IronEagle Competition 20: Operation: Biowar

[Pegleg]

We're now a few days into June, but that only means that we're past time for the latest edition of the IronEagle competition, the ironman challenge where everyone is welcome to come as they are. Just to be clear, streams/Twitch VODs/etc. are allowed in lieu of demos, if you want to do that. If you want to stream, you're welcome to join the party. If you don't want to stream, that's fine, too.

 

This month we're going to turn to a well-regarded set from the last millenium. This month, competitors will challenge themselves against Operation: Biowar.

 

This vanilla-compatible mapset from 1999 was created by Chris Harbin, and he was assisted by Paul Corfiatis (AKA our very own @pcorf) and John Bishop. These three authors have contributed a number of solo and community projects to the community, and with this mapset they set out to make a series of relatively fast-paced, action-packed maps that tell a story of betrayal and revenge. In Operation: Biowar (or Biowar, as it is also known), the UAC has made a deal with a high-level demon, trading the souls of all the UAC employees for an unlimited supply of demonic weapons. The original Doomguy was killed when the main base was destroyed, leaving you as the only one alive able to avenge the deaths of your fellow soldiers. You travel through the UAC base, to a snowy mountain range and finally into a Hellish void to confront the evil demon with whom the UAC made their deal.

 

Operation: Biowar begins at Map 01. Survival is completion of Map 18. There is a non-essential secret map, which is accessed from Map 15.

 

Note: It is possible to die at the very end, after you have killed the final demon. In this case, the level will still end, the final tally will still come up, and that would still be considered a survival. It is also possible to still be breathing when that happens, but that will not have any effect on ranking. Alive or dead, a survival is a survival.

 

 

The winners for IronEagle #20 are (further details in the post below):

UV: Veinen

HMP: Austinado

HNTR: Pegleg

 

 

The rules are basically the same as they have been. Either demos or streams are permissible. If you are creating a demo, post the demo. If you are streaming, post a video of the stream. Even if streaming, you can still submit a demo, if you want to.

  

Rules:

The basic rule is that you submit a demo/stream played at a particular difficulty level (HNTR, HMP, or UV) and you play without saving and reloading, ending your run when you die (or survive). Further rules are below.
 

Spoiler

 

• Submissions (except for streams, as described below) must include a demo from one of the listed acceptable ports. The first actual attempt must be submitted, there are no do-overs (with very few possible exceptions, which I will address as they arise).
• You may practice a mapset if you want, but these practice runs should not be submitted as your official entry, and your run would be Category 2, unless there are exceptional circumstances (such as described below).
• A run must be done in a singular sitting with no saves. (With room for breaks. This will be addressed below.)
• Streams and video runs are accepted provided you post a video of the stream/run or a link to the video.
• If you post a video of the stream, you may post a demo if you want, but it is not mandatory. You may also post a demo if you, for some reason, do not want to post the video or a link.
• Secret levels are treated as extra credit.
• Freelook is allowed. Jumping and crouching must be disabled.

 

 

 

Accepted Ports (any of these are acceptable provided they will actually run the mapset; there is no preference):

• Chocolate
• Crispy
• PrBoom+
• GLBoom+
• Eternity
• ZDoom
• GZDoom

 

 

Category System:

Category 1: Blind run.

This explains itself. You have no knowledge of the wad and have not played/seen it before.

Category 2: Non-blind.

If you have played the wad before and/or possess any foreknowledge, your run is non-blind. Basically, anything that is not Category 1 is Category 2.

 

I'm happy to be lenient on determining the category of a run, to a degree.

If, during practice, you die in the first 10 seconds of the first map and you see virtually none of the mapset except some part of the first few rooms, I'm happy to say that the playthrough you submit as your run was Category 1.

If, during practice, you die 10 seconds into Map 02 and then and go on to survive the mapset, something like that would still be Category 2.

If, at some point in the past, you watched a random stream of part of a random level and you never reach that level during your playthrough, you may submit your run as Category 1.

If, at some point in the past, you watched a stream of a level and you reach that level during your playthrough (whether you survive that level or die), such a run would be Category 2.

 

 

Difficulty System:

You may submit a demo/stream for only one of HNTR, HMP, or UV. Choose only one, because subsequent submittals will be rejected (i.e., if you submit a HMP demo, the HNTR demo you then submit will be rejected). We're not using the 1CC rule set here.

