Table of Contents
A Force Skip uses an instant-use item or Force power to cancel a conversation or cutscene. This is usually used to cancel conversations that begin when you first enter an area, but can also be combined with a save buffer to create a Soft Buffer.
To perform a Force Skip, just use the hotkey for Friendly Force Power (default: 4) to use a Force power at the same time the conversation starts. The Force power will be used but the conversation will not start, and you will be able to continue and move normally.
The Force power used must activate instantly, at the beginning of its animation. Force Speed or Force Valor are examples that work, while Heal would not work. In practice, Force Speed is almost always used, since that is the default Force power for the speedrun routes when entering a new area.
Force Skips can also be performed with instant-use items such as the Sonic Emitter, but in current routes Force powers are always available and easier to use.
Finally, not all triggers are skippable using a Force Skip, even if they occur upon loading into an area. Examples of these non-skippable triggers include the cutscene on entering the Command Center on Star Forge.
A Soft Buffer is really just an easy way to time a Force Skip. The save buffer enters the cutscene trigger and delays it, so that the Force Skip can skip the trigger immediately after the buffer.
See the guide on Soft Buffer for more information.
The main use for Force Skips is to skip conversations happening immediately after a module loads. This is because the window for using the Force power is very small, so it is easiest to time when coming out of a load.
Triggers that can be skipped using a Force Skip (without also using a save buffer) include:
However, in theory, any trigger that can be skipped using a Soft Buffer can also be skipped with a Force Skip if it is timed for the same frame that you enter the trigger.