The Top 25 Most Nefarious Secret Sectors of All Time

[NuMetalManiak]

Inspired by @Jimmy's Top 25 Sector Ships, I have made my list of the most nefarious secret sectors ever created for the Doom community's many, many wads. As the Doomwiki editor who in the free time will document how to reach every single secret sector in as many wads as possible, I have taken note of the ones that are the most taxing, the hardest, and the most nefarious secret sectors ever.

 

The main criteria I went by with this list is that the secret must be exceptionally hard and/or easily missable, and that the secret is actually accessible without using noclip. So for example, the secret switch in MAP23 of Requiem that makes it easier to defeat the Icon of Sin doesn't count, even though you can use the switch, the actual secret sector cannot legitimately be reached. And as a reminder, there are major spoilers in this list on how to get these secrets. So be warned!

 

A secret is revealed!

 

25. The five-minute drain hatch.
Map: MAP05: Time Gate from Eternal DOOM by @Soundblock

 

 

Well, at least this one gives you a time frame of sorts, as well as using one of the rarest sector actions ever. You have five minutes before the next safety venting so you can get a free megasphere. Problem is, this is at the starting point, and unless you're some kind of boring person who waits all day you got time to kill, so you'll leave the starting point to go on your way. You just gotta remember that this secret can easily be missed if you spend too long.

 

24. The tale outside the sector.
Map: E3M0: Sector from ZPack by @Xaser

 

 

Falling into the "beat the whole level to get this secret" category, you basically gotta finish up the entire sector before the whole thing opens up. When you do, yeah, you can explore alright, the fruits of your labor can always be seen. But what if you wanted to get out of the sector's boundaries? You'll die. That is, unless you jump to the walkway to the south of the sector and manage to stay on. When you make it, you'll really want to explore more. Read the data logs to get an interesting story to tell.

 

23. The one hidden behind the lone crate well away from the other ones.
Map: E1M6: Toxic Treatment Plant from 2002: A Doom Odyssey by Kristian Aro

 

 

Pictured above is the room with the doors that lead to the secret. Not pictured above is where to find the switch that opens the back door behind those. One of the more common concepts for secrets is the element of backtracking. Once you get done with something, you come back and find a new secret is open. In the case of E1M6's only secret here, you've gotta go really far and into a room with a single crate, use it to find a switch, and press it. Then go to a location nowhere near that switch to find a new open area. The secret is behind a lift there. The amount of backtracking to get this secret is what lands it on this list.

 

22. The five-switch rodeo.
Map: MAP13: Brisk from Eviternity by @Dragonfly

 

 

Although a short level with just one secret, Dragonfly sure made it a nefarious one. Smack dab in the middle of the building in this map is a small room. There's a shootable switch in a small alcove, and it opens another one, but just for a single second. You have to shoot one, shoot another, then three more, each within the span of just one second, in order to get a juicy soul sphere; one of those switches isn't even in an alcove but is just another shootable switch. It becomes a memory game after a few failed attempts. What will go first? Opening the secret or running out of shots?

 

21. The one registered with a lack of stairs.
Map: MAP16: Stoned from Memento Mori by Kurt Schmidt

 

 

MAP16 of Memento Mori is rife with secrets throughout its brown halls. One of the ones available early is a hidden lift that players will most likely get due to the soul sphere in a convenient corner leads into a secret room with two switches, one is a lift switch and the other raises some stairs in the area south of the water. Except raising those steps will prevent the player from getting the secret pictured here (not the one to the side, mind you). This secret had confused players who thought it was one of those "too small to register" secrets and it was proven by speedrunners Andy Olivera and Adam Hegyi that as long as you don't press that switch previously mentioned, you can get it. Perhaps due to the player's general nature of "hit every switch you find" this secret is so nefarious.

 

20. The twenty-four second berserk run.
Map: MAP19: Dehydration from Eviternity by @StormCatcher.77

 

 

The secrets in this large Eviternity map come early, but this one takes the cake. You see that switch there? That's right, it lowers the berserk pack up there. Well it probably doesn't look like you'd make it there in time, except you can. It just takes a long time, approximately twenty-four seconds. You gotta run through the area to the left of the secret and all the way around, but not able to do it the first time until you clear out the monsters and solve the puzzles on the way there. There's quite a few "press switch and run to secret" secrets around, but you run through a lot just to get to this one.

