IronEagle Competition 68: Cold Front

[Pegleg]

Welcome to another month of the IronEagle competition, the ironman challenge where everyone is welcome, regardless of your level of experience or skill (or, in my case, lack of skill, but I digress). As long as you enjoy playing Doom, come and join us!

 

This month, participants will challenge themselves against Cold Front, a 4-map limit-removing mapset for Doom 2 made by @Egg Boy and released in October 2020. Back in December 2019, I selected Whitemare, which was winter-themed. It seemed appropriate, given that December was the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. With Cold Front, I'm returning the favor for my friends and compatriots in the Southern Hemisphere, where winter is in full swing. Cold Front showcases Egyptian-style architecture, but in a snowy, icy setting complete with snow-covered fir trees. Other than that, the mission is quintessential Doom--stop the demons.

 

Participants must play these maps on complevel 2 or Doom(strict).

 

Download Cold Front here.

 

Post starts at Map 01. Survival is finishing Map 04. There are no secret maps, and Map 05 is a credits map.

 

Enjoy!

 

Congratulations to this month's winners (further details are in the post below).

 

UV: @SCF (Runner-up: @Asbadagba)

HMP: @LadyMistDragon (Runner-up: @xX_Lol6_Xx)

HNTR: @Andromeda (Runner-up: @ClumsyCryptid)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

• Template for PRBoom+:
  • -iwad doom2.wad -file cldfrnt.wad -complevel 2 -skill <x> -warp 01 -record <IEcoldfront>

 

• Template for ZDoom:
  • -iwad doom2.wad -file cldfrnt.wad +compatmode 2 -skill <x> +map map 01 -record <IEcoldfront>
    • it is possible you may have to use +set skill <x> for GZDoom

 

• <x> must be replaced by the skill level. 2 = HNTR, 3 = HMP, 4 = UV
• <IEcoldfront> would be replaced with whatever you decide to call your demo, if you're submitting a demo

 

 

Rules:

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.

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).

 

The following are allowed (but not required):

• Freelook
• Crosshair
• Mods that are COSMETIC ONLY

 

The following are NOT allowed:

• Crouching
• Jumping
• Mods that change ANY aspect of base gameplay, including (but not limited to) enemy behavior, enemy speed, player abilities, player speed, weapon damage, ammo, and enemy drops.

 

Further, more specific, rules are listed below:

Spoiler

 

• Submissions (except for streams, as described below) must include a demo.
  • 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, if present, do not have to be completed for a survival run. If they are completed, they are extra credit.

 

Any port is accepted provided it will actually run the mapset. There is no preference.
 

Spoiler

Of course, if you want to try a limit-removing/Boom map in Chocolate Doom, be my guest. However, be aware that your run may be over rather quickly. Don't say you weren't warned.

 

Category System:

• Category 1: Blind run.
  •  This explains itself. You have no knowledge of the wad and have not played/seen it before. I'm willing to be somewhat lenient with this Category.
    •   For example, if you die early in Map 01, and then decide to play again for your run, you can still call it Category 1.
• Category 2: Non-blind.
  •  If you have played the wad before and/or possess significant foreknowledge, your run is non-blind. Basically, anything that is not Category 1 is Category 2.

 

If you're unhappy with your blind run, feel free to record a new run, and submit that run instead. (Just don't submit your first run.) If you want to submit your first run, no matter how you perform, by all means, go ahead and do it. You shouldn't feel that you HAVE to submit a run you're dissatisfied with, just to preserve a "Category 1" status. If you want to go back and submit a second run, you're welcome to do so, but, at this time, it won't be counted.

 

 

Difficulty System:

You may submit a demo/stream for only one of HNTR, HMP, or UV. Choose only one, because subsequent submissions 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. Your first submission is what counts.

 

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

 

 

Submission:

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

• The category (1 or 2)
• The difficulty
• If you survived, your time
• If you didn't survive, the map where you died
• The time it took you to reach the map where you died
• Kill count upon death
• 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 (e.g., "The demon trap in Map 08 is rough"), please put it in a spoiler, so that people that want a completely blind experience won't be tipped off. If you're just putting in a general comment (e.g., "Pro tip: don't get hit"), then no need for a spoiler.

 

Attempting to max the maps is not necessary to win.
 

