New Doom 2 Speedrun Record

[Linguica]

In speedrunning circles, few accomplishments are more prestigious than owning the world record for fastest speedrun of a whole game. As Doom inspired the very first online speedrunning community, any Doom speedrunner who can claim such a record must find it doubly so. The Doom 2 speedrunning record fell in dribs and drabs over many years, first dipping below 30 minutes in 1999, to below 29 minutes in 2001, to sub-27 in 2003. A record of 26:09 was set by Radek Pecka in late 2003, and stood unbroken for seven years, before being smashed by Looper in 2010, who dropped the record all the way down to 23:25. Now, after four years, relative newcomer Zero-Master has broken the record with a new single-segment Doom 2 UV speedrun in 23:03. Could sub-23 be far away? Just how much more improvement can be wrung out of the routes? Only time will tell.

A download link for the demo can be found on the COMPET-N website, and discussion of it can be found on the Doomworld forums. Zero-Master has also uploaded a Youtube video of the demo, for those who feel like using a few orders of magnitude more bandwidth to see the action.

[Koko Ricky]

I was just watching the vid and it's really impressive. Lots of cool moves that exploit the game and some really nice near-misses with low health.

[jmickle66666666]

Impressive stuff, especially beating Looper's record. Seems like there are a lot of execution problems still, i always took it for granted that the doom 2 record was super optimized. Sub-23 surely can't be far away at all.

[princetontiger]

What is a vanilla doom speed record?

I notice many jumps and shortcuts... So yes, it will be likely someone can do this in sub-23... However, I'm not sure it can get much lower.

[Ossi]

Impressive. It's fast but there's still some slight perfecting to be done so sub 23 definitely has to get broken one day.

[jmickle66666666]

I heard looper's gonna go at it again. If someone were to perfect it (out of the current speedrunners I know of) Looper's the person to do it.

[Cupboard]

Goosebump factory. Great way to spend my lunch break.
edit: geez that was a close call on map13

[Pirx]

nice movement, smooth and controlled. could have been easily sub 23.

[Creaphis]

Good day to log in. I'll have to watch Looper's run again to see if I can spot the changes.

[Linguica]

IT'S BLOWIN' UP THE CHARTS
http://www.polygon.com/2014/11/18/7241769/doom-2-speedrun
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-11-18-doom-2-ultra-violence-speedrun-sets-new-record
http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/11/19/speedrunner-smashes-doom-2-world-record
http://kotaku.com/new-doom-2-speedrun-record-beats-old-one-by-22-seconds-1660541722
http://www.pcgamer.com/doom-2-speed-run-sweeps-through-ultra-violence-mode-in-23-minutes/
http://www.dailydot.com/esports/doom-2-speedrun/
http://digg.com/video/a-dizzying-new-speedrun-record-for-doom-2-hell-on-earth

[Stupid Bunny]

This was indeed incredible to watch. There are so many things that could've gone wrong that just didn't, and the amount of control the player had was amazing, notwithstanding his even more mindfucking knowledge of all these maps. I had never even heard of the locked door wizardry he pulled with the archvile on MAP27, so I was totally baffled by that part. There are definitely moments for even greater perfection and very good fortune that could get the time down even faster, but it's gonna be a tough one to beat.

[ZeroMaster010]

Thanks for getting the demo\video out there Linguica!

Since there's been some comments on things that can be improved, I'll mention some of the biggest time losses here:

On map 3 I lose 13 seconds to 30uv2325, reason is because I grab plasma ammo + RL and I don't do the blue key skip and also overall bad play. In the future I will probably try to copy Looper here and perhaps go for the RL on map 7, which would be a more aggressive route, but can save a lot of time for me.

Map 6, 10, 13 and 29: I lose around 5 seconds each, hard maps to match 30uv2325.

Map 22, the glide is kind of RNG based, though I also kind of did it poorly in this demo. I expect the glide to take 5 seconds, but it's also possible to get the glide instantly, so I lost 10-15 seconds here.

