About This File
All maps were created by The Mysterious Moustachio a.k.a. Matthew D. a.k.a. Matt534Dog a.k.a. Matt534Doom (on ZDaemon) a.k.a. MDC a.k.a. myself. My goal in creating this wad was to develop and sharpen my senses as a level designer and Doom wad author. I aimed for an atmosphere akin to DOOM and DOOM II portrayed in an updated visual style; I was really trying to face my poor skills in wad compiling and texturing/detailing. I think I improved somewhat by the end of E1 + E2. All of the music was provided for this wad by Dial-up for Murder. cc4-tex.wad was used as a resource pack. I used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) r3018, Doom Builder 2, SLADE 3.1.2, and paint.net 4.0.21 to create all of the maps, compile the wad, and create a large portion of the graphics. The status bar was created by galileo31dos01 using SlumpED v0.7 (for testing), Paint, Paint.net v4.0.21. Additional Credits are listed below. :)
MAP LIST
-MAP01: Level name Teleporter Accident Music Track "Give Me Back My Future" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Can't get out of the starting room using -nomonsters. Inspiration Goofy ZDoom cinematic wads, valkiriforce maps, BTSX E1, and DOOM II: Hell on Earth.
Author's comments I wanted to make a really goofy sort of cinematic intro that conveyed the idea that you are actually responsible for the demonic invasion on Mars. The rest of the map after that set out to make a fun and intense brawl more or less. This is the last level I created for this portion of the wad.
-MAP02: Level name UAC Machine Labs Music Track "Mars Monolith" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration The Ultimate DOOM and BTSX E1.
Author's comments I tweaked this level a good bit from its original incaranation. I have to say, I like it a lot more now; it's a lot more streamlined and cohesive while maintaining the same goals.
-MAP03: Level name Cross Canyon Chaos Music Track "Deimos Monolith" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration Half-Life, The Ultimate DOOM and DOOM II: Hell on Earth.
Author's comments I originally planned for this to be MAP01, and I designed it as such. The first base that the player starts in was meant to be its own "prologue" stage, and the other side of the canyon was meant to be the first level proper. It got too big in the second part (since I designed that first), so I shrunk the first base into a short intro to the map.
-MAP04: Level name H2O Extraction Zone Music Track "Asteroid" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used Doom Builder 2, GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration DOOM (2016).
Author's comments This was the first map I designed for this wad. I drew this one out on paper, and it was orignally supposed to be a Beach Boys themed beach map... I'm curious to see what that might have looked like, but the original concept was that it was taking place during sunset. Hence, the copious amounts of orange, and hence the generous percentage of green and red sprinkled about to accompany it. It was only after this map was finished that I reworked the premise and textured it as a Mars techbase.
-MAP05: Level name Big Ol' Crater Music Track "Rivers" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration E3M6 from UDoom, MAP13 and MAP15 of DOOM II.
Author's comments My goal for this map was to create an outdoors Mars map -- something I had seen a request for in an "underused level themes" thread on DW. Without going to much into specifics, this is easily the largest map in the project, and I'm certain that it took me the longest amount of time overall as well to create just the layout. It too went through many iterations before settling on the half shadow-casted crater of today.
-MAP06: Level name Mars Escape! Music Track "Phobos Monolith" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration This map was pure freestyle.
Author's comments So the story meant to be conveyed here is that the scientist is attempting to escape Mars by transporting himself to Earth using the old model inter-planetary teleporter in this UAC base. Honestly, it kind of got lost in translation when I started using the Plutonia teleporters as a level bookend, but I think I made the ending teleporter for this map distinct enough to simply stand out from the rest.
-MAP07: Level name This Earth Unknown Music Track "T'Pol Or Not T'Pol" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration This map was also pure freestyle.
Author's comments This is one of the later levels I designed for the wad. It was a challenge for me to truly convey that this map and the last took place on two different plants -- two different worlds -- with one shared sky texture. Luckily, I think I crafted a convincing enough facsimile to distract from the obvious vanilla limitations.
-MAP08: Level name Seismic Research Music Track "Panic! At The Drive-Thru" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration 1024x1024 maps.
Author's comments Seismic Research is a 1024 x 1024 sized map; I merely wanted to see how well I could pull the premise off, and I then decided that a super short map like this would be an awesome break coming from the E2 opener and all of E1.
