HyperSpeed (/IDGAMES RELEASE) - A brand new, unique megawad for Doom 2!

[ONETAPPYBOI]

Welcome to HyperSpeed - A brand new megawad for doom 2, where each level is a remake of the corresponding vanilla level, except with a simple new twist - the exit door permanently closes after 30 seconds. If you didn't reach it in time - tough luck, try again.
 

Due to the harsh time limit, all the levels are extremely compact with a large focus on speedrunning, demanding good movement if you want to beat the wad on higher difficulties (no shame in lowering it, though), and occasionally requiring executing proper speedrun strats like grabs or SR50.

 

The megawad includes the full 32 maps, and also 3 extra ones - MAP33 is the one used for the title screen, MAP34 is an earlier version of MAP21 that was scrapped due to low quality, and MAP35 - an earlier version of MAP24 with a radically different ending. This wad also includes a number of QoL features, designed to make speedrunning easier, such as: 

• A palette overhaul, designed to make it easier to see when taking damage, invulnerable, picking up an item or protected by a rad suit;
• A new plasma rifle sound that is much quieter - important because you'll be using the thing a lot.

 

Screenshots:

Spoiler

Looks like you were too slow. Now start over.

 

 Few things in life are as satisfying as BFGing a horde of imps...

 

... and few are as frustrating as dying to the last enemy.

 

Why the hell is the floor in this house lava?

 

Okay, how am I even supposed to beat THAT in 30 seconds?

 

Who put this FIREBLU weirdness in my Wolfenstein map?

 

Good luck speedrunning on those tight ledges, heh.

Necessary information:

Spoiler

• IWAD: Doom2.wad
• Compatibility: Doom 2 v1.9 (-cl 2). Running it in other complevels such as Boom or MBF will cause issues and potentially even softlocks.
• Required port: Should run with everything. That said, the use of GZDoom is discouraged due to some issues.
• Tested with: DSDA-Doom 0.25.6, GZDoom 4.10.0
• Known bugs: In GZDoom, MAP11 cannot be beaten without jumping. Fixing this would require large changes to the entire map and I can't be bothered.
• Included Maps: 01-35
• Difficulty levels: Supported & playtested.
• Multiplayer Compatibility: Co-op is supported but untested. Deathmatch is not yet supported, though it is something I would like to address in the future.
• Music credits: Title screen music - UN12 by Bobby Prince from Unused Doom Midis; MAP31 Music - Get Them Before They Get You by Bobby Prince from Wolfenstein 3D OST; Intermission Screen Music - Intermission From Doom by Bobby Prince from Doom OST.

FAQ:

Spoiler

Q: MAPXY seems to be impossible to complete/far too RNG reliant!

 

A: You haven't found the right strat then. Experiment a little to see if you can find anything that works, or, if you can't be bothered, refer to the wlkthru folder in the archive, as it contains a demo walkthrough for every level in the wad (for some, it even contains multiple!), which should hopefully alleviate your confusion.

 

I will admit however that some maps in this wad are probably unbalanced - I did try my best though.

 

Q: MAPXY softlocks when I try to play it!

 

A: Check if you're using Doom 2 as the compatibility setting - some maps, like MAP11 or MAP30 won't work correctly on higher complevels like Boom or MBF. In GZDoom, both Doom and Doom (Strict) should work just fine.

 

Q: The time limit seems too small to UV-Max MAPXY - how do I do it?

 

A: In most cases, you probably can't. (Unless you know a specific glitch)

Patch Notes:

Spoiler

No patch notes for versions 1.3 and 1.4 because I don't remember what I changed.

 

V1.2:

 

Fixes:

• Minor texture & automap fixes in maps 03, 04, 06, 13, and probably some others I forgot to mention here.
• Fixed a broken middle texture in MAP11 (thanks @ICID!)
• Fixed an unintentional way to obtain the secret soul sphere in MAP22 using straferunning.

 

HOTFIX 1:

 

Map-related:

• MAP11 - Fixed a single floating health bonus.
• MAP15 - Minor texture fixes.
• MAP17 - Fixed a potential softlockl; fixed a non-damaging lava floor.
• MAP20 - Fixed several previously missing enemies.
• MAP21 - Fixed damaging lift.
• MAP29 - Fixed a non-functional switch; fixed several missing textures.

 

Other: 

• Added a new experimental palette that should make it easier to see when picking up items.

 

/idgames download!

Mirror on mega.nz

Edited June 19, 2023 by ONETAPPYBOI
Updated the wad.