Map 24 is obvious one, in the future I will do a wallrun over to the exit. That is, I go through teleporter, turn left and take a step backwards and just run straight over to the other side and exit the map. I lose just above 15 seconds on this map. From looking over the demo I am quite certain I would have died had I gone for the wallrun, since it seems like there was a lost soul in the way, this can happen but not very often.

Map 30, I failed 1 cycle and lost around 12-13 seconds.

Then there is a lot of smaller stuff of course that cost a lot of time throughout the demo. Like it's possible to get at least 15 seconds on map 27, but I would be very happy if I could get 23 seconds everytime. I have lost 3-4 runs that could\would have been a record on this map (once I died and 2-3 other times I got 40+ seconds).

As for different route compared to 30uv2325 it should be map 2,3 19, 22 and 26 that are different. As I've mentioned I will do map 3 differently in future attempts, the rest are glides except map 26 where I wallrun on a lost soul in order to jump across to the yellow key.

[Fredrik]

Linguica said:

IT'S BLOWIN' UP THE CHARTS http://www.polygon.com/2014/11/18/7241769/doom-2-speedrun

Excellent journalism: "Doom 2 was the first game that timed players as they finished levels"

Anyway, amazing stuff!

[Walter confetti]

what's that rocket launcher on map14 and arch-vile exit door bug on map28 trick? I'll discover that now!

[dew]

Fredrik said:

Excellent journalism: "Doom 2 was the first game that timed players as they finished levels"

It's polygon, so wrong statements everywhere are to be expected. On the upside, it's readable to Doomers without leaking blood through eyes and ears! A shame that Red Door Blue Key blog he cites uses links to the false wiki. :/

[Linguica]

From watching, these are the major differences I noticed from 30uv2325:

* Map02 red key skip glide
* MAP03 DIDN'T do blue key jump
* Map12 DIDN'T do yellow key grab through wall
* Map13 blue key grab through door
* Map19 one-key exit glide
* Map22 blue key bars glide
* Map26 yellow key jump

I also noticed a few things from watching 30uv2325 again: Looper's bad luck on Map30 (three cycles lol), and the fact that he didn't seem to know you could mitigate archvile blast damage at the end of Map28 by keeping the little pillar right in front of you. Is that a relatively recent discovery?

[dew]

Linguica said:

the fact that he didn't seem to know you could mitigate archvile blast damage at the end of Map28 by keeping the little pillar right in front of you. Is that a relatively recent discovery?

Pro Doom Monster Strats, chapter 5, 3:39

[Pirx]

walter confalonieri said:

what's that rocket launcher on map14 and arch-vile exit door bug on map28 trick? I'll discover that now!

did he get the archvile to open that door for him? clever. what if the vile just stood there and blew him up, and this on map28...

[dew]

Pirx said:

did he get the archvile to open that door for him? clever. what if the vile just stood there and blew him up, and this on map28...

It's map27. It happens and it sucks. You destroy an object of emotional value and start a new run.

[40oz]

This is news I like to see!

Congratulations ZeroMaster!

[Jaws In Space]

For those wondering how the Arch-Vile opened the door on map 27

http://doomwiki.org/wiki/Monsters_open_locked_doors

[Linguica]

I was looking at the old COMPET-N list of tricks and found these tidbit:

MAP13: blue key grab
Created, first and fastest by:
Adam Hegyi
lv13-107 (02/05/2000)
Skills needed:
very precise strafe50 skills
Difficulty:
the hardest keygrab there is
Description:
A keygrab which save 4 seconds, roughly. Using this, it was possible to beat Daniel's lv13-109 recording, but unfortunately it's very very hard (and strafe50 only). It's unlikely this trick will ever be used widely (in episode runs, definitely not).

