PC Format Collection 11/PC Format CD-ROM Collection Number 11 (March 1995).iso/doom2wad/asdoom/asd2_1&2.txt

Text File | 1994-10-22 | 27.4 KB | 627 lines

ASDOOM][: The Final Countdown (Parts One and Two).  First revision, 22/10/94.

Please read ALL of this file before beginning play, especially the section
entitled CONDITIONS OF USE as this details what you may and may not do with
these files.  There was a certain amount of "confusion" (what a diplomat)
with the original ASDOOM levels, with a few odd people doing several of the
things that I had asked oh-so-nicely for them not to do.  Please don't let
it happen again.  I have tightened up the wording a little, for the sake of
clarity, and I apologise to those of you who would never have dreamed of
doing anything untoward anyway.

"Beware the fury of a patient man."   -   John Dryden.


INTRODUCTION
Welcome to ASDOOM][, a series of completely new levels for id's DOOM ][.

This archive has been specially prepared for the readers of PC GAMER and
contains the first six new levels.

The files in this archive will allow you to face new dangers and fresh
challenges once you have finished playing the game itself.  Subsequent
levels will follow on directly from these, continuing the plot, so keep
a saved game handy!

All DOOM levels these days seem to have to have individual names (like
UNDERHALLS or ENTRYWAY), so I decided to give mine names too:

Level one is A WALK IN THE PARK, level two is IN THE HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN
KINGS, level three is called MOODY, level four is GOING DOWN?, level five
is HELL OF A KNIGHT and level six is imaginatively titled THE HEAT IS ON.
In each case you'll have to find out why the hard way...   ;)

ASDOOM][ assumes that you are a veteran of both DOOM and DOOM ][, and that
you are therefore a capable player.  If you are new to DOOM it is probably
a good idea for you to play through DOOM first (because it is relatively
easy), then DOOM ][, then ASDOOM][.  If you are a total addict you could
also get hold of the original ASDOOM as well.  ASDOOM is an extra episode
for registered DOOM by the same author, and is a worthwhile addition to
your collection (but then I would say that, wouldn't I?).    :)

To make life as easy as possible for beginners a batch file is included to
run all of the levels for you.  Simply make sure that all of the files
from this archive are in your DOOM2 directory then type ASD2 to play (but
read the rest of this file first).

For the ultimate experience play these levels in a dark room (the darker
the better!) on Ultra Violence.  If you do this I can guarantee you one of
your best games ever (assuming that you live long enough to enjoy it).   :)


DEDICATIONS
These levels are dedicated to the people who made them possible:

Thanks firstly to all at id for giving us DOOM and DOOM ][.  I can't think
of any other game that has given me such long term entertainment!

Thanks also to Geoff Allan, the person responsible for writing the DOOM
editor used in the production of these levels.  For reference, I am now
using version 3.0 alpha 1 of Geoff's DoomEd for Windows, available from
good BBS's everywhere.  And yes, I know that it isn't compatible with
DOOM ][.

Credit also goes to Colin Reed, author of the BSP DOOM nodebuilder (this
useful program "repairs" dodgy wad files and is REALLY handy if you are
designing levels yourself).  I currently use version 1.1.  It probably
isn't compatible with DOOM ][ either, but who cares?

I also need to thank Raphael Quinet and co. for DEU, which I have used on
occasion for things like grouping my wads together.  Although I principally
use DoomEd for level design, DEU has been invaluable.

Thanks to Steven and Rand Phares for providing DSHRINK.  This program
strips redundant sidedefs out of your wad files, which means that they
should run faster, and because they are smaller they take less time for
modem users to download.

I am very grateful to Ian Trevena for playtesting these wads, and for the
assistance that he gave me during development.

Thanks also to all of those people who sent me feedback on the ASDOOM
levels.  I have listened carefully to everything that you said and asked
for, and you may just find it here!  Mail me again and let me know.

Finally thanks to my wife, Christina.  She's very patient.  Still.


