THE STORY DOCUMENTING THE D2SG BASE SET

8/11/96

This note is to document how the new D2SG base was developed, a long and twisted story. Yonatan Donner originally sent his proposal to Frank and Mike Pratt responded to it. George Bell had also sent an evaluation similar to Mike's. Frank then asked the three of us to jointly develop the new base.

The only request Frank made was that the number of MAPs in Easiest and Hardest be limited to one or two and that the remaining MAPs be more or less evenly divided between Easy, Medium and Hard.

We started looking at each of our original sets and trying to work them together into one base set. Everyone agreed that just using the calculations would not provide the best set possible. The first proposal to come out of these discussion was the 7/17/96 proposal. George revised his calculations using June 13 COMPET-N times to verify that very little had changed since our original studies. Discussions as to the details to consider when placing each MAP began. Coming out of these discussions was the 7/22/96 proposal. It includes all of our opinions on each MAP and a new set was tabulated based on those comments.

At this point we started recording LMPs for every MAP to provide visual documentation as well as written how the base was built. This exercise resulted in some surprises and reshuffling in the set from the 7/22/96 proposal. The discussions that lead to the changes are included below ... MAP20 got demoted from Medium to Easy, MAP22 and MAP23 got promoted to Hard and in their place MAP14 and MAP26 go demoted to Medium. Also included are discussions that drew some controversy but did not result in moves. In particular MAP02 and MAP24 were discussed over and over.

The very last section is a copy of notes where we agreed upon the final set submitted to Frank. More than anything that is printed here please look at the demo set of LMPs. Some MAPs were placed the way they were because of routes or tricks, MAP14 and MAP17 for example. The demos were developed using "safe" routes that ended with reasonable health, and not requiring extraordinary stunts (unless our success rate using them was ~50% or better).

Thank you for your interest. We hope you enjoy the new set!

The D2SG Team.

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==================== THE STARTING POINT ========================
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This is the starting point for the discussions below,
the 7/22/96 set.

Easiest   01 18 32
Easy      03 05 08 15 21 27 28  30  31
Medium    04 07 10 11 16 19 20- 22+ 23+ 25
Hard      02 06 09 12 13 14- 17 24 26-
Hardest   29

+ means MAP was move up in final set
- means MAP was moved down


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========================= MAP02 ================================
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
------------------------ JULY 24 -------------------------------
G> MAP02 Well I tried this about 4 times but failed to get under par.
G>       Anyway, I think this is a hard, but with a 2 minute par it
G>       might be easy!!  My last run was 1:34, so I still didn't
G>       quite make it.

------------------------ JULY 26 -------------------------------
G>>> Map02: Despite what Yonatan says I still think this is hard.  It's
G>>>        too bad this was in the easiest set before so no D2SG ever did it.

M>> Yonatan is quite correct this is short and simple.  But it can't be
M>> medium because it takes a good solid run with skillful shooting and
M>> movement to make it happen.  This is just as hard to put under 1:30
M>> as I thought.  Even Daniel's comment on his COMPET-N run ... "I never
M>> would have believed it".  The best I could do was 1:22 and all shot
M>> up at the ending, hard.

Y> Am I the only one who did it in the first try WITH the ssg more than 10
Y> seconds under par? Come on! It's not hard! Really! And I believe Daniel said
Y> it about 100% kills/secrets... (Or was that actually Kai?)

Y> Anyway I'm willing to put it in hard if both of you really think it belongs
Y> there.

------------------------ JULY 26 -------------------------------
M>> I am considering 02 for medium because as I said yes it is short and
M>> easy, perhaps the easiest of the hards but if it goes, I would have to
M>> pitch lots of others from hard.  So in the end our set will be a
M>> compromise at best to accommodate Frank's request
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========================= MAP14 ================================
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
------------------------ JULY 24 -------------------------------
G>> MAP14, well I don't know this map too well but I made it after a
G>> couple of tries, it is fairly mild for a hard.  I didn't realize you
G>> can go so fast at the end, there isn't much to stop you.  But
G>> it is certainly harder than 26.  Is my route the same as yours??

M> Will not be able to say about route till tonight but I just followed
M> the crowd at COMPET-N but shot more along the way to be safe.

