Wolfenstein 3d Faq
Frequently Asked Questions by Adam Williamson (adam@scss.demon.co.uk) [Version 4.16]
Last Revised on: Thursday 15 1994 18:37 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
Note:
1) From here onwards 'Wolfenstein-3D' will be referred to as 'Wolfenstein' or
'Wolf3D', and 'Spear of Destiny' will be referred to as 'Spear' or 'SoD', to avoid
verbosity. Information about Wolfenstein applies to Spear as well, unless differences
are noted.
2) All specific names included herein are trademarks and are so
acknowledged: iD, Apogee, FormGen, Wolfenstein-3D, Spear of Destiny, PkWare, PkUnzip,
SoundBlaster, etc. (forgive if any missed out)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
0.0
About the FAQ. 0.1 The Copyright Notice. 0.2
Foreword. 0.3 Id, Apogee vs the FAQ. 0.4 How
can the Wolfenstein FAQ author be contacted? 0.5 How can I obtain the
most recent version of the Wolfenstein FAQ? 0.6 The NEW INFO coding
system within the FAQ. 0.7 Wolfenstein & SoD related files availability
via FTP.
1.0
The Wolfenstein Novice Questions (The bunch that new users usually ask).
1.1 What are Wolfenstein-3D and Spear of Destiny? 1.2 What
are the requirements to run Wolfenstein? 1.3 Where can I get Wolfenstein
from? 1.4 How do I unpack shareware Wolfenstein? 1.5 How
do I install it to HD? 1.6 Can I play Wolfenstein from a floppy disk?
1.7 What's with the game version numbers? 1.8 Are there
map/graphics editors available? What are they & which files do they change?
1.9 Are there different sets of ready made Wolfenstein maps/graphics files,
and where? 1.10 How can I CHEAT in Wolfenstein? 1.11 How
can I contact iD Software? 1.12 I think I found an error in the FAQ.
1.13 Is Wolfenstein available on any other platform than an IBM compatible?
1.14 Where can I find version x.y of Wolfenstein? 1.15 Where
did iD get the inspiration for Wolfenstein?
2.0
Specific questions about the game. 2.1
What do all those
guards say in game? (for those with SoundBlaster
or compatible) 2.16 How
many hits do all those enemies take? 2.17 What
weapons do all those
enemies carry? 2.2 What's the
difference between the difficulty
levels of the game? 2.3 What are the
secret rooms/doors in the game?
How can I find one? 2.4 What are secret
levels in Wolfenstein? How can I find one?
2.5 What is that funny object/sprite in the
game? 2.6 What is the purpose of the codes
listed at the end of game stats? 2.7 Are
there ghosts in Wolfenstein? If so where? Can
I kill them? 2.8 What do other objects
apart from ammo, food, etc. do? 2.9 I've heard
you can drink blood in Wolfenstein? Is that true? How?
2.10 What is 'Death Cam'? How is
it activated? 2.11 What is the Jukebox
feature of Wolfenstein? How is it accessed?
2.12 What are those music tunes in Wolfenstein?
2.13 What is that Morse code message in
Wolfenstein? 2.14 Are there any more
cheats/hints available? 2.15 The Statistics &
Records Section (Numbers about the game).
3.0
The FLAMING Section.
(You're annoyed with Wolfenstein because...)
3.1 It crashes. 3.2
The sounds are all screwed. 3.3 You
are left with a gun and 8 bullets after you die.
3.4 It's too hard. 3.5 It's
too easy. 3.6 You keep running into the walls and missing
the doors. 3.7 You are feeling dizzy
while you play it. 3.8 It never gives you 100%
stats at the end of level/game. 3.9 You
always run out of ammo/health. 3.10 You can
never find any secret rooms. 3.11 You
can never find a secret level. 3.12 You always
get nuked by that big bad boss (guard) at the end.
(defeating the bosses).
4.0
Map/Graphics Editors Section (messing around with map/graphics files then this section
is for you). 4.1 Discussion of available map/graphics editors. 4.2 Rules to follow
when editing. 4.3 Common editing errors (What not to do and what they'll produce).
4.4 Map/Graphics files version conversion. 4.5 Editors compatibility with the game and
each other. 4.6 How to make a hardcopy (printout) of the maps.
5.0
Wolfenstein Add-On Section. (Discussion
of extra levels/graphics you can get) 5.1 Extra levels.
5.2 Extra graphics.
5.3 Other Add-ons & Utilities.
6.0
Wolfenstein Bugs & Problems (known to date), and how to fix or get around them. 6.1
Hardware problems. 6.2 Software problems. 6.3 Game specific problems.
7.0
Wolfenstein Spin-offs. 7.01 Catacomb Abyss. 7.02 Blake Stone 3D. 7.03 Doom.
7.04 Ken's Labyrinth. 7.05 Hugo's Nitemare 3D. 7.06 Doom 2. 7.07 Terminator: Rampage.
7.08 Corridor 7. 7.09 The Fortress Of Dr. Radiaki. 7.10 Operation Bodycount. 7.11 Rise Of The Triad. 7.12 Heretic. 7.13 Duke Nukem 3: 3D. 7.14 Shadow Warrior 3D.
7.15 Ruins 3D. 7.16 Quake. 7.17 Descent. 7.18 Dark Forces.
8.0
Acknowledgements.
9.0 Revision History.
10.0
Future Additions To The FAQ.
0.0
ABOUT THE FAQ.
0.1
THE COPYRIGHT NOTICE.
I
hereby grant the right to anyone who wishes to freely reproduce WOLFENSTEIN-3D and SPEAR
of DESTINY FAQ in part or in full in any electronic or written form provided that the
author as well as the acknowledged people (Section 8.0) are given due credit.
Adam
Williamson - new maintainer of Wolfenstein-3D and Spear of Destiny FAQ
Date:
Nov 11th, 1993.
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0.2 FOREWORD.
Ok,
It's been a couple of years now since the first release of this FAQ. Wolfenstein-3d has been
out and available as shareware for over 3 years. Originally I wrote the FAQ to stem the very
large number of posts and questions on Usenet's comp.sys.ibm.pc.games about this game. I must
say that I think I've been successful in conserving some bandwidth by provision of this regular
(most of the time) article. This FAQ will be availible on the Games Domain WWW site (http://wcl-rs.bham.ac.uk
/GamesDomain) and FTP site (wcl-rs.bham.ac.uk) and will be posted whenever I remember (about
every month) to the Internet usegroups comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action and alt.games.apogee.
I
would like to thank all of the contributors to this FAQ.
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0.3 Id, APOGEE VS THE FAQ.
Now
hear this! Apogee and iD Software have nothing to do with this
FAQ. They do not give me support
with it (not counting some e-mail thanks from J. Wilbur at
iD Software). This is NOT an official
publication of either iD Software or Apogee. The information
contained within this article
is provided 'as is' as I collect it from various Usenet sources.
I do make an effort to check
whether the information is correct at the time of the post,
but as usual no guarantees are
provided.
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0.4 HOW CAN THE WOLFENSTEIN FAQ AUTHOR BE CONTACTED?
I
can be contacted via Internet e-mail at the following address: adam@scss.demon.co.uk.
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0.5 HOW CAN I OBTAIN THE MOST RECENT VERSION OF THE WOLFENSTEIN FAQ?
1)
Drop me an e-mail (--> See Section 0.4). OR 2)
Get it from the FTP site wcl-rs.bham.ac.uk. OR 3)
This article is also reposted about every month on comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action. OR 4)
Read it on the WWW site http://wcl-rs.bham.ac.uk /GamesDomain.
