The DWIronman League dies to: Hellscape

[NaZa]

January, 2020

 

 

> The yearly leader board

 

Standard Leaderboard:

1. - 1 - SURVIVED (2:13:24): Bdubzzz - I have nothing but praise for this run.
2. - 2 - MAP29: WH-Wilou84 - Backed up into the loving fists of a revenant.
3. - 2 - MAP27: Roofi - Had it mostly under control, despite discontent with the choice, until a freak power outage. Tough luck! (DNF)
4. - 1 - MAP25: leodoom85 - The archvile has landed.
5. - 2 - MAP23: Arbys550 - Followed Beginner into the exit of MAP23.
6. - 2 - MAP23: Beginner - Casked it five meters from the exit. Should've went there full speed!
7. - 1 - MAP23: antares031 - Overwhelmed by hitscanners... a few dozen? tens? hundred? of them, at that.
8. - 1 - MAP22: StoneMason - I blame the door more than the arachnotron; it even closed in on your corpse.
9. - 2 - MAP22: NaZa - Failed at every platforming part up to that point. For good measure, failed twice at the final one and got FRIED.
10. - 1 - MAP22: RonnieJamesDinner - Couldn't find a way out of the river in time, despite passing by the stairway twice. FRIED.
11. - 1 - MAP22: SSGmaster - Blocked the way to the blur sphere by an invisible force. Sweet irony. FRIED.
12. - 1 - MAP22: Suitepee - "How do I get out of this goo?" Fifth person to ask themselves that question so far. Still, FRIED.
13. - 2 - MAP22: Bashe - Sight was taken of the way out, nonetheless FRIED.
14. - 1 - MAP22: Anima Zero - Follows RJD into the nukage and gets FRIED. Bonus points for losing more than 150 hitpoints!
15. - 1 - MAP22: dt_ - Found a safe spot to try to locate the stairway on the automap - wasn't meant to be. 300 hitpoints gone. FRIED.
16. - 1 - MAP22: JudgeDeadd - Caught a shock rocket after rolling the dice and getting straight sixes with 2% health.
17. - 1 - MAP22: galileo31dos01 - Rumor has it that green armor is still waiting for you.
18. - 1 - MAP22: RjY - The Return of the Prep Master.
19. - 1 - MAP21: Leszczynek - Attempted to spread punch over tomatoes.
20. - 1 - MAP21: ozy - Another run ended due to the cacodemon swarm. I gotta say they do blend in with the rocks pretty well.
21. - 1 - MAP21: duvel - Tried to force the engine to clip through the platform. There really is no other explanation to this behavior!
22. - 1 - MAP21: ReaperAA - If the Imps want a hug, there's no escaping it.
23. - 1 - MAP21: Archi - That room is racking up kills fast. This time it's the mancubus who teams up with a chaingunner.
24. - 1 - MAP21: NoisyVelvet - Got a faceful of bullets from a chaingunner. It was probably all the ammo Noisy was saving in the first room.
25. - 1 - MAP21: LoudSilence - Jumpscared by a fatso.
26. - 1 - MAP21: seed - Sneaky shotgunner snags one from behind the column.
27. - 1 - MAP21: Horus - Gets caught up the column. I'd say the final chaingunner did you a favor by killing you.
28. - 1 - MAP21: Pegleg - Possibly one of the most unfortunate deaths in the history of Ironman. You didn't deserve this one!

 

Prepared Leaderboard:

1. - # - SURVIVED (2:43:19): Archi - Does well to recover from the initial disappointment, becoming the first person to survive.
2. - # - MAP27: Vince Vega - Tabs out after MAP26. (DNF)
3. - # - MAP23: ReaperAA - Picked up a chaingun. In multiple ways than one. (other half of the standard run after death)
4. - # - MAP21: Pegleg - Was too slow in disposing of Chaingunners.

 

What is the Doomworld Ironman League?