MONEY, MONEY, MONEY...
You thought that I was going to demand some cash, right?  Well calm down,
I'm not going to.  No need to part with anything that you don't want to.
I'm going to go on designing levels of this quality (or better) until
I get fed up, so you might as well have 'em for nothing.  Anyone who is
filled with a wild, uncontrollable urge to send me money can though.
I wouldn't want you to think that I'll get upset if you do, I just won't
get upset if you don't.   :)


INSTRUCTIONS
Decompress this archive if you haven't already.  Place all files in your
DOOM2 directory.  None of your existing files will be altered by playing
these levels, but if you feel nervous make sure you back up your DOOM2
files first.

Once all of the files are in your DOOM2 directory simply change to that
directory and type ASD2.BAT to play the new levels.  This batch file is
designed to get you straight in to the new levels without the need to set
anything up first.  A message will appear telling you that you are playing
modified levels - this is no cause for alarm.  Press Enter to continue.

Once DOOM2 has loaded choose a difficulty level and play as normal.


BEST GET READY TO RUMBLE...
These new levels will test your DOOM skills to the limit.  ASDOOM][ does
support different skill levels and life will be harder or easier based on
your choice.  If you select Ultra Violence, EXPECT Ultra Violence.  Note
that ASDOOM][ is not designed to be playable on Nightmare skill level - it
will savagely kill you and kick sand in the face of your corpse if you're
daft enough to try!  Whatever level you choose, make sure that you save
fairly frequently (or don't come crying to me about it).    :)

Also, don't cheat.  Pretty much everyone knows the cheat codes for DOOM, but
surely you're just spoiling your own fun?  If you cheat at these levels you
miss the challenge, the tension, the excitement, the fear.  You might just
as well not bother playing!  It's your choice, I just want you to get as
much fun out of my work as possible.  If you cheat, you are only cheating
yourself.

Oh, and I know that some areas are a bit dark, but don't give yourself the
light amplification goggles.  If I had wanted you to see everything all
the time I would have made the light level 255 in every room, wouldn't I?
If you need a little extra light to help you spot the little "blighters"
(this is a family TXT file) try letting rip with the chaingun.  Much more
atmospheric.


-------------------------------*IMPORTANT*-----------------------------------

CONDITIONS OF USE
Copyright for these levels remains with the author.  You are welcome (even
encouraged!) to have fun with these levels yourself, and to pass them on to
as many other people as possible so that they can have fun with them too,
SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS:
* This compressed file (zip or arj or whatever) must be passed on in its
  entirety with all files present and unaltered in any way.  You may not
  add to or detract from what is here, just pass it on exactly as it is.
* You may not use these levels as a basis for alterations to produce levels.
* You may not sell any of the ASDOOM or ASDOOM][ levels or include them
  (or a derivative of them) on any compilation which will passed on for
  profit (e.g. sold), or given away (e.g. strapped to the cover of a
  magazine) WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PRIOR PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR IN WRITING.
Use, decompression or duplication of this software indicates total and
unquestionable acceptance of these conditions.

I am not trying to be difficult here, but I've worked long and hard on
these levels (over forty hours EACH) to enhance and extend your enjoyment
of a great game.  All I ask in return is that you respect my labour, please.

I have extensively playtested these levels and plenty of other people have
tested them too, but please note that I cannot be held responsible for the
use of, or inability to use, these files.

---------------------------IMPORTANT - SEE ABOVE------------------------------




BACKGROUND
The files that you have here were originally released to modem users in two
separate archives, ASD2_PT1.ZIP and ASD2_PT2.ZIP.  Each archive contained
three new levels and had its own section of plot text to introduce them.

All of the plot is given below.  For maximum enjoyment read the plot from
Part One only, then play levels one to three.  Save your game, read the
plot from Part Two (which may give away some of the secrets of Part One!),
then play levels four to six.




BACKGROUND from Part One (levels one to three):
You walk wearily towards the deserted military checkpoint.  It is almost
an hour since you emerged victorious from Hell itself and you have yet to
see another living being.

