Jump to content

IronEagle Competition 57: The Abyss (open until the end of August)

Pegleg

By Pegleg
in WAD Discussion

Recommended Posts

Pegleg   

Pegleg
Posted (edited)

Welcome to another installment of the IronEagle competition, the ironman challenge that welcomes all comers, from the starry-eyed new player to the grizzled and jaded veteran. As long as you enjoy Doom, you're welcome here!

 

One note before I jump into describing the selection: since IronEagle 56 lasted 6 weeks, IronEagle 57 will also last about 6 weeks, running until the end of August.

 

Participants will challenge themselves against The Abyss, a vanilla-compatible 24-map set for Doom 2, created by Miklos "H2SO4" de Rijk and J.M.P "MrElusive" van Waveren in the mid-90s and released on idgames in 2015. This mapset tells the story of Miklos, an amateur treasure hunter whose latest search is cut short by demons from an alternate dimension. Unable to escape, Miklos must travel further into the mountains, deeper into what appears to be the ruins of a lost civilization.

 

Participants must play these maps on complevel 2 or Doom(strict).

 

Download The Abyss here. The text file includes information about each map that may be helpful. Feel free to read these notes--your run would still be considered blind.

 

The Abyss starts at Map 01. Survival is finishing Map 22. There are two optional secrets maps, Maps 31 and 32, accessed from Maps 15 and 31, respectively.

 

Enjoy!

 

Congratulations to this month's winners (further details are in the post below).

 

UV: @Master Medi(Runner-up: @Asbadagba)

HMP: @xX_Lol6_Xx (Runner-up: @head_cannon)

HNTR: @Andromeda (Runner-up: Pegleg)

 

 

 

 

Spoiler
  • Template for Chocolate Doom:
    • -iwad doom2.wad -file abyss.wad -skill <x> -warp 01 -record <IEabyss>

 

  • Template for PRBoom+:
    • -iwad doom2.wad -file abyss.wad -complevel 2 -skill <x> -warp 01 -record <IEabyss>

 

  • Template for ZDoom:
    • -iwad doom2.wad -file abyss.wad +compatmode 2 -skill <x> +map map01 -record <IEabyss>
      • it is possible you may have to use +set skill <x> for GZDoom

 

  • <x> must be replaced by the skill level. 2 = HNTR, 3 = HMP, 4 = UV
  • <IEadonis> would be replaced with whatever you decide to call your demo, if you're submitting a demo

 

 

Rules:

The rules are basically the same as they have been. 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. Even if streaming, you can still submit a demo, if you want to.


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).

 

The following are allowed (but not required):

  • Freelook
  • Crosshair
  • Mods that are COSMETIC ONLY

 

The following are NOT allowed:

  • Crouching
  • Jumping
  • Mods that change ANY aspect of base gameplay, including (but not limited to) enemy behavior, enemy speed, player abilities, player speed, weapon damage, ammo, and enemy drops.

 

Further, more specific, rules are listed below:

Spoiler

 

  • Submissions (except for streams, as described below) must include a demo.
    • 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 or a link to the video.
    • If you post a video of the stream, you may post a demo if you want, but it is not mandatory. You may also post a demo if you, for some reason, do not want to post the video or a link.
  • Secret levels, if present, do not have to be completed for a survival run. If they are completed, they are extra credit.

 


Any port is accepted provided it will actually run the mapset. There is no preference.
 

Spoiler

Of course, if you want to try a limit-removing/Boom map in Chocolate Doom, be my guest. However, be aware that your run may be over rather quickly. Don't say you weren't warned.

 

Category System:

  • Category 1: Blind run.
    • This explains itself. You have no knowledge of the wad and have not played/seen it before. I'm willing to be somewhat lenient with this Category.
      • For example, if you die early in Map 01, and then decide to play again for your run, you can still call it Category 1.
  • Category 2: Non-blind.
    • If you have played the wad before and/or possess significant foreknowledge, your run is non-blind. Basically, anything that is not Category 1 is Category 2.

 

If you're unhappy with your blind run, feel free to record a new run, and submit that run instead. (Just don't submit your first run.) If you want to submit your first run, no matter how you perform, by all means, go ahead and do it. You shouldn't feel that you HAVE to submit a run you're dissatisfied with, just to preserve a "Category 1" status. If you want to go back and submit a second run, you're welcome to do so, but, at this time, it won't be counted.

 

 

Difficulty System:

You may submit a demo/stream for only one of HNTR, HMP, or UV. Choose only one, because subsequent submissions 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. Your first submission is what counts.

 

Only runs from the same difficulty will be pitted against each other. Each difficulty will be graded separately.