The DWIronman League is a monthly competition in which participants aim to survive for as many levels as possible in the given map set, preferably in one sitting. Click the spoiler tag at the bottom of the post for a detailed list of rules. Players of all levels of ability are welcome. It could change the way you play Doom!

 

In January 2020 the DWIronman League dies to Hellscape by @Lutz. Ever since seeing the screenshots in the dev thread (especially those of MAP28), the author of this paragraph wanted to try this set to see how it plays - when's the time if not now? Moments of instant panic are expected to be few and far between as we journey through the beautifully crafted hellscape in which Lutz re-imagined the original Doom II hell levels - at moments you'll feel as if you're indeed going through the Doom II hell levels, as the layouts and overall progression through each is based off of the level in question, but the levels have been given Lutz's "signature" in that they somehow manage to feel original enough and don't feel like a simple detail job.

 

Essential Info

• Doom 2 as the IWAD selected.
• Compatibility level 9, or "(Boom (strict))" for ZDoom derivative ports.
• 10 levels total
• VERY IMPORTANT: THE FIRST LEVEL IS MAP21.

 

prboom-plus.exe -file d2hs-lutz.wad -deh D2HS.bex -complevel 9 -warp 21 -skill 4 -record demo_name.lmp

 

> Download Hellscape

 

Spoiler

 

• There are two competitions: Standard and Prepared:

  • To compete successfully in the Standard competition: your first play of the selected WAD(s) constitutes your one and only attempt for the month.

  • To compete successfully in the Prepared competition: your one and only attempt for the month is determined BY YOU immediately before play and may follow any prior number of active and/or passive preparation (playing the set) that are strictly for practice/inspection purposes only. You cannot compete in the Standard competition after submitting a run to the Prepared competition. You may submit the first of your practice attempts to the Standard competition.

• UV only (excepting 1CC format), continuous recording. No pistol-starting each level.
• Demos (PrBoom+, GLBoom, Eternity or Chocolate), stream highlights and video recordings are the only accepted proofs. You must link to these runs in the thread. 
• No additional WADs may be loaded.
• No inspection of the WAD(s)'s content in an editor if you are submitting a Standard run.
• No cheat codes and no features that result in behavior beyond what is possible in the intended source port (e.g. freelook, jumping and crouching in a boom set). This includes dynamic lights and brightmaps. If streaming or recording videos using an advanced source port with compatibility options, you must display these settings on-screen before your run. In ZDoom derivative ports, "Doom/Boom(strict)" will suffice.
• If you choose to stream/record your run for video rather than provide a demo and you die before completing a single level, either on the first map of a set OR because a single level was selected for the month, you must display the number of monsters killed/remaining in the level before you quit.
• You do not have to play the secret levels in order to register a complete run. However, a player who finishes the game having completed more secret levels than his/her competitors will rank higher than them.
• You cannot load a game having progressed past the save point.
• You cannot consult Doom Builder during your run to check for map details.
• If the recording of your official run is interrupted due to technical difficulties, you are not permitted a second attempt. Any surviving recording may be used to register a DNF result.
• Accidentally restarting a level before a death exit takes you to the tally screen will disqualify your run.
• If you are competing in the Standard competition, you are required to affix one of three numbers to your run informing the League of your degree of familiarity with the map/set played. Note that your evaluation should only take into consideration the content covered in your run (e.g. if you remember only one part of a level in a set you haven't played before but never reach that level, you should list your run as a [1] instead of [2]):

 

1. This is a blind run. If I have played or watched any of the level/set being played before, I cannot remember any details that would offer a reasonable advantage over truly blind players. *
2. This is not a blind run. I have familiarity with the set - played the level/set before, or watched it being played, and can remember some details that would offer a reasonable advantage over blind players.
3. This is not a blind run. I have passively prepared for the competition - watched the level/set being played via stream, demo or video after it was announced as this month's challenge.

 

* "Reasonable" in this instance asks you to consider whether the details in question are worth committing to memory. As in, you would thank the person who gave you this information with a straight face and not expect to be laughed at for being an utter berk.

