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Text File | 1995-04-23 | 38.4 KB | 740 lines

__ __ ___ __ __ ____ __ | ||\ | ||___\ \ \ / / || | | | || \ | | ____ \ \ / / || | | | | \ \ | ||____\ \ \ / / || | | | |___\ | | |______ \ \/ / || | |____ |_________| |_________\ \__/ _||_ |_______\ A Tutorial for editing DESCENT levels with DEVIL (V0.99) Compiled by Boris Postler (ub0u@rz.uni-karlsruhe.de). DEVIL was made by Achim Stremplat (ubdb@rz.uni-karlsruhe.de). This article is (C) Copyright 1995 by Boris Postler. All rights reserved. You are welcome to make copies and redistribute this article, as long as it is kept in its original form. DEVIL is (C) Copyright 1995 by Achim Stremplat. All rights reserved. All specific names included herein are trademarks: Descent, Interplay Productions, Parallax Software, Pentium, Intel, Id Software, Doom, OS/2, Microsoft Windows. Any trademarks not mentioned here are hypothetically acknowledged. I hope nobody wants to sue me but I may forget some of them. Disclaimers ~~~~~~~~~~~ Parallax Software cannot and will not provide support for DEVIL. Parallax Software will not provide support for ANY file that has been modified or created by DEVIL. DEVIL will not allow you to modify the shareware version of DESCENT. (It may be allowed but we'll ask Parallax first.) The author of DEVIL will not provide support or be liable for damage caused by the use of DEVIL. It is illegal to distribute the registered version of the DESCENT.HOG file in any form, original or modified. The author of DEVIL reserve the right to add or remove any functionality of the DEVIL software. Okay, I'm trying to write a Tutorial for building levels with DEVIL so that you get prepared for the challenge of building levels for DESCENT (which is rather more difficult then building 2D levels for DOOM). By the way, I'm writing this without an english dictionary so that there may be some severe faults (spelling/gramatical/ethical/political/...). Please don't mind and have a nice day. Thanks go to Interplay/Parallax for this great game ID Software 'cause I still think DOOM is the best kick-ass game ever Thomas Axelsson for the first two letters of the ASCII title XX-Thanks go to Achim Stremplat for coding DEVIL (best DESCENT-editor I know) (and if I don't get XXXX-Thanks for coding this file he'll be in deep trouble) Now let's start: CONTENTS: [1]. ABOUT DEVIL [1a] What is DEVIL ? [1b] What is this file ? [1c] How do I start DEVIL ? [2]. THE MENU STRUCTURES [2a] Areas on the screen [2b] The different modes [2c] The substructures [2d] The pulldown menus [2e] The Internal menu [3]. LEVELS IN DESCENT [3a] Cubes [3b] Points and corners [3c] Sides [3d] Walls [3e] Textures [3f] Things [4]. MOVING AROUND [4a] Moving in the level [4b] Moving objects [5]. YOUR MOUSE AND DEVIL [6]. HOTKEYS [6a] All time favorites [6b] Cube-mode [6c] Side-mode [6d] Wall-mode [6e] Thing-mode [7]. EDITING [7a] Cubes [7b] Points [7c] Sides [7d] Walls [7e] Textures [7f] Things [7g] Light [7h] Direct editing [7i] Macros [7j] Side effects [7k] Specials [8]. DESCENT ACTS FUNNY - WHY ? [A]. LAST NOTES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part [1]. ABOUT DEVIL --[1a]------ What is DEVIL? DEVIL is a program for editing DESCENT levels and building own levels 'from the scratch'. It was made by Achim Stremplat (not identical with the author of this humble file) for all you weirdos who want to build levels. DEVIL is GREAT, it is that GREAT that I could ..//censored//.. ..//censored//.. ..//censored//.. ..//censored//.. OK, I've calmed down a bit by now, so let's continue. --[1b]------ What is this file? I've build some levels for DOOM (using DEU) which are considered 'not too bad' by my friends and since I was one of the beta-testers I think I should give some tips and hints concerning level-building. This is, as I mentioned, a bit more difficult because of 3D-effects. --[1c]------ How do I start DEVIL? You do that by typing D-E-V-I-L at the DOS-Prompt. You can't start DEVIL with a mouse unless you are in Windows or OS/2 and we don't know if it works there (don't know, don't care ;). