Strife - Quest for the Sigil

2005-08-07 01:36:30 am

4NT

I am currently attempting a speedrun of Strife. Have been doing some test runs through the game to see what can be done. The main problem with Strife is that it is very hard to run through. Mostly due to enemies being able to do quite a lot of damage even on lower difficulties. My attemps are currently on the Rookie difficulty, since on harder difficulties the number of enemies are increased to quite effectively prevent most stealth attempts.

My testing has shown that a 100% run should be completable at around 1 hour if it is segmented. Single-segment is quite difficult to pull off due to the fact that you need a lot of luck on some places. My (single-segment) test runs have ended up at around 1:15 not counting the numerous deaths and major mistakes.

About the game:

It has an internal game timer, but to use that you have to do a no-death run since the time is saved in all saves, even autosaves. Dying will reload the autosave from the beginning of the level. (Except for on map 29.) However, the game timer cannot be accessed after completion of the game so you have to check it during the final fight.

It has 5 difficulties. Training, Rookie, Veteran, Elite and Bloodbath. Consider Rookie to be the Normal difficulty.

It's an old DOS FPS, the last one to use the Doom engine. Mouse support sucks so I have to play with my keyboard only. I am allowed to use DOSBox, right?

Gonna post some more info about how the run is built up later but I am gonna do some more testing first.

Thread title:

I am currently attempting a speedrun of Strife. Have been doing some test runs through the game to see what can be done. The main problem with Strife is that it is very hard to run through. Mostly due to enemies being able to do quite a lot of damage even on lower difficulties. My attemps are currently on the Rookie difficulty, since on harder difficulties the number of enemies are increased to quite effectively prevent most stealth attempts.

My testing has shown that a 100% run should be completable at around 1 hour if it is segmented. Single-segment is quite difficult to pull off due to the fact that you need a lot of luck on some places. My (single-segment) test runs have ended up at around 1:15 not counting the numerous deaths and major mistakes.

About the game:

It has an internal game timer, but to use that you have to do a no-death run since the time is saved in all saves, even autosaves. Dying will reload the autosave from the beginning of the level. (Except for on map 29.) However, the game timer cannot be accessed after completion of the game so you have to check it during the final fight.

It has 5 difficulties. Training, Rookie, Veteran, Elite and Bloodbath. Consider Rookie to be the Normal difficulty.

It's an old DOS FPS, the last one to use the Doom engine. Mouse support sucks so I have to play with my keyboard only. I am allowed to use DOSBox, right?

Gonna post some more info about how the run is built up later but I am gonna do some more testing first.

slYnki

2005-08-07 02:23:52 am

XXY

Good luck with your run, man Smiley

stx-Vile

Edit history:

stx-Vile: 2005-08-07 05:51:32 am

2005-08-07 05:39:13 am

The man made of sticks

A heavily-underrated title, although being released around the same time as Quake (or possibly later) didn't help it catch on, but still worth checking out.

Concerning a windows port, work has had limited success so far. The popular Doom source port ZDoom has done the most in bringing windows support to the game but it's still unfinished. This is without Rogue's help, since the source code for the game was reportedly lost forever when they were pressed about it.

You can also try checking out SvStrife, although it is also an unfinished work, but still, the effort is appreciated.

http://www.gamers.org/pub/idgames/source/svstrife.zip

elbryan42

Edit history:

elbryan42: 2005-08-07 06:48:32 am

2005-08-07 06:45:13 am

Strife is awesome! I, at one time, owned it.

Doesn't the newest ZDoom fully support Strife? I don't know if source ports are allowed or not.

SVStrife is awesome though, for Kaiser is a god and a good friend (he did almost all of the mapping and scripting for the Doom 64 TC). Smiley

Don't know if he's still working on SVStrife anymore. The lastest version is from last December I believe. It would be easier to track down if the DSV Outworld was still alive.

HidoiMidoriRyuu

2005-08-07 07:13:36 pm

4NT

Has done a couple more test runs and managed to lower the time to about 1:05:40. Probably will get even lower when I'll do a real run. (Although a sub-hour run is tempting i do not think I'll be able to pull it off.) As for the run... I avoid killing enemies as much as possible. I use rifle on smaller robots and poison arrows on acolytes. For crusaders I use grenades or flamethrower. Templars I use flamethrower on. Unfortunately AFAIK it is impossible to do any larger sequence breaks. There also is very few bugs and glitches that can be used that I have found. I use some time to pick up health along the way since you really need A LOT of health in some places. Especially boss fights. And the built-in Auto-use Health function is a lifesaver. Mostly...