 

 

Previous threads:

Spoiler

2016

• 07 - Jenesis (winner: Demon of the Well)
• 08 - Crusades (winner: Ribbiks)
• 09 - Nilla Doom (winner: Demon of the Well)
• 10 - Khorus' Speedy Shit (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 11 - Perdition's Gate (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 12 - UAC Ultra (winner: Bloodite Krypto)

2017

• 01 - Jade Earth (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 02 - Legacy of Heroes (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 03 - Back to Saturn X E1 (winner: dew)
• 04 - Mapgame (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 05 - Vae Vactus 1 & 2 (winner: Demon of the Well)
• 06 - Disturbia (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 07 - Insertion (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 08 - Unholy Realms (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 09 - Osiris (winner: Demon of the Well)
• 10 - Endgame & Endpoint (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 11 - Oscillation (winner: Ancalagon)
• 12 - Doom the Way id Did (winner: kmc)

2018

• 01 - Combat Shock 2 (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 02 - Coffee Break E1 (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 03 - Warlock's Hearth (winner: Demon of the Well)
• 04 - 50 Monsters (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 05 - Double Impact (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 06 - Rush (winner: WH-Wilou84)
• 07 - The Darkening E1 & E2 (winner: Veinen)
• 08 - The Plutonia Experiment (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 09 - Community Chest 4 - MAP19: Interstellar Sickness and MAP20: Shaman's Device (winner: ledooom85)
• 10 - Doom 64 for Doom II (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 11 - TNT: Renascence & TNT: Resistance (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 12 - Ultimate Doom the Way id Did (winner: Bloodite Krypto)

2019

• 01 - Hellfire: Dreams (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 02 - THT: Threnody - MAP10: Fomalhaut (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 03 - Stardate 20X6 (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 04 - Base Ganymede: Complete (winner: Bloodite Krypto)
• 05 - The DWIronman League died waiting for SIGIL (winner: John Romero)
• 06 - SIGIL (winner: leodoom85)
• 07 - Vanguard & Lunatic (winner: Bdubzzz)
• 08 - 2017 Collection (winner: an_mutt)
• 09 - Revolution! (winner: NaZa)
• 10 - Monster Hunter Part I & Part II (winner: Bdubzzz)
• 11 - Abcess (winner: Demon of the Well)
• 12 - Scythe (winner: Spectre01)

 

Edited February 1, 2020 by NaZa
Leaderboard update.

[seed]

Aight lads, time to start a new year with a new death :D . By the way, congrats everyone for another year of Ironman.

 

On a different note, last year ended on a miserable note on multiple levels for me, sets the mood just right for this year which I expect to also be the worst in a while (I only have years of different amounts of crapiness, not good ones).

[leodoom85]

Another unknown set for me geez.....

@seedyou aren't the worst but definitely not the best :D

[seed]

37 minutes ago, leodoom85 said:

@seedyou aren't the worst but definitely not the best :D

 

That's cute mate :p .

 

I'm definitely among the crappiest gamers out there.

 

E: Pff, yup, didn't even last 10 minutes. Here, some garbage everyone. Cat 1 ofc.

 

seedhs.zip

Edited January 1, 2020 by seed

[Pegleg]

47 minutes ago, seed said:

I'm definitely among the crappiest gamers out there.

 

I know bad players and bad play. In truth, among the regulars in the Doomworld Ironman League, you are toward the bottom, but that is a rather good group that you're comparing yourself with. I feel qualify to determine if someone is among "the crappiest gamers out there" (being one of them myself) and you are not as bad as you give yourself credit for.

 

54 minutes ago, leodoom85 said:

@seedyou aren't the worst

 

No, leo, among the regulars here, I think that title falls to me (and I don't think it's remotely close, either).

[seed]

11 minutes ago, Pegleg said:

I know bad players and bad play. In truth, among the regulars in the Doomworld Ironman League, you are toward the bottom, but that is a rather good group that you're comparing yourself with. I feel qualify to determine if someone is among "the crappiest gamers out there" (being one of them myself) and you are not as bad as you give yourself credit for.

