And also TAS parts are recorded segment by segment so you have to do the connectors yourself (unless you record the connectors too) then to get to another point where you can reuse TAS again at a certain point. So the failed part on the _above run is not a valid excuse. So what about casuals run on skylight? You may ask. Plugins like jsave are what allows runs like that to be created.
Feel free to correct me lol
Some of this is wrong.
Jsave can be used for TAS's. That's how I did my internal_b3 TAS. But it requires heavy video editing to cut out failures, which implies that both Brock and Sitood were in on the entire thing, and I don't think that's the case. It's the same as making a map showcase just more speedrunny. Prior to the recent update to jsave, there would be no way to go back to a run unless you were on the ground, not moving, and knew that exact position (which is really easy to find) or are about to do a rocket jump. But with the addition of jexport you can go back after a week and continue working on it.
Casual's plugin is a lot more like an actual TAS. When someone uses the plugin they create a psuedo-demo file. It's like a demo because you can play it back and it will show exactly the same thing every single time, and you close tf2 and watch it a week later and it'll be the same. But I added the 'psuedo' because segments can be rewritten, rerecorded, and improved. Once the psuedo-demo is finished the person could then record a regular demo while the psuedo-demo plays. Obsiidian used it for the apex showcase so he actually knows some of how it works, better than I do.
The only reason the thing on jump_above is being considered semilegit is because a perfect TAS wouldn't have that. My internal TAS has one and that isn't even close to a perfect run. But since we all know what a perfect TAS should basically look like that sort of issue shouldn't exist, and it's only in there to through off the chance of it being a TAS. It looks more human that way.
I don't know the full limitations of his plugin, but in theory more than 1 person could share a psuedo-demo and all those people could work on it together to work out any time losses, and even finish the run weeks before the deadline. In the principle of non-segmented non-TAS speedrunning, that would just be complete bullshit.
And all of that is assuming they used casual's plugin. It's possible someone else made their own version that does basically the same thing. No one knows for sure other than the guys behind it. What's much more likely though is that someone, who shouldn't have it, got the plugin and is now being a complete asshat.
The skylight run was done using casual's pluign not jsave.
On a slightly different note there was no POV demo for either of nico's runs (and I'm going to guess that there is no apex one either). So there is no way to see the tick by tick inputs from the player (that I know of).
OR this whole thing is just some guy no one has heard of that just showed up out of nowhere, and somehow knows how to record STV's but not POV's.
quick edit: I forgot to mention Jsave demos need to be chopped up a bunch and Casual plugin demos are smooth and look just like the videos. Which is why the skylight run had 1 single smooth demo.