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part [2]. THE MENU STRUCTURES --[2a]------ Areas on the screen To the left is a big Window: this is where your level is shown. The upper line consists of pull-down menus. I will say more to that later. The lower line is the status line where the messages will be shown. If you don't have an OK there your Computer has an Pentium inside - bad luck. To the right there are several displays: in the lower right the texture of the actual side is shown. The arrows are for mouse- controlling. Below the arrows is shown wether you are in modify- or move-mode. Above that are the different editing modes: cubes, sides (a side is a cube-side with no adjacent cube), walls (a wall is a cube- side with an adjacent cube), points, things and internal. In the upper right corner the actual editing-mode is displayed and below that the substructures of cubes/sides/walls/... (and so on). --[2b]------ The different modes DEVIL has six different modes. They are: -CUBES for cube-editing and moving -SIDES for side-editing and moving -POINTS/THINGS/WALLS dito -INTERNAL for changing internal constants of DEVIL You change mode by pressing '[CONTROL]+first letter of mode'. Some actions act different in different modes, e.g. INSERT in cube-mode inserts a macro, in thing-mode a thing and in point-mode .... NO! Not a point. You can't insert points :). --[2c]------ The substructures Each mode has a different substructure. You change the substructures using the cursor-keys and [RETURN]. (Ok, ok: for mouse-users: just move the little arrow to the substructure you want to change and press a mouse-button.) Then you got either another menu (e.g. of different robots) or you have to enter a number (e.g. light). (This is really the last time I will mention mouse in this file but no, you can't enter numbers with the mouse. :) Since some substructures are a bit complica- ted, I will explain them later in 'EDITING' --[2d]------ The pulldown menus The pulldown menus are activated by pressing '[ALT]+highlighted letter' (for mouse-users now and for ever: just click and be quit, OK?). The menus are: -FILE for loading/saving/quit (hope this is self-explaining:) -EDIT for insert/fast insert/delete/delete all/fit bitmap/tag/tag all INSERT: to insert a macro/thing/door/... FAST INSERT: as INSERT but in cube-mode DEVIL will join the sides as well (making a wall) DELETE: to delete the tagged objects of the current mode; you can't delete the active object (shown in green) DELETE ALL: to delete all tagged objects, regardless of the current mode FIT BITMAP: this is for texture-mapping TAG: tags an object of the current mode (shown in blue) TAG ALL: tags all objects of the current mode -EXTRA for make macro/save macro/choose macro/set exit MAKE MACRO: makes a macro consisting of all tagged objects (regard- less of current mode); reference point and side of the macro are the current point and macro SAVE MACRO: saves a macro for later use CHOOSE MACRO: loads a macro SET EXIT: set a side to exit, DESCENT needs an exit (see later) -SELECT is for selecting the current object -DRAWING tells DEVIL what is to be shown and what not (DATA is special) The menus are case-sensitive to prevent the deleting of the whole level with just one key (now you need two). Several other events can be activated via hotkeys, they're listed below (see 'HOTKEYS'). --[2e]------ The Internal menu You won't need to change things in this menu often but when you do don't blame us. Exception are the grid, the moving factors and the sight range. The grid forces points on an angular, well, grid and the moving factor shows the size of your moving-steps. The sight range in- dicates how far you can see. When you turn it to low you'll get lost but when you turn it to high, DEVIL will slow down a lot. The other numbers show the angle when you turn, the zooming-factor,.. Since the 'standard cube' has a sidelength of aprox. 1.3e06 some of the numbers are pretty high but don't worry, keep smiling :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part [3]. LEVELS IN DESCENT --[3a]------ Cubes For experienced WAD-builders: cubes are sth. like sectors (not quite right: while it was possible to divide a sector in parts that are not connected, this is not allowed with cubes). A cube has always eight corners but you may arange these points (almost) as you want. You have to keep in mind: 1.) Cubes need to be convex. Well, what does that mean? Take the inte- riour of a ball: it is convex. That means, you can draw a line from every point inside the cube to every other point and this line DOES NOT LEAVE THE CUBE. This is important for DESCENT. Let me show you some examples: ________ __________ ___ ___ | | \ / \ \ / / | | \ / \ \/ / YES:| | CLOSE THING: \ / NO: \ / | | \ / \ / |________| \/ \/ Luckily, DEVIL handles this thing automatically, so you won't have to be bothered. 