IronEagle Competition 14: Whitemare

[Pegleg]

Welcome to another month of Doomworld's more inviting Ironman competition, the IronEagle competition, where veterans and newcomers alike can challenge themselves because they get to choose the difficulty (as long as it's Hey Not Too Rough, Hurt Me Plenty, or Ultraviolence). Welcome back for those who have been here before, and welcome, for those of you visiting for the first time.

 

Last month, we took a spin on an Episode replacement for the original Doom, which showcased the basics (and glories) of Doom for all to see. This month we're going to change things up a bit. Back when I first took over managing the IronEagle competition, I decided that if I was still doing it in December, I would do something with a winter theme. Enter "Whitemare," the megawad from the Russian Doom community. You may be thinking, "But there's an entire hemisphere of people for who it is currently summer! Why not do a summer-themed mapset? Or a winter-themed mapset in June or July?" Well, you raise a good point, and perhaps next June or July's selection will be winter-themed or next December's selection be summer-themed. We'll see. However, the text file for "Whitemare" does include the following verbiage: "The demons have decided to ruin the winter's fun of Christmas and New Year's celebrations to people, so your task is prove those stupid bastards wrong." Christmas and New Year's are the same time regardless of the hemisphere, so this is a good time of year to challenge yourself with Whitemare.

 

Whitemare begins on Map 01. The goal for survival is Map 17. There are two "secret" levels (in that they are Maps 31 and 32), but, as far as I can tell, they're part of the progression.That being said, the final level with actual combat is Map 16.

 

The winner's for this month are (see post below for details):

 

UV: Bdubzzz & NaZa

HMP: Crusader No Regret

HNTR: Pegleg

 

The rules are basically the same as they have been. This month, we revert back to time being more important than kills as a determination of ranking. 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.

  

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.
  • You may post a demo if you want, but it is not mandatory.
• Secret levels are treated as extra credit.
• Freelook is allowed this month. Jumping and crouching must be disabled.

 

 

Accepted Ports (any of these are acceptable; there is no preference):

• Crispy (note that due to a problem in Map 08 that appears with cl 2, so if you choose to play in Crispy, you will not be able to advance past Map 08)
• PrBoom+
• ZDoom
• GZDoom

 

Note: According to the text file, the compatibility is limit-removing, but there is a bug on Map 12 when you play with complevel 2 in PrBoom+ that doesn't stop you from finishing the level, it just stops a voodoo doll affect.

 

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

 

You may include the port you used, but that isn't necessary. You may include a commentary about the maps or details about them, if you want to (e.g., how you thought the demon rush would do you in on Map X, but it was really the circle of hitscanners on Map Y). 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.

 

Breaks:

Everyone gets tired. Sometimes people do better than they expected to do. 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 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 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:

1. Survival
2. Total time for survival
3. The map on which you died
4. Total time elapsed upon death
5. 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 Crispy:

Spoiler

-file whitemar.wad -complevel 2 -skill <x> -warp 01 -record <IEwhitemare>

 

Template for PRBoom+:

Spoiler

-file whitemar.wad -complevel 9 -skill <x> -warp 01 -record <IEwhitemare>

 

Template for ZDoom:

Spoiler

-file whitemar.wad +compatmode 6 -skill <x> +map map01 -record <IEwhitemare>

 

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

Obviously, remove the angled brackets.

 

Using 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:    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)

Edited January 9, 2020 by Pegleg
Winners added. This mapset should be run at complevel 9, not complevel 2. There are game-breaking problems with complevel 2 that I did not realize. My mistake.

[Horus]

A fantastic display of how not to play Doom

Category 1

Died Map 01

44 monsters killed

UV

forgot time, can't be any more than 10 mins

 

Spoiler

SMM on Map 01, really!? I almost died right at the start as I forgot I had a chainsaw. I'll also be playing around with my settings after this as brightness was too low and scrolling past no-ammo weapons was annoying. After Back to Basics this was a HUGE step-up in difficulty

 

0_ironeagle_horus.zip

[NaZa]

Funnily enough, UV category 2. I was unaware of this thread when I downloaded Whitemare yesterday to give it a go and see whether it'd be fit for either start- or end-of-the-year Ironman... and I played continuously up to the start of MAP08 and thought it had some bitchy moments but it'd be alright. Then, I searched to see when Whitemare was mentioned in an Ironman thread (I think Ancalagon mentioned it a few times) and I came across this. Needless to say, I cancelled my plans and said "Welp I guess I have a rather unfair advantage by having unintentionally prepared this yesterday."

 

As luck has it, I think I broke something on, ironically, MAP08, after killing 206 or so monsters. I couldn't get the yellow key to become accessible even after flipping each metal switch. I found a few more secrets while trying to see what went wrong and where, but... nothing. As nothing in these rules barred looking things up during the playthrough (and as I had already suspected I locked myself out of finishing somehow), I opened the DWmegawad thread for Whitemare and watched j4rio's UV Max on Youtube - not my proudest moment, I admit, but it was a really odd situation. Couldn't find anything to identify the bug in question, and j4rio did the same as I did. After spending, what, 15 minutes figuring out the yellow key and 45 minutes on the damn map, I gracefully rocket-suicided myself for the third month in a row.

 

ironeagle14_naza.zip

Edited December 8, 2019 by NaZa
Sequence breaking =/= locking oneself out of completion.