[RED77]

Ok, this is a super fun, well-executed concept.

that being said It stresses me to hell. God job. LOL

[ONETAPPYBOI]

5 hours ago, RED77 said:

that being said It stresses me to hell. 

That was always the intention - the adrenaline hit as you just barely make it in time... or the inevitable frustration as you just barely don't.

[BeachThunder]

It took a bit, but I made it through the first level. This wad's probably way too hard for me, but I did look through all the levels in UDB though. Some interesting and fun takes on the original levels.

 

 

[Amiga Angel]

cool... I would suggest if possible maybe giving more time on the lower difficulties though and also show a timer so the player know how much time he or she has (might not be possible in boom)

Edited May 8, 2023 by Amiga Angel

[ONETAPPYBOI]

1 hour ago, Amiga Angel said:

I would suggest if possible maybe giving more time on the lower difficulties though 

Not possible due to the fact that in vanilla there are only two timers - 30 and 300 seconds, both are hardcoded into the engine and are impossible to change

1 hour ago, Amiga Angel said:

and also show a timer so the player know how much time he or she has (might not be possible in boom)

Not possible in vanilla however that's what extended HUD is for

 

1 hour ago, BeachThunder said:

It took a bit, but I made it through the first level. This wad's probably way too hard for me, but I did look through all the levels in UDB though. Some interesting and fun takes on the original levels.

You can always play on lower difficulties - they are included and playtested.

[Doomy__Doom]

51 minutes ago, ONETAPPYBOI said:

Not possible due to the fact that in vanilla there are only two timers - 30 and 300 seconds, both are hardcoded into the engine and are impossible to change

It's not like the sloooow-moving exit door sector must be anywhere near the surrounding ceiling level, so it's definitely possible to tune a timer for this sector effect if desired without going into crusher-barrel-voodoo setups. Not to say "you should have" or anything - just that Run To It is certainly a flexible concept in vanilla :)

[ONETAPPYBOI]

5 minutes ago, Doomy__Doom said:

It's not like the sloooow-moving exit door sector must be anywhere near the surrounding ceiling level, so it's definitely possible to tune a timer for this sector effect if desired without going into crusher-barrel-voodoo setups. Not to say "you should have" or anything - just that Run To It is certainly a flexible concept in vanilla :)

I have tuned it already - on most levels the door is 80 units high, however, on some more difficult levels it's higher, like on MAP12, where it's 192 units high, and on MAP29, where it's 208 units high. However, it's pretty much impossible to adjust for difficulty without some extremely hacky stuff which i couldn't be bothered to do.

Edited May 8, 2023 by ONETAPPYBOI

[Meowgi]

Hi there. I'd like to start off by saying I think what you did here is really cool. I love the bite-sized versions of the classic IWAD maps, and the focus on speedroutes makes for a challenging experience that virtually requires multiple playthroughs of a map, very similar to routing an actual run. I've only made it through MAP13 or so so far, but I can tell you put a lot of work into making the routes very tight (besides MAP03, but I assume that was intentional?). I even found myself second guessing how I was approaching some of these levels, such as MAP11 :).

 

I do think it's quite a big miss that you're dead set on vanilla compatibility though. Mainly because I think something like this would benefit greatly from difficulty settings directly affecting how much time you have to finish. 30s for UV, 35 for HMP, and 40/45 for HNTR would be golden I think, and doing something like that is completely trivial in Boom. It's a bit perplexing because strictly vanilla ports don't even have an in-game timer (I think?) until you've already exited the level, and playing a wad like this without extended HUD just feels off. At that point, if everyone is playing the wad with prb+/dsda, you might as well imo.

 

I feel like this wad gives a great speedrunning "feel" and I think while 30 seconds is a fair challenge to a lot of people who are accustomed to speedrunning, people who aren't don't really get a great experience if they can't cinch the level in time after several attempts. Difficulty settings affecting the timed door completely alleviates this design roadblock with the downside of... basically nothing in my mind, besides losing the novelty of being "vanilla for vanilla's sake". That being said, I haven't checked out HMP or HNTR to see how many monsters are removed. I can't imagine removing monsters helps with the difficulty a ton though, as to complete it on UV you basically need to only shoot what is immediately blocking you and ignore everything else to make time.

Anyway, I don't want to drone on about it too much. It's your decision, and I understand it would take quite a bit of work to do even if you were interested in changing it, but I do think its a shame that the wad is virtually inaccessible to a lot of people. All of that being said, the core experience is quite fun and challenging so far. I really think you nailed the difficulty on UV and I'm looking forward to playing the rest!

