First Time Speedrunner

Routes, tactics, jumps, tricks and traps.
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Phil_mac
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First Time Speedrunner

Post by Phil_mac »

Hey Guys, I've loved doom since I first played in 1997 on my dad's computer, and I've been recently thinking about doing some speed-running for a bit of fun, and while I know that it will be virtually impossible to set new records on a game that is almost 20 years old and has been virtually fully optimised as far as speed-running is concerned, I'd still like to know a couple of things as a inexperienced speed-runner.
Mainly, what are the versions of doom that are acceptable for competitive speed-running (for things like the extra opening in E1M1 in the first room on the Ultimate Doom vs. DooM etc.) and since I'm most interested in running single segment UV Episode MAX runs for The Ultimate Doom/Doom what the rules for timing in between levels at the review screen is? (does timing start from the beginning of E1M1 thru to your death at E1M8 or do you individually record each level and then add level times together?) Plus any other useful information that you can think of would be greatly helpful :)
Thanks very much.
Springy
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Re: First Time Speedrunner

Post by Springy »

Hi, for movie runs you just record your run through of the whole episode on the category you want. Recording them individually and stitching them together would be a TAS run. I would recommend getting PrBoom + and perhaps getting some runs done for this database if you find this one a little difficult (they accept anything on the DSDA) but it would be best if a record is beaten, it also offers practically any wad. My set upuses a programming called ZDoom Launcher with PrBoom + loaded in source ports and typing "-skill 4 -complevel 2 -warp (map number here) -record fart" without apostrophes obviously (and a different demo name).

Complevels? Used for the map's format 2 = vanilla, 9 = boom, 3 = OG Doom/Ultimate and 4 = Final Doom (PrBoom plus uses these, I don't think anything else does). To get demos onto the DSDA you will need to play in the "Doom Speed Demos" forum on Doomworld then it gets uploaded when Andy feels like it (usually once a week). There is also Competition Doom (a whole new database that needs filling up). You'll have to request an ID on the forums.
AdamW
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Re: First Time Speedrunner

Post by AdamW »

unless things have changed since my day...episode run times are calculated as the sum of displayed time for each level for which a time is actually displayed. So for a UV episode max, that'd be ExM1->ExM7 plus ExM9. ExM8 doesn't display a time, and isn't counted (waaaaaaay back when we had no accurate way to count the time of those maps, so it's just excluded). You can sit on the intermission screens as long as you like, and take as long as you like in ExM8, but you do have to complete it according to the rules.

The actual rules are at http://www.doom.com.hr/index.php?page=compet-n_rules , and they say:

"DOOM UV Max Episode: finishing the episode as fast as possible, in Ultra Violence, killing every monster at least once, except lost souls, and with 100% secrets on all maps ExM1-ExM9.
Time is the total time of maps ExM1-ExM7 and ExM9, the player has to survive ExM8 and meet the above requirements on ExM8 too."
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Archy
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Re: First Time Speedrunner

Post by Archy »

If you are interested in submitting records to COMPET-N, you will need to record your demos with "Vanilla" Doom v1.9 for MS-DOS 5.0, though you can play the executable in whatever OS you like (for the most part, the OS can't interact with the executable in such a way as to give you an advantage, e.g. allow you to play in slow-motion or save-states) including emulators like DOSBox. Ultimate Doom must be played with the Ultimate Doom v1.9 executable, not the Doom 2 v1.9 one. Doom 2 can only be played with it's v1.9 executable while Final Doom can be either played with it's own v1.9 executable or Doom 2's v1.9 executable.

All demonstrations (i.e. "demos") must be recorded with the executable's built in recorder, that is the "-record" parameter. Recording a video with fraps and submitting it won't be expectable.

As for what versions of the Doom iwads are acceptable for competitive speed-running, the latest doom2.wad, Ultimate Doom's doom.wad, and the original two Final Doom iwads -- not the "Id Anthology" versions.