MAP14: rocket jump
Created by:
Jonathan Rimmer
lv14rock (06/02/2000)
Fastest demo by:
Adam Hegyi
lv14-025 (22/12/2000)
Skills needed:
Ability to morph into Jonathan Rimmer :)
Difficulty:
extreme toughness
Description:
Another great and very hard rocketjump from the master himself. Could save a few seconds in an episode run, but it's too hard to try. From scratch, it needs a rocket launcher and a soulsphere, so it's not even faster. Great entertainment value, though.

Guess that's incorrect nowadays :P

[Linguica]

Also smile Zero-Master you're on TV... sorta...

http://www.ign.com/videos/2014/11/19/this-person-just-beat-the-doom-2-speedrun-world-record-ign-news

[ZeroMaster010]

God damn, didn't expect all of this, 80.000 views on YT already.

Also pretty much what dew said, I think it was my 3rd time reaching map 27 when the arch vile attacked 6 times in a row before actually moving a significant distance. At least I haven't had him walk into the teleporter yet.

I would assume the keygrab on map 13 was considered hard because there was no known setup for it. As in, now we just use the light post and keep it in the corner of the screen and use SR50. At least failing SR50 here doesn't end the run like map 24.

I guess I should get working on a better time instead of trying out anything new.

Edit: I also noticed IGN for example linked this thread, if anyone wants to know more about the run I would recommend downloading the zip file with the demo, there is also a .txt file with some comments on each map.

[skogsto09]

ZeroMaster010 said:

God damn, didn't expect all of this, 80.000 views on YT already.

Also pretty much what dew said, I think it was my 3rd time reaching map 27 when the arch vile attacked 6 times in a row before actually moving a significant distance. At least I haven't had him walk into the teleporter yet.

I would assume the keygrab on map 13 was considered hard because there was no known setup for it. As in, now we just use the light post and keep it in the corner of the screen and use SR50. At least failing SR50 here doesn't end the run like map 24.

I guess I should get working on a better time instead of trying out anything new.

Edit: I also noticed IGN for example linked this thread, if anyone wants to know more about the run I would recommend downloading the zip file with the demo, there is also a .txt file with some comments on each map.

Congrats on your amazing run !! there will always be bits and things going wrong - but you got to implement the kind of tricks that has always considered an option in singel level runs only.

It truly takes someone special to even do half of them in a row.

I have to admit that I didn't even know about the map19 exit glide:)

There is no way I could get the rocketjumps in map7 and 14, let alone the glides in 16 and 19 all successfull like this in one run.

Not counting all the other trick jumps you have to do, they are alot harder than you make them look to be :)

The archie trick in map27 I have always found too unreliable done the way you do, props for having the nerve and take the risk like you did.

With time I think you will be more and more satisfied with the run itself, its just when its fresh the annoying little things like 4secs short of 22:59 and so on hurts the most :)

Great to see an achivemement like this get some worthy attention and promotion.

[ZeroMaster010]

Wow, Henning himself :D Thanks a lot for the comments!

I hope to get an even better run in the future, as I'm no longer trying to beat a specific time and just set the best time possible I will try to include blue key skip on map 3 and wallrun on map 24. I just can't leave it 4 seconds away from breaking that 23 minute mark. Though that might take its time.

I wouldn't imagine the map 19 glide be very usefull in nightmare runs, since the spectres would most likely push you off :) But yeah, for UV runs it works great, even though I did a poor execution of that glide (way to slow), you could even hear the spectre attack as I went through, sometimes he stand directly behind me and doesn't push me, but more often than not the run is over if he hits you from the side.

At this point there is no choice but to do the rocket jumps and arch vile trick, well, for UV that is. I wonder how the success rate for these tricks would be on NM, the nerves can cause me to push W a few milliseconds too early on map 24 on UV which would mean run over, but I can't imagine the work needed to even get a run going to map 7 on NM.

