I'm Nicholas van der Waard, host of "Hell-blazers: Speedrunning Doom Eternal." My blog is about horror, but also sex, metal and videogames; this article explores some of those idea in Doom Eternal. What follows is my interview with The Spud Hunter, a Twitch streamer and arena combat specialist.
Nick: What got you into Doom? Do you remember
the first game you played?
Spud: I was three at the
time and my father had me on his lap pressing the shoot key. Ever since it's
been with me the whole way through all iterations.
Nick: Pre-Doom Eternal, what is your
favorite Doom game? Soundtrack? Individual track? Monster?
Gun?
Spud: Doom II (1994) is my
go-to, always. I loved The Pit / "Into Sandy's City" [map and track].
There's something about the verticality to [the Pit] that I really enjoyed.
The Pain Elemental brought a lot of fun to the fights; my solution [for]
them was running close range with the greatest gun of all time: THE SUPER
SHOTGUN.
Nick: Your least favorite?
Spud: Doom 3 (2004). It's still a Doom game
and I like what it had to offer but it didn't have the speed and arena
fights like the other entrants into the series. There's still a place in my
heart that loves [its] atmosphere so much.
Nick: Do you like horror movies and/or heavy metal?
If so, what are some of your favorites?
Spud: I love
horror movies: The Thing (1982), Alien (1979), Event Horizon (1997). Masterclasses in atmosphere that have dread and fear building
up over the course the film.
There's this artist called Bongripper that has a really good 1-hour long ep of just guitar and drums going—so heavy! [editor's notes: Traditional heavy metal tends to be chorus- and
vocal-heavy. A newer music sub-genre, darksynth tends to rely on heavy metal guitars and other instruments, but is
generally instrumental in nature. As a franchise, Doom
demonstrates how metal and horror tend to go hand-in-hand—a fact I've explored in other media for my article, "Hearing the Gothic
Past." ]
future Doom titles, including the DLC to Doom Eternal.Do you expect the new music to sound similar to Mick's, or can we expect
the return of a style closer to Bobby Prince or Aubrey Hodges?
Spud: Every artist has a unique style. I think whoever fills in [Mick's]
shoes will have some influence from [him] but give their own spin on it, and
I welcome that.
Nick: Do you enjoy any of the classic, '90s games.
If so, do you prefer early Doom (1993) or
early Quake (1996), and why?
Spud: I
grew up with them all, Duke Nukem (1991), Thief (1998) and so many more. I prefer
early Doom over Quake maybe because it was
my first love? I'm not sure, I love them both just as much as each other.
Nick: As a non-speedrunner, you still lean towards
difficult gameplay. You play a series known for its incredible speed (and
for timing players at the ends of levels); you also don't see yourself as
a speedrunner. Can you explain why that is?
Spud: I've never competed officially in any runs or submitted times. I've
always played on highest difficulties and pushed myself to the best I can
be but I've never done an official "speed run." I'll give Ultra-Nightmare
speedruns a go on Doom Eternal (2020).
Nick: When did you start playing FPS (first-person shooters) more
seriously? Why Doom?
Spud: I've always
played FPS games my whole life, [but] took a break from gaming for a few
years to focus on my old job. Doom 2016 came out, which
got me back into gaming regularly and then I discovered the whole
streaming circus of fun that is Twitch. Thought I'd give it a go (for a
laugh) and it snowballed into streaming full-time.
Nick: Do you play non-Id games?
Spud: Yeah I play
a variety of FPS games; it keeps you well adjusted in the skills
department if you have a broad range of experience, I feel.
Nick: How would you describe your approach to the FPS compared to
other Doom players? What makes you unique as The Spud
Hunter?
Spud: I wouldn't say it's unique, but I
come from a heavy multiplayer background, and that leans into crowd
control with demons in arena fights—especially unique, non-predictable
spawns. Multiplayer always brings the unexpected.
Nick: Do you have any favorite Doom players that you
like to watch and/or learn from? Does this include speedrunners?
Spud: Byte Me. There's many amazing players out there, but he's like a mad scientist
when it comes to Doom 2016 and Eternal. He'll
share everything he's working out in the game, but he's also a really
funny bloke!
Nick: Does wearing the Slayer helmet make you a
better player?
