Topic: Best Runs!

[Infamus]

I just got finished making my best run so far.

I didn't find the proper thread so I decided to make one!

Post your best runs so far here!

Program: D2X Rebirth v0.55.1
Game: Descent ][
Mission: D2: Counterstrike!
Difficulty: Hotshot
Levels: 1-24
Controls: Keyboard and mouse (ESDF setup)

-found 11 Earthshakers before level 24
-all hostages rescued throughout game (if not then 95%)
-time taken: 8hr 12min 8sec
-lives accumulated: 98
-few lost due to robots, if I was desperately low on shield, I would drop all my weapons near the spawn, kill myself and restock
-no hints or strategy guides used

Final Score: 4,861,700

over maybe 2 months or more. (i has school)

[Kaiaatzl]

I'm planning on speedrunning Descent Maximum and seeing how long it takes to get from the start of level 1 to the exit of level 24 (I'm betting only 2 or 3 hours).  Right now I'm finishing my first D2 Hotshot run though, I'm on level 23, no deaths so far, but lots of saves/reloads, especially level 17 onwards.

[Pumo]

Hey infamus, that was fast, indeed a good run.
I could never play D2 that fast, maybe mainly 'cause I tend to stop down to see the overall level design here and there and so it takes me longer  .
And I could asure you I would only end with 1 or 2 lifes at the most (not 98 for sure).

So, your run through sure is great.

BTW, rebirth 0.56 is already avaiable. It's better than 0.55, so try it on, you won't regret.

[Infamus]

well, actually, Pumo, I played that run over 3 months at various intervalls and got sick and tired of randomly dying, but sometimes it was funny.

I had to restore innumerable times, between keeping hostages and ES Missiles, which helped me beat the last boss without losing a single life, plus with all those cloaks I just spanked him directly in the arse with an ES Missile.

My runs take a long time because I do fancy stuff and always go back for things I miss before I smash the reactor (or boss).

PROTIP: if you have the Fusion, USE IT. one direct blast will usually insta-gib a Reactor, something to do with the model being a part of the level, and all of the vertices that it has get hit at one time; you can tell because if you hit it, the fusion pulse makes a thousand explosions whilst going through it. Also, if a reactor is barricaded by heavy robots, their strategy is useless: the Fusion is technically a rail-gun.

oh and that run was some time ago, before the release of 0.56.

right now I'm playing Obsidian too, a super-old Mission since the golden years of the Descent Network. Oh, and they STILL PROVIDE IT. They have no links inside the website however; I found a link to it on accident whilst Google'ing stuff.

My next goals: D2:Counterstrike! on Ace, Obsidian on Hotshot, and Vignettes on Ace


Link to Obsidian: http://www.descent2.com/obsidian/

[Foil]

PROTIP: if you have the Fusion, USE IT. one direct blast will usually insta-gib a Reactor, something to do with the model being a part of the level, and all of the vertices that it has get hit at one time; you can tell because if you hit it, the fusion pulse makes a thousand explosions whilst going through it.

Not quite correct.

This happens because of a known framerate-dependent bug with the fusion cannon (the bug exists in all three games, although it's fixed in D2X-XL and D3 multiplayer AntiCheat).  The bug happens when a single fusion blob touches multiple targets at once; the blob's "last thing I damaged" flag alternates between targets every frame, so the targets get hit over and over and over depending on the framerate.

[Kaiaatzl]

Link to Obsidian: http://www.descent2.com/obsidian/

I think I've had the worst luck with Obsidian than with any other mission.  I almost completed it twice with D2X-XL.  The first time I got to level 14 before my hard drive crashed (on trainee), the second time I got to level 12 and then my save got corrupted (though I wouldn't have made it through, I didn't have enough lives to deal with the mega missile bots).

[Scyphi]

I think I tried playing Obsidian once, but it eventually just frustrated me to no end, and I think I actually got bored of it.

It did have some great mods, though, so I can say that much about it.

[Infamus]

PROTIP: if you have the Fusion, USE IT. one direct blast will usually insta-gib a Reactor, something to do with the model being a part of the level, and all of the vertices that it has get hit at one time; you can tell because if you hit it, the fusion pulse makes a thousand explosions whilst going through it.

Not quite correct.

This happens because of a known framerate-dependent bug with the fusion cannon (the bug exists in all three games, although it's fixed in D2X-XL and D3 multiplayer AntiCheat).  The bug happens when a single fusion blob touches multiple targets at once; the blob's "last thing I damaged" flag alternates between targets every frame, so the targets get hit over and over and over depending on the framerate.

actually, its just the reactor, there are no other targets in the line of fire.

[Foil]

Ah, yes.  I should have clarified: In the case of the reactor, it's a variation of that bug where the 'last thing I damaged' flag fails to prevent reactor damage in the next frame.

[TechPro]

I have played through Descent, Descent II, and Descent 3 many times plus played numerous single player sets for all three ... and I couldn't possibly tell you my best runs.  Somewhere around the fifth level I just don't care about that anymore, I'm just having fun blowing up bots and flying around.

Though I do get pretty careful about finding ways to do stuff without dying.  Always finish with a lot of lives to spare, but I don't remember how many.

[d3jake]

Although I know the first several levels of D2 like the back of my hand, I tend to like to get into tight situations and see by what close margin I can come within to getting hit.

[Foil]

Me, I just rush and never restore, as I find that the most fun.  Of course, it means I sometimes run out of lives. 

[Scyphi]

As for me, I've only successfully played all the way through D1 and D3 once apiece, and have yet to finish D2 all the way through one time. Guess I just don't have much patience to sit through all 15-27 level (depending on the game). Usually I just play the shorter level sets. Like D3 Mercenary. Played through that lots of times. Probably because I like Merc in many ways over plain ol' D3.

@ Techpro: I don't think you've ever finished any of the games at or above 98 lives, though.

[TechPro]

@ Techpro: I don't think you've ever finished any of the games at or above 98 lives, though.

Fact is, I might have ... but didn't pay any attention to it and since I've installed/reinstalled so many times and on different systems ... how would I ever find out?  (Except by playing it all again, which of course I will)

[karx-elf-erx]

PROTIP: if you have the Fusion, USE IT. one direct blast will usually insta-gib a Reactor, something to do with the model being a part of the level, and all of the vertices that it has get hit at one time; you can tell because if you hit it, the fusion pulse makes a thousand explosions whilst going through it. Also, if a reactor is barricaded by heavy robots, their strategy is useless: the Fusion is technically a rail-gun

Reactor models are not part of the level in Descent 1 or 2. They are separate models like robots, with their own object entity in the game. They just don't move. The effect you may have observed rather has to do with a bug in fusion handling.