------------------------ JULY 25 -------------------------------
G>> This is fine with me, I'd also maybe still swap 14 and 23, making
G>> 14 Medium and 23 Hard.

M> Done, 22 for 26: 23 for 14.  Good call I like it!

------------------------ JULY 25 -------------------------------
M>> MAP14 This one is even easier than 06, I could be talked into
M>>       medium here (and I don't even know this MAP!) but hard is
M>>       ok too, some MAPs have to be hard!

Y> All depends on the route. If you have a good one, it's medium.
Y> Ok, I'm leaving to record it...

Y> ...back. Did it easily (1st try) using Michael Kren's route. I even managed
Y> to be stupid enough to miss the soulsphere (literally miss it) and survive
Y> to the end with tons of misses.
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========================= MAP20 ================================
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
------------------------ JULY 25 -------------------------------
G>> I recorded 20 last night and I find it rather easy.  Of course I
G>> know this map well, only problem is there are some jumps, and if
G>> you miss you are in trouble.  Also the end you have to be able to
G>> fire the plasma gun while walking along a narrow walkway, which takes
G>> a bit of skill.


G>> Do we have to do a swap??  Can't we just move 20 to easy??

M> Yes we can, consider it done.

------------------------ JULY 25 -------------------------------
Y> 20: Too much health. Easy.
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========================= MAP21 ================================
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
------------------------ JULY 23 -------------------------------
G> MAP21 This is rather difficult to race through, but the par is
G>       very generous so the easy way is to sit back and take it slow.
G>       You have time to pretty much kill everything for the first half
G>       if you want, and then the end is easy with the 2 key trick.
G>       I suppose this is reasonable as easy, although it is one
G>       of the harder easy's.

------------------------ JULY 24 -------------------------------
M>>> Would you suggest medium, "I suppose" sounds kind of
M>>> uncommitted?

G>> Thing is I know this map very well but I still find the start a
G>> little rough for an "easy".  Yes, it seems to take a bit of skill,
G>> you can try to blaze past the 4 revenants or kill them, neither
G>> has a 100% success rate.  I can see this as a hard easy, or an easy
G>> medium, it's kind of on the line for me. Actually I'm fine leaving
G>> it in the easy set (MAP21).

M> Done.  Makes for better balance too.

------------------------ JULY 26 -------------------------------
Y> I agree with it being easy.
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========================= MAP22 ================================
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
------------------------ JULY 24 -------------------------------
M>>> I tried 22 this morning out of curiosity and I can't see it
M>>> as medium.  Out of 10 tries I only made it once and at 2:30
M>>> exactly.  I would like to exchange this for 26.
M>>> So 22 would go to hard, 26 to medium.

G>> This is fine with me, I'd also maybe still swap 14 and 23, making
G>> 14 Medium and 23 Hard.

M> Done, 22 for 26: 23 for 14.  Good call I like it!
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========================= MAP23 ================================
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
------------------------ JULY 23 -------------------------------
G> MAP23 I tried this a couple times and it is hard getting past the demons.
G>       Maybe there is some trick I forgot??  I tried ignoring the
G>       pain elementals, if you're lucky the wall around the demon
G>       hallway closes and you don't have to worry about the PE's.
G>       Still, if you get past this part it's not too bad, I could
G>       see this as either a medium or hard ...

------------------------ JULY 25 -------------------------------
G>> This is fine with me, I'd also maybe still swap 14 and 23, making
G>> 14 Medium and 23 Hard.

M> Done, 22 for 26: 23 for 14.  Good call I like it!
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========================= MAP24 ================================
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
------------------------ JULY 23 -------------------------------
G>> MAP24 Well, you know, I hate this level.  In fact I don't think I have
G>>       ever finished it at any skill level!  If we fell off enough we
G>>       may have to call it hardest.

M> I have it recorded but it took a long time to figure out how to do
M> it safely.  If the skill of walking on the ledges is a major factor
M> then it is hardest.  In my view this is just something that should
M> be practiced for this MAP (walking ledges) and not a big factor.
M> There are two parts where more luck is required than in any of my
M> other LMPs so it is harder than 09 but it is also half as long so
M> in that respect it is easier about a wash in my opinion.  I
M> recommend hard.