 

19. The precise timing to the roof and down.
Map: MAP03: Dies Irae from A.L.T. by @Azamael

 

 

There's a few secrets that involve strange timing that speedrunners can figure out, but most normal players will have trouble with. MAP03 of A.L.T. features one, involving the rooftops at the east side of the map. The steps to the backpack are a clue. From there, you want to head on the northeast roof, then into the block with the Hell knight and soul sphere. There is barely any room for error to make it to the northeast roof, though if the player wants, they could use the window south of the backpack for some extra speed. Regardless, expect a lot of falling to the ground and wasting time getting back up.

 

18. The breaking through the fourth wall.
Map: MAP32: The Super Secret Level from Doom 2 Reloaded by Andy Stewart

 

 

MAP32 of Doom 2 Reloaded sure is a concept map, one which pushes secret hunters to the ultimate test. Many secrets utilize things that make you think outside the box, but the fourth one in particular utilizes the dreaded 30-second door. Unlike Doom 2's MAP27, this one requires a lot more legwork, first you gotta get the first three secrets and memorize how to access them, and that last one in particular can trip players up. Consider it a reset if you don't make it that first time, because you probably won't have time to reach the fourth secret by then.

 

17. The lava run and bar puzzle.
Map: MAP09: Copper Exuviae from Doomworld Mega Project 2016 by @dobu gabu maru

 

 

Copper Exuviae is the spiritual sequel to dobu's Iron Exuviae from NOVA: The Birth, but it shows up in Doomworld Mega Project 2016 as a sheer puzzle level with a lot of girth. Only five secrets, most aren't as hard as expected for most secret hunters, but to get the BFG9000, you've gotta run through the lava to a teleporter far from the rest of the map, then figure out the bar and lift puzzle. It can be a bit daunting if you don't know the trick.

 

16. The parallel barrel.
Map: E4M2: Parallels from No End In Sight by @NaturalTvventy

 

 

NaturalTvventy definitely wants to hide this secret exit in this big map that gives you repeated senses of deja vu. And does so with just a simple barrel. The feisty player may end up shooting this barrel, either by accident or deliberately, but doing so completely locks out the secret exit. Once the smart player gets a red key, they can open the door where the barrel is, then hop to the other section and they are on track to the secret exit.

 

15. The color-coded switch puzzles.
Map: MAP16: Devil's Den from TNT: Revilution by @dobu gabu maru

 

 

Half of the secrets in Devil's Den are a riot, filled with puzzles that, even though they have hints and are color-coded accordingly, will still take a long time to get. It's half of the fun in this level. The secret southeast of the blue key definitely takes center stage though, with both raising and lowering platforms being the main gimmick. Not to mention a second set mid-way through the puzzle that is just as necessary. Commence back and forth switch puzzling! The other two color-coded secret puzzles are much easier, although harder to actually find.

 

14. The platform hopping for the plasma gun.
Map: MAP06: Sugar, Water, Purple from MAYhem 2018: Purple Edition by @Pinchy

 

 

In this little ditty of a level, you've got some fun, round platforms to traverse over the purple liquid, but then you might realize that the secret at the north end of the map ends up being permanently closed off. The key is that once you step on the first platform with the soul sphere, and as the other platforms rise up, your goal is to get to the northeast corner and then quickly run to the open room to the north where the plasma gun is before a wall rises and blocks off access. This definitely takes the timed secret to its limits.

 

13. The Doom Star's super secret.
Map: MAP28: Doom Star Zone Act 2 from Super Sonic Doom by @The Ultimate DooMer

 

 

I don't blame you if you don't remember what this is; after all, Super Sonic Doom sure isn't popular. But in any case, it is a ZDoom wad with a number of interesting secrets, some of which are silly. In the penultimate zone's final act, the level may seem boring, linear, and quite a drag, but The Ultimate Doomer sneaks an interesting script in for players in order to get the "super secret". Basically, you channel your inner Hulk and shoot up every single computer monitor that you can. Get 'em all to get the message, then before you head to the boss room, you can now access the super secret! With the author's initials and some decent items to grab.

 

12. The face that bestows your rage.
Map: E3M1: Gates of Hades from No End In Sight by @NaturalTvventy

 

 

Episode 3 of No End in Sight starts out much differently than the rest, by not giving you much in monster opposition or even opposition towards the exit. But if you are a completionist, be prepared for a long haul. Get a blue key, find a grave-site, find a hidden area with multiple switches, then find the right three switches. The hint for that section is in a completely different area, making it a chore to memorize. With the right switches pressed, you can then access the northeast area, go behind the throne for one more switch, then get your reward, a berserk pack. And then there's barons of Hell!