 

 

Submission:

When you submit your run, please the include the following information:

  • The category (1 or 2)
  • The difficulty
  • If you survived, your time
  • If you didn't survive, the map where you died
  • Time of death
  • Kill count upon death
  • Time upon entering your map of death (if you made it past the first map)
  • The port you used (if you included a demo)
  • A link to the stream/video (if you did a stream)

 

You may include a commentary about the maps or details about them, if you want to. If you do include specific information about the map (e.g. "The demon trap in Map 08 is rough"), please put it in a spoiler, so that people that want a completely blind experience won't be tipped off. If you're just putting in a general comment (e.g., "Pro tip: don't get hit"), then no need for a spoiler.

 

Attempting to max the maps is not necessary to win.
 

Ranking for this mapset will be determined by:

  • Survival (with both secret maps)
  • Survival (with Map 31)
  • Survival (with no secret maps)
  • Time for survival
  • Map of death (in descending order: Map 24, Map 23, Map 22, Map 21, Map 20, Map 19, Map 18, Map 17, Map 16, Map 32, Map 31, Map 15, Map 14, Map 13, Map 12, Map 11, Map 10, Map 09, Map 08, Map 07, Map 06, Map 05, Map 04, Map 03, Map 02, Map 01)
  • Time it took to reach the map of death
  • Kill count in the map of death

 

If you die, please wait a few seconds before quitting.

 

 

Breaks:

Everyone gets tired. Sometimes people survive longer than they expected. 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. If you have to take a break, try to make it quick.

 

 

Happy Dooming!

 

 

 

Previous IronEagle Competitions

Spoiler

 

2018

  • 1 (Oct.): Scientist 2 (Winners -- UV: leodoom85   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Liberation)
  • 2 (Nov.): Vanguard (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Liberation)
  • 3 (Dec.): Crumpets (Winners -- UV: NoisyVelvet   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Pegleg)

 

 

2019

  • 4 (Feb.): Dark Covenant (Winners -- UV: kmc   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Pegleg)
  • 5 (Mar.): Brood of Hatred (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: Crusader No Regret   HNTR: Pegleg)
  • 6 (Apr.): Riot Control (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: Walter Confetti   HNTR: Pegleg)
  • 7 (May): Scimitar (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: Crusader No Regret   HNTR: Pegleg)
  • 8 (Jun.): Bauhaus (Winners -- UV: vdgg   HMP: Crusader No Regret   HNTR: Pegleg)
  • 9 (Jul.): Bloody Steel (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Pegleg)
  • 10 (Aug.): The Brotherhood of Ruin (Winners -- UV: leodoom85   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Pegleg)
  • 11 (Sept.): Flashback to Hell (Winners -- UV: kmc/Bdubzzz   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Pegleg)
  • 12 (Oct.): A Taste for Blood (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: n/a   HNTR: Pegleg)
  • 13 (Nov.): Back to Basics (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz   HMP: Horus   HNTR: Pegleg)
  • 14 (Dec.): Whitemare (Winners -- UV: Bdubzzz & NaZa   HMP: Crusader No Regret   HNTR: Pegleg)

 

 

2020

 

 

2021

 

 

2022

  • 39 (Jan.): The Talosian Incident (Winners -- UV: mhrz   HMP: PsychEyeball   HNTR: Major Arlene)
  • 40 (Feb.): Apokalypsis (Winners -- UV: Maribo   HMP: Goofy_1966   HNTR: Andromeda)
  • 41 (Mar.): Breach and Brigandine (Winners -- UV: SCF   HMP: head_cannon   HNTR: Major Arlene)
  • 42 (Apr.): Nex Credo (Winners -- UV: mhrz   HMP: Crusader No Regret   HNTR: Andromeda)
  • 43 (May): Ezekiel (Winners -- UV: dt_   HMP: LadyMistDragon   HNTR: Pegleg)
  • 44 (Jun.): Elegy (Winners -- UV: mhrz   HMP:  SCF  HNTR: Andromeda)
  • 45 (Jul.): Respawned: Back from Hell (Winners -- UV: dt_   HMP:  LadyMistDragon  HNTR: Andromeda)
  • 46 (Aug.): Viscous Realms (Winners -- UV: dt_   HMP:  LadyMistDragon  HNTR: Andromeda)
  • 47 (Sept.): PhobosDeimos Anomaly (Winners -- UV: Luleta   HMP:  Zhaojue  HNTR: Pegleg)
  • 48 (Oct.): Eternally Yours (Winners -- UV: NaZa   HMP:  head_cannon  HNTR: Andromeda)
  • 49 (Nov.): Foursite (Winners -- UV: Asbadagba   HMP:  xX_Lol6_Xx  HNTR: Andromeda)
  • 50 (Dec.): Doom 2 (Winners -- UV: 4shockblast   HMP:  xX_Lol6_Xx  HNTR: NoisyVelvet)

