#TotK: Use Yunobo's JANK To SPEED UP!

Channel:

Jake Murrin

Subscribers:

927

Published on July 15, 2023 5:48:08 AM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzuqY2eY2n4

Game:

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (2023)

Duration: 0:41

2,238 views

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This video showcases an obscure "fast-travel" tech that I discovered by accident. Among other things, it illustrates that Yunobo's explosive collision is enabled for Zonai vehicles (for better or worse); instead of being launched in the direction of enemies, Yunobo rams into the vehicle itself from behind, pushing it forward at high speed. More importantly, the tech is predicated on an inconsistent/jank feature of Yunobo's AI, as it is EXTREMELY rare for Yunobo to spawn in the precise location needed for it to work on the sled-based "hovercraft" seen here. In fact, I'm still trying to understand all of the odd quirks of Yunobo's AI! Here's what I have so far:

1.) Yunobo can spawn in numerous different spots on the same vehicle: In the front, off to the side, front-side, upper-back, lower-back (as seen in this video), CLIPPING INSIDE THE GROUND (a rare glitch), etc.
2.) While casual players might barely notice them, the aforementioned variations can affect gameplay outcomes for high-level play (e.g., Yunobo's height/range/recoil time, as well as this "fast travel" tech only being possible if Yunobo spawns in the lower-back).
3.) It is not certain what accounts for this wild inconsistency in Yunobo's spawn point, but after extensive playtesting, I believe that it is primarily determined by the slope/elevation that the vehicle is on when Yunobo is summoned.
4.) After the initial spawn, Yunobo is all but guaranteed to stay locked in that position until the vehicle stops (or Yunobo is despawned by entering a village), which is a good thing, as it creates a degree of consistency. (Merely spamming "dismiss"/"summon" while the vehicle is active will NOT alter the spawn point.) However, as a slight caveat or exception, I have seen Yunobo try to spawn in front of the vehicle, get spawn-blocked by a Molduga, re-spawn in the back instead, and then keep spawning in the back, so there is a little extra jank that my explanation cannot fully account for.
5.) Different vehicles can potentially lead to different outcomes (i.e., more or less jank). It is possible that no vehicle type is more prone to spawn jank than sled-based vehicles, since they are always in direct contact with the ground (thus giving me an extremely unfavorable view of Yunobo's programming after using him extensively in the Gerudo desert). By contrast, if a "hoverbike" has proper equilibrium, then you should be able to let go of the analog stick, summon Yunobo, and spawn him near the front of the bike with fairly high consistency.
6.) Based on the above, using Yunobo's explosive collision to push Zonai vehicles forward at an accelerated speed consistently would require a build specifically designed to achieve this and/or a proven method to force Yunobo to spawn in the necessary location for the tech to work. While I can consistently spawn Yunobo in the upper-back of the "hovercraft" by summoning him when the vehicle is moving backwards down a slope, getting him to spawn in the lower-back is essentially a fluke.

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