 

11. The gargoyle hunt.
Map: MAP24: Necromanteion from Doom II Reloaded by Andy Stewart

 

 

Those that play Doom II Reloaded often scoff at MAP24 for being a huge linear path, but not only is it a huge linear path, the author has a very intricate way of hiding the map's BFG9000. Basically, as you go along, find all the gargoyle faces along the way and shoot them, which will open a series of doors that will lead to the secret BFG9000 room. This of course means that you've gotta keep your eyes peeled for any and all gargoyle faces as you progress down the path. The easiest one to miss may actually be the first one, which is through the fence past the bridge near the start and actually opens the first door.

 

10. The long-forgotten not-so-inaccessible Doom II secret.
Map: MAP15: Industrial Zone from Doom II by John Romero

 

 

What's this? An IWAD map has landed on this list. And in the Top 10? Colour everyone shocked. But indeed, for the longest time, we've had to accept that the only legitimate maximum number of secrets possible on MAP15 of Doom II was 90%, due to the teleporter sector preventing players from ever registering the actual sector. However, thanks to @ZeroMaster010, it's been proven possible. Who would have thought that a pain elemental would be the key to unlocking this one secret?

 

9. The quicksand pyramid.
Map: MAP31: Sinkysand Switchland from Super MAYhem 17 by @dobu gabu maru

 

 

You can pretty much expect that whenever dobu makes a puzzle-heavy map, there's gonna be that one secret. And good lord he does it again. MAP31, the secret level of Super MAYhem 17, is an almost full-puzzler. Should you make your way to the pyramid at the northeast end, you'll find that the squares sink each time, owing to the level's name. To get one of the level's secret stars, there's a wall on the west side that can be lowered, with no indication that it can be lowered at all. Furthering this point is that the star is revealed at the highest level, which prompts some fancy footwork in order to first open the secret, and to actually get inside. Expect some retries.

 

8. The wall that requires shotgun guys.
Map: E1M5: Kepler Dorsum from Doom the Way Id Did: The Lost Episodes by @Alfonzo

 

 

How could something so simple and seemingly obvious be so nefarious? Was it by accident, or by design? The levels in DTWID:LE didn't make the main cut, but they damn sure went their way when it came to how many secrets there are. The most memorable one though had to be in E1M5. At the north end, you have a window with two shotgun guys, but also a conspicuous gray wall that won't open any way unless you somehow get the shotgun guys to shoot it from their side. Not from your side, but theirs.

 

7. The face that bestows you explosives.
Map: E3M1: Gates of Hades from No End In Sight by @NaturalTvventy

 

 

Just like the other one big secret on this map, this eventually culminates in a secret room with a large and strange face, but the going this time is gonna be longer. Again, the solution here is shown in a completely different room, but in order to get the secret itself, there's a few outside-the-box ledges to climb, then through the teleporter maze, as well as opening one alcove so you can press a switch to reveal another. It's more than enough to make your head spin. And even more, the rocket launcher isn't initially available unless you use the switch here and then find yet another one to finally lower it. Back and forth, round and round.

 

6. The finnicky switch puzzle.
Map: MAP16: Madman's Vault from MAYhem 2019 by @dobu gabu maru

 

 

Are you truly mad enough to tackle Madman's Vault? For that matter, are you truly mad enough to CONQUER Madman's Vault? Getting through the vault is maddening enough, but getting every kill and secret is a whole different story. While the other secrets in the map are spread properly in sections that require quite some thought, your puzzle-solving skills are put to the ultimate test in order to get the secret flamethrower underneath the level exit. Four huts with switches are to the sides, and pressing them reveals objects, though sometimes they are finnicky and reveal two at once! It truly is enough to drive you mad.

 

5. The one true maelstrom.
Map: MAP28: Maelstrom from Sunlust by @Ribbiks and @dannebubinga

 

 

The screenshot here doesn't show exactly where the secret sector is, but rather what you'll be dealing with well before it. Alternate exits in a map that doesn't have a secret level exit are fairly uncommon, but in Sunlust's MAP28, you've got one. The normal exit is a death exit, but you'll have to work your ass off if you wanna get the alternate one. You'll need all the keys first, including the red key, then you drop in and start the final slaughter. This is easily the roughest fight overall in Sunlust, and the authors make sure you have your work cut out for you.

 

4. The con-STRAINed secrets and secret exit.
Map: MAP31: Secret from STRAIN by Jon Landis

 

 

Who would have thought that a 90s classic wad has a secret so nefarious to be in the top 4? And appropriately on a map entitled "Secret" as well. Anyways, this is another one of those where you've gotta do multiple things just to get to it, but unlike many other ones, this one involves crossing linedefs in a very specific order. The zodiac signs near these particular linedefs could be of help, or maybe not. In any case, unless you know exactly what to do and in what order, you'll either miss this secret soul sphere (which eventually will allow you to reach the secret exit through other secrets), or just stumble on it by accident.

