Doom competitive gaming

Ever since the first release of Doom, players competed to compare their Doom playing skills; this was greatly aided by the game's ability to record demo files during play that could then be played back by every other player with the same game version.

Doom honorific titles

Eventually, a number of Doom honorific titles were proposed that everyone could apply for and would then be asked to justify his application by recording and submitting a demo to show that he was able to accomplish a certain feat. The following titles were issued:

• Doom Master: a player that can finish any level on Ultraviolence skill.
• Doom Grand Master: a player that can finish any level on Nightmare skill.
• Doom Tyson: a player that can finish any level on Ultraviolence skill using only the fist and pistol as weapons.
• Doom Grand Ass Kicker / Doom God: a combination of the three titles above.

Speedruns

The honorific titles were not the only recognition of outstanding players, though; although the process was less formalized, a player could also achieve fame by making available demos showing them performing other interesting or difficult tasks, ideally in as little time as possible. These demos became known as speedruns; typical tasks include just finishing levels as quickly as possible (usually on "Ultraviolence" or "Nightmare!" difficulty), scoring 100% kills and secrets on a level before finishing it, or doing "Tyson" runs in which only the fist and pistol (and, under some rules, the chainsaw) are allowed as weapons. A collection of demos is being maintained at the Compet-N database; also see the External Links section for other sites.

Doom was among the first known games to have developed a coordinated speedrunning fanbase. At first, players took advantage of the built-in demo recording feature to record speedruns. The very first runs were done in the original game client; later, as source ports were created, tool-assisted speedruns (commonly abbreviated TAS) came into play. TAS involved using save states and slow motion to perfect runs.

Speedrunning categories

Most, if not all, UV speedrunning categories can also be applied to lower skill levels; for example, HMP Max would require a player to finish a level (or set of levels) on skill 3 (Hurt Me Plenty) in the minimum possible time with 100% kills and secrets. It is also important to note that the definition of these categories sometimes vary in subtle ways; in these cases, all typical definitions are given below.

• UV Speed: Finish a level (or a set of levels) on skill 4 (Ultra-Violence) in the minimum possible time. This is a Compet-N demo category.
• UV Max:
  • Finish a level (or a set of levels) on skill 4 (Ultra-Violence) in the minimum possible time with 100% kills and secrets. (SDA)
  • Finish a level (or a set of levels) on skill 4 (Ultra-Violence) in the minimum possible time killing each monster at least once (except for Lost Souls) with 100% secrets. (Compet-N)
• UV Pacifist: Finish a level (or a set of levels) on skill 4 (Ultra-Violence) in the minimum possible time without directly or indirectly damaging monsters. Causing infights between monsters is allowed; Compet-N rules also allow unintentional telefrags.
• UV Tyson:
  • Finish a level (or a set of levels) on skill 4 (Ultra-Violence) in the minimum possible time with 100% kills, using no weapons other than the chainsaw, fist, and pistol. (SDA)
  • Finish a level (or a set of levels) on skill 4 (Ultra-Violence) in the minimum possible time killing each monster at least once (except Lost Souls), using no weapons other than the chainsaw, fist, and pistol. (Compet-N)
• UV -fast:
  • Finish a level (or a set of levels) on skill 4 (Ultra-Violence) with the -fast parameter (for faster monsters as on Nightmare!) in the minimum possible time with 100% kills. (SDA)
  • Finish a level (or a set of levels) on skill 4 (Ultra-Violence) with the -fast parameter (for faster monsters as on Nightmare!) in the minimum possible time killing every monster at least once (except Lost Souls) and with 100% secrets. (Compet-N)
• UV -respawn: Finish a level (or a set of levels) on skill 4 (Ultra-Violence) with the -respawn parameter (for respawning monsters as on Nightmare!) in the minimum possible time with 100% kills; it is *not* necessary to kill each monster at least once. This is a Compet-N demo category; Compet-N rules also require 100% kills, while SDA do not.
• UV -nomonsters: Finish a level (or a set of levels) on skill 4 (Ultra-Violence) with the -nomonsters parameter in the minimum possible time.
• UV Speedfighter: Finish a level (or a set of levels) on skill 4 (Ultra-Violence) under par time with as many kills as possible.
• UV Lemmings: Finish a level (or a set of levels) on skill 4 (Ultra-Violence) with as many monsters alive as possible when you exit.
• UV Reality: Finish a level (or a set of levels) on skill 4 (Ultra-Violence) in the minimum possible time with 100% kills without ever taking any damage.
• UV "Real" reality: Finish a level (or a set of levels) on skill 4 (Ultra-Violence) in the minimum possible time with 100% kills without ever taking any damage, using only weapons 1 to 5 (chainsaw, fist, pistol, shotgun, super shotgun, chaingun and rocket launcher).
• UV MMH: Finish a level (or a set of levels) on skill 4 (Ultra-Violence), with the highest minimum health possible. Minimum health is calculated this way: "Watch the health every time the player takes damage, and take the smallest value of the whole recording. If the player takes no damage at all, the health at the exit counts." (Steffen "Rini" Udluft) This is a Compet-N demo category.
• NM Speed: Finish a level (or a set of levels) on skill 5 (Nightmare!) in the minimum possible time. This is a Compet-N demo category.
• NM100S: Finish a level (or a set of levels) on skill 5 (Nightmare!) in the minimum possible time with 100% secrets. 100% kills are not required. This is a Compet-N demo category.
• NM 100%: Finish a level (or a set of levels) on skill 5 (Nightmare!) in the minimum possible time with 100% kills. It is *not* necessary to kill each monster at least once.
• NM Pacifist: Finish a level (or a set of levels) on skill 5 (Nightmare!) in the minimum possible time without directly or indirectly damaging monsters (causing infights between monsters is allowed, though).

The Reality category was first created by Benjamin "Cowboy" Lauterbach; under his original rules, you could only use weapons 1 to 5, but a Reality player is generally allowed to use all weapons nowadays. In order to distinguish the two types, the old style of Reality demos is sometimes called "Real reality", a term coined by Doug "Opulent" Merrill.

On January 20, 2004, Ukrainian player Andrey Budko set the world record for a tool-assisted speedrun of Doom 2, with a time of 14 minutes, 41 seconds in 30uv1441.

External links and references

• The COMPET-N database
• Public D.A.N.G (Demo Archive of the Non-Gods)
• The Doomed Speed Demos Archive
• Doom Tools-assisted Speedruns
• Doom done quick
• Doom Speed Demos forum at Doomworld