Tips, Tricks, and Trivia - Angelica's Chaotic Hardcore School English@wiki | ACHS English wiki

Contents

Overview

• This page lists tips, tricks, and trivia for the game.
• Glitches (advantageous bugs) are also listed here, but note that bugs are generally listed not here, but in List of Found Bugs.

Tips, Tricks, and Trivia

Save Data Backup

• The save data for this game is stored in the folder C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\ACHS} on Windows. username is your Windows user folder name. Therefore, you can back up your save data by copying and pasting this folder. To restore the save data, you can easily do so by deleting the save data folder, copying and pasting the backup folder, and changing the name of the pasted folder to "ACHS".
  • If you don't know your user folder name, look at the location C:\Users. Among the folders there, the one that is neither "Public" nor "Default" is the user folder, and its name is the user folder name.
• Note that the save data for the remaster version is stored in the "ACHSR" folder, not the "ACHS" folder, so you need to read the "ACHS" text in the above explanation as "ACHSR".
• It is highly recommended that you make a backup before attempting the Final Era Level.

Transferring Classic Version Save Data to Remaster Version

• As written in Save Data Backup, the classic version's save data is stored in the ACHS folder in the Local folder, and the remaster version's save data is stored in the ACHSR folder. Therefore, you can transfer the classic version's save data to the remaster version by changing the name of the ACHS folder to ACHSR.
• However, please note that Steam achievements will not be unlocked with this transfer (in-game Achievements will be transferred correctly).

Stamina Decrease Speed Glitch

• In this game, processes such as movement are performed separately from screen rendering, but the stamina gauge increases and decreases only at the timing of screen rendering. Therefore, a phenomenon occurs where the lower the FPS, the more gradual the increase and decrease of the stamina gauge.
• Taking advantage of this, by using a tool to limit the maximum FPS, you can reduce the amount of stamina consumed and continue running for a longer distance than usual.
  • In this case, the recovery speed will also be slower, but items such as water and chocolate have the effect of restoring a fixed amount of stamina, so by using them, the disadvantage of slower recovery speed can be almost ignored.
• The maximum FPS of this game is 60, so if it falls below that, this glitch will automatically activate. Some levels are a bit heavy, so it's not uncommon for it to activate automatically due to frame drops without using any tools.
• By the way, this phenomenon also occurs with the sanity and air gauges, but since there is no system to restore a fixed value like stamina and it's a system that's almost as good as air in this game anyway, the benefit is almost non-existent.
  • In version 1.2 of the remaster version, the sanity gauge became easier to decrease, and a system to restore a fixed value was also added, but this glitch was also fixed at the same time, so you can't get any good out of it after all.
• This glitch was fixed in version 1.2 of the remaster version. Therefore, it can no longer be used in the remaster version, but it is still usable in the classic version.

Trick to Recover Sanity While Working

• In this game, deep breathing recovers sanity until the air gauge becomes 0 and you start coughing. Additionally, using the notebook while performing an action allows you to continue that action without stopping. Therefore, by using the notebook while deep breathing, you can recover sanity while solving the notebook.
• Specifically, the process is: you use the notebook while deep breathing -> the notebook screen appears but deep breathing continues in the background -> deep breathing finally stops when the air gauge becomes 0, and your sanity is recovered.
• While the notebook screen is displayed, all character controls are disabled, so you can release the C key once the notebook screen appears. The character will continue to deep breathe until the air gauge becomes 0 while you are solving the notebook.
  • If you finish solving the notebook before the air gauge becomes 0, you will continue to deep breathe, but in this case, you can stop deep breathing by pressing the C key again.
• This trick can also be used when cutting Samara's hair, offsetting the sanity decrease caused by Samara with recovery.
• However, in the Science Level notebooks, clicking on the input form cancels all character actions, so this trick cannot be used effectively.
  • In the remaster version, the Computer Science Level also has the same behavior, but since the notebook loading time is long, it can be used to a certain extent.
• Using this trick allows you to avoid the disadvantage of deep breathing, which is slowed movement and creating an opening, while maximizing sanity recovery, making sanity management easier.
  • In the classic version, where sanity is less important, this is a minor trick, but in the remaster version 1.2 and later, where sanity decreases more easily, it is a very useful trick.

Notebook Time Stop Glitch

• Normally, you cannot pause on the notebook solving screen, but if you use the notebook almost simultaneously with pausing, you can pause on the notebook solving screen.
• Time stops while paused, but you can still solve the notebook, so you can solve the notebook with all threats neutralized.
  • The behavior at this time is almost the same as when the "Teachers stop moving" option is checked. However, unlike that option, with this glitch, you can also acquire ACoins and achievements.
• Due to this nature, using this glitch in Language Level and Science Level, where each notebook poses a significant threat, drastically lowers the difficulty.
• However, the timing is quite strict. You need to press the Q key and then the E key almost simultaneously. It's successful if the pause sound effect plays and only the notebook solving screen appears, without the pause menu showing up. Conversely, if the pause sound effect doesn't play or the pause menu appears in front, it's a failure. Note that in many cases, you can't retry after a failure.
• Also, if you use this glitch in Music Level, the notebook will stop moving and the game progression will stop, so it cannot be used in this level.
  • By the way, perhaps for this reason, the "Teachers stop..." option also cannot be used in this level.
• The pause screen is not displayed in front, but it is still there. Therefore, when you finish solving the notebook, the hidden pause screen will be displayed. Due to the notebook system, time stops are released when you finish a notebook, so you can see the strange sight of time flowing normally on the pause screen. The more glitches you do, the more pause screens will stack up.
  • A point to note is that the Resume button on the pause screen is designed to close the pause screen and toggle between time stop/resume. Therefore, if you press the Resume button when time is flowing, time will stop. So, if there is only one pause menu and time is flowing, you will get stuck. Be careful.