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0.6 WOLFENSTEIN & SOD RELATED FILES AVAILABILITY VIA FTP.
Throughout
this FAQ I'll be refering to some Wolfenstein related files. These can be obtained through
Internet FTP archives.
ftp.cc.umanitoba.ca [130.179.16.24] directory: /pub/wolf3d
is
the official wolf3d site.
******
<<<<<< (will be referred to as 'MANITOBA' from now on) >>>>>>
******
I
will not include any information on wolf3d related files unless
they make their way to one
of these sites. (Nope, wuarchive.wustl.edu won't do Sorry!)
If you don't know how to get them
there or don't want to do it yourself or don't have ftp access
then send them to me. I'll be
happy to upload them for you.
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1.0
THE WOLFENSTEIN NOVICE QUESTIONS.
1.1
WHAT ARE WOLFENSTEIN AND SPEAR OF DESTINY ?
Wolfenstein-3D
is a 3-dimensional action game from iD Software. (distributed as shareware by Apogee). Spear
of Destiny is the commercial sequel of the same game that includes some enhanced graphics.
OBJECTIVE:
Survival/Exploration TYPE: Action VIEW: First person 3-dimensional perspective. FEATURES:
Smooth scrolling gameplay and character animation. Full 360 degrees view sweep at any
angle. VGA graphics (320x200x256), SB/SB-Pro/Adlib/Sound Src support Mouse/Joystick/Gravis
pad/Keyboard interface.
DIFFICULTY
LEVELS: 4
VIOLENCE
RATING: PC-13 (profound carnage - analogous to the movies' PG-13)
COMMENTS:
Impacts visually. Highly addictive. Slighty violent.
STORY
LINE: In Wolf3D: Basically you're a WWII allied spy imprisoned in Germany and you're
trying to escape (full story included with the game). In SoD: Capture the Spear
of Destiny from a Nazi stronghold.
AVAILABILITY:
First part of Wolf3D is shareware. Extra parts can be ordered from the distributor (more
later). For Spear there is a 2-level demo version and the full version can be obtained
at your local software store. There are now SoD: Missions 2+3 availible as well.
STAGES:
Wolf3D: 6 episodes (parts) each containing 10 levels. The shareware version only
contains episode 1. The registered version (pay $$) contains either 3 or 6 episodes.
Altogether there are 10, 30 & 60 levels in the shareware and two registered versions.
SoD: 1 set with 21 levels of pulse-pounding action. The demo version only contains
the first 2 levels. The registered version (pay $$) contains the full 21 levels.
WARNING:
Some people have reported being sick after playing or watching
others play (a kind of
motion sickness if you like). --> See 3.7
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1.2
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS TO RUN WOLFENSTEIN?
HARDWARE
REQUIREMENTS:
Processor: 80286 or better (Nope won't run on XT). Graphics:
256Kb VGA or better. Memory: 580Kb Conventional. Also supports EMS, XMS. ( If EMS/XMS
are available the game will use them to preload some of the graphics data. ) Hard
Disk: Wolf3D: Approx. 1.38Mb (Shareware version) Approx. 2.40Mb (Full 6 episodes version)
SoD : Approx. 1.24Mb (Demo version) Approx. 3.06Mb (Full 21 levels version) (Support
SB, SBPro, Adlib)
OPERATING
SYSTEM & COMPRESSION UTILITY COMPATIBILITY
DOS : 5.0, 6.0 (should be downward
compatible to 3.3 but wasn't tested) Other OS's : OS/2, Windows: (Note if you've got
a SB device driver installed under Windows or a Windows TSR like an hour chime running
it may interfere with some of Wolfenstein's digitized sounds) Running WOLF3d/SoD under
Windows isn't really recommended. Windows NT: unknown. (anyone?) DR-DOS 6.0
Compatible
with: Stacker: Yes (2.0 & 3.0) Superstor: Yes DOS
6.0's Double Space: Yes
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1.3
WHERE CAN I GET WOLFENSTEIN FROM?
You
can ftp Wolf3D game from MANITOBA, locating it in /pub/wolf3d . It is archived as a PkWare's
ZIP file (wolf3d14.zip). You can also ftp it from UWP. Look in /pub/msdos/games/id (file 1wolf14.zip).
(Note: ziped with PkZip v2.04g) You must have PkWare's PkUnzip software to unzip the .zip file.
(You can obtain the pkzip/unzip software from garbo.uwasa.fi /pc/arcers filename = pkz204g.exe)
The archive size is approximately 750Kb. There is an unpacking installation with this latest
version (v1.4) of Wolfenstein so there should be no problem with getting started.
You
can also get a full version from Apogee (iD's Wolfenstein distributor). Info on ordering is
included in the shareware version. Lately the full version has also been commercialised and
should be available from local software stores and other retail outlets (such as K-mart). (This
info is U.S only. Other countries may have had it available this way for a long time
now).
You
can ftp the demo of SoD from the same two sites (file soddemo2.zip).
The archive size is approximately
740Kb. You can get a full version from FormGen (iD's
Spear of Destiny distributor). Info
on ordering is included in the demo version. SoD may also be
obtained from your local software
store.
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1.4
HOW DO I UNPACK SHAREWARE WOLFENSTEIN?
You'll
need PkWare's PkUnzip software (version 2.04g) to 'unzip' the file. Create a spare
directory, then copy the file you've obtained into it. Next use pkunzip to unarchive the
file. Like so:
pkunzip wolf3d14.zip pkunzip soddemo2.zip
(Assuming
your pkunzip.exe is on DOS's command path.)
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1.5
HOW DO I INSTALL IT TO HD?
Through
unarching the program in 1.4 above, an INSTALLATION copy of
the game was placed in the current
directory. Just run INSTALL program supplied to install a runable
copy on your HD. You can
delete the INSTALLATION copy once a runable copy has been made
(to save disk space of course).
NOTE:
Initially you'll need ~4Mb of HD space to unpack and install
the game. For the SoD demo, unarching
the program in 1.4 above will place a runable copy on your
HD and you don't need to take any
further installation steps.
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1.6
CAN I PLAY IT FROM FLOPPY DISK?
You
can play the shareware version of Wolf3D and the demo of SoD
from floppy disk since it's only
about 1.38/1.24Mb (we're talking 3.5" High Density disk
here). You'll have to install
it to a hard disk first and then copy it across to a floppy
disk. The full registered versions
of Wolfenstein and Spear are much too big for a 1.44Mb floppy
(unless you have something like
a 20Mb floptical disk drive :) on which it would easily fit).
The performance of the game running
from a floppy is much the same except when you first load it
up it takes it about a minute
to load up all the graphics/map info, so just wait patiently.
It's a bit slower between the
levels as well. In the game itself there is usually no speed
differential except in certain
parts where it brings in a page of graphics for some wall panels.
You can then notice a split
second pause.
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1.7
WHAT'S WITH THE VERSION NUMBERS?
The
most current version of Wolfenstein 3D is 1.4. The newest version fixes all known bugs (as
did 1.1 at the time, etc.) Apart from that there is not much of a difference unless it comes
to map/graphics editors. --> See 1.8, 1.9 & 4.X A breakdown of the versions and what
the differences are is below. (If you never played Wolfenstein this will sound meaningless,
but then again if you NEVER played Wolfenstein then where were you this past two years?