Bodies litter the checkpoint.  Some of them appear to have died at least
twice, judging by the number of wounds.  You give one of the zombie cadavers
a hefty kick, just to remind it who's boss.

One of the human corpses has a communicator.  He doesn't have a head any
more, but he does have a communicator.  Unlucky for him, lucky for you.
Time to find out where everybody is.  You fire up the communicator and tune
to a military frequency.

"Hello, this is the saviour of all humanity, can anybody read me?"  A wry
smile touches your lips as you wait for a response.

The screen clears almost immediately and a man's face appears.  He looks
tired, and angry.

"I'm Admiral Raben.  Over twenty-four hours has elapsed since you freed us.
Where the hell have you been?"

Yup, he's angry alright.

"Hell is exactly where I've been, Admiral.  And twenty-four hours may well
have elapsed since I toasted that Demon, but the bus service doesn't seem
to run any routes out that far so I've had to walk back.  Did you miss me?"

"You're damn right we missed you.  We're in all kinds of trouble and you are
the only one who can help us now."

"Sounds familiar.  What's your problem though?  The Demon is dead, brains
splashed all over the place, very messy.  Hell is very quiet at the moment."
You smile again, but Raben just seems to get angrier.

"Just shut up and listen, marine.  We don't have much time.  When you killed
the Demon all of the remaining humans were liberated and reappeared here.
Unfortunately during the time that everyone was being held hostage and you
were fighting to free them it seems that other demons were still swarming
through the dimensional gateways to Earth itself.  When we arrived back here
the dimensional gateways snapped shut behind us, trapping the demons on
Earth.  All hell broke loose, with demons attacking the survivors on sight.
We were too divided and disorientated to offer proper resistance, so we had
to do something drastic.  We voted to evacuate the remnants of humanity to
the lunar bases."

"Take everyone to the moon?  Why?"

"Because we were getting massacred down on Earth.  We didn't have a choice.
The moon has been unaffected by the demon attacks and we thought that we
could use it to regroup and reequip.  Once we were properly armed and
organised the remaining demons would not have been able to withstand us."

"So what went wrong?"

"We managed to get everyone aboard a fleet of starships and out into orbit,
but something is pulling us back down.  We are applying maximum power just
to hold our position now, but I'm told that our orbit is gradually decaying.
Whatever it is, it has got the whole fleet - every known surviving human
being apart from you.  It is slowly pulling us back out of the sky.  We'll
be destroyed if you don't do something."

You know that you are going to regret this.  "What do you want me to do?"

"Find it, kill it.  Nice and simple.  I'm going to hand you over to Colonel
Diaz.  She is the finest military tactician that we have aboard, and she
has a plan for you.  Listen to her.  You are our only hope."

Admiral Raben begins to turn away.

"Hey, Admiral.  If I pull this off AGAIN you'd better make damn sure that
I get a reward this time."

Raben's face is stern.  "You can have a reward right now.  I'm giving you
a field promotion to Major.  Congratulations.  If you stop whatever this is
you can even have my job.  Now shut up and listen to Colonel Diaz."

The Admiral's face is gone, replaced by a woman's.  She doesn't look very
happy either.

"Okay, marine, listen up!"

"It's Major now, Colonel."

"Okay, MAJOR, listen carefully.  Time is ticking away.  For the last twelve
hours I've had teams up here scanning for whatever it is that is holding us,
but they couldn't find any trace of it until a little over an hour ago."

"What happened an hour ago?"

"All of a sudden it appeared on just about every sensor we have, even those
that weren't particularly looking for it.  It is almost broadcasting its
location now."

"Why?"

"Good question, and I'll answer it in a minute.  Let me tell you the plan
first.  Aboard this ship we have an experimental version of a new matter
transporter, based on the dimensional gateway research.  I want to use it
to beam you across to the grid reference provided by our sensors."

"But the demons control the dimensional gateways!  They won't let you use
them to attack them."