 

3. The juggling of three keys, evil marines, and a timed exit.
Map: MAP31: Secret from Scythe 2 by Erik Alm

 

 

Is it a surprise this is here? Probably not. Those that know this level know it's simple enough, you've got three keys and some new enemies in the evil marines. Here's where it gets complicated. Once you leave the starting platform, there's a hidden dummy sector that prevents the secret exit door from opening and once just twelve, yes twelve seconds pass from the time you leave the platform, you're out of luck. Thankfully, the bars open upon collecting each key, but the evil marines will likely do you in before you can make it in time.

 

2. The true odyssey of Babylon's many noises.
Map: MAP15: Babylon's Chimera from Sunder by @Insane_Gazebo

 

 

Ah yes, Sunder. Known for its aptitude for gargantuan, heavy-detailed locales and slaughter gameplay. No secrets in any of the maps though. Except this one. It is the way to the secret exit, and Insane_Gazebo made it count as a truly nefarious one. You actually have to go through the entire level to get it, and that can take perhaps an entire hour. Once you have opened the normal exit, wait, what's that tiny little nook to the north? Now you have pressed the hidden switch that actually opened the way to the secret exit itself. The next problem? The secret exit is in the lava, well before you ever reach the normal exit, and if you know Sunder's deal, there's no escaping the lava once you fall in. So you gotta find the right location, drop down to where a radiation suit is and drop and run like hell to where the secret exit is. Had you not pressed that last switch, there would be bars there, and your efforts wasted.

 

HMs before the most nefarious Doom secret ever.

 

The frayed wire.
Map: MAP32: Riptide from NOVA: The Birth by @NuMetalManiak

 

 

Yeah, this is sort of tooting my own horn. But at the same time, the novice in me somehow managed to make a secret that is hard enough, even though it is a simple "press linedef, access secret". The way the line is is fairly stupid, and the key is in the FIREBLU that makes it look like a short-circuited wire. The reward may just be a shotgun, but this is quite important as the map is centered around using the chainsaw, and having this along will make the combat sway a bit more in your favor.

 

The original thirty-second secret.
Map: MAP27: Monster Condo from Doom II by Sandy Petersen

 

 

Obviously the original thirty-second secret had to be on here as it inspired two of the secrets here. It's quite a trove for being a permanently missable one, as Monster Condo is rife with enemy activity in many places. Rushing to this one secret before it closes off may be a good go for those on UV.

 

The other not-so-inaccesible Doom II secret.
Map: MAP27: Monster Condo from Doom II by Sandy Petersen

 

 

Who would have thought Monster Condo gets HM'd twice? This is the other secret players know is generally inaccessible, but it was easier to actually access this secret this time by using the wallrunning technique. It also should be mentioned here because if you enter this teleporter without having opened up the wall behind the switch first, you're actually stuck. Quite a deceiving one!

 

The high-up teleporter.
Map: MAP20: Enigma from Community Chest 2 by @The Flange Peddler

 

 

One of two Community Chest 2 maps to get a mention. Enigma's secret here is in the area with the fire at the northeast end and the arch-viles. The goal is to have one blast the player into the alcove with the teleporter to actually reach. However, this is a pure Zdoomism, as this secret is not accessible in other ports. Even more, after version 2.4.0., arch-vile blast jumps were corrected so that their thrust value did not blast the player high, so now the only way to get this particular secret sector without cheating is to play an older version of ZDoom.

 

The secrets to the kill switch.
Map: MAP24: The Mucus Flow from Community Chest 2 by B.P.R.D.

 

 

This memorable map has those annoying hitscanner towers, but then it has this. The path to killing up to 517 zombies still awaiting their teleporting call involves finding a specific wall on the north hall and then pulling the kill switch. Bam, you have taken out the rest and can go back and kill those zombies left on the towers without any more spawning in. Except there's a ZDoomism involved yet again. A linedef of type 85 does not have PassThru set, so any and all secrets back there cannot be reached unless you play in a ZDoom-based port or activate "Use passes thru all special lines" in PRBoom+. For everyone else, you're out of luck.

 

----

 

1. The goal in sight.
Map: MAP32: Ephemeral from 1000 Lines 2 Community Project by @Aurelius

 

 

Here it is folks, the most nefarious secret in a Doom map is in actuality an entire level. You can either choose to play this incredibly cryptic puzzle wad all the way through, or just give up. Many, many players are likely to do the latter, but for those that want the challenge of the most nefarious secret ever, you've gotta go through the whole thing. Shoot properly in safe zones else you'll wake the archies, lure the revenant rockets through the grids, take advantage of infighting, switches that raise platforms, and so much more. Despite its small size, it's a long and arduous run and the achievement of reaching that one last secret, the BFG9000 and the exit, is enough to make this the most nefarious secret of all time.