;) NOTE: There may have been some other bugs fixed between the versions which I don't know
about, so if you think you know e-mail me.
v1.0
- First release (05/05/92) v1.1 - Fixed some secret doors map bugs (on level 7 & 8 in
episode 1 there were secret doors left out) and also some video problems (06/10/92) v1.2
- Secret level elevator bug was fixed (introduced in 1.1 :( ) (06/22/92) v1.3 - Was never
released. v1.4 - Fixed something but I forgot what. It also changed slightly the graphic backdrop
on the opening screen and other menus, changed the interior elevator graphic and added
a calibration routine in the joystick setup menu. (12/03/92)
The
dates next to versions are the file stamp dates of the game .exe file. They are not the actual
market release game dates.
There
were other 'internal' changes between versions but they are only relevant to mapping programs.
--> See 4.X
The
version numbering of Spear seems to have gone through the same
routine, but currently I
only have info on the initial release: v1.0 - First release
(09/28/92) v1.1 - No information
available (yet? call on info) v1.2 - " " "
" " " v1.3 -
" " " " " " v1.4 - Final release,
changes from previous versions
unknown (01/05/93)
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1.8
ARE THERE MAP/GRAPHICS EDITORS AVAILABLE, AND WHERE? WHAT ARE THEY? AND WHICH FILES DO
THEY CHANGE?
Map/Graphics
editors can be obtained from our page: Editors
No,
they are not written by iD or Apogee nor supported by them. (Also --> See Section 4.2)
READ
THIS! IMPORTANT! READ! THIS! IMPORTANT! READ! THIS! IMPORTANT! ****************************************************************************
Apogee ask that you ONLY edit registered wolf3d. The latest level editors will ONLY work
on registered versions. Will FTP sites PLEASE withdraw levels and graphics capable of
running on shareware wolf3d. Anything that will work on registered wolf3d/SoD, and ONLY
registered, is OK. **************************************************************************** Ok,
continuing on...
You
can even share with the world your own map/graphics creations for Wolfenstein by uploading
it to UWP in /pub/incoming/id . (--> See 1.9 for a complete list of iD's directories for
that site.)
NOTE: You are strictly not allowed to distribute the executable
files from the registered full version of the game, i.e. any .exe files. Nor anything from
the game for $ unless selling the game to third party (Legitimate registration transfer).
The
editors have been obtained by reverse engineering the map/graphics files and producing programs
that changed those files in a manner consistent with the game requirements of them.
The
editor archives are: maped41.zip map viewer/editor maped42.zip " " " maped6.zip
" " " wolfed21.zip graphics viewer/editor wolfm160.arj map viewer/editor
version convertor maped8.zip map viewer/editor
The
last one will let you convert between different versions of Wolfenstein since the map encryption
for 1.0 is not compatible with 1.1 and upwards (and you may feel left out if you designed maps
before with 1.0 and now have 1.1 or 1.4, etc. Not so! BTW: 1.1 through to 1.4 are
map/graphics compatible as known to date.)
Also
maped41[42][6]/wolfm160 will automatically detect what version of Wolfenstein you have installed
so you need not worry if you don't want to convert maps (upgrade/downgrade (!) them).
All
of these files include ample docs with them, if you already have them and want some tips or
help on their differences and shortcomings, then --> See 4.X
In
order to make the Map editors work for Spear of Destiny, an enhanced version of the .DEF files
must be used. They should be obtainable in the same ftp sites as the map editors (file wmapdefs.zip
and others). If you can't find them, some minor work will need to be done. Find the wall types
(MAPDATA.DEF) and the object types (OBJDATA.DEF) that are undefined and define them in your
*.DEF files.
The
aforementioned editors change the following files:
Map
editors: MAPHEAD.XXX MAPTEMP.XXX GAMEMAPS.XXX where XXX is either .WL1 for the
shareware version or .WL3 and .WL6 for the registered 3/6 episode versions respectively.
Note
that GAMEMAPS.XXX replaced MAPTEMP.XXX in versions of Wolfenstein 1.1 and higher, i.e. MAPTEMP.XXX
is only present in v1.0. It doesn't really make any difference since the map editors will recognize
that. For Spear, XXX is either .SDM for the demo version or .SOD for the full version. To have
some of the map editors work with them, you'll need to rename them to .WL6 files and then back
to play the game. Please consult Section 4.1 to see if the map editor you're using will recognize
SoD .SDM & .SOD file extensions.
Graphics
editors: VSWAP.XXX where XXX is as before.
My own word (Adam) on level editors:
Basically, GET ONE NOW! They are very, very good. I use mapedit
8.0. I have a regular
conversation going with Warren Buss, one of the writers, and
8.1 is done, but not on
general release. They are adding Corridor 7 support, and
it will be released with a higher
no than 8.1 when this is done. Mapedit 8.0 supports every
single object in wolf3d, and
has many useful features. It also supports SoD and Blake
Stone 3D. Before anyone asks,
there are NO plans for Rise Of The Triad support - it
is too different. Also, levels
are very easy to knock up quickly, but don't. It is not
as bad as Doom (2 months
per level!), but try and think about it. Get the player lost.
Build in traps.
Graphics editing is very fun, but you need to be a reasonably
talented computer artist,
prepared to work for a long time to achieve results. Enemys
have 20+ frames of animation,
and these all need to be changed. I am working on a major
add-on, Warhammer Wolfenstein,
which is being done with two friends - they work on graphics,
I do levels. We will have
something decent out by february 95.
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1.9
ARE THERE DIFFERENT SETS OF READY MADE MAPS/GRAPHICS FILES, AND WHERE?
If
you are looking for an alternative set of map or graphic files
for your Wolfenstein game then
the sites mentioned in Section 0.7 carry them as well in the
same or sibling directories.
MANITOBA has the add-on maps/graphics/editors, etc. in the
same directory as the game i.e.
/pub/wolf3d . Make sure you look through an index file (normally
00index* or README to see
what is what or --> See 5.1 & 5.2 for a short tour)
At UWP have a look at /pub/msdos/games/id/home-brew
directories.
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1.10
HOW CAN I CHEAT IN WOLFENSTEIN?
See
our pages by clicking here
DEMO
RECORDING MODE - This "debugging" feature is not accessed in the same way as
the other commands. To record a demo, follow step one from the beginning of this file, and
then hold down TAB at the title screen (the one with B.J. hiding from a guard). Unfortunately,
there doesn't seem to be any way to display these demos after they've been recorded, but if
you've ever had a secret desire to play Wolfenstein 3-D with a big "DEMO" sign at
the top of the screen, this is how to do it. Theory: I do not have 1.0 of wolf3d
- i use 1.1 - but I think that if you leave it on the title screen long enough, you get
a demo, and this is probably what you are recording.
And then there's always the MLI (Machine Langauge Interface) cheat.
What
you do is press L, I and M all together and you get full health & ammo as well as the chain
gun and both keys ;) However, it will reset your score to 0! (This also renders the tab-I
cheat useless).
The
equivalent of this cheat for the Mac (I think...the sender did not name system) is typing in
BURGER.
IMPORTANT:
It seems that in later registered versions of v1.4 of Wolf3d the cheat mode has been disabled
(appearently Apogee requested it). At the moment I have no additional info to differentiate
these two versions of v1.4. If you have any such details (like file dates etc.) drop me a line.
Apogee
has also stated that starting with release of their game 'Biomenace'
all their subsequent shareware
game releases will be devoid of any in-built cheat codes. This
is apparently to encourage registering
the game (where the registered versions would have some kind
of cheat mode (???) etc.)