Your NM runs will always be some of the most impressive things I have ever seen, I've always loved really difficult games, but even for me NM is just too much. though I hope to enjoy some playthroughs on nightmare some day soon, I wonder how many saves I will need :)

Thanks again Henning!

[skogsto09]

ZeroMaster010 said:

Wow, Henning himself :D Thanks a lot for the comments!

I hope to get an even better run in the future, as I'm no longer trying to beat a specific time and just set the best time possible I will try to include blue key skip on map 3 and wallrun on map 24. I just can't leave it 4 seconds away from breaking that 23 minute mark. Though that might take its time.

I wouldn't imagine the map 19 glide be very usefull in nightmare runs, since the spectres would most likely push you off :) But yeah, for UV runs it works great, even though I did a poor execution of that glide (way to slow), you could even hear the spectre attack as I went through, sometimes he stand directly behind me and doesn't push me, but more often than not the run is over if he hits you from the side.

At this point there is no choice but to do the rocket jumps and arch vile trick, well, for UV that is. I wonder how the success rate for these tricks would be on NM, the nerves can cause me to push W a few milliseconds too early on map 24 on UV which would mean run over, but I can't imagine the work needed to even get a run going to map 7 on NM.

Your NM runs will always be some of the most impressive things I have ever seen, I've always loved really difficult games, but even for me NM is just too much. though I hope to enjoy some playthroughs on nightmare some day soon, I wonder how many saves I will need :)

Thanks again Henning!

I don`t think one should have pre-decided all the tricks\routes\strategies. I think it should be an ongoing evaluation as the run progresses.

Say you have a poor map02 time and loose 4-5sec`s to your average time. Then I would say you should risk skipping blue key in map03 and do the rising bridge jump.

I would focus on consistantly going for the rising bridge jump espessialy on UV, as it saves health\time usualy. A flawless run on NM with just the rising bridge jump clocks in at 33-34secs in map03.
On NM we do not skip blue key.

You should have no problem making a habit of landing the bridge jump I think :)

As for map24 - I remember some +10years ago when that wallrun trick
was discovered and I tried for 3days doing it in a speedrun and
got it so rare that I eventually had to give it up. I think here
just to start running the ledges flawlessly right after the bfg kills most of the souls would be a better choice. That would save
10-15sec at least over your time here.

As for map19 - you`re right, sometimes it`s not enough time to open
the bars the normal way without getting bit on NM :)

As for map27 and the archie trick. Doing it the NM way is pretty
consistant and normaly you get a time around 32secs here on NM.
Again if I had a sub optimal run up until that point I would definitely go for the most risky execution of the trick like you did.

However I would choose the safe way of doing the trick if I was
considrably ahead in time at that point.

Lastly thanks for your kind comments on my NM runs :-)
NM is a very different discipline and style of play. I just love the intensity\randomness and chaos of it.

Modern games are too easy :) No game can replicate the feeling to
finaly be on the final rising elevator in Icon Of Sin on nightmare, after fighting for your life thru the entire game without blinking :)

[Kotzugi]

skogsto09 said:

Modern games are too easy :) No game can replicate the feeling to
finaly be on the final rising elevator in Icon Of Sin on nightmare, after fighting for your life thru the entire game without blinking :)

This must be one of the most badass quotes I've read on the forums.

[boris]

Linguica said:

and the fact that he didn't seem to know you could mitigate archvile blast damage at the end of Map28 by keeping the little pillar right in front of you.

Why does that mitigate the damage? Deliberate or bug?

[RjY]

boris said:

Why does that mitigate the damage? Deliberate or bug?

The pillar blocks line of sight between the explosion point and the player's centre (which in Doom's coordinate system are both at floor height, so only a short pillar is needed). The block-by-line-of-sight is deliberate (see PIT_RadiusAttack) presumably so you can hide behind walls to avoid rocket explosions. The consequences for archvile blasts, which reuse the splash damage machinery, were probably not foreseen.