-MAP09: Level name Mining Ops Music Track "Come On In" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration The Plutonia Experiment.
Author's comments This is one of the first few maps I created for the project. The difficulty cranks up substantially here because I wanted to give the player the feeling that they are always under siege.
-MAP10: Level name Filtration Station Music Track "I've Only Got One Emotion" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration Community Chest 4.
Author's comments One of the last maps I made for E2, Filtration Station is an interesting map in terms of layout and secrets. I won't get into secrets here, but, as far as layout is concerned, the map reuses a lot of space. I think this is my most three-dimensional feeling map to date, and one of my most difficult.
-MAP11: Level name Sewage Plant Music Track "Dave" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used Doom Builder 2, GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration BTSX E1, The Ultimate DOOM.
Author's comments Perhaps the most difficult map of the set (at least, for me, from a pistol start), I cut out large portions of this map and streamlined it like I did MAP02. The final version is much more fast-paced (and also grueling) than the original beta that I released in 2017.
-MAP18: Level name Strike on Hectic Castle Music Track "The Chicken" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration Alien Vendetta, and DOOM II: Hell on Earth.
Author's comments This map belongs somewhere in E4 of Atonement, but, since I've already released it on the thread, I'll just include it as a bonus map. It'll go somewhere from Map16 to Map20. The opening of the map was meant to convey a seige on a fortress, and the map proper would have begun as soon as you get though the front door.
-MAP21: Level name Eternal Suffering Music Track "Jungle" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration Scythe, Kama Sutra
Author's comments For Episode 5: HELL, I wanted to expirement more with how I used groundwork, enemy placement, and item scarcity in order to create a more significant challenge. Though this is an older map, it's still plenty challenging, and the progression I ended up with was a lot more abstract than my usual Atonement maps. This will go somewhere from Map21 to Map24.
-Title Screen Music Track "Rivers (Ambient Mix)" by Dial-up for Murder
-Intermission Screen Music Track "I'm Glad I'm Dead" by Dial-up for Murder
-Text Screen Music Track "_ ______ _ ___ _____ ___" by Dial-up for Murder
THE STORY SO FAR...
Jesus Christ, it's finally done. The inter-dimensional teleporters you've been building on Mars -- under top secret conditions -- are finally finished, and testing day has come.
Countless hours spent laboring over several machines, tinkering and tampering with circuit upon circuit, staring at white text on a black background. Your eyes are fucking sore.
But none of that matters anymore. Because you know, when you flip that power switch, you will make history.
MAP LIST
-MAP01: Level name Teleporter Accident Music Track "Give Me Back My Future" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Can't get out of the starting room using -nomonsters. Inspiration Goofy ZDoom cinematic wads, valkiriforce maps, BTSX E1, and DOOM II: Hell on Earth.
Author's comments I wanted to make a really goofy sort of cinematic intro that conveyed the idea that you are actually responsible for the demonic invasion on Mars. The rest of the map after that set out to make a fun and intense brawl more or less. This is the last level I created for this portion of the wad.
-MAP02: Level name UAC Machine Labs Music Track "Mars Monolith" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration The Ultimate DOOM and BTSX E1.
Author's comments I tweaked this level a good bit from its original incaranation. I have to say, I like it a lot more now; it's a lot more streamlined and cohesive while maintaining the same goals.
-MAP03: Level name Cross Canyon Chaos Music Track "Deimos Monolith" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration Half-Life, The Ultimate DOOM and DOOM II: Hell on Earth.
Author's comments I originally planned for this to be MAP01, and I designed it as such. The first base that the player starts in was meant to be its own "prologue" stage, and the other side of the canyon was meant to be the first level proper. It got too big in the second part (since I designed that first), so I shrunk the first base into a short intro to the map.
-MAP04: Level name H2O Extraction Zone Music Track "Asteroid" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used Doom Builder 2, GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration DOOM (2016).
Author's comments This was the first map I designed for this wad. I drew this one out on paper, and it was orignally supposed to be a Beach Boys themed beach map... I'm curious to see what that might have looked like, but the original concept was that it was taking place during sunset. Hence, the copious amounts of orange, and hence the generous percentage of green and red sprinkled about to accompany it. It was only after this map was finished that I reworked the premise and textured it as a Mars techbase.