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1.11
HOW CAN I CONTACT iD Software or Apogee?
If
you have some difficulties with Wolfenstein or Spear that are
unresolved after reading this
FAQ you can send e-mail to help@iDsoftware.com or apogee@delphi.com.
Note that this FAQ is
not produced or in any way sponsored by iD Software or Apogee,
so they are not responsible
for the material included herein. I would discourage asking
them about the add-on products
for Wolfenstein. Mail only if you have a setup, installation
or hardware conflict, etc.
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1.12
I THINK I FOUND AN ERROR IN THE FAQ.
If
you find some information contained within this article incorrect I'll
appreciate you informing
me of it ASAP.
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1.13
IS WOLFENSTEIN AVAILABLE ON ANY OTHER PLATFORM THAN AN IBM COMPATIBLE?
There
is a SNES version (blood changed to sweat, dogs changed to
rats) and a Jaguar (uncensored,
slightly altered graphics) version. Mac version IS now availible,
and uses the Jaguar graphics.
The Archimedes version has just come out. No info on graphics.
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1.14
WHERE CAN I FIND VERSION X.Y OF WOLFENSTEIN?
If
you're looking for older versions of shareware Wolfenstein then MANITOBA is the place. These
are the files:
v1.0
- 1wolf3d.zip v1.4 - wolf3d14.zip
If
you want v1.1 (god knows why) you'll have to patch v1.0 using
w3dpatch.zip (--> See Section
5.3) I don't know where to get shareware patch for v1.2
but the only difference from 1.1
to 1.2 was the secret level bug fix on episode 1 level 1. If
you have an editor you can patch
it yourself. But really, you should only need v1.0 (for some
add-ons) and v1.4 (for the rest).
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1.15
WHERE DID iD GET THE INSPIRATION FOR WOLFENSTEIN?
The
The idea for Wolfenstein came from an old Apple ][ game called
Castle Wolfenstein that the
iD games liked. They had come up with the idea of the 3D, texture-mapped,
smoothly scrolling
engine, and needed a game to use it with. Castle Wolfenstein
seemed ideal. They couldn't think
of a better name, so their legal guys went out and got the
copyright on the name, and Wolfenstein
3D was born!
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2.0 SPECIFIC
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GAME.
2.1
WHAT DO ALL THOSE GUARDS SAY IN GAME? (FOR THOSE WITH SOUNDBLASTER OR COMPATIBLE)
See
our Enemies pages by Clicking Here
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2.16
HOW MANY SHOTS DO ALL THOSE ENEMIES TAKE TO KILL?
Here
is detailed roughly how many shots each normal enemy takes to kill.
-
Dog - 1 shot, 1 knife hit.
-
Brown Guard - 1 shot if close up and on target, or hit in back, and 2 if at a distance. If
your aim is out it can be 3. About 2/3 knife hits.
-
SS - About 8 shots or 12 knife hits.
-
Officer - About 4 shots or 6 knife hits.
-
Mutant - About 8 shots or twelve knife hits.
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2.17
WHAT WEAPONS DO ALL THOSE ENEMIES CARRY?
See our Enemies
pages by Clicking Here
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2.2
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DIFFICULTY LEVELS OF THE GAME?
There
are four main differences: 1) There are more guards on harder difficulty levels. 2) They
are harder to kill (can take more shots and you have to aim better) on harder difficulty
levels. 3) On harder levels you take more damage when shot. 4) There are a certain number
of guards on difficulty 1 (can I play daddy), the same on difficulty 2 (don't hurt me),
they just do more harm, more on difficulty level 3 (bring 'em on) and a hell of a lot
on difficulty level 4 (I am death incarnate! meaning: I am death personified, made into
a person).
There
is another minor difference. On the lowest level the 'first-aid kit' sometimes bumps up your
health more than on other harder levels. --> See 2.8 & 2.15 for more.
NOTE: on the lowest level 'Can I play Daddy?' you
can generally pick off a guard even at long distance with one shot in the general
direction (well, not every time but often). On the hardest
level this usually will
not happen.
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2.3
WHAT ARE THE SECRET ROOMS/DOORS IN THE GAME? HOW CAN I FIND ONE?
The
secret rooms are like any other room in Wolfenstein except they are accessed by a 'secret passage'
(not really a door). There are certain wall panels which can be pushed (acted on) like a normal
door. The wall will then slide back revealing a passage to another room. Secret rooms are usually
used to store treasure, food, first aid and ammo packs and more powerful guns, i.e. the
items of interest when survival is at stake (the treasure helps get more points which accumulate
to extra lives, etc.). Sometimes they are used to store keys to locked doors, but not often
(not in the Wolf3D shareware episode anyway).
NOTE: There is nowhere in the game that anything vital to completion is hidden behind
a secret wall. Keys are just to shortcut routes. iD thought necessary secret rooms would
be too hard to find. This is strictly untrue, but the areas it is used (Episode 1, level
8 for example) are in tiny rooms where it is dead easy to find the pushwall.
Although
there are no strict guidelines to where a secret room might
be, you can get some slight
hints on where one might be positioned. Since the maps in Wolfenstein
are true (i.e. they're
not warped space) then if you see a block of wall which is
pretty thick and houses no standard
rooms (operated by normal sliding doors) it could potentially
house a secret room. Try first
the obvious places on the walls e.g. Hitler's painting, nazi
banner & other obvious wall
decorations. Some secret panels are in the corners of a room,
others in the middle of a wall
(midpoint of a wall in a standard room). There are also a few
between two objects, like between
two plants or two barrels positioned against the walls. -->
See 3.10 for more.
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2.4
WHAT ARE SECRET LEVELS IN WOLFENSTEIN? HOW CAN I FIND ONE?
The
secret levels are just another level which has been made a
bit harder to find than others.
To get to a secret level you must take a special elevator (well,
they don't look special
though, in fact in appearance they look like a normal
elevator) from one of the normal
(non-secret levels). Elevators like that are hidden. There's
one secret level per episode (so
there's one in the shareware version too :). When you arrive
at a secret level it will be
marked 'level 10' on your status bar. In Spear there are two
secret levels in total, marked
19 and 20. After you finish the secret level the exit elevator
will take you back to the level
that you should have gone were it not for the secret level.
Say you got to secret level from
level 1, then after secret level (10) you'll end up on level
2. For a bit of a spoiler -->
See 3.11
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2.5
WHAT IS THAT FUNNY OBJECT/SPRITE IN THE GAME?
That
funny object only occurs in the registered 3 or 6 episode version
of the game. It is a sign
saying to call Apogee. See, it was going to be a part of a competition
with the game, like
you find it and then call the distributor (Apogee it was
then) and you could win something
(???). The competition idea was dropped fairly quickly though,
after all the mappers and
editors were unleashed only weeks after the game's release.
OK, for all those who haven't
found it, the object is a wall saying "Phone Apogee Say Aardwolf."
It isn't very
exciting, trust me.
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2.6
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE CODES LISTED AT THE END OF GAME STATS?
Same
thing as in 2.5 the code is the checksum for your score in
game. It was going to be a proof
that you actually went through the game and obtain such and such
score.
NOTE: To my knowledge
the codes only occur in Wolfenstein v1.0 & 1.1 (maybe
1.2, not sure)
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2.7
ARE THERE GHOSTS IN WOLFENSTEIN? IF SO WHERE? CAN I KILL THEM?
