<In Notepad, turn on Word Wrap right now>

Description
===========

This is a replacement for the whole of Doom 2, every level is new, though I did not build all from scratch - I did nick some from Ultimate Doom and other parts of Doom 2.  Basically it is the true story of the fighting back against the invaders from hell.  The marine in Doom and Doom II was just the decoy, now you get to play the real thing.

I do not create levels which are beautiful.  Don't expect complex spires and towers (They need too many two-sided linedefs anyway) and I really didn't make full use of the third dimension.  However, the design is good enough that you don't notice it's bad (I hope).  I concentrated on all the wierd and wonderful ideas I could come up with, as well as possibly too-frequent tests of combat skill.

If you've completed Dooms 1 & 2, and you want a challenge, then this is for you.
Difficulty is fully implemented, approx. as follows:

Difficulty you choose	Equivalent to this difficulty on normal Doom2
=====================================================================
I'm too young to die	A bit easier than Hurt me plenty
Hey! not too rough	Somewhere in between HMP and UV
Hurt me plenty		Ultra violence
Ultra violence		Not quite as bad as Nightmare
Nightmare		No, don't even think about it

I tried to design the series so that the easier levels started off simple, but got considerably harder as time went on, but the harder levels started hard and didn't get so much harder.

I have completed it on Ultra Violence, JUST.  I've recorded individual level completion demos for all the levels bar 30, starting each level with the ammo/weapons/health/armour with which I ended the previous level.  If you want a rough estimate of how good I am, I have the following DHT6 titless: DM, DV, D2M, D2V.  If anyone can do it on Nightmare <faint>, then send me a sample as a .lmp and I'll marvel at your ability (It'll have to be for v1.9, cos that's wot I've got, and demo's don't work in different versions.  Upgrade patches can be found at www.idsoftware.com).  To be honest, I don't think that level 30 is possible in nightmare, I'm pretty sure it would crash the engine easily.

Coop is probably much easier - now that I've added network weapons.  It's better if you've found the secrets.
Deathmatch wouldn't be any fun at all on most of the levels - they're generally too small and weapons are unevenly distributed.  But, try levels 1-3, 5, 16 and 30 if you must.  They'd be best.

This is not thoroughly keyboard tested, and you may need a mouse to reach some of the secrets, but you will not need a mouse just to complete the levels.  A single secret requires strafe-running (if you don't know what that is, you're probably not going to need to know).

There is at least one secret on EVERY level, even my version of E2M8.  Many levels, however, have but one secret and it's often not easy to find.  Secrets are always given away by something EXCEPT when you have the opportunity to obtain a computer area map, in which case they may be impossible to find except by using the map (or madly pressing every wall...  or cheating...  or opening the level in a map editor).  One of the harder secrets to find (bar that which allows access to the secret levels, and that which allows access to the BFG on the secret level) is on level 7.  See if you can get it if you want a challenge.

A word on cheating
==================

These levels are not easy.  They are not supposed to be (Well, if you play on skill 1 then they're not hard either).  There is a temptation to cheat for many of us.  I will not say 'Don't cheat!'  since I know that if I played these levels I probably would.  I will say instead that you will appreciate these levels (or any others) much more if you do not cheat.  And consider playing on a lower difficulty setting in preference to constantly refilling your ammo horde and so forth.  The levels are carefully balanced in terms of ammo for ultra violence, and so long as you do nothing stupid you should never have to chainsaw anything but the occasional demon even on UV.  On lower difficulty settings, you'll have ammo coming out of your ears.  If you do find yourself short of ammo on HMP (or even lower levels) then you certainly need to work on your aim.

The story so far:
=================

(Levels marked * are the ones I consider most difficult.  Levels marked # are ones on which it is not intended that 100% kills should be possible.  All the levels up to and including 16 as well as level 30 are my own scratch-built, the rest (after I ran out of imagination) are shamelessly taken from other id-written doom levels.  However, not one is the same - I fiddled with them all, so don't get complacent.  If you like mazes, try levels 2 and 16.  You'll find mazes with a new twist to every one ;-).  I even managed the first 3d maze I've seen for Doom which doesn't use teleporters.  My personal favorite level, a work of genius (IMHO) in the tricks and traps department, is 15.  The best designed bit is the quasi-secret level, which is a whole chunk of one of the levels to which you don't need to go, but I won't tell you which level it's on.  Levels 1 and 3 are based on real houses (Level 3 only very loosely) and level 30 is based on my real school (Except of course that my school lacks a huge cavern containing a spawning demon).)