Spud: It increases the aggression
levels, yes!
Nick: Doom Eternal is less minimal than Doom 2016. It's
also campier. How do you feel about this?
Spud: I
love the arena fights—keeping on your toes constantly and moving. It's
great!
Nick: Should Doom be
scary? What’s your opinion about Doom PSX (1995)
or Doom 64 (1997)?
Spud: I don't
mind the "scary" Dooms but it's all about the arena
fights for me; I love the challenge of managing a noisy crowd in front of
me. Maybe that's why I stream!
Nick: Was
there anything about Eternal that surprised you, was bad
when you thought it'd be good or vice versa?
Spud: The only surprise for me is the glitchy Lost Souls, which don't
seem to be as effective as any of the previous games (they tend to stay
still a lot and struggle to target players). Maybe they'll patch [them] up
in an update.
level, gun, and monster in Doom Eternal?
Spud: I love Urdak because of the H.R. Giger vibes (you can tell there's
some Alien inspiration there); the visuals and music
[are] haunting [and take] the game into a completely different direction,
visually. I love the Super Shotgun with the Meat Hook. Moving around arena
fights like that is so cool!
My favourite monster would have to
be the Marauder, even though there's lots of combos out there to quickly
take him out which negates the "challenge," he's still a super cool demon
to face off [against] the Slayer. He's basically an evil brother.
Nick: Which glory kills do you like the most?
Spud: The Marauder fist-punch, which is blocked and then the blade
extends into his head. Never gets old!
Nick: As a streamer, Doom Eternal is
meant to be played fast. Even though you're not a speedrunner, how does
the speed of the game feel compared to,
say, Doom 2016?
Spud: I love it,
it's definitely faster with the Dash and Meat Hook. It covers a lot of
creative [Slayer] movement I feel wasn't present in 2016.
Nick: For me, Doom Eternal feels a bit like making the
leap from Mega Man (1987) to Mega Man X (1993): Suddenly you go from a walking pace to flying all over
the place like a ninja.
horizontally-oriented Doom 2016 that you prefer, or
is Doom Eternal a straight upgrade?
Spud: I think Doom Eternal is an upgrade in the sense
that it now feels like a gym: You've got monkey bars, dashes, more stuff
to [maneuver] than ever. It really feels like a platformer with
demons.
Nick: Despite so many speedrunners playing the game,
do you feel Doom Eternal was made for you as
well—someone who doesn't speedrun, but wants a hardcore, fast-as-hell
arena combat experience?
Spud: Yes, it definitely
caters to a wide range of players—from those who casually want to have
some fun, to those who want to Rip N Tear™ through some NIGHTMARE
action!
Nick: Is there anything about speedrunning that
intrigues you? Or, anything that discourages you from trying it,
yourself?
Spud: It's like a sport: You train and
practice every single nuance and then go hard for the finish line.
Nick: How does Doom appeal to
you as a gamer? Speedrunners love to quantify speed through records; are
you more invested in high scores, and "flexing" on your human
opponents?
Spud: Doom appeals to me
in destroying arena fights in efficient and stylish fashion. I just love
killing demons.
relationship between the player, monsters and items. He calls this
relationship "a search for the optimal pattern of movement." Since
monsters can be killed for resources, can you explain what you think
this optimal pattern is when speedrunning Doom Eternal?
Spud: Skip the fights you don't need to take,
and target the most difficult demons first. The resources won't be such
an issue if you keep the chainsaw/glory kills to the outside of the
circle fight.
Nick: As a hardcore, casual (non-speedrunner) player,
do you ever find yourself using glitches to give yourself an edge in
combat?
Spud: I use the some glitches—like the
mouse wheel animation cancel on picking up batteries—to cut [down on]
time. I don't do it so much in combat [though]. In 2016, I did the Super
Shotgun / Gauss Cannon Siege Mode switch glitch, but I think everyone
did that, haha.
Nick: Is Gauss-boosting
still useful with the Ballista?
Spud: You still
get a light boost with the Ballista (it's helped me grab a nearly missed
ledge). Anything that'll give you that extra edge I guess goes a long
way.
Nick: Are invulnerability-frames
enough to keep the player reliably "safe" when glory killing, or do you
feel exposed when doing them?