 

Only runs from the same difficulty will be pitted against each other. Each difficulty will be graded separately.

 

 

When you submit your run, please the include the following information:

The category (1 or 2)

The difficulty

What map you died on (if you survived, just say so)

The time elapsed when you survived/died (even if it's only approximate)

How many kills you had on the map you died on

The port you used (if you included a demo)

A link to the stream/video (if you did a stream)

 

You may include a commentary about the maps or details about them, if you want to. If you do include specific information about the map, please put it in a spoiler, so that people that want a completely blind experience won't be tipped off. In other words, put the text in a spoiler if you say something like:

 

"I thought the demon rush would do me in on Map X, but it ended up being the circle of hitscanners on Map Y that got me."

"I thought I would be able to avoid the rockets from the turreted revenants on Map A, but then the archviles teleported in, and that was the end of my run."

"Had I pressed the right switch instead of the left switch, I would've gotten the secret BFG, and probably survived Map Z."

 

Don't worry about putting it in a spoiler if you say something like one of the following:

 

"This was a good mapset. The texturing was spot on and the encounters were well-designed."

"Protip: You survive longer if you don't get shot."

"This is a great example of being good at Doom."

 

 

Breaks:

Everyone gets tired. Sometimes people survive longer than they expected. Nature calls. Every now and then, there are family emergencies. Needing to take a break shouldn't necessarily end a promising run. While you should try to complete the run in a single setting, this isn't always possible. However, there are some general ground rules:

 

Spoiler

 

• You are free to take a quick break when needed. Note the emphasis on "quick."
  • Try to keep the breaks as short as possible.
    • Intermission screens, if applicable, are the best time to do this. Multiple demos cannot be accepted, barring exceptional circumstances.
• An example of an acceptable circumstance would be that you can only record/stream for a certain amount of time, so you are forced to split up long demos/streams.
• You may split up demos at death exits. If you reset the map before going to the tally screen on a death exit, you must either end your run there or play the map again.
  • If you die going back around, your survival of that map will count, but your run will end there.

 

 

Attempting to max the maps is not necessary to win.

 

Ranking for this mapset will be determined by:

• Survival (+1 for completing the secret map)
• Total time for survival
• The map on which you died
• Total time elapsed upon death
• Kill count on the map you died

 

All mods used during play must be merely cosmetic.

If you die, please wait a few seconds before quitting.

 

If you don't know how to record demos and don't want to stream, I recommend getting a launcher (such as the ZDL launcher), which may make your life easier (at least, when it comes to recording demos). Once you have the launcher set up to find your IWAD's and ports, you can use the field at the bottom entitled "command line parameters" to record your demo with ease.

 

Template for Chocolate:
 

Spoiler

 

-iwad doom -file biowar.wad -complevel 2 -skill <x> -warp 01 -record <IEbiowar>

Chocolate could also use -merge instead of -file

 

 

Template for Crispy:

Spoiler

-iwad doom -file biowar.wad -complevel 2 -skill <x> -warp 01 -record <IEbiowar>

 

Template for PRBoom+:

Spoiler

-iwad doom2.wad -file biowar.wad -complevel 2 -skill <x> -warp 01 -record <IEbiowar>

 

Template for ZDoom:

Spoiler

-iwad doom2.wad -file biowar.wad +compatmode 6 -skill <x> +map map01 -record <IEbiowar>

 

For the command lines, x = 2 for HNTR, x = 3 for HMP, and x = 4 for UV. Also IEbiowar would be replaced by whatever the name of your demo is.

Obviously, remove the angled brackets.

 

Using a launcer, such as the ZDL launcher, will allow you to select your skill directly and skip the wad selection and warp by immediately starting you in MAP01 on launch.

This wad uses complevel 2 or Doom (strict).

 

When recording in ZDoom, double check your compatibility settings. When the compatibility is set from the cmdline, it doesn't always stick, so open the port in an IWAD map and make sure to set it to Doom (strict) to be sure the compatibility settings are correct. ZDoom will remember the settings next time you start it.

 

Happy Dooming!