2.) Take a normal cube and push one corner inwards. This will not only make the cube 'lesser convex' but it will also bent the adjacent sides of the cube (try it for yourself). DESCENT has problems with highly bent walls (e.g. the laserbolts won't collide with the wall) but DEVIL won't allow such walls and will refuse to move a point further. You don't have to think about wether or not this cube is allowed be- cause DEVIL does it for you (thanks, Achim!). I just mentioned these problems so that you can understand why DEVIL refuses to execute a command. I'll often refer to a so-called 'standard cube'. This is a cube with a sidelength of ca. 1300000 units. The cube in 'new.rdl' is such a standard cube. Since this number is pretty high and since the cube is just about the average corridor size in DESCENT, you'll have problems estimating the actual size of a level (in contrary to DOOM). --[3b]------ Points and corners I hope that I won't have to explain what a point is, but corners are a bit more tricky. A point belongs to three sides (if it's only one cube) but when you have adjacent cubes there could be LOTS of sides belonging to one point. Each of these sides has a corner at the point of the point (:). Every corner has a seperate light level, concerning only this one side. Most of the time you'll just change the light level of the side but it is possible to give seperate light levels to the different corners of a side. IMPORTANT: light is only available for sides (cube-sides without adjacent cube); walls (cube-sides with adjacent cube) don't have light levels. More to light in 'EDITING' --[3c]------ Sides A side is a cube-side without an adjacent cube (this is the last time I mention it, but it IS important to notice the difference). You can place two cubes wall-to-wall, as long as you don't change the sides into walls DESCENT will just ignore this (infinitessimal thin walls are no problem). A little trick: if you build a big room and a corridor through this room DESCENT will ignore the existence of the corridor when you are in the room as long as you doesn't mend the sides. (Perhaps I'll have enough time to build a level that shows this, you can make pretty weird things with this one. :)))) --[3d]------ Walls A wall is a cube-side with an adjacent cube. Walls can act in many ways: as doors, switches for producers, energy rechargers (the yellow dots in the air), .... More to the different functions in 'EDITING' --[3e]------ Textures A side has allways a texture, a wall may have a texture. Textures in DESCENT are a bit more 'powerful' than in DOOM (they are not only textures). E.g. the lava-texture behaves like lava, this is only because of the texture. Also, when a side doesn't have a texture, you can fly through it (including, of course, the infamous 'hall of mirror'- effect). Notice that you can't fly back then: when you get 'out of bonds', you're sure to stay there. --[3f]------ Things Things have different types: startpoints (each level has to have at least one of them :), items (keys, weapons and suchlike), robots (blow 'em up) and hostages (pity you can't blow up these). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part [4]. MOVING AROUND --[4a]------ Moving in the level To control your movements with your mouse just click on the arrows to the right: left click is turn and right click is move. On the keyboard the commands are (you have to switch the NUMLOCK ON): A/Y (perhaps Z ?) forwards/backwards (sorry, german keyboard) 1/3 banking 2/4/6/8 turn around [SHIFT]+2/4/6/8 gliding IMPORTANT: when I refer to NUMLOCK ON or OFF, I assume that you change the Move/Modify-mode ONLY with your NUM-key. If you keep clicking with that mouse of yours this will switch the mode but not the numlock-light (of course) so that the default is inverted (this will be fixed in a later version (perhaps, I keep pestering him all the same :)). --[4b]------ Moving objects If you want to move something else instead yourself you have to switch the NUMLOCK OFF (or click on the button below the arrows). You can only move tagged objects. This is because it may happen very fast that you move something you didn't want and this may mess up your level quite a lot. You can move all objects around. Cubes may only be banked (well, you know what I mean) around the current side because when you turn them, nobody knows around which axis. Items have a symmetric structure therefore it is useless to turn them. Things with orientation behave different: when you move them, you steer them. That means when you press left, this isn't left from your point of view (as with items /cubes/points/...) but left from the things point of view. Just try it. It only affects starting points, robots and the reactor. