

• 1. Right click the tool to open the context menu.
• 2. Click "Demo Directory" and select the appropriate demos folder (For Portal 2: /Steam/SteamApps/common/Portal 2/portal2).
• 3. Start your run and start recording demos, the timer should identify that a demo is recording and will state its name next to "Current Demo".
• 4. After completing or failing a run, click "Reset".
• 5. Don't forget to save the splits before closing the tool.

For more of the basics of Coop runs in Portal 2, check out our Coop Runs page

Binds / Config

Enabling Developer Console

Commands and certain binds can only be entered from the developer console. To enable the developer console, follow this path

Options -> Keyboard/Mouse -> Allow Developer Console

To open the console, use the `/~ key, at the upper-left-hand corner of your keyboard.

Basic Binds

Bind follow a simple formula: bind key command Many binds can be reassigned in the Keyboard/Mouse options menu. However, there are many things that can only be done using console binds.

All Portal 2 speedrunners bind the +jump action to their mouse wheel (either up or down) in order to jump as soon as they hit the ground, without needing to precisely time their inputs. This can be done using either

• bind mwheelup +jump
• bind mwheeldown +jump

For precise aiming, a sensitivity bind can be useful (ex: Secret Panel).

• bind key "sensitivity value" (Example: bind q "sensitivity 1")

Coop taunts can be important for coop runs.

• bind key taunt - Used for air taunts, will not bring up taunt menu on the ground.
• bind key +mouse_menu_taunt - Brings up bot taunt menu.

For seeing the partner view, the key is often bound to w, so that it can be kept up constantly.

• bind w "+forward; +remote_view" - makes w move you forward, and brings up the partner view.

Bind Rules

NOTE: Assigning multiple action commands to a single key is banned (Exceptions are made for +remote_view)

Read more on the Challenge Mode Rules or the Full Game Rules

Execs

In the source engine, exec files are used as a way to save commands in a file, and run all those commands at once by running it through the game.

Plugins must be loaded and unloaded at startup and shutdown of Portal 2. This means that any SAR commands you use will be reset to defaults upon exiting the game. We highly recommend reading up on execs and autoexecs.

An example autoexec for fullgame would consist of these commands:

• sar_speedrun_autostart 0 - Prevents immediate start when loading into the level
• sar_autorecord 1 - Will continue demo recordings after death and through level transitions
• sar_speedrun_offset 16868 - Offset for your timer to work with the containerridesave
• sar_speedrun_time_pauses 0 - Timer will not continue while paused (Be sure to look into rules about pause abuse)
• cl_showpos 1 - Shows your player's look angle, and position and velocity (Used for Secret Panel, Column Blocker, and Three Gels)
• sar_speedrun_reset - Resets your run

Gameplay

Bunnyhopping

The core movement method of Portal 2 is Bunnyhopping. Useful resources and help for bunnyhopping can be found here on our wiki. Bunnyhopping help provides videos and information on not only bunnyhopping, but also how to go about getting help improving your hops from other runners.

Reportals

One of the most useful glitches/exploits in Portal 2 is the Reportal.

A newer, and more powerful varient, the Super-Reportal is becoming more widely used and popular now in the game. It operates in a similar way, but involves a method of getting the player stuck, and chaining multiple reportals.

Learning Routes

This playlist includes all of Can't Even's full game tutorial videos. It's currently the most up-to-date resources for all of the maps in the game.

For much more detailed information on maps, check out the wiki's List of Singleplayer maps and List_of_Co-op_maps check to see if the chamber you need help on has information on it. Many of the pages are still a work-in-progress, but it is by-far the most in-depth information available on these chambers.