                       Descent Into Horror
                    a 5 part episode for Quake
                          
          All wall art and level designs by Greg MacMartin


     This episode was specifically made for Aftershock for Quake, published
by CDR Publishing.


Description/Comments:
---------------------

     For all potential players of this episode: This is a *VERY* difficult
episode, so it is not for Quake novices.  I had great fun designing
it, and, as the story below leads you to believe I will probably
make a sequal to it.  If you enjoy playing it, drop me an E-mail message
saying so.  If I find enough people do enjoy it then I will make a
follow up episode.  I may wait until Quake 2 comes out with new monsters,
weapons etc.

     I have written up a little story to go along with the theme of the
episode. It is located below.  Also below is a level-by-level commentary
that advances the story.  The story aint much, but I think it helps
you get a grasp of what the level is attempting to portray.  You will notice
that not all of the ending doors are the same.  To compensate for this,
all doors that need a gold key to open are doors that will lead to the
end tunnel.

     This entire episode, as well as the other stuff I did for the
Aftershock project was done in about 1 1/2 months, so it was rushed out
the door to say the least.  I would have liked to have spent quite a bit
more time on the art and designing of my episode, and will do so next
time.  One thing you may notice: This episode requires a fast machine to
play well.  Some of the complex geometry in the levels really pigs
slower machines, so people with 486's?  Stick to Duke.

     Here is a wish list of things that I would have liked to have put
in Descent Into Horror but didn't due to time constraints.  These are
also things that will definitely be in the sequal (if there is a sequal):

--> WAY more secrets and traps.
--> More balanced gameplay.  The levels were not really tested that much.
--> More variety in wall art, i.e more specific things like signs and eye
    candy like the Jesus in the Quake levels. 
--> More levels and multiple secret "mini" levels.
--> Quake C usage. (nuff' said.)
--> Any other suggestions I get from people.  (I am very open to any and
    all thoughts concerning level design...)

     Enjoy and thanks for purchasing Aftershock!

-Greg, cl662@freenet.carleton.ca


Synopsis:
---------

   Earth: 120 years from present day.  The planet has been devastated
by an interstellar war with a race known only as the "Eternals".  The
race seems not to care for property, as they have not claimed any of
the homeworlds that they have ravaged.  The planet can barely support
life now, and it is littered with thousands upon thousands of ruined
cities and towns.  The blackened landscape is a grim reminder for all
who visit Earth that those who defy the Eternals pay in blood.

   There are a mere 2 million human beings left in the universe, and you
are one of them.  You work for a scavenging company which goes about the
universe collecting salvagable pieces of ships, weapons and other potentially
useful items.  Earth is still being picked apart for useful materials and
probably will be for years to come.  You have been assigned a solo duty of
delving into an old Earth military factory.  You assume that the job
will be very routine.


(E4M1, "The Surface")

   You are dropped off near an entrance at the bottom of a massive
"pit" in the surrounding mountains.  You find yourself on some type of
landing pad with a curious military symbol on it.  Immediately you get the
impression that this is no "military factory". From what you know of Earth
history, that symbol and the one by the entrance door with the three lines
indicate that this was some very secret facility.  Obviously the vague
designation of "Military Factory" was just a cover.
   You are more than a little surprised to find out that there are actually
PEOPLE in this place.  Who they are and why they want to do nothing but
fill you with bullets and blast you with laser bolts are questions you will
probably never get an answer to.

*Designer's notes: A really tough mission.   Probably too tough for the first
*                 level in the episode, but...at least it gives you a good
*                 idea of what is to come!


(E4M2, "Ascent")

   After wandering around in this old and abandoned military base for awhile,
you come across a most curious area.  You find what appears to be some
kind of military training course.  The object of this course, it seems, is to
go up. 

*Designer's notes: A neat mission, but the level is ALMOST too much for Quake
*                 to handle.  I had to chop stuff out of my original version
*                 so that Quake didnt run out of surfaces.


(E4M3, "The River")

   After that most interesting encounter with those "knight things" way down
near the bottom of that training course you are beginning to wonder exactly
what kind of place this is.  You know one thing for sure: This job has been
anything BUT routine.  Not to mention the fact that you havent found
anything useful to salvage yet.
   This area of the base has a river running through the center of it.  It
appears as though the river goes deeper into the mountain.
   After exploring the area awhile you find yourself getting nowhere.
So, you decide, why not spice things up and go for a swim?? 


*Designer's notes: The first mission I had completed for Descent Into Horror.
*                 I had a heck of a time getting that river placed into the
*                 world properly, and it still isnt what I wanted it to be.
*                 Among other things, I wanted the river to have a current
*                 that would pull you along.  I tryed to use the push_
*                 player classname, but......no. 


(E4M4, "The Red Room")

   Oh boy.  You've really done it this time.  You know for sure now that
swimming in rivers is a bad thing.
   You have begun to realize that the military base was built on top of
some kind of ancient medieval fortress.  This fact probably has something
to do with the base being abandoned in the first place, considering the
kind of creatures that you have faced so far.
   You also realize that you have left whatever remained of the old
military base behind you.  Its just you, this ancient craphole you have
gotten yourself stuck in and all that damn hell-spawn you have been
fighting.


(E4M5, "The Guardians")

   You stumble upon what appears to be an entrance to some kind of temple.
Whatever it is, you think to yourself grimly, it only means that you'll
be going deeper into this accursed place.
   You have your biggest fight yet on your hands, as there are those
guys in armor and ugly-looking spiders that throw spiked metal balls
guarding the entrance to this temple.
   After the battle you find a dark pit that acts as an entrance to this
place.  As you jump into the darkness, you realize that your descent into
horror has only just begun...

End of Descent Into Horror, part one.

*Designer's notes:  This level is not what I wanted it to be. Originally
*                   I wanted to use Cthon.  And then I found out that the
*                   event_lightning that kills Cthon in Quake shareware
*                   is hard coded to work in that level only. :(
*                   Also, as it is I think this level is way too easy....
*                   oh well.
 
ACK-knowledge-ments

Thanks to:
Daniel Gilliland and Christopher Wise for creating a kick-ass useful
wad2 creation tool.

Special thanks go to:
Jon Mavor for writing Thred, a really fantastic 3D editor.