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part [5]. YOUR MOUSE AND DEVIL Moving around has been explained before, now to the difficult part: choosing objects. You choose a thing with the left mouse-button and a cube with the right mouse-button. Try to aim for the center of items when you choose them but aim at the lower backside (what do you think now ?!?) of a thing with orientation (robots and suchlike). It's easier when you're far away and almost impossible when you're near the robot. For cubes: aim at a poit and DEVIL will take this point, the side next to this point and nearest to you and the cube of this side and point nearest to you (uff). This works most the time but you'll have to move around sometimes until you get the righ angle. You can only click at things and points that you see. When you want to choose a wall, you have to press [SHIFT] and click with the right button on the cross of the wall. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part [6]. HOTKEYS --[6a]------ All time favorites These hotkeys are available in every mode: [F1] activate help, cursor scrolls, any other key exits [CONTROL] + [SHIFT] + s/l save/load level [SHIFT] + [ESCAPE] end DEVIL (you're crazy! :) [SHIFT] + a/y increases/decreases sight NUMLOCK * / increase/decrease moving factor of yourself or of objects depending of the current mode (move/modify) NUMLOCK +/- increase/decrease zooming NUMLOCK 9/7 increase/decrease rotation angle [ALT] + g switch grid ON/OFF [SHIFT] + g increase grid size g decrease grid size [SHIFT] + m make macro [CONTROL] + m save macro m choose macro [CONTROL] + c/s/w/t/i/p changes mode [SHIFT] + c/s/w/t/p previous cube/side/wall/thing/point c/s/w/t/p next cube/side/wall/thing/point [CONTROL] + [SHIFT] + c/s/w/p/t enter number of current cube ... [SPACE] tag untagged object or untag tagged object [SHIFT] + [SPACE] tag all objects if none are tagged or untag all objects if one is tagged [CONTROL] + key command only for current object, ignore tagged objects [SHIFT] + key no side-effects [SHIFT] + [DELETE] delete all tagged objects (be careful with this one!) [END] insert exit wall in current side cursor up/down move in substructure-menu [RETURN] edit substructure f fit bitmap of current side (f also exits the bitmap-fitting) --[6b]------ Cube-mode [INSERT] insert a macro without joining the sides [SHIFT] + [INSERT] insert a macro and make a wall between the cubes (deleting the sides) [DELETE] deletes all tagged cubes but not the current cube --[6c]------ Side-mode [INSERT] separates to cubes [DELETE] joines tagged and current side to wall, matches tagged to current side --[6d]------ Wall-mode [INSERT] inserts a door/switch [DELETE] deletes all tagged walls --[6e]------ Thing-mode [INSERT] inserts a thing (default: energy) [DELETE] deletes all tagged things but not the current thing ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part [7]. EDITING Properties of an object are changed with the cursor-keys and [RETURN], regardless of the current mode. When you tag several objects, the changes (and movements) will affect all tagged objects. --[7a]------ Cubes You can move and bank cubes (as mentioned before). The cube substruc- ture consists of: type/cube light/pnt light. The light will be ex- plained later (see below), the type is one of those: - normal : just a plain cube - producer : these nasties produce robots (3 robots, 3 times default) - reactor : the cube which contents the reactor has to be marked - energy : energy recharger (in special, it's a different byte) When the cube is changed to producer you'll have to enter the kind of robot(s) this producer shall produce. You can mark more then one type (with [SPACE]) and press [RETURN] when you're done. DESCENT will choose one of the give robot-types when a robot appears. Since the fat ones end a level they tend to behave funny when they appear in masses out of a producer (could be done but shouldn't). --[7b]------ Points You can move points in all directions (while the cubes are still convex and the walls ain't weird). The substructure is pretty unimportant (except the light, see below). If the grid is switched ON, all points will lay on the grid. If you try to move a point but can't, the moving factor is below the gridsize. --[7c]------ Sides Each side has two textures: texture 1 is the 'main' texture, texture 2 overlays the first texture. Texture 2 is used for lights, monitors, doors, signs,... The complete texture (1+2) is shown in the lower right corner. The orientation of the texture is shown by the two blue lines on the current side and on the image of the textures. You can change the orientation of the second texture (e.g. to level monitors). You can also change the orientation of the whole side using 'fit bitmap' (in the pulldown-menu or