Edited November 8, 2020 by NuMetalManiak
why did I submit too early? Images updated

[Catpho]

Wow, only now i know what that texture in Eternal Doom meant. That's some great attention to detail.

 

Awesome thread btw!

[valkiriforce]

Interesting list; I'm surprised there wasn't more Eternal Doom maps mentioned here - namely Bob Evans' maps, but it seems he left many secrets unmarked. I can certainly think of at least one sector oddity:

 

On MAP21: Bloody Garden of TNT: Revilution, sector 303 can lose its secret effect because the floor lowers (changes texture) when grabbing the yellow key, which merges the floor with the surrounding sector and makes 100% secrets impossible if this happens. This drove me crazy looking for that last secret in my first playthrough until I caved in and checked what was happening in the editor. This happened when playing in PrBoom+, but it doesn't seem to be an issue in GZDoom.

 

[EDIT] I should mention I don't believe this was the author's intent, it was likely just a bug that slipped through. Either way it was definitely a secret that tripped me up, despite having technically found it.

Edited November 8, 2020 by valkiriforce

[Walter confetti]

Another interesting list after the best sector boat!

[Gez]

It's not technically counted as a secret so you don't get any indication if you missed it; but there's a super-secret super-backpack in ZDCMP2; picking it up increases your ammo capacity beyond the normal maximum (800 bullets and cells, 300 shells, 200 rockets, 500 nails, 200 grenades, 500 napalm). It starts out in the void, outside of map geometry, so you have to do special steps to get it teleported to a place you can reach it. These steps involve finding ridiculously small patches of yellow COMPBLUE in three hard-to-notice places, and punching/shooting them. Note that you need mouseaim for any and all of them. You'll hear a computer boop (more like a bwoop in fact) telling you something happened. Find (and hit) all three and the wonder backpack's moved to a place you can actually grab it!

Spoiler

The first is in the computer station before specimen control. You can get to it once you have the blue keycard. Climb on the upper work area and look at this computer in particular:

Notice a little weird detail in the techwall? Little yellow blob inside a tiny hole in an O-shaped detail? Yep, that's it.

 

 

The second is in a completely optional area linking back from the eastern complex (corrupted cave techbase) to the central junction (cybie fight arena). There's no monster in there, only some goodies if you're running low on ammo. And it's not really signposted at all either, since you don't really need to go through it. See those vines? Burn them.

 

You'll get to a small tiered warehouse. The yellow patch is easy to see here:

 

 

The last is the hardest to notice. It's in a small sloped tunnel so you can only see it from a specific angle at a specific place. You can reach it at the dig site. You'll want to climb on this rock here:

 

Once there, look in this direction:

Notice it? Zoom. Enhance.

Again.

Yeah.

 

 

Once you have gotten your three computer bwoops, now you can go to Hell for your reward! It's right next to the entrance. Just take a left, that little dirt mound does not block the way.

 

But first you'll need the blue skull key.

 

At last, you can claim the treasured bag of holding more! You can visit this area without finding the three patches, but the green backpack won't be there.

Oh yeah, when you take it some cheeky monsters may take offense.

 

[RichardDS90]

These sort of things should be a feature for this year's Cacowards. It's really neat.

 

Also, @Gez What! The! Actual! Fuck! How did you find out about that?! That is seriously mindblowing!

[Redneckerz]

These high-effort, huge research threads could be a page from the Cacowards book (Both this one and @Jimmy's Ships) thank you.

 

@NuMetalManiak Curious little trivia for the Super Sonic Doom one:

When released, it used its own custom ZDoom build (2.0.94f) to actively support all the advanced portals and scripting hacks the mod has. Though SSD is playable on modern ZDoom/GZDoom versions, as far as i know, the specialized build is still the only version that plays it fully supported (Modern ZDoom versions break compatibility in a significant way).

 

More info on that here.

 

Thanks for this massive thread!

 

[NuMetalManiak]

3 minutes ago, Redneckerz said:

These high-effort, huge research threads could be a page from the Cacowards book (Both this one and @Jimmy's Ships) thank you.

 

@NuMetalManiak Curious little trivia for the Super Sonic Doom one:

When released, it used its own custom ZDoom build (2.0.94f) to actively support all the advanced portals and scripting hacks the mod has. Though SSD is playable on modern ZDoom/GZDoom versions, as far as i know, the specialized build is still the only version that plays it fully supported (Modern ZDoom versions break compatibility in a significant way).

