Filename : alms4m3601.lmp, alms4m3601.txt
Date     : 02.11.2024
Iwad     : doom2.wad
Pwad     : alms2021.wad
Game     : Doom2
Exe      : DSDA Doom 0.26.2 -complevel 2
Category : UV-Max
Map(s)   : MAP04
Skill    : 4 (UV)
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Nickname : alexsa2015sa
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Map 04 - 36:01
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Description:

The lmp is recorded against an incorrectly named .wad file because the demo author is a dummy who renames the new files all the time instead of replacing old versions with correct ones. It WILL desync with the wrong version when the secret gunswitch is being shot at, because it is non-functional in old .wad version.

Attempts: 2000+. Yes, I now distinctly hate this map's length, why do you ask.

Had to fix a secret gunswitch that required freelook to shoot otherwise, so uploaded a new map version to idgames. Map01-03 are the same.

The demo doesn't even really qualify as a speedrun past ~1 minute mark, notably so because it is actually my first and the last successful recording. Around two dozen attempts died at various points post-ssg, including two where I could've just submitted an UV speed exit and be done with it; at least twice I even reached the final wave faster by 4-5 minutes. But nooo, I had to clean up the last wave of five archviles and facerocketed happily on a random demon at 25: 23, or caught an arachotron plasma at 20:ish, so there's a lot of space for improvement for someone who is willing to put in the work. Because, really, I do NOT enjoy recording this map anymore.

1, Shooting the imp at 0:22 doesn't happen often (it usually walks elsewhere and needing to do it awakened everything too early), but often enough there's a reason I pick chaingun-shotgun. This red-blue key run is overall pretty weak compared to many of failed attempts, but considering manifold points of failure later, it is what it is.
2. The accursed demon at 3: 00 just didn't want to get punched. Seriously, if I didn't know there are no nearby doors and lifts to make one and that it ate a knightball just fine I'd think it was a ghost monster.
2. Cyberdemon sticking to the goddamn open doors is a not good outcome either, by the way. It lost me a bit of time. Afterwards, I could've left quite a bit sooner after it became apparent nobody else with a walkable path is left alive. Since I died to suddenly a fireball aiming at someone's corpse far too many times I learned to be excessively cautious even after archvile deaths; in the end it didn't do favours to run length.
3. Same cyberdemon, considering how I unnecessary tiptoed around him after it cost me a lot of health and armor later (why is it always 280, why???).
4. I should have done something about the stuck archvile sooner either, but consiering 95% of failed attempts didn't even reach as far as SSG that's probably inevitable.
5. I didn't even <i>notice</i> I lined up the hellknight to shoot the imp at 5: 50; I didn't actually register it existed. Go figure.
6. Attempt at blue marker switch at 10: 00 was aborted because I had cyberdemon in the middle of platform and zero desire to risk yet another 280 rocket in the face which didn't yet occur at that point, but you learn to recognise ALL the issues with the idea of teleporting to there after thirty eaten rockets or so. ...It probably says something that I actually was in such a position thirty times to begin with, doesn't it.
6b. Honestly, this particular pit area might as well be an inescapable death pit for all difference it makes in typical speedrun even *before* you take time into account; you just won't fall off when it's calm enough to return back into play smoothly. It's all half-dozen hellknights and mancubi all around the place who happily fuck up your telefrozen ass; using the cyberdemon only worsens the outcome and archviles having all but unrestricted line of sight is just icing on cake.
7. When I actually went through with blue marker switch at 11: 30, I ate archvile zap to unexpectedly early teleport. It usually took half a second longer in all attempts that went to this point. There is slight randomness to what arrives first in the sequence.
8. Around 12: 50 I drop to 1% health and went to pop the megasphere,.. immediately after I ate the aforementioned 280-rocket while blasting the cyberdemon. I was stupid and that was stupid, but it worked so there. I *totally* intended to waste this megasphere this way, and that's the justification I am sticking with.
9. Around 16: 25 I return to the very early corridor where two deaf (actually deaf, in the case) spectres box a hellknight and a shellbox. There's such an amount of backtracking that could probably be cut down upon, but then again you are at least provided with extra shells in case of happy archvile-ville getting slightly out of control (not totally, though; you'd just die in the case). You cannot afford to wake them up before you're done with the first four archviles, really.
10. Using the BFG to clean the trash around 19: 00 was costly, but as facerockets prove, considerably safer. That said...
11. Around 19: 50, the executive decision to point-blank rocket in a crowd of imps cost yet another 128 health plus armor, but two seconds later this imp horde would've taken off about that much anyways. Also, the final archvile died in the end. But yeah, running into crowd was not the brightest moment only saved by the fact I already died in the exact same situation, so I'll call that "learning". No, seriously, this is a *very* raw demo which reflects my skill level at the time.
12. I only backtrack to pull the red marked switch at 24: 30. This is intentional, because twenty more imps is twenty imps too many at the point they can reach you. The corpse pile near midbar teleports (where archviles respawn not once, not twice, but at least *three* times) is absurd enough as is.
13. Archvile execution at 26: 44 is time-consuming, but fuck having one extra archvile running around later. I've been zapped enough times as-is and I can barely count to four to keep track of their deaths.
14. Final wave starts at 27: 22 and I merge it with final lift wave to use the invulnerability secret. There's four pinkies left in the closets (the release mechanism isn't pefect for single use) but for UV max this is irrelevant, you're not exiting now anyways with archviles on the loose.
15. Around 28: 50, I actually miss I haven't tapped the green armor. Eh, it turned out unnecessary either way.
16. At 29: 52, I stare down a teleporting cyberdemon point-blank. Thankfully I run the fuck away before the reflexive SSG shot causes a retaliation.
17. At 30: 20 I *finally* chase down the last archvile which has been aggroed onto cyberdemon all this time and thankfully hasn't been hit by anything else and unleashed upon some random corpse pile in a novel spot. No three guesses as to whether I would've survived that with enough ammo remaining.
18. Chaingunning the cyberdemon wasted over three minutes because I took things very, very, very safe. I considered idea of pulling him out of these tunnels back to start as extremely risky, and I actually didn't realise these teleports can transport him *to the balcony*. Fun 15 seconds of panic, and in hindsight actually how a faster deaf-play 409/413 run ended (literally rammed into a point-blank rocket when ascending the stairs with 3 pinkies remaining there)

The two main difficulty hurdles are the starting and the ending sequences, provided you keep archviles dead all throught. The one archvile that spawns in the first half of the map is profoundly annoying, however it doesn't actually collect all that many monsters and the problem are the stuck ledge corpses rather than resurrectees themselves *unless* you piled all the hellknights in the middle or something equally improbable.

Due to prevalence of archviles *everywhere* UV speed likely isn't meaningfully different from UV MAX, outside skipping the fuck out of the final fight, particularly the five archviles and cyberdemon. Exception: you can get away with an archvile jump in the end instead of visiting the red switch half... but you can't drop off the exit area or you'll need another jump. Really, if you prove you can actually afford to not mop up every single encounter up until the final stretch I will be officially impressed with your guts.