Ranking for this mapset will be determined by:

• Survival
• Time for survival
• Map of Death (in descending order: Map 04, Map 03, Map 02, Map 01)
• Time to reach map of death
• Kill count in the map of death

 

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

 

 

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. If you have to take a break, try to make it quick.

 

 

Happy Dooming!

 

 

 

Previous IronEagle Competitions

Spoiler

 

2018

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

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

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

 

 

2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

2020

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

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

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

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

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

20 (Jun.): Operation: Biowar (Winners -- UV: Veinen   HMP: Austinado   HNTR: Pegleg)

21 (Jul.): The Attraction of All Things Uncertain (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: seed   HNTR: Pegleg)

22 (Aug.): Fracture (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: Horus   HNTR: Pegleg)

23 (Sept.): Spectrum (Winners -- UV: golbeeze  HMP: Horus  HNTR: Pegleg)

24 (Oct.): Tyrant (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz  HMP: Horus  HNTR: Andromeda )

25 (Nov.): The Enigma Episode v. 2.0 (Winners -- UV: Crusader No Regret   HMP: n/a  HNTR: Andromeda)

26 (Dec.): Songs of the Damned & Drip Feed (Winners -- UV: Suitepee   HMP: Capellan  HNTR: Andromeda)

 

 

2021

27 (Jan.): The Classic Episode (Winners -- UV: Daerik   HMP: BoxY   HNTR: Horus)

28 (Feb.): Blinded by Fear & In Death's Embrace & By the Pain I See in Others (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Major Arlene)

29 (Mar.): Crimson Canyon (Winners -- UV: Veinen   HMP: Austinado   HNTR: Andromeda)

30 (Apr.): Infected Area (Winners -- UV: Maribo   HMP: Capellan   HNTR: Pegleg)

31 (May): Tangerine Nightmare (Winners -- UV: Yugiboy85   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Major Arlene)

32 (Jun.): The Parallel Dimension (Winners -- UV: head_cannon   HMP: Capellan   HNTR: Pegleg)

33 (Jul.): Mayan Mishap (Winners -- UV: Suitepee   HMP: Lol 6   HNTR: Pegleg)

34 (Aug.): Witness of Time (Winners -- UV: Maribo   HMP: Lol 6   HNTR: Major Arlene)

35 (Sept.): Data Center (Winners -- UV: MAN_WITH_GUN   HMP: Lol 6   HNTR: Major Arlene)

36 (Oct.): Dystopia 3 (Winners -- UV: dt_   HMP: Lol 6   HNTR: Major Arlene)

37 (Nov.): Ol' No Name (Winners -- UV: mhrz   HMP: Maribo   HNTR: Andromeda)

38 (Dec.): By the Pricking of My Thumbs... (Winners -- UV: Veinen   HMP: head_cannon   HNTR: Andromeda)

 

 

2022

39 (Jan.): The Talosian Incident (Winners -- UV: mhrz   HMP: PsychEyeball   HNTR: Major Arlene)

40 (Feb.): Apokalypsis (Winners -- UV: Maribo   HMP: Goofy_1966   HNTR: Andromeda)

41 (Mar.): Breach & Brigandine (Winners -- UV: SCF   HMP: head_cannon   HNTR: Major Arlene)

42 (Apr.): Nex Credo (Winners -- UV: mhrz   HMP: Crusader No Regret   HNTR: Andromeda)

43 (May): Ezekiel (Winners -- UV: dt_   HMP: LadyMistDragon   HNTR: Pegleg)

44 (Jun.): Elegy (Winners -- UV: mhrz   HMP:  SCF  HNTR: Andromeda)

45 (Jul.): Respawned: Back from Hell (Winners -- UV: dt_   HMP:  LadyMistDragon  HNTR: Andromeda)

46 (Aug.): Viscous Realms (Winners -- UV: dt_   HMP:  LadyMistDragon  HNTR: Andromeda)

47 (Sept.): PhobosDeimos Anomaly (Winners -- UV: Luleta   HMP:  Zhaojue  HNTR: Pegleg)

48 (Oct.): Eternally Yours (Winners -- UV: NaZa   HMP:  head_cannon  HNTR: Andromeda)

49 (Nov.): Foursite (Winners -- UV: Asbadagba   HMP:  xX_Lol6_Xx  HNTR: Andromeda)