hotkey 'f'). The joining or seperating of cubes is also done in side-mode. This is because it changes sides to walls and vice versa and does not affect the cubes as such. To join two cubes tag one wall of one cube and make one of the sides of the other cube to the actual side. When you press [DELETE], DEVIL tries to delete the two sides and make a wall of them. If the two sides don't match, DEVIL will change the size and position of the TAGGED side (within certain limits of course), the actual side will remain where it is. To separate two cubes, just choose the side and press [INSERT]. --[7d]------ Walls A wall may have max. two functions (or none): door and switch. The different wall-types are: - blow door: standard jail door (hostages) enter hitpoints in hex (the door in level 1 has 64 hex = 100) - normal door: clear - only texture: like in energy stations - only switch: no texture, just switch - shoot through: but not fly through (windows, grates, ventilators) If it is a door, there are four door-types: - stay open, laser: once opened, this door stays open - stay open, switch: can only be opened with switches or at the end of the level - open/close w. laser: standard door, closes after a few seconds - open/close w. switch: same as with laser, only with switch The open at end- and the key-structure won't need explanation, but there are several switch-types: - no switch (default) - alternate/normal exit: when this switch is activated, the computer will attempt to steer the ship to the exit-wall (ends level) - producer/doors: starts producer/opens doors The doortype defines the animation sequence. This is only needed for doors. Since it works with side effects (see below) there may be some minor problems (well, I've had some but maybe I'm just a bit clumsy). Concerning switches: when you want to trigger an event (start producing robots or open door(s)), first insert the switch-wall. Then tag all objects you want to trigger (cubes for producers and doors for doors). Then go again to the switch and change the switch to the event. It will show how many objects are affected. If you want to add another object, you have to tag all previous objects as well; if you want to trigger the event with another switch just do the same procedure again ... and again ... and again ... A wall has two sides and so it has two doors and switches (one for each side). Therefore you can trigger different events depending of your flight-direction. When you want to trigger an event by flying through a corridor from the left to the right, you should set the switch to the left side (see demo level for examples). IMPORTANT: Doors that are opened with switches can't be opened with la- serbolts (normaly). So if you got a door of the type 'open/close with switch' it may happen that the player is trapped without the possibili- ty to trigger the switch again. So be sure to make the other side of such a door 'open/close w. laser'. You have to press the [SHIFT] key to prevent the side effect (if you don't, DEVIL will change both sides). The alternate exit-switch is only of use when you're in a level which has an alternate exit (this is e.g. level 10 for secret level 1). When you use it in level 1 it will just end the level and go to level 2. An exit-corridor isn't needed for this kind of exit because DESCENT doesn't steer the ship after passing the alternate exit: the level just ends. --[7f]------ Things There are several different kinds of thing-types: robots, hostages, start, items, reactor, coop start. I think hostages, start, reactor and coop start should be clear 'cause you can't change them much. An Item consists of an effect and a graphic which may differ. So you can make an energy boost and disguise it as mega-missile. The default is energy boost. A robot is a bit more complicated. It consists of the type (clear), the drop thing and (somtimes) the drop number. The drop thing is a bit uncertain, but it seems to work: DESCENT distinguishes between drop nothing: robot destroyed -> no item drop sth. : robot destroyed -> random item (depends on robot, mostly energy boost and shield) drop item : robot destroyed -> item(s) When you choose 'drop item' you can select the item out of a list. The drop number is the number of this thing the robot drops when destroyed. It may vary between 0 and 127. (DESCENT will become a bit slow when 127 items are on screen.) Ever destroyed a class 1 drone and recieved 127 mega-missiles? :) For people that want to help: ther're still some unknown bytes in the robot- and the reactor-structure. If you know some of them, just mail. There should be something like an 'agressive