 

More info on that here.

 

Thanks for this massive thread!

 

 

I am aware of this. I remember playing it in a modern ZDoom version and one of the end bosses at the midpoint or so was like nearly impossible to hit, while in another, some of the 3d platforms and springs didn't go far enough.

 

1 hour ago, valkiriforce said:

On MAP21: Bloody Garden of TNT: Revilution, sector 303 can lose its secret effect because the floor lowers (changes texture) when grabbing the yellow key, which merges the floor with the surrounding sector and makes 100% secrets impossible if this happens. This drove me crazy looking for that last secret in my first playthrough until I caved in and checked what was happening in the editor. This happened when playing in PrBoom+, but it doesn't seem to be an issue in GZDoom.

 

This reminded me of a secret on MAP29 of Requiem (Downer), which has the same issue.

[Tristan]

15 minutes ago, Salahmander2 said:

Also, @Gez What! The! Actual! Fuck! How did you find out about that?! That is seriously mindblowing!

I believe he was the one that set it up. The symbol it appears on is the letters G E Z on top of each other.

[RichardDS90]

13 minutes ago, Eris Falling said:

I believe he was the one that set it up. The symbol it appears on is the letters G E Z on top of each other.

I was wondering what that symbol on the floor was about, and I was also wondering why that room was devoid of monsters.

Edited November 8, 2020 by Salahmander2

[Gez]

Yeah, we were all encouraged to make a "signature room" so this is mine.
 

Spoiler

The room design is patterned after the first iteration of the great hall in Hell -- it was quickly overhauled into something a lot grander-looking.

Wood, marble, and metal theme; with a bullet hell reception from shadows, imps, and cacodemons in the cages.

 

The signature room used to be just the dead end of the corridor:

 

 

The three places with the hidden patches are the areas I worked on especially. The computer room, before I got to it, was just this:

Pretty dull. So I made the upper area, complete with its reinforced windows (including on the ceiling), the computers, and a lot of outside details including the weird buttresses and that little reservoir tower.

It's funny that the lower area of the computer room still fits the original undetailed room shape.

 

The dig site/fort was another area I originally made, though it was greatly enhanced by Vader IIRC. The basic concept was "let's storm a castle, the enemies have the upper ground and you've got to get rid of them, but you do have some cover". It was, of course, a bad idea and one that was universally panned. I'm not a good level designer. (Seriously, I challenge you to find one review of ZDCMP2 that doesn't say the fort siege is awful. :p Heh.) Fun fact, it used to be free-standing so you had to run all around it to find all the angels of death. Putting it next to a cliff face allowed to halve the tediousness.

 

Also fun fact, the direct teleporter between Hell and the surface that is created when you go there:

 

used to be in the eastern complex area. It was moved to the corridor leading to the dig side and replaced by a lift to the eastern complex itself.

I was very into the green marble and green fire theme for Hell, I guess.

 

As for the warehouse, it just didn't exist at first. At some point I decided that the area that had been called "central junction" ought to actually deserve its name and serve as a junction, so adding a passage to the east was justified. (There was already the passage to the north blocked by demonic gunk.) I moved a bit Starscream's Easter egg to do so, since it used to take the place of the eastern doorway:

And of course there was nothing on the eastern complex's side either:

 

And if we had to go through the eastern complex because the direct path between central junction and dig site was blocked, that means that there was a need to show that there used to be a path, too, so I added this thing:

Fun fact: this gentle slope corresponds to the slope it should have to reach the height level of the central junction. Because I don't want to ruin anyone's immersion in the extremely coherent and verisimilar simulation of reality that is Doom!

 

[NaturalTvventy]

Dang! Thanks for the shout out of three of my secrets! I certainly tried to milk the DOOM engine for all it was worth in NEIS. I will never forget in DOOM e2m2 stepping on a random slightly brighter corner of a room, and then having a soul sphere lower, raise, and then be inaccessible forever. I tried to chanel that spirit with NEIS, for better or for worse. I wouldn't have been surprised to see NEIS e1m3 using monsters to lower platforms and e3m7 mini icon of sin over e3m1. E4m2 I totally get :) Thanks for the shout out!!

[Fonze]

I think the chicken secret from the Wayfarer bears some mention here. Really there were quite a few really innovative and different secrets in that wad which probably could have made such a list.

 

Also I cried a bit that the worm I made for tht didn't make it onto this list 😋😭

[Foxpup]

8 hours ago, valkiriforce said:

This happened when playing in PrBoom+, but it doesn't seem to be an issue in GZDoom.

