MGSV: TPP FAQ
Game Mechanics
Q: What's the Companion App and what are its uses for speedrunning?
A: The Companion App was released alongside MGSV:GZ on iOS and Android. Among other functionalities, it allows the player to call the helicopter to a LZ (Landing Zone) via the app. This can be done even while the game, and thus the in-game timer, is paused. As of now there's no rules on the leaderboards discouraging the use of the app. Though the app was removed from the App Store somewhere around September 1st 2018.
Q: What's the difference between the releases of this game?
A: Overall the game behaves very similarly across platforms. The main difference is overall game performance, with loading times being of primary interest for full-game runs. Also, some glitches can only be performed on the PC unpatched versions of the game. You can check a complete list of version and platform differences here.
Q: What's Quick Dolphin dive?
A: The Quick Dolphin Dive is a movement technique that allows Snake to move quickly, and stealthily. There's a tutorial by Steg Darkhorse that explains how to do it and its uses.
Speedrun Setup
Q: How do I setup the 1.01 Patch?
A: Check out the info page here.
Q: When doing NG (New Game) runs, do I have to constantly reset my save file?
A: Yes. It's recommended that you make a backup for your NG start save, delete the files from your past run, then paste your NG start save on your Steam/userdata folder.
Speedrun Mechanics
Q: How does Chopper Skip work?
A: You can perform the glitch by highlighting a mission that starts with a cutscene (for example Diamond Dogs), highlight another mission (ex. A Hero's Way) and, almost at the same time, select that mission. You'll know when you successfully pulled it off when you've selected the mission you wanted to start (in this example A Hero's Way) and the map displayed on the right is the one of the mission that starts with a cutscene (Diamond Dogs). When you accept the mission, the game will not ask you to select a landing zone, instead it will take you to the prep screen. You can Chopper Skip every mission that doesn't start with a cutscene. For missions that aren't next to a “cutscene mission” you'll need to chain the skip. By successfully performing the skip - simply cancel the “accept mission” prompt to go back to selecting missions and perform the skip again. If at any point in the chain you miss the skip, you'll need to start the chain all over again.
Q: How does the Invincible Vehicle glitch works?
A: To perform this glitch you'll need the Wormhole Fulton upgrade, available after Episode 46 (Truth: The Man Who Sold the World), and a EMN-Mine. All you need to do is Fulton a vehicle with the Wormhole and place an EMN-Mine as soon as possible. You'll know when you've successfully performed the glitch when the vehicle becomes invisible (it's easy to spot it because the shock effect plays as normal). In this state the vehicle is completely impervious to all damage. Even though the vehicle is indestructible you can still pop the tires of jeeps and APCs. If you happen to lose track of where the vehicle is you can still see it with night vision goggles. Enemy soldiers will still see the vehicle and react to it. If you perform the glitch again the vehicle will become visible and keep its buggy properties.
Q: How does the Wrong Start glitch work?
A: This glitch allows you to start a mission from anywhere you want and can be done on any version, but one setup doesn't work on the current patch. Acceleramin is required for this glitch to work, making it viable only for NG+ (New Game +) and ILs (Individual Levels). While in Free Roam go to a mission's starting spot - that's where you going to start the mission you actually want to play - before starting the mission use a Acceleramin then open your iDroid and select the mission you are near and, as soon as you've accepted the mission, open your iDroid again and select the mission you actually want to start. After a moment the Acceleramin effect will wear off and the cutscene of Snake approaching the intel box will begin. You'll know when you've successfully performed the glitch when the box is missing. When the cutscene ends you'll start the second mission you've selected from your current location.
By leaving any mission in any way that would put you on Free Roam afterwards, either by finishing it or by purposely failing it, you can then perform the glitch to start from that location. So, if you complete a mission and leave the hot zone by land you can perform this glitch and start from where you've exited the previous mission. This is the method used in NG+ runs. Again, you don't need to complete the mission for the glitch to work. But you can go one step further and make the glitch live up to its name.
There is a way to leave a mission by going up into the sky, by going high enough you'll go out of bounds and be considered out of the mission area. There are two ways to do it but both require a vehicle that you own, as you'll need to use the iDroid to recall that vehicle. First, the method that works on the unpatched versions of the game. You need a vehicle that you own, preferably a tank or APC, and perform the Invincible Vehicle glitch on your vehicle while in a mission, then, request a normal Fulton, swap to it, get on your glitched vehicle and request another vehicle. The one you're in will be sent skyward with Snake still in it and after a moment you'll make it out of bounds, exiting the mission. After the loading screen you'll spawn on Free Roam on the spot your vehicle was. Now, perform the Wrong Start glitch as explained earlier and you'll begin from this new spot.
The second method can be done on any version and requires the normal Fulton and a truck you own. Place your truck on flat ground then request, either, D-Horse or D-Walker via iDroid. After requesting your buddy a icon will show where they'll land. You want to position your truck in such way that they'll land on the bed of the truck. If you already have D-Horse deployed you can try to drive your truck and then call D-Horse, which has a chance for it to spawn on the bed of your truck if performed properly. Once you have your buddy on the bed of your truck, climb on the back of your buddy and request another vehicle. You'll once again be lifted into the air and get out of bound, exiting the mission. Now, perform the Wrong Start glitch as explained earlier and you'll begin from this new spot.