 

 

 

Previous IronEagle Competitions

 

2018

Scientist 2 (Winners -- UV: leodoom85   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Liberation)

Vanguard (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Liberation)

Crumpets (Winners -- UV: NoisyVelvet   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Pegleg)

 

2019

Dark Covenant (Winners -- UV: kmc   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Pegleg)

Brood of Hatred (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: Crusader No Regret   HNTR: Pegleg)

Riot Control (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: Walter Confetti   HNTR: Pegleg)

Scimitar (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: Crusader No Regret   HNTR: Pegleg)

Bauhaus (Winners -- UV: vdgg   HMP: Crusader No Regret   HNTR: Pegleg)

Bloody Steel (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Pegleg)

The Brotherhood of Ruin (Winners -- UV: leodoom85   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Pegleg)

Flashback to Hell (Winners -- UV: kmc/Bdubzzz   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Pegleg)

A Taste for Blood (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Pegleg)

Back to Basics (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: Horus   HNTR: Pegleg)

Whitemare (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz & NaZa   HMP: Crusader No Regret   HNTR: Pegleg)

 

2020

Thy Flesh Turned into a Draft-Excluder (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Pegleg)

Fava Beans (Winners -- UV: NaZa   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Pegleg)

Beyond Revival (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Pegleg)

Absolute Dishonor (Winners -- UV: Veinen   HMP: Crusader No Regret   HNTR: kalaeth)

Ever Shrine (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: Dieting Hippo   HNTR: Pegleg)

Edited July 9, 2020 by Pegleg : Winners added.

[Dieting Hippo]

I came at this on Hurt Me Plenty and made some good distance! Got all the way up to MAP09 before my hubris caught up to me.

 

Spoiler

Category I - PRBoom+

Difficulty: HMP

Died: MAP09
M: 32/99

S: 0/11
I: 4/29

Time: 00:02:41

Total: 01:09:53

 

Cause of death:

I could hear those Revenants through the walls, but I couldn't hear the death pit around 'em. Fell in and just barely missed the teleporter out of there.

 

dhippo_IEbiowar_HMP_prbp.zip

[NaZa]

See above

 

naza_ironeagle20.zip

[Horus]

My IronEagle curse continues

 

Dead on map 02, Category 1, 9/36 monsters killed (UV)

0_ironeagle_horus.zip

 

EDIT: I played this mapset on HMP afterwards, and lasted until way later in the set and thus generally enjoyed myself more (the later maps were pretty good). HMP it is from next month for me

Edited June 6, 2020 by Horus

[Veinen]

I stumbled through this blindly on UV in 1:42:59 but I missed the secret map. Pretty cool set, I wonder why I haven't checked this out earlier.

 

Spoiler

My intention was to go look for the secret exit but the ending of map15 is so sudden...

 

Edit: played with glboom+

 

DWIE_Biowar_Veinen_10259.zip

[Bdubzzz]

Category 1, although im pretty sure ive seen the maps in random demos on the Twitch DSD channel or on Twitch in general, still wouldn't remember much from them though.

 

Dead on Map 13.. well took a big risk deciding to run past a bunch of monsters (hitscan included not that I knew there would also be hitscan) and ended up killing me in the long run. Think i was around the 55 minute mark or so.

 

IE-biowar-Dubz.zip

[I_Punch_Demons]

This was fun and I really liked this wad. I made a dumb risky move and block mapping punished me when I attempted to kill the spider mastermind. Done on GLBoom+

Category 1 HMP:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/644782390

Side note the timer isn't for speedrunning, in this case, its to help me scrub through to tell me how long until the beginning or end of the run. 

[Austinado]

Well the run was going on and well...i was having some fun...but got stuck on map14. I did not died...i just gave up.

 

Sector of the red key...wtf was i supose to do there? I find it very weird really...and if somebody watches de video, i think i have tried everything..right? Maybe @Horus can give me an answer to this...

 

 - Category 1 HMP

- GZDOOM

 

STARTS AT 16:01

ISSUE AND GAVE UP FROM  2:18:24

 

https://youtu.be/DOSxX1_0Jm0?t=962

 

 

[Horus]

@Austinado I don't remember specifically what I did on map 14 but I kept the demo I recorded on HMP so I sent it to you via PM, hopefully it helps

[SleepyVelvet]

I got stuck on Map05 and just couldn't find my way. out of the map.

noisy_biowar.zip

Category 1

[golbeeze]

I really liked this wad when I played it a few months ago. I may try this challenge as prepared.