You come home from your military training course, listening to the radio tell you that Diemos has disappeared off the face of the solar system.  In fact, one of your mates was dispatched as a member of the team investigating Phobos, you hope he's OK.

Level 1 - Home Sweet Home

You reach your house, as a mysterious growl sounds from inside, you're sure glad you brought your pistol home.  Inside you've hidden enough weaponry to fight off this threat, there's even a BFG9000 in a safe place.

Level 2 - Sewers

You remember another of your mates, who lives not far away, you don't want to go outside, the streets are teeming with the vermin, so you decide to go through the sewers (Luckily, you know that there's an easy route, and the both of you even dug tunnels from your houses into the sewer in case of such a contingency).  The maintainance men should have left rad suits at regular intervals, after all, you don't want to be left without one in the slime.  The roumors go that they are hidden, but you've heard that the maintainance men mark all their secrets in  distinctive way.

Level 3 - Home Damned Home*

Your pal's house, let's kick ass.  He was a bit of a modern artist when it came to decoration, so expect some pretty wierd colour schemes.  You seem to remember that his balconies - using carefully placed mirrors - make you feel like you're walking on air, floating above the sky.
If you're lucky, there might just be a BFG here too.

Level 4 - Streets#

Your pal's body, soulless, you've gotta get into hell and find his soul.  Looking out of his fourth floor window, you see demons pouring out of a single point, that must be the dimensional gate to hell, you'll have to go overland this time, beware, for the streets are teeming with the enemy.  You must walk onto the dimensional gate to transport yourself to hell.

Level 5 - Limbo

Damn.  They saw you coming and redirected the gate just in time, you're stuck in limbo.  Somewhere in the middle of this maze is the pit down into hell.  Just don't fall off the platform or you'll never get back up, and you'll die from the most hideous tortures imaginable.

Level 6 - Descent*

Hell at last.  Time to descend to the depths of depravity.

Level 7 - Dead Simple

This is it - the place where they keep the soul spheres, go pick up your pal's and get outta here.

Level 8 - Lock 'n' Leave

Now you have to close the gate to Earth.  It's just round the corner but watch out, it's heavily guarded.

Level 9 - Capture

You couldn't get out through the gate yourself, and the whole of hell is chasing you now, you stop, drop your collection of soul spheres from level 7, and make your last stand.

Level 10 - Vengeance Begins*

It wasn't enough, they've captured you, destroyed your pal's soul and slammed you in jail.  You'd better get out of here before it's too late.  They took all your weapons except the pistol and 50 bullets which you hid, lucky they don't know what you can do with a pistol.
It's payback time.

NB. You HAVE to die at the start of this level, it's the only way I could simulate them taking away all your weapons.  Also, getting out of jail is NOT easy, but all my beta testers managed it in the end, after dying 4 or 5 times.
If you DON'T die at the start of the level (and it is just possible) then please either just die or type 'idclev10' to reset the level or you'll be guilty of cheating by ignorance.

Level 11 - Canyon Warfare

Now you're stuck in a canyon, cross over at those stepping stones and see if you can find a way up.  Once you're out of here you can start to head for the root of the problem.

Level 12 - Stoned

Having escaped the canyon, you are now on the wrong side of the river.  Cross over.

Level 13 - Spawning Grounds#

You are walking along, when you see an imp, you blow it's head off, used to it by now.  Then you see another imp, and another, and another.  Oh dear, imp spawning. (And you thought demons were bad).

Level 14 - Ascent

You have to climb this monstrosity, protected at each level by increasingly dire enemies.