There
are two kinds of ghosts in Wolfenstein. The Hitler's ghosts
which haunt you in episode 3
level 9 (the boss level where you kill Hitler). You can certainly
kill those. There are
also some funny Pacman Ghosts in episode 3 level 10 (secret
level). You can't kill those
but they can hurt you if you touch them. Just stay clear and
you'll be ok. (Or cheat with
GOD MODE --> See 1.10) In Spear there are ghosts
in the final floor (21). These white
ghosts can be shot, but after a short while they reappear.
They can also hurt you if you touch
them.
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2.8
WHAT DO OTHER OBJECTS APART FROM AMMO, FOOD ETC. DO?
Umm,
well ... nothing really. They're there 'cause they look nice.
To
see a list of Usable items in the game, Click Here
Doors:
open and close these. Keys: access locked doors. Elevator:
use it to progress to next
level.
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2.9
I'VE HEARD YOU CAN DRINK BLOOD IN WOLFENSTEIN? IS THAT TRUE? HOW?
You
can slurp up the blood pools and consume the bloody skeletons
if your health falls below
10%.
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2.10
WHAT IS 'DEATH CAM'? HOW IS IT ACTIVATED?
Death
Cam is a animation replay of the final few seconds of the killing sequence
of some the games
bosses (you know, the huge guards). The only bosses subject
to Death Cam are:
Dr. Schabbs
(episode 2) Hitler (episode 3) Otto Giftmacher (episode
4) General Fettgesicht
(episode 6)
The Death Cam is activated after you kill
one of these bosses. After the replay the
current episode concludes regardless of whether you killed
all other guards, etc.
There
is no Death Cam in Spear. It has a nice set of end screens
though.
NOTE: Deathcam does not replay your killing, from your viewpoint
- it just shows all the
guy's dying frames from close up, so it is always the same.
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2.11
WHAT IS THE JUKEBOX FEATURE OF WOLFENSTEIN? HOW IS IT ACCESSED?
The
JukeBox feature of Wolfenstein is just a menu of different
music scores that normally play
through the different levels of Wolfenstein. To
access it press and hold 'm' while Wolfenstein
starts (after you started it from DOS).
Now you
can listen to that favourite tune from
the game. The Jukebox is present in all versions as I
understand (shareware/registered 1.0
through to 1.4). The menu of music scores may be different
between the versions but it nevertheless
is there.
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2.12
WHAT ARE THOSE MUSIC TUNES IN WOLFENSTEIN?
What
is the theme music for Wolfenstein 3-D?
The
tune that opens Wolf 3-D is known as the "Horst Wessel
Lied" (Horst Wessel's Song),
which was the official Nazi party anthem. Here are the first
couple of bars to the lyrics,
though further research will follow:
(translated
from the original German)
Raise
high the flags! Stand rank-on-rank together.... SA will march
with steady, quiet tread....
Historical
background: Horst Wessel was an average SA (Sturmabteilung
-- literally, Storm Detachment;
which was the Nazi goon squad) trooper and local party
leader in Berlin. He was killed in
a street brawl with Communists in 1930, but not before
leaving the words and music to the
tune that became the Nazi anthem. It was played along
with the official German national
anthem, whose tune is still used today, although with different lyrics
than what was played
in Nazi Germany.
Other
musical trivia: a few bars of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air
Force, and Marine Corps anthems are
played throughout the game. In one of the music pieces,
a Morse-code message is played in
the background...
The music on episode 1, mission 9 is vaguely reminiscent of
the British National Anthem,
God Save The Queen/King (depending on who is the monarch
at the time).
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2.13
WHAT IS THAT MORSE CODE MESSAGE IN WOLFENSTEIN?
In
Episodes 3 & 6 of the registered version the music seems
to include a Morse code beeping
in the background.
I
have scooped the following from UseNet's comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (I
don't know the
originator, you know who you are)
Here
it is:
TO
BIG BAD WOLF DE ["de" means "from" in amateur
radio Morse code jargon] LITTLE
RED RIDING HOOD ELIMINATE HITLER IMPERATIVE COMPLETE
MISSION WITHIN 24 HOURS OUT
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2.14
ARE THERE ANY MORE CHEATS/HINTS AVAILABLE?
Yes
Siree! There's certainly that Wolfenstein hintbook you can
obtain for some extra $ (US$
10 I last heard), when you order the full version of the game. It's
supposed to be packed
with hints about the game levels and how to cheat in the
game (--> See 1.10). I don't
know all the details 'cause I don't have it. (Er,
the game's too easy anyway (No flames!
--> See 3.X))
There's also the Spear of Destiny hintbook
to be obtained for US$ 15. It
has lots of background info on the game, the storyline, its
development history and the
guys at iD Software, plus hints for playing, the full set of printed
maps and how to access
a few hidden features in the program.
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2.15
THE STATISTICS & RECORDS SECTION (NUMBERS ABOUT THE GAME).
Ok,
at the risk of repeating myself here goes:
The
Wolfenstein game has:
10 levels per episode - 6
episodes (full version) - 1 secret level
per episode.
The
Spear of Destiny game has:
21 levels (full version)
- 2 secret levels and a special end
level.
Both
games have:
4 difficulty levels - 4 weapon
types: knife, pistol, machine gun & chain
gun - 2 keys: gold & silver.
Max
ammo: 99 Ammo with guns: 6 Ammo with clips: 8 Ammo with guards' clips: 4 Ammo with
ammo box (SoD only): 25 Ammo with X-tra life: 25
Max
health: 100 % Health for blood/bones: 1% (Note: health must
be <10% for this to work) Health
for dog food: 4% Health for chicken meal: 10% Health
for first aid: 25% or 35% depending
on which level of difficulty Health for X-tra life: 100%
Score
for brown guards: 100 Score for dogs: 200 Score for white ghosts (SoD): 200 Score
for white officers: 400 Score for blue SS troopers: 500 Score for undead: 700 Score
for ghosts of Hitler: 2000 Score for bosses: 5000 Score for cross: 100 Score for chalace:
500 Score for treasure chest: 1000 Score for golden crown: 5000 Score for 100% completed:
10000 Score for secret level completed: 15000 Score for boss level completed (SoD): 15000 Score
for 1 sec under par level time: 500
The
following table shows the par level times for all Wolf3D episodes:
|
Level |
| Episode |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
| 1 |
1:30 |
2:00 |
2:00 |
3:30 |
3:00 |
3:00 |
2:30 |
2:30 |
| 2 |
1:30 |
3:30 |
3:00 |
2:00 |
4:00 |
6:00 |
1:00 |
3:00 |
| 3 |
1:30 |
1:30 |
2:30 |
2:30 |
3:30 |
2:30 |
2:00 |
6:00 |
| 4 |
2:00 |
2:00 |
1:30 |
1:00 |
4:30 |
3:30 |
2:00 |
4:30 |
| 5 |
2:30 |
1:30 |
2:30 |
2:30 |
4:00 |
3:00 |
4:30 |
3:30 |
| 6 |
6:30 |
4:00 |
4:30 |
6:00 |
5:00 |
5:30 |
5:30 |
8:30 |
The
Boss and Secret levels have no par level time.
The
following table shows the par level times for all SoD levels:
| Level |
| 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
17 |
| 1:30 |
3:30 |
2:45 |
3:30 |
4:30 |
3:15 |
2:45 |
4:45 |
6:30 |
4:30 |
2:45 |
4:30 |
6:00 |
6:00 |
Once
again, the boss and secret levels have no par level time.
