(Doom II) Scythe X: Map 10 - The Encounter (UV-Max Speedrun in 2:11)

Channel:

D0M0

Subscribers:

131

Published on December 10, 2022 2:00:00 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dy1-_217kg

Game:

Doom II: Hell on Earth (1994)

Duration: 3:24

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Runner: D0M0
Date: 2022-12-07
IWAD: Doom2.wad
PWAD: scythex.wad
Category: UV-Max
Map: 10 (The Encounter)
Source Port: DSDA-Doom v0.24.3
Time: 2:11.71

What a map this was to play!

Without doubt this is the best Scythe X map so far and for last. Why is that you may ask, well, the encounter fits the theme of suspenseful with it's encounters. Erik purposely plays mind games with you in this map, giving you a false idea of what to expect with this map.

You may think, since the monster count is low, it'll be a cyberdemon, or a couple arch viles, or maybe Alm pulled a Hell Revealed and placed 30 barons at the exit. NO, this is all completely bogus. Alm knows perfectly what he is conjuring and you are the victim to fall to it. When you open that blue door, you finally understand what he was trying to tell you this whole time.

Custom enemies that summon a new lost soul variant that doesn't have an exact name. These "green ghosts" fire baron fireballs and supposedly only have 1 hit point. If you haven't planned for this map, you will die over and over again, because not only are these new enemies tanky, but they will fill the area with ghosts. Only until you nail that fight, you are free to end the episode there.

But NO. Erik plays another mindgame with you (however this is unintentional). Scythe X, ends here! No kidding, Erik Alm, the creator of many well recognised wads in the doom community, is burnt out from the encounter. But this cliffhanger isn't all bad, infact it fits the perfect length for a wad on casual playthrough, if you're willing to sit the entire night to play it.

What baffles the mind is how Scythe X is seen as the bad apple of the bunch when it comes to the Scythe series. I'd say Scythe2 outclasses this wad by millions of units, and even the first Scythe was better structured that this. But this is all because Alm invested a lot of time and effort into these wads. And for his biggest project yet, maybe burning out was inevitable.

However, what probably is the most important factor in this very specific case is my opinion towards the wad. Out of all the maps i've played from this wad. I'd happily say Scythe X is absolutely accessible and if it were longer, it would absolutely match up to it's older siblings. However, maps like Solar Power and Long Range Teleport in my opinion show a lack of ideology into the combat, and specifically the player. I'm not trying to say that Alm is a bad map maker, because I think he is amazing. But compared to what he has put out in the past, these two maps are definitely not up to par.

It was a pleasure diving into Scythe X, even for casual play, but speedrunning these maps has made me consider to play more of Alms wads. Therefore, I will announce that at the end of 2023, I will start a Scythe2 speedrun series.

And I know what you're thinking. The difficulty spike in Scythe2 is certainly a huge step compared to the wads i'm stuck on currently. But this is all part of the plan. Remember, not only am I trying to entertain you lot, but I am also building up my confidence to play harder wads, and certainly improve at the game on casual and speedrunning terms.

I highly recommend playing this wad if you're looking for short, easy and enjoyable maps that you can knock out in one nights worth of playtime.

Thank you Erik Alm for this experience, and maybe, if you are reading this, someday you can surprise the doom community with more maps for Scythe X!

Link to wad: https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/Ports/s-u/scythex
Link to sourceport (DSDA): https://github.com/kraflab/dsda-doom

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