Level 15 - It's oh so Quiet*

You sprint forward away from the barrels exploding behind you, then hear a faint click.  Looking up, you see the ceiling coming down to meet you.  Your reflex action carries you to safety, but as you turn to watch the entrance close behind you, you realise that you've walked into a deathtrap - there doesn't appear to be a way out of this room...

Level 16 - Depth First Search*

Having climbed the lift and conquered the spider demon (unless you went the other way :-), you are teleported into a small room.  You step, and teleport - you teleport again and again - oh dear, you're stuck in a teleport maze.

Levels 17 & 18 - Tower of Babel & Command Centre

You climb from the deathtrap to find yourself on a huge, floating lump of rock.  It's Diemos!  No way!  You walk forwards and see a jacket lying on the floor, the name on the front is familiar.  Yes, it's your mate who was sent with the team to investigate Phobos, how the **** did he get here, and where is he now?  Oh well, no time to think about that.
You enter the nearest building on Phobos, and find it deserted, with dead demons scattering the floor.  Oh, yes, your pal has DEFINATELY come through here.  However, not all the buildings are similarly empty

Levels 19 - 23
Slough of Despair,
Mt. Erebus,
Nirvana,
The Abandoned Mines &
The Spirit World

You reach the far edge of Diemos, and see a grapple hanging down to the surface of hell.  You look out across the surface of hell before climbing down, and see what you think must be the source of all the problems.  From the ground you couldn't see that the structures of hell form a radial pattern, eminating from a single point.
You take your bearings and climb down.  When you reach the bottom you begin the journey towards your destination - it's gonna be one long trek getting there, though.

Level 24 - Icon of Sin*

You're there, and you're gonna have to pump some serious rocket into the brain of this demon, how dare he ruin your planet?

Levels 25 - 29
Barrels o' Fun,
Suburbs,
Tricks and Traps,
Sever the Wicked* &
Perfect Hatred*

You use an appropriately timed opening to make your way back to Earth, and hope for a relaxing time of it, but you're wrong.  Another one of those huge, spawning demons has found it's way here, you have to reach and destroy it.

Level 30 - Payback*

You have finally got there, the demon, ironically, took up residence in your old school, all the pupils and teachers have been mutated into demons.
There's another chance to get all the weapons here but getting the BFG is V. V. V. difficult, and a map editor won't help you.  If you really want to know how, then look at the spoilers below.

Finale** (i.e. the second half of level 30 - You'll know it when you see it >;-)

You teleport to the gigantic cavern beneath the school where the spawning demon continues it's vile work.  Protected by layer upon layer of defenses, it nonetheless can be killed, as any other such demon, by the precision insertion of rockets into his brain.  However, raising that platform's not quite so easy this time.

Post script

Pretty much what it says...
Of course.  Now you know who did the real work cleaning out the infestation.  Your pal who was sent to investigate Phobos clearly did hardly anything by comparison.  And, the so-called Spider Mastermind was just one of hundreds littering Hell and Earth, simply the rarer versions of Arachnotrons.  And you needn't worry about the destruction of Hell and the fate of bad folks when they die - the bad folks will soon make themselves a new one.

Levels 31 & 32 - Wolfenstein & Grosse

If you got to level 31, I am amazed.  If you got to level 32 I am astounded.  If you cheated of used a map editor to do it, I am hardly surprised.
Their description is the same as in normal Doom II.

If that lot was too easy, then try playing Level 30 (or any other level) from scratch (ie. just pistol and 50 bullets).  I can just complete it on Ultra Violence, but I know all the quirks and secrets, and I use every one.  You could also try getting the highest % kills you can on Level 30, usually I do between 100 and 110%, but there's no reason not to get more (except that you run out of ammo).  

And don't forget to find every single secret.  Yep, EVERY one.  And don't forget that there's one on EVERY SINGLE level.  Heh heh heh...

PAR Times
=========

In case you're interested:
When I recorded myself completing these levels these were the times I took.  These are thorough times, so including most of the kills (90% at least except on levels like 13) and most of the secrets (I averaged 108% kills and 77% secrets.  Though the 950% kills on level 24 probably skews that average a little), and are for playing the levels in sequence, not starting on pistol/50 bullets.  The times are rounded to the nearest 30 seconds.
I'm no speed runner - completing the levels in half the time below is probably a good target if you are.