Spud: It's the
placement of your glory kills, if they're in the middle of the fight you
might be in trouble. I tend to glory kill on the outside of arena
fights.
way that doesn't feel fun?
Spud: I think
[that while] the game gives you an opportunity to play in many
styles, some of the arenas force you to play the "memory game" on
Nightmare. [For example,] if you don't memorize certain spawns in
the demon pit on Cultist Base, then it's pretty much GG.
Nick: What are some of your favorite runes
and weapons, and why?
Spud: My favourite runes
would be Air Control with Blood Fueled. I just love the speed and air
mobility you get. A lot of people don't rate Air Control and I
understand why; it's a [pretty] small improvement to your mobility. I
really enjoy using jump pads and stop/starting my movement around
them—to back into them and go airborne again in a circular
fashion.
it just melts demons! [editor's note: Not only are they crazy for their pure damage, but
the Ballista can target weak points, and the Super Shotgun can stun
enemies and give you armor, too.]
Nick: Are there certain runes that don't get
enough attention, in your opinion?
Spud: I feel
a lot of the community doesn't rate Air Control highly, but if they
use the jump pads often in-game I implore them to try to combine the
two!
Nick: Are there weapons/runes that
suck no matter what?
Spud: I feel everything
can be used to people’s play styles but I avoid Punch and Reave
personally (it [often] leaves you exposed to damage [when] using the
Blood Punch). As for the weapons, everything has a purpose (outside of
the Microwave Beam upgrade on higher difficulties).
Nick: The Microwave Beam doesn't seem to
be very good (and can even cause a glitch that takes away the player's
ability to dash). Can it at least be used to stun a charging Hell
Knight, or is it just better to move out of their way?
Spud: I prefer to avoid using [the Microwave Beam] as I usually play
on Nightmare/Ultra-Nightmare. I usually have an Ice Bomb or Lock-on
Rocket Burst ready for the Hell Knights.
Nick: The Tyrant aka Cyberdemon always seems to be killed
with the Crucible at the start of every fight. Do you think this makes
him kind of irrelevant, given how much ammo for the crucible the
player has?
Spud: [It's] somewhat true that he
becomes a little irrelevant in the end game stages. Most savvy players
tend to have the ammo saved up for those moments [when Tyrants] spawn
in.
Or, in your opinion, is the Crucible necessary for end-game fights,
and you'll need every shot to reliably make it through some of the
bigger demon encounters?
Spud: I think you can
get by with your arsenal, but of course it's handy to save the
Crucible for key heavy demons towards the end. I can think of some key
moments to save it for on Final Sin with the likes of the Tyrant in
the second-to-last fight; I go straight for him in that circle and
then [press] onward.
Nick: Does the
Crucible feel "static"? For example, if the player knows that a Tyrant
is going to spawn (and maybe a couple of Barons), won't the player
want to save the Crucible for these demons each and every time? Why
use it on small demons at all?
Spud: I feel
it's purpose is exactly for that: the heavy demons. Kind of like how
the BFG is for those moments you feel overwhelmed and need the
get-out-of-jail-free card.
Nick: Do you
think the ammo generation for the Crucible should be different?
Instead of collecting ammo, perhaps have the player be able to
"charge" the weapon via kill-chains or multiple glory kills?
Spud: I think the way it [already] is balances out how much you can
use it and when you should use it.
Nick: Now that you've had a chance to play the game a bit longer, do
portions of it feel easier—perhaps even too easy? Are there any arenas
that leap to mind in this regard?
Spud: The end
game certainly feels easier than the first three maps. Cultist Base
never gets any easier, haha.
Nick: A new
video by Midnight ("New Doom Eternal Content Update") discusses DLC content, including Demonic Invasions. If this option
is selected, then player-controlled demons can invade a player's
single-player campaign—even during Ultra-Nightmare! Will you be trying
this, in your own playthroughs?
Spud: Most
certainly. I love community interactivity on my stream so it'll be
cool to have some of the viewers trying to take me down in my
runs [editor's note: stream-sniping with demons, in other words]! I honestly wish they had that feature on release!
Nick: If you could change anything about the
Unmaykr to make it a more viable weapon in combat, what would it
be?
