How are runs timed?
If a game displays a time upon completion, and this time is tested to be accurate, then the timer will be used. An example of an inaccurate game timer is one that doesn’t display the exact time when a player saves, such as Star Ocean 2’s timer, which drops seconds when saving. Some game timers don’t count time at pause/inventory screens, dialogs, cutscenes, etc., so the time can be significantly less than the video length. Some games have a timer but it can’t be seen at the end of the game. In most of those cases the timer will be ignored. For some games like RPGs, however, such timers are displayed in a menu screen that you would be looking at before the final battle; that time will be noted and real time from that point added on. For games without timers, a simple real-time measure is used. When the player first gains control of the game’s character, timing begins. At the end when control is lost, even if that’s long after the final battle, the timing stops. Possible movement that ca