 

ZDoom changed the way sector property changes work to not affect the "secret" property. I know this because years ago I asked for (and was refused) a compatibility option for this because a few secrets in my upcoming Mordeth award candidate megawad actually rely on the vanilla behaviour. (I'll make my way onto this list yet!)

Edited November 9, 2020 by Foxpup
typo

[Gez]

5 hours ago, Fonze said:

I think the chicken secret from the Wayfarer bears some mention here. Really there were quite a few really innovative and different secrets in that wad which probably could have made such a list.

Yeah; having to morph an enemy into a chicken and then lure them to some tiny tunnel so they can trip something is not exactly the most intuitive secret.

 

Also in Heretic, there's Optional Escort Mission from Unbeliever. You have to protect a monster from stray shots as you guide it from room to room; if it survives to the end the secret exit is opened. (If it was killed before reaching that point, either from enemy fire or from an expeditious player, only the normal exit is available.) REKKR has the kinda the same idea with its secret puppies, but at least they're not shootable so you don't have to worry about getting them killed on the way.

[Phobus]

@Gez Very impressed with that ZDCMP2 secret sequence. I worked on some of your map portions (particularly Hell) and never realised what was going on there! Unfortunately my signature room never made it in when people edited Hell after me, but never mind...

[Gez]

13 minutes ago, Phobus said:

Unfortunately my signature room never made it in when people edited Hell after me, but never mind...

Don't you still have the fireball fountain above the icon head? I remember originally the fountain was in the middle of the room instead of hidden away on the roof, but it survived.

[Phobus]

I didn't realise it was up there. I thought it'd been moved off to a separate sector to be reintegrated later. Maybe a subsequent revision to the one I played included it...

[NuMetalManiak]

I knew there was bound to be some more secrets that even I managed to miss on this list. It's been a while since I played both REKKR and THT, so I forgot about the worms and bunnies. Plus I haven't played ZDCMP2 or Wayfarer.

 

Others I can think of that I missed are the 30-second door in MAP15 of D2TWID and the 5-minute door in E1M9 of 2002ADO (although the hint for this one was easier IMO). And Phobus has that newly-released megawad that uses every single linedef and sector action, so there's the secrets in that too. There's quite a lot of cool ideas for secrets being thrown around.

[Andromeda]

21 hours ago, valkiriforce said:

Interesting list; I'm surprised there wasn't more Eternal Doom maps mentioned here - namely Bob Evans' maps, but it seems he left many secrets unmarked. I can certainly think of at least one sector oddity:

 

On MAP21: Bloody Garden of TNT: Revilution, sector 303 can lose its secret effect because the floor lowers (changes texture) when grabbing the yellow key, which merges the floor with the surrounding sector and makes 100% secrets impossible if this happens. This drove me crazy looking for that last secret in my first playthrough until I caved in and checked what was happening in the editor. This happened when playing in PrBoom+, but it doesn't seem to be an issue in GZDoom.

 

[EDIT] I should mention I don't believe this was the author's intent, it was likely just a bug that slipped through. Either way it was definitely a secret that tripped me up, despite having technically found it.

Yeah these sector oddities sometimes slip through the cracks it seems - from memory I can recall MAYhem 2020 MAP26 and Community Chest 4 MAP29 (if you find the easter egg before triggering the secret in question) have secret sectors that can lose the effect.

[Devalaous]

I am disappointed in the lack of mention of Hell to Pay's megasphere on this one level, where if you dont get it in a certain time frame, there is an actual texture taunting you, and the item is displayed in front of you, forever unreachable.

 

Also, no mention of the method to reach the secret level of END2.wad by NaturalTvventy? Then again, his secrets are insane enough to be on the list multiple times just from No End in Sight. Finding all the secrets in E1 of NEIS, and all of the ones in END1 and END2, I really got a look into how his mind works with secrets.

Edited November 9, 2020 by Devalaous

[Denim Destroyer]

Interesting write-up I am glad to see someone was inspired by Jimmy's sector ships post! Some of these seem convoluted just for the sake of being complicated, like the five minute timer or the Doom the Way Id Did long range shotgunner secret.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Denim Destroyer

[leodoom85]

Don't remember which Community Chest was done but, remember the one secret on map 15, which you need a PINKY to open a locked door inside a maze to reach the secret exit?

[RichardDS90]

1 hour ago, leodoom85 said:

Don't remember which Community Chest was done but, remember the one secret on map 15, which you need a PINKY to open a locked door inside a maze to reach the secret exit?