Spud: Make it shoot like it does when you have the adrenaline power-up.
Note: For this section, I refer to an interview on stream I had recently with King Dime, a classic Doom speedrunner.
Nick: After a certain point, every demon in the
game can drop armor, ammo and health. Early on, the player can't Blood
Punch or Flame Belch, which makes them potentially harder than later
levels. Civvie gripes in his own review about the beginning of the game being too hard.
Is it
"too" hard, or is King Dime right (in our interview) when he says the
beginning to Doom 2016 was more challenging?
Spud: I'd agree [that] the start of the game is the hardest; it tends
to lighten up post-Cultist Base when you've got more tools at your
disposal. It's a bit ironic, but Doom Eternal still has
a lot of hard moments towards the end. 2016 felt like it was exclusively
the start of the game being the hardest.
Nick: Dime explains how Doom 2016 is more "permanent"
if the player loses heath and armor. Meanwhile, there's little challenge
to Doom Eternal once you know how to play the game:
Lose hundreds of points of armor and health. Find a low-tier demon.
Flame Belch [or use the flaming meat hook]. Get everything back. To make this even easier for the
player, Doom Eternal constantly spawns low-tier
enemies; it also regenerates the player's chainsaw fuel.
Is
Dime's assertion correct? Does the challenge in follow-up Doom Eternal playthroughs decease?
Spud: I'd say [Doom Eternal] does feel easier
at times to quickly "restock." In 2016, you can get your health back via
glory kills also, but I always felt they were way more risky in that
game somehow.
Nick: Hqrdest himself says that Doom Eternal is harder than Doom 2016—early on, but then gets easier by the end of the game. Would you agree
with him?
Spud: It gets easier yes, but [also]
has a few moments to look out for: the Gladiator fight and some of the
fights in Nekravol.
Nick: As you
say in your Ultra-Nightmare guide, the first three levels are the hardest. Are the first levels of a
fresh playthrough be too hard, keeping casual players away from
streaming the game—at least on the harder difficulties?
Spud: They can stream the game on a lower difficulty so I don't see the
drama. I think what a lot of casual audiences fell for was the trap of
they MUST experience this [game] on Nightmare... which I think is true.
[However,] you also need to ween yourself into this kind of FPS
experience—[the extreme sort] which most people are not used to these
days.
Nick: To keep the game challenging,
do you ever find yourself inventing ways to make it harder, like not
using the BFG or the Crucible, or using sub-optional weapon specs?
Spud: I might try a shotgun only run soon, may require a lot of dancing
around until I can chainsaw ammo back!
considered implementing to make the game harder for yourself—like not
using the Ballista, Crucible, BFG or Ice Bomb, etc? Can you anticipate
using these in conjunction with Demonic Invasions and new Master Levels
to make Doom Eternal even harder?
Spud: I played with the Doom Helmet on Ultra-Nightmare. It was
definitely an added challenge. The thing get fogging up from all the
sweaty gameplay.
about him upsetting the combat feel justified, or is he easier to handle than most people think (see: King Dime's latest strategy)?
Spud: I think he's a great addition, a challenge means
you have to use your brain. I think we've had a good ten years of
point-and-click FPS that have made a lot of players [unused] to having
to juggle fights.
Nick: What are some of
your favorite ways to handling him?
Spud: I
didn't discover this method, but the [stun lock from] Super Shotgun +
Grenade + Ballista. If you're lucky and get the rhythm right, you can
delete him instantly.
Nick: Do you find yourself having to adapt and
change your strategies—for him, and regular demons—because of the game's
chaotic nature?
Spud: Only when there's a few
Whiplashes in the fight also. You have to target them with an Ice Bomb
and remove them from the equation; otherwise they get in the way real
quick.
accurate analogy for Doom Eternal's combat? If you had to
guess, which monsters correlate with which chess pieces? Which are
the most dangerous "pieces" in your opinion?
the most frustrating at times. Whiplashes definitely [are] the
Bishops with their speed and ability to get up around you all the
time. The Marauder is definitely the Queen; a Queen on its own isn't
a bit deal, but you mix a Queen with a couple Bishops and you're in
trouble!
Nick: Do you find RNG to be a large issue, playing the game?