"I think that they will allow us to beam you in.  We were unable to locate
them for over half a day, but the moment you emerged back on Earth they
made sure that we could not miss them even if we wanted to.  Why do you
think that is, Major?"

You mull that one over.  Perhaps you are expected to be smarter now that you
are an officer.

Diaz isn't waiting.  "My theory is that they WANT you there.  They know that
we have the capability to put you there, and I think that they will let us.
They will realise that you are our last hope, and they must know that you are
responsible for trapping them on Earth.  There is probably nothing that
they want more in the entire world than for us to deliver you to them."

"Great.  Assuming that I agree, what will I be going into?"

"I was afraid that you would ask that.  Intelligence here is scarce..."

"Well, that's the military for you, Colonel."

"Don't be flippant with me, Major.  My job is to help you to stay alive for
long enough to save humanity.  You are going to need all of the help that
you can get, so I would advise you not to aggravate me any further."

Diaz's expression conveys a very clear message.  You decide to listen.

"Sorry.  Go on."

"The demonic force is pulling us back down directly towards it.  My guess
is that it either intends to enslave or destroy us.  You must prevent this.
I have no way of telling exactly WHAT it is, but I do know where it is:
southern Italy."

"Wonderful, I've never been to Italy."

"I seem to recall that you were not going to be flippant, Major."

"I seem to recall that too.  Sorry."

"There is an underground complex there, dating back from late in the last
century.  As far as I can tell from our records it was originally designed
and built as a shelter for politicians in the event of a nuclear conflict.
When nuclear weapons became obsolete it was apparently abandoned and sealed."

"And now it's full of demons.  Plus something capable of overpowering a
fleet of starships."

"I am not convinced that it is one particular entity exerting all of this
power.  It may be a sum of the power of many lesser demons.  We will not
know for certain until you begin eliminating a few of them."

"Well the clock is ticking, Colonel.  I'm as ready as I'll ever be."  You
heft the BFG9000 that has seen you through so much recently.  "Any chance
that you can beam me some more ammunition for my toys before I go in?"

Diaz looks distressed.  "I am sorry to have to inform you of this, Major,
but you cannot take any heavy weaponry with you.  The matter transporter
consumes vast amounts of energy in direct proportion to the mass of the
item being transported.  We are going to have to divert substantial power
from the ship's engines just to transport you, sacrificing vital minutes
of our survival time.  Extra weaponry is out of the question.  Retain your
pistol in case you face a hostile reception."

"Are you NUTS?  What do you mean, IN CASE I face a hostile reception!  You
want to beam me in to demon-central with only a PISTOL?  I'd be dead in
a matter of minutes.  There is no way that I can penetrate a fortified
bunker armed with a PISTOL!"

"It will not help any of us if you become hysterical, Major.  I have given
careful thought to this situation.  There is a small garrison directly
adjacent to the entrance to the subterranean complex.  At one time it
provided security for the bunker.  It should now be almost deserted, and
you should be able to improve your armaments and armour by exploring there
first.  When you are done, enter the underground base.  We are trying to
get more detailed scans for you now.  All we know so far is that there are
supposed to be a series of catacombs directly under the garrison, then a
level designed to allow the occupants of the bunker to defend easily against
assault.  Beneath that you will enter the bunker itself.  We have no life
signs from either the garrison or the catacombs, but we are picking up
occasional readings on the long ranged motion trackers...  I feel certain
that you will know what to make of that."

"Yeah, thanks, Colonel.  Any last tips for me?"

"Avoid getting killed.  Do not take too long in finding and eliminating
whatever is down there, unless you feel confident that you can start the
human race again on your own."

"I thought that we weren't going to be flippant."

"Sorry, Major.  Kill whatever is there quickly, or we are going to be
landing right on top of you.  Hard."

"How long do I have?"

"We estimate approximately five hours, depending on whether their grip on
us starts to weaken once they have to contend with you."  She flashes you
a very brief smile.  "Good luck, Major.  We do not have any more time for
idle chat.  Shed all armour and weapons other than your pistol and prepare
for beaming.  And remember, we are on a countdown."

