Speedrunning Techniques
Speedrunning Beholder: Conductor requires meticulous planning, efficient resource management, and a deep understanding of quest triggers and optimal paths. The primary goal is to complete the main story objectives as quickly as possible, often neglecting side quests or moral considerations that would slow progress. Focus on Ministry directives and critical path quests.
Key Strategies:
- Prioritize Ministry Directives: Always check your mailbox for new Ministry orders immediately. These are your primary source of progression. Ignore non-essential tenant requests unless they directly contribute to a Ministry objective or provide a critical item.
- Efficient Item Acquisition:
- Money: Focus on quick money-making schemes. Selling contraband found during searches (e.g., Foreign Goods, Illegal Books) is often faster than waiting for rent. Consider reporting minor infractions for quick Ministry rewards, but balance this against the time spent on surveillance.
- Tools: Acquire essential tools like the Lockpick and Camera early. The Lockpick allows access to apartments without waiting for tenants to leave, and the Camera is vital for evidence collection. Purchase them from the Black Market Dealer if necessary, as the time saved outweighs the cost.
- Minimize Travel Time: Learn the apartment building layout. Plan your movements to complete multiple objectives in a single trip. For example, if you need to search two apartments, try to do them consecutively if they are close.
- Quest Chaining: Understand how quests interlink. Sometimes, completing a seemingly minor task for a tenant can unlock a critical path item or information. For example, helping Klaus Schimmer might lead to a contact who sells a necessary item for a Ministry quest.
- Exploiting Game Mechanics:
- Time Manipulation: While there's no direct time skip, understanding tenant schedules allows for optimal surveillance and apartment entry. Tenants like Albert Meineke often leave for work at predictable times.
- Save Scumming (if allowed by category): For categories that permit it, save before risky actions (e.g., planting evidence, dealing with the Black Market Dealer) to avoid time-consuming failures.
- Focus on Critical Path: The main objective often involves acquiring specific documents or eliminating certain individuals. Identify these early and work backward to determine the fastest route. For example, if the Ministry requires a tenant's eviction, focus solely on gathering enough evidence to justify it, rather than trying to find an alternative solution.
Specific examples include rushing the eviction of Mark Ranek by quickly finding evidence of his illegal activities, rather than attempting to save his daughter. Similarly, for the Carl Stein quest, focus on obtaining the Ministry Uniform and planting the evidence as quickly as possible, bypassing any moral qualms about his fate.