For example,
weapon damage in classic Doom/Quake is random. Compared to other Id games, how much RNG does
Doom Eternal have (see:
Hqrdest, on random enemy behavior)?
Spud: I find the Blood Punch a little
concerning to use sometimes; it doesn't feel like it registers against a
Cyber Mancubus, [who] then it drops its [own] AoE (area of affect) and
melts you! Everything else feels quite consistent.
Nick: Which enemies are the most annoying to come up against?
Spud: Whiplashes: You've got to ice bomb them and focus fire straight
away otherwise they ruin your day.
now they're ammo caches, haha.
Nick: As a
hardcore, non-speedrunner who specializes in arena-based combat, how do
you feel about Eternal's additional movement schemes—the dash,
double jump and climbing mechanics, but also the so-called "yeet-hook"?
Spud: Anything that gives you more freedom of
movement is a winner in my book. I come from Quake; I love
speed! All we needed is
strafe-jumping, next.
Nick: In the quest to go faster, In the quest to
go faster, speedrunners have found ways to move around/avoid the movement
penalties of the purple goo; but also ways around certain in-game architecture.
Have you found ways of circumventing the goo,
yourself, and do you ever learn from speedrunners, using tricks like
these to improve your own gameplay?
Spud: All the
time. There's a few cool tricks—on Exultia, [for example] to climb a pillar and skip about 20 seconds
of climbing. I picked that up from Byte Me's stream.
Nick: Excluding glitches, can you potentially play
Doom Eternal faster/more effectively in combat situations by not
doing the so-called "Doom dance" (the armor game, basically)?
Spud: Always: remembering demon amounts/types in the fights and what
to target first. Good weapon use is a massive plus, too.
Nick: Glory kills seem essential—not just for
speedrunners, but for anyone playing the game. However, they also slow
players down. Is there a point where glory kills can be skipped by
players altogether?
Spud: If you know where some
of the health pickups are and you're not taking so much damage, you can
also avoid getting into glory killing, which will slow things down.
Nick: In your recent guide video for Ultra-Nightmare, you note the classic “circle strafe” movement strategy as being
essential. Because of the new, expanded, vertical elements I liken it to
spherical moment. Despite the inclusion of non-Doom, vertical
movement schemes into the game, does its combat retain that core "Doom
feel?"
Spud: It feels like all the
Dooms in one for me, personally. I love it!
Nick: With the pandemic going on, it's important to
maintain physical distance, but also to keep our social bonds strong.
Why do you think videogames—including streaming them—are so important in
doing this?
Spud: We're social creatures; we need
others, and the beauty of gaming and streaming is [how] it brings us
together—particularly in times when we physically can't be together.
Gamers unite!
[editor's note: It's really refreshing to hear this: Once upon a
time, videogames felt more isolating. Now, their popularity and the
Internet—particularly streaming services—have really enabled people to
bond and connect in startlingly powerful ways.]
***
Persephone van der Waard is the author of the multi-volume, non-profit book series, Sex Positivity—its art director, sole invigilator, illustrator and primary editor (the other co-writer/co-editor being Bay Ryan). Persephone has her independent PhD in Gothic poetics and ludo-Gothic BDSM (focusing on partially on Metroidvania), and is a MtF trans woman, anti-fascist, atheist/Satanist, poly/pan kinkster, erotic artist/pornographer and anarcho-Communist with two partners. Including multiple playmates/friends and collaborators, Persephone and her many muses work/play together on Sex Positivity and on her artwork at large as a sex-positive force. That being said, she still occasionally writes reviews, Gothic analyses, and interviews for fun on her old blog (and makes YouTube videos talking about politics). To learn more about Persephone's academic/activist work and larger portfolio, go to her About the Author page. To purchase illustrated or written material from Persephone (thus support the work she does), please refer to her commissions page for more information. Any money Persephone earns through commissions goes towards helping sex workers through the Sex Positivity project; i.e., by paying costs and funding shoots, therefore raising awareness. Likewise, Persephone accepts donations for the project, which you can send directly to her PayPal, Ko-Fi, Patreon or CashApp. Every bit helps!
I just need to understand how woman/trans would fit into this game?
This is the worst review ever