50 (Dec.): Doom 2 (Winners -- UV: 4shockblast   HMP:  xX_Lol6_Xx  HNTR: NoisyVelvet)

 

 

2023

51 (Jan.): Monument (Winners -- UV: ginc   HMP: head_cannon   HNTR: Andromeda)

52 (Feb.): Into the Code (Winners -- UV: Asbadagba   HMP: xX_Lol 6_Xx   HNTR: Pegleg)

53 (Mar.): City of Doom (Winners -- UV: Asbadagba   HMP: head_cannon   HNTR: Andromeda)

54 (Apr.): Prototype (Winners -- UV: SCF   HMP: head_cannon   HNTR: Andromeda)

55 (May): MAYhem 2019 (Winners -- UV: joe-ilya   HMP: LadyMistDragon   HNTR: Horus)

56 (Jun.-Jul.): Adonis: Escape from Urania (Winners -- UV: ginc   HMP: LadyMistDragon   HNTR: Andromeda)

57 (Jul.-Aug.): The Abyss (Winners -- UV: Master Medi   HMP: xX_Lol 6_Xx   HNTR: Andromeda)

58 (Sept.): Enslavement (Winners -- UV: joe-ilya   HMP: LadyMistDragon   HNTR: Pegleg)

59 (Oct.): Escalation Titan (Winners -- UV: NaZa   HMP: head_cannon   HNTR: Andromeda)

60 (Nov.): Bad Idea (Winners -- UV: NaZa   HMP: LadyMistDragon   HNTR: Andromeda)

61 (Dec.): Grim Ripper (Winners -- UV: galileo31dos01   HMP: head_cannon   HNTR: Andromeda)

 

 

2024

62 (Jan.): ADoom (Winners -- UV: Asbadagba   HMP: head_cannon   HNTR: Andromeda)

63 (Feb.): Preacher (Winners -- UV: SCF   HMP: LadyMistDragon   HNTR: Andromeda)

64 (Mar.): Castle of Evil (Winners -- UV: Horus   HMP: head_Cannon   HNTR: SleepyVelvet)

65 (Apr.): Slith (Winners -- UV: SCF   HMP: LadyMistDragon   HNTR: Andromeda)

66 (May): Kmega1 (Winners -- UV: joe-ilya   HMP: LadyMistDragon   HNTR: Pegleg)

67 (Jun.): Post (Winners -- UV: galileo31dos01   HMP: LadyMistDragon   HNTR: Andromeda)

 

 

Edited August 12 by Pegleg : EDIT: Add monthly winners and runners up.

[Li'l devil]

Well, guess what happened, I died in the very beginning after two shotgunners dropped my health from 88 to 7. It's the same exact BS as was on Death Tormention III. And right after that, of course, an Ancient Aliens-esque trap pops up and I'm dead. Exactly the kind of stuff I expected from a well-known mapper. Wouldn't be well known if they didn't make really hard stuff, right? Do mappers these days make normal non-hot starts at all?

 

Cat 1, UV, 13/73 kills

 

lildevil_cldfrnt.zip

[Doomy__Doom]

Category: 1

Difficulty: UV

Died on: MAP02
Time: 7:49
Kills: 41/108

Demo: dwie_24-07_dd.zip

 

300% my fault, there's no reason to die where I did. Health situation caused me to stress over a possibility of high damage revball instead of focusing on what needed to be done.

[xX_Lol6_Xx]

Cat 1 on HMP, died on Map02 around 10:51. I really need to dust off those skills ;-)

All info in the text file as usual.

Zip: 1IE68_Lol6.zip

[Egg Boy]

16 hours ago, Li'l devil said:

Well, guess what happened, I died in the very beginning after two shotgunners dropped my health from 88 to 7. It's the same exact BS as was on Death Tormention III. And right after that, of course, an Ancient Aliens-esque trap pops up and I'm dead. Exactly the kind of stuff I expected from a well-known mapper. Wouldn't be well known if they didn't make really hard stuff, right? Do mappers these days make normal non-hot starts at all?