------------------------ JULY 26 -------------------------------
G>>> MAP24 Well, you know, I hate this level.  In fact I don't think I have
M>> it is easier about a wash in my opinion.  I recommend hard.

Y> I recommend hardest... Although I see your point. Still seems to me a lot
Y> trickier than 9.

------------------------ JULY 26 -------------------------------
M>> As for 24 I would like to leave it in hard because it is
M>> such fun and not  ANYTHING like 29 although 29 is not
M>> impossible just no room for errors and little for improv.
M>> I think you said you can live with this in your note,

Y> It's ok, let 24 stay...

------------------------ AUG 2   -------------------------------
Y> I finally managed to record level 24 under par, but it was very
Y> difficult, though I still agree that considering the difference
Y> between it and 29 it fits in hard, the hardest in hard.

Y> I found out that it's a must to run on the ledges in the end or
Y> otherwise the lost souls push you off. And if you run into a lost
Y> soul you mustn't try to run into them or when they move you'll fly
Y> right into the radiation. So in this one after many many tries I
Y> finally manage to run on the ledges.  I also couldn't see a way
Y> to succeed in surviving the demons part and surviving the ledges
Y> in the same lmp so I used the invulnerability for the demons.

------------------------ AUG 3   -------------------------------
Y> It seems level 24 was more difficult to me because of the ledges but I think
Y> that despite my personal difficulties with it it's easier than 29 (also I
Y> did 24 a lot more under par than 29).
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========================= MAP26 ================================
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
------------------------ JULY 23 -------------------------------
G>> MAP26 This one also has a very generous par, and is considerably
G>>       easier than I thought if you take it slow.  At the end I
G>>       end up dashing for the yellow key under fire, which seems
G>>       like it would be tough but I survived 75% of the time.
G>>       I suggest that this is a medium.


M> I accept that suggestion and would like to see the LMP you have
M> if you would uuencode it to me.
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========================= MAP29 ================================
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
------------------------ JULY 29 -------------------------------
Y>> Please no... I really think 29 should be moved to hardest. I think I can do
Y>> it but it's way more difficult than the others.

G> OK, this is fine with me.  In fact it was me in the first place who
G> had 29 by itself as hardest, based on COMPET-N times.  It remains
G> the only level not done by anyone in under 50% par, which for
G> 29 would mean 2:30.

------------------------ AUG 3  --------------------------------
Y> Comments about the level 29 demo:

Y> I realized after several failed attempts that I'd better kill everyone who
Y> seriously blocks my way. And there is enough plasma in the level to do that
Y> so I decided to go for the plasma. It is still not easy but definitely
Y> possible, though this level sure is hardest if you look at it next to the
Y> other levels.
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======================= AGREEMENT ==============================
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
------------------------ JULY 30 -------------------------------
M>> So ... Is this where we are and is this final with everyone?
M>> And should we try and rank them or should we just try and close
M>> this?  I think there may be too much disagreement on how to
M>> rank them but I will start.

M>> Easiest  01 18 32
M>> Easy     03 05 08 15 20 21 27 28 30 31
M>> Medium   04 07 10 11 14 16 19 25 26
M>> Hard     02 06 09 12 13 17 22 23 24
M>> Hardest  29

G> OK, I'll sign this!!  Rankings are OK and I think not needed if
G> we agree on this final set.

------------------------ JULY 31 -------------------------------
Y> I don't think we should rank... I'll go with any rank, I don't think it's
Y> important.

M>> Easiest  01 18 32
M>> Easy     03 05 08 15 20 21 27 28 30 31
M>> Medium   04 07 10 11 14 16 19 25 26
M>> Hard     02 06 09 12 13 17 22 23 24
M>> Hardest  29

Y> Agreed!! (Wow, I never though we'll get to this stage...) I'll even make do
Y> with 02 and 24 being together since I don't want to start moving other
Y> levels from hard to medium.
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Written by Mike Pratt on 1996 08 11. Footer, and nothing else, edited by fms. Online on the DHT site since 1996 08 14.