01  8:00  02  5:30  03 10:30  04 11:00  05  9:00
06 13:00  07  0:30  08  4:00  09  1:00  10  4:30
11  5:00  12  3:00  13  0:30  14  2:00  15  4:00
16  9:00  17 24:00  18 12:00  19  7:30  20 16:00
21 10:00  22 10:30  23 15:30  24  3:00  25 12:30
26 10:30  27  8:30  28 14:00  29 13:30  30 ??:??
31 12:30  32  4:00

I have not yet made a recording of completing level 30, but the one in which I came closest lasted for about half an hour.

Why dm.wad?
===========

In case you're curious as to why the file is called dm.wad, depite being called 'behind the scenes'.  It used to be called 'Doomer's doom', abbreviated to dmersdm and then just dm.  I didn't like the name, so I changed it about v2.0, but never the file name.

*******************************************
(Stop reading now to avoid slight spoilers)
*******************************************

Hints and Tips
==============

If you get a computer map, USE IT!  At the end of each section of the level, check to see if you've missed any secrets.

You NEED to find secrets, if you don't then you'll have to cope with only using the shotgun and chaingun to - in some places - kill 3 or more cyberdemons, which is not my idea of fun.

When playing medium-hard ammo conservation is all important.  Especially on the middle levels which are rich in demons but short of men for you to nick ammo from.  The later levels have so many shotgun guys on you can't really run out of ammo.

Anyone who finds the secret level (without using a level editor) - I applaud you.
Anyone who completes the whole game on UV or Nightmare I applaud you too (But to do that you probably need to find the secret level).

You should have ALL the weapons by the end of level 1, it's really your only chance to get them till level 10.

**************************
(Real spoilers start here)
**************************

If you're having difficulty, see if this helps:

Your opportunities to get each powerup (on UV/Nightmare) are (correct to v2.7):

KEY
===
MS = Megasphere, SS = Supercharge, BS = Invisibility, IA = Invulnerability
BZ = Berzerk Pack, A1 = Security Armor, A2 = Combat armor
RS = Radiation Shield, MP = Map, LA = Light Amplification
SG = Shotgun, 2B = Double-barreled Shotgun, CG = Chaingun
RK = Rocket Launcher, PL = Plasma, BF = BFG9000, CS = Chainsaw
BP = Backpack

* indicates that this weapon does not exist initially but can be obtained from a dead shotgun guy / heavy weapon dude.
? indicates that this item exists on the level, but cannot be reached without cheating.