[Shepardus]

Cool concept with some cute reimaginings of Doom II's levels. Very timely with how Run From It is making the rounds again as a "bad map concept." Incidentally, that gives me some ideas for implementing different timer lengths in vanilla, should you be interested in doing as Meowgi suggested (crush a voodoo doll like in Run From It, or crush a barrel to push a voodoo doll over a line).

 

Regarding the palette changes, I feel like the item pickup flash could be toned down, it feels like the whole screen is fading when picking up a bunch of items (e.g. the beginning of MAP21). I guess the effect was always like that, but I actually notice it more acutely with this palette than with the original one.

[Amiga Angel]

The concept is really cool and I feel myself tempted to copy the concept but in UDMF. I wont though because Im really bad at speedrunning doom maps or making doom maps meant for speedrunning.. LOL!

 

Great job on this map set and I like the use of BOOM features such as the reset switch made using voodoo dolls for example.

Edited May 8, 2023 by Amiga Angel

[ICID]

This is awesome! I love WADs that are built for something other than the usual UV-Max approach. I'm no speedrunner but with a little practice I've already managed to beat the first two maps on the UV equivalent.

 

The size of the levels makes this great for a quick hit of Doom during the day and is also hilarious - the SSG room on Map31 made me actually laugh out loud.

 

I would respectfully agree with Shepardus that the item pickup flash is a bit extreme, don't know if there's a vanilla way to fix that. I suppose the answer to something like MAP21 is "don't slow down enough to pick up all the healths" but still, worth noting at least.

[ONETAPPYBOI]

HOTFIX 1 RELEASED:

 

Fixes:

Map-related:

MAP11 - Fixed a single floating health bonus.

MAP15 - Minor texture fixes.

MAP17 - Fixed a potential softlock; fixed a non-damaging lava floor.

MAP20 - Fixed several previously missing enemies.

MAP21 - Fixed damaging lift.

MAP29 - Fixed a non-functional switch; fixed several missing textures.

 

Other: 

Added a new experimental palette that should make it easier to see when picking up items.

 

Older version is still available for compatibility with any demos recorded before the update.

Edited May 8, 2023 by ONETAPPYBOI

[ONETAPPYBOI]

3 hours ago, Meowgi said:

Hi there. I'd like to start off by saying I think what you did here is really cool. I love the bite-sized versions of the classic IWAD maps, and the focus on speedroutes makes for a challenging experience that virtually requires multiple playthroughs of a map, very similar to routing an actual run. I've only made it through MAP13 or so so far, but I can tell you put a lot of work into making the routes very tight (besides MAP03, but I assume that was intentional?). I even found myself second guessing how I was approaching some of these levels, such as MAP11 :).

 

I do think it's quite a big miss that you're dead set on vanilla compatibility though. Mainly because I think something like this would benefit greatly from difficulty settings directly affecting how much time you have to finish. 30s for UV, 35 for HMP, and 40/45 for HNTR would be golden I think, and doing something like that is completely trivial in Boom. It's a bit perplexing because strictly vanilla ports don't even have an in-game timer (I think?) until you've already exited the level, and playing a wad like this without extended HUD just feels off. At that point, if everyone is playing the wad with prb+/dsda, you might as well imo.

 

I feel like this wad gives a great speedrunning "feel" and I think while 30 seconds is a fair challenge to a lot of people who are accustomed to speedrunning, people who aren't don't really get a great experience if they can't cinch the level in time after several attempts. Difficulty settings affecting the timed door completely alleviates this design roadblock with the downside of... basically nothing in my mind, besides losing the novelty of being "vanilla for vanilla's sake". That being said, I haven't checked out HMP or HNTR to see how many monsters are removed. I can't imagine removing monsters helps with the difficulty a ton though, as to complete it on UV you basically need to only shoot what is immediately blocking you and ignore everything else to make time.

Anyway, I don't want to drone on about it too much. It's your decision, and I understand it would take quite a bit of work to do even if you were interested in changing it, but I do think its a shame that the wad is virtually inaccessible to a lot of people. All of that being said, the core experience is quite fun and challenging so far. I really think you nailed the difficulty on UV and I'm looking forward to playing the rest!

I actually don't remember why I made the choice to be DOS-compatible. Either way remaking the entire wad in boom would take too much effort, and I've also played through the wad on ITYTD on my phone to simulate me being a worse player and didn't find it that hard, so, unless there is strong precedent to support the transition, it'll remain purely vanilla with 30 second time limit.

