WAD: Eternal III
Filename: ETERNALL.wad
Walkthrough: Map 3 - Inter-Base
Source port: PrBoom+ 2.5.1.4
Playback command: D:\prboom-plus-2.5.1.4\glboom-plus.exe -iwad doom2.wad -complevel 2 -file ETERNALL.wad -playdemo et03x511.lmp
This is a tool-assisted speedrun that devestates Map 3 as fast as possible. It was recorded in PrBoom+, but most damage manipulations and difficult sections were made in XDRE 2.20
Comments
The first map in Eternal Doom which I would classify as a hard map. It has long route, complex sections and a small weapon variety. I was arguing about the lack of Chaingun/Rocket Launcher during my TAS of Map 2. So now I regret I wasn't given a BFG! Even a single shot would be nice =)
This TAS comes as an improvement of Andy Olivera's TAS (in 9:33) by over 4 minutes! When I watched it, I found it decent because it looks like an OK TAS, but, since it was his final demo before he had moved from TASDOOM to XDRE, there are plenty of slow sections.
At the very beginning, instead of run rushing to the Rocket Launcher in the west side and fighting 2 Barons of Hell, I activated linedefs that trigger zombies to teleport close to me and ran to the door in the south-east. With some minor manipulations, I made both Cacodemons (things 12, 13) to fight with other monsters. In a while, so was made with a Baron of Hell (thing 78) and a Mancubus (thing 47).
Then I got the Rocket Launcher (RL) and teleported to the backstage of the pool room. The rest of the route is similar though I cleaned two chambers (guarded by things 381, 382 and 369, 370) as a last resort, when all the southern part of the map was devestated.
The room with 6 Heavy Weapon Dudes (HWD) and a megaspeare was completely done in XDRE to prevent myself from misfiring.
The room with 2 Arachnotrons where you lift down the red key could be improved. HWDs in the hidden room attacked each other in my test run that would save some time, but fortunately they teleported to me while I was killing everyone in the room with the red key.
I skipped linedef 974 to perform additional wallrunning trick in Red Skull's section, but I didn't manage to kill all 3 imps (things 347, 348, 349) because one of them runs to the teleport as soon as I get close to him.
The Blue Skull's section was done with RL instead of SSG to save some more time.
Cyberdemon's section is slow in my opinion. I was planning to make all Barons of Hell attack the Cyberdemon. As soon as he killed the offender, he moved to me though there were 2 more Barons attacking him. That section was also made in XDRE to deal high damage from every rocket. I was really annoyed when my rocket dealt 20 damage to Cyberdemon because he doesn't receive rocket splash damage (almost).
I decided to kill myself at the end. However, I saved only 3 tics of doing so. Maybe it was better to stay alive and make a Hollywood-style final when the Main Hero ends up being barely alive after a huge trouble, wasn't it? If someone was wondering about hero's face when he dies - here you can see it. It looks repulsive.
Overall time: 5:11 (311.14)
Possible improvements
1. Kill a Hell Knight (thing 305) quicker. When I was fighting him, I got SO BAD RNG that I switched to SSG and shot him.
2. Make HWDs (things 340-343) to infight.
3. Make Cyberdemon fight more Barons of Hell.
4. Kill Baron of Hell (thing 354) faster. I spend 7 rockets on him because of extemely long range. I had to come closer.