Improve Your Games: Mastering Livesplit's Worst Segments

If you're a speedrunner or splits timer, you've likely come across the challenge of dealing with "worst segments" in LiveSplit, the popular splits timing software.

Worst segments, or "swim segments," are those where the runner's time is grossly inflated, often due to uncontrollable factors like game bugs, difficult sections, or real-life interruptions. Managing these in LiveSplit is crucial to get the most accurate and fair representation of a runner's performance.

Identifying Worst Segments in LiveSplit

Before you start editing, it's essential to identify these worst segments accurately. A simple increase in time doesn't necessarily mean it's a worst segment; it should be significantly higher than the norm.

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Use the "Graph" feature in LiveSplit to visually identify these anomalies. Any peak that stands out significantly from the rest could be a worst segment.

Understanding the "段" Column

In LiveSplit's Presets window, you'll find a column labeled "段". This is the Japanese character for "segment," and it shows the total number of segments in the run.

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When you split a worst segment, this number increases, but it doesn't reflect the actual number of segments in the run. This is because the worst segment is "divided" into smaller parts, which are then discarded during the final calculation of the run time.

Manually Splitting Worst Segments

Once you've identified a worst segment, you can manually split it by following these steps: select the run in the list, click on "Split" in the menu, choose the split time (usually a reasonable time for the worst segment), and click OK.

After splitting, delete the extra parts created. To do this, select the segments you want to delete, right-click, and choose "Delete" from the context menu.

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Adjusting Worst Segments in LiveSplit's Presets

LiveSplit's Presets feature allows you to adjust worst segments directly in the Presets window.

To toggle the display of worst segments, click the button next to the "段" column. When enabled, you'll see each worst segment marked with an `(S)` in the Name column.

Editing Worst Segments

To edit a worst segment, double-click on it in the Presets window. The Edit Segment window will open, where you can adjust the time, label, or category.

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To split a worst segment without deleting the extra parts, you can use the "Split" function here. After splitting, make sure to apply the changes to the run by clicking "OK".

Deleting Worst Segments

If you decide to delete a worst segment, select it in the Presets window, right-click, and choose "Delete".

Keep in mind that deleting a worst segment will also delete any subsequent segments until it finds a "Regular" segment again.

Mastering LiveSplit's handling of worst segments can significantly improve the accuracy and fair representation of speedrun times. Happy timing!