 

Nah, let's be serious here mate, I am trash, and being less bad than someone else does not make you good. I'm easily one of the worst players on this site.

 

It should also be considered that I usually end up playing more-or-less difficult wads as well, and all results point in one direction: I'm getting progressively worse, just like everything I do (hint: I'm bad at everything). There is absolutely zero reason for that to happen, there's no way you can play the same game for years and still suck balls. Oh and believe me, I'm bad at every single game I play.

 

Sorry if this post comes off as heated and especially rude in parts, but I'm really not one to sugar coat things, especially when they're about me and my performance, I'm well aware of my position - miserable.

Edited January 1, 2020 by seed

[SleepyVelvet]

Category 1:

DEAD: Map21 (41 Kills) 

noisy_d2hs-lutz.zip

 

54 minutes ago, Pegleg said:

In truth, among the regulars in the Doomworld Ironman League, you are toward the bottom, but that is a rather good group that you're comparing yourself with.

I'm sure there's been lurkers here and there that've tried the ironman challenge, died on ironman Map01's, and just haven't posted them.

 

50 minutes ago, seed said:

there's no way you can play the same game for years and still suck balls

Nah, but some of the other regular's have gotten really good and consistent though.  As for myself, I feel like I've gotten simultaneously better and worse at the same time.  My 2019 goal was to beat 50% max point allocation... I don't think I even got close. 

 

Here's to 2020!

 

[seed]

1 minute ago, NoisyVelvet said:

Nah, but some of the other regular's have gotten really good and consistent though.

 

Hence my point - stagnation at worst, evolution at best, not fucking involution.

 

Ultimately, trash is still trash.

[NaZa]

58 minutes ago, seed said:

 

Nah, let's be serious here mate, I am trash, and being less bad than someone else does not make you good. I'm easily one of the worst players on this site.

Please don't have that attitude, especially about Ironman. Ironman is, in the end, all about having fun, and while it's technically a competition, things aren't too serious at all. There's no reward, after all!

 

To make you feel better, here's a disastrous run which started to get bad once I noticed there was a way out of the river I fell into - unfortunately, rev rockets were quick enough and left me with little health, and there was nothing preventing me from falling in again. Yikes! What a debut.

 

MAP22, category 2. dwironman_jan20_naza.zip

 

2 minutes ago, NoisyVelvet said:

I'm sure there's been lurkers here and there that've tried the ironman challenge, died on ironman Map01's, and just haven't posted them.

Quite! I attempted Jenesis back when it was originally posted and dying on MAP01. Jade Earth I attempted to record a ZDoom demo and I died somewhere around 250 monsters? I think...

[Horus]

On IronEagle, I nearly died about 3 monsters in the first level on Whitemare. I was thinking to myself would I post it if I died then!

[ReaperAA]

This wad is brutal. Brutal when it comes to restricting players movement using all those sectors and detailing (oh and obnoxious use of chaingunners in every corner on the 2nd map).

 

Demo: D2HSdemo.zip (Category 1)

Used: Glboom+ 2.5.1.7um (Complevel 9)

Dead on: Map 23 (reached at around 30:00)

Edited January 1, 2020 by ReaperAA

[NaZa]

Quote

The chosen set won't be anything extreme yet as I don't really want to kill everyone off in the first month.

Well this is aging well isn't it?

[seed]

Like a fine wine.

[Roofi]

Believe it or not, but my run was stopped because of a power outage... I was at map 27, I'll be doing a prepared run later this month.

 

Here is my DEMO

 

Anyway, I didn't expect to play that wad again, which I find average or even downright mediocre.

 

Really it's the most blatant example of maps where gameplay has been almost totally sacrificed for aesthetics.

 

Thelack of ammunition is not very present in continuous play fortunately. On the other hand, I have a hard time appreciating the details when they permanently obstruct my movements, without adding the platforming phases with a lot of dangerous monsters such as revenants or chaingunners. The map 22 is a real chore in pistol start (I had played 2 years ago).