[Pegleg]

On 12/8/2019 at 7:20 AM, NaZa said:

I downloaded Whitemare yesterday to give it a go and see whether it'd be fit for either start- or end-of-the-year Ironman

 

I wouldn't let that stop you from eventually selecting Whitemare for DWIL. You'd have to wait a bit to do, but Alfonzo chose Vanguard for DWIL a few months ago, even though Aquila has selected Vanguard for IronEagle 2 the previous year. I picked Back to Basics even though DWMC played it several months earlier. If anything, Whitemare would likely get a lot more exposure over in DWIL, so you wouldn't have to worry about a lot of overlap in players, particularly if you space them several months apart.

[Suitepee]

https://mega.nz/#!OFxiUIJD!ATiSqFi7CF_P2JczblVGtV88hDUGISLYHP5i1UJ0Euw

 

Cat 1 run on UV, died on map 1 near the end to the double Archviles. I could have done better, to be honest.

[Bdubzzz]

DNF on Map 08, got out of Map bounds after spending 40 minutes looking for what to do. Unfortunately not enough rockets to kill my self :p I think this wad is broken on Comp level 2, should of played on comp level 9 I believe. oh well. ( Jario's demo uses comp level 9) 

 

IE-whitemare-dubz.zip

 

Edit: Yeah yellow key area works in CL 9 but not CL 2 

Edited December 20, 2019 by Bdubzzz
including the zip file would help

[leodoom85]

Welp. Sure a different and recommended complevel makes such a difference. Pegleg should edit the OP soon...

[Pegleg]

@Horus @NaZa @Suitepee @Bdubzzz @leodoom85

 

I knew about the bug in Map 12 with complevel 2, which made me consider complevel 9, but there were comments that it wasn't game-breaking. Additionally, the mapset was referred to as "limit-removing" not "Boom," which is why I felt confident going with complevel 2. However, with the revelation that the yellow key area is broken in Map 08, I need to make a change.

 

I will be changing the complevel in the instructions to 9. If any of you want to re-do your run with complevel 9, I will happily accept the new submission in place of the original one. The wrong complevel was my mistake and you should not be penalized for it. So if you want to do your run again, then please do so.

[Suitepee]

The death on my run wasn't caused due to any compat settings, so I won't be re-doing my run.

Edited December 20, 2019 by Suitepee

[Horus]

Same for me

[SleepyVelvet]

Merry Deathmas!

 

I survived the end of Map03 via death exit! woo!

Only to evaporate at the beginning of Map04

 

Dead: Map04 (Blind)

noisy_whitemar.zip

[Pegleg]

Dead on Map 01

Kills: 27/85

Time: 8:20

Category 2

Difficulty: HNTR

 

Recorded with PrBoom+ v. 2.5.1.4

 

ie_pegleg_whitemare.zip

Edited December 27, 2019 by Pegleg
PrBoom+ version

[StoneMason]

Never played the wad before, so category 1 on UV. Recorded on PrBoom+ on complevel 9. actually I think I might have screwed up the complevel in the command line. oops.

Died on map01 to the Spider mastermind.

whitemar_ironeagle_cat1_stonemason.zip

Edited December 27, 2019 by StoneMason

[Crusader No Regret]

Prepared attempt, HMP: DNF in map 8 due to my computer randomly restarting.  Demo survived though.

 

 I had played this in 2013 or maybe even earlier and still remembered some of the traps.  Routed the first 11 maps before making a recording attempt.  I thought about trying in UV but realized it was way beyond my pay grade upon seeing some of the setups and getting stumped on how I could survive them consistently.

 

    Whitemare is a really awkward choice as the difficulty appears very front-loaded.  Between those revenants on the map 1, the lack of armor, on map 2, and the ending of map 3, it is not nice to blind players.  Still scary even when knowing what's coming.  I nearly bit it on map 3, pulling through at single digit health, and then came close to losing it again on map 4 due to misplaying the start. (in practice, I get the cacodemon and revenant infighting)  Make it past the first 3 maps though, and there's nothing nearly that dangerous individually until map 11.  9 and 10 are super short and I had hoped for some easy clears but randomness denied that goal.  Didn't find the safe spot for the map 5 cyberdemon and I have no idea what happened to one mancubus on 7 and was anticipating a softlock.

ironeagle-whitemare_cnr.zip

[Leszczynek]

Category 1, UV, dead on map01. I didn't know what to do with spider mastermind, so I tried to run past it. It didn't work.

 

ironeagle-leszczynek-whitemare.zip

[Pegleg]

Thank you to everyone who took part in this winter-themed challenge. I hope to see everyone back for the next challenge and, this time, bring a friend (or two).

 

Without further ado, here are the standings for this month.

 

UV

1. Bdubzzz (Map 08)

1. NaZa (Map 08)

 

Why two #1's? Due to a mistake on my part identifying the complevel as 2 instead of 9, both Bdubzzz and NaZa were stopped on Map 08, due to that map being broken. How far would either of them have advanced? We'll never know.

 

3. Noisy Velvet (Map 04)

4. Suitepee (Map 01)

5. Horus (Map 01)

6. Leszczynek (Map 01)

7. StoneMason (Map 01)

 

HMP

1. Crusader No Regret (Map 08)

 

HNTR

1. Pegleg (Map 01)

Edited January 9, 2020 by Pegleg