This is a DHT exam file. Its place is in the dht-exams directory.
The DOOM Honorific Titles
Created by Frank Stajano on 1994 05 01
Tomaz Cedilnik hereby conquers the title of DOOM 2 Master.
Exam file name : D2M6TC.ZIP
Title conquered : DOOM 2 Master
Author : Tomaz Cedilnik
Completion date : 1997 05 29
Game and version used : DOOM II v. 1.9
Log entry : (copy the relevant two lines verbatim from your
challenge)
Substitutions? : NO (not possible in DHT6)
System used : Pentium 100, Ati 3D ProTurbo PC2TV, 14" Colorview, SB AWE32
Controls used : Keyboard only, with keys redefined as follows
Right hand:
arrows - moving & turning
ctrl - fire
Left hand
a - strafe left
s - run
d - strafe right
space - open / use
Free interpretation : Level 20 (hardest), same rules, 100% secrets,
h/a: 200/200.
Comments : As you see, I'm new here (in DHT) and have much
to say.
At the beginning I didn't know why the given
levels were not sorted. I decided to start with
17 and continue with 21 and 27. First I quickly
looked into them to see what I've got. 17 was
pretty easy. When I was trying to do 21 I
realized it's the easy one and that I've already
done the medium one. It wasn't very good feeling
to have more troubles with an easy level so I
decided to make a plan to go through. I practiced
every part separately, each one a few minutes.
When I thought it was enough I started to record
again. I needed many trials but finally I did it.
In 17 I didn't have to plan much, I just tried
many times. I think 21 is maybe slightly harder
than 17. I compared 17 and 21 to the other easy
and medium levels and I think 17 and 21 should be
in the same set; they should be easy cause 17 is
much easier than other medium levels.
Well, the realization that the 21 is "easy" was
also the realization that the 27 is hard so I
became scared about it because that could mean I
did less than a half of my work after finishing
17 and 21. But ... it wasn't so difficult.
MAP17:
This is the first .lmp for this title. When I
found a good way to go through I did only 92%
kills. Then I realized I didn't kill chaingunners
& co. in the room with zig-zag wall in the middle
(cacos and imps and teleports). I also checked
the map (using DCK) and saw that's all so I
started recording. But it took a lot of trys
because there's not much ammo at the beginning.
That's why I really tried to convince cacos, imps
and chaingunners to do some of my job. In
revenant's room I decided to shoot revenant near
the room's exit but I had to kill shootgunners
before because I was almost without sheels. I
saved bullets for pain elementals and
arachnotrons because they stop shooting if you
use a chaingun. I accidently went to the yellow
door after I got the blue key and realized it
comes later. In the blue room chaingunners were
shooting me from behind and a cacodemon surprised
me but it was easy to deal with them. Arachnotron
wasn't a big problem, I was just standing on the
radioactive floor because it was easier to aim at
him (I picked up a supercharge before facing
him). In the yellow room I hadn't much trouble
killing monsters except when the revenant hit me
(OUCH!), archie was easy (I took a supercharge
before and had more than enough rockets). I also
dealed with annoying 'exit room guards' with
rockets. At the end of this level I wasn't sure I
killed everybody (body?!) but fortunately I did.
Time: 24:02.
MAP21:
Here also seemed to be a lack of ammo. But It's
easy to let mancubuses kill all imps in the room
with arrow shaped stairs and elevator. Revenants
are easy, you just have to hide behind a corner
sometimes. Here are more than enough powerups so
it becomes "seriously dangerous" only in two
rooms: one is where you get the yellow key and
the other has the floor covered with slime and
many islands, both because you can't go to the
beginning room (with powerups) any time. In the
room with the yellow key I was in panic because
of low health but I managed to escape (with 1% of
health) so I could recover my health and continue
the fight --- actually watching fight between
them. The green room wasn't so big problem
because I had enough room to run. I used
invulnerability for annoying chaingunners
(other monsters shoot balls so they're mostly
harmless). After taking the red key and chainguns
I was a little confused because imps' fireballs
were comming from all directions when I made some
holes into a knight. But the one who was behind
my back was probably killed by that knight. Then
I realized the room was practically empty so I
decided to kill all and get a megasphere after
that to go out with 200-200. After coming back to
the green room I noticed (fortunately; otherwise
I'd have to record it again) that I didn't shoot
all monsters yet. They were trapped (if a monster
stands on the edge of an elevator and it goes up,
that monster can't move sometimes). But I saw a
fireball and knew they're still there.
Time: 14:15.
MAP27:
This level is hard (classified by Frank Stajano).