Extra
life: every 40000 points or if you find the icon.
NOTE:
extra life icon counts as treasure!
If you forget one --> no 100% treasure statistic!
NOTE: Par times cannot be edited with any edit programs I know
of - anyone seen one?
Average
number of rounds (on 'Death Incarnate' difficulty) required
to kill:
Minimum
number of rounds required to kill: Ghost of Hitler: 25 Hans:
40 Hitler: 70 to blast
him out of his harness & another 70 to finish him off. Other
Bosses: 80
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3.0
THE FLAMING SECTION. (YOU'RE ANNOYED WITH WOLFENSTEIN BECAUSE...)
3.1
IT CRASHES.
Usually
the reasons for Wolfenstein bombing out are these:
1)
You have a hardware conflict with your soundcard. 2) You
have a software configuration problem. 3)
You have more than one version of Wolfenstein and some game
files from the versions are
mixed.
1
& 2 are discussed later --> See 6.1 & 6.2
If
you mixed Wolfenstein versions or put different home-brew add-on
maps in the same directory
then Wolfenstein might hang since map and graphics file formats are
different from version
1.1 onwards.
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3.2
THE SOUNDS ARE ALL SCREWED.
Either
your card is not fully Soundblaster compatible or you have
IRQ or DMA conflict. --> See
6.1
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3.3
YOU ARE LEFT WITH A GUN AND 8 BULLETS AFTER YOU DIE.
Solution
a)
Cheat (--> See 1.10) b) Learn about secret rooms and
how to find them (--> See 3.10),
there is plenty of ammo/food inside them. c) Save
often. d) The blue SS troopers
carry machine guns. Toast one with your gun and you can
pick up his machine gun. If you
have the machine gun already, he just drops an ammo pouch.
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3.4
IT'S TOO HARD.
-->
See 3.3 & 3.10 Also start on an easy difficulty level.
Don't despair, you'll get better.
One of the advantages of veteran players is that they
know the layout of the maze. They
know where to find ammo, food, etc. As you get familiar
with the game you'll also be able
to judge how many shots to fire and where to aim. Thus
you can conserve your ammo. To
preserve health learn how to use the strafe function (useful
when ducking around corners). Also
don't just plunge into rooms. Hang back and see if any guards
come running out. Then ...
Pang!
Some difficulty can also be attributed to disorientation
of new players. Several
corridors or rooms may look alike. Try look for dead bodies
(i.e. the trail that you've
left behind) or other characteristic objects. If
you're having trouble with movement then
--> See 3.6 & 3.7 One nice hint I've received
is about slowing the game a little.
If you have turned on debugging keys then holding TAB
slows the game down a bit (not as slow
as slow motion from the debugging options). This means that
you can let off a couple of
accurate shots before the targets (guards etc.) have time to
react. Great for some tight
rooms and conserves ammo as well.
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3.5
IT'S TOO EASY.
Like
a challenge eh? Check out some home-brew maps. --> See 5.1 You
might also try to reduce
your health with the cheat mode (--> See 1.10) or decide
to play without machine guns.
Take that for a challenge.
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3.6
YOU KEEP RUNNING INTO THE WALLS AND MISSING THE DOORS.
Sounds
like a major new user disorientation syndrome to me, but could
also be attributed to a slow
computer. See, slower machines sacrifice the frame rate to keep
the gameplay speed constant.
Thus you might miss a few frames here and there and that
will fool you into overshooting
your targets (doors, guards when you're aiming your pistol
at them, etc.) Strafe function
helps here sometimes. You can also try experimenting with various
input devices. Mouse is
more accurate on position but slower when it comes to
movement. Joystick is rather inaccurate
but easy to handle and still slow. Especially your rotation
speed. If you have a Thrustmaster
or other joystick + configurable buttons you can program
these for strafe & run functions.
That should make it a little easier.
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3.7
YOU ARE FEELING DIZZY WHILE YOU PLAY IT.
There
have been a lot of discussion about this phenomenon. In short
some people experience dizziness
attributed to the game movement. There were many theories, most
along the line of motion
sickness. Some also said that the animation is too
smooth so it fools your brain into believing
it to be real. Others said its too jerky and it makes you vomit
like being sea sick. Another
popular theory is that lack of proper acceleration (like
on-off high speed) attribute to
the nausea. I will not go into discussion of why.
Rather I'll post some steps people suggested.
Remedies are not guaranteed to work. There are many, all are experimental
and some will
have opposite effects on different people. This, it seems,
is a very individual problem.
a)
Try different
display sizes. Either different size monitors or use the F5
function to vary
the display window.
b) Try sitting closer/further
from the display (but don't stick your
nose in it, I don't want you to get radiation sick).
Combine with focusing/ defocusing
on the display or surroundings (your room, etc.) This is to
see if you're being aware that
you're looking at the monitor (by seeing other objects
around it) and hopefully it may
convince your brain that what you play is not really
real.
c) Try different
machine
speeds. If you have a turbo switch try playing with it
on/off. See what the difference
is.
d)
Try different
input devices (--> See
3.6) With a mouse you can control acceleration
more accurately than with a joystick or the keyboard.
e) Play
on your friend's/collegue's
computer. See if it's better/worse.
f) Have
breaks while
you play. Play in turns. Watch
others play & then play yourself.
g) If you
have Soundblaster try playing with/without
the sound. If your soundcard is stereo try playing with
headphones on. Reverse the headphones
so that left becomes right. Does it confuse you more. (It has
no difference on me if you
want to know ;) This one is not meant as a torture (Hehe) only
to see if you're generally
well adaptive.
After
I switched machines from 386SX-25Mhz to 486DX-33Mhz I had problem adjusting
too. Everything
seemed "too smooth". Now when I see it on the 386
it makes me want to vomit. Sometimes
you'll have to give it time to adjust.
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3.8
IT NEVER GIVES YOU 100% STATS AT THE END OF LEVEL/GAME.
Hmm,
must have missed some treasure/secret room/enemies.
Solution:
1)
Improving secret room ratio --> See 3.10 2) Improving
treasure ratio = Improving secret
ratio since most remaining treasure you missed is probably
hidden. 3) Improving kill
ratio.
A few dogs running wild may be the cause.
There's also a few places in the maze
where the guards can follow you in circles. Back up your
tracks, you might smash into one
around the corner.
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3.9
YOU ALWAYS RUN OUT OF AMMO/HEALTH.
There's
plenty of ammo/food/first aid around to last to twice the fun.
Problem is knowing where
to find it. Be careful to not leave behind ammo clips dropped by
guards after you kill them.
Its only 4 rounds but it adds up. Sometimes ammo/food/first
aid is concentrated in a couple
of rooms on a level. If you find that cache you'll have
no problems. Some levels have relatively
little food/first aid but lots of ammo. It may be wise
to plan ahead and stay healthy for
that level. You can also plainly waste ammo and overshoot ensuring
you'll be hit as little
as possible. Other levels may have little ammo and lots of food/first
aid. Adopt ammo saving
strategy there. Remember that extra-life sphere
boosts both your health and ammo. Also
--> See 3.10
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3.10
YOU CAN NEVER FIND ANY SECRET ROOMS.
Secret
rooms usually house most of the treasure, ammo and health bonuses
as well as machine guns
and extra lives.
Some
"obvious" places where a secret room may be located
are between two items (like a barrels, drums, plants, wall art. Sometimes the wall art
may be the secret. Look for different wall panels in a wall of one type of graphic.