Q: How does Quiet Skip work?
A: Quiet skip works by fast-traveling to Serak Power Plant after the medical platform is constructed. In a run, after Backup, Back Down, we visit Serak Power Plant to get the invoice. Then we start A Hero's Way, get the invoice in Da Shago Kallai, and wait for the medical platform finish constructing, then fast-travel to the power plant. This should trigger Huey's Side Op allowing you to start Hellbound, skipping Quiet's mission.
Tutorial and route by MetalGlennSolid
Q: How does Pitch Dark Warp work?
A: Currently there's no real explanation to why, and how the warp works. It's lucky based, unfortunately, because there's not a single setup that works for every runner.
Q: How does the Jeep and D-Walker Smoke glitch work?
A: Smoke grenades hide anything and anyone who stays near it. With that in mind, you can throw a smoke into a jeep's floor to keep Snake and the jeep itself hidden from enemies, throw the smoke grenade down at, either, the driver or passenger's feet and you’re done, where the jeep goes the smoke follows. You can also place smoke grenades on D-Walker though it's much more difficult. You need to park D-Walker a few meters away from Snake, facing away from him. Throw an overhanded smoke aimed at the bottom of the black control box behind D-Walker's head, the grenade should stick in place on top of D-Walker. Snake will be hidden from enemies but they'll still see and fire at D-Walker.
Q: How does D-Horse Clip work?
A: This glitch only works on unpatched versions of the game. By positioning D-Horse near a wall and pressing the stance button with Snake's model in a wall you can make him clip through. This can be very finicky to pull off mostly because of D-Horse's movement, though Snake can just roll in place instead of clipping trough the wall. This glitch works best on flat surfaces in a place with plenty of room, but you can use a vehicle, such as a truck, to aid you into clipping through walls by parking it perpendicular to a wall you want to clip through.
Q: How does the Weapon Customization glitch works?
A: This glitch only works on the unpatched version of the game for the PC as it requires a mouse to perform it. Go to the weapon customization menu and select a weapon you want to customize and save it to a slot - the glitch only works if a weapon you want to mod has, either, the barrel, magazine, stock or muzzle options locked. Next, we need to select a second weapon that we can modify, select a part of the second weapon you would like to add to the first weapon, for example the magazine. So, on the second weapon, select the magazine and back out, the go to the firs weapon's customization menu and double-click on one of its blocked options (like the ones mentioned earlier). The weapon should update and have the first magazine that the second weapon has available equipped, unfortunately it only equips the first item from the equipment list.
Q: How does Guard Pathing Manipulation work?
A: You can manipulate the pathfinding off Da Shago Kallai's commander in A Hero's Way by doing as follows. Go to free roam at day time then head to Shago Village, turn off the generator and leave the area without being spotted. Now, go to the starting spot for Episode 3, use the phantom cigar until night and start the mission. In the mission, as soon as you reach the village the commander should be wandering of, making him an easy target. This glitch is useful only for ILs (Individual Levels).
Q: How does the Soldier Pickup Warp work?
A: This glitch requires Snake to fall down a ledge while trying to pick up a soldier. Because the only know way is tied to specific animations, you'll need to be out of combat to perform this glitch. First, knock down a soldier and carry them over to a ledge, or next to one, make sure that the soldier is lying on his stomach. Now, line Snake with the edge of the ledge, the first person view can help you with it. Once you think you're positioned correctly, tap the aim button to make Snake face away from the soldier. If you can't see the pick up prompt, aim a bit more to the soldier until the prompt appears. Hold the reload button to pick up the soldier and Snake should fall down the ledge. Now you're in a glitched state. If you pick up a soldier again will cancel the glitch. If you run into a wall or press against one Snake will warp a short distance, but the distance and where he ends up is completely random. What you want to to do is climb over something or get in to a dumpster. Climbing onto D-Horse, getting into a vehicle, climbing up or into a ledge or getting onto a mounted weapon will warp Snake over a great distance. There's a chance the game will freeze from doing a warp exit, but the odds are on your side.
Leaderboard/Community
Q: What's the difference between RTA and in-game time (IGT)?
A: RTA (Real Time Attack) refers to timing speedruns with an independent timer, and in-game time refers to the time one gets at the result screen of an individual mission. Some individual level (IL) runs aren't timed using in-game time, as it is too inconsistent, instead runners are encouraged to RTA their own runs, and full game runs use RTA timing.
Q: What constitutes a NG+ run?
A: NG+ (meaning New Game Plus) runs allow you to use previously unlocked items that aren't available to you on a first playthrough.
Q: What's the difference between Single Segment and Multi Segment runs?
A: A single segmented run for this game is an individual level (IL) run that does not reload checkpoints (after the start of the mission, that is). The leader boards on speedrun.com don't allow multi segmented runs.
Q: Are items such as the Stealth Camo allowed in PSNK (Perfect Stealth, No Kills) individual level runs?
A: No, for the PSNK and S Rank categories, you're not allowed to use rank lowering items.
Q: What constitutes a full-game run?
A: A full game run, depending on its category, goes through all missions in the game in one sitting. Chapter 1 runs goes through the entirety of the first chapter of the game, tho. Generally, the run is started from a fresh save file and timed RTA. Chapter 1 runs start from Phantom Limbs.