[msx2plus]

24 minutes ago, ONETAPPYBOI said:

remaking the entire wad in boom would take too much effort

you don't have to; you can port it over to the format and just add the necessary voodoo closets and whatnot, which are pretty easy to put together (and can even be generally copypasted from map to map once you've got their timing down, only needing to change some sector/line tags on each one)

 

24 minutes ago, ONETAPPYBOI said:

I've also played through the wad on ITYTD on my phone to simulate me being a worse player

you being a "worse player" via your phone is no substitute for external feedback/testing - you can't magically forget all of the testing and building you've done up to this point ;)

 

very fun concept, i'll be checking this out later.

Edited May 8, 2023 by msx2plus

[ONETAPPYBOI]

9 minutes ago, msx2plus said:

you being a "worse player" via your phone is no substitute for external feedback/testing - you can't magically forget all of the testing and building you've done up to this point ;)

It isn't but i couldn't get anyone to playtest the wad pre-release and desperate times call for desperate measures

[msx2plus]

nothing wrong with that, just worth considering the first public release a beta at that point with lots of room to change. i do encourage you to look into porting over to boom, i feel like given the creativity on display here you'll absolutely love the available functions and what they can do for your project :D

[ICID]

Found a small visual bug in MAP11, a texture is visible beneath the floor. Made a video showing the problem and how I've triggered it:

 

 

This isn't visible at first, but happens every time after entering the secret area with the soulsphere. This is in the hotfix 1 version, dsda-doom with complevel 2.

[ONETAPPYBOI]

23 minutes ago, ICID said:

Found a small visual bug in MAP11, a texture is visible beneath the floor. Made a video showing the problem and how I've triggered it:

 

 

This isn't visible at first, but happens every time after entering the secret area with the soulsphere. This is in the hotfix 1 version, dsda-doom with complevel 2.

Can't seem to replicate the issue.
1) Does the bug still occur on the newest version - 0.25.6?
2) What renderer are you using - software or opengl?

3) If you're using opengl, what light mode are you using - glboom, shaders, indexed?

[ICID]

12 minutes ago, ONETAPPYBOI said:

Can't seem to replicate the issue.
1) Does the bug still occur on the newest version - 0.25.6?
2) What renderer are you using - software or opengl?

3) If you're using opengl, what light mode are you using - glboom, shaders, indexed?

 

1. In the video above I was using dsda-doom 0.25.5, but I just downloaded the latest version at your recommendation. I also realized that I was using the ultrawide status bar mod in that video, so this time I ran it with absolutely no mods, just in case that was somehow the issue. I'm sorry to say that the issue happened exactly the same way.

 

2. In both cases I used the software renderer.

3. N/A

[Noiser]

Very interesting concept for a megawad, Erik Alm would be proud 8D

[ONETAPPYBOI]

10 hours ago, ICID said:

 

1. In the video above I was using dsda-doom 0.25.5, but I just downloaded the latest version at your recommendation. I also realized that I was using the ultrawide status bar mod in that video, so this time I ran it with absolutely no mods, just in case that was somehow the issue. I'm sorry to say that the issue happened exactly the same way.

 

2. In both cases I used the software renderer.

3. N/A

Yeah, in software it happens for me as well. I have no idea what causes it but i can bodge it by setting the ceiling height in the secret room to 128 units.

[ONETAPPYBOI]

V1.2 RELEASED:

 

Fixes:

• Minor texture & automap fixes in maps 03, 04, 06, 13, and probably some others I forgot to mention here.
• Fixed a broken middle texture in MAP11 (thanks @ICID!)
• Fixed an unintentional way to obtain the secret soul sphere in MAP22 using straferunning.

[strategineer]

I struggled my way through the first four maps and I can already tell that a lot of love went into this!

 

I'll need to learn some more speedrunning tricks (watching the included walkthrough demos should help) before I feel comfortable playing through the rest though.

 

 

[Niloquì]

I really like the concept and I played the entire wad. Very well made and fun, I'll definitely record some demos when the it will be on idgames.

Just a few things that I noticed while playing:

Map 11

Spoiler

There is a missing texture near the red key

Map 16

Spoiler

These mancubi cannot teleport in the map

Map 17

Spoiler

You can walk through these two walls

 

[ONETAPPYBOI]

For the past several weeks I've been battling with /idgames admins to get the wad released on there. In the meantime, I've decided to update the wad to fix a few bugs (thanks @Niloquì and @LabyrinthDoomer).

 

No patch notes due to the fact I don't remember what I changed.

[ONETAPPYBOI]

Update: the wad has FINALLY been released on /idgames, which means you can start speedrunning it. Thanks to everyone who helped along the way.