[Crusader No Regret]

Anything I submit would be a category 2.  I'm familiar with this set having gone all the way through in the past and there may be nostalgia goggles involved too.  Since the category would be the same regardless of how much I prepared, did some scouting and some practice attempts, including one full one with saves at the start of maps.  Route planned out, I set out for a full UV survival.

 

  Aimed for the stars, shot down on map 13.  I had the last key and was trying to escape with it.  Saw the shotgunner that killed me and was taking aim at it but it was quicker on the draw.  My marine's corpse was so full of slugs just on this map by the end, it would have set off metal detectors.

 

PrBoom+ 2.5.1.4  -complevel 2  I included commentary in a text file for those who like to look at that sort of thing.  May post a completion out of wounded pride but if I do, it will be on the last day of the month and not intended for ranking.

ironeagle_biowar_cnr.zip

[Pegleg]

Dead on Map 17.

Difficulty: HNTR

Category: 2

Kills: 57/73

Time: 2:59:17

Played on: PrBoom+ 2.5.1.4

 

ie_pegleg_biowar.zip

 

The penultimate level!

 

I had some very dicey moments on Map 13, Map 15, and Map 16 before some ill-timed rockets finally did me in. Oh well. Such are the joys and the sorrows of ironman runs.

[Pegleg]

On 6/9/2020 at 2:52 AM, Austinado said:

but got stuck on map14. I did not died...i just gave up.

 

Sector of the red key...wtf was i supose to do there? I find it very weird really

 

I saw parts of your stream, including the end. That was unfortunate to get stuck like that. I figured out what led you to that end and, sorry to say, there was nothing you could have done in your position.

 

This is what you needed to do:

 

Spoiler

In the room with the four demons that overlooks the red key area, there is a switch on the left side in front of the window. When you press that switch, the pillar with the red key lowers and you can get the key. If you don't press that switch, you're soft-locked inside the red key arena because there is no other way to lower the red key pillar and there is no way to get back to that room.

 

[seed]

Dead on MAP07 after a stupid BFG misfire.

 

sdumb.zip

[Suitepee]

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/651978456

 

Category 1 run on UV, died on map 9. (starts 2 hours in)

[Pegleg]

On 6/9/2020 at 9:34 PM, golbeeze said:

I really liked this wad when I played it a few months ago. I may try this challenge as prepared.

 

Have you had a chance to do your run?

[golbeeze]

Aw crap. I forgot all about this. I might be able to record tonight. Otherwise I missed my chance. : (

EDIT:
AHAHAHAHA, the hitscanners were real this time. They missed a grand total of 6 shots. There are about 10 zombiemen and 6 shotgunners. I tried again and they hit for a grand total of 1 time. Oh well.

Map 01! Hurray! Here is the 1 minute long "run" on UV.

 

Edited June 30, 2020 by golbeeze

[Suitepee]

Is there going to be an Ironeagle #21?

[Pegleg]

14 hours ago, Suitepee said:

Is there going to be an Ironeagle #21?

 

Yes, there will be an IronEagle #21. The beginning of this month has been hectic, but I will have the thread for #21 up in the next couple of days.

[Pegleg]

Thank you to everyone who participated in IronEagle #20, and challenged the demons in Operation: Biowar! We had good participation for this month, with the ranks of the HMP participants growing, too. Hopefully, everyone will return in July for IronEagle #21, and bring your friends along for the ride.

 

Without further ado, here are the results from this month's competition.

 

UV

1. Veinen (Survived)

2. Bdubzzz (Map 13)

3. Crusader No Regret (Map 13)

4. NaZa (Map 09)

5. Suitepee (Map 09)

6. seed (Map 07)

7. NoisyVelvet (Map 06)

8. Horus (Map 02)

9. golbeeze (Map 01)

 

HMP

1. Austinado (Map 14)

2. Dieting Hippo (Map 09)

3. I_Punch_Demons (Map 07)

 

HNTR

1. Pegleg (Map 17)

[Austinado]

I did not noticed i won in IronEagle #20 HMP! Noice :D

Edited July 29, 2020 by Austinado