===========================================================
    MS  SS BS IA BZ A1 A2 RS MP LA  SG 2B CG RK PL CS BF BP
 1:  .   2  1  1  .  .  .  1  1  .   1  1  1  1  1  1  1  .
 2:  1   2  1  1  .  1  . 15  1 11   1  .  *  .  .  .  .  .
 3:  .   1  .  2  1  1  .  .  1  .   1  .  *  .  .  1  .  .
 4:  1   .  5  2  .  .  2  .  .  .   *  .  *  .  .  .  .  .
 5:  .   2  .  2  .  .  1  .  .  .   .  .  1  .  .  .  .  1
 6:  .   2  1  4  1  .  2  .  .  .   1  1  1  .  .  1  .  .
 7:  1  32  .  2  .  .  1  .  .  .   .  .  .  4  .  .  .  1
 8:  1   1  .  1  1  .  .  .  .  .   *  .  *  .  .  .  .  .
 9:  1  32  .  1  .  .  .  .  .  .   .  .  .  .  1  .  .  1
Here you are captured and lose all your equipment
10:  2   2  2  .  1  .  1  1  1  1   *  .  1  .  .  .  .  1
11:  .   1  .  .  .  .  .  1  .  .   *  .  .  .  1  1  .  1
12:  .   2  1  .  1  .  1  5  .  .   *  1  .  1  .  .  .  .
13:  .   .  1  1  1  .  .  .  .  .   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
14:  ?   2  1  .  4  .  .  .  .  1   *  .  *  .  .  .  .  .
15:  1   1  .  .  2  .  2  4  .  1   .  .  .  .  1  .  .  .
16:  .   .  .  1  .  1  .  .  .  .   .  .  .  .  .  1  .  .
17:  2   4  1  .  1  1  1  3  1  .   *  1  *  3  1  .  .  1
18:  .   1  .  .  1  .  .  1  1  .   *  .  *  .  .  .  .  1
19:  .   1  .  .  1  1  1  .  1  .   *  .  *  .  .  .  .  .
20:  .   2  .  .  1  2  1  5  1  .   *  .  *  .  .  1  . 11
21:  1   .  .  1  .  .  .  4  .  .   *  .  *  .  .  .  .  1
22:  .   2  1  .  .  1  1  1  .  .   *  .  *  .  .  .  .  1
23:  2   1  .  2  2  1  .  .  .  .   *  .  *  .  .  1  .  4
24:  2   3  .  .  1  .  .  2  .  .   .  .  .  1  1  .  .  3
25:  1   1  .  .  1  1  .  .  1  .   .  .  *  .  .  1  .  2
26:  1   1  1  .  1  .  .  1  .  .   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  5
27:  .   6  .  3  .  2  .  2  .  .   .  .  .  .  .  1  .  5
28:  1   1  3  3  1  .  2  1  .  .   *  .  *  .  .  .  .  2
29:  .   1  .  1  1  2  1  3  .  .   *  .  *  .  .  1  . 34
30:  5   7  3  9  1  2  0  3  .  .   1  1  2  2  1  1  2  4
31:  1   1  1  1  1  .  .  .  .  .   1  1  1  1  2  .  .  4
32:  1   .  .  1  1  .  .  .  .  .   .  1  3  1  1  .  1  .
TOT 26 111 24 29 23 13 16 50  9 14   5  6  9 14  9 10  3 76
===========================================================

As you can see, you really can't play levels starting with only a pistol and 50 bullets.
Most levels have all weapons except the BFG when playing a network game.

And here's a list of monster info (sorry it's the other way around):

KEY
===
Lv=Level number
ZM=Zombie Man (Trooper), SG=Shotgun Guy, SS=SS Nazi, HW=Heavy Weapon Dude,
Im=Imp, De=Demon, Sp=Spectre, LS=Lost Soul, Ca=CacoDemon, PE=Pain Elemental,
HK=Hell Knight, Rv=Revenant, Ar=Arachnotron, Ma=Mancubus, AV=Arch Vile,
BH=Baron of Hell, SM=Spider mastermind, Cy=CyberDemon, BB=Big Spawning Boss
To=Total

A ? preceding a number indicates that although these monsters exist,
they are killed by a crushing ceiling before you can reach them
(hence you cannot kill them).

<You may wish to turn word wrap off here - unless you're on 1024x768 or better resolution>