"Understood.  And for what its worth, thanks."

"If I gather anything else I'll be in touch.  Diaz out."

You stand staring at the blank screen for a second, then quickly begin
stripping off your battle gear.  You are still gazing fondly at the
discarded BFG when you are beamed away.

Your vision refocusses.  You have arrived.  The pistol leaps into your hand
almost unbidden.  Looking around it seems that you are just inside the
old garrison.  Everything seems peaceful enough - it certainly doesn't look
like a trap.  But then the best traps never do...




BACKGROUND from Part Two (levels four to six):
You press yourself further into the small space, trying to ensure that there
are no parts of your body still exposed.  This level seems quiet now that
you have finished blasting merry hell out of everything on it, but you can't
shake the feeling that bullets (or missiles or razor-sharp teeth) might rake
across you at any moment.  While you are down here it probably pays to be
paranoid.

You pull the communicator out and power it up.  The damn thing has been
bleeping for the last five minutes, trying to attract your attention but
only succeeding in giving away your position to the swarming demons (may
they rot in peace).  You keep one eye on the corridor, the other on the
communicator.  The picture is fuzzy, but Diaz is on the other end.

"Hello, Major, Diaz here.  How are you?"

"Well, Colonel, I'm alone on the planet, about a mile underground, surrounded
by homicidal hell-spawn.  How do you think I am?  What are you anyway, my
mother?"

"You are 1.463 miles underground.  And your mother is supposed to look after
you, protect you, help you to stay away from trouble.  I suppose that at this
moment I am indeed your mother."

"Okay, Ma, have it your way.  I have to tell you that beaming me in here
means that you score low marks in the "helping me stay away from trouble"
category.  And do you think that in future you could avoid calling me when
I'm in the middle of a running battle with half of the ex-denizens of Hell?"

"Certainly.  We had heard nothing from you since you entered the garrison,
and you were making us nervous.  Check in regularly from now on and I will
have no reason to contact you."

"Fine.  Anything else that you'd like, or can I go back to chaos and mayhem
now?"

"I need to check some data with you.  It is very important, so please pay
close attention."

You treat Diaz to a quick glare, then go back to watching the corridor for
any signs of movement.

"I'm listening, Colonel.  I thought that you were on a countdown."

"We are.  I just need you to confirm a few facts for me.  Since your
insertion we have been experiencing occasional decreases in the demonic
power currently holding the fleet.  There was a small drop just before you
left the garrison, then two large drops in quick succession a short while
before you exitted the catacombs.  Finally there was another large decrease
a few minutes ago.  Can you shed any light on this?"

"Yeah, those timings would all coincide with when I iced a major demon.
Are they weak enough yet for you to break free?"

"No.  The hold on us has not weakened at all, but it seems that the demons
are now having to divert their power from other areas in order to maintain
their pull on the fleet.  As a result we are now able to scan their base
much more thoroughly."

"Have you got any useful information for me?"

"Possibly.  I have suspected all along that the force holding the ship might
be the combined strength of many of the larger demons, and you have now
confirmed that fact.  My sensor teams have been scanning the levels below
you to try to find further targets for you."

"How nice.  What have they found?"

"You have now pacified the level designed to allow the bunker occupants to
defend themselves against assault.  You will now enter the main bunker.
There seems to be some form of central shaft with rooms arranged around it."

"What's in the rooms?"

"It is hard to tell.  The motion trackers do not penetrate very well to your
depth, and we are obviously reading no life signs other than your own.  If
the records on the bunker are accurate there will just be old storage
material and the odd item of powered-down computer hardware.  The base was
virtually stripped before it was abandoned.  Automated systems will be in
total disrepair since no-one has been down there for several decades.  Even
the base doors are likely to be unreliable, opening at random or refusing
to close properly."

"That's not much to go on, Colonel."

