sotn.io: FAQ

Why won't the randomizer randomize my bin file?

The randomizer targets the original NTSC-U release of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (SLUS-00067). If your bin has been altered (eg. has already been randomized or patched) or it is not a known, good rip of SLUS-00067, it will be rejected.

Why aren't candles dropping items?

Just as in the vanilla game, you need Cube of Zoe for candles to drop items.

Why can't I chain Gravity Boots jumps?

Just as in the vanilla game, you need Leap Stone in order to chain Gravity Boots jumps. Technically, you only need to be in a divekick airstate which can be achieved by untransforming from wolf or mist while airborne, or after performing an airborne thrust (back, forward, attack) with a 2-handed thrust sword (Claymore, Estoc, Flamberge, Zwei hander, or Obsidian sword).

How do I disable music/sprite/item/whatever randomization?

Uncheck the checkbox next to Preset then uncheck whatever randomization options you prefer.

Why are there missing items in my seed?

There is a hard limit to how many items an area may have. In order to randomize progression items (Holy glasses, Spike Breaker, Silver ring, Gold ring) to a new area, an item must be removed from that area. To prevent leaking information to the player as to which area has received progression items, between 1 and 3 items have been removed from some areas.

What is the difference between the Casual and Safe presets?

Casual seeds have a lower average complexity (usually 5 or 6) than Safe seeds (usually 9 or 10). Therefore, on average, Casual seeds take less time to complete than Safe seeds. See the question regarding complexity for more information.

What is the difference between the Safe and Adventure presets?

Safe uses the Guarded location extension. Adventure uses the Equipment location extension. See the question regarding location extensions for more information.

What is complexity?

A seed's complexity is the depth of its progression tree. A progression tree describes the order in which relics and items are accessed.

For example, in the vanilla game, Jewel of Open is the roots of the tree as it's the first progression relic the player receives. Jewel of Open allows the player to receive Leap Stone. Leap Stone allows the player to receive Form of Mist. Form of Mist allows the player to receive Soul of Bat. Soul of Bat allows the player to receive Echo of Bat. And so forth, until you reach the leaves of the tree (the five pieces of Vlad).

The complexity of the tree is the number of levels between roots and leaves. It's a bit like counting the number of times "allows the player to receive" occurs when writing out the progression tree in English. In case you're curious, the complexity of the vanilla game is 11.

When adjusting the complexity target for your seed on sotn.io, you are actually setting the minimum complexity. Your seed's complexity may end up being higher than the number you selected, but never lower.

What are the Classic, Guarded, Spread, and Equipment location extensions?

These options adjust the pool of possible relic locations. Classic locations are limited to the locations of the vanilla game. Guarded adds Crystal cloak (behind Scylla), Mormegil (behind Granfalloon), Ring of Arcana (behind Beezelbub), Dark Blade (behind Doppleganger 40), and Fake Trio. Spread add Dragon Helm (Darkwing's Lair), Staurolite (Forbidden Library), and Shotel (Reverse Outer Wall). Equipment adds the remaining locations that hold equipment.

Why does generating a seed take so long?

It's complicated. It also depends on which platform you're using. The best performance is achieved by running the randomize utility from command line (see github repository for info).

The next best option is using Chrome, which is only slightly slower than command line.

The slowest option tested is Firefox, which is often 10x slower than command line or Chrome.

Is my seed broken/softlocked/unbeatable?

First, be sure to check the spoilers to make sure you're not missing anything; randomize your game using the same seed, but with "Show spoilers", "Show relic locations", and "Show solutions" checked. Read through the relic locations and solutions before continuing.

Usually when people ask this, it's because they randomized a bad rip or a disc image that had previously been randomized. The best thing to do is to first compare your disc image hash to the hash on redump. If you don't know how to get the hash of your game, use this tool.

If you've checked the solutions and verified you're using a vanilla rip of the game, you might have found a bug. Please fill out the appropriate bug report template, or post your seed in the #randomizer channel in The Long Library.

Do I need to know any glitches in order to complete a seed?

The only time you are expected to perform glitches in order to complete a seed is when using the "Glitch" preset. Aside from that, no glitches are required.

The infinite peanut isn't randomized. Is this on purpose?

Yes.