Behind the Menu Screen

• In versions up to 1.23 of the remaster version, the protagonist is actually placed behind the menu screen, and you can deep breathe by pressing the C key.
• The BGM on the menu screen seems to be implemented differently from the normal BGM, so the pitch does not change when you deep breathe.
• Deep breathing doesn't have any beneficial effects so, frankly, it's a pretty worthless trick.
• It was fixed in 1.3.0 but it is a big mystery why such a worthless little trick was fixed.

Sophie Stack Glitch

Video Included

The glitch is used around 9:53

• In Music Level, there is a bug in a certain hallway that connects the Corpus B Hallway and the Long Hallway, where if you guide Sophie Adelbert in a certain direction, she will get stuck and stop moving. Abusing this bug allows you to easily neutralize Sophie.
• Music Level's difficulty mostly comes from the synergy between the long confinement by notebooks and interfering characters and Sophie's fast pursuit. Using this glitch turns it into an easy game.
• If the shortest path to track you becomes from another direction, she will break free from the stack and return to normal behavior, so you need to be careful not to move in a way that allows her to escape once she is stuck.
  • Conversely, if you collect the notebooks in a location where she might break free in advance, victory is almost guaranteed once you get her stuck.
• It has not been fixed in the remaster version, so it's a good idea to use it actively if you don't mind using bugs.

When Jimmy Touches an Item...

• Generally, the characters in this game do not have a collision detection with items placed on the floor, but for some reason, only Jimmy has it. If you place a few items on his path and block his way, he will exhibit a different behavior from other characters.
• Specifically, when he touches an item, he will coolly walk away while sending the item flying. He's not cleaning up, he's just making a mess. Is that what a janitor should be doing...?
• In the remaster version, the behavior is different. He tries to go around the items without sending them flying, but he can't seem to back up, and if you block his way to a certain extent, he will completely stop without being able to pass through. Even though he no longer sends items flying, is that really a good thing...?
  • You can abuse this to easily neutralize him and reduce the element of luck by blocking his path in advance.

Enjoy a Large Part of ACHS for Free

• Currently, you need to pay $1 (remaster version is $3.99) to play ACHS, but there is a way to enjoy a large part of the game for free.
• That method is to use the archive. The archive makes versions up to beta 0.2.0 available for free, so you can play without paying any money.
• Beta 0.2.0, which is the closest to the latest version, has Music Level implemented, and the only major differences from the latest version 1.1.0 are the absence of Final Era Level and Hardcore Mode(*1).
  • Final Era Level is a short level with completely different gameplay, and Hardcore mode is just a mode where you play from start to finish. So, if you just want to enjoy the typical ACHS (AEwVS) gameplay, beta 0.2.0 is more than enough.

Trick to Avoid Time-Up Death in Prologue

• In Prologue , a level that can be purchased from the store, you are forced to die if you don't escape within 40 seconds. However, there is a way to avoid this death penalty.
• That is to enter a state where your sanity is recovering from deep breathing and then let the time run out. The time-up death is processed by setting your sanity to 0. Therefore, if you are in a state where your sanity is recovering, time-up -> the process of sanity becoming 0 and the process of sanity recovering occur simultaneously -> sanity becomes 1 instead of 0 -> since sanity is not 0, you don't die.
• However, you can clear this level without relying on such a trick, and in fact, you don't even need to clear it, so whether this trick is useful is extremely questionable.
  • It's even more so since the Prologue itself was removed in version 1.1.0 and the remaster version.

Multiple Notebook Glitch

• For some reason, notebooks in Science Level and Music Level have a bug where if you press the E key multiple times to check them within one frame, you can open the notebook as many times as you pressed it.
• Abusing this, if you use a tool to limit the FPS to an extreme minimum and then use a rapid-fire tool to mash the E key, you can open a huge number of notebooks in an instant. You can even reach the final chase quickly by using this glitch in a gap between a desk and a wall where teachers cannot reach, making it a very broken technique.
  • However, the mouse cursor disappears every time you solve a notebook, so press the Windows key each time to make the mouse appear.
  • If you use this glitch, you can solve more than 20 notebooks, and the notebook count display in the upper left of the screen will happily go past the limit, like 25/20. However, if you do this, for some reason, your stamina will not become infinite even during the final chase, and it will be quite difficult to clear without food items, so be careful.
• It is difficult to use this glitch without tools, so it is not suitable for a normal playthrough or RTA, but it is a very useful glitch for speedrunning with TAS, etc. If you plan to do it, you should actively use it.
• By the way, this bug does not occur with the notebooks in Math Level and Language Level. It seems that the implementation of notebooks is different from Science Level onwards.
• It has not been fixed in the remaster version either. However, in the remaster version, since long desks have been changed to short ones, there are almost no places where teachers cannot reach you, so it has become difficult to reach the final chase quickly with the glitch. You will need to be creative if you want to use the glitch.
  • Note that the same glitch can also be performed on the notebooks in the newly added Computer Science Level.

See the Prologue Again

• The Prologue in version alpha 0.0.5 and the Prologue （Remastered Version） in version 1.4.0 and later of the remaster version automatically start the level if there is no save data when the game starts. Therefore, you can play it again by making the game not recognize the save data.
• As written in Save Data Backup, the classic version's save data is stored in the ACHS folder in the Local folder, and the remaster version's save data is stored in the ACHSR folder. Therefore, you can easily make them unrecognized by changing the names of these folders. After playing and you're done, you can delete the auto-generated save data and change the folder names back to their original names.
  • However, if you are playing the remaster version on Steam, automatic synchronization may cause problems if Steam Cloud is ON, so be sure to turn Steam Cloud OFF first.