Anyway, as soon as I get a screen capture program I will start recording. And as for using source ports... I know that in ZDoom I cannot use some of the tricks I use in the original version. And SvStrife works badly on my computer if I remember correctly.

Currently I define my run as 100%, but I do not know exactly how to define that. My current definition is getting 100 Health and 100 Accuracy. I do skip the optional Mauler quest, but I pick it up at a later time instead. I also skip Harris' quest.

Some more interesting stuff I do:

Programmer "one-shot" kill. 2 WP-grenades shot at the right moment will kill him almost instantly.

Avoiding setting off the alarm in Borderlands. (Is chased by stalkers and sentinels every time I go through there.)

Avoiding setting off the alarm in Bishop's Tower. (I do have to set it off to kill the Bishop, though.)

Spectre 1 one-shot kill. (Difficult to do, might be 2-3 shots in the run.)

Picking up the Mauler in Conversion Chapel. Skipping the Mauler quest saves lots of time and I do not have a use for it until the second Factory visit, so...

Spectre 4 one-shot kill. (Very easy if you are close enough.)

Annoying things:

First room of the Guard Training. I hate the moving platforms.

Mines: Tonnes of weaker enemies. Most with shadow armor. Even stalkers.

The Lab: First two Inquisitors. Then you have to hit the Loremaster without him getting to attack you. Then trying to kill off Spectre 5 with the totally worthless Sigil 4. The place that takes most retries on my test runs.

Stalkers! I hate those things. Spiders are annoying in most games, but the ones in Strife takes the price. The SS2 Arachnids are nice and cuddly compared to the Stalkers in Strife.

Has done a couple more test runs and managed to lower the time to about 1:05:40. Probably will get even lower when I'll do a real run. (Although a sub-hour run is tempting i do not think I'll be able to pull it off.) As for the run... I avoid killing enemies as much as possible. I use rifle on smaller robots and poison arrows on acolytes. For crusaders I use grenades or flamethrower. Templars I use flamethrower on. Unfortunately AFAIK it is impossible to do any larger sequence breaks. There also is very few bugs and glitches that can be used that I have found. I use some time to pick up health along the way since you really need A LOT of health in some places. Especially boss fights. And the built-in Auto-use Health function is a lifesaver. Mostly...

Anyway, as soon as I get a screen capture program I will start recording. And as for using source ports... I know that in ZDoom I cannot use some of the tricks I use in the original version. And SvStrife works badly on my computer if I remember correctly.

Currently I define my run as 100%, but I do not know exactly how to define that. My current definition is getting 100 Health and 100 Accuracy. I do skip the optional Mauler quest, but I pick it up at a later time instead. I also skip Harris' quest.

Some more interesting stuff I do:

Programmer "one-shot" kill. 2 WP-grenades shot at the right moment will kill him almost instantly.

Avoiding setting off the alarm in Borderlands. (Is chased by stalkers and sentinels every time I go through there.)

Avoiding setting off the alarm in Bishop's Tower. (I do have to set  it off to kill the Bishop, though.)

Spectre 1 one-shot kill. (Difficult to do, might be 2-3 shots in the run.)

Picking up the Mauler in Conversion Chapel. Skipping the Mauler quest saves lots of time and I do not have a use for it until the second Factory visit, so...

Spectre 4 one-shot kill. (Very easy if you are close enough.)

Annoying things:

First room of the Guard Training. I hate the moving platforms.

Mines: Tonnes of weaker enemies. Most with shadow armor. Even stalkers.

The Lab: First two Inquisitors. Then you have to hit the Loremaster without him getting to attack you. Then trying to kill off Spectre 5 with the totally worthless Sigil 4. The place that takes most retries on my test runs.

Stalkers! I hate those things. Spiders are annoying in most games, but the ones in Strife takes the price. The SS2 Arachnids are nice and cuddly compared to the Stalkers in Strife.

HidoiMidoriRyuu

2005-08-08 04:26:31 pm

4NT

Did some video capture tests and got to the conclusion that most programs hate DOSBox. Fraps slows it down greatly, Camtasia slows it down and has color problems. I did find one program that could record without lag, but it doesn't capture sound meaning I have to record it separately.