byte' which rules the behaviour of the robot (some just lurk behind a corner while others will follow you through the whole level). See the room in level 1 with the red key: the light hulks will just stand and cover the entry while the class 2 drone darts out and chases you (or the reactor room and the different behaviour of the three light hulks). Another thing: the gopher robot can only be inserted as a laser- shooting robot. But in some levels of DESCENT the same robot will fly through the corridors, leaving proximity-bombs behind. Perhaps first is agressive, second is defensive behaviour? Check it out! --[7g]------ Light There are two different kinds of light: cube-light and point-light. Point light is only available on sides, NOT on walls, and it can be edited in the following modes: Point-mode: change the light level of the corner of the current side Side-mode : change the light level of all 4 corners Cube-mode : change the light level of all corners in the cube Now we have a problem. Imagine a cube with 6 adjacent cubes (on each side of the cube). Such a cube has only walls and no sides and there- fore no light level. But 'lo! Parallax has made something called 'cube light'. This sets the light level in the cube. It is only available in cube-mode. So it is possible to make a big, dark room (point-light set to 0) with a floating reactor in the middle in bright light (cube-light to aprox. 6000). Looks GREAT! The light is entered in hex and ranges from 0 to 8000 (that is 32768). --[7h]------ Direct editing This is for pro's only. You can choose this mode via the pulldown menus (Drawing -> Data). Then the hex-code of the current object is displayed on the right of the screen. You may edit them directly by mouse-clicking on the hex-code and entering new values. [PAGE UP] and [PAGE DOWN] scrolls up and down. The coloured numbers are known, the black ones ain't (they're set to zilch by DEVIL). So if you know what a certain address stands for, e-mail us. We will ask Parallax about the unknown bytes but I think if there are many people asking, things will go faster for us ;-) We've just seen that Parallax has published the Specs so don't bother them just now, read the Specs first and ask afterwards. --[7i]------ Macros Macros are powerful tools with wich you may copy parts of a level on disk and inserting them later in another level. Still, DEVIL is not 100% steady when using macros so that there may be some minor problems (up to, and including, a formated hard disk). Well, not really. But you should save your level before an extended using of the macro function. Remember: save early, save often. There are different groups of macros so that you won't have to search several hours just to find a 'piece of corridor, 8 cubes long'. When you make a macro, it will not be saved until you choose the menue- point 'Extras -> save macro'. A macro consists of all tagged cubes and other objects that are tagged. The current side and point (at the mo- ment when you make the macro) will be reference side and point. When you insert a macro, DEVIL lays the reference point of the macro on the current point and tries to match the reference side and the current side. I think it would be nice if everybody would add a standard cube to his macro and save the macro with reference side and point on this cube so that all macros in the Internet are compatible between each other. You can make a macro regardless of the current mode but you have to be in cube-mode when inserting one. When you make a macro it will consist of ALL objects (including switches, special areas, things, ...). All inserted macros are tagged. This is because most of the time the macro has been wrong inserted and the only thing you have to do in this case is pressing [DELETE] to delete the macro (since it is possible to insert different objects with one macro you may need to press [SHIFT] + [DELETE] to delete all objects and not only those of the cur- rent mode). A foresight is in work but will take some more time. If the macro contains an exit, it won't appear in the macro structure. This is because only one exit per level is allowed. --[7j]------ Side effects Side effects have nothing to do with sides (hence the name :). It means that when you do one thing, DEVIL will modify another thing. It's name comes from the german word 'Seiteneffekt' which means what I've said before but I don't know if that expression does exist in the english language. It is best explained with an example: When you change the animation sequence of a door (that is: the way it opens) you'll want to do that on the other side as well. Well, DEVIL does