Scythe Map 12 No Damage Completion & UV Max + Reality + Items World Record Speedrun, with Commentary
80:00 Intro & NDC Attempt #18
1:30 Attempt #21
11:45 First speedrun success
16:00 Recap of other demos
16:25 World Record demo
19:20 Outro starts
20:25 New theory on poison damage
#Reality #UVMax #WalkInThePark
This video comprises mostly three successful demos (with clips of two more) and one outtake for the challenge of scoring all monsters, items and secrets on Scythe's Map 12 'Walk In The Park' from a pistol start, with no damage taken whatsoever --- also known as a 'No Damage Completion'. For the first part of the video I play safely and then I speedrun the challenge, culminating in the UV Max + Reality + Items World Record demo. There is commentary throughout the video, which was recorded live as I played the more cautious demos.
Scythe is the popular megawad released by Erik Alm and Kim 'Torn' Bach in 2003, and can be downloaded for free from:
https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/megawads/scythe
Speedrunning records are maintained by the DSDA (Doom Speed Demos Archive) at:
https://dsdarchive.com/wads/scythe?level=Map 12
This challenge requires the hardest tic counting I have ever done; mercifully it is a small map by Erik Alm. Actually, despite Alm's usual high standard, there is a slight flaw -- it is possible to softlock the map by jumping out of the building without the red key, making it impossible to return to reach the exit later. However, yet again, the mapmaker's monster placement is superb as two armies of zombies threaten to snipe you from opposite sides of the 'Park'. Revenants guard the rocket launcher and chaingunners teleport in to make reality play not trivial, even before you take the poison into account.
The position of the yellow key demands a very significant trip through nukage, twice! The trips are only makeable without damage if you straferun, and a great deal of research went into finding consistent starting positions for the journeys. I discovered the route from the key first, however because it involves wallrunning, the journey cannot be done in reverse to reach the key.
Tic counting involves using the weapon bobbing timer and some maths to reliably avoid taking damage from trips across damaging floors. I made a sensational discovery when my trip to the yellow key in the cautious demo appeared to 'get lucky' because I entered the poison on a tic that was 1 more than a multiple of 32 --- a time at which I would usually get injured.
In the outro I explain how I now have a new theory for the timing of damage by poison --- I now believe that you get injured on tics numbered 32k + 1 if you were in poison at the previous tic. I back up my theory by demonstrating an instance of being hurt on non-damaging floor at 0:23.80 having been in poison at 0:23.77, which is tic number 832 = 32 * 26.
In my Map 29 of Doom 2 video from October 2020, at • Doom 2 Map 29 No Damage Completion wi...
I proposed that poison damages you at multiples of 32 tics if you are standing in it.
In my E3M4 of Ultmate Doom video from Feb 2021, at • Ultimate Doom E3M4 No Damage Completi...
I corrected myself by saying damage occurs at tics numbered 32k + 1.
So my latest theory is a combination of previous ideas. I have tentative confidence in the idea, but
I will keep a close eye on when I enter/leave poison to see whether any anomalies occur.
I suggested my theory in a comment on Decino's 'Damaging Floors' video, at • Doom's Damaging Floors
However, Decino is doubtful, believing the process of being injured should all happen on the same tic. Share your thoughts in the comments, I'd love to hear from you.
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