Grazza

http://www.teamtnt.com says "Last updated 12 April 2005", and I believe there is a project in progress. They just tend to keep quiet unless there really is something to announce.

Episode 1 is relatively hard on NM (I recall Vile rated only Episode 4 harder of the Ultimate Doom episodes on NM). Maps with lots of hitscan enemies tend to have a biggest leap in difficulty from skill 4 to skill 5.

Please note that this is not the place for a discussion of contentious goings-on at other sites or slagging off their forums. KuriKai, please remember that if/when posting again.

NM is great, and possible on a wider variety of maps than you'd expect at first. It's best to know the map and have a route planned out before attempting it though. Of course, on some maps it is a physical impossibility, or so hard that it's just no fun at all.

Sure, "nothing is impossible" (movie quote!) with ideal cooperation. I think the big problem though isn't so much reaching the red key quickly, as getting back out after picking it up. Have you had any attempts where you got in and out that way? Regarding the archie at the end, I think the most important thing is at least to wake him before running in. Giving him time to run out just gives you an even larger margin for error. I've got an improved Pacifist exit (0:45 with "just" 3 stabs at the glide), but won't bother uploading it unless I give up on improving it.

Not a stroller, but a pacifist at least: Map32 UV Pacifist in 0:59. It's a first exit, and unfortunately I waste about 13 seconds before getting the glide to work. I'm not sure what a good time would be, as so much depends on monster cooperation - most importantly for the mancs and cybers not to distract each other too much, as they are the best at clearing the imps out of the way.

In case you weren't able to test it yourself, I can confirm that this one plays back OK with Doom2.exe. Sorry, I was using language carelessly. I just had in mind that it seems to need "standard" forward running rather than straferunning. Edit: though you can get through when walking (or indeed when purely strafing). I doubt a stroller would be very easy though. :p

Well done! I watched that demo with genuine excitement, as I wasn't sure how you'd have done it, or if you'd found some other trick. I think you deserve most of the credit for this trick. All I did was measure a gap and ask a question - you actually found a method to get through it. It's funny that walking forward seems to work best here. It would be good to understand exactly what makes these glides work so there was less trial and error involved.

The laws of physics are different, and even the dimensionality of space is not the same, so I suspect they are different universes.

Just thinking about map32: should a glide be possible to get around the pillar blocking off access to the exit switch? If you didn't have to kill the Keens, then this map could be done quite quickly. The gap is 32 units, but I haven't managed to get through it at all.

NM Stroller is at least a little bit tricky.

You might want to check out the compet-n speed demos (NM, UV Speed and UV Pacifist) on av25. Also this one. They feature several tricks, and indeed there are two different trick routes at each of the two key points.

ellmo and Nmn: this internal dispute you seem to be having doesn't really belong here. Why not keep it to PMs, e-mail, etc.?

Wasn't that on the old version of the map, without the SMM near the exit? Or has he has also done a 3:26 on the new version? AFAIK, the best time on the current version so far is Anima's 4:18. Edit: whoops! Sorry for not checking more carefully.

It looks too far away to me, and I'm not sure how it would speed a run up in any case.

I'm afraid you missed a shortcut - you don't need the blue key at all, as you can jump directly across to the area with the arachnotrons (the teleporter that you use down in the nukage brings you out at just about the right place to make the jump). Also, I'm fairly sure the BFG isn't worth getting (unless you can get it without losing time by a multi-AV jump). The RL blasts through the imps quickly enough, so I'd suggest just grabbing the invul immediately, stepping into the room with the archies (but otherwise ignoring them) and then running for the exit. You should still have 200/200 at the cyber/spider area. The last parts of the run will be only slightly trickier with no BFG. Edit: I'd suggest 1:05 as a time to aim for, and I'm sure it could go under a minute.

Gusta: thanks for the tip. I must just fail rocket jumps. Watching thousands of demos and sheer bloodymindedness, I guess. :) Anyway, here's another: map18 (The Train is Approaching) UV Speed/Pacifist in 0:21. Just one shortcut (a tricky but not difficult jump) and otherwise straightforward running (which I cock up here and there, of course). I found it a bit disappointing that a map inspired by Clandestine Complex (av24) didn't have a more intricate route, but never mind. To compensate, Max should be good to watch.

BTW, if anyone tries ks11, note that strafe50ing onto the last teleporter can lead to you dying without exiting (that was with prboom -complevel 0). No, that didn't happen to me in a recording attempt, but it would be desperately sad if someone did fall foul of it. Edit: there are some linedefs on the sides of the pillars you jump across that have bad tags - if you trigger them then you can get, as they say, "trapped inside a illusio-pit". A nasty little bug. Gusta: what is the plan for ksutra-n? To release packs once each category is complete, or to wait a while until people have had time to polish their demos, or only when as full a pack as possible is ready? Oh, and please put me out of my misery by revealing what shortcut tricks (if any) are intended in map14. I've suffered long enough. :p

NIN - Pretty Hate Machine. Not sure where I bought it. Possibly London, or maybe somewhere in the USA. (I'd heard NIN stuff used for Doom music, and was surprised to discover that there were lyrics too.) Metallica - Master of Puppets. No idea where I bought it. Maybe USA. Tim Blake - New Jerusalem. Selectadisc in Soho, London. Maybe not the best purchase ever - I only bought it because he had worked with Gong, but I had no idea what his solo stuff was like. Hawkwind - Church of Hawkwind. Probably Virgin Megastore, London. Megadeth - Rust in Peace. Given to me by someone who knew someone who worked in the music industry and had some freebies to give away.Church of Hawkwind is the one of those five that I'd be least willing to sell (I imagine it would be hard to replace), if for some reason I was forced to. None of them are treasured possessions though.

Snakes aren't very common at all in the UK. It seems a bit unlikely to have crawled in after the product reached the UK, unless it was an escaped pet.

Another gap in the UV Speed table plugged: Map11 UV Speed in 0:33. First exit. Just one trick here, but (for me at least) a difficult one. Unfortunately I lose 2-3 seconds at the end. I'm not sure what a good time would be here, but I'd certainly be very impressed with 0:25 or lower. Pacifist is no doubt feasible, but the start then needs some luck.

Pretty much what the name suggests: "don't deliberately cause damage to any monsters", but here is a more precise definition from the compet-n FAQ:

Nah, that's the best time to watch them. You probably saw one that had some respawns just after the special tags had been triggered. In a way it's a shame that it isn't as you described it, as it would make maps like HR map07 possible on NM (in principle, at least).

OK, I got one that isn't too ugly, and is at least in the right ballpark time-wise: Map05 UV Speed in 0:22. I guess the Sedlo-time must be quite a long way under 0:20.

0:26 edit: 0:25 and still ugly. I think 0:20 would be a nice target time for a run where nothing gets in the way. I doubt I'll get too close to that though.