it for you. Same with the things: when you change the type of an item, DEVIL changes the graphic as well. Sometimes it doesn't seem to work even if he says it does, but my doors still tend to have two different animation sequences. You can avoid side effects when you keep [SHIFT] pressed when you change the substructure. --[7k]------ Specials Some objects in DESCENT just are 'special'. Here is a list: 1) The exit It seems that DESCENT needs an exit 'cause it keeps crushing down when a level without exit is included (but not always, sometimes it just works). An exit consists of several parts: the exit-door (with 'stays open, switch', 'open at exit') and the switch 'normal exit'); the exit-corridor which seems to must have a certain length (look at the original levels) and the exit-wall which is the last side in the exit-corridor and the only wall not adjacent to another cube. This wall has no texture and should therefore be invisible from the point of the door (DESCENT won't crash but it looks better). This can be made by curves in the exit-corridor or by just setting the light level very low. Also, the exit-corridor shouldn't have sharp turns because DESCENT will refuse to steer the ship through such hazardous areas (again, look at the originals). 2) The reactor The reactor needs a special cube so be shure to change the cube-type as well. You should place it next to the floor so that it doesn't float (not nessesary but ...). 3) Switches They can open doors or activate producers. You may group several switches to activate one producer/door or one switch for several producers/doors. Switches work only for one side, so you may trigger two events with one wall depending of the direction in which the wall is flown through (that's good english??). 4) The producers A producer produces 3 times 3 robots. When you choose more than one type of robot, DESCENT will decide randomly which robot will appear. 5) Traps A trap consists of a big room and several adjacent small cubes (con- nected via secret doors, 'not normally open'). When the player flies through the big room, a switch is triggered. This opens the secret doors and (surprise, surprise!) robots will pour out of them. 6) Secret vault It's a secret room with a switch-triggered door that closes after some seconds. If the player is really fast he may reach the vault *just* in time to see the door closing between him and the extra life (:))). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part [8]. DESCENT ACTS FUNNY - WHY ? DESCENT will exit to DOS when - ther is no exit-wall (took us some hours to get a grip on it 'caus DESCENT still works sometimes) - reactor not in reactorroom - big boss and reactor in the same level (except level 7: there is a reactor in multiplayer and a big boss in single player mode) In this cases the screen will turn black. Just type 'mode 80' or 'mode co80' to reset the screnn. You will need earplugs when you use DEVIL or play DESCENT right after such a crash, so it would be a good idea to reset your soundcard. DESCENT will set you in white fog if the start is out of bounds. This should now be prevented by DEVIL so don't bother about it. If the exit-corridor isn't straight enough, the computer will fail to steer the ship through and just ending the level without the last ani- mation sequence. Hall of mirror effect (HOM) when: no sidetexture, no first texture or only a second texture and a walltexture on side. You may fly through a side without texture but you won't be able to enter the level again. Walls are black with little dots on them: DEVIL hasn't calculated all of the wall's points. Just move one of the side-points to force a new calculation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part [A]. LAST NOTES Sorry, but I've just seen that you've get an older version of this file with the first publication of DEVIL. This is the fault of campus security guard dragging me from the PC's at the uni (my only access to the Internet). Well, maybe they just wanted to close for this day. But so things went a little on the hectic side while we tried to upload it and send word to the newsgroup. So this is the complete version of 'DEVIL.DOC' including even an explanation how to handle walls (pretty unimportant anyway ;). Also, DEVIL will be in the wrong directory (DESCENT\DEVIL095 and not just DESCENT\DEVIL) and our upload session wasn't very effective. Achim tried to do same work later with his (very slow) modem, but connections to US are veeeery slow from here (he achieved the maxi- mum performance of 1.63 bytes per second). Ok, that's it... Have fun! Don't panic! The turtle moves! Bye, Boris