Game: Doom 2
Pwad: Deus Vult II
Filename: dvii-03-0752-bn.lmp
Skill and Style: 4 (UV-Max)
Map Level: 3 (Crouching Demon, Hidden Archvile)
Exe/Port used: GLBoom 2.4.8.1 (PRBoom Plus) -complevel 9

Totals:
Kills       100%
Items        17%
Secrets    100% and (Time- 7:52)

Comments:
I don't recall playing many asian-themed Doom levels, if any even exist.  This one though was a fun slaughter fest the whole way through.

Starting out, blast through any zombiemen that get in your way until you're out of the first building, then turn right and fall off the cliff.  Crazy?  Nope, there's stuff to do down there.

Turn right again after falling and keep running while collecting rockets hidden within bushes and watching out for the first manco's fireballs.  Eventually you should pick up the RL...which you're going to use right now.  Continuing on a bit wakes up an archie near the teleporter you need to take to get back up to the main area.  There's no easy cover save for running like hell back the way you came if it attacks.  Ideally, I get in 2 rockets on it, run for cover to dodge its attack, then finish it off with 2 more rockets.

After this, it's a simple pattern of collecting rockets within bushes and killing the 4 mancos before going back to the teleporter.

You'd think to just charge headfirst into the teleporter, but instead, take a close look around to see an arrow pointing to the transporter.  Enter the transporter from the north side to get the first secret, this level's fun/interesting area.  There's some rockets in this area to get before warping back to the main area.

Time to get into some action finally.  As you go forward, a platform with many imps comes down.  Rocket them aside until you can run through them.  If you can kill them all with 4 rockets, that can be helpful for the clean up near the end. Turn left, then turn right and follow the cliff edge to a green armor, the 2nd secret.  Head back while making sure not to fall off and go onwards.  You should approach the first checkerboard fairly quickly.

In order to release the enemies, check the nearby wooden switch and activate it by examining the japanese symbol.  Move back and to the right to lure the enemies away from the YSK so you can grab it, then run onwards to the next checkboard.  This one has more dangerous enemies contained which could spell trouble if they are uncooperative in letting you snag the RSK.  You'll also get the PG in the process.

Next stop... the dojo up ahead.  Take the HWD out, the switch to the PG and slam the archie inside with it.  Go inside and quickly ascend the stairs to grab the backpacks and run to the other side where two HWDs should be killed (Ignore the manco for now).  Step on the switch, then examine the wall just beside the opening that drops you down to the dojo entrance.  It's an elevator, secret #3.  It's only purpose is to let get on the ledge with the backpacks which will only be benefittable for a casual player for the reason I'll explain in a bit.

Fall down from the ledge you're on now to the dojo entrance.  Done right, this spawns an archie.  Rocket it to death, then hope the manco isn't blocking the stairs.  If it is, use the CG and kill it.  Grab the SSG and prepare for a trap.  It starts out with a couple zombiemen, then some sargents, imps, bull demons, and HWDs in that order.  The CG should be enough to fend off the teleporting enemies, but don't be afraid to switch to the PG if things get too overwhelming.

Eventually, a wave of sargents appear on the backpack ledge followed by some HKs coming into your immediate area.  The elevator secret nearby could be used to get to any sargents ammo that you can't reach, but I don't do that in my run. 
The walls blocking you in will lower fairly quick right now so retreat to the nearby ledge with the dead archie and HWDs, then fall off the outside of the dojo and search for a berserk pack.  The main purpose of this is to make some more enemies appear.

With two skull keys in hand, return to the 2nd building you teleported to after getting the first secret.  Head to three colored japanese symbols and activate the yellow and red ones, then run like hell back towards the 2nd checkerboard.  Enemies start warping into that building.

The goal now is to head towards the 2nd checkboard, but instead of turning left to go towards it, you'll want to go right.  Before getting there, SSG anything on your level that you see.  You'll want to minimze stray monsters when the final clean up commences.

When you approach the megasphere, get your PG out because you will be warped right smack dab in the middle of another deadly set of enemies on a checkerboard.  A potential run ending situation if you don't act quickly enough.  After warping, turn around and blow the bull demon away until you can break free and starting running around the edges.  You don't need to grab the BSK right now since you're going to get secret #4.  Run to the teleporter, but go around it and run through the bushes until you get to another transporter.

Taking leads you into the "Bobby Fischer" room.  As expected, there's another chessboard, but this one is the deadliest of all the checkerboards due to a couple nasty archies embedded in there.  To wake them up, examine the chess piece side of the wooden icon.  Unlike the other checkerboards, you'll want to run like hell to your right to escape (PG out in case a bull demon gets in your way).  Utilize cover and quickly kill the archies.  Don't worry about taking a hit or two from them since you'll be able to refill health and armor very soon.

After a little time passes, two walls lower to reveal a manco behind each wall plus a megaarmor in one alcove and a Soulsphere in the other alcove.  After more time passes, 4 walls lower, one in each corner, and reveal several revs.  Try luring them into the middle and go grab the rockets in each alcove in the corner, then rocket everything out before collecting the megaarmor and soulsphere, then examining the japanese symbol to get back to the BSK checkboard.

If you take the teleporter back to the main area, don't worry.  Just re-take it to get back there, kill everything, and claim the BSK.

Remember the colored japanese symbols from before?  There's one more to press.  Before doing that, return to the dojo while killing anything that gets in your way.

You might have noticed a green halo of sorts when you were here the first time.  This is the exit.  However, if you enter it from the backside, you get taken to secret #5 which contains a soulsphere and some ammo.

Return to the colored japanese symbols, hit the final colored switch, then slog through anything as you head to the beginning.  The final secret has a cell pack and some HWDs inside.  Kill them, get the cell pack, then begin cleaning up anything that's left standing (Empty cell reserves before using the SSG) before heading to the exit.

All in all, I'm pretty satisfied with the run.  I came up with the route today and got my first exit within an hour of attempts.  It was a crappy 8:37 though due to wasting some 20+ seconds looking for a straggler plus another 10 or so because I somehow ran just right through the exit to completely skip and fall off the dojo :P.

Another 20 or so minutes later comes this run.  There's a few rough edges and screw ups, but in return there were no stragglers whatsoever that I had to hunt down...plus the fact it's under 8 minutes.  I can't complain about that.

Around 10 seconds or so of improvements plus possible extra luck means a time around 7:3x is possible.

Brian "Anima Zero" Nesser
Bri8527@comcast.net