"As I said, we have been scanning for the large demons, and there do not
seem to be any on that level..."

"Can I have that in writing?"

"No, you may not.  We have managed to isolate several large demons on the
next level down though.  Their power is easy to triangulate while they are
directing it at the fleet.  The level that they are on provides energy for
the underground complex, so expect to see generator equipment down there.
Be warned that there are at least three of the larger demons on this level.
There must be more of them somewhere if my estimates are correct, but we
have yet to locate them.  It is possible that we have missed them when
scanning the earlier levels, or they may have somehow managed to get under
the base.  Proceed with extreme caution."

"The thought had occured to me.  How can they get UNDER the base, if you
don't mind me asking?"

"We were not aware of this initially as it does not show on any of the base
schematics.  It seems that natural caverns exist below the base at a depth
of almost two miles.  The environment there is extremely hostile..."

"It isn't exactly friendly up here!"

"...with temperatures in excess of human tolerance in most areas.  You
cannot survive down there unprotected."

"But I do have to go down there?"

"It would seem likely, Major.  The environment in the caverns probably
suits the demons quite well, so they may seek to retreat there.  You must
follow and annihilate them."

"But you said that the heat will kill me."

"Unprotected you would die in minutes.  However the bunker staff apparently
conducted some investigations into the caverns to ensure that there were
no other entrances into their secure base.  They had protective clothing
stored in strategic areas in sufficient quantities for whole teams of
scientists and soldiers to survive down there for some time.  They also
built a number of defensive positions, so not all of the caverns are natural.
According to the records of the budget for this installation a great deal of
construction was due to take place in the caverns.  I have no way of telling
how far it had progressed.  However I am sure that you will discover plenty
of abandoned equipment."

"You want me to use their supplies?"

"Unless you have a more viable suggestion, Major, I would recommend that
course of action.  I have thought of a way to help you.  My sensor teams
will scan for the protective suits that you will need.  Before you enter
the caverns use the interface on the communicator and connect it to your
automap.  I will download the locations of as many of the suits as we can
find.  Check your map carefully, and plan ahead.  Do not allow your
protection to expire, or you will die.  The only areas which may be safe
are those where you find ex-humans.  They are less resistant to the heat
than the other demons, so their presence may signify temporary safety."

"Swell.  Anything else?"

"No, not at this time."

"Okay.  Back to work then.  Thanks for all of that GOOD news.  I'll speak
to you later.  And don't call me, I'll call you."

"Very well.  Goodbye for now, Major."

"Goodbye, Mother."

The screen goes dark, like the base around you.  Three large demons.  At
least.  You edge out from your hiding place, eyes sweeping the darkness.

Time to go and find them...




CONTACTING THE AUTHOR
If you can give me frank, open, honest, constructive feedback on ASDOOM][
(without leaving any noticeable bruises) I'd love to hear from you.  If you
have access to comms post a message to Andy Sheppard in the UK DOOM echo of
Fidonet (it should find me) or e-mail me at the address below.  If I don't
reply it means that I haven't received your marvellous missive!  Send it
again.  As an absolute last resort you can contact me via snail-mail at:

Andy Sheppard
89 Gordon Road
Corringham
Stanford-le-hope
Essex
SS17 7QZ
England.

I don't actually live there (so keep it clean please) but I'll get your mail
(eventually)!

I do listen to the feedback that I receive, and use what I'm given to try
to enrich the later levels as I create them.  Don't be shy!



KNOWN PROBLEMS WITH ASDOOM][
None - yet!  These levels need a fairly powerful machine to get the very
best from them - 486DX and 8Mb RAM recommended, but it'll run on less.
If your PC is struggling a bit please either reduce the size of the playing
window (by pressing "-") or decrease the detail level (by pressing "F5").
If you encounter a problem please let me know.  I'll try to fix it ASAP.


I hope you enjoy these levels.  I enjoyed creating them.


There will probably be an ASD2_PT3.ZIP.  Get it, before it gets you...



[e-mail]
















;)