-MAP05: Level name Big Ol' Crater Music Track "Rivers" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration E3M6 from UDoom, MAP13 and MAP15 of DOOM II.
Author's comments My goal for this map was to create an outdoors Mars map -- something I had seen a request for in an "underused level themes" thread on DW. Without going to much into specifics, this is easily the largest map in the project, and I'm certain that it took me the longest amount of time overall as well to create just the layout. It too went through many iterations before settling on the half shadow-casted crater of today.
-MAP06: Level name Mars Escape! Music Track "Phobos Monolith" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration This map was pure freestyle.
Author's comments So the story meant to be conveyed here is that the scientist is attempting to escape Mars by transporting himself to Earth using the old model inter-planetary teleporter in this UAC base. Honestly, it kind of got lost in translation when I started using the Plutonia teleporters as a level bookend, but I think I made the ending teleporter for this map distinct enough to simply stand out from the rest.
-MAP07: Level name This Earth Unknown Music Track "T'Pol Or Not T'Pol" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration This map was also pure freestyle.
Author's comments This is one of the later levels I designed for the wad. It was a challenge for me to truly convey that this map and the last took place on two different plants -- two different worlds -- with one shared sky texture. Luckily, I think I crafted a convincing enough facsimile to distract from the obvious vanilla limitations.
-MAP08: Level name Seismic Research Music Track "Panic! At The Drive-Thru" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration 1024x1024 maps.
Author's comments Seismic Research is a 1024 x 1024 sized map; I merely wanted to see how well I could pull the premise off, and I then decided that a super short map like this would be an awesome break coming from the E2 opener and all of E1.
-MAP09: Level name Mining Ops Music Track "Come On In" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration The Plutonia Experiment.
Author's comments This is one of the first few maps I created for the project. The difficulty cranks up substantially here because I wanted to give the player the feeling that they are always under siege.
-MAP10: Level name Filtration Station Music Track "I've Only Got One Emotion" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration Community Chest 4.
Author's comments One of the last maps I made for E2, Filtration Station is an interesting map in terms of layout and secrets. I won't get into secrets here, but, as far as layout is concerned, the map reuses a lot of space. I think this is my most three-dimensional feeling map to date, and one of my most difficult.
-MAP11: Level name Sewage Plant Music Track "Dave" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used Doom Builder 2, GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration BTSX E1, The Ultimate DOOM.
Author's comments Perhaps the most difficult map of the set (at least, for me, from a pistol start), I cut out large portions of this map and streamlined it like I did MAP02. The final version is much more fast-paced (and also grueling) than the original beta that I released in 2017.
-MAP18: Level name Strike on Hectic Castle Music Track "The Chicken" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration Alien Vendetta, and DOOM II: Hell on Earth.
Author's comments This map belongs somewhere in E4 of Atonement, but, since I've already released it on the thread, I'll just include it as a bonus map. It'll go somewhere from Map16 to Map20. The opening of the map was meant to convey a seige on a fortress, and the map proper would have begun as soon as you get though the front door.
-MAP21: Level name Eternal Suffering Music Track "Jungle" by Dial-up for Murder Editor(s) used GZDoom Builder (Bugfix) Bugs Possible savegame/demo overflow in vanilla Doom. Inspiration Scythe, Kama Sutra
Author's comments For Episode 5: HELL, I wanted to expirement more with how I used groundwork, enemy placement, and item scarcity in order to create a more significant challenge. Though this is an older map, it's still plenty challenging, and the progression I ended up with was a lot more abstract than my usual Atonement maps. This will go somewhere from Map21 to Map24.
-Title Screen Music Track "Rivers (Ambient Mix)" by Dial-up for Murder
-Intermission Screen Music Track "I'm Glad I'm Dead" by Dial-up for Murder
-Text Screen Music Track "_ ______ _ ___ _____ ___" by Dial-up for Murder
THE STORY SO FAR...
Jesus Christ, it's finally done. The inter-dimensional teleporters you've been building on Mars -- under top secret conditions -- are finally finished, and testing day has come.
Countless hours spent laboring over several machines, tinkering and tampering with circuit upon circuit, staring at white text on a black background. Your eyes are fucking sore.
But none of that matters anymore. Because you know, when you flip that power switch, you will make history.