 

 

2023

  • 51 (Jan.): Monument (Winners -- UV: ginc   HMP: head_cannon   HNTR: Andromeda)
  • 52 (Feb.): Into the Code (Winners -- UV: Asbadagba   HMP: xX_Lol 6_Xx   HNTR: Pegleg)
  • 53 (Mar.): City of Doom (Winners -- UV: Asbadagba   HMP: head_cannon   HNTR: Andromeda)
  • 54 (Apr.): Prototype (Winners -- UV: SCF   HMP: head_cannon   HNTR: Andromeda)
  • 55 (May): MAYhem 2019 (Winners -- UV: joe-ilya   HMP: LadyMistDragon   HNTR: Horus)
  • 56 (Jun.-Jul.): Adonis: Escape from Urania (Winners -- UV: ginc   HMP: LadyMistDragon   HNTR: Andromeda)
Edited by Pegleg
Added monthly winners and runners up.
6

Share this post

Link to post

Andromeda   

Andromeda
Posted (edited)

Category: 1

Difficulty: HNTR

Softlocked on: MAP17 (+1 secret level)

Kills: 15/21

Time: 1:39:27 (1:34:04 on MAP16 exit)

 

Succumbed to an unavoidable softlock that only exists on HNTR and lower, bummer!

 

ie_andromeda_abyss24a.zip

Edited by Andromeda
6

Share this post

Link to post

SCF   

SCF
Posted

Category 1

Dead on map 22

Kills: 4/48

Time of death: 1:34:49 (Entered at 1:36:13)

 

DWIE_23-07-08_abyss_SCF.zip

 

An absolutely idiotic death, right at the end. I was thinking "It's almost over, I'll just rush in with the BFG", and then proceeded to miss my shot, get stuck, panic, and take every hit possible.

 

Spoiler

I knew I was in for a special wad when I got to map 3

  • Run around for a while with no idea how to progress.
  • Finally find the exit door... but it needs a blue key hidden somewhere in the level.
  • Run around some more before finding the blue key.
  • Go back to the exit door... discover that it also needs a red key.
  • Keep searching, eventually find a computer area map, assume it will give me a hint about the red key... it doesn't

I was expecting to quit this wad in frustration before dying, but thankfully later maps aren't as bad, and you get enough health and ammo to blaze through.

 

5

Share this post

Link to post

NaZa   

NaZa
Posted

Survived +2 in 1:59:44, category 2*, prB+ 2.5.1.4 UV as per usual.

 

ironeagle_julaug23_naza.zip

 

Immensely satisfied with this run. Took it super slow hoping the secrets are worth it.

 

Spoiler

They're not.

 

Almost bit it in MAP09 which has a really high difficulty spike around its start. Super nasty encounter, that. Otherwise I rarely got below 100/100 and I think I only spent the first and ninth map without a blue armor. 

 

Good for a 1996 WAD, otherwise bleh.

 

Category 2 in the sense that I never played this set, but I had looked MAP31 of it up on the Wiki a long time ago. I think it was after the solutions for a Guess the Map where it featured was revealed? I remembered its layout and a certain monster it had. Not anything more, not even the secret exit that I managed to chance upon, but I feel it was enough to let me know what awaits me in said map.

4

Share this post

Link to post

xX_Lol6_Xx   

xX_Lol6_Xx
Posted (edited)

Been a while since I participated, and since I have free time, I might as well drop an entry ;-)

 

Category 1 on Hurt Me Plenty (Skill3) survived (no secret maps) in 1:44:06 hrs or 104:06 minutes (Accidentally entered Map23, so IDK if it counts in my in-game time, I'm assuming it doesn't) . More details in the text file and please notify me if something's wrong :D

Zip: 1IEabysslol6.zip

 

Breaks:

Spoiler

I had to take two unexpected breaks around Map 15 because it started raining, and I had all my windows open, plus I was heating up some soup to eat and needed to go to the restroom :-(. I also accidentally pressed Capslock (Which I have rebind to act as another esc/super/windows key) which made me pause for a couple seconds around Map 19. It doesn't seem to have affected the demo recording though.

 

Edited by xX_Lol6_Xx
4

Share this post

Link to post

Horus   

Horus
Posted (edited)

Category 1

Difficulty UV

Survived (+2 secret maps) in 2:22:43

 

Well after my Ironman flop I get a survival on Ironeagle (the reverse of last month). Having said that, I don't feel I played particularly well and I really rode my luck a couple of times.

horus_ironeagle_2023_07.zip

Edited by Horus
4

Share this post

Link to post

Suitepee   

Suitepee
Posted (edited)

https://youtu.be/weqI8WmX1t0

 

Category 1 run on UV, starts at about 17:10. Survived in 2:33:08, no secret maps.

