Regarding the Gauntlet

[Hal900x]

How is time measured in the Gauntlet? I ask because in the final room, I am presented with a series of nearly linear doors, requiring keys from dropped mobs. There is essentially one path, straight through, with side doors that seem to serve no real purpose as they only delay the forward progression, although frequently the keys will not open these side doors anyway. So, I blasted straight through in a perfectly efficient manner. I don't think anyone could do it any faster: no regard for my health, just straight through, killing only enough mobs to get the key and move on to the next room. This is the final room, so the other runners are trying to beat me through it and throw the switch. Now, even if I cheat and know exact which remains to loot for the key, etc...I still always lose. In the final room I only have a single turn to get through, and there is a mob blocking my path, so even if I manage to kill it, get lucky and find the key, and move to the last door, before I can touch it I get zapped.

So my question is: did I take too long in previous rooms? Is that why this is an impossible task at this point?

[reinhark]

If I recall correctly, the gauntlet timer starts when you enter the elevator from your preparation room. I don't know whether there's any randomness in your challengers' performance before the final challenge or are you essentially racing against preset par time.

If you have collected all four colored gauntlet keys before the final challenge, you can skip all four rooms and all the fighting. That would be the fastest way through the final challenge.

So yes, you probably took too long in previous rooms.

Previous room time spent counts. Always remember that elevator is generally at the left corner of the gauntlet arena, and if you don't hurry you will be zapped even before getting to the final room. Colored keys found in the PREVIOUS rooms may help in the final room, but I found that to be more time consuming to find so...
That being said, if your character is combat efficient, I recommend to just reload few rooms:

Pretty good room:
Brain or brawn room
Rathound room
electricity powered sliding door room


Certain death:
Sliding door room(YOU WILL DIE.)

[Taggart]

Certain death:
Sliding door room(YOU WILL DIE.)

Well, not if you save-scum and figure out where the key is; and then run it just for the key and then from there straight to the exit - that isn't a sure-death situation (I survived). 

[LightningMonk]

I've had the displeasure of going through the sliding door room in all my playthroughs and never died in the final. Even after looking for the key. Maybe I just got lucky.

[X41823T]

One of these days I really need to try and 'time it' and see what I come up with...

[Hal900x]

After many runs I can tell you definitively that the entire thing is on a timer. Now, whether that timer is counting turns or is on a straight clock I do not know. I can also tell you that it is not easy if you get one of the time sink levels such as the giant maze. To my knowledge, both other runners always survive, and you must always race them in the last challenge. I was able to complete it by obtaining keys in levels where it is relatively easy to do so, and skipping straight to the end when it is not. In the end, I had two keys and two fights in the last room, and I barely, and I mean barely won. One of the other guys literally had his hand on the lever when I zapped him. Gauntlet is really the only part of the game I genuinely disliked, but that's just because I am a turn-based guy through and through. I enjoy thinking my moves through carefully, and when I'm rushed it's not as fun. For me.