 

I'm not going to develop more than that. This wad is meant to be played without monster. It's a wad designed to show the great possibilities of architecture.

Edited January 1, 2020 by Roofi

[Roofi]

Oh wait... Sorry for double-post @NaZa but prboom recorded my demo afterall. :) I could continue the demo but I will stop here.

 

So , Trolled by electricity at map 27 , category 2.

 

DEMO

[StoneMason]

Died on map22 to an arachnotron while really low on health. Never played before, so Category 1. recorded in PrBoom+ on -complevel 9

hellscape_ironman_cat1_stonemason.zip

[Pegleg]

9 hours ago, seed said:

It should also be considered that I usually end up playing more-or-less difficult wads as well, and all results point in one direction: I'm getting progressively worse, just like everything I do (hint: I'm bad at everything). There is absolutely zero reason for that to happen, there's no way you can play the same game for years and still suck balls. Oh and believe me, I'm bad at every single game I play.

 

I also tend to be bad at games, so I can relate. That being said, in my opinion, you should play games to have fun. And if you're having fun, even if you're doing poorly, that's fine.

 

And, this is a shameless plug, seed, but I suggest you try out the IronEagle competition. It's the same concept as DWIL, but the selections are usually less extreme than the selections in DWIL and you can choose to play on either HNTR or HMP, if you want. IronEagle 15, the latest, should be posted in the next few days.

 

7 hours ago, Horus said:

On IronEagle, I nearly died about 3 monsters in the first level on Whitemare. I was thinking to myself would I post it if I died then!

 

The date was August 3, 2019 and I was doing my blind run of an_mutt's 2017 Collection. I died at the hands of the first monster. Don't believe me? There's proof. Anyway, I likely would not have posted it save for the advent of being able to submit both a blind run and a prepared run. No, it doesn't help more score, but that's not what this is about, at least, not to me.

[seed]

4 hours ago, Pegleg said:

I also tend to be bad at games, so I can relate. That being said, in my opinion, you should play games to have fun. And if you're having fun, even if you're doing poorly, that's fine.

 

Easier said than done. I've not been able to have fun doing anything in a very long time, typically because nothing ever turns the way t should. I figured I could at least take pride in smaller things (a nice demo, a good video, etc), cause y'know, when all is upside down small things tend to matter the most. Except when that doesn't work either, so I'm left with the usual no-thing. These days, I'm playing games (or do stuff in general) to get angry, if anything.

 

5 hours ago, Pegleg said:

And, this is a shameless plug, seed, but I suggest you try out the IronEagle competition. It's the same concept as DWIL, but the selections are usually less extreme than the selections in DWIL and you can choose to play on either HNTR or HMP, if you want. IronEagle 15, the latest, should be posted in the next few days.

 

I never intended to quit participating, just didn't find the time to continue doing it. Even so, I'm highly skeptical I should participate anymore tbh, I think polluting one monthly competition with crappy demos and toxic self-loathing is already enough. Even if Doom 2 would get randomly chosen for a run at some point I would just die a stupid death on... either The Pit or Refueling Base.

[leodoom85]

@seedDon't you think you should have waited a lil bit? If you weren't in the mood, you could have avoided all of this, don't you think?

Do the ironman when you feel that you are prepared for it, not when feel forced to do it.

And Naza is right. There's no prize in this thing other than entertainment and improvement. In fact, I'll do this thing at the weekend because I feel that it's the best moment for me to do so. I'll be more relaxed :D

[RonnieJamesDiner]

My kingdom for a radiation suit! Oh, the Humanity...

 

Well, I made it to the opening stages of map22, hoorah. Fell into the nukage pit, the panic set in; the Spectres swarmed; the light faded. If only I'd grabbed the Soulsphere (like I considered doing), I might've survived long enough to find my way out of there. Oh well.

 

I loved the idea of this WAD, I'm looking forward to playing through it sometime. The re-make of Nirvana was pretty beautiful, and I was really digging the new Catacombs look.

