Doom is primarily a single-player game, in which online deathmatch was added as an afterthought. Doomers wanted a way to quantitatively compare their relative prowess in the single-player levels of doom. Speedrunning allows for direct competition between doom single-players. Players record their fastest level run-throughs in realtime as an .lmp file, a special kind of lump file that is a recording of all the actions and movements taken by the player in completing a level or levels. Lmp files allow the speedrunner to submit his playthrough to other doomers who can then replay and view the run. Demos make possible the recording and verification of world record doom times. Demos are genrally sent to the comptetive Doom speedrunning site, Compet-N for verification and posting.
Types of Doom Speedrun Demos
General Demo Types
The following demo types are taken from the Compet-N faq. Compet-N, it's terminology and standards are generally accepted as the official rules of competitive speedrunning.
- UV Speed: finishing the level as fast as possible, in Ultra Violence.
- UV Maxkills: finishing the level as fast as possible, in Ultra Violence, killing every monster at least once, except lost souls, and with 100% secrets.
- NM Speed: finishing the level as fast as possible, in NightMare!.
- NM 100% secrets: finishing the level as fast as possible, in NightMare! and with 100% secrets.
- UV -Fast: finishing the level as fast as possible, in Ultra Violence with the -fast parameter, killing every monster at least once, except lost souls, and 100% secrets.
- UV -Respawn: finishing the level as fast as possible, in Ultra Violence with the -respawn parameter, with 100% kills or more and with 100% secrets.
- UV Pacifist: finishing the level as fast as possible, in Ultra Violence, with the following restrictions: not harming monsters directly (no shooting at, chainsawing, boxing monsters), not harming monsters indirectly (exploding barrels that hurt monsters, activating crushers that hurt monsters). Allowed is making monsters fight each other and unintentional telefrags.
- UV Tyson: finishing the level as fast as possible, in Ultra Violence, killing every monster at least once, except lost souls, with the following restrictions: you can only use fist, berserk fist, chainsaw and pistol.
- MMH: finishing the level in Ultra Violence, in the highest MMH possible. The Maximum Minimum Health is calculated this way: "Watch the health everytime 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)
Doom/Ultimate Doom Only
- DOOM UV Episode: finishing the episode as fast as possible, in Ultra Violence. Time is the total time of maps ExM1-ExM7 and the player must survive ExM8. (x: episode number)
- DOOM NM Episode: finishing the episode as fast as possible, in NightMare! Time is the total time of maps ExM1-ExM7 and the player must survive ExM8. (x: episode number)
- DOOM UV Max Episode: finishing the episode as fast as possible, in Ultra Violence, killing every monster at least once, except lost souls, and with 100% secrets on all maps ExM1-ExM9. Time is the total time of maps ExM1-ExM7 and ExM9, the player has to survive ExM8 and meet the above requirements on ExM8 too.
- DOOM NS Episode: finishing the episode as fast as possible, in NightMare!, with 100% secrets on all maps ExM1-ExM9. Time is the total time of maps ExM1-ExM7 and ExM9, the player has to survive ExM8 and meet the above requirements on ExM8 too.
Doom II Only
- DOOM2 UV Episode: finishing the episode as fast as possible, in Ultra Violence. Valid episodes: MAPS 01-10, 11-20, 21-30. Time is the total time of the maps. In MAPS 11-20, taking the secret levels is optional.
- DOOM2 NM Episode: finishing the episode as fast as possible, in NightMare!. Valid episodes: MAPS 01-10, 11-20, 21-30. Time is the total time of the maps. In MAPS 11-20, taking the secret levels is optional.
- DOOM2 UV Max Episode: finishing the episode as fast as possible, in Ultra Violence, killing every monster at least once, except lost souls, and with 100% secrets on all maps. Valid episodes: MAPS 01-10, 11-20, 21-30. Time is the total time of the maps. In MAPS 11-20, taking the secret levels is required.
- DOOM2 NS Episode: finishing the episode as fast as possible, in NightMare!, with 100% secrets on all maps. Valid episodes: MAPS 01-10, 11-20, 21-30. Time is the total time of the maps. In MAPS 11-20, taking the secret levels is required.
- DOOM2 UV Run: finishing MAPS 01-30 as fast as possible, in Ultra Violence. Time is the total time of the maps. Taking the secret levels is optional.
- DOOM2 NM Run: finishing as many maps as you can from MAP01 as fast as possible, in Nightmare!. Time is the total time of the finished maps. Taking the secret levels is optional.
- DOOM2 UV Max Run: finishing MAPS 01-30 as fast as possible, in Ultra Violence, killing every monster at least once, except lost souls, and with 100% secrets on all maps. Time is the total time of the maps. Taking the secret levels is required.
- DOOM2 NS Run: finishing as many maps as you can from MAP01 as fast as possible, in Nightmare!, with 100% secrets on all maps. Time is the total time of the finished maps. Taking the secret levels is required.
Official Compet-N Rules for recording Demos
- Demos must be recorded using the original doom .exe files. Demos recorded using a [source port]] are invalid. Doom.exe must be version 1.9 (size 715493 bytes), Doom2.exe must be version 1.9 (size 709905 bytes) and is used for Final Doom as well.
- No additional pwads may be loaded up with the iwad when recording the demo.
- Slowmotion may not be used when recording a speedrun
Tool Assisted Demos
These are demos recorded using special utilities, programs or options not allowed in Compet-N. Such utilities tend to decrease the overall time required to complete a speedrun, hence the term, tool assisted. Demos recorded using a source port are considered tool assisted. Speed records set in tool assisted demos are generally considered invalid for the purpose of setting new doom world records.