Sometimes it's a corner wall, and other times it could be close to the corner, or at the midpoint
on a short wall. They can be just about anywhere. You just have to keep looking
and you will discover the secrets of where a particular map maker likes to do things. NOTE:
Some secret rooms have secret rooms within them. Sometimes
secret movable panels can be
moved to block each other. Be careful not to block yourself
in. This is also why sometimes
you cannot get 100% secret ratio for some levels.
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3.11
YOU CAN NEVER FIND A SECRET LEVEL.
Well,
if you read Section 2.4 you'd know that you need to find a
secret level elevator to get
to a secret level. These elevators are hidden inside secret rooms
(that is, behind pushwall
passages). They can be pretty darn hard to find without
a map. To get you going here's one
from episode one.
WARNING:
SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!!
The secret level elevator for episode 1 is on level 1! It is accessible by a series
of secret doors (pushwalls) in the last room of that level
(the room with the normal elevator).
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3.12
YOU ALWAYS GET NUKED BY THAT BIG BAD BOSS (GUARD) AT THE END. (THE STRATEGIES FOR DEFEATING
THE BOSSES).
Note:
This section is *far* from complete. Why not send in your hints
for wiping those tough
guys at the end.
Well,
here's a general guide submitted by Douglas Bottoms (BOTTOMS_DOGLAS_J@Lilly.com)
"Usually,
I try to get as close to the boss as possible, then back STRAIGHT away
from the boss while
firing. Then strafing left or right to hide behind a wall
(or get out of the way)."
Note:
You will find that most boss scenarios conveniently include
blocks of wall behind which
you can hide while the boss fires its 'salvo'. Here
is a specific one pertaining the Mad Doc at end of Episode
2. Episode
2: This is the Mad Doctor who is creating all the Zombies.
If you go t him straight on
he'll just zap you with his syringes and you'll go all red-eyed
and die. If you go to the
corridor to the left of the room where he's hiding and
wait for him to come out you can
zap him with the old chain gun from the side. There's
also a first-aid kit in there which
helps. Once he's retired back to the room rush out to
the beginning of the level where there
is a secret room (which you will already have opened up) full
of ammo clips and restock
on ammo. Now you can go back in for a frontal assault and
finish him off. This guy doesn't
fire much - I hit him a bit, get out of the way, hit
him a bit, get out of the way... Episode 3: Hitler is
to the left of the entrance to the final room in the final
level. Hit him with the chain
gun until his armor drops away. Then rush down to the
end and turn right, knock off the
2 white guards in there and you'll find lots of extra
ammo and some first aid. If you lurk
here Hitler may come after you - in which case blast him,
or if you wait long enough
he'll seem to go away. If this happens go right back to the
beginning of the level where
there is a secret room full of ammo and stock up because you'll
find he's trailed you. So
turn round fast and give him everything you've got.
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4.0 MAP/GRAPHICS
EDITORS SECTION
4.1
DISCUSSION OF AVAILABLE MAP/GRAPHICS EDITORS.
There
are 6 map/graphics editors available as far as I know.
Mapedit
v4.1 - Written by Bill Kirby (who incidentally retired
from working on his creation).
This software will let you edit Wolfenstein's maps for any
version released to date (1.0
through to 1.4). It will recognize if your copy is shareware,
or registered (3 episode
or 6 episode). Turbo Pascal source is included so you
can make your own adjustments.
NOTE: Not compatible with SoD.
This is the 'vanilla' version of this editor. Many have changed
this version to produce
their custom 'enhanced' editors with more features etc.
(Thus this version is where the
version tree splits).
The following two are the
most popular.
Mapedit
v4.2 - Written by Ralf Seider (rauh@wrcd1.uni-wcppertal.de)
Some new functions were
added to v4.1 - Item selection memory while editing.
- Can select items from map (pick
up using mouse) - Fill & rectangle functions
for easier level construction. NOTE:
Not compatible with SoD.
Mapedit
v6.0 - Written by Dave Huntoon & Brian
Baker
Some bugs of v4.1 fixed.
Some new functionality added: - Copy, Paste - Exchange
(maps) - Help - Write / Read individual levels to / from disk - Statistics display
(# of actors on level
etc.) - Compatibility with SoD.
Mapedit
v8.0 [FAQ editor's choice]
- Written by Warren Buss, David Huntoon and Bryan Baker
- Blake Stone compatibility
- Zap function - Loads of other useful stuff! Wolfmap
- Written by Jan Peter Dijkstra (Sysma Automatisering).
This one was based on v old version
of Mapedit but then evolved into an editor of its own.
It's really more of a Wolfenstein
map processor with functions such as: version conversion,
level map export into intermediate
file (allows moving and copying of levels), level ASCII
dump for printing purposes,
etc. The editor is really based on Mapedit visually with
slightly more functionality. C++
source included. NOTE: Not compatible with SoD.
Wolfedit
- Written by Bill Kirby (again!).
This is a must if
you want to change Wolfenstein's graphics.
Not only does it let you edit the wall panels as well
as images of guards and various objects.
You can also export/import images as GIF files. This
makes editing with your favorite
paintbrush tool easy. The picture size is limited to 64x64
pixels but for importing images
you can position a square on a larger image and snap
it into the editor. Wolfedit will
not read SoD graphics file as such (VSWAP.SOD file).
If you're trying to edit SoD graphics
then just rename your VSWAP.SOD file to VSWAP.WL6 before
editing. Rename it back after
you finished.
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4.2
RULES TO FOLLOW WHEN EDITING.
IMPORTANT!
READ THIS! IMPORTANT! READ THIS! IMPORTANT! READ THIS! IMPORTANT!
First
of all I would like to stress that iD Software and Apogee are
not responsible for the home-brew
add-ons floating around. They will offer you no support
whatsoever if you encounter problems
with them so DO NOT CALL Apogee about them!
Even
when Wolfenstein bombs out with an error message giving you
the 1-800 number of Apogee DO
NOT CALL if you were playing the non-original maps/graphics.
Apogee especially DOES NOT
appreciate it. If you want to get help about it
read the rest of this section. If you find no
clues post to comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action for help.
Ok,
Here's a few guidelines if you're just starting to play around
with the editors. I thought
I'd put something down that might save you from screaming ARGHHH!!
after a few hours of
editing. Most of these are just a few pointers.
-
First of all save your work often. This one needs no explanation.
-
Also test it often.
Some editing quirks will produce game bugs that are just
plain hard to get rid off. That
might mean you'll have to start editing that level from
scratch.
- Landscape objects are similar in that they are displayed as landscape
when aligned east/west
and as starry skies when aligned north/south.
- If you
REALLY want to have elevators north/south
then the elevator lever would have to be one of the side
panel (as you enter the elevator).
- Secret elevator needs floor number 6B (hex) inside it to
work properly.
- Mobile
guards and dogs can have arrows (turning points) to direct
them. Place these on the path
you want them to move. When they notice you they'll obviously
break from that pattern,
otherwise they'll follow it. If no turning points are
set, they will keep on walking in
the direction you set them off in, walking through walls and
everything. In other words,
SET TURNING POINTS!
- Note that when placing guards
and dogs on the same arrowed path
you might screw up the pattern since dogs are faster than the
guards and will finally 'bunch
up' behind them. See map of episode 1 level 2 for
an example of this.
- Number of objects
on one level is limited to 399. Secret doors and
guard guiding arrows are NOT objects.
