Guide to Speedrunning?

[Vajrapani]

Normal runs with strong combos are boring o-tab fests and weak combos are just complete dicks to play, so I've started to be interested in unconventional runs. Like speedrunning.
Are there certain rules like 'If you don't make it to to X in Y turns, ctrl+q' and are the species that feasibly speedrun restricted to Mi,DD and VS? I've spectated quite a few speedrunners and it seems that the plan is to dive alot and hope for the best, but there has to be some coherent strategy to it.

[Magipi]

Are there certain rules like 'If you don't make it to to X in Y turns, ctrl+q'

What do you mean by speedrunning? Do you want to get 15 runes in 18k turns? Or 30? Or 50? These are quite different goals.

[tabstorm]

I can't speak to playing elves, but if you want to play a warrior go with DD or VS. For a DD take Makhleb and hope you get good drops. About 1/10 characters are viable. For a VS take chei and hope for statue form before the first Lair branch. 1/100 characters are viable. I would play 0.17 for this, as speedrunning has been made vastly more annoying by post-0.17 "improvements" to the game. For a 15 rune speedrun Berserker is very overrated. Surviving the wrath is a disaster for your turn count especially if you play in 0.20 where you have vastly reduced access to teleportation. It is good for 3 runes though.

[Vajrapani]

Are there certain rules like 'If you don't make it to to X in Y turns, ctrl+q'

What do you mean by speedrunning? Do you want to get 15 runes in 18k turns? Or 30? Or 50? These are quite different goals.

I just want to start off with a 3-rune in about 20-30k turns, I'll try DD,for melee, as tabstorm suggested.

[Eyesburn]

spectate Charly

'If you don't make it to to X in Y turns, ctrl+q'

theres no such rule, they usually quit when it is yet another death about to happen (mostly in the early game)

even if you explore whole floors just manually you will get better turns count then with auto-exploration

[Leszczynek]

Don't fight if you don't have to. Early on you dive lower into Dungeon because enemies there give more XP (way more than 10 rats for example) and you have a better chance to find good items like wands. Later on fighting popcorn is a huge waste of time and hell/pan is almost completely pacifist if you can help it. Set yourself goals that you need to get and work towards them instead of being aimless with your skill advancement, e.g. if you want Statue Form, learn Passwall if you find it first and train Tmut/Earth in advance. Mentally prepare to die a lot.

even if you explore whole floors just manually you will get better turns count then with auto-exploration

If you explore whole levels, the difference won't be big; it's about exploring as much as possible in as little time as possible.

[ONIchinchin]

Regeneration

[tasonir]

Regeneration, as onichinchin mentioned, is terribly important, which is why I went with the VSMo^Chei approach. Of course, DD of makhleb has its own take on the whole "regeneration" thing by just not doing it at all, so there's that. There are plenty of other good races for speed runs, trolls, deep elves (for casters), etc. They aren't as good, but most speed runs are judged against species high scores, or at least I say they should be.

Dive and hope for the best is enough to get you 90% of the way there. My best score is 40,133 turns for 15 runes, here. I didn't do much other than copy the build idea, already mentioned above, of a VS with statue form and chei from other speed runners and repeat until I had one with statue form early on. Better players have done it in <20k turns (4thArraOfDagon).

The thing is when you actually start practicing "dive and hope" you'll realize it is a lot more complex than it sounds. You're constantly deprived of resources and experience and you can't spend a large amount of time retreating and splitting up monsters, although you'll certainly have to split monsters somewhat. It's a constant tension between risk of dying and risk of playing too slowly. That's why you need an overpowered character to allow you to take more risks and progress more quickly. It's surprisingly rewarding when it's going well, although it's definitely frustrating on the dozens or hundreds of dead characters before you win. I likely won't do many speed runs in the future, although I may fire one up per year or something.