The other option I have is running Strife on another computer and use TV-out to send the picture to my video capture card and record it that way. Dunno which is easier...

elbryan42

2005-08-08 09:45:36 pm

Did you try a source port? It'll probably be easier than DOSBox. But, like I said, don't know if source ports are allowed.

HidoiMidoriRyuu

2005-08-08 11:48:19 pm

4NT

Tried ZDoom. Same as with DOSBox. So I'm gonna use the other computer and record using my video capture card. I did a test record and it worked, so.

HidoiMidoriRyuu

2005-08-09 09:07:41 pm

4NT

I recorded a run today. Almost got a single-segment run. I died while fighting Loremaster and I died fighting The Entity. So it became 3 segments. Final time was 1:02:58 according to when I last checked the timer and added time between that and death of Entity. I dunno if I should send this in or try again for a single-segment sub-hour run. Considering how this run went I still can improve it, although it will be difficult. Hopefully this time the computer wont freeze under Loremaster fight, too. Had to reboot to fix it. Meh...

HidoiMidoriRyuu

2005-09-18 04:12:31 pm

4NT

So. I'm done. (For now...) I gave on on making a single-segment run. Mostly due to the huge randomness in this game. It became 6 segments for a total time of 1:01:03 according to timer. (Which I actually managed to have up when I defeated the final boss. Woo!)

So, now I'm gonna send it in.

Flashy

Edit history:

Flashy: 2005-09-18 07:54:36 pm

2005-09-18 07:53:22 pm

I love YaBB 1G - SP1!

Strife is a very awesome game still play it on my old laptop under Windows 98 SE.

Good luck with your run! Smiley

heh I just read you completed it Tongue

well can't wait to see it.

HidoiMidoriRyuu

2005-10-11 08:23:35 pm

4NT

Ok. My run was not accepted so I redid it. And improved on it. Quite heavily, too. So now I just have to reencode it and then it can be submitted.

My new run is No-Death, Single-Segment, (100%?), in 53:26 according to in-game timer. (Dunno if I'm allowed to use that so time might be a bit longer.)

I am quite proud of this. This attempt took me about 8 hours of trying. Although it can definitely be improved. With more luck than I had it should be possible to bring the time down to under 50 minutes.

Lag.Com

2005-10-30 06:36:40 pm

sda loyalist

Single-segment on Strife? I'm impressed, can't wait to see this one!

Lictor

Edit history:

Lictor: 2005-10-30 08:36:34 pm

2005-10-30 08:35:50 pm

This one must be interesting! I remember Strife as a weird game full of bugs, some of which were even game-stopping. That's also why I didn't finish it.. some door that was supposed to open, didn't.
Anyway, a run will surely bring back memories.

AquaTiger

Edit history:

AquaTiger: 2005-10-30 09:02:40 pm

2005-10-30 09:02:16 pm

Never give up!

Ahh, Strife.

All I'd managed to play of this game was a demo, and that was back in the days when I had to rely on a 56k modem. So it's been at least four years since I played. All I remember is that you had to break out of a room with guards right off, and then meet some guy who wanted you to get a chalice.... right? I'll have to check out this game again. Whether that's before or after the run goes up, I'm not sure.

.....I hear the game became abandonware, by the way. Sad thing, I'll say, because I enjoyed the demo I had played of this game.

HidoiMidoriRyuu

2005-10-30 10:50:20 pm

4NT

Due to technical difficulties I have been unable to send the run in. The computer it is on is currently lacking a mainboard due to it being broken. So until I get a new one I cannot do any real speedrunning or send in my Strife run.

But to make up for the extra waiting time I am going to run the second ending and send in at the same time. It shouldn't take more than a day to record, I hope. The difference is that the second ending is shorter. Also since I cannot get 100% completion on that I can skip some areas I go through in the normal run. The difference is that I fight some of the bosses in wrong order and skip the whole Order Commons part.

Third ending is not speedrunnable otherwise I would have done that, too.

HidoiMidoriRyuu

2005-11-12 10:31:31 pm

4NT

Ok. My computer was fixed so I did the speedrun of the second ending as promised. Time was 39:31. Although I did some mistakes like forgetting the ammo satchel in Audience Chamber leaving me without WP-grenades in the Programmer fight making that look not-so-good. But I continued anyway and actually managed to complete it on the first real attempt. Also Loremaster was very uncooperative and I accidentally released him before killing the inquisitors.

Ah, well. Now I'm gonna speedrun some other games for a while. I might return to Strife later to speedrun higher difficulties. Or if someone wants me to do a best ending pure speed run.