Community Chest 3. Never really bothered me, but having to open up all the hidden doors so it can run it's course isn't really intutive.

[Soundblock]

Haha, thanks (?) for the 25th on Timegate! I never timed it to figure out if the editor info of "5 minutes" was actually correct - just trusted the editor info on it.

 

No mention of this hot mess tho?? ;]

[Snikle]

On 11/9/2020 at 9:53 AM, NuMetalManiak said:

And Phobus has that newly-released megawad that uses every single linedef and sector action, so there's the secrets in that too. There's quite a lot of cool ideas for secrets being thrown around.

The Secret exit to MAP32 in 25 Years on Earth could have been here easily.

[pcorf]

2002ADO E2M4's super secret exit requires finding unmarked doors and lots of backtracking. Once all hidden switches are activated the secret exit should be revealed behind the the regular exit room.

[Master O]

@NuMetalManiak Are you gonna make a "Top 25 Most Nefarious Doomworld Threads" at some point too?

 

:)

Edited December 3, 2020 by Master O

[vdgg]

It was a great article. Of course, I disagree with many of them, as I found them legit (so they must be obvious), but still, well done!

 

My picks:

Artifact by Paul Schmitz, you have a chaingun, rocket launcher and plasma rifle on display, each in an alcove. If you pick up the chaingun first (that you already possess), you can get all three weapons and all the secrets. If you choose RL or plasma first (being greedy?), you can only have either rocket launcher or plasma.

 

D2Reload MAP13 soulsphere secret. It's in a tunnel which is briefly accessible when a big portion of nukage is lowering.

 

Armor bonus is your reward in FCFF MAP02. You need to do platforming, and shoot an imp with a rocket. Or the other way round... That was a nasty one.

Ah, of course, also the one from MAP01! It contains nothing. To get it, you need to rocket jump yourself.

 

yakfak's secrets can be really obscure, the secret exit from Dedicated to Francisco Pizarro, my max demo doesn't show it as it is not a sector but an exit. I don't remember if in the end I figured it out or not. Also, Odessa series.

Edited December 3, 2020 by vdgg

[NuMetalManiak]

12 hours ago, pcorf said:

2002ADO E2M4's super secret exit requires finding unmarked doors and lots of backtracking. Once all hidden switches are activated the secret exit should be revealed behind the the regular exit room.

This was another I had thought of. I put E1M6's secret though because that one has you finding a crate with a switch behind it, and then going someplace you wouldn't think of. Both E1M6 and E2M4 have a boatload of backtracking but I found E2M4's secret exit easier mostly because you backtrack a lot more there so there's a higher chance you'd find something new in a place to backtrack.

12 hours ago, Master O said:

@NuMetalManiak Are you gonna make a "Top 25 Most Nefarious Doomworld Threads" at some point too?

 

:)

No because I don't revel in forum drama.

11 hours ago, vdgg said:

It was a great article. Of course, I disagree with many of them, as I found them legit (so they must be obvious), but still, well done!

 

My picks:

Artifact by Paul Schmitz, you have a chaingun, rocket launcher and plasma rifle on display, each in an alcove. If you pick up the chaingun first (that you already possess), you can get all three weapons and all the secrets. If you choose RL or plasma first (being greedy?), you can only have either rocket launcher or plasma.

 

D2Reload MAP13 soulsphere secret. It's in a tunnel which is briefly accessible when a big portion of nukage is lowering.

 

Armor bonus is your reward in FCFF MAP02. You need to do platforming, and shoot an imp with a rocket. Or the other way round... That was a nasty one.

Ah, of course, also the one from MAP01! It contains nothing. To get it, you need to rocket jump yourself.

 

yakfak's secrets can be really obscure, the secret exit from Dedicated to Francisco Pizarro, my max demo doesn't show it as it is not a sector but an exit. I don't remember if in the end I figured it out or not. Also, Odessa series.

Honestly a lot of the D2Reload secrets really do belong here in hindsight. I just had to pick the two nastiest ones overall (MAP24's multi-step BFG still stumps me). MAP13's secret is certainly a nefarious one due to being perma-missable and you'd not think to look for the entrance there. Plus the "monster-only" doors in one of the MAP32 secrets and in MAP14.

 

Actually forgot about The Artifact. Is that the one with that secret room tied to the weapons or something? And yakfak's secrets! In truth, actually getting them once you find them may actually not be as hard, but yakfak is so confusing with his maps regardless. I don't remember that much of the DMP map you mentioned, but Flompster Condo (in 2048 Unleashed) was quite a nasty one too because you really get confused as to where you're going almost all the time (goes for the whole level moreso than the secrets here).