Ultimate Doom: Episode 3 - UV-Max Speedrun in

Runner: Zero-Master
Date: 2024-01-20
IWAD: Doom.wad
Category: UV-Max
Map: Episode 3
Sourceport: DSDA-Doom v0.27.5
Time: 16:48

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Level - Level Name | Time | Dif | :)
E3M1 - Hell Keep | 1:13.51 | +00:04 | :( @ 0m00
E3M2 - Slough of Despair | 2:04.57 | +00:08 | :( @ 1:14
E3M3 - Pandemonium | 2:05.00 | -00:04 | :( @ 3:19
E3M4 - House of Pain | 3:17.06 | -00:06 | :) @ 5:25
E3M5 - Unholy Cathedral | 2:50.97 | 0m00s| :| @ 8:43
E3M6 - Mt. Erebus | 1:40.03 | -00:09 | :) @ 11:35
E3M9 - Warrens | 1:47.60 | -00:04 | :( @ 13:17
E3M7 - Gate to Limbo | 1:34.74 | -00:18 | :) @ 15:06
E3M8 - Dis | 0:18.06 | -00:04 | :| @ 16:42
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Description:
33 seconds faster than the previous record.

I was thinking this one would be tough to get below 17 minutes, but I got an awful 17:11 after a few attempts. So after some more attempts I got this, unfortunately not a great looking run this either as there are smaller errors all over the place. Shouldn't have continued when time on the first levels are this bad, but it's mostly fun once you get past E3M2 and it's quite easy from there on. E3M5 and E3M9 weren't good either.

My best from save/load practice was around 15:3X, so I could see a clean run going under 16 minutes as the later levels are quite simple to get good times on usually with exception of E3M5 ending, no idea how much effort that would take though. As for the route there's definitely faster strategies, I had several ideas that were faster but also a bit too unreliable.

E3M1: Don't miss with the shotgun which is easy enough and hope for good infighting. I was thinking this was going to be one of the most awful levels to run, but it didn't feel too bad after once I started attempts.

E3M2: Much easier to just get the berserk immediately. I use a few cells at the end because I'll be ending up with 320 cells and no backpack on the next level, which does cost a BFG.

E3M3: I spent too much time trying to improve the route here only to end up doing the same thing, but then when I started attempts my first 2 that got here had monsters wandering off, so back to routing and I came up with something much better. I'll go straight for the BFG and kill both barons with it before getting the berserk, this way there's a very low chance anything goes missing and I get a much faster time if everything goes well, not to mention it's much easier to survive too. It does come at the cost of some cells, so I switched to berserking down the barons on E3M5 instead, so the time probably evens out a bit. Everything went as expected here, but everything was also a bit slow, was actually lucky with the pinky before blue key going into the spectre area, unfortunately I always assume he doesn't do that.

E3M4: I use some more BFG here to make things more consistent, but it's probably faster to use it elsewhere (like the barons) and hope that rockets does the job instead. At least the first 2 rockets are really good at killing 4 pinkies so that's great use of ammo. Decided to go with punching the baron during invulnerability here also to save cells. Had an ok start to the level, but then I lost at least 5 seconds to the pinky chasing a lost soul, incredible.

E3M5: You can telefrag one of the barons most of the time which I got quite lucky with here, almost didn't make it. Really unfortunate BFG on the cacodemons, also should have used the BFG on the barons since they were that close to each other. Exit area is annoying, however I've never seen the pinkies get stuck. I know coincident mentioned a 20% chance of a softlock here, never had it happen once even during practice so I had to actually check if it could happen, and by just standing somewhere else it happened immediately. This route makes it very unlikely to happen at least unless I just got lucky. Had to wait about 7 seconds for the final imp, it happens quite often and sometimes it's much worse, ruined a lot of runs.

E3M6: I like this level, quite simple route, but there's an even faster one so still at least 10 seconds to save even here.

E3M9: Disaster with the last shotgunner, just hoped the rocket would take care of him and it didn't, the rest wasn't great either. Got lucky with the second BFG dealing enough damage to the cyberdemon though, the first one must have done quite a bit.

E3M7: I knew the overall time wasn't great here so just go crazy with the rockets and hope it works. I'll use plasma on the cacodemon after dropping down past blue key door and rockets on the lost souls by the exit for a significaly safer route still though.

E3M8: Shame it's only 18 seconds, ran way to close to the first cacodemon.

Ugly run, but easier for whoever wants the e3 max record I guess :)