============================================================================================================================
Lv  01  02  03  04  05  06 07 08 09 10 11 12  13 14 15  16  17  18 19  20  21  22  23 24  25  26  27  28  29  30  31 32   To
ZM   6  27   4  47   .  36  .  4  . 22 14  3   .  6  .   .  48  14  6   7   .   .   3  .   .   .   5   9   1  39   .  .  301
SG  42  28  16  20   .  42  .  4  . 27 14 20   . 10  .   .  55  10 11  15  19   2   5  .   .   .   6  63  10  44   .  .  463
SS   1   .   3  46   .   .  .  4  .  3  .  .   .  .  .   .  20   .  .   .   .   .   .  .   .   .   .   .   .   7 156 68  308
HW   .   5   9  32   1  16  .  4  .  8  .  .   .  2  .   .  22   3  6   4  15  14   6  .   2   .  17   6   4  21   .  .  197
Im  18  29  63  90  73 143  4  4 41 24  6  4 937 27  . 144  86  44  . 118  85  27  24  .  66 147  64  52  17  38   .  . 2375
De   1  22  27   6   .  35  . 18  .  3 13 29   . 12  .   .   .  22  8   7   .   .   6  .  42   4  43   9   6  31  21  .  365
Sp   6  11  21   8   .   .  4  .  .  .  2  .   .  .  .   .  12   . 11   4   3   1  17  .   7   5  27  17  24  40   .  .  220
LS  15   8  16  25  49  85  .  . 16 12  .  7   .  .  .   .  72  17 36  11   .  29   .  .   .   .   2  10  15   2   .  .  427
Ca   5   5  10  50  29  31  .  4  8  .  .  .   .  .  .   .   .  10 13  21   3  24  12  .   6  25  10   8  20  14  11  .  319
PE  14   .   5  35   .   .  .  .  .  .  .  .   .  . ?4   .  19   9  .  16   4   .   5  .   6   .   8   .   3   6   .  .  134
HK   2   .   2  38   .   5  4  4  .  .  .  .   .  .  .   5  18  10  .   9  12   .  15  .   9   3   1   2   2  47  30  .  218
Rv   .   .   .  31   .  16  4  4  .  .  .  .   .  6  .   .  15   6  2  10   4   .  19  1  12  18   .   5   5  55   .  .  213
Ar   .   .   1   3   .   .  4  1  .  .  .  .   .  .  .   .   1   4  1   2   2   .  21  .  13   1   .   3   .   6   .  .   63
Ma   .   .   3   .   .   .  .  2  4  .  .  .   .  .  .   .   8   3  .  10   2   3   4  .   2  21   .   2   2   9   .  .   75
AV   .   .   1   7   1   4  .  4  .  .  .  .   .  .  .   1   1   .  .   3   2   .   6  .   3   2   2   3   3  11   .  .   54
BH   2   1   4  44   9   8  4  4  8  .  7  1   .  6  .   1   3   5  .   1   4   2   2  .   8   6  30   5  16  69   1  .  251
SM   .   .   1   2   .   .  2  .  4  .  .  .   .  .  1   .   .   .  .   .   .   .   4  .   2   .   .   .   .   5   .  .   21
Cy   1   .   1   4   .   1  3  .  .  .  .  .   .  1  .   .   2   .  .   .   1   1   2  1   .   .   1   1   2  13   .  2   37
BB   .   .   .   .   .   .  .  .  .  .  .  .   .  .  .   .   .   .  .   .   .   .   .  1   .   .   .   .   .   1   .  .    2
To 113 136 187 488 162 422 29 61 81 99 56 64 937 70  5 151 382 157 94 238 156 103 154  3 178 232 216 195 130 458 229 70 6043
============================================================================================================================

There is a maths error somewhere in there - if you add up the totals across the bottom it comes to 6056, not 6043 - but that's not too bad a difference, eh?

In case you didn't notice, I have a fondness for Barons and CyberDemons :-).  And we won't mention the imps.

You get to the secret level from level 15.  I won't say how, it's easy enough to find out with a map editor (Or is it :-)

You can't work out how to get to the super secret from level 31?
Explore, explore, explore some more.

Or maybe you can but you think that room is impossible?
Well, you're wrong.  I've done it.  I've seen it done by others.  When I playtested it I forgot you wouldn't have the BFG at that point (Oops :-).  There IS an invuln.  It's not TOO far away...

If you're stuck on level 30:

To get the first BFG you have to persuade an arch-vile to give you a leg-up onto the platform it's on.  There is another BFG in the finale among the cyberdemons.
To reach the grand finale you have to kill ALL the "Commander Keen" thingys.  If you're stuck, there's one that's tough to find.  Want to know exactly?  It's up on the ceiling of the gym (the southernmost room) in the southeast corner.

If you're stuck and want the BFG on level 32 (Don't deny it, I know you do):

Getting the BFG is difficult.  Keep trying.  Do you know where the secrets are normally on level 32?  What symbol signified them?  Still stuck? - What if I tell you that speed is of the essence at some points.  Have you thought of running faster than you can run :-).  If you still can't get it, use a level editor.  If you STILL can't get it, e-mail me, and I'll send you the demo.

Two demos are available on demand - one showing the way to the secret level, and one showing the way to get the BFG on level 32.

Any other problems, please feel free to contact me.

Happy Dooming