 

Category 1

49 kills into map22

http://www.mediafire.com/file/1z6unwn4h1f8clv/hellscape_RJD.lmp/file

[Beginner]

Category 2 demo. Died by auto-piloting myself into some exploding barrels in fun barrels level (map 23). What a way to start a year.

 

I've played it in '17 and all I can remember about it is that it was pretty and tough when played from pistol starts. I'm definitely looking up for more (accidental) inverse claims/picks from NaZa in the foreseeable future.

[Leszczynek]

I can't say I enjoy maps where I run out of ammo. Category 1, died on map21, the ledges over lava got me.

 

 

dwironman-leszczynek-hellscape.7z

Edited January 4, 2020 by Leszczynek

[RonnieJamesDiner]

On 1/1/2020 at 9:14 AM, NaZa said:

RonnieJamesDinner - Couldn't find a way out of the river in time, despite passing by the stairway twice.

 

I didn't want to believe this. Had to go back into the map and take a good, hard look when I read that.

 

I'm so upset. Those stairs blend into that wall on a level that defies all forms of reasonable human decency. They're practically lying in tall grass with a ghillie suit on. Unacceptable, Lutz.

 

 

[seed]

You know, watching other demos posted here and I'm no longer feeling so angry for failing. In hindsight, it was probably for the best.

 

The use of hitscanners on MAP22 and the very limited movement space looks so obnoxious (probably because it is... ). And then there's also the lightning, everything is so dark in so many parts of these maps. Ugh, glad I experienced this pain during an Ironman challenge because I'm never going through the entire package in my spare time.

[Archi]

Could as well just turn off my monitor and the experience would be the same.

iron_hellscape_arch.zip

[NaZa]

To anyone who's not content with this month's pick, I'd like to formally apologize. I hadn't given it a lot of play but its generally tough pistol starts and the first map (which I found challenging enough while being fair with powerups) made me consider it, and I hoped it'd be a good icebreaker. In hindsight I should've led with something a bit more known and proven and more... conventional, I assume. I'm sorry you felt discontent with the WAD. I hope to choose better picks in the future even though I know I kinda screwed the first impression thing up. 

Edited January 4, 2020 by NaZa

[Leszczynek]

I was just being passive-aggressive about losing in a different way than I usually lose in Doom, so don't mind my comment. My skills are simply not good enough to finish first map blind on UV and that's it. I think you're doing a great work with this series!

[seed]

1 hour ago, NaZa said:

To anyone who's not content with this month's pick, I'd like to formally apologize.

 

Oh no no no no no no, the pick is just perfect because it goes hand in hand with the spirit of the Ironman challenges, it's really just that some of us didn't enjoy it (similar to how we didn't enjoy... what was its name, Hellfire Dreams?)

[Archi]

Another attempt with full brightness on, just wanted to give it another go to see how it would play if I could see stuff. Obviously not for leaderboard.

 

Survived in 2:43:19.

 

This mapset is great. I appreciated the gorgeous design and architecture of it back when there were only screenshots of it and I think map29 was available for a bit longer, I played it before. Gameplay-wise it's mostly good, but I doubt it's that enjoyable with pistol starts, hectic setups and vile traps aren't pushing too much, except for when there are too many sniping hitscanners, that would be my biggest complaint. The map I was afraid the most, map28, turned out to be not so bad, can't say the same for the next map though, I only survived it by sheer luck. One of the best, if not the best wads with only vanilla textures.

 

@NaZa I think you could add 1cc rules regarding this wad. And not just this wad, maybe to all the next challenges.

haha.zip

[RonnieJamesDiner]

6 hours ago, NaZa said:

To anyone who's not content with this month's pick, I'd like to formally apologize.

 

I'll clarify as well, I was only being (mostly...) sarcastic and melodramatic about those stairs, lol. I quite enjoyed what little bit of these maps I got to see. 

 

But! Those damn stairs... ridiculous.