 

Cat 1, UV, 13/73 kills

 

lildevil_cldfrnt.zip

Glad you had fun

[Li'l devil]

>:(

[SCF]

Category: 2

Difficulty: UV

Survived in 13:26

 

DWIE_24-07_CLDFRNT_SCF.zip

 

Another prepared run, although thankfully this one took a lot less time than Preacher. Short, engaging WAD that's very doable once you know what to expect, but you don't get showered with health/armor so you can still get blown up by a surprise revenant missile. Or you can be like me and walk right into a hell knight's waiting arms on map 2.

 

Spoiler

I got disoriented at the end of map 2 because the archvile didn't teleport to where the red key is. Only time I've ever had that happen.

 

The scariest part is the imp/revenant arena in map 3, where you have very little time before the archvile joins the party. This was actually the first recorded run where I made it past that point. Thankfully map 4 is relatively easy.

 

[Pegleg]

@Egg Boy

Are you going to join us? Authors are always welcome to submit a run.

[Egg Boy]

5 hours ago, Pegleg said:

@Egg Boy

Are you going to join us? Authors are always welcome to submit a run.

sure I'll throw a prepared run in there since its kind of impossible to do a blind run haha

[Egg Boy]

IECLDFRNTEB.zip

 

Category: 2

Difficulty: UV

Died on: MAP04

 

Would fill out the other info but don't have time to watch it because I have to leave for work

 

Quickie, died in map04 to the archvile because I thought I killed him lol. Thought I would die on map03 to the blue key fight.

[LadyMistDragon]

Category: 1

Difficulty: HMP

Dead on Map 04 at 19:04 24/125

lmd_cldfront.zip

[Wolfgun Shootner]

Category 1, UV, dead on Map 01, after 3:49, 26/73 kills

 

Heroically berserk-punched out the hell knight on the staircase but then got stuck and the revenant killed me. 

Well well, I guess it's alright to die instantly in my first Ironeagle run, now it can only get better, right?!

coldfront_wolfgun.lmp.zip

[Suitepee]

https://youtu.be/b1wDy33-NJo

 

Category 1 run on UV (starts at about 25:25 into the video), died on map 2 to a Mancubi with 1/108 monsters killed.

 

Guess having a streaming break for three and a half weeks leaves one a bit out of Dooming practice.

[Andromeda]

Category: 1

Difficulty: HNTR

Survived in 33:13

 

My heart skipped a beat with the death at the end, fortunately it was a death exit :)

ie_andromeda_cldfrnt.zip

[Austinado]

Cat:1

Difficulty : UV

Dead Map 01: 72/73

 

 

Spoiler

Another shamefull run :(

 

 

 

Pressing Start on the video below, starts the run.

 

 

 

[Pegleg]

Category: 2

Difficulty: HNTR

Dead on: Map 02

Kills: 56/114

Time: 11:45

Time entered Map 02: 6:35

Port used: PrBoom v. 2.5.1.4

 

ie_pegleg_cldfrnt.zip

[dt_]

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wjametjcxe2dmza72vdoz/dtcfront.lmp?rlkey=3929ze3x0pn2d3vkltluxzzoz&amp;st=r2rxjkp9&amp;dl=1

 

Cat 1 dead m3

 

Great set of maps, either the difficulty spiked, or my skill tanked, or a combo of the two

[SleepyVelvet]

Category: 1

Difficulty: UV

Dead on Map 01

Time of Arrival: 0:00

Time of Death: 2:14

Kills: 26/73

Port: DSDA-Doom 0.27.2

Demo: noisy_CLDFRNT_ironman.zip

 

Cause of Death:

Got a little bold and aggro trying to suckerpunch the last remaining shotgunner.  It was not the last remaining shotgunner...

[Asbadagba]

cat 1 uv
survived in 22:13

 

ironeagle_2024_07_asbadagba.zip

[Horus]

Cat 2

Difficulty UV

Dead on Map 2

Time entered Map 2: 10:20

Kills: 30/108

 

Apparently the best way to dodge a revenant rocket is to walk right into it! xD

0horus_ironeagle_2024_07.zip

[ByRntStarOEI]

 

Haven't played this one, but from what I did, it seem good. May give it another shot one of these days. Rushed through it, so I didn't get very far. Ended up dying to two BS revenant missiles that made extremely tight 90/180 degree turns. I don't remember the original doom2 ones turning this tight, but it's something I've been noticing in modern source ports. More than likely is due to to my lack of skillz, I reckon...