 

Although my Ironman League run this month was very poor, I thankfully made up for it by surviving this interesting mid-90's wad for the Ironeagle. Wouldn't really call this a difficult mapset but more of an enjoyable romp through "90's mapping" stuff, albeit the good kind for the most part. Hearing a piano version of the "Das Boot" theme was enjoyable.

Edited by Suitepee
4

Share this post

Link to post
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Pegleg   

Pegleg
Posted (edited)

Category: 2

Difficulty: HNTR

Dead on: Map 09

Kills: 2/33

Time: 51:54

Time to reach Map 09: 50:51

Recorded with: PrBoom+ 2.5.1.4

 

ie_pegleg_abyss.zip

Edited by Pegleg
Added recording port.
3

Share this post

Link to post

Pegleg   

Pegleg
Posted

@joe-ilya posted a run on the Ironman Discord. For those who have not joined the server (or are not on Discord), here are the details of the run and the demo.

 

Category: 1

Difficulty: UV

Survived +1 in 1:14:43

Recorded with: DSDA-Doom

 

abyssIRONMANjoe.zip

 

joe-ilya: "I highly enjoyed The Abyss, I like it better than Scythe and Scythe 2. Scythe has that speedrun map and a very unfitting MAP30, Scythe 2 has these annoying speedy red marines in the latter half. The Abyss doesn't have either of those and consistently gives short maps to go through smoothly, while having a smoother difficulty escalation that doesn't go overboard."

3

Share this post

Link to post

ginc   

ginc
Posted

Category 1, UV difficulty.

Survived (+2) in 2:03:00.

 

Run / WAD Comments:

Spoiler

A nice bit of mid-90s nostalgia (I've used some of these MIDIs in a 1995 WAD of my own lol) and the maps are short and easy to navigate, but these are not exactly ground-breaking maps. Difficulty is on the low end and I always seem to have trouble speeding up for these kinds of maps, but it was a comfortable finish at least. Some of the later maps felt particularly easy, but I'm guessing that's because the maps are designed to at least be possible from pistol start. Bringing a full arsenal to a pistol-startable map with ~50 monsters definitely makes things easy.

 

Video:

 

3

Share this post

Link to post

head_cannon   

head_cannon
Posted

IEabyssHMPhc.zip

Category: 1

Difficulty: HMP

Dead on MAP09 with 7 kills.

Spoiler

I had over half of MAP07's megasphere left, along with a backpack full of cells for my plasma gun, so I felt like I could charge through any setpiece and punch through to the other side safe & sound. I was not prepared for the viciousness of the blue key's Chaingunner trap, which gave them all arrowslits that blocked my projectiles while allowing the whole crowd to fire hitscan attacks and shred me in seconds.

 

I probably should have tried on UV instead; combat seems very mild with the focus instead being on exploration & puzzle-solving. This levelset quickly trains you to check your map and be aware of all the secret passages within the walls of these castles. I'm not a big fan of hiding secret doors by making them completely indistinguishable from the surrounding walls, with no hints or clues, but I have to admit that this levelset succeeded at making the Computer Area Map feel like a real treasure because of how it opened up progression by revealing those hidden paths. Plus, the E1 maps were all small & concise enough that working out the next puzzle solution was never too much of a chore.

 

For a 1995 WAD, that was actually pretty fun. Cool pick for this month.

3

Share this post

Link to post

Pegleg   

Pegleg
Posted

Thank you to all the competitors who challenged themselves against The Abyss this month! I hope to see everyone back for the challenge in September. And any friends you bring along with you will not be turned away.

 

Without further ado, here are the final standings for IronEagle 57.

 

UV

  1. Master Medi (Survived+2)
  2. Asbadagba (Survived+2)
  3. NaZa (Survived+2)
  4. ginc (Survived+2)
  5. Horus (Survived+2)
  6. joe-ilya (Survived+1)
  7. Suitepee (Survived)
  8. SCF (Map 22)
  9. LadyMistDragon (Map 21)
  10. Anima Zero (Map 13)
  11. dt_ (Map 07)
  12. NoisyVelvet (Map 06)
  13. Chuckles_troll (Map 03)

 

HMP

  1. xX_Lol 6_Xx (Survived)
  2. head_cannon (Map 09)
  3. Crusader No Regret (Map 09)

 

HNTR

  1. Andromeda (Map 17)
  2. Pegleg (Map 09)
3

Share this post

Link to post

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...