As I said, it scared me before I started to work
on it seriously. The most unpleasant about this
level is it's complexity. So I had to make very
exact plan before even trying to record. First I
looked it's shape with DCK (level editor) and
tried to find an easy way through it. I also
tried to find out how to get all weapons as soon
as possible. The secret area which closes 30
seconds after start contains some ammo so it must
be picked up at the beginning (I may kill the
spider before). And so on, the level is large and
complex so I decided to look some other DOOM2
Masters to see how they did it. Before that I
almost decided to cheat. There are some dark
areas. If I light them nobody will know. Actually
I didn't light the rooms. I changed the meanning
of 'light level'. I made a pwad which has only a
COLORMAP entry, and color maps were changed so
the rooms which should be completely dark were
only darkened. Then I looked for the demos. I
found 6 assignments of level 27 and decided to
look all of them. After that I thought I can just
do it like others. To kill mancubi first (in the
big rooms with teleport in the middle) and later
revenants was a good idea. Also someone showed me
(in his .lmp) how to kill pain elementals with a
chaingun (hiding behind the corner). And so on.
When I was watching the others' demos I got sick
of them because everything seemed so easy except
some experiments (not using strafe buttons, not
knowing how to jump over the green pool). I
decided I was ready so I started recording and
tried a few times. I also decided not to cheat.
It's not fair and (more important) it's too easy.
Yes, it was pretty easy. As you can see, just
before the end I wasn't sure if I killed
everybody. So I supposed I did and went out. I
left one invulnerability artifact and two
supercharge balls but went out with 200% health!
I'm not really sure this level deserves to be in
a hard set... Or am I so good?? Naaah. Anyway, I
checked the demo (binary) if it's really recorded
in ultra-violence. Good! It is.
Time: 23:28.
MAP20:
Because I think I got two easy levels and I don't
consider it fair, I decided to do a level which
really deserves to be called (at least) medium.
That was before I did 27. But 27 was also much
easier than I expected so I decided to do one of
hardest levels to deserve to be called 'Master';
I choosed 20.
I used master rules (ultra-violence, at least
100% kills), of course. But that's not all. I
also decided to finish the level with 200/200 and
100% secrets. I examined the level carefully,
found quite simple way through it and found out I
can pick up a megasphere just before going out.
I needed some trials to do it but it wasn't
difficult at all. The spider mastermind and the
cyberdemon were easy, I just let them shoot one
each other. I didn't plan to take the megaarmor
after that, however I accidently did it so I
decided to continue and hoped it wouldn't change
the plan too much; fortunately it didn't.
Behind the door there are arch-vile and some
other creatures; I killed them from other side.
That way I teleport to a pain elemental and kill
him without wasting ammo. But lost souls did some
troubles there, floating around me when I tried
to jump from the elevator.
At the second pain elemental's area (stairs, jump
over lava) I also had some troubles. When I
jumped to the stairs I slipped but I could jump
into a teleport and try again without health
loss.
I played even with less style: After I killed an
archie (the second one) I realized I didn't take
the BFG9000 from that room so I came back but I
couldn't find out how to open the door hiding it.
I was running around for a long time (boring for
the audience). Then I decided not to use BFG9000
and realized I didn't even plan to use it, I just
planned to take it because it's there so it
didn't change my plan how to finish the level. In
the exit room I didn't have problems, plasma is a
really good weapon! I don't know who/what killed
the revenant on the right side of the exit; maybe
I did it when I was shooting there with plasma
(trying to kill a caco hiding there), maybe he
had problems with a chaingunner...
Maybe this level should be hard, not hardest (or
maybe I'm not experienced enough to judge it).
Time: 18:46.
Author info : 24 years old math student, I like to play DOOM,
especially deathmatch. Once when I participated a
deathmatch competition I was very bad (I used
mouse, the others used keyboard). Then I tried to
play with keyboard; I had much better control. I
played deathmatch on many external levels,
designed only for deathmatch. But I had only one
opponent and I played on a laptop (terrible). So
I decided to try with DHT because I don't want to
loose my DOOMing skills.
This is my first title. I didn't request a
challenge for DOOM 1 Master because I didn't have
DOOM 1. I was working much on DOOM 2 so I was
prepared for this challenge. I'll challenge the
title of DOOM 1 Master soon, but first I'll look
a little around and learn about levels. I read
DOOM 1 is easier than DOOM 2 so I think I won't
have problems conquering DOOM 1 Master. I also
plan to become a Tyson, Speedy Gonzales,
Incubus...