Actors are not objects either.
- Number of actors (guards/dogs,
etc.) on one level is limited
to 149. Note that dead guards are considered actors
too.
- Number of doors (sliding
doors, NOT secret doors) on one level is limited to 64. This
includes unlocked, locked
and elevator doors.
- Don't forget you need an entrance
to a level.
- You also should
have an exit or game end trigger (see level 9 of the
shareware version to see how it's
done.)
- The exit must be the elevator icon unless
you changed the graphic.
- Exit
from level 9 leads to level 10. Thus you can have 10 straight
levels with no secret level.
- Secret doors can "collapse" onto one another. Thus
if you have many secret
doors in a row with only the first secret door positioned over
a wall you can repeatedly
push the same wall panel.
- Too many guards in one
room or area will result in the disappearing
bodies phenomenon. --> See 6.3
- Only guards over
the same floor as you will hear you
shoot your gun. Since this concept is quite important
to game strategy here's a little
explanation:
If you fire your weapon (this does include
the knife but only if you actually poke
someone) in a room then all the non-deaf guys in the same room
who stand/walk over the same
floor values will hear you. That is they will become active
and try hunt you down. Also
guys in other rooms which are not connected to your present
room at the moment (What I mean
is the doors between that room and your current room where you
are are closed) will also
hear you if they stand/move over the same floor value. This
allows for a variety of dynamic
effects. - The
first floor value in the Mapedit/Wolfmap editor index is the
DEAF floor (hex value=6A; this
should be annotated in map editors). The guards
standing on deaf floors will react only
if you pass within their sight (that seems to span slightly
less than 180 degrees (~90 either
side of their face)). Note:
If you mix floors in one room (other than the DEAF floor)
then only the floor which
connects to the door through which you entered will become active.
Guards standing on other
floors will be oblivious to you unless you shoot at them
(not sure if you can run through
them).
In
a way when you enter through the sliding doors a change of
active floor takes place (after
the door shuts --> while it's open both floor values are active).
A
classic example is when you enter a room through a secret door.
If the floor in that room
is different then no guard in that room will respond to you
shooting.
If
you're still unclear about this here's an explanation by iD's J.
Romero (straight from the
horse's mouth so to speak):
"Wolfenstein
3-D is basically made up of a lot of closed rooms. When
you open a door, the guards get
a chance to see you and opening the door connects your
sound area to the revealed room's
sound area, so a gunshot will be heard in both places.
Guards in both places will respond
to this kind of action".
- Putting an object inside a wall allows you and other actors
to walk through that wall.
Now you know how that guard jumped you from the wall.
- Directing moving actors (guards,
dogs, etc.) into a wall of unity thickness makes that
square wall panel permeable. That
is you can walk through it in the same way as if you
used the wall walking cheat. (-->
See 1.10)
- You must have a minimum of at least the
following on any level you create:
1 enemy (guard, dog, etc...) 1 piece of treasure (cross,
jewels, etc...) 1 secret door
They are needed because Wolfenstein tries to calculate the
% of each of that you have killed,
opened, picked up, etc..., and if there are 0 items of
any one of the above, Wolfenstein
will crash trying to divide by zero.
- Secret
doors can pass over/through any object
that you can (kitchen utensils, food, etc.) EXCEPT Dead
Guards.
- Be careful not to
set up secret doors that might go beyond the edge of
either the bottom or left-hand sides.
The top and right hand edges of the "world"
are solid, but the left and bottom
sides are permeable (no range checking), and weird things
can happen.
- Be careful
not to set up secret doors such that a small passage
behind them is blocked when the 'pushwall
moves too far' phenomenon occurs. Either insure that
the pushwall can move only 2 grid
locations or enlarge the passage. --> See 6.3
-
Doors should be parallel to the walls
you are inserting them in, as you will get phantom blocks
of grey stone otherwise.
Try placing a door all by itself without any walls and you
will see that it is accompanied
by two phantom walls on either side. This has presumably
something to do with the opening
act of a door (???). You can go through these blocks,
and even open the doors within them.
- Deaf Guard floors directly in front or behind a sliding door
result in the door being
invisible. The floor seems to be replaced with a "force
field" (it becomes an
invisible wall). Of course, if what you want is
an invisible barrier, then this is how
to do it.
Note: If you put a Deaf Guard in an
elevator, you will not be able to
get in! (I think this only occurs in v1.0 of Wolfenstein,
later versions allow you to have
deaf elevator floors)
- If you make regular sliding
doors into secret doors, they behave
rather strangely, when you "open" them. They move
away and transform into a random
wall panel.
- Placing two or more doors side-by-side
will produce a bizarre "picket
fence" wall of crazed wall panels, and will not allow
you to pass through them (except
the last door on the right side) but will let the bad
guys through. Editing
the graphics, hints: --> See later part of 4.5
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to TOC
4.3
COMMON EDITING ERRORS (WHAT NOT TO DO AND WHAT THEY'LL PRODUCE).
- You forgot to put an entry position into a level. When
you start that level you'll find
that you can't move around and you see walls in all directions.
- You put too many
guards in one level. Wolfenstein will terminate
with the following error when entering
that level: 'GetNewActor: No free spots in objlist!'
- You put too many objects in
one level. Wolfenstein will terminate with the following
error when entering that level:
'Too many static objects'
- You put too many doors
in one level. Wolfenstein will terminate
with the following error when entering that level:
'64+ doors on level'
- You included
in your shareware episode map some objects used in non-shareware
episodes only. Wolfenstein
will terminate with the following error when that object/wall
comes into your view:
'Tried to load sparse page'
If you patch the map and
try to continue from the last saved
position within the same level, you'll still get this
error as Wolfenstein stores the
map as loaded on level entry in the save-game file. You
must restart from a saved position
in the previous level. Hint: always save before taking
up the exit elevator of a level.
- You have mixed versions of Wolfenstein maps or have corrupted
map files. Wolfenstein
will terminate with the following error when you start
the play: 'Map not 64x64'
Usually this is due to the fact that you might have only one
MAPHEAD.??? file in the editor's
directory and many MAPTEMP.???/GAMEMAPS.??? files. In
short you're confusing the program.
Determine which map files are the ones you want to play and
clean up the directory.
- One more error which I cannot attribute to anything I know
can occur. It happens when
you die for the first time on a level. Wolfenstein kicks
out with this message: 'MM_GetPtr:
Out of Memory!' This can occur in spite of the fact that
the level has few actors or
objects and there's plenty of RAM around. If you know
how to fix it or what the cause is
let me know.
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to TOC
4.4
MAP/GRAPHICS FILES VERSION CONVERSION.
Map
files version conversion:
Wolfmap 1.6 can convert
between any version of Wolfenstein map
files. Maps for versions 1.1 and higher are considered
equivalent. Note though that
not all wall panels map directly to the same panels through
this conversion. In particular
the false door of v1.0 has been removed and after conversion
to v1.1 will appear as a mud-wall
which will cause you problems if the maps were only the
1-episode shareware which doesn't
have the graphic for that wall.
In short: don't trust
the conversion. Look through the
maps carefully to see if something has gone wrong. I
suspect some objects are converted
to 'unknown' objects as described by the editors. Also
by using Mapedit 6.0 you can convert
between versions of Wolfenstein 'by hand' using the individual
map import / export
facility. Just load up maps of one version, export all the
levels to disk (one at a time).
Quit the editor, restart with map files of a different
version and impor |