Your wads and exes should have the fallowing 8-bit-byte size and md5sum:
doom.wad - 12408292 - c4fe9fd920207691a9f493668e0a2083
doom2.wad - 14604584 - 25e1459ca71d321525f84628f45ca8cd
plutonia.wad - 17420824 - 75c8cf89566741fa9d22447604053bd7
tnt.wad - 18195736 - 4e158d9953c79ccf97bd0663244cc6b6
doom.exe - 715493 - 742a5f9953871687341e3794468894d8
doom2.exe - 709905 - e2382b7dc47ae2433d26b6e6bc312999
[final]doom2.exe - 722629 - f006de4fd282ba61d7d0af41a993f9ba

I suggest you make those files read-only.

When recording multiple levels in a single recording, the time it takes to complete each level is added up to determine your final time. Time spend resting at the stats screen does not count towards your final time. On movies (multi level recordings) the time it takes to complete ExM8 does not count towards your final time. This is do to the fact that back in the old days, there was no way to precisely determine the time it took to complete those levels, and unfortunately this outdated rule lives on today. All levels must be recorded in a single session, recording levels individually and stringing them together in against the rules of not only COMPET-N but also DSDA (without the indication of TAS) as Springy told you.

The above are just to rules for C-N (COMPET-N) competition. Other organizations have different rules, such as DSDA where all demos are accepted so long as they are recorded honestly (e.g. no recording a TAS demo and submitting it as an unassisted demo). However, there is a de facto standard among speedsters that all demos submitted at DSDA should be of the complevel that the WAD was made for, for example "-complevel 2" for Doom 2, 3 for Ultimate Doom and 4 for Final Doom though 2 is also acceptable. Submitting a gzdoom demo of a Doom 2 speedrun won't get much downloads.

Sorry if I insulted you buy giving you such basic info, such as how a demo should be recorded. I wasn't quite such what to make of "first time speedrunner" so I wanted to be sure I covered the basics so you don't do something amazing only to find that your recording in invalid.

P.S.: Note that for a UV-MAX run to be valid, you have to exit with all monsters dead, not just simply "100% kills" at the states screen, e.g. if an Arch-vile resurrects another monsters -- that monster will have to be killed again. People who state that in a UV-MAX run, one must kill each monsters once or exit with 100% kills, are erroneous; one must exit with all monsters dead (with a few exceptions certain maps) for the demo to be valid.
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Amphedark
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Re: First Time Speedrunner

Post by Amphedark »

Hey Archy, if I might ask - what exactly do you mean by "'Vanilla' Doom v1.9 for MS-DOS 5.0?" Are you saying that use of a port like CNDOOM or Chocolate DOOM would not be accepted to COMPET-N? Or am I merely misunderstanding what you said?

Sorry, I'm new to all of this, but I find it fascinating. I'd like to record some demos myself, actually.
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fx
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Re: First Time Speedrunner

Post by fx »

Yes, for recording COMPET-N demos you have to record with doom2.exe or doom.exe. Since I doubt you have MS DOS/windows 98 you can use DosBox to emulate Dos and record demos. If you want to record demos for CNDOOM then you can use cndoom client. Please try to read rules: http://doom.com.hr/index.php?page=compet-n_rules
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Amphedark
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Re: First Time Speedrunner

Post by Amphedark »

Ah, thanks for the clarification @fx. Sorry - the rules were clear, but I've never had any experience with Compet-N prior to this... the wording on the details was a little hazy for someone who has every source port known to man, lol.
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Angus
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Re: First Time Speedrunner

Post by Angus »

Hi guys, I have big problem with recording demos. I need advice how to make demo record, I need some exact procedure how to do it. I have PrBoom 2.5.1.3 and I am using doom2.wad, but it´s all what I know. Thank you so much for every advice. Angus
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fx
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Re: First Time Speedrunner

Post by fx »

Well, if you want to record prboom demos I suggest you to go to doomworld forums, and look there, they have pretty good explanation how to do it.
Angus
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Re: First Time Speedrunner

Post by Angus »

Oh, thank you so much for this link, it´s really helped me. So now I can make world records :D:D:D:D:D
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