 

Heh, actually looks like the same revenant got Horus, as well.

 

 

Cat 1

Difficulty UV

Died: MAP02 at 2:38

Total time: 10:10

Kills: 30/108

Edited July 30 by ByRntStarOEI

[head_cannon]

IEcoldfrontHMPhc.zip

Category: 2

Difficulty: HMP

Dead on MAP02 with 36 kills.

Spoiler

The Mancubi shot right through the pillar I was using as cover as if it was only a midtexture. I'm honestly impressed that both of them managed that fluke back-to-back.

 

The gameplay's a bit harsh, but the short levels & wonderful visual and audio choices are the spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down. As "linear series of setpieces" WADs go, this one's got a lot of character in its nastiness, and is worth subjecting oneself to.

Spoiler

I especially appreciate the theatricality of when you finally escape the chaos and insanity of the final map's escalation: How the slow elevator ride down and the eerie silence in the ornate underground burial chamber has you tensed up, worrying about a FINAL final battle, and then that tension is broken by the bittersweet revelation that your victory means entombment as the honored dead.

 

[Pegleg]

joe-ilya posted a run to the Ironman discord. Yes, he posted the run on July 27, but I'm just now getting around to posting it here.

 

Here are the details (and demo), for those who have not joined the Ironman Discord server.

 

Category: 2

Difficulty: UV

Dead on: Map 03

Time of death: 17:30

Kills: 71/153

Time entering Map 03: 7:30

Port: DSDA-Doom 0.27.5

 

cldfrntIRONEAGLEjoe.zip

[Pegleg]

On 7/6/2024 at 4:14 PM, Wolfgun Shootner said:

Well well, I guess it's alright to die instantly in my first Ironeagle run, now it can only get better, right?!

 

Welcome to IronEagle. I hope you decide to come back during the months to come. I try to make the IronEagle more relaxed than the Doomworld Ironman League, but there are times when I am less than successful with that goal.

 

As for not performing as well as you would have hoped for, don't worry, it happens sometimes. There have been plenty of times (in both ironman events) where someone performs very well one month followed by a month where they perform less well. In fact, I choose the mapsets for IronEagle and play on my preferred difficulty level, and still there have been many instances where I do not get very far. So don't worry, we're all friends here.

 

 

On 7/4/2024 at 8:51 AM, Li'l devil said:

Well, guess what happened, I died in the very beginning after two shotgunners dropped my health from 88 to 7.

 

I feel your pain because I've had similar experiences. Max damage is a fairly rare thing, but it always seems to happen during ironman runs that I get hit by zombie men for 15% damage and shotgunners for 39 or 40%. And that is a surefire way to ruin your run. But, if that happens, feel free to replay it and submit that run instead. As I say in the OP, there's nothing that says you have to post your first run.

[Pegleg]

@ClumsyCryptid posted a run to the Ironman discord. Yes, the run was posted the run on July 31, but I'm just now getting around to posting it here.

 

Here are the details (and demo), for those who have not joined the Ironman Discord server.

 

Category: 2

Difficulty: HNTR

Dead on: Map 04

Time of death: 13:55

Kills: 67/89

Time entering Map 04: 11:06

Port: DSDA-Doom

 

IEColdFrontClumsy.zip

[Pegleg]

Here we are, about 10 days behind schedule, but we're here all the same.

 

Thank you to everyone who came out to challenge themselves against Cold Front. I hope to see everyone back in August for the next installment.

 

Without further ado, here are the final standings for IronEagle 68.

 

UV

1. SCF (Survived)
2. Asbadagba (Survived)
3. Egg Boy (Map 04)
4. joe-ilya (Map 03)
5. dt_ (Map 03)
6. Doomy__Doom (Map 02)
7. ByRntStarOEI (Map 02)
8. Horus (Map 02)
9. Suitepee (Map 02)
10. Austinado (Map 01)
11. Sleepy Velvet (Map 01)
12. Wolfgun Shootner (Map 01)
13. Li'l devil (Map 01)

 

HMP

1. LadyMistDragon (Map 04)
2. xX_Lol 6_Xx (Map 02)
3. head_cannon (Map 02)

 

HNTR

1. Andromeda (Survived)
2. ClumsyCryptid (Map 04)
3. Pegleg (Map 02)